Lisboa International Triathlon 26th April 2008

This weekend I travelled out to Lisbon to compete in my first middle distance (1.9k/90k/21.1k) triathlon. This was part of my build up to IMA and seeing as I am still very new to this game I wanted to try out this distance and hopefully learn from the experience and make any adjustments in time for Austria. I chose Lisbon as I did not want to gamble on UK weather and I wanted to experience as close as possible the conditions I would be facing in Austria in July.

This triathlon is in its 3rd year and each year the numbers have doubled and is very popular with a lot of top ranking athletes for their early season build up, although predominantly Portuguese and Spanish, there were sizeable contingents from Ireland, UK, Germany and Denmark. In total there were over 600 competitors.

Well I got my wish on the weather front, leading up to and including race day we had clear skies, little or no wind and temperatures in the 30’s (Celsius that is!!)! The triathlon is based around the Commercial district (Parque de Nacoes) just 5 min outside the centre of Lisbon.   It seemed to me that the Portuguese and Spanish really enjoy their triathlons and on race day the transition area was buzzing with laughter and jovial conversations, something I have never really experienced in the UK. The 1.9k swim was 2 laps in an enclosed sea water dock/tank. The water temperature was 19c!! A lot of the athletes seemed to hold back and not really get into the water until the starting hooter had sounded so I had a relatively trouble free swim and exited the water in about 28mins. There was a queue on the exit ramp which skewered my time slightly (29:45) but I was pretty pleased with it.

The bike (90k) is a 4 lap affair on closed roads heading out of Lisbon and onto a motorway. It is reasonably flat (just 1400mtrs climbing overall) and the road conditions were excellent. On exiting T1 were cobbles and 50m into it my rear tyre blew out.  Luckily I have had plenty of experience changing rear flats this year and managed it in about 7mins and headed out determined to make up lost time. The ride was pretty uneventful with plenty of room. Large drafting packs were forming up and despite the draft busters these were pretty endemic. I was amazed at how quickly the bike leg went by and I was back in T2 in 2:52.

By now it was getting close to mid day and really heating up. Out on the run it reminded me of London Tri last year. I was feeling ok but after the 1st of 4 laps things started to fall apart for me a bit. The main problem I had was after hydrating so well was needing the toilets and there were none nearby at all. After a while my kidneys were very painful and each step was agony. I let this get to me and my pace soon started decline as a result. My run training and build up has been very good this year, so I had been expecting good things of myself. One thing I still haven’t got a firm grip on though is mental toughness.  And that is what  I really needed out there on the run. My legs felt ok, my HR was pretty high but I let my issues get to me. This was obvious as by 17K I managed to put it aside and finished the run with an increasing pace. My run was a disappointing 02:04 . I crossed the finish line in 05:31:24 (followed by a quick sprint to the toilets)!!

My overall position was 428/492 finishers. Despite my run I am not too disappointed with my time and I learnt a lot. It is a great race to do, very well organised in a great location and we were made very welcome throughout our stay, the local population is very supportive of the race and everyone was very friendly and helpful. I will certainly be back there next year. Website : http://www.lisboatriathlon.com/eng/main.htm

Sevenoaks Sprint Triathlon

20/04/2008

On 02 March (Mothers Day) myself and Philippe took our understanding wives to the Romantic City of Paris, however we had hidden agendas The Paris Half Marathon.

Time for the start was 0900 and we lined up just behind the Fast
people to the front with 2500 other runners to the rear, good? or bad
move?. After a few last minute hints from Phillipe who had completed
the run the year before we were off. Phillipe went off like a bullet
and stupidly I attempted to follow even though I knew I should start
slow and build. The race was excellently run and support was at every
5kms with drinks and munchies. 13 km in to the race and I started to
suffer all the way up to 17 km when I decided that I should drink more
and amazingly it worked. I ran well all the way to the finish where
Phillippe had been waiting for 7 minutes having completed the 13 mile
run in 1:31, 6 seconds fast than his time last year. I finished in
1:38, 3 minutes slower than my last Half Marathon. Overall I would
recommend the well run event and would love to run it next year if I
were here, however Philippe will no doubt be running next year if
people would like to go.  Ian Port

Thanet Duathlon

6th Jan 2008

Report written by Kate Austen – very enthusiastic spectator!

'The New Year saw a strong field at Saturday's Kent County Athletics Champs in Detling, and Ashford Triathlon Club Ladies Team stood up to the challenge competing against some of the best Running Clubs in the region. The conditions were ideal for a competitive run across the mixed terrain course, which ventured in and out of undulating woods and open fields on the hills at Detling.

Ashford Tri Club's strongest runner of the day Nicki Barron took off at a steady pace amongst the top 25 in the 70 strong field, with natural swimmer Christine Johnson half way through the pack, closely followed by newcomers to Cross Country racing Joanne Perry and Donise Winter. All four Triathletes put in consistent lap times picking up valuable places and points in the team event. Final results saw Nicki reach 21 st, Christine 40th with Jo and Donise battling out the last few hundred meters to the line to finish 66th and 67th respectively. Ashford Triathlon Club Women's were placed 12 th Team out of 15 of the counties strongest Athletics clubs! Well done ladies!

Lets not forget about the men who also put in a sterling performance.

10 intrepid (or deranged) members of the Club made it to a very chilly Detling on Saturday for the Kent County Championships. Despite the proximity of Detling Hill, the organizers had kindly kept the course to the relatively flat land of the show ground. The men's race was a 4 lap 12.4km affair around the slippery fields and woods with the team being led home by Phillipe Durand in 58:35 followed by Chris Ainsley (60:27), Ian Port (61:15), Terry Foreman (61:26), Mark Gabriel (63:00) and Andy Barwise(63:27). Overall the team came 13 th – a big improvement over last year! Well done lads!

