I finally know why I couldn't finish Chicago Triathlon

Nearly 3 weeks after Chicago triathlon I finally found out yesterday why I wasn’t able to finish it. As you may know I couldn’t finish the triathlon and had to stop 5 miles before the finish line after suffocating and being out of breathe during 3h. All started maybe 50m after the start in the water while I was front crawling. I suddenly started suffocating. So I had to stop front crawling immediately as I couldn’t put my head into the water anymore. The rest of the swim (1450m) has just been the worst swim ever...having to breaststroke (which I hate and haven’t trained for..) and having to stop every 20m as I was completely out of breathe and I was coughing a lot. I can tell you I nearly stopped at any single buoy that was in the water. I just couldn’t believe it swimming being my strength and I was really wondering what was going on. I must admit that twice I was very close to raise my arm to get help but that would have meant that the race would have been over for me and I couldn’t imagine stopping the triathlon at that stage. I was thinking of all the training I had been doing since January, the visit to the hospital, the kids who were fighting against disease... So I would fight too and would at least finish the bloody swim. It took me nearly 1h to go through it. While swimming I was still hoping that maybe something was wrong with my wetsuit explaining the suffocation... but as soon as I got out of the water and starting transitioning I realised that I couldn’t run (which is quite an issue when you run a triathlon ;-) ) so I walked to my bike. Actually that was quite unreal being the only one walking among all the triathletes rushing to their bikes. I did manage to bike the 40km into the wind trying to focus on my breathing and trying not to cough too much. I was trying to think positive and enjoy the moment, Chicago skyscrapers... but I really didn’t enjoy it as I was struggling so much. Back to the transition area and again no way I could run, so that was getting a real issue as I was now supposed to run 10km !!!! The only thing I could do was jogging for 30m and then I had to stop to be able to breathe again. I still have in mind people cheering me “Number 6214, go ahead, don’t give up !!”, “ 6214 go go go you are nearly there”. The crowd was just amazing. It helped me go through the 1st mile but actually I knew I couldn’t finish the triathlon and I was looking for an ambulance for a while now as I could feel that my breathing was getting worst and worst and my heart rate was way too high. At that time Dave overpassed me like a rocket (Horse Power is a bloody fast runner !!!!) and he understood that something was wrong with me, I was walking slowly on the side of the track. Finally I stopped at the 1st water station and asked for medical aid. At that point I could barely speak so it was really time for me to stop. Medical aid took care of me giving me oxygen, ventoline (as we were thinking I had my 1st ever asthma attack in the water) and brought me next to the finish line which has probably be the worst experience ever watching hundreds of delighted triathletes crossing the line. I was grrrrrrrr. At that time, I already knew that I would be back next year and that even if I have to walk 10km I will finish Chicago Triathlon. Finally I took a step back when an injured triathlete arrived next to me on a trolley. His back was full of blood, he had had a bike crash but he was fine. At that stage I looked at him and saw that his bodymarking on his shoulder was #2. So he was a pro and being injured and not finishing (I mean not winning) the triathlon was far more critical for him than me not finishing it ! I found out afterwards in the hotel that this guy was Andy Potts, a great and famous US triathlete as he was the front cover of Chicago Triathlon magazine !



So what happened to me?

I met a lung specialist yesterday who confirmed that I caught a virus (probably in the plane or via AC in the hotel, we don’t know) which affected my lungs and triggered the suffocation when I started swimming. I’ve started a one month treatment and I’ll have additional lung exams next week. So my priority is now to rest and recover. I won’t probably train for the next 2 months but what is sure is that I’ll be in Chicago next year and I will cross the line, no way I won’t cross it next year !!!!

Photos of Chicago Trip

Here is the first cut of photos from Chicago and San Fran....Dave's 100 best photos. Marie's to follow...

Chicago 2009 Results

Here are the times of the Trionic 7 in the Chicago Triathlon on 30-Aug-09. Nobody bet 2:30 but Barry came closest with 2:35, followed by David with 2:39. Johanna was first of the Crumlin girls. Marie was unlucky and wasn't able to finish, but no doubt she'll be back next year. Seán (3:11) ran out of energy gels too early, so more porridge for him next year. Pete (3:22) crossed the line ahead of Barry who was breathing down his neck. Richie got the biggest cheer from the waiting Crumlin crowd in 3:40.

Photos and stories (with a little gossip thrown in) are to come...Marie just has to pick the best of her 800+ photos...a moment wasn't missed!

TCB: Taking care of business...

Lads, job done. We're now in San Francisco, enjoying the sun of the Bay Area after leaving the Windy City behind. Trionic 7 came with a job to do and we did it! Barry O'Sullivan likes to exaggerate (slightly anyway) but he was bang on about Chicago Triathlon being a pure addrenilin buzz.

