Dublin Ironman 70.3

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 triathlon swim yet. They let 4 athletes off every 6 seconds controlled by a beeper. - no punches, no kicks, no getting boxed in, just open water. It was lovely although I never mind the mass start and may well have lost my only advantage on the pure swimmers.   

I had a nice steady swim concentrating on body position and momentum. This worked very well except for the section between 2nd and 3rd turn where we couldn’t see a thing and had to sight very frequently. After 3rd turn it was straight into shore and I exited the water in just under 33 mins.  I clocked the swim at 2.1k, 200 metres long so very happy with the time over that distance.

Onto the bike and near perfect conditions through the empty streets of Dublin. It was cool cycling down the north Quays right through the city centre on closed roads. The last time I saw the quays this empty was 20 years ago after the Trinity ball en-route to an early house. This time I was moving a bit a bit straighter although a few swerves required to avoid the many potholes and eyes peeled for hapless tourists (stereotyping disclaimer) or drunken revelers potentially wandering across the road. On down the quays and out through Chapelizard and Strawberry Beds and onto the closed country roads of Lucan, Kilkock and Dunboyne. I tried to maintain an even steady pace and closely watched my power conscious of not repeating the mistakes of Slovakia (where I overcooked the bike completely and died on the run). I held a good pace averaging 34 kph and picked it up slightly towards the tail end suggesting that I might have held back too much. I’ll push a little more next time. I was sure I would reap the rewards for my restraint on the run (oh if only it actually worked like that). Back from Dunboyne to Strawberry Beds and into Phoenix park in a time of 2.33 for the 90k. A fairly flat route overall with just a few kickers and only down side was the nasty speed bumps through Stawberrry beds. A few mins above target on the bike.

Into transition, runners on and out on the 3 lap run in the Park. I felt OK starting out but not as good as I have sometimes exiting T2. My legs felt a bit dead. My aim was to try and maintain a 4.40 – 4.45 pace through lap one and two and then see what I could do in the final lap. I held a good pace through the first lap. But slowed slightly in the 2nd lap not helped by a long wee stop. I battled on through the 3rd but the pace dropped again. The support on the run was great I was keeping an eye out for Steph and the kids who had come up to see the run so was keen to see them before I finished. I saw them on the final lap with less than a k to go, got a big cheer from them and then kicked on and turned  into the finish shute. Run split of 1.42:47 - a couple of mins off target but not sure I had anything faster in me.

Delighted to squeeze under the 5 hours in total. Thoroughly enjoyed the race especially the swim and cycle. Not so sure about the run  - I enjoyed the finish line bit!

Well done to my Trilogy club mates Albert Culleton (on his first half ironman), Keith Glabraith  and Peter O’Reilly.


Next up I’m competing in Olympic distance for Team Ireland at the ITU Age Group World Championships in Rotterdam in September. 

  





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