Racing Seamus

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 ...

It started with a conversation in work last September when an Irish group won a franchise to run an Ironman 70.3 in Galway. A few of us agreed that it would be a good idea to sign up for the first official Ironman event to be held in Ireland.   So there I was on Saturday morning packing up the car to head off to Galway while all my friends and family were getting ready for a big day at the Electric Picnic. I was meeting up with Mike, JP and Russell from work and Russell's girlfriend Aoife who had all signed up way back when we made the pact in September 2010. I also knew that a good Trilogy contingent including Wesley Reilly, Liam Byrne, Brian Bonham, Alan Hanly and Dave Murphy had signed up and knew I'd probably see them at some stage over the weekend.  I drove up to Galway and battled the Saturday afternoon traffic on the ring road to get to Leisureland for registration where we were issued with our armbands, multiple stickers and transition bags. Then back to the car to get...