The city. The race. The party. The fans. The Crumlin crew.

Check out our race results here (click on Timberline link and then International Individual).

Too many stories to tell, so we'll save them til we're back. And Marie is already on photo 612, so no doubt there'll be a slideshow and a half done when we're back.

Peter O'Grady has gone to New York and some of the lads are heading down the coast to LA this week. The rest are heading back this weekend.

DP

Golf Classic Results: Carton House

We had a really successful day at Carton House on August 16th, with 17 teams competing. The list of prize winners is below. Thanks to everyone who played (and sponsored the event)

1st Place: 84 points

John montayne, Conor montayne, Roger montayne, Padraig Noonan

2nd Place: 82 points
Peter Fitzgerald, Stephen Grogan, Martin Brennan, Luke Hogan

3rd Place: 78 points
Peter O’Grady, Paul O’Grady, John O’Grady, Niall Balloch

4th Place: 75 points
Angela O’Grady, Eithne Murphy, Ger Brennan, Martin Brennan

5th Place: 74 points
Tony O’Sullivan, Maria, Bill, Michael

6th Place: 73 points
Craig Sowman, Frank Sowman, Simon Sowman, Simon Ferraro

7th Place: 72 points (better back 9)
Kevin O’Dwyer, John O’Dwyer, Dave O’Leary, Terri Sullivan

8th Place: 72 points
Therese O’Grady, Pat Howley, John Howley, Edel Howley

Longest Drive: Pat Howley

Nearest to the Pin: John Howley

My Brush with the Tarmac

“I thought you were dead,” these are the words the garda said to me today, two days after I crashed off my bike at about 35+ miles per hour, going down a hill on the road from Roundwood in Co Wicklow. I’ve never broken a bone in my body, and miraculously, that’s still the case. From talking to anyone who heard about a bike crash like that, it really makes me realise how lucky I was. Really lucky.
I place the odd bet on football and golf, and if someone had asked me what are your chances of being seriously injured if you fall of a bike at speed, I would have said pretty short. Going down a hill, even shorter. With a van coming the other way, miniscule. I’m not trying to dramatise here, but really do feel go raibh an t-ádh liom. I still feel a bit like humpty dumpty, but at least they could put me all back together. My bike came out the worst.
On Saturday, the sun was shining so I decided to go for a decent cycle. I’d done the Enniskerry-Glencree 45km route a good few times, so wanted something different. I looked at Roundwood which is a 60km round trip from Sandyford, and I figured I’d give it a go. With only 2 weeks to Chicago, I wanted a good fast cycle on decent roads, not just up- and down-hill. I reached Roundwood after about 1:25 hours and after a break for the now obligatory Lucozade Sport and Nutrigrain bar, headed back towards Enniskerry. The road was busy with traffic, but a decent surface. The last 3km down to the junction towards the N11 or Enniskerry was full of bends. I was going at a fair lick, but stayed well back from the 3 cars in front. As I came round a bend, onto a straight patch of a few hundred metres, I steadied up and saw a van come around the bend at the bottom.
I must have been going at least 50 kmph (35 mph) and when I peddled in a high gear, suddenly my right foot clipped out of the pedal as I pushed down. Most of my weight would have been on my right side, so I wobbled to the right (sorry, couldn’t find a more graceful word J). The van was heading straight up the hill and I was on a direct course towards it. I can’t remember what I did next, because it happened so fast, but do remember thinking maybe I could turn right and go into the ditch to avoid it. But I didn’t have time to do anything and next thing I know I’m flying through the air. I didn’t see the van but was assuming I would hit it. The seconds passed (like milliseconds) and next thing I’m lying on the tarmac on my right hand side, my head resting on my outstretched arm. I didn’t know what state I was in, other than alive. Being in an accident isn’t something they teach you in school.
I didn’t feel pain. I just saw the tarmac, my arm and the ditch. Then I saw blood. My arm was bleeding and my mouth was bloody. Had I broken my arm? My leg? What about my head? Within a few seconds, there were a group of people around me. They had a first aid kit and started to help. Before they had a chance to do anything, I heard “I’m a doctor”. A middle aged man with a beard knelt down and spoke to me “What is your name?” From there he proceeded to ask me a few questions and realised I was fully conscious. In hindsight, this was a very good sign. His priority was to ensure I didn’t move my arms or legs. He used the first aid kit to bandage up my injured elbows. He kept talking while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. He even called my dad to let him know what had happened (these days, nobody knows mobile numbers off by heart, but I knew his thankfully). The gardaí arrived pretty quickly. I could hear people saying “he was going very fast, he looked out of control.”
The ambulance sirens whined and I knew I was going to be in hospital soon. The doctor was worried about my shoulder being dislocated and my right arm being broken, so they were very careful putting me on the stretcher. They applied the neck brace in case my spine was damaged. I was able to lower my right arm and my shoulder didn’t pain that much. In fact, I felt ok considering. Maybe that was the shock. Aisling, the paramedic, looked after me on the way to St Vincents Hospital.
On arrival at A&E, I was wheeled into the “resus” zone. Once they knew I wasn’t a critical case, the pace of action around you slows down, but still they were excellent. The doctor checked out my arms, legs, upper body and back and figured that I hadn’t broken anything which was amazing. I still had a lot of wounds all over – cuts, scrapes, burns, bruises. So it was up to the nurse to clean them up (yes, ouch with TCP for a kick). I still wasn’t in serious pain, just very uncomfortable because of open wounds and raw skin. Then I realised my teeth didn’t feel right. Given all that I got done on my jaw last year, this was the last thing I wanted, so just to be sure I got a jaw x-ray. In the end it was fine, but I realised by lower front teeth had been pushed in a bit and an upper tooth was chipped. More trips to the dentist...
So I spent the night in Vincents which was good as wouldn’t have been comfortable at home. I had a TV so could even watch the Premiership. The worst part was lying in the bed, as the open wounds on my back were very uncomfortable. The next day I got a blood test and even felt like a pregnant woman for a while, when they did an ultrasound on my liver! The doctor even showed me my heart beating (“cool”, his words, not mine). When I saw the consultant, knowing that nothing was seriously injured, my immediate thoughts were the Chicago Triathlon. This is what I’ve been training for since April, and with only 2 weeks to go, I didn’t want to have to miss it. It would have been a real sickener. But at that stage I really didn’t know how fast recovery would be. I could see myself being able to run, and possibly cycle, but swimming sounded tricky, given the state of my elbows, back and face. But the consultant said that yep it should be possible. I’ll have plenty of scabs and scars but once they don’t get infected I should be all right.
So let’s wait 7 days. By next week my elbows and back should be a lot better. My biggest worry is the pain in my lower back. I hope that goes away. And I won’t be able to train, so not ideal preparation, but falling off your bike wasn’t good prep to start with. Saturday night I definitely didn’t think I’d be able to race in Chicago, but was determined I was going either way. By Sunday I was a little more confident and today I’m happier that I should be able to do it. Although I won’t be setting any world records – the swim might be at a snail’s pace, but I’ll be happy to get there!
Today I picked up the bike in Bray Garda Station and, given the news of two guys being stabbed to death last night, it made me realise that life is precious. I hobbled in and met the garda who arrived on the scene. He showed me the bike in a sorry state. Two buckled wheels, front fork twisted, handlebars messed up, but the frame and chain set all look intact. Once we got it to Cycle Superstore (Pete, I left my credit card outside just in case they tried suck it dry again), the guys there took it in their stride and said no bother, they’d give me a quote and it should be fixed by the weekend. Sounds like a day’s work for them. So at least I’m not the only dodgy cyclist in Dublin.
So with 13 days to the big day in Chicago, my thoughts are

