Race Report: Valentia Island

By Declan Cunningham.

After loading the car up and collecting my partner in crime from the clutches of the local Garda, we were on our way to Valentia Island in the Kingdom county. 

A short 6 hour drive later, we arrived at our destination in the tiny village of Knightstown. Things were looking good weather was reasonably calm and dry.

The morning of the race we rose to a stiff wind with white horses racing through the bay. The sky was bleak and unwelcoming and over in Cahersiveen the rain could be seen making it’s way across the bay.

Not to worry I had it on good standing that the weather in Valentia is fantastic every second year and last year the swim was cancelled so this year had to be great, but sadly Leo let me down.

So for the second year in a row I did not get to make the journey by ferry across to Renard point for the swim back.
The race start was scheduled for 13:30 and throughout the morning the wind kept rising so our swim was to be inside in the harbour starting at the ferry terminal and hugging the walls all around.

Wave 1 was called and we all piled into the water. Thankfully, to everyone’s delight, the water was so much warmer than the air temperatures. After a short warm up, a very unprepared wave 1 with no warning heard the starting siren. I’ve never been in a race before where absolutely everyone was caught unawares by the starting signal. The race was on! The water in the bay turned white as we raced towards the first orange buoy. I was pushing hard to get into a good position. It went really well for about 300meters until my goggles either fogged or froze over not sure which and i couldn’t see a thing!! Sighting went from looking at the orange buoy, to trying to see other swimmers. After 2 clearing attempts and 750 meters of hoping to find the slip in Knightstown, I exited the water after 00:12:29. Running up the slipway and across to transition was made easier on the stony surface by numb feet.

I was 1 of the 3 lucky racers whose transition position was located right beside a building with a whole 2 foot clearance between my front wheel on the rack and the wall of the building.
With my fellow comrades at either side in waves 2 and 3, a quick exit was not possible. Socks were thrown on in a desperate attempt to warm up the feet and I was gone. Racing up the hill out of Knightstown we climbed the narrow winding roads up to the top of the island. Looping back around with the wind now squarely in our faces, it was a hard grind back up the island to transition. Jumping off the bike, I entered transition in 00:35:40 and grabbed my runners.

The run starts with a short little pull up the main street before veering right and is a constant climb all the way up to the turning point. I was feeling good and knocking out the meters until I got passed by my 1st fellow runner – a 12 year old boy who left me for dead. But knocking that out of my head, I carried on up the hill, delighted to see the turning point knowing it was all down hill from here. (my favourite saying)

The pace quickened, as gravity took hold and some of the lactic acid left my legs, I headed for home. My feet now defrosting, started to send signals again. I noticed a dull ache in my left heel and was beginning to wonder at this point if I was running badly. Consequently, I tried to change technique but to no avail, (I later pulled 2 large stones out from inside my socks). Crossing the line in 00:21:12 with an over all time of 01:12:02.

Now all that was left is the after party in The Royal Valentia and the moves of the day to be repeated on the disco floor.