DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - Polar(RS800cx), Garmin(Forerunner 405) and Suunto(T6c) have all released/updated newish top end training watches each with a slightly different feel in the past year or so. I really have no need to go out and buy one of these but i was looking briefly into the differences and one of the key things i noticed was that only Garmin’s training program which comes with the watch is compatible with a mac and there operating system. I have read online on the polar forums that some users have had success with using it on a mac but i’ll let you have a look here if your interested. And there is no way for uploading the Suunto training system onto a mac. This is kinda disappointing i think with mac’s being so popular worldwide now! Just for the record i thought the new t6c was going to be the one for me, certainly looks the best, but now ill have to reconsider my options….

They can all be used with a GPS, foot pod or cadence sensor. Although the Forerunner 405 is the only watch which isn’t suitable for swimming which is something particularly relevant with that amount of triathlons taking place these days. All three can be used as your day to day watch and both the RS800cx and T6c are user replaceable batteries while the 405 is a rechargeable battery. This is pretty important with regards to polar where a number of their other models you have to send back to polar uk to have the battery changed which is very annoying and user unfriendly!

-Eoinod-

We had to swim about 200 to 300 metres to the race start. I got into the water and because it didn’t initially feel too cold I hadn’t realised I hadn’t closed the wetsuit correctly. As the whistle blew for the start I was well back but glad to be out of the madness up front! I caught people quite quickly though and there wasn’t too much pushing and shoving. After about 10 minutes I realised that water was getting into my suit and ponding in the hollows in my back and I was freezing and shivery. I just couldn’t warm up for the rest of the swim and my legs were really stiff and sore. I got through the laps and as I approached the last ten minutes or so I was determined no matter how cold to swim well and get out of the water happy. In tranisiton I got wrapped in foil blankets while I tried to get dressed. I was so cold I set off on the bike with about 4 layers of clothing!!
The bike was three 60k laps and it seemed to go by very slowly. They were hilly and meandered through little villages and country lanes. I just could not wait to get off that bike. I was not enjoying it at all but with 30k to go I suddenly realised that no matter what happened now I was actually gonna get through this! I had been worried about something going wrong with the bike that I couldn’t fix but with 30k to go I reckoned I could run the rest and still make the cut off (I probably couldn’t have, but that’s what I thought at the time!!!)
The next transition was a much quicker affair…threw the bike at someone, changed my shorts, put on my runners, grabbed a gel and my watch! Happy days! Finally running…..

That’s the face I had on leaving transition (trying to put on my watch!)and for the entire run. I felt like I was absolutely flying. I received huge crowd support because I was moving so much quicker than those around me and also wearing my Ireland kit was a good move (don’t anyone tell me the legalities of that, it was a great idea!!!). Crossed the line in 13 hours 12 minutes feeling fantastic! Highlight of the day included meeting Ireland’s Ironman record holder Alan Ryan before and after the event, he had lots of encouragement. He finished 15th in a time of 9:45:47. Well done Alan!!

Cheers for the good wishes and stats over on the IMRA forum. No ill effects the next day so there’s still lots of room for improvement the next time… ;-) Special thanks to “coach bloke” Peter Kern and “bike bloke” Rob Wheelworx!

Race results here.

-Aisling-

Big thanks to “coach bloke” Peter Kern and “bike bloke” Rob Cummins for getting me this far! And best of luck to all those taking part!

-Aisling-

I’ve also started keeping a blog about my Ironman experience over at Wheelworx. Image is from the Beast flickr set.

That’s Paul Tanner getting on his bike!

You can view Valerie’s gallery of photos on her own site. There are tonnes of super photos there from An Turas.

-Aisling-

Main photo is Colette Lawlor! Taken by Valerie O’ Sullivan.

At the summit I ate again & tried to take a picture with my phone of the famous stone statue of a cyclist but it had been banjaxed by the weather & altitude. I shoved newspaper down my top, clenched my buttocks and started the descent, it was very cold, wet and fast. I’m sure health and safety in the UK or Ireland would have shut this event down but we were in France and they like to go fast! My hands were frozen onto the brakes (which were on fully almost all the way down) and it was hard to keep the speed down. When we finally came through the clouds, I started turning the legs again and we descended in to a valley which was lovely and warm for the first time in the ride - about 6 hours in!

I love the fact that after he finished he only then realised he had to descend for at least 40 minutes which resulted in him almost waring his brakes out!! Well done Mike! Looks like a great event!