(i) I feel so lucky I can still walk and talk,

(ii) delighted I’ll be on the start line,

(iii) will check my equipment a little closer next time

(iv) pissed I missed the golf classic in Carton House yesterday,

(v) stoked we made out fundraising target for Crumlin last night and

(vi) can see myself a little more likely to cross the finish line in downtown Chicago like these brave souls

Triathlone - only 6 weeks to Chicago

So the next step for the Trionic 7 towards reaching their goal of completing the Chicago triathlon was to brave the murky waters of the Shannon in the Tri Athlone on the 18th of July. Five of the seven made the 2 hour trip after work on Friday evening to register, collect our numbers and get most importantly our free t-shirts!! This famous five were Dave Power and Sean Young (Olympic distance) with Richie Harpur, Johanna Dinn and myself (Sprint distances). Richie “I got it covered” Harpur had booked a housemansion in the grounds of Glasson Country Club no less for the lads to take over while Joanna stayed in Athlone.

Within minutes of arriving in our country retreat we had unpacked all our equipment. We have all invested considerable sums on wetsuits, race bikes, racing shoes, open water goggles the list is endless! The kitchen looked like it had been transformed into an underground “Tour de France” type laboratory with bottles of Isotonic drinks, packets of energy gels and power bars lying around. All the scene was missing was a few scientists in white jackets with clipboards while test tubes of oxygenated blood bubbled away in the background! J We have discovered that there is a mountain of products that can help your body out of the depths of despair to get around these events and lets face it with mother nature against me I need all the help I can get.

