The Lost Sheep Triathlon

A Lost Sheep returning to Kenmare

It’s difficult to know where to start when describing my first half iron man (The Lost Sheep Triathlon) but it’s probably apposite to go back to September 2003 when I completed my first triathlon in Teesdale on a mountain bike. It was very much a case of “once bitten” and thanks to Don Shotton and Dave Linsley (who many North East triathletes know) my enthusiasm was honed over the ensuing four years. As my experience of local (North East) sprint triathlons grew I began to look at what was going on elsewhere in the world and my Irish family connections led me to discover that a triathlon was held the first Saturday in September in Kenmare, Co. Kerry, a town where I had spent every summer holiday between the age of dot and 10 years, plus several teenage, twenty and thirty something ventures. However further analysis of Triathlon Ireland’s and Cork Tri’s website made me think that the distances (half iron man) involved were prohibitive for someone like me. Everything was therefore put on the proverbial back-boiler until I learned (during a visit to the town in October 2005) that relay teams could be entered into the race. Thoughts were planted and a plan subsequently hatched in the New Bengal Restaurant on Gosforth High Street circa February 2006 to enter a series of teams into the 2007 event.

Discussions began with friends and acquaintances and a core of interested parties appeared. Before I knew it, despite ankle surgery and plantar fasciitis in late 2006 I was talked into doing the whole event by Dave Linsley. Further incentive arose when it was suggested that I raise money for charity and an obvious choice became the Freeman Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (or Integrated Critical Care Unit/ICCU), my place of work. Planning began and Paul Lingwood and John O’Shaughnessy of Cork Tri were pestered relentlessly from mid 2006 in an effort to maximise the possibility of entry. After a PB in the 2006 Teesdale Triathlon and mini rugby coaching/ cajoling/ shouting at Novocastrians RFC in autumn 2006, winter training began. A relatively frost free winter ensued and in between my kids’ sport and enduring the death throws of Freddy Shepherd’s Newcastle United I experienced icy rain, gale force winds, mud and wild animals at all points between Newcastle, Mitford, Netherwhitton, Belsay etc. Running around Heaton, Sandyford and Jesmond Dene, eating bananas also caused interesting comments, usually beginning with “How mista!” Even at 9pm on a Monday evening the fast lane of the pool at David Lloyd Newcastle could prove to be a source of conflict; but maybe that’s just me!

Nevertheless everything kept going and despite assorted people having to drop out through injury, family commitments etc. a team of 7 people arrived in Kenmare on August 30th and 31st with the intention of completing the race (or part of it.) As self-appointed team captain and organiser the die was cast and despite nerves, memories of the soakings during the June/July monsoon on the hills of Northumberland (the Gibbet, Cragside, Alnwick Moor, Otterburn Ranges) meant I was intent on completing the course. Given my “local” car-based knowledge of both the Healy and Caha Passes, the cycle route had been rehearsed several times in my head.

Suddenly it was 10pm on Friday 31st August 2006 and with “Prego’s” pasta digested I “retired.” I will claim to have slept very little but can only recall hearing the local church bells chime 11pm before my alarm went off at 0500. I got out of bed, got myself sorted and didn’t disturb the missus (my version!) By 0600 I found myself in the transition area at the Riversdale Hotel, looking for a toilet. The last time I’d been there was circa 1992, late on a Sunday/ early on a Monday (also looking for a toilet) but that’s another story!

From there the walk to the pier began as dawn broke and a kind of symmetry (for me anyway) began to be achieved. My first “open water swim” (no arm bands, no wetsuit) occurred from almost the very same spot as the race-start sometime in August 1973. I was relaxed, swimming was my strongest discipline and I knew the silhouettes to look for on both shorelines. Off we went and apart from a taste of diesel as I returned past the pier the rest of the time in the water was great. Each time I turned my head northwards, all I could see was the mountains with clear peaks and lines of mist just below the summits. Swimming under the bridge with all the spectators cheering and clapping just added to the motivation.

