Monday 6 June 2011

Mersey Tri - Northern Ireland Tour 2011

Prologue
Nineteen MerseyTri members of varying experience – from Kona qualifier to several who hadn’t completed a triathlon – made the trip to Northern Ireland for a week of triathlon training.

Commemorative tour jerseys – the first unveiling of the new Mersey Tri club kit – and the essential tour cards with maps, phone numbers and itineraries were issued on the overnight boat from Liverpool to Belfast during our informal briefing session.

The briefing also covered the infamous points competition, which consisted of +1 for a swim, bike and run each day, +1 for quote of the day, +1 for bravery and +1 for driving the van.  It also consisted of -1 for negativity, -1 for untidiness and -1 for general faffing.  Points were to be awarded each night during ‘Points School’.  This competition was to prove motivational and provided us with a lot of laughs throughout the week.

During the journey, two giant home-made cakes were put in front of us all to snack on. They didn’t last long.  The tone of the week, and the unofficial eating challenge, was set.

Arriving in Belfast, we were greeted by some cold and windy weather.  This was to be a theme of the week.  Undeterred, we ambled off the boat and got ourselves ready for the opening ride of the trip.
How good do we all look?!


















Day 1 – Belfast to Gortin
Four seasons in one day, open water swimming and a long slog to the finish
Awash in the light blue (Astana) colours of the Mersey Tri tour jersey we formed a giant peloton and began cycling through Belfast docks on a cold Sunday morning towards the more sedate and tranquil country roads.  Before we reached these roads, and less than 10k into the ride, we had to conquer our first hill of the week – the small matter of a 20% climb.  That one warmed the legs a little!

The group was well disciplined, keeping together for the most part.  It was great to see different people come to the front of the pack and lead, enthusiasm of the group shining through despite the very ‘changeable’ weather. Our cycling to Gortin was to include a swim session at a small marina en route, more or less at the half way point.  Although cold, wet and a bit tired after the first part of our cycle, our enthusiasm (there’s that word again) got the better of us as we stripped down and donned our wetsuits before jumping headlong into the cold, cold water.  The locals thought we were a bit crackers … and weren’t afraid to tell us!

















Once dry and warmed up again, we set off in three groups to accommodate the different speeds and ambitions of individuals.  Although I was feeling fresh and up for a fast ride, I had a Garmin with the maps and so volunteered to cycle with group three, the slower (or more tired) of the three groups.  This section of cycling was certainly harder than the pre-swim section, with more hills appearing, each one longer and steeper than the previous and the wind increasing in power.  This was scheduled to be our longest ride of the week (120k), so those people who were a little too enthusiastic in the morning were likely to pay during this ride.

For my ride, I cycled ahead of our group taking on hills and descents before doubling back to do the hills and descents in reverse and catch up with the group!  Fantastic!  At some point near to the end of the ride, with about 15k to go, Lynn turned up in the van and picked up the three members of our group, who were all very grateful to see our ‘Tilly Van’, and took them to our new home.  I cycled on alone until I was joined by Alvin, who had cycled back from our accommodation and we pedalled on into the wind together.  Total riding for day 1 was 130k.

Once bags were loaded off the van and into our rooms, a short, steady run of about 4k with 5 or 6 others completed the day’s exertions.  Day 1 down – swim, bike and run completed – and feeling good!

Day 2 – Gortin
Incredible Wind, 6 Punctures and a sneaky dip in the lake
Unbelievably, we woke to 70mph winds.  Ah, this might spoil our plans, some of us might have thought.  Not a bit of it.  Off we went fuelled by some porridge Alvin-style and a little too much confidence.    

All smiles before the wind hit
We were split into groups today and I was in group one.  The maps were routed using mapmyride and not local knowledge of the area.  This was obvious when our first climb of the day was up a three kilometre long tractor track (grass in the middle, pebbles either side!), giving our skinny road bike tyres very little traction.

When we reached the top, the ferocity of the wind showed itself and nearly blew Dani off his bike into the barbed wire fence!  If we thought the road on the way up was bad, that was only because we hadn’t seen the steep descent along slate-filled tracks on the way down!