The Race
We were up at 6:30 to ensure that everyone got down to the barracks for the race start. Rumours had been circulating the night before about the swim being shorten to only down stream if the current didn’t weaken and sure enough on the morning of the race it was deemed too strong and therefore all participants only swam the sprint distance of 750 meters. In Athlone there was a considerable distance between the transition area and the water. The terrain between the two being a very stony path resulting in a long gruelling painful run in your bare feet. Hot coals would have caused less grimacing but I’m sure it made an amusing spectacle for the large crowd that had turned out. We were all a lot more relaxed and prepared this time around and confident that we could shave a few minutes off our last times. You are constantly picking up tips on what you could do to maximise your speed while minimising the physical effort and energy burnt.

For example we had been warned that cyclists would be penalised if found drafting (this is cycling less then 7 meters behind the bike in front) as this protects you from the wind, in a slipstream, to the extent that you burn a quarter of the energy while keeping at the same speed. I didn’t realise that this was also the case in the water, that if you can swim behind someone that you use a lot less energy as you’re swimming in their wake and every now and again you can grab onto one of their feet to get toed a bit! J

The Run

The run was great in triathlone as the route was a couple of circuits of the town which was packed with people cheering all the competitors on. Its amazing how much faster you run with clapping and words of encouragement ringing in your ears and there was no hiding places to squeeze in a sneaky walk without attracting looks of disappointment and even though its from strangers you still didn’t want to let them down. So we all managed to complete it without any major injuries to bodies or equipment, just a few cramps and an auld muscle spasm or two thrown in for good luck. I’ve notice the array of people that you see competing in these events are unreal. There were at least two ladies I saw in their sixties and a few gents that had to be close to their seventies. Chicago will have tri athletes of ever shape, size, age, able and disabled people participating in it.

What's next

With one eye on Chicago we are still working towards our main goal and that is to reach our fundraising target of €35k now only approx €9.5k is remaining. We spent Friday night shaking buckets outside Croke Park for the U2 concert and have plans to hold a poker night while we are currently selling raffle tickets for a framed Irish rugby top signed by the grand Slam winning team! Our next major outing is in Carton House on the 16th of August where we have booked the Montgomerie course for a golf outing. This was a great lift for us to get such an amazing location for what we know will be a great day.

Make sure to contact one of the team if you would like to attend or email crmftri@microsoft.com.

I would like once again to take the opportunity to thank all our team mates and Microsoft for the generosity that has been showed towards the cause. Richie and myself were in Crumlin again this w/end and there was people protesting about budget cuts and planned ward closing, fundraising is more important then ever for Crumlin and this could be seen in the faces of all the worried parents.

Our next outing Triathlon wise is The Pulse Sprint Triathlon in Port Beach, Clogherhead, Co. Louth on Saturday 8th August. This will be the last event that most of us will take part in before the trip to Chicago. There is already talk over pints of marathons and Iron man contests of training camps and weight programs for the winter months in preparation for next year. Whatever about next year, the fear that we had before is gradually changing to confidence and excitement at the challenge that lies ahead and there is a feeling that we as a team could take on anything!