Donise Winters Report from the Ballbuster '07:

A brief race report from the Ballbuster '07 on 10th November. Despite a rather late night (to bed at 12.30am after a fun night out at Ashford Tri's award night and the drive over to Surrey) I was nonetheless up bright and early at 6.15 am the next day for my first attempt at a Duathlon. I did not earn the Awards Night title of "Craziest Triathlete '07" without reason, I suppose. It was a freezing cold morning so I decided to pass on braving it out in my newly acquired Ashford Tri Club trisuit and opted for thermal layers and gloves instead. Here are my results: Run 1 (8 miles): 1:15:04 Bike (24 miles): 1:47:38 Run 2 (8miles): 1:30:27 Overall: 4:33:09. My conclusion is that duathlon (and certainly freezing, winter, very hilly duathlon) is even harder than triathlon. I was surprised at just how badly I could feel the effects of the first 8 mile run to the top of Box Hill in my legs before I even started the bike ride! No walking or bike pushing occurred albeit I had to drop to a ridiculously slow stumble to survive the last couple of miles "run" up to the top of Box Hill for the 5th and final time! I was using all the trade secrets Nicki has given me over the past year to get me to the top of that final 5th ascent! I found the race to be just as tough as its reputation (stated to be easily equivalent to a marathon on the website) but definately well worth the trip. Very nice views along the way and a great cup of tea and homemade cake at the end! This is a great, challenging event - easy enough to get to from Kent with a scenic course, so I will certainly have another go. I plan to get stuck into my training and attempt the Spring Ballbuster to see how much I can improve my time by then if I put my mind to it (I am sure I can)! The Spring Ballbuster is on 10/3 so if anyone else fancies a shot at it to kick-start themselves into '08, I'll give you a lift over there. Apparently you have to enter soon. I conclude that Nicki is truly superwoman and deserves the utmost admiration for achieving the time and result that she did in this race! Very inspiring and makes me want to try much harder. Unfortunately, I had to go to a long-arranged party in London on Saturday night after the Ballbuster and my sister had me up until 1am dancing on my sore stumps! Thankfully, however, they have now recovered.

Jim Hawkin's report from the infamous "Hellrunner" Race on November 4th 2007:

"Me and 2499 others took part in this event yesterday and what a cracker it was too. Salomon Hellrunner have a series of events up & down the U.K. The Hellrunner Down South event is held at Longmoor Army camp down in Hampshire. It's a 12 mile cross country run with a few surprises thrown in. The course is over the Tank training area and the woods around. Thankfully the tanks were having a rest. It is a very undulating route over sand, gravel, tarmac, grass and MUD , which was plentiful. Actually pits of it waist deep as one of the surprises! The other surprises included having to wade again waist deep across a small lake / big puddle at the bottom of a near vertical drop which you have to run down and subsequently run up after fording the water! Then there's a soft sand double steep traverse followed by . . . . .  yep you've guessed it a flooded sand pit! People were taking the run in true bulldog spirit dressed as Pirates, a wedding couple with vicar and bridesmaids in full regalia and the crew from Thanet Road Runners dressed as angels! A true Grin factor event with not a PB in sight. Fantastic!"

Terry Foreman's report from the Deal 5 miler on November 4th 2007:

" The fine autumn weather continued and conditions for the Deal 5 mile run were near ideal , with just a slight head wind on the return leg. Having learnt my lesson last year I took up a start position right at the front, whilst David opted to move back into the pack to a more modest position. A dead flat course with only a short section on unmade roads to sap the legs made for fast times and I was running comfortably until near to the end . Coming up to the final turn and ½ a mile to go I had the shock of my life as David breezed past me, having been cannily tracking me on the return leg. Well that fired me up for a last gasp ' sprint ' which helped us past a couple of other runners to ta k e 66 th and 67 th out of the 332 finishers. Times were 34:53 (over a minute off last years and a PB) and 34:56 for David (PB?). David had a blinding race and given the start positions morally beat me home - I ' m not looking forward to 2008 - too many people are getting good at this running lark".

Around 10 members from Ashford Tri Club took part in our 2007 Club Running Championship Race starting at the Julie Rose Stadium, in Ashford - the Givaudan 10k.
Kelly Ellis, Adrian Durran, Philippe Durand, Piotr Lazarewicz, Stuart Busby, Jan Pospisil, Terry Foreman, Dave Griffin, Ray Heath, Others???


Photo: Left to right: Stuart, Philippe. Terry, Adrian, Piotr & Jan

While some club members were coming to the end of a heavy season of racing - others had been training hard for this 10k Club Championship Race. Piotr and Jan led out the tri club team, with the others hot on their heels. Whilst myslef and the rest of the club's support crew placed bets on who would cross the line first, the runners, were combatting the unusually warm October weather on the streets of Ashford. Returning to the stadium first was Piotr, closely followed by Jan who both were sub 40min finishers. Close behind was Philippe, Stuart, Dave & Terry with sub 45 min times. Adrian, Kelly & Ray not too far behind in sub 50 mins.

Well done to everyone who was racing, but particularly the Winners of the Running Club Championship:
Ladies - Kelly Ellis
Mens - Piotr Lazarewicz

Report from Terry Foreman from the Folkestone Half Marathon - Sunday 30th November 07:
"Sunday saw a temporary break in the in our autumn weather with blue skies & light winds. The numbers this year were swelled to over 600 by refugees from Windsor and by the end several competitors were display the symptoms of blue tongue as well as foot and mouth. The course was slightly tweaked from last year (I ' m sure they made it longer) , but followed the normal route along the lees, a quick turn around the town and down the Hill of Remembrance to the promenade . It was getting a bit warm by now and I dropped the pace slightly, which saw eve rybody I had passed in the sprint around the town breezing past me. The halfway mark came up in 48 minutes so I was still on race plan as we did a detour around the more salubrious parts of Hythe. Back onto the promenade and the gentle breeze had now definitely strengthened towards gale force (a local phenomenon not apparent away from the coast). Rather annoyingly none of my fellow competitors felt inclined to run just a head of me where I could draft them, so I had to slog along the whole way, but at least I was comfortably cool. This year the legs lasted until mile 10 before calling a halt and the climb back up the ' Hill ' at mile 12 was the usual purgatory. A f o llowing wind along the Lees allowed a late rally and several scalps, although I couldn ' t quite catch the guy from Deal Tri who was just ahead. The legs now feel like I ran a sub 1:30, unfortunately I only managed a 1:41:34 . Still a minute off last year (& a PB when you ' re updating the tables) , so give it another decade and I ' ll be giving Phili p pe a run for his money!"

Bohdan Rainczuk was racing at the Maidstone Duathlon on the 23rd Septembers 2007 - Here is his report:
"I Took part in the Maidstone Duathlon on Sunday 23rd at Harrietsham. My time = 2 hours 9 mins 0 secs, Position 32 out of 64 starters. This year the distances were longer for some sections:- 9.5km for Run1 - Circular route, much better than the out and back along the A20 route last year 30km?? for Bike - forced change due to roadworks into Harrietsham - route now passed Charing roundabout to Ashford roundabout on the A20 and back 3.5Km for Run2 - route unchanged."

Gavin Davis was in action in the sand at the Quicksand 15 on 16th September 07. Sounds like a tough old race -

Gavin Davis - Quicksand 15
Here is Gavins Report: OPEN WORD DOC.

Rough Track Sprint Tri.

