Firmus Energy City of Derry Triathlon Race Report.

This race was entered as a training session to help me nail transitions for the Irish Middle distance championship which is only three weeks away and to get an hour of top end speed. I believe no matter how much transition practice you do on your own it won’t compare to the real thing when your heart rate is sky high and your competition are surrounding you in a real life situation. The race’s timing was perfect, the last Sunday of my big two week training block. I knew going into this race that it was going to be a suffer fest with having completed two hard weeks consisting of over 22 hours of training each week. I had prepared to suffer and that’s what happened!

The race starting time was 8.15am so it was up at 5am, the porridge ritual done and dusted. Mum, dad and I made the trip to Derry. I love racing in Derry and I’m sure other people agree that they always have a great atmosphere and the best crowds which make it a great racing experience. After registration and chatting to my Omagh club mates it was time to rack the bikes. With the Firmus Energy City of Derry Triathlon being awarded National Series status I knew there would be some big hitters here and I wasn’t wrong. In transition I saw my main competition, Commonwealth games triathlete Harry Speers, last year’s winner Neville O Neill, local favourite Danny Quigley and European Half Ironman Age group medallist Mark Diamond.

It was time to get the wetsuit on and head to the swim start. With my dry land warm up completed we were counted into the water. I was pleasantly surprised that the Foyle wasn’t too chilly but it was certainly murky and salty.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO we were off. I have never been in a swim like it except for the world championships in 2013. A washing machine was the only way I can describe it. Getting dunked a few times definitely gets the heart and respiratory rate up.  It makes it more fun!! From the first stroke I felt sluggish and slow but I tried to get into a rhythm with my stroke but by that time we hit the first buoy. I said to myself “This is going to be like a boxing match,” I wasn’t wrong. It was crazy! Finally after 500m I got clear water and began to get my rhythm but by that time there was only 250m to go and I was dropped by the first group. I then just mentally prepared myself for my first transition. Out of the water and on the run to transition mum shouted to me I was 8^th out of the water.  This meant I was going to have to push the bike.

Wetsuit off, helmet on and away I went, flying mount, feet slipped into my bike shoes. Perfect!!! It was time to push the first lap of the bike. The bike route consisted of a two lap circuit taking us under the Craigavon Bridge then up over the Foyle Bridge and back to the start. Straight away my legs felt sluggish but I had prepared for this and knew it was going to be hard. I kept my cadence around 90 put my head down and tried to push hard. After exiting the Craigavon Bridge I hit the long uphill drag and of course there was a lovely headwind thrown in for good measure! Exactly what I needed, It hurt I assure you. Within 4mile I had passed everyone except Harry who was further up the road setting a blistering pace. After the first lap and enjoying the high speed downhill section I was told by Omagh supporters I was sitting second. Onto the second lap I was concentrating on holding off Neville as I knew he would be pushing hard on the bike. Second lap of the bike was pretty uneventful except for my legs feeling heavy. With one mile to go I was caught by Neville and knew this was going to be a hard run. Feet out and resting on top of my bike shoes dismount done, bike racked, racers on. It was suffer time!

My legs were really feeling the weeks’ training and felt like I was carrying a backpack of lead. At this stage Neville and I were running shoulder to shoulder and he was pushing hard. I thought “Hang in there”. After the first 1k my legs started to feel ok so I decided to push. Nothing, no response! We ran together over the Peace Bridge which was pretty difficult. Before the turn around we met Harry and he was flying. As we reached the turn around point I thought push it and see how the legs like it. Finally my legs responded and I was able to edge a small gap. I know Neville is seriously strong and a great athlete and he wouldn’t give up second place easily.  Time to suffer again! Mental strength now came into play. There was an incline leading back up to the peace bridge and I pushed here again and I seemed to open up a gap. It was painful, my quads and lungs screaming!!!! After the peace bridge the crowds were amazing shouts and cheers of encouragement were well appreciated. This is one of the great attractions of this race. Roll on an ITU race. Two hundred metres to the finish I was really hurting but managed kept the pace up. YES the finish line. 2^nd place secured with Neville only a few seconds behind in 3^rd. I must say “Thanks for the pain Neville”. Harry had taken 1^st place and deserved it he was on fire and set a crazy pace up front from the gun.

The best bit was to come; the podium, it was great to be on the podium with two great athletes. champagne provided we cracked it open, completed the traditional triathlon champagne spray. Some may say it’s a waste of champagne but its great fun! It was great to be on the podium and achieve the goal I had set myself before the race, of making the podium. 

