It has been a long, long time, 8 years since I did the Lost Sheep.
Lots has changed in the meantime more kids, less speed, more struggle but Kenmare and The Lost Sheep stays the same.
When you enter the Lost Sheep a wonderful weekend in Kenmare is guaranteed. As a weekend family race break, it’s our favourite in Ireland.
Arrival on Friday night for registration starts to build the race experience and kicks off the nerves.
Its a dark set-up on Saturday morning which I love, it seems perfectly in tune with the struggle ahead and of course it was raining because it always seems to rain in the morning in Kenmare!
As sun peaks out of from under the bed clothes, it banished the rain and the clouds, the light brings life, chats and a giddy energy to transition. The humm and buzz ever-increasing as the moments pass by. Something fun is about to happen…
As more and more athletes secrete themselves in their wetsuits and transition starts to empty “the silence” falls across Kenmare Pier only punctated by the clickers as the count into the water begins, you know the fun isnt far away now!
The race and course hasn’t changed at all and it’s a beauty in every sense. Kenmare Bay in full late summer morning light is a stunning sight. The swim is a simple traditional triathlon triangle swim. Its a mass start but not a chaotic one due to the wide start line and differing views on the best line to swim.
The bike is a beaut from the first climb at Lauragh that warms you up for what is coming, onto the Healy Pass, continuing to the sugarloaf on the road to Glengariff and onto what seems to be the never-ending Caha Pass(its actually only 8 km’s haha), once your over it then its an amazing downhill rush/push back into to Kenmare. I hit 69.8 kph at one stage on the way back to Kenmare – I was in a bit of rush! It’s a challenging bike ride but you always seem to be making progress the 80ish kms fly by. There is commandarie on the course and lots of chatting especially on the Healy Pass and Caha Pass which does make it easier.
The bike was best desribed to me years ago going up the Healy Pass by someone as “ya know if this was a stage in the Tour de France it would have a cat 3 climb and 2 cat 1 climbs but sure its grand because it so beautiful and interesting and loads of fun”.
And then you start the run perfectly summed up by Martin Divilly years ago with the following phase “it’s a pig of a run” and yes it is a difficult run everbody suffers from now until the finish. Weather you’re doing 4 hrs 30mins or 7 hours its the same for everyone but that’s essence of the Lost Sheep Challenge, keeping it going and the reward at the end of run is, it’s over, you’ve done it and you don’t have to it again until next year or in my case eight years later. It really suprised me how many people I recognised from years past and are still doing it.
My own race well it was a really good aquabike but a struggle of a Trithalon. Very happy with my swim, my bike was better than expected but the run was a struggle for large portions of it but that’s just something to work on. Really happy with it the overall. Will I be back? Yes I have unfinished business with the run AGAIN! Will it be next year? Maybe. I definitely wont leave it eight years again thats too much fun to miss out on.
Kenmare on Saturday afternoon and evening eases the aches and pains brings a fresh energy to the legs(where was it on it run). Great vibes(as the young ones might say), great fun, lots of cool places to eat and drink – especially drink – and just to wonder around, thankfully it’s small so you you don’t have to do too much walking.
Massive shout-out to Cork Tri Club for continuing to run and refine the Lost Sheep and also Francis and Monster Timing – real time Athlete tracking is huge addition to those of us who have family and friends at a race – it allows them to interact with you for loves and hugs at strategic parts of the course without them having to spend hours waiting around.