16 September 2007

One of our newer members was racing his first triathlon on 16th September 07 - with a great result too! Here is Paul Barron's report:


"Anxious, as this was my first triathlon, I kept reassuring myself that this was one event not three (I had read this somewhere) and I should not be too disappointed if the swim did not go well. I did not know what to expect and the starting hooter caught me by surprise. as did the finish when the speed picked up during the final third.
I was unsure of my position when I started the cycling because I could not differentiate between the tail end of a previous race and the front-runners in my race.
I knew I could catch the person in front and was able to pick a few off as I completed two laps of a 5k circuit. Bumpy and uncomfortable but reasonably level I continued my thoughts that, if I maintained a steady speed, I would have enough energy for the run.
The temperature had increased and, as the runners spread out in front of me, I set off on the final leg. I was sure it was one circuit, but I had been caught out last year (in the duathlon) and struggled during a second lap. I overtook one runner and asked if it was one lap? 'If you're doing the 3.5k distance it is' he panted.
Well it was, so it was. But was he on a different race to me?
The 3.5k was later announced as a 4.5k distance, I had felt the last unwanted kilometre as the cool breeze became masked by trees and bushes alongside the lake.
I pushed on, not knowing where I was positioned as the finishing line was shared between competitors for two events.
I was grateful for the medal and more grateful that the steward removed the ankle strap and chip (I thought that if I had bent over I might have collapsed).
I was delighted to have finished 19 th overall and 5 th in the over 40s wave. I intend to go back next year, when I'll be ready for the starter."

3 members from Ashford Tri Club ventured "Up North" to the beautiful Lake District to take part in the gruelling Hellvelyn Triathlon on the 9th Sept 07. Jim Hawkins, Alex Thomas and Jan Psopisil reckoned it is probably the hardest race they have ever done!
Race Report from Alex...
" Inevitably the day finally arrived.  Had I done enough preparation?
Would I survive the gruelling race ahead?  It seemed unlikely.  The
remaining 3 Ashford Tri Club members foolish, (or healthy ) enough to
attempt the race, Jan, Jim and I were distinctly nervous as the
briefing got under way.  We were also sorry not to be joined by
Christine as she had woken up minus her voice and generally not well
enough to compete.
Following the mass start, all 600 competitors in a single wave, the
swim got under way.  The water was perfectly comfortable despite
Ulleswater being one of the deepest lakes and notoriously cold, and the
1600 metres passed relatively painlessly.  Swimming is not my forte so
I was glad just to make it back to transition.  Needless to say there
was no sign of Jan who turned out to have had a very good swim.
The 38 mile ride was extremely hilly but very enjoyable, passing
through wonderful country.  The ascent of the Kirkstone pass was tough
but not a problem was a trusty granny ring.  I can think of no good
reason not to use one and wouldn't contemplate doing the race without! 
The final descent was certainly exhilarating if not terrifying. I
clocked up 42mph but was passed by 2 riders going much faster.
Then came the run...  Something of a misnomer I can't help thinking as
there was clearly no way of actually running most of the climb.  I
believe the serious folk may have managed it but I didn't see any
evidence personally!  For those of you who don't know, the "run" is 8
miles straight up Helvellyn and back down again with a climb of about
3000ft.  The final section is a scramble requiring full hands on
contact.  Any way, back to the race.  I managed to painfully make my
way up the hill and was much encouraged by Nicki and Christine's
wonderful support.  When I finally reached the top the weather had
settled into a rather lovely Lakeland day - horizontal rain, zero
visibility and freezing cold! I must remember not to do this next year
I thought to myself.
The run back down was better and my spirits were lifted further by more
cheers and encouragement from Nicki and Christine.  An apparition? How
had they got there?  Who knows but they presumably ended up running
further and almost certainly faster than the competitors! Such
dedication.
I had been hoping to complete the race in under 5 hours (based on
absolutely nothing) and was delighted to achieve it comfortably.  My
final time was 4hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds!  More importantly, I
had survived and was already planning how to improve my time next year!
It was a wonderful event.  Very well organised and great fun in a
fantastic setting.  I would strongly recommend it but be warned, it
hurts."

4 Members of Ashford Tri Club were competing at IMUK on 19th August 07 - Adam Stubbs, Stuart
Busby, Mark Turner & Navin Nauth-Misir -

Adam Stubbs(left) & Stuart Busby (right) at UKIM 2007

Here is Mark's report:

" IronMan UK Race Report

ATC had four intrepid starters in the UK Ironman, apprentices and
experienced hands. We also had a 100% record with four finishers. It was
my first and I can thoroughly recommend it. There only about 10 people
out of 1,500 entrants that are competing against anyone but themselves
which makes for a very friendly atmosphere.
Things got of the a great start with the swim. Think of Hythe canal,
that is what the water is like. Add some heavy overnight rain and think
of Glastonbury, that is what the swim exit was  like. Competitors were
kept waiting in the water for about 20 minutes due to a delayed start.
The mud had closed the competitors car park which lead to many late
arrivals. I added a little to my event with a two mile run past
stationary cars to get to the pre-race transition on time, plenty of
camaraderie on that section.
I left the swim exit a little late and benefited from having a dream
marshal tear off my wet suit in 2 seconds flat. The bike route was very
pleasant undulating countryside. I thought there was a strong headwind
on the return leg (3 laps) but that did not seem to bother the elite (or
Adam). What did bother me was my swimming trunks which were cutting into
personal areas. Apologies to the farmer who might find them in his
orchard. The marshalling was excellent and the feed stations abundantly
supplied. I tried several new delicacies which were most enjoyable right
up until the 13 mile marker on the run,
The run started semi cross country with two enjoyable laps in the castle
grounds. It ended on the tarmac with two most unpleasant laps on a main
road. Early runners were still plagued with the wind. Later runners who
got wet in the cycle suffered from cold and car headlights in the dark.
I got cramp a couple of times in the swim and the whole way through  the
bike ride my calf was saying  I am going to get you in the run. Luckily
it forgot about it later.
Yes, I would do it again, mainly for the pizzas at the finish.

times were:
Adam Subbs                12:00:28
Stuart Busby                12:55:36
Mark Turner                13:52:03
Navin Nauth-Misir        15:45:40


Stuart clearly warmed up as the day went on overtaking 200 competitors
on the bike and 100 during the run. Adam kept up a steady pace throughout the event finishing (so I am told) carrying his family over the line.
Despite the sabotage attempt, his employer sending him on a day trip to
China, Navin rose to occasion and notched off another Ironman."

