Clonmel Triathlon Club
Clonmel Triathlon Club is set up to provide a focal point in the Clonmel and surrounding areas for anybody with an interest or who may potentially have an interest in taking up the sport of triathlon. The club aims to cater for and provide a training environment for athletes of all abilities and goals.
Anbody can partake in the sport of Triathlon as long as you have a bike and helmet and a pair of runners. If you have any questions, please call one of us for a chat.
ABOUT
Michael Scully​
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Q: When did you first get into triathlon ?
A: 2009
Q: What was your first?
A: Tri-athlone sprint, the European championships were being held the same day, very intimidating.
Q: What has been your favourite event to date?
A: Hook or by Crook in Dunmore East is definately my favourite race, great location, great course, great event!!
Q: What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?
A: Do not be intimidated, although you might think it, everybody else is not fitter than you.
Q: What bike do you cycle?
A: I currently have 5 bikes, all of which I can fully justify :-)
Q: What wetsuit do you wear?
A: Huub
Q: What sportsperson (across any sport) do you most admire?
A: Christiano Ronaldo
Q: What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?
A: I have a model railway which is almost as expensive and time consuming as triathlon
Q:What are your goals for the coming season?
A: Put in a good showing at the 70.3 World Championships
Q: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?
A: My strongest is my ability to run well off the bike, my weakest is my bike speed. What a coincidence.
Q: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?
A: Favourite is the long bikes with the gang, least favourite are the early morning "fasting" runs.
Q: What piece of gadgetry could you not do without?
A: Not sure you would call it a gadget, but my castelli gabba jersey, every cyclist in Ireland should have one.
Q: Whats on your turbo session playlist?
A: Arctic Monkeys
Q: What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?
A: Getting a slot for the 70.3 World Championship's at the Zell Am See 70.3 race this year.
Q: 3 people you would bring to dinner?
A: My girlfriend Gillian, Clint Eastwood & Stan Lee
Q: What book are you reading at the moment?
A: Command & Control, Eric Schlosser.
Gareth Coleman
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Q: When did you first get into triathlon ?
A: 2009
Q: What was your first?
A: Try Laois 2010
Q: What has been your favourite event to date?
A: Ironman Zurich 2013 - the nerves, the heat, the distance!
Q: What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?
A: Training ''little and often beats long and seldom''
Q: What bike do you cycle?
A: Mostly Specialized Secteur
Q: What wetsuit do you wear?
A: Blueseventy
Q: What sports-person (across any sport) do you most admire?
A: All Tipp and KK players in the drawn All-Ireland 2014
Q: What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?
A: Isn't 3 sports enough?
Q: What are your goals for the coming season?
A: Improve core strength, try to achieve a few PB's.
Q: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?
A: To keep going! Run off bike needs work.
Q: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?
A: A long spin with coffee break takes a lot of beating, 3k in the pool is mind numbing
Q: What piece of gadgetry could you not do without?
A: Heart rate monitor - my wife say's it's to warn me of heart attacks
Q: What's on your turbo session playlist?
A: Haven't done the turbo thing - yet!
Q: What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?
A: Representing Ireland in my age-group at world age-group championships London 2013.
Q: 3 people you would bring to dinner?
A: Usain Bolt, Rory McIlroy, Roy Keane
Q: What book are you reading at the moment?
A: Dipping in/out of various running books for inspiration as Dublin City Marathon approaches!
David Hogan
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Q: When did you first get into triathlon?
A: November 2009 decided i would give it a go, Joined a club, bought a bike and learned to swim from scratch.
Q: What was your first triathlon?
A: Cahir Tri3 Sprint May 2010
Q: What has been your favourite event to date?
A: Copenhagen Ironman.
Q: What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?
A: Steady as you go. Rest days are important. Learn to walk before you Swimbikerun:-]
Q: What bike do you cycle?
A: Road bike Cube GTC Pro / TT Bike Kuota Kalibur
Q: What wetsuit do you wear?
A: Blue Seventy Fusion.
Q: What sportsperson (across any sport) do you most admire?
A: Muhammad Ali.
Q: What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?
A: Walks and the gym.
Q: What are your goals for the coming season?
A: Set pb's in 5k,10k, half marathon and race middle distance Triathlon, probably Dublin.
Q: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?
A: Strongest is determination or better described by my wife as "Tunnel Vision". Weakest would have to be Swimming.
Q: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?
A: Love the long bike spins and hate winter pool training!!
Q: What piece of gadgetry could you not do without?
A: Deffo my Garmin 310XT.
Q: Whats on your turbo session playlist?
A: Prodigy, Chemical Brothers and New Order.
Q: What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?
A: Ironman in Copenhagen because the seven month training programme was a very tough addition to an already busy life. I was delighted to complete it uninjured, and if the training is done race day is enjoyable.
Q: 3 people you would bring to dinner?
A: Charlize Theron, Maria Sharapova and Jennifer Lawrence...LOL!!
Q: What book are you reading at the moment?
