Right now I’m fit and healthy and training at altitude in Davos Switzerland. Training is going well, touch wood.. Sometimes we take being able to train for granted, and when training and racing is your job, not being able to race is the last thing on your mind. As an athlete all that you think about is the next race, the next hard session. How much volume you can fit in during the week. The training plans are set out and the sessions ticked off. Then there are little wake up calls that plant seeds in the back of your mind. A niggle that just won’t go away, or in my case, seeing two of my good friends not being able to do what they love and what they live for.
‘People get obsessed with medals at home, it should be more about the performance’ – Rob Heffernan
Rob finished 4th in both the 20km and 50km at the European championships in the space of three days. He went through the marathon distance in 3:09 today. Amazing performance.
I’m back in the alps, this time it’s Davos in Switzerland for the next month of altitude training. I got here two days ago so I’m still checking out the lie of the land (which is either up or down). Davos seems like a nice place and as you might know from a previous post of mine, the best looking cows in the world are up here in the mountains. They are just so pretty.
I met my Dublin parents in Zurich airport when I arrived. Anne had been out cheering on Nick, who had just done his first Ironman. Well done Nicky. He put me on the train to Davos and gave a packet of Taytos, telling me that they were only to be used in an emergency when times get tough.
Aileen Morrison celebrates 3rd place in Hamburg World Series
Aileen Morrison, 3rd place at Hamburg World Series, I am of kind lost for words right now. It’s hard to express how huge this result is for Aileen and all who have helped her to get to this point. She is one of the most dedicated athletes I know, and this is well deserved. There is a lot more to come from her yet, watch out world!
Not much to report from my race in Hamburg,I crashed out on the 6th lap. I guess by chasing the pack I was trying to hard and clipped my peddle coming out of a corner and ended up on the ground and crashing into a barrier. It’s all good, nothing broken and just some road rash. The ever efficient Germans wanted to bring to the hospital. They love a bit of drama, and that was that. Back to the training now and waiting for the next race.
Hello Hamburg, the World’s biggest triathlon, and a lovely city as well. Triathlon has taken over the city this weekend as the circus that is The Dextro World Series has comes to town. I only got the call on Tuesday that I was in the race. I had been on the wait list up until then and didn’t think I would get in, so when I got the call I was pretty excited. This is the biggest race I will have done to date and it doesn’t get any bigger. To get a start is a big deal, so its time to make it count. I am last on the start list with number 67. It’s a position that I like, being an underdog. My position on the start pontoon will be awful, but we are here and here to race hard.
I raced again last weekend, two weeks in a row, well – it was actually three races in seven days; TriAthlone, and duathlon in the Phoenix Park which I used as a bit of a speed session before I raced in the ITU World Cup in Holten last Saturday. The duathlon was a great little hit out, very enjoyable. It’s very nice to race over the same ground that you train on. I did miss the start of the race (this has happened before) and i’ll point the finger at Mark Foran and blame him this time. He is great man to talk to, really holds you captive in conversation.
Jesus, it was only a week and a bit ago but feels a lot longer. I should have posted something about the race before this, but after the race and the poor result there wasn’t much to say. I was a disappointed with the 37th place, but in the end there were only eight seconds between me making the pack out of the swim and thereby getting a top 20 result, and missing the pack and having to work my ass off alone on the bike, as was the case. Being that close and not getting into the pack is pretty crushing. I battled on and rode well and also had a good run. The support that I got during the race was just amazing, if only I was racing in a higher position to give them something to really cheer about. It was only my second time racing TriAthlone but it is definitely the best race on the international circuit, and to have the best guys in the world racing there this year was great to see. Well done to all involved who made it such a great event.
So this time tomorrow I’ll be in a slightly different mental state, it’s only 24 hours until the start of the European champs. I’m hoping I’ll be more relaxed, although I am, I think I might fall asleep. The training is in the bank, the TV interviews have been done ,so now let’s get this started. As for the result……………..
7th Lausanne ITU Elite Sprint Triathlon World Championships
56th Tiszaujvaros ITU Triathlon World Cup
DNF ITU World Championship Series Hamburg
26th Holten ITU Triathlon World Cup
37th Athlone ETU Triathlon European Champs
20th Hy Vee ITU triathlon Elite World Cup
9th Larache ITU African Cup
3rd Strathclyde ITU Triathlon European Cup
8th Nancy ETU Duathlon European Championships
8th Spar Great Ireland Run
Results 2009
12th Huatulco ITU Triathlon World Cup, Mexico
9th Alanya ITU Triathlon Premium European Cup, Turkey
1st Lost Sheep, Irish National Half Iron Man Champs,
3rd Kedzierzyn Kozle ITU Triathlon Premium European Cup, Poland
2nd Karlovy Vary ITU Triathlon European Cup, Czech Rep
1st Athlone ITU Triathlon European Cup, Ireland
3rd Nokia Windsor Triathlon, UK
2nd TriAthy,
6th ITU Triathlon Oceania Championships, Australia
11th ITU Long Distance Triathlon Oceania Championships, Australia