-Aisling-

Image and qoute from MikeBrookfiled.com

Speaking to Jackie afterwards, she explained how she was under pressure the whole time. She took the lead on the bike and despite opposition breathing down her neck she held it together for a great win. I’m dead chuffed for her!! It was a really tough course. She’s also heading to the Mountain Biking nationals tomorrow, just to prove how hard she really is!!!

I was there too….not such a good day for me……still not able to talk about the swim….I’m traumatised. :-(

It was an incredibly well organised event, with marshalls at every junction out on the course. Very reassuring for us newbies. Congrats to Wicklow Tri Club. Great job!

-Aisling-

That’s my photo from my flickr set.

For those not feeling up to the 200k there’s a mini version of 100k (sure who’d get out of bed for 100k on a bike??) ;-)

The route is very challenging. It includes many climbs, big and small, with some up to a height of 500 metres. The total climb is over 2000 metres so the event should not be taken lightly. While every year many cyclists who have never attempted a similar challenge before complete the Wicklow 200 successfully, it requires attention to training and preparation. Starting at 7:00 a.m. riders are allowed up to 14 hours to complete the route, although most finish well inside that.

Richard has also signed up for the L\’etape du tour in July up the Col du Tourmalet, 180k with a 40k climb, which according to him is like the Wicklow 200 times ten!! Savage stuff! Take a look at the course profile on this page, it’ll make you dizzy!

-Aisling-

Qoute from Wicklow 200.
Image is from Wheelworx Flickr page.

As for the other triathlon disciplines well I’ve been following a programme from Peter and so far all is good. I’ve still not gotten used to the pedal/clip things on the road bike so a few of my spins have involved keeling over when I couldn’t get my feet out of the pedals!

I’ll keep you posted about how it’s going……I think the reason I’m not saying too much is nerves (and fear of failure)!!

-Aisling-

Here’s a section from their account of day two:

We headed up into the Mournes in strong wind and heavy rain, and the going was slow and draining, much of it unrideable. Picked up the infamous Rowan McMahon in Tollymore, and staggered on as best we could in the terrible weather. Joni headed for home after the descent off Butter Mountain. The next section round Hen Mountain was appalling, totally unrideable and frankly depressing.

Make sure to drop over and leave messages of support, they seem to genuinely appreciate it! G’wan……..be nice! :-)

-Aisling-

SINGAPORE (Team Geared Up) - The Rat Race (I took part in the London Rat Race last year) is coming to Ireland. Great news.

The much-loved event, having experienced runaway success in Britain, is now set to reach the shores of the Emerald Isle with 2 new and exciting events planned for Galway and Belfast this summer.

Why foreign events call our island the ‘emerald isle’ when advertising to the Irish, I don’t know. We invented that term to increase American tourism, we don’t actually call ourselves that.

Belfast has an event base at City Hall. On the 9th August, the Rat Race sees competitors running, biking, kayaking, abseiling, climbing and navigating their way around the city in a course that is only revealed hours before they begin.

Here’s our transformation in 2007 from Rat Racers to TGUers!

Rat Race Creator Jim Mee gives a preview:

“Belfast offers a really eclectic mix of adventure opportunities for the Rat Race. From the obvious natural facets such as Cave Hill and the river, to more overtly urban features such as the re-generated city centre and the wealth of landmarks scattered around the city, the Rat Race in Belfast will reveal so many different layers of adventure within the city in a manner never really experienced before. Whether it’s zipping around the Cathedral Quarter on a bike or getting to grips with some aquatic pursuits, or simply revelling in the hustle and bustle of the city whilst hunting for quirky checkpoints we have set up with local venues and businesses, this event is really going to entertain. We aim to showcase Belfast’s industrial past alongside the fast-paced urban development of the present day and this quirky event gives us the opportunity to really shine a different sort of light on the city, to residents and visitors alike. We think there is a superb mixture of sights and sounds on and off the beaten track that we can feature in the event. This is an exciting event to plan, which means it will be even more exciting to take part in!”

Galway is on the 6th of September.

With the success of the Gael Force West multi-sport races in Mayo and Galway, the Rat Race organisers know this area well and with their office just up the road in Westport, this event is sure to uncover the very best of this superb fun-loving city.

My video from 2007 in London:

Unfortunately, both events will operate on the Rat Race’s new 1 day “Nine 2 Five” format and not the 2 day (night & day) event like London.

I’d quite like to do at least one of these… might be a good opportunity to see Belfast.

Full entry details, training tips and full event information can be found at www.ratraceadventure.com or telephone the Rat Race Ireland office on 098 28324/ 098 28316.

Email Siobhan at the Rat Race Westport office at info@ratraceadventure.com for particular questions on either of these new and exciting events.

-Robin-