Peter Clarke - Lough Cultra Middle Distance 2021

Is there anything to be said for another race report!

Race Report, Lough Cutra Castle, The Gauntlet middle distance.

So, training hadn’t gone well. Like many others this was a double deferred event from 2020 and the timing wasn’t great. However, another roll-on into spring 2022 probably wouldn’t suit either, so it was a case of getting it done.

Summer training was broken with well deserved and thoroughly enjoyed holidays and while I’d been back in the water and had built up the cycle the run was in desperate need of attention.

4 weeks out and I was building the long run, 16k on the Saturday and the plan was for a shorter bike on the Sunday. 20k in and the back is in serious trouble, turnaround at oldtown and the option was a phone call or just keep the legs moving. I get home and can’t get off the bike….. A hot bath and the next day I’m hardly walking. I get to physio on the Wednesday and get all the treatments, but I know I’m not in good shape. I’ve Tri the Hook on that weekend, it was to be a good training run, I say to the PT that I’ll make a call on it later, she looks at me funny.

On Friday, when I still can’t put on my socks, I call it and resign myself to getting better and making the start line of lough cutra 4 weeks later.

The week before the race and after another couple of physio appointments I’ve been able to take a test swim and 2 runs, I’m moving and that is all the matters, making the start line is looking promising and while times or speed is out the door at least I’ll get to race.

We rented a camper van for the weekend as Sue is on the day before and the 3D cheerleaders are coming along. Saturday is great, Sue has a ball, and we fly the 3D flags at full mast.

I sleep well the night before and wake at a not unreasonable 6:45 where all I need to do is pitch myself out of the camper and to the queue 100 meters away for the registration, very handy!

Sue walks me down and registration is easy, and I’m all set up, it’s going to be a great day and I’m so delighted to just be starting. It’s a super morning, warm and calm as I enter the water in a serene lake. I’ve mentally challenged myself not to go hard on the swim, keep it steady, it’ll be a long day and no prizes for canning it on the swim. I exit the water to a cheer from Sue and the girls and I’m feeling great, the temptation was resisted and I’m off to transition. Swim 42 minutes

The practice in the baths has really paid off and the wetsuit comes off easy and no cramps, so I’ve paced it well. I take the bike up the hill for the next leg giving a smile to the photographer and looking forward to the next leg. I’d been watching the day before and I get myself further up the incline before I attempt to mount the bike as I’d seen a few struggle the day before. I’ve the gears set up to easy and get the left foot clipped in and go for the right one, miss and go again, no hassle then CLANK, I look down, chain must have dropped, I have to dismount and then the reality bites, the chain has snapped….

Sue and a few spectators run over, everyone looking, commenting “I’ve never seen that before” over and over……. What am I going to do…I’ve come a long way to give up now! On inspection the links are gone, and I don’t have spare links. Others are mounting their bikes a few feet away; everyone I guess looking and thanking their lucky stars that I’m not them….

Right, we get it together, 3 men wander off still muttering about this new sight they’d never seen before. What do we do, there is a chain on Sue’s bike…. she makes a dash for the campsite, I’m standing there still dazed, then realise it’s locked, and she hasn’t put it on the rack and probably doesn’t know how to get it off, I sprint after her. Catching her as the Olympic registration queue is ambling in, I’m sure we look a sight, luckily, I avoid any of the cow dung in the field as I’m in my socks….

We wrestle it off the camper and dash back to T1, flip it and try to figure out how to swap the chains. I need the special tool…might be one on my multi-tool in my transition bag, another dash down and back again and find that it doesn’t….Plan C…we’re swapping bikes…We get support from another supporter who holds the bike as I adjust the saddle, swap bottles and tape the nutrition to the bike, a bottle in the back of the tri suit as there is only 1 on Sue’s and with the saddle jacked up as far as it will go we’re off. Up I go and then realise I’m clipless and Sue is in flats with toe clips! She dashes down to transition this time and gets my trainers, then we are off. T1 45 minutes and several near heart attacks.

