There's the expression going the distance and then there's going the distance, TOGETHER. That is perfectly personified by long-time Philadelphia Triathlon Club teammates and husband/wife duo, Claire Nolan and Dan Gordon who recently completed the Hardman Kilarney 140.6 Full Distance Triathlon in Ireland. The two generously gave us a peak into their lives and what it is like prepping for an international, non-Ironman branded full triathlon.
1 - How many full-distance/140.6 Ironman triathlons have you previously done?
This was Dan's third, Claire's first! Dan has done Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Cork previously. Fun fact, Dan's finish at Lake Placid is a part of the viral finish line blooper where a guy breaks his ankle at the finish (Dan crosses at the :20 mark)
2 - Why did you choose Hardman Kilarney? Anything notable about the race?
We wanted to do a race in Ireland since that is where Dan's family lives and Dan's brother Barney was also joining. Dan has already done Ironman Cork and that's no longer an option, so another Long Triathlon we found was put on by Hardman Events. It was extremely small and casual, and that made it pretty fun! For example, in the athlete briefing the night before, the race director said "sometimes folks stop along the bike course at a farmers house for a cup of tea... do whatever you need to get you through the long bike!"
3 - Describe the prep for this race. Any particular plan or coaching? Any changes from your past approaches to bigger races like this? Any notable training moments?
Claire trains with Coach Kristy Campbell from Run The Long Road Coaching and working with Kristy has been a game-changer, especially with mastering fueling and having structured workouts/accountability. Coach Kristy also hosts a weekly track/speed base session at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School every Tuesday for members of PTC and the local Conshohocken Running Club.
Dan just runs at every opportunity he gets, and it works for him! He's a general contractor, a super physical job, and often has to fit his long runs in at the end of a long, physical day, so that in itself is great preparation for a long endurance event!
Unfortunately, the swim was cancelled the day before because of a storm coming. We were super bummed! We just got an endless pool this summer and have been putting in some good swim training 🙃, but alas, can't control the weather! It was still a spectacular day!
4 - Any key events/races from this summer that helped you to prepare for this race?
Doing RAGBRAI - the ride across Iowa - gave us some great time on the bike. We got lots of miles in over a 7-day period, and that was pretty necessary. As everyone knows, it's difficult to carve out time for long bike rides, so a trip specifically geared towards covering miles on the bike was a saver for us! Also, in preparation for the marathon loops, Claire did one of her long runs by doing 7 loops of Haverford College just to get the feel of what that would be like on race day!
5 - You two have done so many races together. Describe the dynamic when both of you are racing the same race. Any common rituals/routines and what are things that you do to prepare separately?
We love seeing one another on the course! Our swim times aren't too far off, so Claire usually catches Dan as she comes in just before he heads out on the bike, so that's a fun check in. For this race, because the swim was cancelled and the weather was so rough, Dan decided to ride with Claire (again, super casual race event). The weather on the bike was BRUTAL. Intense wind and rain for the majority of it. At one point, a marshal approached a group of cyclists relatively near one another and yelled out "usually I'd be giving out penalties here, but with this weather I know you have no choice but to ride like this!" It was pretty wild. So, being together there was reassuring in case of a spill and great for morale during the long and windy ride! We did our own thing once we got back for the run, but it's interesting in any race where there are loops or there and backs when you see other athletes how much you try to calculate when you'll see your partner out there... thinking about math and timing and mileage is a great distraction while you're actually doing it!
6 - The marathon leg is unique with TEN 2.6 mile laps around the park. Can you tell us about how you will approach this run with so many laps?
Such an interesting marathon, but it was surprisingly really manageable! The weather blew by rapidly, so the scene of a beautiful lake changed each time which kept it interesting. Rain and sun rotated every few minutes. There were tons of deer in the park and it was really picturesque. We finally found one another again on Dan's last loop, Claire's 9th, and that was a really fun loop to run together. It was also awesome to see our family and friends who were cheering us on so frequently and kept it interesting for them as spectators.
7 - During challenging moments, any favorite mantras, vision setting, or self-talk you give yourself to pull you back into the moment?
We're both pretty good at realizing how lucky we are to be able to do things like this. I (Claire) visualize myself crossing the finish line and feeling immense pride, then need to choke back tears and get back to the moment! I learned from my dad how to really appreciate the beauty of moments, so I think and say "WOW" and "AMAZING" at so many moments during a race like this...the beautiful views, the insane weather (OK, some profanities during this too), the vibes from the supporters.... I usually am able to recognize that I am currently experiencing one of the most special days of my life while it's happening, and I feel lucky for that!
For pushing through suffering...We have a bit of an inside joke about painting a small closet, which can be pretty miserable and frustrating. We think about that and say "at some point, I will not be painting in this small closet"... as in, at some point, I will not be suffering like this.... there is an end to this! So we often refer to that :)
8 - Any plans post-race to travel around Ireland/Europe?
We had a really lovely time spending the week leading up to the triathlon, mostly, getting our sleep schedule on track for the race, resting, and having some quality time with Dan's family. We had to fly home two days later with sore legs, but all good! We were tired enough to get back onto our East Coast sleep schedule pretty quickly.
9 - Any special shout outs you want to give?
A major shout-out to Kristy from Run The Long Road Coaching. She's awesome and supportive and coaching has made such a difference in how I enjoy running and feel about myself.
It was also super fun to both be rocking Philly Tri Club gear during the race. We really enjoy the camaraderie and shared experiences in this group. This was an EXTREMELY small race with only 55 finishers, and during the run loop, the water station volunteers and supporters kind of got to know the runners. When we were finally running together again for Dan's last lap, we heard lots of "the Philly folks found one another!" 😃
