Race Report: The Lost Sheep

By Ellen Shilling

Who’s idea was this. Oh mine, right better get on with it so.

Never will I listen to myself again.

That was the hardest thing mentally and physically that I have ever done. I’m still taking stairs one at a time and I’ve been asleep more than awake in the last 72 hours but I would do it all again….just after a very very long time! Two months in India later this year should do it…just.

Its funny how you find yourself doing these things. 2 years ago I thought I’d never get through a sprint, let alone a 1.9km swim, 81km hilly (& wet) cycle and a 21km hilly (&wet) run but here I was in kenmare sh1tt1ng myself as I waded into the water.

Half Ironman, what was I thinking? I decided to go for it after a disappointing race at Beast of the East, thought I could channel my frustration into training. And train I did, Tadhg worked me hard with 18-20 hour weeks, I was beginning to really enjoy training but was a social mess. I couldn’t remember when last saw  the other side of midnight and I even managed to fall asleep in the middle of a conversation.

So now here I was at the pier in Kenmare putting all that training to the test. I felt strong, had a game plan and knew this was it, once this day was over I’d never ever have to do another triathlon again. Whoop bleedin dooo

Swim – 1.9km Flat, calm and wet.
Thankfully the swim wasn’t the usual fisty cuffs and I got into a rhythm fairlyquickly. It’s funny that while it’s my favourite discipline, is the one that I get most nervous about. I had a panic attack in the middle of my first open water swim and I think the memory of that comes back every time I race. Anyway it all went v well and I exited the water in the time I wanted – 28mins and some change. I knew it was all downhill from here (not literally though unfortunately).

T1 – had brief chat with Frank while I tried in vain to put on clothes that had changed seamus (my bike) into a clothes line. Problem was that it had rained for the last 30 mins and everything was wet. Took an age to get my cycle top on and, in the slightly unhinged part of my brain, I decided it would be a good idea to put my arm warmers on once over the mount line. Huh? I’m stll at a loss to explain that one.Maybe I thought the run to the mount line would someone dry them?! I don’t know, still bemuses me, that took another 5 minutes. Paul O’Donovan told me afterwards that he tried to put his t- shirt on over his helmet so I didn’t feel so stoopid.

Cycle – 81km taking in Healy and Caha Pass, hilly and wet
People have said to me that they think of everything on the bike. I can honestly say that I thought of nothing ….except stopping. I dreamt of a puncture or a mechanical to end my race and allow me to go home to dry warm clothes and a cup of tea. But no, everything went as well as I could of expected…shizer

Aishling Barry was doing some epic cheering (& donating of clothes to a hypothermic Trevor Woods) that lifted my spirits and jolted me into the realisation that I was going to finish this race, how I was going to finish it was up to me. Right, head down and focus. I was keeping a local girl in my sights and for once did something intelligent on the bike -I followed her on the descents. I reckoned that she knew the route pretty well and I’d been behind her on an earlier descent and I knew so was nervous on the downhill’s. So I braked when she did, stepped on it when she did, basically copied her every move until we got to 50km and my favourite place in Ireland – Glengariff. I got a bit distracted here admiring scenery and having a giggle at a sign saying you could visit “Ellen’s rocks”. So much so that I lost her but I didn’t care I was feeling good and looking forward to the last hill and descent.

Coming back into t2 I allowed myself to look at my overall time – 3:01. Job done, exactly what I wanted. Happy days.

T2 – if I wanted any more motivation I was in luck. I met Niall McD who had pulled out after the cycle. We chatted about his recent brush with death and how, as a man flu survivor, he had a new appreciation of life…then he said something about my ass

Inspired I trotted off on to the run course. If Niall could pull though something as serious as manful then surely I could make it to the finish line.

Run – 21km. Rolling hills…and yep, wet.
Felt great for the first 10km. I was shocked to be running with Michael Grimes, I couldn’t understand how I’d kept an epic cyclist and recent King of the mountains at bay for 90km! I found out afterwards he got lost on the swim. Damn, thought my cycling had improved for once but nope.

Aileen went sailing past us on the out and back part of the run. Looking very strong and very comfortable she was in 4^th place at that stage. We managed a smile and a cheer before hitting the 1^st aid station and water that went mostly over my face than in my mouth. Onwards and upwards……unfortunately. More bleedin ups than downs and soon my legs started to cramp from the feet up.

At 14km I hit a wall, metaphorically not literally thankfully. (That would of not been good.) Every little mound felt like a mountain and after 15km I succumbed to walking. They very cruelly added a category 1 climb at 17km (slight exaggeration), when I finally crawled up it the guy beside me turned and puked. Lovely.

Last 3km felt like hell, rain was teeming down now and it had turned my arm warmers into weights around my wrists. I tried everything, a bit more walking, chi running, changing my posture but my body just said nope, not a chance. I struggled over the finish line and into the arms of a good friend of mine who had come to cheer me on with her husband. I will not lie, there were a few tears, I’d never pushed my body to that state before and I was delighted with myself but didn’t have the energy to show it. She, needless to say, will never do triathlon after seeing the state of me. The mush mash of seaweed, sun cream, babyoil, snot and flies was not attractive.  

The post race masseus confirmed what I suspected – body is broken,  yeah but I replied – the spirit ain’t 😉

Well done to all the piranhas who took part in what I believe was the hardest triathlon I’ve ever done – Michael Grimes, Ian Cassidy, Aileen Flynn, Liam Osborne, Niall Mc Donnell, James Hoare, David Killen, Barry McIntyre, David Vavascour, Ciara NiUnpronouncable, Linda O’Neill, Frank O’Connor, Deirdre Loughrane, Paul O’Donovan, Paul Boyle & ultra supporter Aishling Barry. 

Thanks to a brilliant coach in Tadhg who got me to the starting line and my little training group of Katie,Sharon and Conor, who convinced me to go for it. Most of all thanks to everyone in piranha for all their hints, tips and race reports over the past year. I brought all that learning into an horrendous but brilliant day at the triathlon office! That sheep was lost, found and I ain’t gonna be looking for it again!