TRIA THLON
on the other hand, loves the fat kid! So IThis July 6, Liam Dolan from
hung up my wheels for a couple of years
and switched tight lycra for a rugby shirt,Dundalk faces the challenge
with the obligatory collar up.
I trained hard, lifted weights, never
missed training, but the problem wasof a lifetime as he takes part
I was crap.When most kids had been
learning gross motor skills kicking andin his first Ironman. That’s a
catching balls, I had been riding a bike,
which requires as much skill as, well2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cyce
riding a bike.‘God loves a trier’is all I
can say about my rugby career.
and 26.2-mile run. Here he
“As I get ready to attemptfills us in on how he became
my first Ironman, there aren’t
transformed from an average really enough hours left in
rugby player into a lean, mean the day to up my training
triathlon machine! significantly without a total
orn and bred in the majestic body meltdown, unless I
Mourne Mountains, where theB
great Celtic warrior Cuchullainn decide to stop mortgage
once roamed, seven foot tall with hair
as red as the fires of hell and legs repayments, move back
like tree trunks….Well actually, I am
from Dundalk, which is beside the in with my folks and write
Mourne Mountains, and that’s where the
similarities end. the old ‘I regretfully inform
Try dark haired, tall and with legs
so stick like that many a woman has said you that I hereby tender my
she’d kill for them.ACeltic warrior I am
not! A swimmer I am not, and neither
a cyclist nor a runner, but a triathlete. resignation’ letter. Tempting
That über stylish sport that conjures up
images of tanned German men running but I’ll pass.”
around Hawaii in speedos and belly
tops (recent times have seen knee After rugby I tried my hand at
high compression socks added to this Taekwondo for a few years, but once I
ensemble). moved out of Dublin I couldn’t find a club.
So how does a person fall into this The devil makes work for idle hands
sport?Well my father was a good cyclist so I started running at the weekends
in his day, so I guess that was always just for fitness and much to my surprise
in the blood.Then those Irish legends, discovered I wasn’t as slow as molasses.
Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly, along with Then one day the phone call came;
my elder brother, put the ideaa of riding “Liam a few guys are organising a
a bike in my mind.However, it was the triathlon in Dundalk this June. Fancy
brash American cyclist Greg Lemondemo giving it a go?”Two things happened: I
and the 1989Tour de France that finn ally loved it and was good at it.That was June
ignited my interest in endurance ssporp ts. 2004.In July 2009, I am attempting my
So at the tendertender age of 9 years oldo I first Ironman.
started riding my bicycle and trainingi n
was always supplemented with a bbit of
running. Ironically as a child I had an Testing training
irrational fear of water.This fear wasn’t
born out of any near-death experience or How do you do an event consisting of
over-zealous swim coach.I couldn’t swim, a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle and
hated the water and since Dundalk didn’t 26.2-mile run? Much like how you get to
have a pool, this wasn’t a problem and Carnegie Hall. Practice!
life was good. Having been doing the sport
Cycling was fine for a while, but it seriously since winter 2004, I have built Liam sports his ZootWetzoot
didn’t mix well with my love of all things up a good fitness base. Each year since Zenith 2 - for more details, see p76.
sweet and my growing stomach.Rugby, then I have upped the amount of training (Photo:Torquil Fleming-Boyd)
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