Team Geared Up » duathlon

Irish Duathlon - Naas Wheelworx Tri Club Dirty Weekend Race 2

Aisling Coppinger — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:12:32 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) Well Grainne told me not to do it on the mountain bike but I did it anyway!! I could’ve borrowed a road one but for all the difference it would make to someone as slow as me….. I’m talking about the Naas Wheelworx Tri Club Dirty Weekend Duathlon in Punchestown this morning. About 2 miles run, 20k cycle and 2 mile run. For the cycle I did indeed lose lots of places as the people on road bikes went “schoop, achoop, schoop” past me every minute. I reckon I wouldn’t have been much faster on a road one, knowing how slow I am. I made up a few places on the last run though as the cyclists seemed to have lost all use of their legs!! (I did for about 2 minutes, it’a the strangest sensation!!)
This race is extremeley well organsied and the use of Punchestown is a real bonus; stands for people to wait and spectate, cover if it does happen to rain, handy parking and an all round great place to set up by the organisers. Race started late because of the lack of an ambulance but was eventually won by Sean McFadden and Elena Maslova.

-Aisling-

Photo from my flickr set.

NWTC Dirty Weekend Duathlon Series: Race 2

Aisling Coppinger — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:54:25 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) Anything with the word ‘Dirty’ in the title has to be worth a shot eh? Second race coming up this Sunday in the ever-popular Naas Wheelworx Triathlon Club’s Duathlon Series. The races are run around the Punchestown race course in Kildare. The format is 3.2k run, 20k cycle and 3.2k run. Organisation of these races is super, with the event running like clockwork and even hot drinks and food provided at the finish (usually). My other half did a couple of these last year on a mountain bike and survived. In my opinion, as a complete novice, these are probably a good entry into triathlon? What do you triathletes think?

An account from last year from the Triathlon Ireland website:

The course proved to be very popular with a fantastic scenic run and a challenging bike course, the gauntlet has certainly been thrown down for the next 2 events. The race today was certainly won on the bike and should attract some of the stronger cyclists over the rest of the series.

First race in the series was won by Ruaidhru Geraghty and Elena Moslova.

-Aisling-

Photo is from my flickr set from one of last years races.

Irish Off Road Duathlon

Aisling Coppinger — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:25:12 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) Well if you managed to drag yourself out of bed and down to Manor Kilbride yesterday morning then you deserve tonnes of credit because it was absolutley freezing! And wet. And did I mention it was freezing? When you’re running at least you know you’ll warm up quite fast but cycling is so difficult to know what to wear. Anyway the race headed off at a fast running pace on a gentle downhill, the running loop being about 2.5km. Getting back to the transition and onto the mountain bike, it was about a 4k loop that had to be done 3 times. It’s well documented what a wuss I am on a bike so I lost lots of time and places on this stage, but still enjoying it! Once this was over I was glad to be back on my feet for one more running loop which was over so quickly I barely had time to catch anybody!
Results aren’t up yet but (check back here later) but Rob the organiser tell me these are the winners:
Women
1st Elena Maslove Wheelworx Piranha
2nd Nessa Smyth 3dtri
3rd Jackie O hagan Pulse Tri
Men
1st Peter Kern
2nd Art Mc Manusa Wheelworx Belpark
3rd Aubrey Storey 3d Tri

Have to say big thanks to Jackie O’ Hagan who was 3rd woman (even after running for 4.5 hours the day before) and has encouraged me through a couple of cycling events recently! She was also good enough to let me know that MAD have photos here! (Takes a bit of messing for me to see them?!) Thanks Jackie and I’ll see you at the next one! There are tonnes of photos over at Irish Mountain Bike Racing Club. (Jackie, Sarah and Grainne, we’re in loads of them!!)

UPDATE: Rob’s report and results here.
-Aisling-

Headline photo is of the winner Peter Kern with Rob Cummins, the organiser from Naas Wheelworx Tri Club.
More photos from my flickr set here, thanks to the marshall who took photos for me during the race!

Just running stuff……

Aisling Coppinger — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:25:35 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) If, like me, you watched Dublin/ New York marathons with envy, then now’s the time to start planning your Spring marathon. Seriously, I’ve been threatening to ditch all these ultras/ adventure races/ mountain marathons and just knuckle down to a serious road marathon for a couple of years now and I feel it’s time I got off the fence/ bike/ canoe/ trail shoe and “just do it”, as a well known sports company might say. Anyway Runners World have summed it all up for you here with a rating for each Spring marathon on your likelihood of a PB (or PR if you’re American!) Be careful, the dates given are for 2007. I’m leaning towards Rotterdam, any thoughts?

Don’t forget this Sundays Off Road Duathlon. Lots of people seem to be under the impression that this race is in Naas! So just to clarify, it’s in the Manor Kilbride area.

If you’re looking for running reading, then Running Fitness (it’s a UK Magazine) has an article in it’s current issue about the Jungfrau Marathon and the Gobi March.

If you’re in the South Dublin area and you fancy running some (road) hills in the dark some Wednesday night then you’re welcome to join our Wednesday night running group for a nippy ten! You can be guaranteed some serious banter and a run you’ll really enjoy! We usually aim to be around the Old Mill pub in Tallaght for 6:50pm but do let us know by leaving a comment! Everyone who does this run loves it! And because it’s beginning to look a lot like…..any good Christmas gift ideas for the runner who has everything?

-Aisling-

Photo is all mine (Tibradden Race)

Irish Off Road Duathlon and Hill Training Run

Aisling Coppinger — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:22:34 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) Rob from Naas Wheelworx Tri Club has just recently become indoctrinated into our Wednesday Night Runners. As if running round hills in the dark isn’t lunacy enough he’s only gone and organised a couple of other events for runners and bikers alike. First was his idea of an off road duathlon, which he has just announced the date of 18th November for.

The race will consist of a 2.5k trail run and 12k off road bike and a 2.5k trail run. (Not as easy as it sound’s)
The first run starts on a gradual uphill then drops down for 1.2km turn around and straight back up a nice steady climb up to transition, the bike course starts with a downhill on a forest road for just over 1.5km which will give plenty of time to recover from the first run and allow you prepare for the climb back to transition, this lap will be ridden 3 times before pulling back into transition for a quick change back to running shoes and out onto the run course for the final lap.

He’s also planning a training run for the 25th which will involve starting at the Old Mill pub in Tallaght, taking in Old Court Road up to Stocking Lane and on up to Kippure. I love the idea of these social runs, being almost organised events. It keeps people’s interest in the sport without being competitive. (Unfortunately I won’t make this one though!!!) Good luck with the Marathon on Monday Rob!

-Aisling-