The 2012 Scott XTri Series is now underway, the first race being the British Cross Triathlon Championship at Coniston/Grizedale won earlier this month by three-time Olympian Tim Don.
With three more races to come, Paul Davies reviews the series so far and previews the Durty Triathlon, Vachery Triathlon and Ben Nevis Triathlon which will complete the 2012 Scott XTri season.
What a cracking start to the Scott XTri Series we've had so far. Tim Don turned up at the gorgeous Coniston venue, the first round and the British Championships. The swim suited Tim nicely with it measuring a bit over the 1.5km everyone was expecting, which gave him a larger gap than people wanted. The regulars were there but quite a few minutes back. Slowly Tim was being closed down but not enough to prevent him securing a superb victory at the end with Graham Wadsworth capturing second in an amazing sprint finish, getting it by a mere two seconds! Kerry MacPhee won the women's race ahead of Diane Lee in second and Louise Bardsley third.
The show moves on to Scotland and the Scottish Borders on 21st July for the next round at the Durty Triathlon - always a superb race and cracking party afterwards. You hit the hills on the bike straight away and head upwards before tackling the boggy moorland and descending down a rocky gulley (not for the faint-hearted), before hitting transition again to repeat. The run takes you along the gorgeous swimming lake and then upwards too before descending to the finish line towards the beer tent and party. It was a sell out last season so don't miss out.
www.durtytriathlon.com
The third round is a new race, we managed to get the Vachery Triathlon (more HERE) into the South of England at the last minute, it's on a gorgeous private estate in Surrey with a perfect swim surrounded by trees. The MTB course has been designed by top Xterra Pro Sam Gardner so it'll be a super course no doubt. The run will be fast and fairly flat along the trails so expect fast times, the race hits the long weekend of 26th August.
www.vacherytriathlon.com
The final round to the series is Ben Nevis, a truly iconic venue on 15th September. The XTri Series is just taking on the half, still a massive race as it's a 950m swim, 45km mtb and 10.5km trail run. The Ben Nevis tri's are pretty special not only because the mountain is the biggest in the country, but the event is in the heart of the Outdoor Capital of the UK.
The swim is in the sea loch and the transition area is in the original Fort that gives the town of Fort William its name. The cycle presents riders with a number of challenges, long steady ascents, fast flowing and exposed descents as well as fire road and a tremendous technical section at the head of Glen Nevis and a fast full-on tarred road just to top off the challenge and confuse the tyre choice options. The run does exactly what it says on the tin to the mid-point of Ben Nevis via the rocky tourist route; often steep and challenging it is a proper mountain event.
www.nofussevents.co.uk
You can find a full description and video of the race HERE.
Come and be a part of the fun, you never know who's going to be on the start line. A few more from the road scene? Richard Stannard last year, Tim Don has already this year - who's next?
Don't miss out and get entering. A massive thank you to the main sponsors, Scott UK and Powerbar for helping make the series grow and so much fun. Entries can me made on all the race websites as series entries are now closed.
For all details though head to www.xtriseries.co.uk
Scott XTri Series: mid-season review
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Philip Graves: Wimbleball report
Philip Graves first won Ironman 70.3 UK, Wimbleball in 2009, and we have his race report on that debut win in our archives HERE.
Fast forward three years and Phil won at Wimbleball again this year. To keep that symmetry, here are his words on the 2012 race.
Check out at the links at the bottom of this page to view our extensive coverage of the 2012 Wimbleball event.
Back from another trip down to Wimbleball for 70.3 UK and it's so nice to come back with a win under the belt.
I know a lot was written and expected for this race this year with the prospect of everyone who had ever won on that now infamous course around the rolling Exmoor countryside racing. At the end of the day you can only race who turns up and even with no Chris McCormack and no Mikel Elgezabal there was still almost every single GB pro middle distance athlete on the line, as well as some really good continental pros too.
I have got into a 70.3 UK routine by now; drive down Friday, ride the course Friday night, spend Saturday doing a little bit of training and doing all those race day essentials, and then try and win the race Sunday before coming home again in the evening. It has been bad these last two years, rain, wind and just awful cold, and after last year when I got really bad hay fever and breathing problems that kept me out the race, I insisted we take the caravan so there was at least somewhere dry to go over the weekend.
I'll be honest, everything went swimmingly Friday and Saturday, even some of the cars in the car park I think felt they were in a huge puddle rather than a field but it all adds character to the event I suppose! So, as with every weekend, Sunday morning came around soon enough and it was into my warm up routine, run, wetsuit on, swim warm up, start. This year because of the drought we have been experiencing the lake was its fullest I have ever seen it in four years and it was certainly the coldest at 14 degrees. The start was all a bit odd, we were held for ages in the water, the national anthem played, ended, and we were all still sculling water waiting for the horn to go when Paul Amey looked behind and seeing all the age groupers had already started swimming let out a cry of ‘they've started' to which we all just started swimming as hard as we could.
The quality of swimming on the UK circuit is certainly impressive and this was perhaps the hardest swim I've ever done in a 70.3. With the likes of Harry Wiltshire and Fraser Cartmell pushing the pace on I really only had to sit in their wake, hope I didn't get dropped, make sure we were going the right way, and in turn I managed to come out with them and Mark Threllfall in 22 and a half minutes. The huge hill out of the swim to T1 certainly doesn't get any easier but I had a good transition and set off in pursuit of Fraser who went out like a scalded cat.
Fraser is a great athlete but his riding really impressed me, I could see him in front and he had a gap of 20ish seconds but it took me a full 10 miles of hard riding to pass him. It is testament to him that he managed to sit on and before we took a 90 degree left hander half way round the first lap that brings you into the major climbing, we had already averaged over 40 kmph in 15 miles with at least 450m of vertical climbing. I tried to just ride controlled and after managing to drop Fraser on one of the descents went to task to build up a big lead which went out to 5min 30seconds by the time I had reached T2.
Would that be enough for me to hang on for the win on the run? In short, yes. I felt good on the first 7km lap of the run and the gap I think stayed the same, then the second lap was slightly slower….then I completely blew my doors off on the last lap. My legs went to bits, I had a really bad patch when I just wanted to have a nice lie down in a hedge somewhere but I kept plodding along and with about 4k I go, and with no one in sight, I could finally relax a bit and get on with just getting myself over that line.
I've definitely started a new thing at the finish. If I'm leading I'm not going to mess around, I just want to get myself over the line then I can fanny around all I like, or collapse and have that lie down on some soft carpet which is the reality of Sunday for me. It was a mix of joy and relief as I went over that line. I was so happy; honestly, to win a 70.3 race is a huge achievement but your home 70.3, even better. The relief however…well I have been training as hard as I ever have done before and I knew I was in the form of my life so to actually go out there and put in a performance that my training has been telling me I'm capable of, it's just a relief that I can still get past that finishing line first!
So yes, all-in-all a great weekend's work, I couldn't have asked for any more. I also enjoy the superb atmosphere these races develop over race day. I feel there is much more a link between the pro WTC athletes and the Age Groupers than the ITU athletes and the Age Groupers; it's a component of our sport that makes it so great. Onto the next one now for me and Ironman Austria in the 1st July.
Phil Graves: Post-race
Wimbleball 2012 Coverage
2012 report and results
Finish line podium finishers (videos)
Eimear Mullan pre/post-race interviews (videos)
Philip Graves pre/post-race interviews (videos)
Race highlights video montage
Jonathan Hotchkiss reflects on a DNF (video)
Philip Graves: race winning report
Joe Skipper (5th): race report
Wimbleball Pro race reports summary/links.
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TriStar Deauville: Marc Molloy
We recently ran a competition in conjunction with TriStar (www.star-events.cc) and CityJet (www.cityjet.com) to win free entries to Sunday's inaugural TriStar Deauville event (www.tristardeauville.com). The event saw Britain's Tamsin Lewis win her first professional race.
One of our winners was Marc Molloy, and Mark has been in touch with a report on the event saying "the race organisation is up to the standard of any Ironman or other major international race of it's type". Read on, and perhaps put it on your schedule for 2013.
Firstly, thanks for organising the competition!
The TriStar team could not have been more helpful and friendly, from my initial email to them until the last person to say goodbye at the end of the race...I couldn't fault their hard work and friendliness!
