Joey Hannon Memorial Triathlon 2008(Miriam Geaney)
In January 2008 I was introduced to my first ever Spin Class .This wasn’t my first attempt at embarking on increased Cardio Vascular work, I had been attempting to run since November of 2007! I found that I was very obviously unfit, but I also had serious problems with staying on a bike for any short period of time without encountering massive issues around walking the next day. I persevered though, with the encouragement of the others in the class and under the expert tutelage of Deirdre Ryan our instructor. I began to secretly enjoy the sessions as I noticed the improvements from week to week. I even made the huge decision to buy a bike shortly after commencing the classes. This would give me the incentive to continue on my journey towards participating in my first ever triathlon in the Summer of 2009.
Now that I was engaging in the cycling and running aspect of Triathlon, I had to look at the third aspect of what it would take to be able to participate fully. I couldn’t swim! Sure, I could stay up in the water with my own version of a breast stroke, but I knew that this would impede my making any serious attempt at doing a triathlon in the future. Trilogy had that one covered also, Stephen O Toole had generously assumed the role of instructor to the Newbies in Portlaoise Leisure Centre, alongside Bobby Behan who was instructing the more experienced swimmers. With this kind of input from the Club, I had all the necessary support structures in place, to achieve my goal of taking part in a Triathlon.
I first heard about the ‘Joey Hannon Memorial Triathlon’ at the Trilogy AGM. I left that meeting, realising that at some point during the night, I had signed up for that Triathlon and two other events! What was I thinking? Had the increased oxygen levels in my system driven me over the edge! I had the encouragement of another new member, Louise Mooney. We realised later that we had talked each other into it, and we, barely able to stay afloat in the pool. Surely, 500m was attainable? It was, if one could swim!
I focussed entirely on the ‘Joey Hannon Triathlon’, in the months that followed .Even more poignant, was the fact that I had known Joey personally. He hailed from the same village in Co. Limerick as I had and the man had the unfortunate experience of trying to teach me in sixth class in the local primary school in Croom. He subsequently moved on from the Educational field, one wonders why!! It was this triathlon event that had me training consistently over the next three months, that, and the massive support from my new training partner, Ms Mooney.
Murt Keane and Mick Farrell had the roles of cycling and running mentors. Would they be able to achieve the unattainable and have us ready to take on the ’Joey Hannon’ challenge on May 4th 2008?
As if by some horrendous, mysterious and damning series of events, I awoke at one a.m. two a.m, three thirty a.m. and finally five a.m. on the morning of May 4th 2008, Triathlon Day. By 5.40 a.m, with the help of Mick Farrell and Kevin Conroy, we had the bikes on the rack. Ominous looking clouds gathered as we headed south.
Uppermost in our minds was that the pool would test us. Nice and slow, we had been warned time and again, to take the pool easy. Several times on the way down, I threatened to turn around. Louise was a rock, supporting me fully every time I suggested it. By the time we hit Moneygall, there was no going back, the much needed toilet facilities were nearer to us in Limerick.
It is difficult to describe the way I felt when we hit the campus in U.L. It was a mixture of fear, excitement and determination. Too much work had gone into the training to opt out now. If I could get out of the pool in one piece, I knew that I would complete the race.
My sister had come in from Croom to soak up the atmosphere, but I couldn’t take anything in at that point with the mounting nerves and anxiety. In her view, I was already a winner, I was there, I was prepared to try, and prepared to humiliate myself publicly in order to do so!
I walked to my swim lane with trepidation, and positioned myself last in the swim order as advised. With the encouragement of my Trilogy brothers and sisters at the far end of the 50m pool, I managed to swim, length after length, nice and easy until I emerged triumphant if not very shaky at the end of my 500m swim. That, for me, was the ultimate achievement, fourteen weeks earlier, I couldn’t swim. I could have cried with exultation at that point. I had other business to complete however, and by God was I going to finish it now.
Getting to the bike and having a fairly decent transition, I felt totally invigorated. I was doing it, it was happening, I was one of 200 cycling 26km on a glorious day in Limerick. I have never enjoyed a cycle as much. I was on a high having survived the pool.
I returned to U.L. about an hour later to the sound of cheering and clapping from the crowd assembled, it was as if I had come back from some serious mission and had saved the nation in the interim.
The 5km run was next. Running has never been my forte. I was aware that I would not enjoy the huge effort this would take.
I thought of Joey. I knew he knew me, I asked him for his help. For his endurance, his Strength, his Stamina, but most of all for his Spirit, so that I would keep it going now, being so close to finishing. He came through for me, as he did for the countless others who embarked on the Sprint and Olympic challenges that day. I finished in 1:55:15, it was my dream come true, another goal achieved, one I thought impossible just a few months previous.