The first 25K is adrenalin and relief combined. Beautiful scenery and a funny saddle experience make the time pass and before I know it, we’re at the first incline, which is when I discover the limitations of being on a ladies’ road bike at least 2 sizes too small for me, there is no position I can find that makes this easy. It’s small gear all the way and grind upwards. Halfway through and on corkscrew hill I meet Muinteoir Sean. We chat up the way and it’s a great to take the mind off the grind. A little stop at the top for water and we’re off. I head down the hills hoping for a little benefit of the light bike.

Still feeling ok until about 70k when it’s starting to get really tough, the last 20K are torturous as other races merge and a fella on a hybrid with a foot pump strapped to his carrier fly’s past, the head goes down and I know it’s going to be a very long run. Bike 3:45 and a fair amount of discomfort

T2 is thankfully totally unremarkable, I get a huge cheer arriving and it really lifts the spirits. Great little bike and I’ve made it this far, just the run to do and sure it’ll be grand. T2 3 minutes and loads of high fives and cheers.

I’d heard the run was tough although it hasn’t rained today, and it didn’t look like a complete mudfest so that was positive. I reach the first of the hilly tracks up into the forest and see the girl ahead walk up, this is an amazing idea and I embrace run-walk like a long-lost friend and don’t let go until the finish line. I had strange cramps in my lower quads probably from the position on the bike, they eventually ease out and lap ones passes in kinda ok shape. Lap 2 and it’s probably more walk-run at this point.

I’m loving the forest trails but it’s hard on the legs and mountains of sweets, chews and coke don’t seem to be giving me the required get up and go… Muinteoir Sean joins me for part of lap 2 but I let him go as he’s able to keep a steady run pace and I’m much more stop start.

Second half of lap 2 and I get chatting to another runner who is on his last lap and thankfully it keeps me going. Final lap and I’m almost on first names terms with the marshals and kids manning the aid stops. Run 2:20 and a new appreciation anyone who has ever gone this long.

Crossing the line was a relief, I’ve had one of the cheerleaders run with me across the line who doesn’t quite need to keep me upright, but it was a good to know she was there just in case! It’s such a high to complete it, with the family there and with Sean and a couple of others who I’d chatted to along the way still hanging and giving congrats it was very special. I think I earned the medal for this one.

Is there anything to be said for another race report!

Race Report, Lough Cutra Castle, The Gauntlet middle distance.

So, training hadn’t gone well. Like many others this was a double deferred event from 2020 and the timing wasn’t great. However, another roll-on into spring 2022 probably wouldn’t suit either, so it was a case of getting it done.

Summer training was broken with well deserved and thoroughly enjoyed holidays and while I’d been back in the water and had built up the cycle the run was in desperate need of attention.

4 weeks out and I was building the long run, 16k on the Saturday and the plan was for a shorter bike on the Sunday. 20k in and the back is in serious trouble, turnaround at oldtown and the option was a phone call or just keep the legs moving. I get home and can’t get off the bike….. A hot bath and the next day I’m hardly walking. I get to physio on the Wednesday and get all the treatments, but I know I’m not in good shape. I’ve Tri the Hook on that weekend, it was to be a good training run, I say to the PT that I’ll make a call on it later, she looks at me funny.

On Friday, when I still can’t put on my socks, I call it and resign myself to getting better and making the start line of lough cutra 4 weeks later.

The week before the race and after another couple of physio appointments I’ve been able to take a test swim and 2 runs, I’m moving and that is all the matters, making the start line is looking promising and while times or speed is out the door at least I’ll get to race.

We rented a camper van for the weekend as Sue is on the day before and the 3D cheerleaders are coming along. Saturday is great, Sue has a ball, and we fly the 3D flags at full mast.

I sleep well the night before and wake at a not unreasonable 6:45 where all I need to do is pitch myself out of the camper and to the queue 100 meters away for the registration, very handy!