I emailed to say that I had found a ferry crossing to get me there but that I would likely miss registration; no problem came the response 30 minutes later, just get here when you can, we want you to make it to the race.
When I did arrive late, they were all friendly, and got me settled even though I was obviously one of the only non-French speakers in attendance, even recommending places to eat, places to camp etc.
You get all the buzz of a major race, you are given a Zoot goodie bag at check in, you have your photo taken with your race number which is a nice memento, you have the usual array of stickers to label up your bike, helmet etc but then neat touches like a sticker for your supporters to wear saying ‘I am Supporting number 441 Marc' and another with your own personal motto on, and one saying ‘finisher'. It alone doesn't make it a great race, but it certainly sets the tone and lets you know that they have the athlete at the front of their minds when designing the race. I only entered a week before and my number came with my name printed on it...trust me a big help when the locals start cheering you by name towards the end of the hilly bike course!
The race itself was great too!
Hilly in places, but always well marshalled, plenty of draft busters going through on motorbikes (a friend of mine tells me that the French do like to draft but I couldn't possibly comment!). The course passes through several villages where the people were out cheering, there were two well stocked aid stations per lap (20 mile laps x3) and the majority of the roads were fully closed to racers, a great feeling!
The run is probably the only area that could be bettered, the course is a bit squeezed in at the end of the harbour and could probably be better if it were say two longer loops instead of three, but again there were lots of people cheering, the course was well marked, there was an excellent aid station and the finish chute was great with people being cheered across the line from the seating set up for the event.
The food and drink afterwards was great too, everything you could want to eat, even a great big fountain to rest your tired legs in!
The huge medal and quality t-shirt for finishers was a nice touch too.
Be under no illusions, the race organisation is up to the standard of any Ironman or other major international race of it's type.
Great big transition area, the whole Ironman style three bags for racking your bike then run equipment was excellently managed, the red carpet throughout, the finishing chute with red carpet all the way along, the huge clock and finish gantry all added to the special feel. It truly was a great event, it's only 40 minutes drive off the ferry so easier for us southerners to get to than some races in our own fair land...You need to get there next year!
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Celtman Extreme race preview
We first highlighted this race in January as part of our New for 2012 events series. And now it is almost here.
Race organiser Paul McGreal previews the Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon for us, a race destined for epic status.
Way up in the north of Scotland, the much-anticipated Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon is being held on Sat 23rd June. It's close to midsummer's day as athletes will need all the daylight available to have a chance of completing the course. 'Iron' in distance (3.8km/202km/42km) and 'Extreme' in nature (the run is almost entirely off road and over mountains – two 'Munros' in fact), it's no secret that the race is inspired by Norway's legendary 'Norseman'.
The race has a large international field, including pre-race women's favourite Susanne Buckenlei (three times winner of Norseman). Incidentally, Celtman falls on her birthday, so the win would be a nice present. The men's race is a bit more difficult to call after Graeme Stewart fell and injured himself a couple of weeks ago whilst recceing the course. Stuart McLeod and hill specialist Craig Mattocks might be the guys to watch. Going head-to-head in the Male Vintage class will be two legends of triathlon – Scotland's own Scott 'Bonkers' Balfour, and Milos Kostic of Canada – multiple IM70.3 and IM World Champion.
START LIST
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Joe Skipper: Wimbleball report
We last heard from Joe Skipper - the British Middle Distance Champion last year - via Nina McArthur's feature on dealing with injuries. Earlier this year Joe crashed heavily in a cycle time trial, so Ironman 70.3 UK, Wimbleball would certainly be a tough test of whether he had recovered from that setback.
A fifth place finish in a tough race - the most painful thing he has ever done - would suggest he has.
Check out his race report below for the inside story.
This race had been a goal of mine for a long time as it's supposed to be a tough course and the fact that it gets a stacked field so you can race against people of a really decent calibre.
Pre Race:
The Training:
I had been training really hard for this since just after TriStar Cannes on the 29th April. I did a week training in Wales with Paul Hawkins followed by the Marshman middle (as if a middle distance triathlon isn't hard enough already). After the week in Wales I sat down with Paul Savage and we came up with a plan of attack for UK. The plan wasn't too radical really with pretty much the same sessions I was doing before my injury I sustained at the Buxton Mountain TT. As I was improving every week we would only be changing for the sake of it.
There was however a specific 70.3 session on a Sunday which 'killed' me every week. If you follow me on Twitter I probably bored you to death every Sunday with complaints that I was nailed and how it was the hardest session I had ever done week-on-week for about a five weeks! :)
This session consisted of a three hour ride with one hour at 70.3 pace, or what I hoped would be 70.3 pace, which was around 90% of FTP and started off at 320w and by the end of the training cycle (one week before), I was doing 340w. Now I'm not saying my threshold increased by 20 watts but the perceived effort was the same. After the bike I would get home where I would have all my running kit out ready, get changed as quickly as possible, and do a 30 minute tempo run at 70.3 pace or quicker over as undulating terrain as I could find near where I live - which isn't much I have to admit!
Friday
I travelled down early on the Friday morning with Paul Hawkins and no sooner had we left the drama started. Just as we were about to get on the motorway I had a horrible feeling that I had forgot my helmet. I don't know what made me think it but we stopped the car I checked the boot and yep I had forgot the bloody thing! I knew Paul was not going to be a happy chappy and his response was "for f***s sake can you not try and blag one when we get down there?" Fortunately he was up for going back and I picked it up and then we were off, second time lucky.
Luckily the rest of the trip was hassle free once we got down there we met up with Matt Ellis who was also racing and set off to recce the bike course, we had all heard so many different stories about it that we wanted to check it out and see how much of a pig it really was. I didn't think it was actually that bad; I would class it as rolling with two climbs each lap, my garmin recorded it as 2400 feet of climbing per lap.
After reccying the course I had another little problem. I was supposed to be sharing a room with Rob Brundish and the plan was to meet him at the race site. Now this sounds great doesn't it but I couldn't ring him as there was no signal there so it wasn't until about 7pm that I ended up bumping into him which wasn't a problem in the end but I was starting to worry as I thought I was going to end up camping with Hawkins.
Saturday
Rob and I decided to go for a swim the day before the race as it's low impact and I like swimming the day before if I can because I find if I don't swim for 2-3 days before a race my technique can feel awful on the day of the race. Anyway, the sea was only about three miles away from where we were staying so we drove to the beach, parked up and went to "swim". We walked out got to the sea and got stuck in some quick sand, it was bloody horrible stuff as every time you took a step you sunk to between your knees and hips! We must have looked like a write pair being the only two on the beach in wetsuits crawling to try and spread the weight out so we didn't sink. Eventually though we got back to the car drove to another beach and got a decent swim in.
After the morning's antics we went to the race site, racked the bike and then had the endurance event of waiting in traffic for at least and hour and a half to get out of the field so we could get home.
At the B&B Rob and I were chatting about what we both thought was a good result, a great result and what our game plans were. I said a good result would be top ten, a really good result would be top five and my aim was to swim hard, smash the bike and hope for the best on the run. We both said we just wanted to give it 100% and had kind of a pact that we would make sure we were on the limit all the time. To make us feel better we had it in our head that it didn't matter if we felt nailed on the run as it would only hurt for 80 minutes (A bloody long 80 minutes).
The Race
If you haven't closed the tab on me and are still here, this is how the race went.
The Swim:
I thought I would try something a bit different and I started about 15 metres over from the main group with one other person. This enabled me to get a really good start without taking a battering. I felt like I had a really good swim as well and got out in just over 25 minutes. There was a run up to transition and instead of just putting my helmet on I put some socks and bike shoes on as well. The reason I did this was you can tighten the velcro up tighter, the run to the bike was on grass so you would be able to run at the same speed without damaging the cleats, the mount line was on a hill so it was much easier to get going with shoes already on.
The Bike:
I could tell I felt good on the bike from the off as I was breathing hard. If I'm not going that well it's my legs that are the limiting factor as they will feel heavy and my breathing isn't that deep. If I do a race without tapering I am likely to feel more like that but tapered and fresh I was hoping to be able to push it really hard and get the lungs working. Not long after starting the bike I overtook Paul Amey who is the GB record holder for the ironman which he set in november last year at Arizona with 8.02. I couldn't believe it and I thought yes, I have an ally for the bike but when I went past him he didn't come with me so I just kept my head down and well just f****n spanked it.