A: Mastering the Marathon: Time-Efficient Training Secrets, Don fink. (Marathon training for oul fellas)
Ian Purcell
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Q: When did you first get into triathlon ?
A: August 2011 (complete spur of the moment)
Q: What was your first?
A: Worlds End Tri (Sprint Distance) in Castleconnell Co. Limerick (Got passed out by grannies on the bike and I had to walk the first 2km of the run leg!)
Q: What has been your favourite event to date?
A: The Lost Sheep Half Iron Distance Triathlon in Kenmare, Co. Kerry
Q: What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?
A: Just register for a triathlon (Try a tri or Sprint), and enjoy the group training leading up to it.(Practice transitions!)
Q: What bike do you cycle?
A: Canyon Ultimate AL SLX 9.0 Roadbike and Canyon Speedmax AL 9.0 Time Trial Bike, Specialized Rockhopper Mountain Bike.
Q: What wetsuit do you wear?
A: Zoot with a big lovely stretchy hole on the side
Q: What sportsperson (across any sport) do you most admire?
A: Javier Gomez/Chris Froome/Zidane/Terry Phelan
Q: What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?
A: Soccer, road running, guitars, drums
Q: What are your goals for the coming season?
A: Complete Ironman Lanzarote in May 2015 for Crumlin Children's Hospital (My first and probably last Ironman)
Q: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?
A: I've worked hard on cycling (i found it REALLY hard when I started) by doing a lot of Mountain Biking around Tickincor Trails and doing some speed/hill work with Gareth "Gaffer" Coleman on very early winter mornings.
My swimming is very weak so i'll have to work hard on that for 2015.
Q: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?
A: My favourite training sessions are the Mountain Biking around the mountain trails of Clonmel.
My least favourite are the hard swimming sessions (they'll have to turn into my favourite!)
Q: What piece of gadgetry could you not do without?
A: Garmin 910XT and Heart Rate monitor, Incredible!
Q: Whats on your turbo session playlist?
A: Led Zeppelin, Daft Punk, Rimsky Korsakov
Q: What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?
A: The Lost Sheep, Kenmare. Because it couldn't have gone any better. It was my first time sticking to a dedicated training plan and it really worked for me.
Q: 3 people you would bring to dinner?
A: Robert Plant, Ted Neeley, and Tommy Kiely (He'd make sure everyone pays up)
Q: What book are you reading at the moment?
A: Badfellas by Paul Williams.
Ger Power
Q: When did you first get into triathlon ?
A: 2009
Q: What was your first?
A: Carrick on Suir Triathlon
Q: What has been your favourite event to date?
A: Ironman Zurich 2013
Q:What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?
A: Join a club, take part in group training sessions and don't be intimidated by other people's bikes, gear equipment etc!
Q: What bike do you cycle?
A: Felt B12 TT bike
Q: What wetsuit do you wear?
A: Bog standard blue seventy!
Q: What sportsperson (across any sport) do you most admire?
A: Past: Seán Kelly Now: AP McCoy
Q: What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?
A: Walking the dog and downtime with the family!
Q: What are your goals for the coming season?
A: Stay fit, National Series and the Paris Roubaix Sportive on April
Q: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?
A: My sprint swims are ok but my running needs work :-(
Q: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?
A: Favourite: long scenic bike spins with coffee stops least favourite: brick sessions and swim drills
Q: What piece of gadgetry could you not do without?
A: My Garmin!
Q: Whats on your turbo session playlist?
A: It's usually a Second Captains podcast or some pre Rattle & Hum U2!
Q: What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?
A: 2013 Dublin Marathon, because i surpassed my goal and my family were there to cheer me on!
Q: 3 people you would bring to dinner?
A: Paul Kimmage Lance Armstrong and Imelda May!
Q: What book are you reading at the moment?
A: The death of Marco Pantani
Laurence Begley
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Q: When did you first get into triathlon ?
A: Around 5 years ago.
Q: What was your first?
A: A work colleague suggested we both give Tri Laois a go. I had 8 weeks to get in shape, buy a bike, and learn to swim lengths!
Q: What has been your favourite event to date?
A: Hard to say. The first just for the achievement, but any open water events when the sun is shining are hard to beat!
Q: What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?
A: Don't be put off the sport if you are not a great swimmer.
Q: What bike do you cycle?
A: Giant Defy 3
Q: What wetsuit do you wear?
A: 2xU
Q: What sportsperson (across any sport) do you most admire?
A: Rory McIlroy. To have achieved so much, so young, in a very tough sport.
Q: What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?
A: Watching any sports on TV - I've no time to take part in any others.
Q: What are your goals for the coming season?
A: Complete Joey Hannon again, and stay injury free!
Q: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?
A: Strongest: Will power. Area to improve: Bike time.
Q: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?
A: Least favourite is before a training session - most favourite is when they are over!
Q: What piece of gadgetry could you not do without?
A: Iphone.
Q: Whats on your turbo session playlist?
A: I haven't got a turbo - yet!
Q: What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?
A: Joey Hannon as it is the one and only Olympic distance triathlon I've completed.
Q: 3 people you would bring to dinner?
