Season’s last day is lady’s day.

If you are an optimist then you will look back on the summer just past and reflect that you earned your first tan down at Joey Hannon, were gently cooked in Kilkee, got roasted in Carna, and were well and truly scalded in Loughrea. A pessimist, on the other hand, would insist that Triathlon Ireland ensure races have water safety teams in place for their cycle and run courses, such were the deluges that some were faced with in the season just past.

Being born and dyed in GAA football tradition I always regard All Ireland football final Sunday as “the last day of summer”. This year the same weekend co-incided with the final day of the triathlon season, the last TI tri in Belmullet, and the Aquathon Final in Dangan.

Now! If you enter a Triathlon in Belmullet, bare this piece of local knowledge in mind, The wind has 4000KM of uninterrupted ocean over which to travel, all the time building and manifesting its anger, before smashing into you with an almighty and shuddering thud as you helplessly try to push your tiny little bicycle around the most exposed and forsaken peninsula in all of western Europe. If you enter an aquathon in the corrib, on the otherhand, I suggest that you close you eyes, cross your fingers and hope for the conditions that suit you best.

Just before the Sun was thinking about setting on the Triathlon Ireland Calendar, and the last protagonists of the Aquathon season were gathering in Dangan, news flashed through that the club’s lady star of the year Reilly Dibner, the Calwegian, had overcome an horrific early season injury, the broad Atlantic breeze and, most devastatingly, a rear derailleur failure to force herself into contention in the Blacksod challenge. Our American adoptee, twinned the guts n’glory attitude of her motherland with the ‘never lie down’ spirit of her new home to overcome whatever adversity “The Mullet” could fire at her to roll in to second place. If the ‘bloody Japanese engineers’ hadn’t restricted her to just High and Low for 30K on the bike we should well be congratulating “Dib Dobs” with another win on the circuit.

But by the Corrib another story was unfolding. The Handicapper had worked hard and long over the preceding weeks to ensure the race was fair, to ensure everyone would finish at the same time. Enda Dooley, Race Adjudicator on the day, expressed his admiration of the handicapper that the first three were within 100 yards of one another at the end. A slightly high river suggested a strong swimmer should take the day. Perhaps… and then again, perhaps not.

Catherine Dufficy has clearly been the most improved athlete of the aquathon season, and when she set off first, “the world and its mother” had a fierce challenge in front of it. However, Kristen Riall, who would fancy herself stronger on land than in water, emerged from the water first, which led many to believe that the race was now over as a contest. Behind them the powerhouses of the aquathon series, the couple Percy and Whyte, were yet to get out on the run. Dufficy dug in ferociously. Riall fought like hell. Dufficly pushed again. As one lap of the run had passed Dufficy led Riall by a fraction, Percy was 2 Mins down. The experts by the shore (known in traditional Irish folklore as ‘the hurlers on the ditch’) suggested that Percy (now 2 mins down after 1 lap) was good enough to be 4 mins faster than the girls over 2 laps. The race was on. Eager eyes focused down the long run in to the boat slip. A long pregnant pause, who would win, who would appear first, Dufficy amoprhised first, she was ahead, but within the flicker of an eye Riall appeared on the tree line. But as the crowd concentrated on the leading ladies Percy ‘nailed it to the floor’ in the background, 100 yards to go… Dufficy wrenches, Riall turns on the afterburners. Percy is strong, can he reel them in. Catherine swallows hard, Riall has no more, Percy realises its all over. The series’ best improver continues to impress, beats the handicapper, collapses over the line to the congratulations of all assembled. Kristen can be proud that she pushed her to the point of being sick. Many Thanks to Tara and Owen, a great feeling for the mid-packers to have you guys chase us for a change, you make this format a special event in the club’s calendar.

My special thanks to all who contributed to the series, to all the volunteers who helped run the series, to the photographers who captured the spirit of the races, to all who raced, to the Predator club for joining the series, to our committee for allowing us to expand the series. Our special appreciation to John Butler Sports Therapists for sponsoring the series, providing the wonderful prizes, and becoming the official provider of physiotherapy services to GTC. Thanks to Enda, Garret ‘David Baily’ Maher, Fergus’Ironman’Dunne et famille, and Tony for running the final. Thanks to Catherine, Kristen and Owen for racing themselves into the ground on the last day for a worthwhile finale. Thanks to those who have organized this series in the past, In particular Richard and Rory, those who I turned to for advice and help when I didn’t know what to do.
And if you’re sad that the triathlon season has ended, Well… an optimist would suggest that party season for the ‘Trier’ is just about to begin. Pics are up