Mick recounts his first international triathlon age group experience:

In September 2014 I put forward my portfolio of results to the Irish triathlon association in the hope of selection for the European 2015. Much to my delight and shock in April 2015 I received the email informing me I had been selected.

After a torrid winter of repeated asthma attacks and chest infections I took to the gym like a maniac trying to play catch up on lost fitness. Unfortunately my Achilles had other ideas and despite months of cautious training nothing was working so I had to make the decision to either pull out of the champs or “go for the experience”. Thankfully my wife and brother in law- ex international GB rowers, convinced me to go as it help with my main aim.   I’m never going to be a world beater, but that was never my goal.  My goal has always been to show my kids that if you put your mind to it something you can achieve anything.  Keeping the 4 stone I have lost on my journey of finding health and fitness is my primary aim, so to be selected to represent my country in the process of this is something dreams are made of, and ultimately was not something I was going to walk away from.

So to the event itself – Geneva ETU age group triathlon.  Myself, Mrs T, Dillon, Harry and Megan flew out on Wednesday evening with the race scheduled for Friday morning 11am – what a luxury – no 5am alarms required!   Thursday was all about registration, racking, race briefing and resting.  3 out of 4 isn’t bad.  We ended up walking 12k around the city, so not the ideal prep.  No matter, better being occupied than sitting around in the hotel suffering from pre race anxiety…

Race day.  Up at 7 am for the family breakfast before heading into the city for the race.  That was the plan, but unfortunately Megs and Harry had been I’ll in the night so we move on to plan B.  There is no plan B. So panic stations.  Plan A involved us all travelling into the city together, setting up transition then Deb taking my stuff for bag drop and I would see / hear them during the race. Nothing like a little moral support when you’re representing your country for the first time.

So Plan B consisted of me doing it all.  Nothing new in that as that’s the norm, but emotionally it was difficult to leave Deb with the sick kids while I go off to race.

Anyway, off I go, enter transition get set up then realise I have no footwear for the long plod back to bag drop. Mistake no 1! Ho hum. No choice and thankfully the Swiss road sweepers do a great job!

Into the wetsuit, enter the pen and hang around with the other Irish lads in the 30c sunshine until we are called.  March into the beach for the expected deep water start but we are lined up on the beech for a running start.  Haven’t done that before :-). Mistake no2.  Standing in the middle amongst the super fit, fast guys.  We walk into the water then boom, were off and I take a pounding.  My fault, should have started at the side of the line.  Waves and current.  I don’t get these at Tooting lido or Shepperton lake and I begin the lose my head. “I’m not good enough”, I “shouldn’t” be here, “this is horrid”, negative, negative, negative.  I stop. Have words with myself and get back swimming again, in roughly the right direction, but everyone else is looooong gone. The best I can say is that I survive the swim – just! Now it’s fun time. The bike.  I haven’t had time to recon the course, but I have heard about the horrid 1k 12% hill we have to climb x3. Ah well, we all have to do it, so I just tell myself to grit my teeth and spin.  I love it.  This is the best bike course I’ve ever ridden. Challenging climbs, super swift descents. Awesome!!!  Now I remember why I do this sport. ITS FUN!!!!!!
After 3 laps of pure pleasure, it’s out for the run.  Now when I say run, I mean jog.  The Achilles pain hits within 3-4 steps so I know if I am to finish the race this has to be controlled. I treat it as an accelerator run, gradually picking up the pace as the Achilles warms up.  Starting off at little more than walking pace and finishing at sub 6 min mile pace. 23 mins later and that’s it I cross the line.  Relief, pride, delight all the positive emotions you could imagine. I am an international age group triathlete and no one can ever take that away from me.

A month later and upon reflection, despite my worst ever race result  this was a great experience. The parade of nations was awesome with my  boys carrying the Irish team banner at the front wrapped in the flag. Heck even Deb was a plastic Paddy that night! The atmosphere amongst team mates and athletes from other nations was brilliant.  It was great to bump into quite a few of the other Viceroys out their racing too!  Being around some of the best age group athletes in Europe was amazing and I cannot wait to taste that atmosphere again, only next time I will be better prepared.  Meeting Javier Gomez and Bryan Keane on the Thursday evening was a bonus.

Lessons learned:  Expect the unexpected. Always have a plan B. If things don’t go as expected stay calm and try to push through it. Someone somewhere is having a worse day than you – guaranteed! Try to get to the venue a few days early so you can recon the course – swim the swim, ride the ride etc. Do your homework – YouTube previous races.

Just do it!!