Anyone can do an Ironman

Race report from Killarney Hardman Not quite as hard as Killyon 5k but ...

Transition opens at 5.30am, music blaring to get you revved up. Small transition for 100 bikes so no problems trying to find bike after swim.

Lake warmer than Owel (where isn't) but also darker (more like Shannon water). Swim is 2 laps of a triangle with one leg of the triangle swimming into rising sun. Yellow buoys with flashing lights so easy sighted (or just follow everyone else). On second lap I couldn't see first yellow buoy so headed for orange one instead. When got there I discovered yellow buoy had got punctured and had been replaced with an orange one with no flashing light. Happy that I was going right I headed off into rising sun. Couldn't see a thing with beautiful rising sun but remembered advice to swim towards 1 o'clock so put head down and tried (unsuccessfully) to finish my stroke. Arrived at buoy and headed for home. I reckoned I was near back as kayakers had started to close in on me. After politely telling a girl kayaker I was ok and knew where I was going they left me to finish swim in peace....

Long events have changing tents which is nice so headed there with bike gear bag and had a chat with fellow racers as what's hurry-it's a long day. Out on road and into rabbit chasing mode. Great thing about swimming slow is you've lots of people in front to catch