Adrian Durran was in action at Swanage, here is his report:
The Swanage Triathlon has a reputation for being one of the tougher triathlons and, after only a week after London , I was a bit anxious about how I would do here, so I resolved to just take it easy and enjoy it. After a 4 ½ hour journey for a compulsory registration on Saturday (I think everyone must have been heading for a beach!), it was an early start for the swim on the Sunday. The 1500m swim is out and back across the bay. The sea was flat calm and amazingly clear, and it was quite diverting watching the schools of fish below you. Once out of the water you have to run up the beach and then 100 mtrs up a hill into transition. The 40K bike course is pretty tough with a lot of climbs, some short steep and technical descents, and some good straight stretches. The route is a big loop out of Swanage to Corfe Castle , Wareham then back over the downs into Swanage. You ascend out of Swanage with a testing climb as you head towards Corfe Castle , but the views are certainly worth the effort! After a steep winding descent into Corfe, it is reasonably flat out to Wareham and back, but then comes a final 10K of some pretty testing climbs. Happily for me the last part of the bike course is downhill, which gave my legs time to recover and at T2 I was complimented on having the best dismount they had seen all day (thank you Nicki!)! The 10K run is the toughest part of the course. About a mile from Swanage you climb over 400 ft (in about half a mile) to the top of Ballard Down. It is so steep that most people end up walking part of this and I was certainly no exception! The view from the top though is just breathtaking. It is then down the other side into the next bay and then back up and round Ballard Down into Swanage and the finish. Although my time for the run was not fantastic, it was better than London so I was very happy with that. My overall time was 02:50:33, which is not brilliant, but then I did not go there to get a PB! I must say it is a tough triathlon, but also a great one to do. I certainly enjoyed it. The location (especially with the great weather we had this weekend) and views out on the course were just stunning. It is quite a small event with only about 350 or so, but it is very well marshalled, friendly and well organised. If you are out that way next summer it is certainly worth going and doing. Website : http://www.conceptsport.co.uk/events.php?pid=1077 Results : http://www.tri247.com/results_3592.html

There were quite a few members of Ashford Tri Club competing over the weekend at the London Triathlon - race reports from Bohdan and Adrian:
Bohdan's report:
On Saturday bumped into Simon Scott, as those competing in the Tower Bridge route had to register and rack bikes on Saturday. On Sunday saw Jan who had come to watch and Adrian who was in the Wave group before mine. Then at swim assembly Will recognised my Ashford go faster tri suit. The only other Ashford member competing was Catty I think.
In swim assembly we had a celeb racing in my wave group, a chap whose name escapes me but presents or used to the BBC Breakfast show and the TV cameras were in attendance. I knew it was going to be a hard race today because we would be battling against the heat - 30°C. This was noticeable when we stepped onto the plastic pontoon, it burned my bare feet! - Couldn't get into the water fast enough.
After the usual bumping and barging after the start, I managed to find free space, probably because I was near the back already. Disaster struck after I turned at the 750m buoy, my swim cap pinged off. I wasn't sure of the rules, so I decided to stop and put the cap on - didn't want to get disqualified! Exited swim with unofficial time in just over 36mins, still pretty chuffed.
Onto the bike my strongest discipline and quickly I was passing people. Through the Limehouse tunnel I managed to clock over 36mph. On the second lap my chain came off. Fortunately I did not lose too much time as this has happened before in another race and I knew what to do. After the final turn near Tower Bridge I couldn't believe my bad luck when I started to get cramp in my left thigh. Had to back off racing and do on bike stretch exercises, which I had learnt from Nicki's Turbo training sessions and some massaging of the thigh. Surprising this worked and I was back racing if a little tentative initially. Unofficial swim, T1 and bike time under 1 hrs 48 mins.
Onto the run and a battle against the heat and a tired body. Thank goodness for all the marshalls who were throwing water at competitors and the shower sprays. Though it was torture watching the spectators drinking cool beer at the cafe bars dotted around the course. I have to confess that the conditions got to me mentally and I had to stop at least 4 or 5 times for a breather. Dug deep for the final run up the ramp into Excel and passed quite a few weary runners. A final sprint into the finish for the cameras - Unofficial time just over 2 hrs 39 mins. This was my 2 nd Olympic distance race and considering the last one took me over 3 hrs I was very pleased with my result. Maybe next year if I can improve on my swim I'll be able to Adrian a run for his money.

Adrian Durran's race report from London:
I arrived early on Sunday to take in the Elite races, and for that alone, going to London is worth the travel. You can get really close to the action, and they are amazing to watch! It would be churlish to complain about the weather, but Sunday looked set to be a very hot day. A midday start meant I would be racing in the full glare of the sun. After getting suited indoors just getting outside and into the water for the swim was a blessed relief. I was in the first men's 40 - 55 wave. I think there were over 450 in this wave. In spite of the size I had a good start from the front and went out hard to avoid the crowds, this worked until the turn buoy where it became a bit of a bun fight and I got punched very hard in the back (there is always one huh?). I let it go and just concentrated on my swim. Out of the water I had a bit of a struggle with the wetsuit (knocking my timing chip off), but had a good run into transition and passed several people on the way in. On the bike I had an ok ride and was quite surprised at actually how hilly the course was! I had been expecting a nice flat ride along the river! Out on the run I hit a brick wall. The heat really got the better of me and try as I might, I couldn't get the legs to move any faster. For me it was more of an ordeal between water stations! The heat got the better of several runners who had just collapsed by the side of the course. The water stations were dowsing everyone with bottles of water, and the sprinkler was such a relief. The downside of course was you ended up with very sodden shoes. The ramp up into the Excel building on the final lap took away any hopes of an elegant stride into the finish tunnel but it is a great experience, and the crowds really lift you. My overall time was 02:31:49. Special mention and a lot of thanks must go to Jan who took the day out to come and support and take photos. He seemed to appear everywhere on the course cheering and shouting encouragement and it was a great boost. Love it or hate it, the sheer scale of the London triathlon is just awesome, but despite the size it is a very well run and organised event. I have nothing but praise for all the friendly marshals and volunteers who only add to making it a great day out. I think , if only for the atmosphere alone, it is one of those events that has to be done at least once.

Bohdan Rainczuk was racing the Fowlmead Duathlon - this is his report:

The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly as people helped to set up transition for the Deal Tri Duathlon at Foulmead Country Park. I had opted for the longer race distance of Run 1 - 1.8 miles, Bike - 10 miles, Run 2 - 1.8 miles. After race briefing we were off, 1 lap of the path around the cycle track. Took it steady posting a time of 13.07, which put me in 19th place out of 21. There were some quick runners here this evening was my excuse. The bike route was 5 laps anticlockwise. Overtook a few people initially, after that tried to maintain a good rhythm. Time including both transitions 29.17 and I had moved up a few places. Run 2 1 lap again. Ran strongly even though passed by a runner near the end, was able to put in a last concerted effort before the finish and retake the runner. Time 13.18 giving total time of 55.42 and 15th place. Pleased that I was consistent on both runs, went home happy.  