T1 was (purposefully) unhurried and (following previous advice) I made every effort to get the heart rate down to 130-140 bpm on the first stage of the cycle. I constantly repeated my hydration/nutrition plan in my mind and off I went. I could write an essay about every 2-3km of the cycle but for brevity the things that stand out are as follows:

• A fork in the road with both signs directing you to Castletownbere!!
• As we descended from the first climb with speed and confidence, the marshal near the Síbín pub in Lauragh laughed with “De fun shtarts here leds!”
• The bloke from Tyrone near the last pull up to the Healy Pass. I was breathless with a heart rate of 160 bpm and all I got was a staccato “What about ye! I think it’s easier cycling up this bit than the flatter bit! Maybe it’s the wend!” It continued “Newcaarstle! Great city! Me ‘n’ de missus were over dere a couple of weeks baarck! Great craarck! See yer layter!” Zoom!!!!!!!!!!!
• During the race I only used the “Granny ring” for the last 10-20m of the Healy Pass! A big improvement over 3 years, believe me!
• The fella from Limerick Tri who I passed on the Healy descent who then informed me (as he passed me) after Adrigole that his missus and his parent’s in-law were all ahead of him. How he coped the next day with Kilkenny beating Limerick at Croke Park, only he (and his wife) will ever know?
• The descent from the tunnels on the Caha Pass to Bunane and (eventually) seeing to my right, through the trees the rapids of the Sheen River (and a big bloody crane from a building site!) At that point most of me knew I would finish the race.

T2 was once again unhurried and instead of being greeted with “How mista!” as I ran and ate a banana, all I could hear was friends shouting “C’mon Joe!” Extra inspiration occurred as I ran past the cemetery where the ancestors are buried and (bizarrely) as I ran past Sheen Falls Hotel an aunt drove out of the exit waving frantically at me for encouragement. The run was tough, and was my first half-marathon since the Great North Run in 1991. Nevertheless it never seemed an ordeal as runners passing in either direction offered encouragement. Finally the Roughty Bridge was reached and having run up there several times as a teenager and early twenty-something I gritted my teeth and made it up the hill to the “cross-roads” and turned left. A few undulations remained and then the old church and cemetery (Church of Ireland incidentally) appeared; the last kilometre was a breeze. My daughter ran along the road side, “de missus” took a photo and my son just laughed! It began to drizzle, but to be frank I didn’t give a toss because I was home in 05:43:32.
Eventually I walked back to transition, waddled over gravel and sea weed until I was waist deep at low tide. Stood there for 10 minutes looking at Reen na Gross Park, the Park Hotel and the occasional salmon (I think) jumping out of the water. I eventually got dried (sort of), put the track suit on and cycled (on the Granny ring) back across the bridge, down Henry Street and up Main Street to the B&B. Re-united with family and friends led to a great evening in the Wander Inn, where our presents to Cork Tri (Toon keeper’s top autographed by Shay Given) and a Cork Gaelic Football top (autographed by some ex Man Utd player from Mayfield in Cork, who now works on Wearside) raised even more money for the Freeman ICCU.

In summary a great weekend away and a feeling of pride, not only for having completed my first half iron man, but for having done it in Kenmare and raised over £5000 for charity. The memories remain fresh and will live long. If anyone from the North East wishes to go overseas to compete in a race I could heartily recommend the Lost Sheep Triathlon. Many thanks to Cork Triathlon Club particularly Paul Lingwood and John O’Shaugnessey but also to Gerry Rae (69 year old and cycling the course in 02:46) and Niall O’Crulaoi (Crowley) of Cork Fire and Rescue who incidentally sends his regards to Ed Cooper. If anyone fancies competing look at www.corktri.com or www.triathlonireland.com and if anyone wishes for further information about the Integrated Critical Care Unit’s charitable fund at the Freeman Hospital please phone 0191-2231059.

Joe Cosgrove