A: Wife and two sons!
Q:What book are you reading at the moment?
A: Tom Crean - Antartic Explorer
Rebecca Purcell
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Q: When did you first get into triathlon ?
A: I started running 7 years ago and after completing a few half marathons, 2 years later I decided to give triathlon a go.
Q: What was your first?
A: Dunmore East, 2009
Q: What has been your favourite event to date?
A: Nothing beats Ironman Copenhagen 2014
Q: What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?
A: Duathlons are a great way to get your body used to transitions and smaller, local triathlons can be a stress free introduction to the sport.
Q: What bike do you cycle?
A: Felt B10 TT bike, Cannondale SuperSix EVO road bike and my latest purchase, a Vitus hardtail mountain bike.
Q: What wetsuit do you wear?
A: Orca
Q: What sportsperson (across any sport) do you most admire?
A: It is a toss-up between Sr. Madonna Buder and Mark Pollock
Q: What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?
A: It is all about swimming, biking and running at the moment
Q: What are your goals for the coming season?
A: Contemplating another Ironman and if not, definitely a 70.3 and a marathon
Q: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?
A: I try to enjoy everything I do, both training and racing, and smile all the way. The flip side of that is that I probably don’t push myself as much as I could!
Q: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?
A: I love anything on the mountain trails, mostly Slievenamon, running or on the bike. I dread the track, but once it’s over its all good.
Q: What piece of gadgetry could you not do without?
A: Garmin 910xt…obsessed!
Q: Whats on your turbo session playlist?
A: For an easy big gear session…Documentaries, Ted Talks…for a hard session, some good rock music.
Q: What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?
A: Crossing the finish line in Ironman Copenhagen, 2 years before I would have thought it impossible.
Q: 3 people you would bring to dinner?
A: Sr. Madonna Buder, Mark Pollock and Chrissie Wellington
Q:What book are you reading at the moment?
A: Sarah’s Don Fink book for full Ironman Training (getting ideas!), What I think about when I think about Running (Haruki Murakami) and A year of adventures (Lonley Planet).
Sarah Whelan
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Q: When did you first get into triathlon ?
A: I first started triathlon in 2005 when I returned home to Ireland.
Q: What was your first?
A: Carrick-on-Suir was my first triathlon. I did the Super Sprint and came 3rd! I borrowed a bike and just wore a swimming costume, no wetsuit.
Q: What has been your favourite event to date?
A: I really enjoyed Copenhagen Ironman. I loved how professionally the whole event was run.
Q: What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?
A: On the bike I would say the overshoes, a comfortable saddle and good padded bibs/shorts are important.
Q: What bike do you cycle?
A: I have a Ruby Comp that I love. My tri bike is a Trek Speed Concept. It’s nicknamed ‘The Little Savage’. I love it, well worth the money. It is the perfect size for me.
Q: What wetsuit do you wear?
A: My wetsuit is Speedo.
Q: What sportsperson (across any sport) do you most admire?
A: I loved watching Keith Woods play Rugby.
Q: What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?
A: I did swimming, sports acrobatics and gymnastics for years. Now I bike, swim, run, do strength training and yoga. I have always taken part in competitive events.
Q: What are your goals for the coming season?
A: I would love to get the qualifying time for half ironman distance for the World Championships. I would also like to swim 50m fly in under 31.85 seconds for the 35-39 age category. That is the National Record. I know with a bit of squad training I can do that.
Q: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?
A: I never give up. I will stick to the plan 100 percent. I will be trained for an event. I don’t ever miss training. I’m motivated.
My running needs to improve. I used to be faster when I first started but now the bike is stronger and the run hasn’t come on, it’s got slower!!
Q: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?
A: I enjoy a run when it’s really fresh outside. I loved training over the summer, the weather was great. I love swimming in the sea. I like when it’s choppy and you can really go with the waves. It makes me feel like a fish! I enjoy the bike spins. I love the Mountain Road and up by Rathgormack. I get nervous and can’t sleep the night before when I know I have to face a cycle with the men. I know I have to work hard for a few hours when cycling with them. I don’t want to have a bad day.
Q: What piece of gadgetry could you not do without?
A: I like my stopwatch. I really got into the HR monitor when training for Ironman.
Q: Whats on your turbo session playlist?
A: I just listen to the radio on the turbo, it doesn’t bother me if I don’t have music to listen too. It’s great though when someone comes up to talk to you, the time goes faster.
Q: What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?
A: I suppose the Ironman is my greatest achievement. I can’t believe my time (11 hours 32 min). I am so proud of coming 4th out of the water and even having a faster swim time than some of the professionals.
Q: 3 people you would bring to dinner?
A: I’d bring John Mullane to dinner – I think he’s class. I’d bring Michael D. Higgins, he reminds me of a Hobbit and I love Lord of the Rings. Last but not least, Davy Fitzgerald. I’d say you could have a right laugh with me or at him!!
Q:What book are you reading at the moment?
A: I go between knitting and reading. At the moment I am knitting hedgehogs and Christmas decorations.