So where do we go from here? As one who has never been in open water, I can say that it is to get into a wet suit, and out of it. The Barrow beckons, as we continue on our journey this first season towards Dunmore East and the new challenges awaiting us there. I know we can do it now. Trilogy Triathlon Club is committed to helping members achieve their personal goals. My dream was realised in the club, not just from an athletic perspective but also from a personal one, in the friendship and camaraderie that is the essence of what Trilogy and Triathlon is all about.
Yours in Triathlon
Mir
Now that I was engaging in the cycling and running aspect of Triathlon, I had to look at the third aspect of what it would take to be able to participate fully. I couldn’t swim! Sure, I could stay up in the water with my own version of a breast stroke, but I knew that this would impede my making any serious attempt at doing a triathlon in the future. Trilogy had that one covered also, Stephen O Toole had generously assumed the role of instructor to the Newbies in Portlaoise Leisure Centre, alongside Bobby Behan who was instructing the more experienced swimmers. With this kind of input from the Club, I had all the necessary support structures in place, to achieve my goal of taking part in a Triathlon.
I first heard about the ‘Joey Hannon Memorial Triathlon’ at the Trilogy AGM. I left that meeting, realising that at some point during the night, I had signed up for that Triathlon and two other events! What was I thinking? Had the increased oxygen levels in my system driven me over the edge! I had the encouragement of another new member, Louise Mooney. We realised later that we had talked each other into it, and we, barely able to stay afloat in the pool. Surely, 500m was attainable? It was, if one could swim!
I focussed entirely on the ‘Joey Hannon Triathlon’, in the months that followed .Even more poignant, was the fact that I had known Joey personally. He hailed from the same village in Co. Limerick as I had and the man had the unfortunate experience of trying to teach me in sixth class in the local primary school in Croom. He subsequently moved on from the Educational field, one wonders why!! It was this triathlon event that had me training consistently over the next three months, that, and the massive support from my new training partner, Ms Mooney.
Murt Keane and Mick Farrell had the roles of cycling and running mentors. Would they be able to achieve the unattainable and have us ready to take on the ’Joey Hannon’ challenge on May 4th 2008?
As if by some horrendous, mysterious and damning series of events, I awoke at one a.m. two a.m, three thirty a.m. and finally five a.m. on the morning of May 4th 2008, Triathlon Day. By 5.40 a.m, with the help of Mick Farrell and Kevin Conroy, we had the bikes on the rack. Ominous looking clouds gathered as we headed south.
Uppermost in our minds was that the pool would test us. Nice and slow, we had been warned time and again, to take the pool easy. Several times on the way down, I threatened to turn around. Louise was a rock, supporting me fully every time I suggested it. By the time we hit Moneygall, there was no going back, the much needed toilet facilities were nearer to us in Limerick.
It is difficult to describe the way I felt when we hit the campus in U.L. It was a mixture of fear, excitement and determination. Too much work had gone into the training to opt out now. If I could get out of the pool in one piece, I knew that I would complete the race.
My sister had come in from Croom to soak up the atmosphere, but I couldn’t take anything in at that point with the mounting nerves and anxiety. In her view, I was already a winner, I was there, I was prepared to try, and prepared to humiliate myself publicly in order to do so!
I walked to my swim lane with trepidation, and positioned myself last in the swim order as advised. With the encouragement of my Trilogy brothers and sisters at the far end of the 50m pool, I managed to swim, length after length, nice and easy until I emerged triumphant if not very shaky at the end of my 500m swim. That, for me, was the ultimate achievement, fourteen weeks earlier, I couldn’t swim. I could have cried with exultation at that point. I had other business to complete however, and by God was I going to finish it now.
Getting to the bike and having a fairly decent transition, I felt totally invigorated. I was doing it, it was happening, I was one of 200 cycling 26km on a glorious day in Limerick. I have never enjoyed a cycle as much. I was on a high having survived the pool.
I returned to U.L. about an hour later to the sound of cheering and clapping from the crowd assembled, it was as if I had come back from some serious mission and had saved the nation in the interim.
The 5km run was next. Running has never been my forte. I was aware that I would not enjoy the huge effort this would take.
I thought of Joey. I knew he knew me, I asked him for his help. For his endurance, his Strength, his Stamina, but most of all for his Spirit, so that I would keep it going now, being so close to finishing. He came through for me, as he did for the countless others who embarked on the Sprint and Olympic challenges that day. I finished in 1:55:15, it was my dream come true, another goal achieved, one I thought impossible just a few months previous.
So where do we go from here? As one who has never been in open water, I can say that it is to get into a wet suit, and out of it. The Barrow beckons, as we continue on our journey this first season towards Dunmore East and the new challenges awaiting us there. I know we can do it now. Trilogy Triathlon Club is committed to helping members achieve their personal goals. My dream was realised in the club, not just from an athletic perspective but also from a personal one, in the friendship and camaraderie that is the essence of what Trilogy and Triathlon is all about.
Yours in Triathlon
Mir
posted by Michael Farrell at
14:57
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