I got onto the main road and asked someone what place am I in, and he said 7th. I thought no way, 7th already (!) I couldn't believe it as I was expecting him to say 15th or worse so this was so motivating and really encouraged me to work hard. I kept my head down and passed Paul Hawkins a bit later and then Ben Howard. We kept together as a group and eventually caught Harry Wiltshire and Mark Threlfall after about 17-18 miles it was between the bottom of the dodgy decent onto the main road and the steep climb. A little bit later Harry fell off the pace. I didn't like riding in the group as the pace felt easy and this isn't what I wanted so knew I had to try and drop the others. Cycling is my strength so I need to play to my strengths and get a gap, not to mention Fraser Cartmell and Philip Graves were up the road and as Ben Fish says who I work with at Royles, "win by the biggest margin or lose by the smallest", it was as if I could see him saying it to me so I thought right, the first opportunity I get I'm going to absolutely drill it and if I can't get away, I'm going to make them hurt.
The first opportunity to really try and get away was the hill at the start of the second lap. It's shortish and steep but it's flat over the top so you can keep the pressure on right and if you get a gap there is no respite for them so once we started the climb it felt fairly hard and I thought this is good as I knew if I was finding it hard the others would be to. I went as hard as I could and just kept the pressure on. Luckily I managed to get a gap so just kept the pressure on. At the start of that climb they gave us time splits to the two leaders; four minutes to Graves and 2.30 to Cartmell. I kept getting time splits to Cartmell and couldn't believe how quick the gap was coming down and at the bottom off the steep descent I managed to catch him. It was quite funny really once I caught him as I was in my Manchester Tri Kit and I think everyone thought I was some chopper or random age grouper that had jumped on his wheel as whenever we went up a hill with spectators they were cheering him on and giving him time gaps to Phil but no one was even acknowledging me. When we finished the second lap they knew he had finished but tried to send me around for another lap! I actually found it quite amusing though to be honest.
The Run:
Oh my god this was the hardest run course I have ever done! I was told it was lumpy with a bit on trails. Now, if i was going to design a run course that was least suited to me I would make it off-road, hilly, and twisty and turny pretty much the same as Wimbleball. I started the run with Fraser and thought I would try and stay with him, hope Graves blows and then out sprint Fraser at the end for the win! lol
Sounds quite easy, executing it though is a completely different ball game and staying with Fraser wasn't happening as he put a bit of a surge in up some grass uphill section and I just couldn't stay with him. I tried my hardest but I was really suffering, this is the bit that I love about these 70.3s the mental part and constant fight to keep a high pace and not give into the demons that tell you to slow down. I think in every half I've done even when I've been going really well you still get these demons but you can tell you are moving well and know you are onto a good result so the suffering is worth while but when the running seems hard it can be easier to give in but you have to expect it and as Jens Voigt says shut up legs!
Anyway, after about two miles you get onto this dam where you run out-and-back; it gives you a chance to see anyone who is within about three minutes of you and to my surprise I saw Mark, Ben, The German guy who came second and Fraser behind them. Somehow he went the wrong way, I have no idea how, but I was in second and couldn't believe it. After about 3.5 miles I got overtaken by Mark and the German and then on the second lap Fraser went past me.
I was now in fifth place and for the rest of the run had a constant battle with Ben Howard. I could see he was hurting but I was absolutely nailed as well and felt like I was doing a death march. He had me down to 30 seconds at one point with a lap and a mile to go and I thought to myself, give it everything you have Joe for one lap and if you still have 30 seconds with one mile to go fifth place is yours.
The next chance I got to see him was on the dam for the last time and I saw that I had taken a little bit more time out of him but not much, and it was still going to be touch and go as I was blowing up big time and didn't even know if I would make it to the end.
The next chance I got to see him was at the point with one mile to go and to my surprise he was nowhere to be seen but now I had Paul Amey chasing me down and he was running like a man possessed. I thought oh no, I dug deep into the hurt box and just managed to hold him off but it wasn't pretty and I was a spent force at the end so final position was fifth and time was 4.27.
I have never felt so f****d (!). Everything hurt; my arms, my legs, just everything but I absolutely loved it. To me that was a proper race and I just wish there were more races in the UK with that strength in depth in the field as it's just so intense and is all out for four and a half hours and I loved that. To me that is a proper race and if it wasn't for the cost of getting to these Ironman branded races I would be doing a lot more of them.
Future Plans
My next 'A' race is going to be Wiesbaden. It's the European 70.3 champs and I want to have a really good race there, I'm addicted to them and can't wait! In the meantime I will be racing Liverpool 5150 on the 1st July, Tristar Milton Keynes on the 29th July and maybe another one in between. I would like to do Antwerp 70.3 but will have to work out the costs.
I would also like to say a massive thanks to Royles for sorting me out with loads of kit for training. I've been using the Gore run and bike wear and have to say it's fantastic stuff. When you have great kit to train in I'm sure you can get more quality out of the session plus you look the part which is essential of course! And I would like to say thanks to Paul Savage who has been coaching me since last April for hardly anything and I owe
Wimbleball 2012 Coverage
2012 report and results
Finish line podium finishers (videos)
Eimear Mullan pre/post-race interviews (videos)
Philip Graves pre/post-race interviews (videos)
Race highlights video montage
Jonathan Hotchkiss reflects on a DNF (video)
Philip Graves: race winning report
Joe Skipper (5th): race report
Wimbleball Pro race reports summary/links.
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Bella Bayliss: Challenge Aarhus report
On Sunday I raced Challenge Aarhus in Denmark. It has been a great few days here, it is a lovely part of the world. We stayed in an Aarhus City Centre hotel so we got a good feel for the city, it is really nice. If I had time I would love to go shopping. There are some lovely shops here!!
I finished second in the race, I feel pretty happy with my result as I think I got the best out of myself with the fitness I have right now. I felt a little stronger than I did in Lanzarote, so my fitness is going the right direction.
The swim was freezing! I haven't swum in cold water like that in a long time! I was nervous about swimming in such cold water but actually I did fine. Lisbeth Kristensen and I swam together and came out the water together,
I then spent, what felt like ages, putting clothes on - the weather was cool and Stephen and I had already experienced riding in torrential rain the day before so I didn't want to risk getting frozen on the bike. I had a feeling it was going to rain, Denmark is like the UK!! And I was right, it absolutely poured during the ride.
Camilla Pederson is a strong swimmer and came out the water in front a few minutes ahead of me and rode well, she led the race from start to finish, so well done to her.
During the ride Åsa Lundström flew past me on the bike, she was riding like a fast train but I managed to get my running legs moving, even though I was so tight in my calves but I put mind over matter and managed to have the fastest run split from the girls race and over take Åsa to get second. I felt happy.
Then (!) I did my pee for the drug testers first time!!! Last time I was tested, after Lanzarote it took me four and a half hours to pee!!
Thank you to the organisers of Challenge Aarhus who I thought put on a great and very well organised race, even with the last minute swim start location having to be moved because of sewage getting into the water at the original swim start.
And thank you Granny and Grandad Bayliss, we couldn't have both raced without you. Charlie says thank you too, he says he had fun!
Well done Reto on his win! And well done Stephen finishing fifth after crashing on his bike.
Stephen, Charlie and I are about to say goodbye to Denmark and fly back to Switzerland now.
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Stimpson seeks crowd support at GE Canary Wharf Triathlon
Three-time British Triathlon Super Series Champion Jodie Stimpson has urged the public to come out in force to support her at the GE Canary Wharf Triathlon next Thursday.
Stimpson, who competed at the inaugural GE Canary Wharf Triathlon last year, returns to the iconic financial and shopping district on 28 June as she looks to secure the British Super Series title for a fourth year running.
The 23-year-old is in fine form having won the first event of the 2012 British Triathlon Super Series at the GE Blenheim Triathlon at the beginning of June.
Stimpson says the GE Canary Wharf Triathlon is one of the highlights of her season and believes the atmospheric crowd can provide the fuel to fire her to another British Triathlon Super Series triumph.