Peter & team

Team blog
Online donations page

French Lesson : de retour de Dunmore East

Hier David, Richard, Sean et moi-meme avons couru le triathlon de Dunmore East près de Waterford. Dès le vendredi soir nous etions 3 à faire le voyage depuis Dublin pour etre au maximum de notre forme le samedi matin ! Les parents de David nous accueillaient très gentillement. Arrivée à Tramore vers 20h après 2h30 de route et après avoir notamment traversé la region de Wexford, le pays de la fraise ! Eh oui saviez vous que les fraises poussent en Irlande. J ai bien cru au depart que c etait une joke mais non. L Irlande n est pas uniquement le pays des pommes de terre et des carottes (j en mange presque tous les midis...) mais aussi des fraises ! (je me demande toujours comment ells peuvent murir mais bon...). A peine arrives nous allons directement le pub pour prendre un verre puis le resto ! Après un delicieux repas équilibré (ni burger, ni frites, ni dessert...), nous sortons du resto vers 22h30, il ne fait toujours pas nuit (welcome to Ireland, l été, les journees durent une éternité ;-) ), mais il est temps d aller se reposer. Après un dernier thé, nous revoyons le timing de la matinee : petit dej à 8h30, depart à 9h30 pour le triathlon. Le lendemain matin après un bon petit dej avec le fameux “bla” le pain de Waterford introduit par les normands il y a plusieurs siecles, nous nous rendons à Dunmore East à quelques kilometres de Tramore. Le soleil brille...enfin... je me demande si cela va durer car depuis que je suis en Irlande j ai presque toujours couru les triathlons/duathlons sous la pluie... Il y a aussi un bon vent qui souffle et je me dis que cela ne va pas etre simple sur le velo... Bref nous arrivons enfin, le village et le site sont magnifiques. On repere les lieux, la plage d ou nous commencerons le triathlon, la zone de transition sur la falaise. Oui j ai bien dit sur la falaise... donc ca veut dire que la transition entre la fin de la natation et le velo n est pas evidente du tout. Il y a bien 500m de montee avec des virages en “S” facon la montee de l Alpe d huez. Nous recuperons nos dossards, mangeons un dernier morceau et c est parti pour aller installer nos velos dans le “bike park”. Ambiance bon enfant, il y a un animateur au micro qui est absolument excellent ! Chaque fois que quelqu un vient lui poser une question, il la repete au micro : qui aurait un 2eme bonnet de natation? Qui aurait de la crème solaire, qui aurait un tournevis.... bref, c est la rigolade. Entre deux, il sort evidemment des blagues que je ne comprends pas toujours mais bon...Il fait beau et tout le monde a le sourire. Le briefing approche, et l heure du depart aussi. Nous sommes 500 à courir ce triathlon (750m de natation, 20km de velo et 7km à pied) Les hommes de moins de 40 ans partent en premier et les autres 10mn plus tard. On se retrouve tous en combinaison sur la plage, l eau est fraiche.. c est sur ce n est pas la mediterranee mais bon depuis mon aquatlon de Bray mercredi dernier je sais que je peux nager en mer sans avoir trop froid. Le depart des hommes est donné, les femmes se preparent et c est parti ! Nous nageons contre la marée montante ce qui rend la course plus difficile. Je trouve le temps long mais pour une fois on a de la place pour nager et je ne recois pas trop de coup, je sors de l eau après 18mn50, essouflee et je m apprete à affronter la montee pour retrouver mon velo... J arrive à bout de souffle tout en haut et je retrouve Richard qui part sur son velo, nous avons à peine la force de s echanger quelques nots : “ tough swim, good luck for the bike”. Je me dis que je ne suis pas la seule à etre fatiguée par la natation. J attaque alors le velo avec le vent de face, ce n est pas facile mais je m accroche. Je ne vois personne de l equipe pendant toute l epreuve, les 20km se font tant bien que mal, j arrive dans la zone de transition pour deposer mon velo et partir faire les 7km à pied et je retrouve à nouveau Richard. Nous partons ensemble et après quelques centaines de metres nous commencons les fameux 3 km de montee... et oui c est la cerise sur le gateau. Je m accroche tant bien que mal, determinée de ne pas m arreter car je sais bien que si je m arrete c est mort et que je n arriverai pas à repartir. Richard fait une pause mais je continue. Je survis tant bien que mal à cette nouvelle epreuve et je termine les 7km en comptant un par un les derniers metres. Sean et David ont fini et ont l air en pleine forme contrairement à moi qui recherche desesperemment de l eau. Richard nous rejoint quelques minutes plus tard. Nous nous etirons, discutons des difficultes rencontrees pendant la course mais surtout nous sommes tous satisfaits d avoir termine car c est sur que après 1h52 d intenses efforts on ressent une satisfaction enorme une fois la ligne d arrivée franchie. N ayant pas encore couru de distance olympique ce triathlon est probablement le plus dur que je n ai jamais couru. Je realise alors que dans 15 jours je serai au UK pour courir mon 1er distance olympique (1.5km de natation, 40km de velo et 10km à pied) et que ca va etre tres tres dur. Mais pour l instant je savoure ! Direction le pub pour manger un morceau et boire un verre et profiter du soleil (qui se cache un peu trop à mon gout derriere les nuages). Je rentre ensuite à Dublin tout sourire. Aujourd’hui, c est journée repos. J ai des courbatures aux jambes et de beaux coups de soleil sur les epaules, comme quoi meme en Irlande on peut attraper des coups de soleil !!!! Qui l’eut cru ???

What we're raising money for

Last Friday, 12th June, we paid a visit to Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin. It was a great opportunity to find out exactly WHY we're fundraising, WHO will benefit and WHAT the money will be spent on.

The Hospital treats on a yearly basis over 24,500 inpatients and day cases, 30,100 Emergency Department attendances, 76,000 Out Patient attendances and performs over 13,500 operating procedures.

WHY? To raise €35,000 in vitally needed funds for the main Children's Hospital in Ireland.

WHO? Kids...kids...kids. Sick Irish children and their parents and families
WHAT? Fundraising money will go to buying medical equipment which will help sick kids. Money will also go towards medical research and building new wards/bedrooms (or even keeping existing wards open hopefully) and renovating existing facilities to ensure kids have a comfortable stay in hospital.

While we knew before going that our money would go to Crumlin, it really brought it home that these children NEED this money and it will make a DIFFERENCE. The needs sounds so basic (equipment, facilities, beds) however the state doesn't fund it all, so fundraising has to make up the gap.

