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Port Macquarie 70.3

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When I moved to Australia at the start of the year I wasn’t planning another Half Ironman (my 3 rd in 11 months) but between one thing and another I missed a lot of short course races in January and February and I was struggle to find any races I could do before the season ended. Also, there is a lot less races in Australia than in Ireland and the entry cost is significantly more expensive and the distance to travel to each race is much greater. With perspective, the triathlon racing scene in Ireland is brilliant where you have a choice of races every week during the season.   So with less races to choose from, the obvious choice is to pick one or two big ones to aim for. So IM Port Macquarie was an obvious choice as it was at the start of May and only a 4 hour drive from Sydney.   Preparation: Move to Sydney has provided some logistical training challenges and some advantages. One challenge has been cycling. In Laois, as long as there was daylight I could jump on the bike and
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ITU World Championships Rotterdam

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We had a great crew of 22 races form Trilogy Triathlon Club travelling to Rotterdam for the Triathlon Age Group World Championships. We all meet up the week before we traveled to drop our bikes with Ship my Tri bike and show off our new tracksuits. I traveled over on Thursday morning and a good few club mates and other Irish athletes on the plane. Thursday was about settling into Apartment (which had amazing 17th floor views over the city. Thanks to Taco, Niall and Madeline for being great easy going travel companions) registering and avoiding the incessant rain. Friday we picked up our bikes and did a reccie of the bike course (again in the rain). The bike course was crazy, approx 50 x 90 degree plus turns, 4 or 5 u-turns, including a ramp up a stairs, 100 metres through an underground car park and most of it on narrow cycle lanes. We couldn't believe it but it was what it was and certainly the most technical triathlon bike course I have ever seen or even heard off. The opening
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Dublin Ironman 70.3

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I had missed out on the first two Dublin IM70.3 due to different priorities over the last couple of years but was really keen to give this a go when it’s so close to home. The swim course in Scotsman's bay in Dun Laoghaire looked very enticing plus the added attraction of 90km of closed roads on the bike and a flat run in the Phoenix Park. An early start on Saturday meant registration and bike racking formalities were easy and stress free. We even had time for a practice swim and home in time for Lunch and before the crowds descended on Dun Laoighaire.  Pity the same can't be said for the bus transfer from Phoenix park on Sunday with a couple of hundred athletes left waiting over 40 mins for a bus meaning that we had literary 2 mins in transition before race start. I got bike and nutrition set up rapidly and a sprint in my wetsuit down to the swim start meant I was well warmed up. The self-seeding rolling wave start was the most orderly start I've seen to a tria
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TheChampionship2017

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I recently raced the inaugural TheChampionship in Slovakia. This is the Challenge Family world Championships over half ironman distance. To qualify you have to place 6th in a challenge full or half ironman event. Having finished 6th in Challenge Galway full ironman last year, I didn't want to miss the opportunity as I wasn't sure if I would qualify again. I knew I'd be up against some serious competition and didn't expect to come anywhere. In fact I was a little worried of being last. I set myself some ambitious time targets at the start of the year. Swim: 33 mins Bike: 2 hrs 40 mins Run: 1 hr 40min The event was held in Slovakia at the X-Bionic Sphere . This is an amazing purpose built hotel and sports facility on the river Danube including full athletics track, Olympic swimming pool, full soccer pitch (the Slovakian team were there on Saturday night) and amazing equestrian facilities. As we got off the flight and felt the 30 degree heat, someone joked &qu
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