HARDMAN's Waterville half triathlon has been my go to recommendation for anyone considering longer distance races. Tough as it was, I loved it, and the race aligns with the scheduled half in Don Fink's training plan for anyone targeting the full Hardman in Killarney.
I was 22 weeks into my 30 week Ironman training. I was feeling good, getting a lot more comfortable in the water and on the longer cycles, especially with aerobars. Friday evening I drove to a hostel in Cahersiveen with my gear. My parents met me for dinner before heading to a B&B. I was nervous that night, overthinking how that food would sit in my stomach, had I drank enough water, was I getting enough sleep, was I ready?? I slept a bit, and early the next day arrived to a busy Waterville in the dark.
The atmosphere felt all new to me. People everywhere, and they all looked like pro's. Fancy gear, fancy bikes, fancy wetsuits and Ironman tattoos. My only ever sea swim, or official race, was a sprint triathlon a year ago so it was easy to be nervous, but I had everything planned and knew all I'd to do. I collected my pack, prepped my gear and laid out my transition area exactly as I'd wanted.
The weather played ball. It was wonderfully calm with no waves, just as I'd hoped for. I met some nice people from different triathlon clubs whose chats helped curb any nerves. Before I knew it we were in our wetsuits at the race briefing.
I was part of the second wave, the 45'ers as I heard us called. The first wave being the 30'ers, or roughly 30 minute swim times. I'd expected to be closer to 60 minutes, but as long as I beat the 1hr 10min cutoff I'd be happy. We'd plenty of time to watch the first wave disappear into the distance, putting the length into perspective.
All of a sudden we were moving to the starting gate that activated the timing chips. Two by two, off we went.
I'd never swam 1900m before but forced myself to keep the head down and find the slow rhythm I knew I could sustain. I could instantly feel the impact of the salt water, all that extra buoyancy helping my body position. It was crowded at times so I had to move around to avoid people hitting me. Sighting was tough while the buoys were far away, but I stuck with the crowd until they came into focus. I didn't enjoy the constant taste of saltwater, but didn't allow myself to stop at any point. Just enjoying the slow meditative state I was in, focusing on my rhythm and trying to relax. Although it felt long at the time, looking back it flew by, and all of a sudden I was approaching the end. The tide was going out so while wave 1 exited on the pier, we had a rocky beach first that made me fall a few times. I pulled off the wetsuit as I ran up the pier, delighted to be out of the water.
My transition felt slow, but I wanted to take the time to dry my feet and body. I had some water and tried to eat a flapjack (body said no), then took off running for the bike mount line. Once across I was on and moving. I started pretty slow to give my legs a chance to warm up.
The 90km bike route was unreal. A short climb out of Waterville was worth it for the downhills after. Roads were great, weather even better. I couldn't help but smile, chatting to everyone along the way. Some of us had to overtake one slow truck (a bit dodgy) and finally made it to Sneem, the halfway point. From here you leave the main roads and headed for the hills. Another left marked the start of what we'd been dreading, the climb up to Ballaghbeama Gap.
Its description was so ominous, it seemed like the core of the race. That overcoming its relentless steepness meant you'd made it, and with that I couldn't wait. Any fog in the hills had lifted and the weather was glorious. Up the gentle incline I expected to see a monster soon, but it was still fine for a few more kilometres. I was delighted, the more height we gain easily, the less can be at the steep part! A few minutes later I passed a sign; Ballaghbeama Gap 2.5km! Then another with 2km... 1.5km... 1km! I still couldn't see it but thought; this could be the worst 1km in the world but that's still under 5 mins. I hadn't stood up on the bike yet, wasn't out of breath. It really hadn't been that steep. Even up to the 500m sign was fine. From there I saw a few people walking their bikes up, but the tough bit was so short that it was over in a minute. I was at the top, grabbed a fresh bottle of water and raced on down the hill overtaking everyone who stopped at the top for a break. (I credit cycling Tountinna with Jamie Fennell for the hill skills).
The downhill was one of the most beautiful roads I've ever cycled, but more a test of your brakes than a cycle. My hands were killing me at the bottom where we passed the get on to the Upper Caragh (for any kayakers). This marked the final left turn onto the straight (but long) road to Waterville. Brutal headwinds made progress slow and for anyone cycling this, don't underestimate Ballaghisheen Pass!
It seemed to take forever, and when I passed 90km with no sign of Waterville I was heartbroken. I just wanted to run. I arrived into Waterville at 92km and, a little stiff, I jumped off the bike and ran to transition.
The sun was beating down, so suncream and water, then off I went. The run was four laps that made a half marathon. A nice coastal path which merges with a country road. The first lap I was so happy to be running that it flew by.
The second lap started okay but I decided I needed food. Not hungry, but afraid of hitting the wall, I had a bar which instantly turned my stomach. Lap 2 was rough, with the sun well into heat stroke territory and my stomach complaining with every step. Pace slowed but I kept moving.
Lap 3 was similar, forcing in my electrolyte water and trying not to puke. It was hotter than anything I'd trained in and you could see everyone was showing the suns effects. The lady giving out water at the turning point was the most popular person in Kerry that day, and I could see organisers scrambling to get more and more water to her.
My stomach's confusion after 6+ hours of bobbing and bouncing made it really tough to enjoy the last lap, but saying the last thank you's to every marshall and supporter was great. There was a group on the final stretch who direct you in if it's your last lap. After two hours of seeing others take the turn, I was so happy it was my go.
The finish line was on grass with a separate 100m run up to it. People cheered either side and it was impossible not to feel emotional approaching it. The moment I crossed the line I stood still and could tell my body had no idea what had just happened to it. A lot of emotions, but mostly just happy to not be moving.
After some stretching, I walked into the ocean to cool my legs. It was out there it really hit me and I was overwhelmed with joy. After getting changed and taking some photos it was off home.
My body felt physically okay but it took a day for my stomach to settle. It was a few days before my breathing was right (lesson learned the hard way that I need to breath properly when running).
There's a lot of reasons I recommend this race. The nice area and beautiful cycle for sure. The lapped run that allows access to your food bag and more interaction with others. The consistency of knowing Hardman ran all their events through the pandemic. That if you train for these events, they will go ahead; hail rain or shine. Biggest factor for me though is the convenience for supporters. If you've someone to cheer you on, you'll run past them eight times. They can park close, with shops all over so there's no excuse not to get people down. It was an incredible day, made all the better for having my parents there to cheer me on. Handing out a mountain of jelly babies to everyone in the process.
This race revitalised my motivation for training and with one down, and lessons learned, it was time to start looking ahead to Bantry, and ultimately to the full in Killarney.
Finish Time
| Time | Distance |
Swim | 42mins 56s | 1.9km |
T1 | 3mins 21s | - |
Bike | 3hr 48mins 01s | 90km |
T2 | 2mins 11s | - |
Run | 2hrs 07mins 33s | 21.1km |
Total | 6hrs 44mins 05s | |
📸 - All photos by my parents
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