Kenmare Half Ireman - Race weekend

More photos here:

http://www.jorumavi.com/lost_sheep_triathlon/lost_sheep_triathlon.htm

and here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtejohn/sets/72157624844741931/

The swim in kenmare was like swimming in an 'endless pool' (or what i imagine that must feel like!). I think it looked 'ugly' for the spectators rather than for us in the water - I thought it was a lovely swim, just didn't get anywhere (until i got a spin on the jetski and the boat). Still think it's a great race and I really enjoyed it and we had a great weekend. Love the photos......

right Marco.. swimoff, splashworld, sunrise..we'll see what a horror show really looks like

Just looking at the swim times - yikes!! It sounds ugly. I managed last year's swim in 33 mins - so it seems I'm a good three minutes quicker than Mr. Doyle

24 DNF's for the swim, am I right? Sounds like a horror show

Full results can be found here: http://www.corktri.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/LostSheepProvisional.xls

Yes, I was one of those Poor Souls! After 27mins of swimming I was only 100m from the start line so got taken out. I think Norma & Michael C. got taken out after about 40mins (and still hadn't reached the bridge 450m from start) and Siobhan Dunphy was swimming for 1hr 10mins when they told her to get into the boat (although she was quite happy to carry on as she was on the final downstream section at that stage!)
We all carried on with the cycle and run though, so don't feel too bad about missing the full swim.

Some of our supporters were spectating from the bridge and timed Ned swimming under it..it took him 2mins to swim under it..about 10m!

Well done to everyone who got through the swim...esp. Siobhan Kennedy who was in it for 1hr 25ins. She was wrecked when she got out but carried on to have a brilliant race.

I think the faster swimmers got through the majority of the upstream swim before the tide turned, (including our own Stephen who was 3rd out of the water!) it was everyone else who hadn't even made it to the bridge (450m) who suffered.

Well done to Shane, Stefan & Tom who picked up 1st prize in their age-groups and to the whole club (including supporters) as we got 1st prize for Best Club on the day for support & sportsmanship! Be proud!

Hopefully they will get it right for next year. I'd say there are a few people who have unfinished business with that race!

What a swim!!!

Fair play to everyone who got round course, big thanks to Martin and Olive who cooked. Additional thanks to those choppers from the previous day!

What a swim, I was half way through thinking "those poor souls who will be stuck under the bridge until tide turns, not best planningby CTC!".

Congrats to everyone who finished!!

Heard the swim was horrible

Don't believe a word out of Spins' mouth - there'll be no scampi and no chips, believe me!!

Good luck to everyone - I hope ye get the weather for it

Can't decide if I'm jealous or relieved I'm not racing.
Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

P.S. Was down in Kenmare last year for a while after the race and went to a restaurant on the main street called Packies, kinda expensive but one of the best I've been in in Ireland, really! Fabulous seafood. Yum!

Top tips from Helen for the race!

I will be in Kenmare by 5pm to collect the house keys etc, and will probably be at the houses until 7pm and then will go to registration, so we can meet up there and after that I will be back at the race briefing at 9pm. Registration is close to the houses so there shouldn't be any problems meeting up.

My tip from last year would be to just go out there and enjoy the race - it's hard to describe until you do it but it was completely different to any other race I had ever done and I really enjoyed it - hope i'll be saying the same on saturday evening!

Just a few things before Kenmare weekend:

The Address of the houses is "Sunny Hill". When you drive through Kenmare, down the one-way street towards the centre, go straight through the crossroads at the bottom, keeping the park area on your left, heading out past the church. (The race registration is in the school beside the church 7-9pm). The houses are about 500m further on past reg. (follow the bend around to the left, after passing Supervalu). Sunnyhill housing estate on your right hand side.

Norma will be down in Kenmare early afternoon so she will have all the house keys and list of who is staying where.

In case you haven't seen it on the Cork website, the Swim course had been changed due to tidal conditions. They will brief us on the new course on Friday evening at race briefing. (Hope it's better than it was 2yrs ago when I was caught in an endless current for ages!)

For all the people doing this for the 1st time (I think we have 13 half-ironman newbies this year), just a few tips/ideas for the race.

*Don't forget your TI card (or one day licence if needed)
*Pack for all weather conditions-don't forget, you will be on your bike for cycle soon after 7.30am in the morning so it may be cold, drizzly, foggy, lashing rain, or maybe sunny..
*Wear fingerless summer gloves for extra comfort on the bumpy roads for cycle if needed
*Wear socks for the run (or bike as well if u want)
*Bring a hat for run in case we get a heat wave like last year
*Bring spare tubes/pump to repair any punctures..not sure how long you might be out there with the sheep if you can't repair a puncture...marshals are few and far between!
*It's probably easiest to cycle to transition in the morning so it will be awkward to carry boxes with your stuff in it...bring a string bag (like the Alfie Hale's ones from our race) to put your stuff in so you can cycle.
*Bring flip flops or old shoes to walk from transition to swim start..a long enough walk in your bare feet
*Use a food bag / bike bag (not sure the proper name) for food for the cycle if you have one...u can tape food onto your bike also (or instead). (Noel Ryan will have tips on this for you from last year...)
*Bring gels, bars, bananas, sandwiches, fig rolls, etc. for cycle and run
*Bring water bottles/water belt for run if you wish..sometimes its nice to drink your own stuff when you want it.
*Get plenty of sleep tonight...you won't get much tomorrow night. We will be up at about 4.30am the morning of the race as we need to be leaving for Transition at 6am at latest. (This is worse than an Ironman start!)

If anyone else has any other tips or advice, please let us know.

See ye all tomorrow evening

if anyone is interested i plan on taking a stroll up carrauntoohil on monday after kenmare, weather & state of the legs permitting..

Not long left to Kenmare race...and a great weekend!

There are 25 of us doing the race! with loads of first-timers... We have 4 houses booked in Sunnyhill Grove (just a few mins walk from town centre) for Friday & Sat nite, costs €50 total each - Booked into houses are:

Andrew Hickey + Trease
Ned + Caroline
Micháel (Andrew's friend)
John Carew
Derek Barrett + Clare
Stephen Doyle
Mark Daly
John McDonald
Brian Slattery
Michael Carroll
Noel Ryan
Ian McNulty
Siobhan Kennedy
Norma Goggin
Emmet Kelly
Mick (Emmet's friend)
Siobhan Dunphy
Catherine Galvin
Catherine's 2 friends

Also going down and staying in Hotels or Campers are:

Shane Scadding
Helen Whyte
Martin Kirwan
Olive Costello
Tom Casey
Teena Casey
Stefan Green + family
Michael Bowes + family
Michael Moloney + Laura
Darryl Hale + Yvonne
Colin Fanning
Ian Fanning

We'll book somewhere for dinner on Sat. night..I will get names of people interested (you can text me now if you are interested). I would advise bringing food for lunch after the race (or you can buy it in supermarket beside the housing estate on Fri night) as you won't be in the mood or have time (too busy chatting and doing post race analysis with everyone) to get it after the race. (Cork Tri club don't provide any post race food with your entry)