Stimpson said: "I'm really looking forward to once again competing at the GE Canary Wharf Triathlon. Having competed in the event last year, I know first-hand what a unique event it is and how good the atmosphere is.
"I feel in great shape at the moment and I'm determined to go out and win the Super Series again. I've had a good start and I hope to build on that at Canary Wharf."
The West Midlands athlete joins a star-studded line-up including Australian Erin Densham, who competes in the city just one month before returning for the London 2012 Olympic Games triathlon event on Saturday 4 August.
Stimpson, who cites being number one in the world as her long term goal, is fully aware of the size of the task in hand, but believes she can put in a performance to match and better each of her rivals.
She added: "It's going to be a very strong field, so I know I'll have to be at my best, but it's a test I can't wait for. Whenever I compete, I'm confident within myself and I hope to put in a performance to remember.
"Hopefully plenty of people come out to cheer myself and everyone on once again, as it made such a difference last year."
British terrestrial broadcaster Channel 4 has confirmed it will screen highlights of the race in two half hour specials, which will be available in high definition for the first time this year. Highlights for the women's race will air on July 15 and on July 22 for the men's race.
For more information about the British Triathlon Super Series visit www.britishtriathlonsuperseries.com
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Weekend preview: June 23-24
Check out the whole weekend calendar through the link below.
It's the week of the longest day - no, not that 'Longest Day', an event sadly long demised - which means there's little enough night as it is. But night's are only for sleeping and this time of the year also means some of the most ridiculous weekend event times imaginable so it's going to be another 48 hours of sleep deprivation as we try to pack everything in. The phrase "morning, noon and night" will literally be happening as we have events at all hours: the Henley Classic Swim with its dawn start being one of those on my personal schedule...
It's also a huge weekend of international action. The ITU's World Triathlon Series rolls into Kitzbuhel and several of the Olmpic Games contenders will be flexing their form and sizing up the competition. Topping the bill will be the Brownlee brothers and you can expect to see a maximum effort from the likes of Javier Gomez and Alexander Bryukhankov to see just how far they can push them. The GB squad includes domestique Stuart Hayes plus Davic McNamee, Aaron Harris, Mark Buckingham, Ritchie Nicholls and Phil Wolfe. The women's startlist includes Andrea Hewitt, Nicola Spirig, Aileen Morrison and Barbara Riveros Diaz while the GB squad comprises Vicky Holland, Jodie Stimpson and Vanessa Raw. You can read the ITU's preview HERE.
Ironman fans will be missing out on seeing Lance Armstrong at Ironman France owing the the latest round of doping accusations but it's always a race that delivers quality and his absence won't affect the field at all in that respect. Paul Amey is the only GB pro on the startlist but there's a huge contingent of age groupers making the trek to Nice as they do every year. Across the pond there's the Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene and the 70.3 series has races in Syracuse (Leanda Cave, Lesley Paterson and Jodie Swallow are listed there), Buffalo Springs, Japan and at Mont Tremblant.
Off-road fans get another event in the XTERRA World Tour, this one's in Manaus in Brazil but there doesn't seem to be anyone recognizable in the pro field.
Two championship events on the domestic calendar: the Tri UK Shropshire Triathlon hosts the British standard distance championships while Poppit Sands is the location for the Welsh Aquathlon Championships.
Long distance is definitely the flavour this weekend as we have the Celtman! over-distance event in Scotland, the Maxifuel Half Iron at Marlow, the Primera Forestman (full distance) and Boskman (middle distance) at Sandy Balls in the New Forest, the half-distance Day in the Lakes and the Cotswold 113 middle distance.
A quick sampling of the best of the rest includes the Bridge Triathlon in Dartford, the Birmingham Triathlon and Cholmondeley Castle - all offering multiple distances. You can also find events at Glenarm in County Antrim, Llandudno, the Purbecks, Maidstone, Banbury, Northampton, Tighnabruaich, Bath and Worcester.
For those who want something really a bit different there's also the River Arun Swim which is an Ironman-distance 3.8k downstream on the second fastest flowing tidal river in the country - that's another one we'll be at - exiting at Littlehampton on the South Coast.
FULL WEEKEND RACE LISTINGS
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7Oaks Junior Aquathlon FULL
Word has reached Tri247 that the 7Oaks Junior Aquathlon is now full. The entries opened in mid May and were sold out in five weeks. Whilst a Sevenoaks race selling out is not unusual, the Junior Aquathlon is only being held for the second time this year.
Race Director Mike Clyne told Tri247 "we have had an excellent response to our event and from the emails we have received we know that the competitors are excited about being a part of such an event. The plans for the race are now finalised and we are just working on a couple of special touches to make the day extra special for competitors and their friends & families".
For more information about the event click here. The information is very comprehensive and we know from having covered 7Oaks Tri Club events that they will ensure every detail is seen to.
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Wimbleball 2012: Elite race reports
Ironman 70.3 UK, Wimbleball is a tough race, and tough races are perfect for creating great race reports.
Having brought you the reports from winner Philip Graves and fifth-placed Joe Skipper on Tri247, it seemed appropriate to highlight some of the others out there from the top-placed finishers.
To read more, click on the links below (where present) to find the race reports of these athletes on their various website / blog / Facebook pages. Drop us a line via editor@tri247.com if we've missed yours!
Pos
Men
Women
1st
Philip Graves (GBR) 4:19:45
Eimear Mullan (IRL) 4:53:33
2nd
Marcus Thomschke (GER) 4:21:04
Emma-Kate Lidbury (GBR) 4:56:23
3rd
Mark Threlfall (GBR) 4:23:41
Simone Brändli (SUI) 4:57:16
4th
Fraser Cartmell (GBR) 4:24:30
Holly Lawrence (GBR) 5:00:03
5th
Joe Skipper (GBR) 4:27:06
Susie Hignett (GBR) 5:01:21
6th
Paul Amey (GBR) 4:27:20
Lucy Gossage (GBR) 5:02:59
7th
Ben Howard (GBR) 4:28:47
Corinne Abraham (GBR) 5:05:57
8th
Paul Hawkins (GBR) 4:35:46
Amy Forshaw (GBR) 5:07:11
9th
Harry Wiltshire (GBR) 4:36:09
Victoria Gill (GBR) 5:16:18
10th
Martin Caine (GBR) 4:36:56
Mareen Hufe (GER) 5:18:23
Wimbleball 2012 Coverage
2012 report and results
Finish line podium finishers (videos)
Eimear Mullan pre/post-race interviews (videos)
Philip Graves pre/post-race interviews (videos)
Race highlights video montage
Jonathan Hotchkiss reflects on a DNF (video)
Philip Graves: race winning report
Joe Skipper (5th): race report
Wimbleball Pro race reports summary/links
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The Gatorade Secret Bike report [Updated]
Event Video added - more 'Secret Series' events coming soon...
The second event in the Virgin London Triathlon 'Secret Series' took place yesterday at Manchester Velodrome. The Gatorade Secret Bike follows on from the March Speedo Secret Swim which was hosted by Keri-Anne Payne.
For those lucky enough to win one of the golden tickets, Olympic Champion Victoria Pendleton was on hand along with Paralympic cyclists Neil Fachie and Jon-Allan Butterworth, plus the top scientists from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.
Being a local girl, we sent along our newest columnist Nina McArthur to join in the fun - and find out that she was going to be sweating a lot more than she expected....
A week ago, I received an email asking me to go down to a ‘Secret Bike' Event at Manchester Velodrome run by Gatorade and Virgin Active London Triathlon. To say I was intrigued was an understatement so yesterday I hopped on my bike and cycled to the track, excited to report on what lay ahead for me that afternoon. To be honest, I perhaps would have driven there had I known what was in store for my legs!
The cycling event was the second in a series of training events run by Virgin Active London Triathlon (you can see the Speedo Secret Swim HERE), who had launched a competition on their website and in the social media offering participants the chance to train and receive advice off talented athletes and sporting professionals. There were six winners present along with myself and several other media staff getting stuck into the day.
First off, PR sports media professional & triathlete Ryan Bowd asked us to do an ‘AA-Meeting' style introduction to introduce ourselves. One winner was triathlete Anna Price from Worcester who is planning to compete at the World Age Group Qualifier Event in Bristol in a month's time, "I don't really know what to expect, I'm looking for experience and advice on the bike I guess, although I have cycled at Newport Velodrome a few times. We've not really been given much information"'. Boy were we in for a treat.