Sue walks me down and registration is easy, and I’m all set up, it’s going to be a great day and I’m so delighted to just be starting. It’s a super morning, warm and calm as I enter the water in a serene lake. I’ve mentally challenged myself not to go hard on the swim, keep it steady, it’ll be a long day and no prizes for canning it on the swim. I exit the water to a cheer from Sue and the girls and I’m feeling great, the temptation was resisted and I’m off to transition. Swim 42 minutes

The practice in the baths has really paid off and the wetsuit comes off easy and no cramps, so I’ve paced it well. I take the bike up the hill for the next leg giving a smile to the photographer and looking forward to the next leg. I’d been watching the day before and I get myself further up the incline before I attempt to mount the bike as I’d seen a few struggle the day before. I’ve the gears set up to easy and get the left foot clipped in and go for the right one, miss and go again, no hassle then CLANK, I look down, chain must have dropped, I have to dismount and then the reality bites, the chain has snapped….

Sue and a few spectators run over, everyone looking, commenting “I’ve never seen that before” over and over……. What am I going to do…I’ve come a long way to give up now! On inspection the links are gone, and I don’t have spare links. Others are mounting their bikes a few feet away; everyone I guess looking and thanking their lucky stars that I’m not them….

Right, we get it together, 3 men wander off still muttering about this new sight they’d never seen before. What do we do, there is a chain on Sue’s bike…. she makes a dash for the campsite, I’m standing there still dazed, then realise it’s locked, and she hasn’t put it on the rack and probably doesn’t know how to get it off, I sprint after her. Catching her as the Olympic registration queue is ambling in, I’m sure we look a sight, luckily, I avoid any of the cow dung in the field as I’m in my socks….

We wrestle it off the camper and dash back to T1, flip it and try to figure out how to swap the chains. I need the special tool…might be one on my multi-tool in my transition bag, another dash down and back again and find that it doesn’t….Plan C…we’re swapping bikes…We get support from another supporter who holds the bike as I adjust the saddle, swap bottles and tape the nutrition to the bike, a bottle in the back of the tri suit as there is only 1 on Sue’s and with the saddle jacked up as far as it will go we’re off. Up I go and then realise I’m clipless and Sue is in flats with toe clips! She dashes down to transition this time and gets my trainers, then we are off. T1 45 minutes and several near heart attacks.

The first 25K is adrenalin and relief combined. Beautiful scenery and a funny saddle experience make the time pass and before I know it, we’re at the first incline, which is when I discover the limitations of being on a ladies’ road bike at least 2 sizes too small for me, there is no position I can find that makes this easy. It’s small gear all the way and grind upwards. Halfway through and on corkscrew hill I meet Muinteoir Sean. We chat up the way and it’s a great to take the mind off the grind. A little stop at the top for water and we’re off. I head down the hills hoping for a little benefit of the light bike.

Still feeling ok until about 70k when it’s starting to get really tough, the last 20K are torturous as other races merge and a fella on a hybrid with a foot pump strapped to his carrier fly’s past, the head goes down and I know it’s going to be a very long run. Bike 3:45 and a fair amount of discomfort

T2 is thankfully totally unremarkable, I get a huge cheer arriving and it really lifts the spirits. Great little bike and I’ve made it this far, just the run to do and sure it’ll be grand. T2 3 minutes and loads of high fives and cheers.

I’d heard the run was tough although it hasn’t rained today, and it didn’t look like a complete mudfest so that was positive. I reach the first of the hilly tracks up into the forest and see the girl ahead walk up, this is an amazing idea and I embrace run-walk like a long-lost friend and don’t let go until the finish line. I had strange cramps in my lower quads probably from the position on the bike, they eventually ease out and lap ones passes in kinda ok shape. Lap 2 and it’s probably more walk-run at this point.

I’m loving the forest trails but it’s hard on the legs and mountains of sweets, chews and coke don’t seem to be giving me the required get up and go… Muinteoir Sean joins me for part of lap 2 but I let him go as he’s able to keep a steady run pace and I’m much more stop start.

Second half of lap 2 and I get chatting to another runner who is on his last lap and thankfully it keeps me going. Final lap and I’m almost on first names terms with the marshals and kids manning the aid stops. Run 2:20 and a new appreciation anyone who has ever gone this long.

Crossing the line was a relief, I’ve had one of the cheerleaders run with me across the line who doesn’t quite need to keep me upright, but it was a good to know she was there just in case! It’s such a high to complete it, with the family there and with Sean and a couple of others who I’d chatted to along the way still hanging and giving congrats it was very special. I think I earned the medal for this one.