Jim Hawkins & Jan Popsil were racing Olympic Distance at Worthing - here is Jim's report:
The day dawned a wet one. Well when I say dawned it was dark at 04.15 when Jan & I loaded into the car and left Ashford  for the trip to Worthing.
An hour and a half later we were registered, logged, tagged, chipped and ready for the off but that wasn't until 07.00. Next came the stealth mission of unloading and assembling our bikes and kit in a sleepy cul de sac at 06.00 in the morning.We prepped ourselves in the Transition area, suited up and headed to the beach. The sky was clearing as we tested the water just prior to the briefing.
Briefing over we mooched down the sand and waited at the water line for the hooter to sound. A last minute "best of luck" and handshakes with Jan and the start sounded. That was the last I would see of Jan for a few hours.
The swim section of the Worthing Tri is a 1.5k sea swim. Now I can swim in a pool front crawl till the cows come home but put me in the Ocean and all I can muster is the "Doggy Paddle" .All joking aside the swim section is marshalled by at least 8 canoes and 2 high powered speed boats. Just in case of trouble. The route is well defined and the sea conditions were such that no dramas occurred. 33m 46s later I staggered from the ocean. Jan had leapt gazelle like from the surf  in a time of  24m 42s to start the cycle section.
In transition to cycle I was cursing my socks as they wouldn't go over me feet, all the time hearing echoes of Nicki saying "socks are  a waste of time"
Out on the cycle course my aim was to catch up with a least a another rider or two only to be overtaken 500metres from the transition. That's the catalyst I needed. Top cog for the down hills & flats was the order of the day as we raced out of Worthing for the A24. The cycle route being a very good out & back course with just the right mix of hills & flats.
On the way we passed a group of local cycling club members out training who decided to join the fray. So for the next 30k a bunch of us Triathletes were leap frogging the locals in a good humoured game of cat & mouse. And I may add absolutely no drafting was involved! The locals peeled off with 3 k to go and it was hell for leather to the transition. Wheezing I saw the turn for the transition only to be told to go upto the next roundabout for a 180 turn. The bike section finished for me with a time of 1h 34m 05s for 43k which I was pleased with. Jan kinda put things into perspective though with a time of 1h 15m 45s. Dunno how he does it!
A quick change and out onto the running section. By this time the sky had cleared to give a sunny warm day. On the way out I passed Jan on the way in. A high five and exchange of grins Jan was home & dry in a 10k time of 39m 12s giving him an overall for an Olympic distance tri with sea swim of 2h 19m 40s. The 10k run route was as flat as a pancake along the promenade with a two circuit loop toward the pier then back to the finish. Normally running is my most proficient event but my legs were moaning at me for the fast cycle section and they cramped up halfway round (excuses excuses) so a stop to stretch out was needed. Back on the run and heading to the finish line the Tri was complete for me in a time of 3h 5m 03s. Not a fast time by seasoned triathlete standards but personally I was chuffed to bits.
The talk in the car on the way home was all about technique and shaving minutes of the various disciplines. Oh and wondering when the pool in Ashford is opening again!!!

 Thought I should tell you about my results from last week: I took part in a 5 day cycle stage race in Wales from Wed 27 June which was a 4 mile hill time trial. Thu 28 saw a 46 mile hilly road race in the morning followed by a 15 mile team time trial in the afternoon. Fri 29 saw us competing in a 56 mile flat stage race around Brecon Wales, all this was organised by Life-force. Even though the entry said from Cat 2 down to Cat4 most teams were all Cat 2 with most teams being filled with ex elite riders who didn't get enough points to ride elite this year. The whole event was one of the hardest races I have done, even harder than Ironman. 
 I then raced in the Olympic distance Steelman Triathlon at Dorney. As already said the weather was a bit hit and miss raining on and off. My start time was at 10.00 amongst around 40 other sad looking 35 - 39 year olds. The swim was supposed to be 1500 but they have since said that it was around 100 metres short which would explain the 20 swim time. Onto the bike which was a windy affair but good flat surface if not a bit boring at times with 8 laps around the rowing lake. The run was 4 laps up and down one side of the lake on a flat surface, one good thing was that you could gage if you were losing time by the distance of the other competitors. Overall time was 2.22 which was a good end to a hard week, coming 9 in my age group and 40 overall out of 395. Time for a rest? Maybe. 

On Sunday 24 th June Andy Barwise   had traveled to Zurich to take part in the Ironman Switzerland.  After  two days of  Thunderstorms in the preceding days the morning  started  with a  clear blue  sky. 

The swim course was a 3.8km swim in two laps  in Lake Zurich .  For the first kilometer this was a real fight to get any clean water  before the first  turn.  Not being  in the mood for a fight so early on I held  back and kept a  wide route  out of trouble in clear water,  I survived  with out too much damage suffering only a few kicks and knocks  in a  time of  1hr 18.  It was  quick transition and onto a 3  lap  180km bike course  which was  a very hilly affair   with climbs  up  hills with  names such as the Beast and Heartbreak hill and they certainly lived up to their  names,  the first lap was fine as the temperature was ideal but as the temperate  rose to the high twenties  laps  2 and 3  started to tell  especially on the climbs and on the final lap  I was beginning to be envious of those with a triple  front chain ring when I had run out of gears.  I was pretty happy with the 6hr 32  for the bike and then just the easy  bit left!!!  The marathon was a 4  lap  course and  I must admit  the first lap was  hell  suffering from the hills and bad sunburn,  but I must have entered a trance like state as  I cant really remember  much between the end of the first lap and the finish  and managed to finish the marathon in 5:16.  this gave a total time of  13:13mins  which was two minutes slower than Austria   last year  but "excuses excuses"  I think the  hills  were a lot  tougher or  perhaps just missed too many training sessions.  The  highlight for me  was that both my girls  aged  7 and 10  had competed in the Iron kids race   a 100m swim 2km ride and 600m run.  They had  both finished well  and were there  with there finisher T shirts  to  run across the line with me.  I am sure I must have been in better shape than last year as  the following morning there  were no aches and I had already decided to do another one next year!!  Mind  you  have not mentioned this to my wife yet!!!

After a wet and windy week I was not looking forward to competing - triathlon was the last thing I wanted to do! However, three brave women from Ashford Tri competed in the Timex WomenOnly Sprint Tri at Dorney Lake , Eton . This is a flat, quick course with the opportunity of breaking personal bests. My wave set off at 3.20 p.m. and the rain had not started yet. But it was definitely imminent and the wind was certainly getting up! I made a good start, coming second out of the water followed by a reasonably smooth transition (once I had found where the zipper pull was on my wetsuit). This was to be the first time that I tried Nicki's transition technique of attaching the shoes to the pedals with elastic bands (needless to say I was a little apprehensive!). And it would've been very smooth, other than the elastic bands not snapping!
With the swim and T1 completed, I only had a bike, T2 and run to complete - almost halfway, then. The bike was pretty uneventful - a four lap course - and then back into T2 to rack my bike, change shoes and stroll around the run, twice! As I was completing my second lap, the finish line in sight, Jayne passed in the opposite direction, well ahead of the pack and looking strong.
I finished in a time of 1 hour 22 minutes & 57 seconds, which I was chuffed to find out gave me second place in the 45+ category. Jayne Puckeridge triumphed with a first place in her wave, and also first place in the sprint distance, with a time of 1 hour 10 minutes and 12 seconds. Janette Thompson also did well, coming 27 th in her age group in a time of 1 hour 29 minutes and 47 seconds.