Our first talk was from Adrian Hodgson, the UK Science Advisor for Gatorade Sports Institute on ‘Hydrating yourself for exercise and performance'. He emphasised that during training, the limiting factors are dehydration, fuel selection and oxygen uptake. When we sweat we dehydrate and need energy as both carbohydrate and fat are used by the body, which is why Gatorade uses the motto ‘Rehydrate, Replenish, Refuel'. He shocked us by explaining that dehydration causes a 2-3% drop in body weight during exercise and subsequently fatigue, so impairing performance.
He placed a big focus on the individual aspect of hydration of which I could relate to well. We will all sweat at different rates and require different amounts of carbohydrate and electrolytes depending on how our bodies are conditioned and the activity that we are doing. Recently, I changed from drinking water to trying a bottle of energy drink on my Sunday club bike ride and felt significantly stronger, avoiding the dreaded ‘bonk'. Adrian's colleague Matt Evans followed up on this explaining that keeping your body well fuelled is all about preparation. If you arrive at a session or race dehydrated then you are already setting yourself up at a disadvantage. Just making sure you've drank enough water during the day to keep your body in a state of ‘euhydration' can give you that extra edge over a dehydrated competitor straight away. Unfortunately I found that coffee did not count as hydrating myself before a bike ride!
After taking all that information in, it was time to put it into practice. The Gatorade guys announced that we would be doing a Watt Bike session, including pre session ‘weigh-ins' and ‘urine tests' to test how well we were hydrating ourselves during the workout. Being ‘media' and not a competition winner, I managed to avoid the ‘peeing in a pot' and analysis of my hydration...I don't like to sound negative but I knew what the result would probably be so I slinked past the queue at the scales and left it to the competition winners to undergo that experience.
Watt Bikes are essentially the same as Spin bikes, however they also have advanced functions to monitor the power you put through each pedal stroke, how fluid your pedal action is, cadence and heart rate. Sat on our bikes with water bottles and sweat towels at the ready, we were then introduced to Paralympic track cyclists Neil Fachie and Jon-Allan Butterworth. Neil won two gold medals at the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships, Jon-Allan currently holds two World Records and both are part of the GB Team for London 2012.
We started off with a half an hour ‘warm-up', increasing our cadence gradually and concentrating on a strange shaped graph on the screen that apparently showed I was typical of triathletes who usually don't pull up enough with their hamstrings when they pedal. Just as I started to spin my legs thinking we'd finished, the Coach said ‘right, time for the main set!'. Time to gulp down some Gatorade I think and help my poor legs through the rest of the session. At that moment I was feeling as if I could do with a little bit more motivation, then I saw a flash of red, white and blue walk in front of us. Long brown hair tied back, strong looking legs and a red smiling face from just finishing training, do you need any more clues? Victoria Pendleton had come to say hello and take a few photos with us. Speaking as if she knew us, the whole group were in awe suddenly feeling embarrassed at our tiredness after just half an hour. Bring on the main set!
It was ten lots of one minute sprints, upping our cadence to 115rpm. I've only been back cycling properly for a few months so whilst my endurance is back in being able to complete long rides, usually aided by coffee and cake at the end, my leg muscles and strength are still developing. Pretty painful doesn't even come close to what my muscles were subjected too. Apparently the GB Cycling Team do that set three more times through! Thank goodness we were offered coffee and biscuits during the Q&A session as that along with taking on a decent amount of Gatorade sorted me out, however I was definitely regretting my decision of commuting here.
The competition winners then got the chance for a Q&A with Neil and Jon-Allen, so I hung on for a quick video interview with Jon. Neil Fachie managed to avoid our camera, however when asked in the Q&A for his best tip to budding cyclists, he said that the most important thing is to enjoy it. There arose a common theme throughout the day of how important it is to enjoy the sport that you do.
We were lucky enough to receive some great advice from Gatorade who focus on making great tasting products that are easy to drink, inspiring friendly speeches from London 2012 Medal Hopefuls Victoria Pendleton, Neil & John and I along with the others got a lot out it, especially given that I know I have inadequately fuelled my body in the past during my training.
So although it is a shame that we couldn't tempt Neil & Jon-Allen to give Paratriathlon a go, it obviously wouldn't match their love for cycling. It was great to experience such a unique training day in a fantastic venue and fingers crossed, my legs will appreciate it...maybe in another day or two.
You can find out more about Gatorade, including the new G Series Pro range via their webiste: www.gatorade.co.uk.
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Stuart Lumb: Agony and ecstasy
For a man of 'advancing years' (!), Stuart Lumb (aka Jet Set Super Vet, JSSV) doesn't take the easy option. No pipe and slippers for him, not yet anyway.
The Etape Du Dales Sportive is described as "an extremely difficult 112 mile ride and requires an excellent level of fitness". That would be enough to put most people off. Imagine going back to it after you 'failed' three years ago... or just read his great report. Agony and ecstasy indeed.
Etape Du Dales - Sunday 3rd June 2012
"The agony and the ecstasy"
I enjoyed reading Philip Graves' Lanza Ironman blog; was enthralled with his blow-by-blow account especially as he posted a DNF. As an elite athlete (and fellow Yorkshireman) it takes a lot to admit to making mistakes when chatting to mates never mind telling the world on line all about them .So, good on yer Philip and all the best at Wimbleball (that worked!) …my first major lanterne rouge, but as I say we all get a finishers medal, regardless of the time.
Sportives are the in thing at the moment and I've enjoyed moderate success over the years. The Etape Du Dales is generally reckoned to be one of the toughest on the calendar. It's 110.8miles of steep climbs and descents mainly in NW Yorkshire and probably comes second in toughness after the Fred Whitton.
I had attempted the event in 2009 but ended up as a DNF, but unlike Philip didn't tell the world – I chickened out. So I duly signed up again. Easter came and went and I thought I'd better get some training in. I live on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds which has a few hills but nowt like the Dales. In 2009 I raced on my Motobeccane / Kinesis and ended up pushing it up lots of hills despite having a granny ring, hence I thought I'd compete this year on my Giant Anthem X1 with semi slicks fitted. I also stuck my tribars on as well.
I got up to 95miles on a training run two weeks before the event and hoped I'd have enough in t'tank. The Dales weather can be notoriously fickle (I got soaked in 2009) and so I decided to wear full winter gear – gloves, the lot, working on the premise that if it's on you can take it off, but not vice-versa. I carefully re-proofed my leggings, coat and gloves just to be on the safe side, plus I fitted front and rear mudguards on my Anthem.
In 2009 I'd driven from home to the start – near Grassington – which is about 80 miles, but this time I splashed out on a B&B in Skipton so that I could start the ride fresh. When I got in my car on the Sunday morning I noticed that most of my side window had suffered bird attack – a huge white blob – which annoyed me initially but I then preferred to think of it as a good luck omen.
The day dawned clear and dry – in fact three different forecasts predicted a high of around 12C, very little wind and NO rain….I kept everything crossed and set off for race HQ, arriving about 6.15am. It was showing 6°C on my car thermometer as I unloaded my bike – a bit nippy. I registered, got my timing chip and loaded up. Mrs JSSV had made me some flapjack which went in my back pocket, plus a number of gels and a big bottle of electrolytes. Feeling a bit like a packhorse just starting a trek up the Himalayas I clocked in and off I went.
I'd calculated I needed to average just under 10mph to beat all the cut offs – sadly my computer packed in after about 15miles so I just had to peddle like hell! The scenery is stunning if you can afford the time to take it all in. The first major climb takes in Fleet Moss and I'd forgotten how steep those Dales roads are. About 12 Barracudas were riding and they all gradually passed me, one-by-one; not too hard as by this stage I'd stopped and was pushing . One consolation - MTB shoes are much easier to push in than regular bike shoes as I found out quite often during the ride.
The descent from Fleet Moss is pretty scary but exhilarating after all the agony getting up there. The first feed station is 23miles miles into the ride after which the route wound round and climbed up to the famous Tan Hill pub, the highest in England at 1500 feet. Approaching Tan Hill I was being passed by numerous bunches of club riders many of whom were clad from head to foot in black – obviously all Johnny Cash fans. That man has a lot to answer for...