The ride had plenty of steep hills to keep us warm but the real challenge of the ride started after about 30k when we climbed a nice hill and reached some very exposed hilly roads.  The wind was so strong that we had to pedal hard to go downhill and use all of our strength and bike handling skills to stay upright on the bike!

Trying to keep warm, obviously!

After stopping to fix our second puncture of the day (mine!), we made the decision to carry on and take on the wind.  It had to get easier didn’t it?  Well it didn’t!  Less than a kilometre later we were climbing again on some pretty exposed roads into a direct headwind, a headwind so strong it actually blew me off my bike and flat onto the road!  It forced all but one of us – Daniel – to get off our bikes and walk (slowly) up the hill.  I knew it was particularly strong and challenging when I saw Alvin climb off his bike and walk it up the hill.  That absolutely never happens!!

If we thought getting to the top would mark the end of the difficult cycling, we were wrong.  The winds would not allow us to throw our legs over our bikes and start cycling!  There was no shelter to be had.  We waited for the wind to drop slightly before quickly getting on our bikes and gingerly descended the hill.  

Punctures 3, 4 and 5 hit during this descent, leading us to the most surreal moment during the whole trip: to avoid the strong, cold wind, we fixed puncture number 5 in a sheep pen, with us all sitting in there taking shelter!

With only one more stop for a puncture (resulting in a ‘Dani tantrum’ for getting his 3rd puncture of the day) we made our way home, careful to avoid fallen trees, branches and debris along the way.  We were out for hours, but only managed to cover 65k all day.  A tough day in the saddle!

When we returned we found out that the other groups had been out on their bikes, but had called it a day after an hour or so.  A wise move!

The disapproving Points School Committee

A few of us decided to go for a run into the hills.  During the run we passed a lake.  When I say passed, I actually mean got quickly undressed, jumped in and swam a little.  Then we passed the lake and returned home.  The things we do for a sneaky point and a little advantage in the points competition!  At points school later that evening, this sneakiness was not appreciated!


 Day 3 – Gortin to Derry
Strong riding, Garmin troubles and a beached van
Once again, we split into three groups as we left our accommodation, leaving at half hour intervals.  I stayed in group one but gave my Garmin to group 3 to ‘help’ them navigate their way to Derry.  

We had some fantastic group riding today, taking it in regular turns to hit the front and lead the group.  Once the shout of ‘MAAAAANNNN UUUUUPPPP’ was belted out, positions in the group changed and a new leader set the pace for the group.  Whilst we were enjoying our riding, we had a call from Emily who was driving the van and meeting us at the swim spot later in the day.  The van was stuck on the beach, in some very soft sand, and the tide was coming in!  ‘Don’t worry, we’re 20k away and will be with you shortly’ we replied.  This called for us to change the route and make our way to the stranded van as fast as possible.

Enter the Garmin.
Doh!

We took a few short cuts and an hour later when we spoke to Emily again, we were now 30k away!  Oops.  Once again, we had some fantastic group cycling, hitting some top speeds, reaching 50kph on the flat!  We eventually reached the van, spotted the predicament and with some all out pushing from eight triathletes, we managed to get the fully loaded van off the beach.  Hurrah!

Two of the three groups met up on the beach, but group three was still out there … somewhere!  We called off the swim and cycled the 20k or so to Derry to regroup and find our new home for the night.

Once we had secured our bikes in the new accommodation, and found our beds, we headed out for a steady 5k run through the streets of Derry to complete the activities for the day.

Day 4 – Derry to Downhill
Group riding, riding the waves and beach running
A little recap on the rules of the road!

We headed out for breakfast today, eating whilst Alan gave us a talk on cycling safety and group riding etiquette.  This was a great talk, giving some good pointers and boosting the confidence for newer members as well as correcting some bad habits of more experienced cyclists!

We had decided to ride as a complete group today – except for two riders who did a longer loop.  It was a slow and steady ride, veering off the main roads to take in some good hills and quiet lanes along the way.  We stopped for lunch and probably spent more time in the pub having lunch (… then dessert … then coffee) than actually cycling!


