Galway (Carna) Triathlon 2010

The Real Hell of the West!!!

Who know on the 2 hour drive to Carna that Saturday was going to be one of the toughest days in the 2010 Triathlon. All the athletes didn’t know, the race organisers didn’t know. I didn’t know because if I did I would have seriously not got up at 6am to drive up there.

The day turned out to be a lovely day not too hot and not wet. There were a number from Ennis tri club doing to race, Derek Kinsella (first ever Olympic distance…. Big mistake not to Derek you should have went with Joey or Athy as your first), James Finnegan, Colm Carty, Johnny Richardson, and myself Paddy Quinn. Athletes marked absent were John O’Brien, Mickey Guerin and Barry Deane. They all must have read there horoscope or something to tell them stag away from it. (smart F~~kers).

It all got worrying when the race was delayed by 30mins that’s when Derek told me now his hydration plan is all messed up we both know it was going to be a tough day at the office. The race got under way @ 11.30am with a mass 250 athlete start.
The course was set out with 3 buoys over the 1500m which was a stretch for sighting at best. But when the 2nd buoy wasn’t tied down correctly and started drifting in the tide it was all going to pit. Long story short and it is a long story. The swim ended up being 2.2k long and mostly against a strong current. Over 20 athletes DNF’d the swim.
As I let the water and looked at the clock and it said 39.50 minutes I said in my head. Pack up im off home. Then I got into transition and it was full of bikes. I was top twenty out of the water. In my confusion I must have too a decent line. So with my esteem pumped again off I went on the bike. The splits are not out yet so I don’t know what everyone else did in the swim. Derek was around 1hr 10mins he said.

The bike wasn’t much better with the wind in your face for 30k up hills after the long swim, every athlete questioned themselves at some stage during the race. The bike was the Bike it’s a tough bike course a match for the toughest try in the country any day.

Then onto the run… What a stinker of a course. A tough climb out of transition and keep climbing up to 3k and level for a k and then climb up to 5k. No Turn at 5k carry on 200m down a steep hill and back up it again and your on the way home. It really tests what you ate for breakfast.

On to the finish line and the pain lifted in time. Emotionally I don’t think ill every recover lol…

Well done to all the lads who FINISHED this race. Finishing it was an achievement.

Some photos of the event are available here.

Over all
Place Bib Name Surname Gender AG Club Finish Penalty Total
1 296 Bjorn Ludick Male 25-29 2:17:09 2:17:09
2 288 Colin Bolger Male 20-24 Pulse Tri 2:18:25 2:18:25
4 343 David Cahill Male 30-34 Trinity College Tri Club 2:27:24 2:27:24

Ennis Tri Club
7 308 patrick qunn Male 25-29 Ennis Tri Club 2:35:22 2:35:22

153 779 James Finnegan Male 40-44 Ennis Tri Club 3:31:52 3:31:52
162 396 Derek Kinsella Male 35-39 Ennis Tri Club 3:35:01 3:35:01
175 356 Colm Carty Male 30-34 Ennis Tri Club 3:42:06 3:42:06
203 384 Johnny Richardson Male 40-44 Ennis Tri Club 4:08:07 4:08:07