We spoke to a head nurse in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and spending cuts will impact her team as overtime cover will be harder to get and this could result in delayed operations or even cancellations.

I definately left with a determination to make our €35,000 target and an amazing respect for the staff who work in Crumlin, as well as the amazing kids who this is all for.

A day in the sun with a difference

Last Saturday, with the sun shining, most people were either eating ice-creams or drinking cider (or both) while soaking up the rays. Not to be for us – we had the misfortune of dipping our toes in the Triathlon world on the hottest day of the year! For the Trionic 7 team (well minus Marie) this was our first real test. Some of the lads had done the practice swim in Athy the week before and by all accounts getting used to the murky waters of the Barrow was only one of the barriers to be overcome.
Over 2,500 people compete in TriAthy and it seems as if well over a 1,000 were like myself, i.e tri-virgins! Arriving in the GAA club, it was mobbed with cars, people, bikes and figure hugging tri-suits. I’m still getting used to the gear – the idea of wearing a cross between some sort of one piece man-bikini just brings Borat to mind. So I stuck to t-shirt and shorts. While we’ve been fundraising for over a month, my training is a little bit behind that. I only took the plunge and bought my bike and wetsuit last week. Pete did the same and I know how he felt when he said he had to put his credit card in a bucket of ice after splashing out (ok enough water related puns).
Barry and Sean did the Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run) in the morning, which is fair going. While Barry’s a seasoned pro (must be retiring soon) Sean made the jump from Sprint to Olympic in a week, so no doubt the drugs testers will be out after him next time. Barry even managed 2 punctures in that time, so he must be a dab hand at changing a car tyre too. By the time we met the lads, they were well finished but looking as if they hadn’t even stretched themselves. Two a half hours to get around is a lot of slogging, but hopefully that’s where the rest of us will be soon.
Myself, Pete, Richie and Johanna signed up for the Sprint distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) which went off in waves (bunches of about 200 people) during the afternoon. We got setup in the transition area and it really was “bike porn” as someone described it. The swim was downstream on the Barrow, which helped as the current was strong. Still though, when you stick your head under the surface you can barely see the end of your nose, so nothing like swimming in the pool. Add to that getting whacked with flailing arms and legs and you get the picture. I found the swim ok, it seemed to pass quick enough (9 mins). You get hauled out of the water onto a pontoon by helpers and get left there like a beached whale. Running a trying to take a wetsuit off, I struggled to sort my gear in the transition zone. Some people just do a Superman in the telephone box and are ready to go.
The cycle was my big unknown. Even getting used to those clip-in shoes was new to me. But it went fine. The route was straight out the Carlow road and back in (39 min). Back in the transition zone for the run, I got the shoes on and off I set. I knew this would be my strongest part, as I’ve been running a lot over the past few years, so was a nice feeling to pick people off (as opposed to bike where I’m not great). The run involved an off-road section through an uneven farmers field (good for twisting ankles and growing potatoes, not for races though) and came back along the towpath of the river, which was nice if you were going for a leisurely walk, but I didn’t have much time to take in the scenery (19 mins).
Crossing the line was a great feeling. To have finally done it. Something new that I’ve never done before. Same goes for Richie and Pete who like me are complete newbies to this. Johanna knows what she’s doing, so probably had higher expectations/standards than “just finishing”! But that was the amazing thing about it for me – there was people of all shapes and sizes, all ages and hair colours, toned muscles and flabby bellies, but at the end of the day it didn’t matter a damn, as everyone who finished deserves a pat on the back. It’s a great buzz to be able to challenge yourself (even if you do get slightly pissed when someone twice your age and weight breezes past you on the bike!).
So now we’ve got the bug, we need our next hit. Dunmore East in Co Waterford is next up on 20th June, but in the meantime there’s the business of fundraising to be attacked as well as some serious training. It was a long day in Athy but worth it. The length of the day measured by the time it took until I got my hands around a nice cold pint. Five past midnight to be exact, so I even missed a Saturday pint. Now that doesn’t happen too much. Things must be getting serious...

PHOTOS: check out this collage of pics from the Irish Times.

Its been a while

My last post was April 25th on the night before the Ashford Duathlon. Its been a month and as I write this I'm preparing myself mentally for my entry to the Triathlon scene - Triathy in Athy Co. Kildare May 30th 2009.

A lot has happened since my last post, we have been on the streets of Dublin shaking buckets for small change, we held a wine tasting evening which was a huge success and of course there has been a lot of training.