 After the race it was brilliant meeting with all the athletes and swapping stories of how our day’s racing went.

I want to say a huge thanks Northwest Triathlon Club and Firmus Energy for producing one of the best triathlons I have ever taken part in. It has to be one of the best courses in Ireland and I’m sure it won’t be long until the ITU come knocking to bring a race to Derry.

To all my Omagh club mates, well done. It was fantastic racing by all and it was evident of what a great club we have here in Omagh; the support shown for each other was immense.

Finally a huge thanks to Peter Jones and the guys at Lakeland Bikes for the support of the disc wheel and getting my bike race ready. It’s much appreciated guys and thanks again.

For me now it’s a recovery week and then a week and a half of hard half Ironman specific training before the taper starts for the Irish Championships.

 Congrats to all who took part in the weekends triathlon. Thanks for reading guys and happy training!

Race report. Lough Cutra middle distance.

I was happy at how the winter had gone as previously mentioned but I now had my final physiotherapy 8 week placement looming. I knew training would have to take a back seat as triathlon doesn’t pay the bills sadly. I sat down with “the punisher” to chat about a way to structure my training over the placement period. I was on placement on Intensive care and a high dependency unit and knew I would be pretty busy during the day. We decided to go down the route of quality over quantity sessions. All the session throughout the week had a purpose. Specific watts to hit on the bike, heart rates and times to hit on the run and specific swim sets from the masters group and a big emphasis on recovery and sleep. I didn’t argue with the sleep bit.

Four weeks into placement I had a week of for Easter so I decided to pop home and try and find a race to give the legs a good burn out and keep the motivation up. Decided to do one of the Lisburn duathlon series. 1^st place and probably the easiest win I will ever have. That was a good sign. Week over, back to placement and back to routine. I was glad to finish placement and happy to get a first, the hard work was all worth wile. No exams until 22^nd June. Get in!! Flew back home that weekend. Nothing beats mums cooking! Roe valley triathlon the same weekend. 2^nd place felt awful had a disaster of a swim but happy to post the fastest bike/run splits for having tired legs.

Two weeks past and it was time for the big one. Lough Cutra Half Ironman distance. I chose this race as it was part of the Castle Triathlon series which is the best series of triathlons in Ireland, UK and France. Another reason was that the field would be stacked and I wasn’t wrong. Irelands top long distance professional was racing along with a few elites from England and further afield. This would be a test but I believe racing the best makes you better.

The day before the race started with a simple 10 minute spin on the bike. My beloved Felt DA1 was feeling fast. Car packed. You think we were going away for a two week holiday with the amount of lycra and kit needed for 70 odd miles of racing. Arrived at the race venue to register. The place was a hive of activity. Swim course and transition checked, then it was the traditional pre-race pasta dinner. In bed for 9.30. I never seem to sleep the night before a race but dad in the bed next to me didn’t help matters with his fog horn snoring. At least I know he still has a good set of lungs!

Alarm went off at 5.45am porridge scoffed, car packed once again. We arrived at the race venue, I have never seen so many compression socks!! Bike set up, 10 minute jog, wet suit on and then to race briefing. Everything was pretty standard at the briefing, then it was time to enter the water a lovey tropical 12 degrees!

10 minute steady swimming followed by 10 x 10m hard swimming. Heart rate was up and ready to rock. 5 4 3 2 1 starting horn goes off.

The first 100m was the typical crazy sprint start. I went of hard and had clear water but I missed the lead pack of 3 swimmers. I kept the pace high to 700m I was then joined by two others I tucked in and got a nice draft following bubbles from the front swimmer until the 1700m mark. The last 200m it was time to start kicking a little harder to get the blood back into the legs I found myself exiting the water in 4^th place. 200m run to transition wetsuit of, helmet on and go!

 Had a great transition and was out on the bike course 4^th. Time to put down some power. The first 1km of the bike was in the castle grounds I approached the right hand turn out to the main road Mr headwind hit me. After 10km I caught one guy, the head wind was obviously causing havoc to some of the weaker cyclists. 45km of headwind hell covered. All I could think was keep aero, watch the watts, nutrition and cadence! I like to keep my bike cadence around 90 rpm as it helps save the legs for the run. Around 46km I hit corkscrew hill. It was a great hill with nice switchbacks, as climbing is the strongest aspect of my cycling I pushed hard to try and chip away some time on 2^nd place. The next few kms were pretty lonely I never saw anyone but new I was sitting 3^rd so that provided the motivation to keep pushing. At 70k a polish guy with a disc wheel passed me I went with him but after 5km my watts were edging up to a level that would affect my run so I let him go. 85km one of the English Uber bikers also with a disc wheel passed me I also let him go as well. A very tough 90km with brutal headwinds was going to make this an interesting run I thought to myself. 