The Tan Hill stop was heaving and I stood in line to get my much anticipated cup of sweet tea – marvellous! I'd cramped a lot in 2009 so had drunk more this time and refilled my bottle before moving off. The descent from Tan Hill is a long sweeping curve and the sun was just hitting the fellside – no money on earth could buy such a view. Then it was head down to the Moorcock check-point, 69miles out and where JSSV met his Waterloo last time. This year I was about 45minutes inside the limit so was well pleased.
The next stretch is the notorious Coal Road, so named because centuries ago before deep mining was developed coal which was quite close to the surface was dug out and taken down by packhorses to the towns for fuel. By this time the field was well strung out and as often is the case I was on my own. Whernside was visable as I pedalled on south and the amazing Ribblehead viaduct. Stainforth is the penultimate checkpoint and a cheery bunch of guys reminded me I had only another 20miles to go, mostly downhill after the initial climb out of Stainforth. The descent into Halton Gill was very scary as there was gravel on the road plus a nasty right angle blind bend to get round – it was there that I appreciated being on my Anthem with her stop on a sixpence disc brakes, recently serviced by my good friends at Freetown Sports in Hull. Had I come off at that point I'd have appreciated having my Bell helmet atop my bonse, courtesy of DANICO Agriculture, but fortunately I remained vertical and got to Halton Gill still in one piece.
Then it was head down, passing the amazing overhanging Kilnsey Cragg on my right. As I headed back to race HQ I could see the rugby posts well above the walls so had something to aim for. The car park suddenly appeared, along with a marshall who dibbed my chip. I fell off my bike and staggered into the clubhouse whereupon a friendly official stuck a little piece of paper into my hand. "BRONZE it read - 11hrs 48mins 39secs..No mention of Lanterne Rouge though! With a steaming hot mug of sweet tea in my hand I went back outside to thank the lasses manning the St John's Ambulance who had followed me back from Stainforth, and who had blipped the throttle whenever I started to flag.
I'd no problem finding my car as it was the only one left in the car park but did I care – I'd got that particular monkey off my back!
An amazing event, fantastic organisation and cheery friendly people.What more can you ask for? Good weather? Well they had fixed that as well. I recently had a mail from the organizer Martyn Bolt asking me "will we see you next year?"
Need to think long & hard about that...
Jet Set Super Vet
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Ergoflex Mattress review
Despite being rather busy with the Tri247 video camera all over the country lately, Paul Shanley has been sleeping well.
In part due to work, but in part perhaps, due to his new Ergoflex Mattress (www.ergoflex.co.uk).
Why a mattress review?
First off, you wouldn't normally expect to find a mattress review in the products section of a specialist triathlon website such as this, but just think about it for a minute… as athletes we spend more time recovering as we do out training, and the bulk of our recovery time is spent where? In bed! Ergo - no pun intended - your mattress can be considered as a very important part of your training kit, so it's key to make sure you've got one that does the job when it comes to providing a sound night's sleep.
That is where the Ergoflex (www.ergoflex.co.uk) memory foam mattress comes in. Equipped with enough acronyms to make Asics green with envy – it's HD 3rd Gen, ACPT visco-elastic foam – the Ergoflex certainly talks the talk on the hi-tech side of things. Fair enough, but talk is cheap, so I tried one out on a two-week trial period to see if it was as good as the makers claimed.
With a heavy-set frame pushing 90kgs, the parts of my body that tend to give me particular discomfort in the immediate aftermath of an event ot training are ankles, knees and lower back. Sessions on roads and pavement are especially gruelling, even with appropriate shoes and suitable support elsewhere, and it got to the point where I'd struggle to fit three runs into a week, such was the impact on my body. It's a frustrating situation when your muscle power and cardio is at a level strong enough to push on through longer runs and the leg joints just aren't up to it. So, I was keen to see what benefits, if any, a memory foam mattress could offer my poor old battered body.
The arrival of the Ergoflex
Think of a mattress and you immediately envision a large, weighty object that isn't very manoeuvrable. That's why I was more than a little surprised when the Ergoflex arrived in a relatively small cylindrical box. While still certainly rather heavy, the box wasn't difficult to carry, and was a good deal easier than a normal mattress. I'd been warned in advance by Ergoflex's customer service to keep the mattress in its box until it was in the bedroom that it was intended for. I was glad of this advice once I'd opened the box and cut the tightly-curled up mattress out of its plastic wrapping, as it energetically sprang out and started taking shape straight away. Once it had formed into full size it proved just as heavy (if not more so) than a normal mattress, so I was pretty relieved that it didn't need further carrying around.
Something else that had been mentioned prior to me receiving the mattress was that it would have a distinct smell as soon as it was opened, apparently due to the vacuum packing process and the anti-microbial treatment, but this wasn't an indication of a defect and would disperse over a day or two after opening. There was indeed an odour as I cut the mattress out of its plastic wrapping - an unusual, vaguely chemically scent, but it wasn't particularly unpleasant and I didn't actually notice it too much after the initial opening. Once the mattress was dressed with a fitted sheet and duvet the smell wasn't bad at all.
First impressions
I hadn't seen a memory foam mattress before, so was quite intrigued at the feel of it. As most of the memory foam websites show - usually with a hand imprint - pressing into them causes an indentation and the mattress to shape around the weight. I must admit I spend a few minutes trying this out, first pressing my hands onto the surface, followed by a knee, and watching the indentation slowly recover back to normal. Lying on the mattress for the first time was a slightly odd sensation. I was half expecting to sink deeply into the foam, but it proved to be extremely supportive and even a little firm – all of which boded well.
First night and morning
My first night on the Ergoflex memory foam mattress was an interesting experience. I hadn't ran that day, but still felt rather worn out and exhausted. Within a few minutes of going to bed I was conscious that I should have been analytically thinking about what the mattress was doing, but if I'm honest, I quickly found a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep. Waking up was a refreshing change. My phone alarm – 6:30am – woke me from a sound sleep, which in itself is unusual. I often wake up two or three times in the early hours, and occasionally check my phone in the minutes before the alarm sounds. Not that morning though. Once I was up and out of bed I genuinely felt that I'd had a long night of good sleep. An excellent start.
First post-run night and morning
Without any scheduled events on the horizon at the moment my routine consists of an easy 25/35 minutes every other day. While this is certainly enough to keep my conditioning, it does impact on my knees and ankles, particularly on rest days. Getting into bed following a run I could feel the mattress moulding itself around my body and providing firm support to my aching legs.
Overall, it was another great night's sleep. I won't say I didn't feel my knees and ankles when I woke up, but the usual aches were noticeably less severe. On the whole, again, I felt energised and refreshed.
Summary
The couple of weeks that I've been using the Ergoflex memory foam mattress have been enough for it to become an essential part of both my training recovery regime and overall lifestyle. Two key things that the mattress delivers – 1) real support where it's needed, and 2) a full night's sleep – mean that I really wouldn't look back to a usual spring mattress from this point onwards, and I don't hesitate in recommending it.
With prices currently from £229 (single) and £399 (standard double), the Ergoflex Mattress is very reasonably priced.
www.ergoflex.co.uk
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Nicola Spirig sprints to Kitzbühel victory
The picturesque Austrian town of Kitzbühel today hosted the latest round of the ITU World Triathlon Series, Saturday's racing comprising the Elite ladies, before Brownlee(s), Gomez and company take on the same course tomorrow for the men.
2011 saw Canada's Paula Findlay just hold off Great Britain's Helen Jenkins, a performance from Helen I described at the time as "one of the most impressive I have witnessed", and talked in-depth with Helen and coach/husband Marc about shortly afterwards. With Paula Findlay still out with her ongoing injury issues and no Helen racing either, it would be all change in the 2012 edition. The 2012 GB representatives were the Olympic-bound Vicky Holland, Jodie Stimpson and Vanessa Raw.
Was the race 'over' with 750 metres of the swim done? Switzerland's Nicola Spirig right up with the swim leaders is a pretty scary prospect for most of the field, who typically rely on the 'Spirig Train' from the first chase swim pack to drag them back up to the leaders. Spirig starting the bike on level terms makes her one of, if not 'the' race favourite in many events.
