Claire Dillon – 2016 season update
Since the last update I am now an IRONMAN! I completed Ironman Frankfurt in July which was my first long distance race. I was extremely nervous the morning of the race, but as soon as I stepped into the water the nerves vanished and I got focused on the task at hand and literally took one stroke after another, kept peddling on the bike and one foot in front of the other out on the run. I have to say I enjoyed every moment (well as much as you can) but the finishers shoot couldn’t come fast enough and heading up that shoot you think you are invincible, one of the best moments I have ever had which was made ever more enjoyable by the support of the Pulse crew that was there.
Post Ironman I had only entered one race, the Lost Sheep, middle distance triathlon in Kenmare in September. I had avoided entering anything else for fear of not wanting to ever get on a bike again however given a 2 weekish rest period I was eager to do some shorter stuff and see could I get enough National Series races under my belt.
The first race was a sprint in Loughrea, Co. Galway. The swim was a shock to the system, as all the rest of the females bolted off at the start I found it hard to get going, despite it only being 750m, 3.8k a few weeks previous felt shorter! The bike course in Loughrea consisted of 20k rolling hills and then the run, out and back on a quiet country road with a lovely hill towards the end. My parents had come to support however as I crossed the finish line they were still looking for me to come into T2 from the bike! I was delighted to finish 3rd in my age group particularly as I had been focusing on long distance training so far this year.
Next race up was Caroline Kearney (olympic distance) just outside Athlone. I had heard good reports for this race and along with a good few from Pulse I was really looking forward to this one. The swim was perfect, 1.5k in a flat lake and with this completed off I set on the bike. A few kilometers into the bike a friend from another triathlon club passed me out and gave me the kick up the ass I needed to push that bit harder and we kept each other going through the remainder of the bike slowly passing others along the way. The run was great getting to see other Pulse members along the route. Another third in my age group – happy days!
The final triathlon of the season for me was the Lost Sheep on the first weekend in September in Kenmare. My number one supporter (my mam) joined me for the trip down to Kerry doing what all good mothers do…being my chauffeur! The weather forecast for the day was mixed with rain and some wind which was a pity since it meant missing out on the stunning scenery of the Beara Peninsula. The swim was perfectly calm and with no currents, conditions couldn’t have been much better. Coming out of T1 had a quick chat to my mam who was going to head back to the B&B for breakfast (moments like this make you question why you are about to batter yourself for 5 hours) while I headed off for my tour of some Kerry hills. There was two passes on the bike route, the Healy and Caha and having been warned of these prior to the day I was in no rush to sprint off at the start. The bike course was brilliant just what I enjoy and time flew past. Now the run was a different story, definitely did not expect this to be so hard. Within a few minutes of starting I had a stitch and the next 10k was pretty much run walk run walk until finally the pain went and I could get into my stride. I was delighted to see the finish line but putting into perspective was seeing Shay brady later that day completing the Kerry way – I can confidently say I will never do that! Final race of the year was DCM and was never happier to see a finish line, it’s been a long season but get through that marathon and going sub 3.30 is the icing on the cake for me this year. The support on this course is amazing and makes it hard not to enter each year!
My main focus this season was Ironman Frankurt which I was delighted to complete with a result beyond any expectations I had set for myself. Having Dave Adams coaching me throughout the year helped make this possible. Any other race that I finished after this was a bonus. During the season I learned that anything is possible and having a coach highlighted that if you miss a day of training move on from it don’t try and catch up. With aching legs still fresh from Dublin City Marathon, I haven’t yet given much thought to next year, however it would be nice to focus on national series races and races that I have not yet completed.