McKiernan guest speaker at TriAthlone information evening

Athlone Regional Sports Centre in conjunction with Triathlone 2009 is holding an information evening on Thursday, July 9 at 7.30pm. The information evening is open to all levels from beginners who are competing for the first time to the more experienced triathlete who would like to get full course details and tips for the day. The evening will also be ideal for someone who has thought about doing triathlons in the future but is unsure what to do. The special guest speaker is Olympian Catherina McKiernan. Catherina won silver in the World Cross Country championships four years in succession from 1992 to 1995. In 1994, she won the inaugural European Cross Country title. In 1992 and 1996, Catherina represented Ireland at the Olympic Games. In 1998, she became the first Irish person to win the London Marathon In October 2004, Catherina retired from competitive athletics and is now a qualified Chi Running instructor, teaching the correct mechanics for effortless injury free running. Her focus on the evening will be how to pace yourself for training and the race itself, running styles (common mistakes in novice runners that lead to injury) and Chi running. Other speakers on the night include Triathlone CEO Liam Heavin. Liam has been the man responsible for firstly bringing the Triathlone to Athlone in 2006 and then surpassing that feat by securing the staging of the European Championships there in 2010. A former Westmeath Independent Sport star of the Year, Liam will be talking about the Triathlone event and the various championships that take place on the day. Renowned local physio and physio to the Connaught Rugby team Keith Fox will be talking about the importance of warming up, cooling down and giving tips on how to stay injury-free. Local nutritionist Lynda McFarland will be talking about how to fuel for the race, what you should be eating during training and the importance of hydration. Lynda has worked with numerous clients and has clinics in three different counties. The final speaker on the evening will be well known local triathlete enthusiast Derek Nugent. Derek who has represented Ireland in the field of Triathlons is also one of the technical race directors. Having experienced competing as well as now planning the event, Derek has considerable knowledge and his talk will concentrate on the registration process, the course itself, what you need to bring on the day as well as the pros and cons of the various products that are out there on the market at the moment. Light refreshments will be served on the night and pre-booking is required with a small charge of €5 per person. Contact the Sports Centre on 6470975 to book your place.