The Dambusters - Or should that be 'A bridge too far'?
799 of the top age groupers in the country plus myself turned up to Rutland Water on Saturday to take part in The Dambuster, an age group qualifier for the Worlds (not that I had any aspirations in that direction) as well as being the RAF championships apparently.
Well this was my second target race for the season and things were looking pretty good - training over the winter had gone well, my run times were down, I'd been out on the bike at least a couple of times and my swimming (well least said about that the better). I'd analysed my times from last year and set my target times for each sector, all in all I was feeling pretty confident.
But as they say pride comes before a fall.
After thunder storms and heavy rain the night before, the day itself was cool and overcast with a moderate wind - pretty ideal conditions. The race is based around Rutland Water, a man made lake in which the swim is staged. This is in a fairly sheltered arm of the lake making for some good swim times - or in my case a steady plod. Apart from a bit of cramp this went pretty well.
Now I've heard a lot about it being best to get your wetsuit off as soon as you get out of the water as it' easier before all of the water drains out. So before running to transition I thought I'd get the top half off - I got the zip down ok, then couldn't get the damn thing over my hands so treated the spectators to the sight of someone trying to run whilst their hands are tied together with a wetsuit! Fortunately most of my age group had already disappeared so I had a fairly empty area to writhe around in like a man possessed as I fought with my wetsuit for control of my extremities.
However my problems really started when I got on the bike. My legs decided to wake up to the long ride I'd done the previous weekend (I'd been fine all week) and act as if they'd already done 50 miles. This didn't help as the first part of the bike course is generally uphill and into the wind. After about 5 miles they decided to listen to my threats of amputation and start working, although I was still being passed by little old ladies off down to the shops and needless to say most of the field. I managed to get through the Rutland Ripple, a series of steepish climbs and descents without having to resort to walking and was grateful when the course turned downwind and I could wind up the gears a bit on some really good roads. The last part (about 5 miles) was back into the wind again and the sight of transition was a short lived relief.
The run section is nearly totally flat as you follow the shoreline round to the dam. The dam is ¾ mile across and you cross it 4 times, there and back, there and back. Mentally this is quite hard as you drag your tired corpse along, look up and realise the turnaround point is still in the far distance, doing it 4 times is really quite unpleasant. Fortunately the wind was across the dam otherwise I probably would have wimped out. The run then takes you back around the shore line, up a short sharp incline and then a final 200m down to the finish line where I managed a late rally to 'sprint' past a couple of competitors to the line.
Finally I have my time, 2:45:28 - 3 minutes better than last year, but end of year report will read ' must try harder! ' .

Four members of the Ashford Triathlon Club travelled to Somerset hoping to conquer the toughest ½ Ironman course in the world. For three, Stuart, Navin and Adam this was a key "warm up" event for the full Ironman in August, however for Simon this was his key race of 2007.

Race morning arrived - clear, dry and no mist, just what the doctor ordered. The athletes, 1260 in total, headed down to Wimbleball Lake for the start of a one lap swim. The first Ashford Triathlon Club member out of the water was Adam with a time of 32:01, followed by Simon, Navin and then Stuart, all within 6 minutes of each other.
Exiting the water the athletes were met with a tough run to transition, an uphill gradient that would be revisited later on the run course.
Once out onto the bike course the four ATC'ers quickly got into the rhythm of climbing and descending hills; 52 hills in total, including two monsters that hand to be covered twice on the two lap bike course.
On the bike the positions started to change with Stuart overtaking Navin, posting a very impressive bike split of 3:42 . Simon maintained his slight advantage over Stuart by posting an identical bike split whilst Adam extended his lead with a bike split of 3:25.
The run maintained the hilly theme, making good use of the Exmoor terrain and scenery. Athletes were taken through several spectator friendly areas before running to the Wimbleball dam. This was an awesome sight - even if it was not fully appreciated on the third lap!
In the run Stuart started to increase his pace and his bid for second spot. An impressive run time of 1:59 meant that he recorded a finish time of 6:36 . He was closely followed by Simon who finished his run in 2:22 , with an overall finish time of 6:47 . Navin found the run tough, having suffered on the bike leg, but managed to finish with a smile on his face in 8:13 . Adam managed to match Stuarts fast run pace which resulting in a finish time of 6:06.

The aptly named votwo 'Long Swim' took place on Saturday 9th June at South Cerney Lake near Cirencester.
The accurate 3.8km course attracted 129 competitors keen to try their hand at an Ironman distance swim, many in preparation for a big event later in the season, others simply because they had nothing better to do and wanted to get out of the house for a while.
Ashford Triathlon Club had two representatives who were willing to travel across the country to compete. Adrian Durran and Adam Stubbs were looking to post respectable times in preparation for races later in the season. In near perfect conditions Adrian raced round the course and was very happy with his fantastic time of 1 hour and 6 minutes, finishing 26 th fasted male.
Adam, attempting this distance for the first time in a race, managed to finish in 1 hour 11 minutes, a respectable 45 th fastest male finisher.

Set off early on Sunday for Blenheim Palace Sprint Tri near Woodstock , Oxford . Weather was sunny, hot, a fantastic setting for a Tri. Bumped into Claire and Alex on the way to transition and was slightly dismayed to be told that the bike and run course was not as flat as I first thought, they had raced on Saturday. The plus side was a bike course with no vehicles to worry about. At the start of the swim nobody wanted to be at the front with bunching at the back so I moved forward to the line. Have a good start and felt comfortable. After some minutes into the swim I was being kicked and pushed by other swimmers which made me feel good, because normally I'm usually at the back on my own watching the other swimmers disappear into the distance. The swim exit had us running up hill for nearly 400m to transition, testing our stamina. The bike course was undulating, overtook lots of people and had a personal battle with a young guy who had better technique on the hillier sections, while I was quicker on the flat and down hills. Managed to hit 36.7mph at one point. Nicki I need some hill climbing advice/training, can't let these young guys get the better of me! Finally out of transition and onto the run. The first obstacle was a steep ramp made for crossing over the bike route, the calf muscles certainly felt it. The young chap from the bike came past me, but I was beginning to wilt in the heat and could offer no challenge. The water stations were a God send and felt like for a few seconds that I had new legs. Battled up the last hill, with the majestic palace ahead. The run was 5.4km and the finish could not come soon enough, still managed a sprint finish, another competitor giving chase and having a little battle with him for 100m. Slumped exhausted at the finish but pleased to have done this race. My time was 1.29.22, putting me in 705 th out of over 2000. Even though my running has improved due to training I'm finding it hard to replicate the improvements during a Tri race, any advice? - More bike and run brick training? Alex had a better race finishing in 1.27.00 and in 510 th place. Claire had a reasonable race in a time of 1.52.30 considering she was carrying a knee injury.
Steve Thompson has a great video clip of him crossing the finish line at Blenheim - take a look - http://blenheim2007.sportcamvideo.net/videopage.php?bib=2681