Into the castle grounds, slipped my feet out and rested on top of the shoes, dismount perfect! Awesome I thought my legs feel great, bike racked, racers on, isogels grabbed and boom it was run time. The run consisted of three 7km loops on brutal trails which were energy zapping! After the first 1000m I passed the English uber biker, I was sitting in third, every 2.5km it was water, 5km an isogel I needed to keep on top of the nutrition as the temperature had increased. I was keeping a close eye on my heart rate also and not allowing it to creep over a certain level. The first two laps went by pretty quick and I was making some inroads to the 3^rd placed athlete. One more 7km to go!! At the 5km to go mark it started to get really tough the surface now taking its toll on my legs, I said to myself suck up the pain and suffer for 5km its only 5km! Glutes and Hamstrings crying and cramp edging closer I came onto the last 1km. The crowds were great and definitely helped numb the pain, finishing line in sight, I heard the voice of Irish triathlon Peter Jack announce my name and 4^th place. 4^th place dam I missed the podium!

As soon as I finished I downed a can of cold coke.Coke never tasted so good! Stumbled to dad who was super happy with my result. I was slightly disappointed finishing 4^th and not making the podium. Looking back it was a good result in an elite field and it has certainly improved my confidence for the Irish championships in July.

 Later that day I was told that if I had used a disc wheel I may have saved up to 4 minutes on the bike leg. If any bike shops or wheel producers reading this and you fancy supporting me this season don’t hesitate to contact me :-D

Hope you enjoyed the race report.

Lorcan.

My first blog…Winter Prep

Hello Folks, I have set this blog up as every triathlete seems to be blogging now and I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. You will have to excuse me as I am completely new to this blogging craze and hope I don’t bore you with lots of continuous swim bike run chat.

Thought I would start by talking about how my winter prep has gone.

 I was lucky to have Four weeks of from training after Lost Sheep Half Ironman. 7^th place at the Irish championships, at only my second time over that distance. Il take that! I got to say how epic that race is. If anyone wants an easy Half Ironman race that’s the one for you. Only a few mountain climbs and a hilly half marathon to finish. Easy!

My four weeks of down time consisted of eating lots and lots of pizza and the odd beer thrown in for good measure. Then time came to mount the bike again and clock up the aerobic base mile. All my cycling was done in the peak district, kept at specific heart rates and consisted of long hilly rides. I can assure you my heart rate did jump into zone 5 at times when I was pedalling up some of those crazy hills that the peaks has to offer and also the crazy Yorkshire head winds which I got real friendly with. I have to thank the headwinds as they have definitely helped make me a stronger biking this year.

My running was also kept aerobic and kept at specific heart rates set out by my coach/dad aka “the punisher”. Running was going well I was able to clock up some good mileage and everything was falling into place and I was feeling strong and my aerobic pace had increased. It was nice to see the progression, running at the same heart rate but at a faster pace. One thing I learnt is that patience is needed when using heart rate. I wouldn’t do any of my winter base mile any other way now.

My swimming was a different story. Sadly this has been the major aspect that has let me down as I always seem to be chasing come the bike and run. I set out over the winter to concentrate improving this. Masters three mornings a week at 6.45am. Dark, wet, windy and freezing mornings in mid-December never really added to the appeal of getting up at 6.15am and walking to the pool. But it was the thought of fellow competitors doing the same thing that got me out of bed those mornings. Once in the pool it was enjoyable “most of the time” or when we weren’t doing sets of 100s. 100s seem to hurt no matter what pace im swimming at. Drills Drills Drills was also emphasised. It can be boring but it certainly helps. It also helps to have good swimming partners, they say shared pain is half the pain and its certainly true in the pool. All this helped and I am now swimming faster than last season and I saw this at Lough Cutra Last weekend. (Blog to come).

Overall the winter had gone pretty well, power was up on the bike, running times were well improved from last year and my swimming times in the pool had fallen. But most importantly I had no injuries which is always a fear of us triathletes. Next up was to add in some half iron specific sessions and to do a race to see what work still needed to be done.