A front group of around 15 athletes rode the whole of the bike together, Jodie Stimpson among them though Vicky Holland, after a great swim, dropped back and then eventually DNF'd.
The late stage of the run saw Spirig, Lisa Norden (SWE), Jessica Harrison (FRA), Andrea Hewitt (NZL) and Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI) together after making the final turnaround, USA's Sarah Groff being the last of what was a leading six to be dropped.
With less than a kilometre to go the pace increased, Spirig pushing on and Lisa Norden looking better than she has for a long time, perhaps even more relaxed than Spirig. Norden passed Spirig but the Swiss athlete stayed strong, and with the blue carpet in sight unleashed a devastating kick to take the win.
After winning in Madrid - and then Ironman 70.3 Switzerland - Spirig showed why, perhaps, the GB selectors have added a domestique to try and put the pressure on of the strongest medal hopes for August 4th. One thing is for sure - from a British perspective, Spirig exiting the Serpentine on the shoulder of Helen Jenkins could set the alarm bells off...
Pos
Women
1st
Nicola Spirig (SUI) 2:05:37
2nd
Lisa Norden (SWE) 2:05:40
3rd
Andrea Hewitt (NZL) 2:04:43
4th
Barbara Riveros Diaz (CHI) 2:05:45
5th
Jessica Harrison (FRA) 2:05:57
6th
Nicky Samuels (NZL) 2:06:07
7th
Sarah Groff (USA) 2:06:20
8th
Kate Mcilroy (NZL) 2:06:23
9th
Anja Dittmer (GER) 2:06:39
10th
Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) 2:06:41
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Meet the Outlaws: Thomas Peoples
Derby's Thomas Peoples finished the Outlaw Triathlon in 10:20 in both 2010 and 2011. He finished second in his age group, to pro Joel Jameson, in 2011.
This year, he's back and aiming to go faster. We sit down with Thomas for a little chat on how 2012 is going for him.
Are you ready for the Outlaw again this year? And what are your goals?
I'm ready, yes. I was concerned about getting in the long miles, so I'm a very late entrant - with just three weeks to go, I took the plunge!
It's also the day of the Euro 2012 finals, so the carrot of finishing before 4pm is there for me. Yes, I know, that involves a sub-10 hours finish time.
Have you had a look at the revised bike course? If so, what are your thoughts...
It's majestic. More picturesque than in previous years, but it's also quicker. Very much so. Be warned though, if it's windy out on the eastern loop, it'll be a hard slog around those lanes.
What's the toughest part of the Outlaw?
Getting your head around the sheer size of the regatta lake. I swear if you look down it, you can see the curvature of the Earth.
What area of your own performance do you most want to improve on, and how are you working on this?
The mental barriers and fatigue we put up for ourselves when the times are tough. Nine hours into my race, with just 8-10 miles left to run and the mind turns my legs off. It's that point where walking becomes easier than running.
I've been doing a lot of visualisation techniques and tapping into other athlete's opinions about how to overcome these, as well as doing a lot of positive mental imagery work. Such as, when I'm having a great training run, I'll rub my ear lobe. Come race day, if I feel bad during the run, repeating this action will remind me of all the great training sessions I've had.
How did you get into triathlon?
I started running for fitness and achieved the triumverate of the sub20 5km, sub40 10km and sub90 half marathon pretty quickly. RunnersWorld magazine had an article about this triathlon malarkey and I could swim and mountain bike, so I gave it a "tri" at Woodhall Spa (also a OneStepBeyond race) and haven't looked back.
Which team do you race for?
I've been fortunate enough to get onto the East Midlands Bike Science Team, courtesy of Andy Brooke this year. With the bike fit, kit and level of support Andy's giving me, I hope I can please him with a great result at this year's Outlaw.
What will you do after finishing the Outlaw?
Get a massage, grab some food and have a shower onsite. I'll then collect my bike from transition and drive back to Derby to bath the baby and put her to bed, before settling down with a non-alcoholic beer to watch England play in the Euro 2012 finals!
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Free in-store triathlon event at Cycle Surgery, Fulham, 24th June
Sunday 24th June, 3pm-5pm
FREE AND EXCLUSIVE IN-STORE TRIATHLON EVENT AT CYCLE SURGERY & RUNNERS NEED FULHAM.
with SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER BECKY GROVES, Leading Personal Trainer & Multiple Triathlon and Ironman athlete.
If you're new to triathlon or looking to improve - join Cycle Surgery and Runners Need for an afternoon event that will aim to improve your training & performance.
Introduction to triathlon: How to get started, make the most of your training and improve your race times.
Master the art of transition.
Essential tips and trade secrets from experienced triathletes.
Running technique and gait analysis
Bike set up advice
In-store competitions
FREE Refreshments + exclusive discounts
Cycle Surgery & Runners Need, 658 – 662 Fulham Road, London, SW6 5RX
Tel: 0207 20384 209940
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Tim Don to race at GE Canary Wharf Triathlon
Former World Champion and three-time Olympian Tim Don is the latest star name to be included on the stellar start list for Thursday's GE Canary Wharf Triathlon on 28 June.
Don, who took gold at the 2006 ITU Triathlon World Championships in Lausanne, joins 2008 Beijing Olympics rival Jarrod Shoemaker in what promises to be an evening to remember at the iconic venue in London, just one month before the biggest show on earth descends to the city's East End.
The hugely experienced 34-year-old, who has competed at three Olympic Games in his impressive career to date, will compete at the event for the very first time, having heard the rave reports from last year's competitors.
Don said: “The GE Canary Wharf Triathlon is an event I'm really excited about. Having seen all the footage of last year and having spoken to those who took part, I know just how incredible the atmosphere is and I just can't wait to be a part of it.
“No matter what sport or industry you are part of, having the support of the public and those around you is hugely inspiring and hopefully it'll be a good buzz around the area next Thursday night.
“Obviously many will be just finishing work and it's a little out of the norm to have a triathlon taking place around your office, so I can imagine there'll be a fair few interested parties, especially if the weather stays nice and sunny.”
Don is in prime form at the moment, having taken the spoils at the Toshiba Windsor Triathlon leg of the British Triathlon Super Series last weekend.
The Middlesex athlete is not taking anything for granted and having seen the strength of the start-list this time around, Don believes the GE Canary Wharf Triathlon could turn out to be one of the races of the season.
“I'm feeling physically very good at the moment and was delighted with my performance in Windsor at the weekend, which hopefully I can carry over to next week,” said Don.
“I was a bit disappointed not to be able to swim, but these things happen sometimes, so it'll be great to get back into the water, especially since it'll be right in the middle of Canary Wharf, of all places.
“The line-up is looking really exciting and will be a good test for me, but I'm confident about the way I'm competing at the moment. I know guys like Jarrod [Shoemaker] and Tom [Bishop] are great athletes and it'll be nice to compete against them.
“I'm sure it'll be a great night whatever happens and I'm thoroughly looking forward to the challenge.”
British terrestrial broadcaster Channel 4 has confirmed it will screen highlights of the race in two half hour specials, which will be available in high definition for the first time this year. Highlights for the women's race will air on July 15 and on July 22 for the men's race.
For more information about the British Triathlon Super Series visit www.britishtriathlonsuperseries.com
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Richard Whitfield: IM Germany
Having brought you the Pro race report of third placed Corinne Abraham from Ironman Germany (click HERE), we now have a debut Ironman performance from British Age Grouper Richard Whitfield.
Despite seeing various pieces of technology going 'Pete Tong' on the day for him, Richard managed to finish in 9:25:14, good enough for 83rd overall in his first attempt at the distance. I think we might see more of Richard in the future as he heads towards a goal of a Sub-9 hour finish. An impressive first attempt.
It's 10pm in Germany, and it's the night before I make my Ironman debut. Lights out, alarm set for 4am. I am in bed dreaming of a sub-9 in my first Ironman. The last time I looked at the clock it was 1am, the next thing my alarm is going off and it's 4am. I posted on Twitter "so can I do an ironman on 3hrs sleep?" I got a reply from my coach, Russ Cox (www.coachcox.co.uk/), "you've slept well then". The sun is out and weather looks perfect!
On route to the swim start, nerves were not too bad at this point. I was more ready to get the day started.