A full weekend of racing was on offer at Milton Keynes over the weekend, and several ATCers made the journey to take part. First race on Saturday was the National Aquathlon Champs, in which Jayne Puckeridge swam and ran the field down to win her age group (35-40yrs) - Well done Jayne - here is her report:

Only just made it to Milton Keynes in time for my 1pm start time on Saturday. There had been an accident on the M1 and the traffic was dreadful. At one point we were going to turn back and go shopping at Lakeside instead. Anyway made it with 20 mins to spare and luckily they still let me register. Dropped my stuff in transition and headed off to find the lake. The start was the usual mass of people swimming on top of one another. The water was lovely and clear and fairly warm. There was a couple of people there to help haul me out of the water at the end of the swim completed in 13.28s. This was a pretty average swim for me (I seem to do an almost identical time every time I swim 750m whether it is in the sea, lake or a pool!). Set off on the run with a few people in sight which i caught quite quickly on the first lap. Second lap, overtook one more. At the end I had no idea where I finished (Richard said there were too many in front of me to count!). Checked the results on the website later and was very surprised to find that i had won my age group (35-39). Rather fortuitous that none of the 16 ladies that beat me were in my age group. Total time 37.25. Unfortunately due to allowing my British Triathlon Membership to lapse, despite winning my age group, i did not get the National title - or the gold the medal :-( Let this be a lesson in how not to win a National title !!!  O verall, great race venue and great conditions. Highly recommend this race for anyone considering it for next year.

Also racing was Adrian Durran who competed in all three events over the weekend - that's going some! Here is his report:
This weekend I was back up at Milton Keynes to compete in the Big Cow Tri Fest. With 3 events over the weekend, and this being my 5 th weekend in a row, I knew that if anything it was going to be a bit of a trial of endurance. The weather, for once, was simply wonderful and made for a great weekend! The first race on Saturday was the Aquathlon (BTA National Championships) which was a 750m swim and a 5.3 K run. I put in a good swim and for once managed to get out of my wetsuit in record time (T1 took only 01:04) and felt good heading out on the run. After 2K though, a recurrent problem I have had with my shoes (blisters), reopened old wounds and made the run a bit of a painful battle, and after the finish line the first thing I did was take the blood soaked shoes off! My time was 38:37 which put me 8/11 in my age group (40-44) and 77/142 overall. My biggest concern now, with my feet in such a state, was how I was going to manage on the Sunday. My next race on Saturday was a 1000m open swim. There was a reasonably large start, and with a narrowing up to the first buoy, the first 200m became a bit of a bun fight and I got kicked and punched several times! I put in a good swim though and finished in 16:38, 6/21 in my age group (40+) and 37/85 overall. Sunday saw me putting a visit in to the St John's guys for some strapping for my very tender and sore feet! The last event was a Sprint Triathlon (750m/20K/5.3K), and, apart from the feet, I was feeling the effects of all my endeavours. This event was an Age Group Qualifier for the 2007 World Sprint Championships, and being the last chance to qualify saw quite a large turnout. Again the sun was shining making for a great day ahead. I had an ok swim but ground to a halt in T1 struggling to rid myself of my wetsuit. My bike leg was good but with tired legs I was grinding out the hills! Out on the run, again with tired legs, it was quite a surreal experience with wanting to go faster, but simply having nothing there to do it with! My time was 01:20:58, 43/58 in my age group (40-44) and 267/364 overall. Webite : http://www.pgix.net/bigcow/ Results : http://www.pgix.net/bigcow/resultscalendar.asp

Two ATC members were racing in the 3rd of the series of Thames Turbo Races during the Bank Holiday - Moira Lewis and Adrian Durran - here is Adrian's report:
This Bank Holiday Monday I was back for the 3rd Race in the Thames Turbo Sprint Series looking to improve on my time from race 2 . A strong cold wind and driving rain (typical BH weather) put paid to that, and I think you had to be either brave, mad or obsessed to be competing in that sort of weather, so two out of three is not bad! The sensible people stayed in bed so there was not a big field, which meant a spacious transition area and not having to wait too long for the swim start. I found the conditions very difficult to race in, and for me all thoughts of PB's went out of the window and I resolved to just complete the course with some dignity. My abiding memory of the race was of being very cold, very wet and whilst on the bike leg, on occasions, very scared! I finished the race in 01:23:59 which put me 37/56 in my age group (40-49) and 144/244 overall. Over 10 minutes slower than my last attempt! Also out braving the elements was another ATCer Moira Lewis who did far better with a time of 01:36:04 which put her 2 nd in her age group (50-59) and 203/244 overall. Website : http://www.thamesturbo.co.uk Results : http://www.thamesturbo.co.uk/memberforum/viewtopic.php?t=2647

Terry Foreman braved the Bank Holiday weather to race in the Fowlmead Duathlon on Monday 28th May - Here is his report:
Around 50 athletes decided to risk the bank holiday weather and take part in the official opening duathlon at the new Fowlmead Country P ark near Deal. Luck was with them and they were blessed with perfect conditions - little wind (always a problem at Fowlmead), dry and sunny - although not to o hot. Despite the torrential rain the night before the running track was dry with the exception of a couple of lakes .  Whether it was the conditions o r club pressure (with Deal fielding nearly half the entry list) , either way Tim Kingston came home first in 48:04. Tim Sutton put in a fine performance ( despite claims of not being fit ) , in what may have been his first multi sport event (?) with a 1:03. No doubt once Tim gets the aero bars fitted to the mountain bike, that time will be coming down (Tim recorded 4 th and 3 rd fastest for the run splits) . Whilst I couldn ' t quite match Tim on the run I did have an interesting race long battle with Mo Ovenden, swapping places several times on the bi ke leg. As we screeched into T2, Nicki ' s transition training came into play and I was able to grab a 20 second lead that Mo couldn ' t quite get back. Finished 18 th with a time of 56:49 - so pretty chuffed (& puffed) .