Catching the short ferry across a small stretch of water we emerged on the other side to some very strong headwinds.  15k into a persistent headwind later and we arrived at our stunning accommodation, right on the beach.  Apart from the weather, what more could we ask for?

We took advantage of the setting, donned our wetsuits and charged into waves of the kind surfers can only dream.  A bit of splashing about, jumping over waves and a little swimming and then I was out.  No messing about in those temperatures!


Hard beach running session!
Quick change into running gear and back out onto the beach for a brisk 13k run, maintaining a fast pace for most of the way (trying to keep up with Daniel), despite the wind and soft beach.  Tough, but very enjoyable session.
Despite the lack of big bike miles, it was a very long and tiring day!



Day 5 – Downhill to Cushendall
Easy riding, Giants Causeway and Hill Racing


Giants Causeway
Today I was riding with group three, to try and provide some support in the wind and to use my trusty Garmin.  We let the other groups organise themselves into some sort of shape and then let them leave before us – we were confident we knew the way!  As the ride went on, the wind whipped up and became very strong!  We battled through the wind and found our way to the coast and hit some beautifully scenic roads, including some nice hills.

The triumphant arrival of group 3!

Despite being group three and leaving last, we reached Giants Causeway as the second quickest group.  Group 2 made some excuse about punctures and mechanical issues.  A likely story!

A hearty Irish Stew at The Nook and then a stroll down the hill to view the very impressive Giants Causeway coincided with the sun’s first appearance of the week.  Result!

We continued on our way to our next stop, Cushendon, where we were going swimming.  Before we reached there we had the small matter of some hills, wind and another 40k.  The roads were excellent and the scenery fantastic, as we made our way through forest, hills and wide open countryside.  We finally reached the swim stop after an excellent sweeping descent, complete with switchbacks and hairpin turns.
The Mersey Tri boy band??


Most of the group thought a swim would be a good idea and jumped in.  ‘Coldest water ever’ was all I needed to hear to make my ‘no swim’ decision, preferring to watch from the sidelines instead!

After a warming hot chocolate, I joined group one for the final 20k of the day.  A fast and furious 10k ride to the foot of a hill, followed by a ‘race’ up a 10k hill!  Fantastic fun!

That night, it was suggested that we do a triathlon the next day rather than our scheduled ride and an idea turned into a well formed plan, with the room buzzing with excitement.  A handicap system would be devised, giving everybody a more or less equal chance of success.  Talk of a race the next day coincided with a slowing down of wine consumption.  Competitive?  Us?

Day 6 – Cushendall
Triathlon, Last supper and a singing sensation
No nudity in transition please!
Today was the day of the ‘sprint’ triathlon.  It was a handicapped race so as to give everybody a good shot at winning the event.  Depending upon ability, each person would do between one to five laps (150m) of the swim, a 10k uphill bike and one to two laps of a hilly 3.6k trail run.  Lynn kindly opted out of the event, marshalled the transition area, took some of the photos and drove our wetsuits back to the our accommodation!

We cycled our way down the 10k descent to Cushendon, for the race start (this was the hill we would have to climb during the race).  We racked our bikes and changed into our wetsuits, with one eager athlete being docked a point for nudity in transition!  Not all of us had tri-kit with us, so we competed in a variety of outfits ranging from cycling bib shorts to old school speedos!  What a sight that was!!

Mass swim start

The race was a sea swim, starting with a run from the beach into the water.  We were to run out into the sea until it was deep enough to swim in and then bear right for 150m or so, swim/run back to the beach and then run along the beach back to the swim start.  We all assumed that we would take two, three, four strides into the water, dive in and start swimming.  Oh no.  Those of us who did this were trying to swim in a tea cup of water.  OK, stand back up and do more dolphin dives to get to some deep water.  Four dolphins later, the water was still the same depth.  We all thought this was hilarious!  As it turned out, the water was deep enough to swim in – just – and we sprinted on eager to get on with the race.  We didn’t have buoys in the water, just landmarks on the beach that we had to reach before turning and swimming towards the beach.  I overshot the landmark on two of my four laps despite Alan standing on the beach wearing a neon jacket and frantically waving his arms.  You can never have two much open water sighting practice!

