To help ease any post Irish match rainy day boredom Eamonn 'mouse' McAndrew has kindly submitted this excellent race report from last weeks Galway Ironman event -for anyone who missed it, he came fourth in his age group (racing against professionals) and got round in under 4.5 hrs:
Galway Ironman 70.3
I entered Galway ironman as soon as it opened last September, having set some of my season goals around it. The entry at that time was €190 but topped out at €250. Colm set the base training schedule in place in January with a target of completing the course sub 4.30. We trained hard regardless, so it was all about putting it together on the day.
I travelled to Galway with Skinny (face book) Mc Morrow. The weather was taking a turn for the worse but there was no going back. I consumed 4000 calories on Friday and another 4000 on Saturday along with 4 litres of water each day. I was fully loaded and raring to go.
The morning of the race I got up at 4.30am but I would have been as well not going to bed, for all the sleep I got. After a calorie feast for breakfast (4 snickers and a litre of beetroot juice), I met up with the lads in Salthill. We knew the sea would be challenging because the winds were forecast to be high, but on first light we got our first site of Galway Bay and it was a squally mess . The swim was shortened to 750m on the day which actually measured 1000m.
The swim was tough with a high chop and strong current. The waves seemed to hit from all sides, however we stuck to the task and got through it. My swim was weak as I was 21min in the water, and 2-3 min down on the lads, but the race was only starting. The run from the sea to the end of transition was at least 800m long, the majority of which had no carpet. My feet went numb at this stage.
On to the bike and I hit the gas. I battled Padraic Marry for most of the cycle so I knew I was going well. There was a strong cross wind and heavy rain for most of the cycle. I remember going through 40km in 1.01. I swallowed six gels in total on the bike and found every time I took one I put the power down so much so I dropped Padraic on the return leg. I finished the 90km in 2hrs 29min, so I knew I was going well. I had a pee on the bike at 70km which went down my legs and filled my shoes, at this stage my feet had frozen solid so I found it a real treat. However, I had still not caught Colm Casey or Gary Higgins but I felt very strong at the finish of the bike and was looking forward to the run.
At the start of the run I took two gels and set off. I was running off my Garmin which was brilliant. I ran the first 3 miles at 6.15 pace and the next 8 miles under 6.30 pace, whereas the last few miles were around the 7min mark. The run loop was a 3 lap course so you could see who you were chasing and who was chasing you. I made a mistake at the end of the third loop where I continued on a fourth loop instead of going up the promenade to the finish line, I eventually realised my mistake and headed for the finish. My 13mile run time off the Garmin was 1 hour 25 min and 36 sec. To run a 1hr 25min off the bike was one of my goals so needless to say I was delighted. The last mile of the run hurt so I knew I had left nothing out there.
The event was extremely well organised from start to finish. I felt it was very expensive considering Swinford was €70. Will I do it again next year? Definitely!!!!!. My goal for improvement in this race next year would be 5-6% across the board. Success for me this year has come from training hard and smart under the guidance of my coach Colm Casey who has helped me to realise my potential.
What’s next....? Blacksod triathlon and a sub three hour Dublin marathon (Fingers crossed ). Then a well deserved break after a very eventful season. Base training will start early in 2012 and will incorporate a weights programme. Triathlon for me is about competing and always trying to go faster. I am looking forward to next year’s racing already. I would like to thank my wife Clodagh, for all her support throughout this season.
