I entered this race mostly because I wanted to visit Ireland again but I always like to race on my vacation trips. I knew it would be a challenge but I'd done a lot more training and felt that while it would be challenging, I had a good chance to complete it.
Long story short, I DNF'd. I was sad to end the race where I did. You'll see why it ended if you keep reading.
A few major differences in a European race that are important to note
1. You MUST wear your bib on the bike
2. This race is wetsuit mandatory
3. Your bike must be race ready and will be checked over carefully
4. Transition bags MUST be turned in at bike check in the day before.
5. You do NOT have access to transition bags on race morning. (PLAN AHEAD!)
I didn't sleep well the night before. My cousin arrived that day and I spent most of the afternoon going to and from Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Sandyford and back to Dun Laoghaire back to Sandyford and then eating a fast food meal for dinner. It wasn't conducive to the most relaxing day before prep. Combined with jet lag still affecting me since I had only arrived the day before, I'm sure that had an effect although I wasn't really feeling it that morning.
The day began at Sandy Cove. We all left transition by 6:50 to head about 1/2 mi south of the transition area to the beach. It's a small beach area so we were to be time trail starting into the water. However, once the pros started, a heavy fog rolled in stopping all activity for over an hour. While we waited, I chatted with quite a few locals that do the race each year. They were pretty nonchalant about the water situation..they know the weather is capricious in Ireland, especially on the coast. We shared a few laughs and I enjoyed the wait but it began to feel cold and the adrenalin faded and my nutrition was diminishing in that hour.
As the race director discussed the situation, they made several announcements about trying to work out at least a short swim. I could see that was the best solution because not having a swim meant a time trial bike start with all of us lined up about 5 wide in a narrow road having to head 1/2 mile north to transition. It would be pretty chaotic if that had to happen. I tried to remain calm and accept the situation but I knew my chances of holding out without any nutrition or water as we waited was a problem.
Finally they announced we would have a shortened swim. "Swim to the second buoy and turn left to the finish." We hurried into the water and it was closer to a mass start than a time trial start. It was a washing machine and I got kicked and pushed and punched a few times. At the turn I saw the finish and kicked into high gear to the finish...at about 200 yds from shore, I was stopped along with about 200 of us at a kayak and told to turn left (NO BUOY!) to an orange buoy about 100 yards away and make a right turn to the finish. (WTH?) So did that but it really delayed my swim time. This didn't help my system any.
I was quite proud that despite about 58F water, I got in quickly and with my new HUUB wetsuit I was able to swim rapidly with no panic attack issues. I really enjoyed the swim except that it should have been faster. My Garmin said 23 mins. I have no idea how long it was. Longer than it should have been.
I got onto the wobbly exit ramp and hobbled to transition tent. I grabbed my bike bag and changed rapidly. I ran out ahead of a lot of people still in the tent but as I ran I got asked three times if I had my race number. YES! (tattoos on my arms and numbers on my helmet and my bike...for me this was the right answer). However, the race official stopped me at my bike. "Where is your race number?" I replied again all the places where my number was. "Your race number!" She points to a bib. OH! my bib? "yes," she says "everyone knows you must wear it!" I told her that wasn't required in the US on the bike, only the run. "well you have a penalty" I asked if I should go get it in my transition run bag. "NO! it's too late, you have a penalty of 30 sec!" I nearly laughed. Sadly I said "oh, okay. " and ran out.
I had a pretty good start on the bike. My speed was slower in the beginning as I tried to get my equilibrium back, get some water and nutrition into my system and get situated on the bike. The first 10 miles were okay. However after that the hills started. These are not like hills I've done anywhere except Worlds Las Vegas. Very steep, long, high hills with long fast declines after and another long climb, over and over and each subsequent climb is harder than the last. By mile 20 I was flagging but the hills were still getting steeper. I walked up the first of three hills at 20. I knew if I could make it to mile 26, I'd be golden because you are going downhill the whole way back. The real problem for me was that I didn't know the course well and had no idea how much effort to use or how fast to let myself fly down the hills. I encountered at least four people who wiped out at the bottom of the long fast descents. One broke a collar bone, another looked dazed and confused.
The weather was overcast and the shady ride didn't make for a hot sweaty ride but I was using a lot of energy going up. My fastest ascent was about 12 mph but a lot were closer to 5-6 and the last few were 3-4 mph. When it got that slow, I was walking faster than I was riding.
At mile 24 an official came up behind a group of us and said we should quit because we weren't going to make the cutoff. We all wanted to continue anyway. Only 2 more miles and we'd be going down! Why quit now? We kept going. The hill that finally got me was at least 1/2 mile long and so steep I was walking. My legs were screaming and my heart was not in it after that official took my mojo. I know he was trying to help but it really knocks you off your focus to have someone say you should just quit.
So at nearly the top of the mountain I hoped to scale, I gave up and put my bike (Ruthless, not my best bike) into the van and climbed in behind her. I was very sad to do this. I've NEVER given up on a race before. It felt like such a huge failure. I did enjoy the scenery a great deal though, and true to doing races on vacation, I got to see some great views from the best vantage point.
It took nearly a hour to get back down the mountain to Dun Laoghaire and back to transition where about 20 other people were waiting. They were people who were ahead of me that I had traded places with all morning who had been swept off the course.
We were processed out and some were quite a bit more depressed about that situation than others.
While it wasn't a finish, I did enjoy the morning. It all ended about noon 8/25/19.
What caught most of us was that the cut offs were not extended with the late start. Had I had another 1/2 hour, that would have been sufficient for me to complete the bike in time. However, since we didn't get in the water until 8 and I wasn't on the course until almost 9, I had lost an hour of time. I wasn't able to move fast enough to make up that loss.
I might have done so had I known the course better. I could have taken those downhills a lot faster than I did but I didn't know what was waiting at the bottom. I was on my brakes more than usual for those descents trying to be safe. Possibly I could have picked up 10 mins by going faster but I might have ended the race in an ambulance instead so I think I made the right choices.
Apparently next year is the last year for this location. I'm going to have to try again. I took my cousin up Wicklow to show her the amazing scenery the next day and met several women who were obviously triathletes. They were locals but had not done the race because they were "too scared of the hills" even though they rode them regularly. I told them they had to do it next year. They said "oh yes, it's the last chance!" We agreed to meet again on the course next year. Next year, Winning Colors will be my steed. I love Ruthless, she's a workhorse for me, but Winning Colors is the Stallion.
My second trip to Ireland after 24 years and I'm enjoying it far more than I did the first time. Ireland has changed a great deal since then. Society is more open and accepting. There are bike trails everywhere and drivers look out for cyclists. I find everyone is very relaxed and willing to chat and joke a bit. And of course the Irish wit is always entertaining.
So my tri season is ended with a wimper but hopes for the future. Now to see the rest of Ireland! Already visited the Central and National libraries in Dublin and found important new information about my ancestors. Hope to find more in the next couple days in Ballina.
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