Below is a video I found on youtube - Ironman, maybe next month.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2d7IvIq20I&feature=related

Introducing Johanna Dinn

My entry into the world of triathlons started 2 years ago when my brother and myself decided on a whim to do a sprint triathlon in aid of Focus Ireland. Neither of us had really swam since we were kids nor had we put foot to pedal since college days but thought what the heck – we would give it a go. When it came to the event – I still wasn’t quite sure how I would make it through the swim as I had never been able to do the full 750M in training...but something I learned that day is that where there is a will there is a way and so I front crawled, back stroked, breast stroked and doggy paddled my way through it. Being someone who is always up for a challenge – I thought I would up the ante the next year and so last August I did an Olympic distance triathlon. This was one of the most physically and mentally challenging things I have ever done and crossing the Finish line was one of my proudest moments.

So this year I’ve decided to combine triathlons and fundraising and be part of the Microsoft Trionic 7 team that will do a triathlon in Chicago to raise €35K for a really worthy cause. Our fundraising kicks off this Saturday at the Leinster V’s Munster rugby match in Croke Park (so if you see us...cough up) and over the next couple of months we will get stuck into many more events where we hope to raise lots of cash. We’ve got a terrific group of people on board for this challenge and I’m really looking forward to training, racing and fundraising with them over the Summer.

Introducing Sean Young

Why who when and how are all questions one asks one self when half way through your first race (last Sunday) or a killer training session at some ungodly hour of the morning with a young pup pushing you through the pain barrier only to find another level of pain you didn’t realise had been invented yet. But moments later when all is said and done your hit by a surge of euphoria when you cross that line or finish your session and you know that you have achieved something and pushed yourself further than you did the last time, it all makes sense... then! and could be quite addictive!!

How?
I’ve been toying with the romantic notion of getting fit and knocking out a few triathlons between lunch and dinner for some time (dreamer) now when the reality of actually stepping up to the mark side blinded me a couple of months back leaving me with no other option than signing my easy going lifestyle away for a bike a wet suit and a pair of trainers happened it didn’t take long to wipe that dream world clean into cold light of day . Which I’m delighted has happened............. NOW!

Why & Who?
The kids... money please!!!

When?
Chicago August 30th 2009, bring it!!

Introducing Peter O'Grady

Hi, my name is Peter O’Grady, I’m from Kilkenny and I’m training to be a Tri-athlete! This is where I would normally hear my friends or family spit out there drinks in a mixture of shock, horror but mostly amusement! I swim like a wounded wildebeest, have never owned a bike and running to me is some thing colours do in the wash! Don’t get me wrong I do love and have always been involved with sport but the nearest I’ve been to an endurance sport was representing Microsoft in a 27 hole playoff for the O’Callaghan cup against Oracle! J Well how I got into this is down to Barry O Sullivan, he gave an inspirational speech in the wee hours after a MS pub quiz in McSorleys. He told me about how much of a life changing experience it was and how much you learnt about yourself, this combined with a skin full of coronas and before I knew it I was signing on the dotted line! And in the cold light of day what arrived arm in arm with my hangover was the realisation of the task that lay before me! But at least I was now part of a team and what a team! J The Crumlin 09 Triathlon team are a great group of people and are making this experience more enjoyable then I could ever have imagined.

Of course the real motivation and reason that any of us are putting in the hours of swimming countless lengths, saddle sores and knee breaking pounding on treadmills is in an attempt to raise money for the Children’s Medical Research Foundation (CMRF). I honestly had never really done anything for charity before bar contributing some money towards other peoples efforts. I saw this as an opportunity to change that and to help some people less fortunate then myself. Raising this amount of money for Crumlin is the main goal, and that is where we need your help. I will complete the Chicago triathlon even if it involves floating, pushing the bike and crawling the last few miles… this money however will allow the kids in Crumlin achieve the goal of a better life and that is something we can all be proud to have played a part in!

Introducing Marie Fenard

When I told my friends that I was going to run Chicago Olympic triathlon for charity, they really thought that I was crazy ! "how are you going to be able to swim 1,5km then bike 40km and then run 10km?". They are right, it is a real sport challenge for me as my main sport has always been golf since I was a kid. But I like challenges, that is what motivates me.

So I've been training hard since January. Typically, 3 to 4 times a week I’m either running, biking or swimming. My friends asked me "how are you going to raise 5 000 euros" and they are right again....especially as I have never ever raised funds (this type of charity fund raising is not typical in the French culture). But I will now be organising a wine tasting event for sure, amongst other fund raising activities and I'm confident I'll cross the line (hopefully under my target of 3 hours). I'll need to train very hard to reach this goal and am participating in few races to practise and learn crucial lessons...

Last Sunday, a few of us ran Ashford's duathlon...I made 2 discoveries.....
1/ Never ever drink a mango Powerade before a race !!! It has completely ruined my stomach and made the race painful....
2/ Check your material !! When I started biking, my bike was making an unusual noise coming from the front wheel. I discovered after few kilometers that I haven't clicked the wheel correctly...So I don't think I'll be making those errors again !

