Over the last few months, along with laying the groundwork for the new female athlete coaching program, Catherine McGlinchey has been compiling a series of articles profiling club members. These articles will hopefully give newcomers an insight into the sport, and also allow members to get to know each other. The first article is by Kate Hawney; who in just a year and a half has graduated from beginner to seasoned competitor and helped to develop the club into what has to be one of the strongest triathlon clubs in the country for female participation...
As a result of my job I moved to Sligo in Dec 2009. I knew very few people and wanted to get out and meet people. I have always enjoyed being fit and active so in January ’10 I responded to an invite in the paper from Sligo Triathlon Club about swimming lessons.
At this time I was able to thread the water and swim breast stroke with my head above water. I had no clue how do the front crawl. After attending the meeting and getting lots of support and encouragement from Cecilia I decided to sign up for swimming lessons. It must be noted that I had zero intention of doing a Triathlon. The idea of swimming such a distance and in the sea was the unimaginable. However as the weeks turned into months I found myself opening up to the idea of ‘possibly’ doing a triathlon. This was largely due to support from swim coaches/fellow peers. By sharing my fears it allowed me to realise that I was not alone. Before long I was signed up for my first triathlon last year at Rosses Point. I had never completed a Try a Tri and really had no idea what it was all about. It was a wonderful sense of personal satisfaction and fulfilment to complete the race.
My two greatest achievements to date are learning to swim and conquering my fear of the water. Every week last year my stomach dropped, as I drove over the bridge past Carton to the meet and swim sessions in Rosses Point. Every time I went out to the open sea my thoughts and imagination got the better of me which resulted in my fears and anxieties escalating. It was such a relief to complete the swim and get out of the water. I pushed myself to swim the distance but psychologically it was a massive struggle. This has been an ongoing battle but I am now more relaxed and in a completely different place to last year.
It is difficult to put into words how differently I feel. I want those that have similar fears to know that it is possible to control those thoughts (as that is all they are). At this point I have to give a large mention and thank you to John Graham who helped me along this process. Through his guidance, techniques and skill it is without a doubt my biggest achievement to date.
My training is fit around my social life. I am not a fanatic. I train during the week and mostly take the weekends off due to other commitments. Training is therapeutic, physically and mentally. It has become an invaluable mode of winding down after work. It is also a great social event. I find it difficult to push my self when I am alone so take every opportunity to avail of any club intensive training sessions. During summer months I do brick sessions approximately twice a week and try to fit in a longer run/cycle session. I swim twice-three times a week combining pool and open sea.
This year I am thoroughly enjoying my new bike having previously used a hybrid road bike. It has made an enormous difference to my times and is now my favourite part of the Triathlon. My goal is always to improve on my personal best times in all areas.
