Funny thing training. When you think about training and the volume that you need to complete so you can finish the half iron man in one piece it can be a bit off putting .

When I looked at it first it reminded me of the first time I looked at the Training that Oliver Harkin ( Club half iron man coach ) uploaded on to training peaks .My first reaction was what the f*’k.How can I train when I don’t understand what I am to do . There was so much jargon I again though this is going to be an uphill battle to get a training plan in place . A quick search of the web for some simple training plans and again even the simple plans would need an interpreter to tell me what to do . Frustrated again .

What to do .First thing was break down Olivers plan on a white board. I would advise anyone to get one of these . I made it simple .What do I need to so on Monday eg turbo one hour , stretch 10 mins .. So I now had a daily simple plan . Next was to map out the week.. That was done and I now had a very simple plan for the week.

The next step was where being part of a club comes into its own. Training may seem tedious but when done in a group setting it get a whole lot easier .The club decided that it would get a hall for two days per week and run a club turbo.I said I would lead the sessions.Again I was a little apprehensive .Would the session be ok , would people like the session and even more what would they think of the music !!!!! .The sessions have been brilliant .At a cost of 1 euro per session they have been a hit . Great post on the sessions on the club face book page if you want to check it out .Try and do a one hour turbo session on your own and do a one hour session with a group .No comparison on how a bit of company can make the mudane seem enjoyable. Hope to see more at the sessions weekly.

New Year New Challenge

Hi all ,

My name is Damian Morrison and I live and work in Tralee and Co Kerry . I am married with 2 children . I have been a member of Tralee Triathlon club and taking part in Triathlons for just over a year.

​

A Year of Firsts

The last year has been a fantastic year of firsts for me . First time joining a  sports club .(Tralee Triathlon Club ) , First time putting on a wet suit , first time training in a group , first time swimming distance in the ocean , first time completing in a sprint distance triathlon , first time competing in an Olympic distance triathlon .

All of these firsts were at first scary , daunting and at times I felt they were not achievable but through all of these challenges there was a great supportive club behind me , sometimes with advice , sometimes with gear , sometimes with a few inspiring ” fecks ” and sometimes with a cup of tea and a chat .

There were a lot of people who supported me in achieving my goals for last year,  Annie,  Catriona, Norman, Amy,  Maria, Jackie and many more but in particular Annie, Leanne, Norman and Catriona. Their passion for Triathlon and getting people involved in the sport is infectious. They made me feel that any challenge could be overcome with planning and cups of tea. I believe that if I contacted them on a Sunday to say I think the club should think about a climb up Mount Everest the first response would be ” we could do that no problem “. The following day a training plan would be on face book and the Sherpas would be on stand by .

The year has been fantastic and my only regret was that I am now 40 and I should have taken up this mad sport years ago .Triathlon is a very individual sport .You must get in the water and swim unaided , cycle many kms and run even more .but the journey there is what makes Triathlon so special even the parts of that journey that really challenge you out of your comfort zone.

Dipping my toe in the water

I remember my first ever swimming lesson with the club. I could barely swim a length and felt anxious and even a little sick in the lead up to it . The evening came and as I ventured out to the pool with the expectation to seeing Michael Phelps clones in the pool..It was a relief  to see people with the same fears and anxieties and by the end of the first session I may not have been able to swim 1.500m but I had the support of a group of people that would get me there . Swimming was always my main concern  and getting out of the water at every event had me muttering and kicking myself under my breath as I found it so tough . The day of my first open water will live forever in my memory. I had never in my life put on a wet suit  apart from the day I purchased it .If I was nervous  before the pool swim I must admit i was terrified at the thought of my first open water swim . Even putting on the wet suit for the first time was a battle .It honestly took about 30 mins to get the suit on even with the help of my long-suffering wife .I even brought Maeve out with me that day to keep my nerves under control. Wet suits are great for the cold and buoyancy but not too great at hiding the spare tyre . I looked at myself in the reflection of the car and thought “you look like a middle age twat what are you doing here” . Again this is when experienced Triathletes and the cub come to the fore.They were out in force and chatting and giving advice to the newbies.It was then into the water and my first ever brain freeze from the cold . Experienced members were paired with newbies and looked after them so well . A few expletives and a few paddles later and we were back on land having tea and doughnuts . I had actually survived . Many swims and many cups of tea were had on Sundays at 4 and it really became a fantastic weekly event that I actually  looked forward to every week . Six months later I completed a 1,500m open water swim in my first Olympic triathlon in Kenmare.