Back in for lap 2

Four laps later I was into transition, with numb hands making this a little more tardy than it should have been!  Wetsuit stripped and stuffed into the transition bag, flung into the van, I was off on the 10k hill climb.  The handicaps worked brilliantly.  There were people staggered (staggering?) all the way up the hill.  I think I managed to pass six people on the way up, always looking over my shoulder for some of the big hitters who were behind me on the road (who never did pass me on the bike!).  The average ascent of the 10k hill was 5%, which made for some sore legs coming into T2.

A delighted winner - Jon Moorhouse!
In and out of T2 and onto the hilly trail run.  I’d never run in bib shorts before!  This could be interesting.  Phew that first hill was tough!  The ground wasn’t the best but the views from the top of the hill overlooking some beautiful countryside almost made up for it.  The first half was uphill, the second half downhill.  It was tough on the legs.  The uphills on the second lap were leg sapping.  It was a competitive race despite sounds of laughter echoing across the Irish countryside!  Jon won the overall race, with Natalie edging out two other ladies in a sprint finish to take the female title.

The rest of the day was left open.  Lynn and I made our way out for a 40 minute cycle and 25 minute run.  Others went for a snooze, read some books, drank Guinness or updated their blogs.
Wowzer - what a voice!!


As it was our last night, a slap-up evening meal in a restaurant had been organised, sandwiched between trips to the pub.  Whilst in the pub, we discovered a singing sensation.  Our very own James is a top singer – a tenor – and captivated the whole pub with two incredible songs.  Jaws dropped when he sang and riotous round of applause erupted when he had finished.  Incredible!


Day 7 – Cushendall to Belfast
Hangover run, beautiful coastline and arise King Tutte
On to the last day.  The points competition was close.  After a week of training, only a few points separated most of us.  Despite having a mild hangover, I tried to sneak out of the house and go for a quick run to gain a valuable point, thinking that others would still be in bed and wouldn’t care for a last run.  How wrong I was.  Everybody else seemed to have the same idea.  Doh!
The Mersey Tri Express!

The cycling today was flat and had the assistance of a tailwind (first one of the week!).  We took a beautiful coastal road all the way to Belfast.  I spent the first 50k with group 3 zipping along at 30+kph for large parts of the ride.  After lunch, we cycled as a large group along the narrow lanes, until it was pointed out that our group was upsetting the queues of traffic that had formed behind.  We split into groups, thereby allowing cars to pass more easily.  I joined the front of the main peloton and did some long overdue turns at the front!
Enthusiasm shining through!


We stopped at a beach front and once again some people put on their rubber suits and braved the chilly waters.  The rest of us sat in the lesser-spotted sunshine and admired their enthusiasm!

Once we had eaten more cake and coffee / hot chocolate, we jumped on our bikes in Ireland for the last time.  There was some hard riding during that section of the ride, hitting some good speeds despite the return of the headwind.
A worthy champion!


We all arrived at the port, got off the bikes for the last time in Ireland and loaded the bikes into the van to get ready for our ferry crossing.  After enjoying the Champions League Final on the boat, we made our way to dinner and to the final points school of the trip.  Alvin recapped the week, including points scored and deducted each day and then revealed the top 3 scorers.  It was very close.  Third was Dani, second was Lynn but the winner (by a single point) was Andy ‘King’ Tutte!  A very popular and worthy winner!

To conclude then.
Hands up who's coming next year?!


It was a fantastic week of training, clocking up more than 610k on the bike, 45k of running, four open water swims and a sprint triathlon.

The organisation, administration and management of the trip was first class.  The cycling was brilliant.  The routes were challenging and had some stunning backdrops.  The points system and points school were good fun and very motivational.  The only thing that let us down was the weather – but it didn’t spoil anything and gave us some extra challenges and ‘opportunities for character building’.  It was great to spend time with so many like-minded, enthusiastic people and have so much fun.

Now, when can I put my deposit down for next year?

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