I'm really excited by this Chicago adventure and I'm looking forward to be there!

The Lone Ranger Returns!

Back in black; the legendary tune by AC/DC... with one very simple message - The Chicago Triathlon 2009 must be conquered!

This year our team numbers have grown by 230%. Preparation and training commenced a number of months ago and most importantly our fund raising target is now a minimum of €35,000. My first experience of the Chicago Triathlon with Shane and John was an unforgettable voyage of discovery from start to finish. It was a step into the unknown for all three of us. We learned so much about ourselves, each other and the willingness of others to support and encourage us to reach our goals. This year, the bar has been raised significantly. Armed with my knowledge from last year, I hope to guide the first timers through the Crumlin (CMRF) experience of the Chicago Triathlon.

To be honest, I’m a little jealous of the guys who will be embarking on this adventure for the first time. Having lived the dream last year I have become completely hooked. The anticipation of the unknown and then the exhilaration of crossing the finish line is what makes the first Chicago Triathlon so special. Expectation amongst the group is sky high... there is already very healthy banter and competition but ultimately this is a unique opportunity for us to measure ourselves against your own potential.

The Trionic 7 will never let our heads hang. We will never give up, sit down or despair. We will find a way

In the words of Snowpatol... it’s time to Take Back the City

Introducing Richard Harpur

Dave has set the standard in blog pictures, I have to follow suit and go with the black & white look.

As a seasoned veteran of the Irish athletics circuit Triathlon was a natural next step, and what better way to break onto the Triathlon scene than as part of the Crumlin 09 Triathlon team in an effort to raise money for the Children’s Medical Research Foundation (CMRF).

Now those of you who don’t know me may believe that last statement in its entirety, however the truth is I have never been involved in athletics at a competitive level, I peaked in the early 90’s in ‘some’ event at the Co. Wexford community games in Bree and since then, well there’s not much to say really I simply haven’t really taken part in any form of sport. A bunch of guys from work got involved in this same competition last year and that got me thinking. So when the opportunity arose I jumped on the band wagon, jumping on bandwagons is a pastime of mine once Obama got elected I needed a new one.

Although I’m not an athlete, I like to think I have made some progress over the last few months. 4 months ago I was smoking up to 20 cigarettes a day and the only regular exercise I took was raising a pint glass. Now, I don’t smoke, drink a lot less and exercise is a regular (and important) part of my weekly routine. There are many benefits to such a change in lifestyle which I’m sure your all aware of (health and fitness etc) but the greatest of all is getting to stay in on a Saturday night to watch ‘Tubridy Tonight’ – this weeks highlight is the story of a bull who broke into a Supervalu in Ballinrobe.

Tomorrow is Sunday April 26th – a very important date in my calendar and the calendar’s of some of my comrades, it’s our first race this year and my first race ever. At 1 pm tomorrow the Ashford Duathlon ‘kicks off’ (I’m not sure what the correct term is, kick off, throw in, whatever) this is a 5 km run followed by a 20 km cycle and then another 5 km run, just for good measure. I don’t know what to expect, will I be able to complete the full race, will I fall off my bike (apparently the correct way to cycle is to use specialist shoes which have clips that attach to the pedals which means you become part of the bike, sounds great but if you forget to unclip them when stopping you end up on the ground – I have never cycled with these clips before, tomorrow is D-Day).

I have stocked up on energy sweets and protein bars, lets hope they do what they say on the Tin………………

Introducing David Power

As someone who hasn’t swam properly since I was 12 at the Community Games in Mosney, or ever cycled a bike except for fun, doing a triathlon is something new. Waterford isn’t known for its triathletes (although Sean Kelly had it in his blood:-)), so why do it? Well one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to take on 3 new challenges. I don’t think I’ll get away with counting running, swimming and cycling as all 3 – but doing a Triathlon is definitely one challenge ticked off the list. I play a lot of sports (football, golf, squash, running), so doing the triathlon will definitely improve my fitness. Last year I had several injuries which kept me out of action, so this year I want to come back stronger. I’d also like to raise money for Crumlin Children’s Hospital, as I think most people will know somebody who was a patient there and it does great work for kids across Ireland.

I See Fit People....

Here we go again, Chicago Triathlon 2009 in Aid of Our Lady's Hospital for sick Children Crumlin. We have a new team and a new blog, but our goal is the very same. We want your money in aid of a worthy charity. To earn this we are going to Swim, Cycle and Run our way from Athy, Athlone and various locations around Ireland to our end goal of crossing the finish line in Chicago on August 29th.

Stay tuned on this site for team introductions, training plans, local triathlon results and fund raising activities.

If you weren't with us last year please feel free to visit our 2008 blog by clicking here.

Below is a sample of what you will find.