Gone but not forgotten – as he won’t let us

Confessions of a Tri-a-holic

My name is Ciaran and I am a triaholic, it has been hours since my last training session, I train I race I train again and a rest day starts with rest and ends a little bit of a run. Being a triaholic means triathlon pervades most elements in my life, social work family all rotate around triathlon as much as possible. Having just finished my 6^th Tri season I can confirm I am wrecked and as enthused as ever for my 7^th season, but my 6^th season gave me something new that will stay with me for a long time.

                After 5 years training and racing mainly alone I took the plunge and joined a triathlon club, and its changed everything about my training, races and post-race. It changed things so much that when presented with a wonderful opportunity to move to Switzerland for work, the hardest choice was leaving my triathlon club Piranha. Piranha run the Dublin city triathlon and for the last few years its been voted race of the year, and while being biased I can’t imagine a better club to join than Piranha.

                My first “session” with Piranha was a wonderfully fun Christmas party, while details of the party really can’t/shouldn’t be divulged I received a warm welcome and praise for putting the social aspect so high on the agenda. Normally I would have found landing into such a social occasion a bit intimidating but I soon got talking (I am sure some would say I haven’t shut up since) to various attendees and I was introduced around. I am lead to believe that some people feared I may have been scared off and given some of the singing that happened during the night, it was a close call.

                The “serious” training started in January, with running and swim training to get back into routine of training and try and get rid of a number of extra servings of Christmas dinner. For the first time I was running and swimming with groups, at each session I got talking to various club members from newbies to veterans, who both need and have advice it’s something I found I didn’t have in the years training solo. From a personal perspective my running had suffered greatly during 2013, that being said it had never been good, but suddenly I was seeing my average times dropping. Having plans and people I was enthused to see the improvements I could make, and running has changed from being something I was required to do on race day so I had better to do it, to something I looked forward to doing.

                From a swim point of view, your membership entitles you to 3 swim sessions per week, so 12 coached pool sessions a month is something you can’t really knock for the price of the membership let alone what else you get. I was told by a swimming instructor during college my stroke was a “disaster” and when I asked for advice and help I was told to essentially google what I should do. The coaching I received for my weakest discipline has resulted in a respectable 5minute improvement in a standard Olympic distance triathlon. While there is still lots of work and improvement to see progress like this is proof that I can improve.

                But for all the coaching and sessions that happen within the Piranha club for me it is its members who bring so much to it. While I have had improvements this year, I got a PB for sprint and Olympic distances I also had disappointment on my Ironman day, and in the periods leading up to it. It was in these moments of crisis that the support of the club really brought rays of sunshine to burn away the grey skies. I think this year a group nearing 30 members took on the IM distance and of the starters all finished, even though many of us had tough days. It’s one of the things many people myself included over look, that triathlon can go wrong on any given day for some many reasons beyond our own control, and some that we can control but forget to do (like eating regularly). I leave Piranha having made many friends, made gains, had good and bad days but above all else with the knowledge that I had the best year in triathlon yet because of the people I shared my year with. I can’t recommend Piranha highly enough no matter what level you are at. Thanks to everyone in Piranha our paths will cross again

Ciaran