I had all my bike preparation done the day before, all I had to do was put water bottles and carb drink onto my bike. I didn't want to be stressing before the race, needing to tape gels on my bike.
Swim
Checking the water temperature the day before, it's a warm 23°C, but I took my speedsuit just in case they decided it would be a non-wetsuit swim. It wasn't, so with my wetsuit on I headed down toward the water; at this point I looked around the swim start. There were thousands of people lining the walk-down to the water. I got in the water and positioned myself on the front row.
I can't remember the gun going off, all I saw was splashing behind me. To me that means we are off. I got a great start and clean line to the first buoy. The swim felt great, all those hours in the pool had paid off. On the first lap I just wanted to keep a smooth stroke and keep with the front pack. I made it back onto dry land and with a short run across the sand we entered the water again.
I started to feel even better on the second lap, I was catching the tail end of the first wave. The first wave seemed to be mostly made up of German nationals. It was supposed to made up of fast swimmers. I had applied, but didn't make the cut. Coming back in on the second lap, you have 100m run uphill on sand which is nasty. I had a friend shout my swim split out - 53mins. My eyes lit up.
T1
I had a great bike position in T1. Helmet on, switched my power pedals on, off I went on the bike.
Bike
There was a long straight road, perfect to slip my shoes on and get ready for the ride. I took a right turn on to the course, and started to settle into the bike. The first bit of bad luck started when my power meter wouldn't work - all I had was cadence. As we hit a fast section heading back into Frankfurt I decided if I kept a cadence of 95/100 I couldn't push above my target wattage. I started my nutrition; one gel every 20mins with water and two salt sticks per hour.
I had my salt sticks taped to my bike, and 45mins in the rain started and the rain was so heavy it made visibility hard. Salt Sticks and rain do not mix well! I lost all my Salt Sticks, which was a concern to me. Then we hit the cobbled section... wet cobbles is not what you want to be riding on in heavy rain. I just crawled through this section, my thoughts were just to get around the course in one piece. The further I got around the bike course the more my decision was correct. I saw five people stood at the side of the road with bikes in bits and cuts and bruises.
Coming back again into Frankfurt there was great support even in the pouring rain and with high wind. As I started my second lap, you could see pelotons of riders all over the course. The bike course itself is fast in parts, and if the weather was dry then wouldn't be too technical. My target was to ride 4.45, but with the weather and conditions of the roads, and riding without power, I rode 5.04. Getting close to T2 I decide to take my feet out of my shoes earlier than I would normally, as my feet were soaking from the rain. I thought I could dry them off before hitting T2.
T2
I handed my bike to one of the support team, off I went down the blue mat towards the changing tent. I was about to take a right turn to pick my red bag up, when someone who was a part of the support team stopped in front of me with a bike. I tried to stop but with the matting been so wet, I couldn't. My feet went from underneath me landing on my neck, ouch, that would be sore in the morning. I change into my speedos for the run, picked up my nutrition, socks and k-swiss trainers on, and I am off.
Run
Heading out of the tent, legs feeling great. Also getting lots remarks toward the speedos, 'hey Richard', came up a lot. I switched my Garmin on, and getting ready to settle in to my race pace of 7-minute miles, I was looking to run close to 3hrs. The Garmin wouldn't load up - it was frozen on the main screen. After what seemed like forever it loaded up, but for what ever reason the screen was blank. I think I knew at this point it wasn't going to be my day.
My thought was it's a four lap course, when I got back around to where the finish line was, I would see the overall race time and could work out what my pace would be. My first lap felt great, lots of support on the course, and finally the sun was out. As I finished my first lap I picked my first green band, only three more to go. Running past the finish line I couldn't see the overall time - that ruined my plan B.
All I had to go with is how I was feeling, then midway through my second lap I started getting stomach cramps, though at this point they were manageable. When I hit mile thirteen the cramps got really bad, my pace had slowed down at this point, though despite the cramps my legs were still feeling great.
I suffered for the next five miles, then I saw what would save my day - PRETZELS. I had pretzels and water, instantly the cramps eased off. I decided at that point I would walk every aid station, and hit pretzels and water. Finishing off my third lap the cramps were gone. I thought to myself forget the aid station now you can drill yourself for the last lap, I must have picked up five places in that last lap, running past a female pro Heather Wurtele.
My back end of the marathon went well, legs still felt good. I finally got the last of my bands and at this point I didn't have a clue where the finish line was, until I saw a women shouting at me and pointing down towards the finishing chute. The red carpet seemed like it was going on forever, I turned the corner and saw the finishing line clock at 9.25. My first thought was disappointment. I crossed the line, got my medal and towel. Walking through to the athletes tent Heather Wurtele came up to me, saying "you have a great running technique if you had just kept running through the aid stations you would have done great." My reply was thanks, but stomach cramps were just too bad. I'd lost my salt sticks on the bike, and I paid the price in the marathon.
Overall thoughts
Debut Ironman, I honestly believe if I hadn't lost power on the bike there was 15mins to come off. It sounds a lot but one mph over 112 miles gives you 15 minutes. I also had bad luck losing salt sticks on the bike which hit me in the middle part of the marathon. I know you wont ever get the perfect race, but I feel I had a lot of bad luck for my first Ironman.
After the race I thought I wouldn't go back to Ironman Germany, as I was disappointed with the race itself. Looking back now I have unfinished business there; Sub-9 being what I really want!
I now roll on to Ironman Wales. I now know what Ironman is about and I believe that I can push harder through the whole race.
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Entries close next Monday (23rd July 2012)
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Lucy Hall in the wind tunnel
The British Track Cycling team have been famous in recent years for their 'aggregation of marginal gains' approach to performance improvement, as well as their domination of the velodrome of course.
There was much discussion around the Olympic selection of 20 year old Lucy Hall last month who has been selected as a domestique for her swim-bike prowess to try and improve the chances of World Champion Helen Jenkins. Jenkins of course is one of the favourites to add Olympic gold to her two ITU World Championship titles in what will be a very tough race, with several athletes believing they too can take the top spot on the podium.
To that end, the bike leg - and particulalry the early miles of it in my opinion - is going to be key to the success of Team GB on August 4th. Lucy recently showed in the Banyoles ITU World Cup event the type of swim/bike combination that will be required in Hyde Park, and to fine tune her performance, she has been spending time in the Drag2Zero (www.drag2zero.com) wind tunnel with aero guru Simon Smart.
Elite ITU-style racing my be draft-legal, but we suspect that the early - and hopefully late - miles of the Hyde Park/Buckingham Palace circuit could more resemble a time trial for Hall, with Jenkins in close proximity...
Lucy Hall visits Drag2Zero wind tunnel
Lucy Hall visited Drag2Zero at the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One wind tunnel last week to fine tune her riding position ahead of representing Great Britain in the triathlon in Hyde Park on 4 August.
"I first came into the Drag2Zero wind tunnel in January with some of my elite squad team mates. We all learnt a lot from Simon Smart about how to make ourselves more aerodynamic, trying out various positions in the wind tunnel" says Lucy, 20, who is set to make her Olympic debut next month. "I have really worked at carrying those position changes over into my riding in the last few months to improve my performance on the bike split, so it was great to return to the tunnel to confirm that my hard work had paid off and also to make some further adjustments prior to next month's event."
Simon Smart, Technical Director of Smart Aero Technology, who has worked with the likes of current time trial world champion Tony Martin and European Iron Man champion Timo Bracht says "It has been great to work with Lucy and her elite squad team mates and see them apply the science to improve their riding. You can see that she has really worked on her riding position in training since she was in the tunnel the last time. Working with triathletes in the wind tunnel is an interesting challenge as we are trying to help them save energy on the bike so they have more available for the run. We have seen some dramatic improvements in performance with the triathletes that we have worked with so far this year."
Lucy rides Smart ENVE System wheels, the wheels were designed by Simon Smart in the same wind tunnel where Lucy worked on her position.
"I have been riding the Smart ENVE 6.7 wheel set this year and they are amazing! My initial thoughts were that the deeper rim would make them difficult to handle in the wind but they are really stable so I plan to use them in my races this year."
Wind tunnel sessions are available for amateur triathletes, see www.drag2zero.com.
For information on Smart ENVE System wheels visit www.enve.com and www.smartaerotechnology.com.
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