East Grinstead Tri was our club target race, so good to see so many members turning out to fly the ATC flag - shame about the weather tho!
Here is Terry's race report:

A record turn out for the club saw 14 eager ATCers competing in the 400 strong field. The strong winds of the previous day had largely died away and conditions were cool and damp. A good swim saw me heading out of T1 on target when things went slightly pear shaped - I ' d forgotten to put the tube in my drink holder - heading out of EG and the mesh top decided to fall out, so I was now get liberally sprayed with energy drink at every pothole. I decided to dismantle the drink holder to try and take in some fluid as I went along - which worked except I had no way of reassembling it properly so I had to hold it in place (all pretty trivial compare d to Stuart ' s woes) . That said the bike section went pretty smoothly (despite the notorious bumpy section at halfway ) and I had an interesting battle with #100 as we strove to be the first back into transition , swapping places several times . T2 was a bit of a mess (poor bike dismount despite Nicki ' s coaching) and I headed out onto the run about 10m down. A slight hamstring twinge meant I backed off to start with (plus I was knackered) and despite a late rally couldn ' t close the gap. Unofficial time 1:27:44, 7minutes better than last year so pretty happy , without the minor hiccups could have perhaps shaved a few more seconds off - just got to practice posing for the camera now (thanks Chris - you could have had the decency to delete that one!) - I ' ll have to ask Mark for some tips.


Well done to Ian Port who was the fastest ATCer overall - club results can be viewed here. Full results on the EG website

Adrian Durran was racing in his first triathlon on BH Monday - Below is his report ...

Monday's weather made this seem like quite an intimidating and challenging event. Luckily the rain, for the most part, held off. It was pretty cold and windy first thing in the morning, and getting into the pool for the swim (426m) was a welcome relief. It is an outdoor heated pool, and it felt like getting into a warm bath! My swim leg including T1 was 08:15, 4th in my age group (40-49) and 39th overall. The bike (21K) was a flat "out and back" along the Thames with a very strong head & side wind for most of the way, with the added complication of a road closure on the route entailing a dismount and a 25m run before mounting and riding off again. All the practise at club nights has paid off! My bike leg was not sparkling, 41:43 (151 overall & 47 age group), and I finished off the run in a very pleasant park (5 K) inc T2 in 23:52 (116 overall and 28th in my age group). Overall my time was 01:13:50 which placed me 98/358 overall and 24/85 in my age group. It is a very well run and friendly event, and a good introduction to this obsessive madness! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. More importantly I was very grateful for all the training & tuition I have had on club nights....it really does make all the difference! I will be back there for Race 3 at the end of the month to see if I can improve on my time!

Race report for the Whitstable 10km Race -
4 members of the Club braved the blustery conditions on Monday to take part in the Whitstable 10k (fortunately the rain held off). The course was pretty flat with the return leg being along the promenade. This made for a stiff headwind on the return although the cool conditions at least meant there weren't crowds of holiday makers to fight through (Tim reckoned the wind was worth a couple of minutes - plus or minus he didn ' t say!) . The Friday 5 race was obviously a good warm up and whilst he couldn ' t quite manage 1 st male vet again, Tim Sutton put in a 38:08 to take 22 nd out of the 514 finishers . Terry Foreman used his home advantage to chip some time off his PB and managed a 43:33. Stewart Catt bravely fought off a recurrence of tendonitis to complete the course in a 58:3 2 , whilst his nemesis /mentor Hayleigh Empett completed in 58:31 having opted to encourage Stewart to the line. Read Stewart Catt's report of the race - first ever 10k I believe! - Read his report here...

Well done to all ATCers who took part in the Sevenoakes Triathlon on Sunday 15th April 07 - here is Terry Foreman's race report:

Glorious sunshine greeted the 5 strong contingent from Ashford Tri Club who ventured to Sevenoaks on Sunday.


A staggered start saw the slower swimmers first in the pool at the early hour of 6:45am. Having completed the 400m swim it was st r aight on to 27kms of cycling through the hilly countryside. The riders were hitting 40mph on the long downhill section out of Sevenoaks , however what goes down must come up again and the competitors faced a stiff 120m climb at two thirds distance. Once back into to the transition area it was a quick change into running gear and straight out for the final discipline, an 8km run through the undulating scenery of Knole Park . By now the sun and temperature had risen and the later starters had warm wok as they toiled up the long 100m climb to the turnaround point.
Jim Hawkins, competing in his first triathlon, cruised round in a time of 2 hours dead. Damien Tonna, one year on from his first event, knocked 5 minutes off his time to come home in 1:55. Mark Turner put in a solid performance to finish in 1:54. Bohdan Rainczuk was looking very slick in transition and seemed to make light work of his time of 1:44. Terry Foreman completed club ' s presence putting in a time of 1:43.

Philippe Durand was in action at the weekend over in Paris - taking part in the Paris Half Marathon - He had a great race clocking 1hr 31mins and coming 1683rd out of 8282 competitors!

Ashford Tri Club hosted its first multi sport race this weekend in Kings Wood, Challock, Nr Ashford. The challenging off road course attracted competitors from clubs as far a field as Cambridge and the Czech Republic .
The first run section of the race started at a blistering pace as competitors ran along hard forest tracks. As the route ventured into the trees, the muddy paths proved more arduous, as runners fought for traction underfoot. Appearing out of the wood in first place was the runner for relay team Morris/Ellis. Hot on his tail was Chris Neale from Larkfield AC, Activ's Justin Mills and Czech triathlete Jan Popisil.

Race Winner Justin Mills

Leading out the ladies was Deal Tri's Mo Ovenden, who had a superb first run, giving her almost a 2 minute lead over 2 nd lady Tabitha Rendall from Larkfield AC. However, the mountain bike skills of Rendall allowed her to catch her rival to take on the lead. A little further down the field, Anne Poole from Larkfield AC and Alison Stagg form Deal Tri were battling it out in the veteran category. Mere seconds split the two riders, as they played cat and mouse, jostling for first place.

Mo Ovenden Ladies Winner

Meanwhile, back in the men's race, the overall favourite Neale, suffered from mechanical problems on the bike and had to resort to carrying his bike to finish lap one. Swapping bikes, he was able to continue, hot on the tail of his nearest rivals Mills and Deal Tri's Bryan May.
The hilly sections of the course saw some competitors coming to a complete standstill, having to resort to pushing their bikes to the top. While the fast downhill sections produced some thrills and spills on the sharp bends and slippery muddy sections.
Onto the final run, competition was fierce with the relay guys. Team Walker/Hibbard, Team Morris/Bacon and Team Sutton/Jones were ready to battle it out on the last lap. With over a 2 minute lead going out on the run Team Walker/Hibbard led all the way taking a comfortable win and 1st team prize.
In the men's individual race Mills set off on the run with a good lead over Neale and Larkfield AC's Matt Hughes, which he maintained to the finish to take 1st place overall. In the veteran category, Bryan May took 1st place.

Just a couple of ATCers took part in the Larkfield Aquathlon on Saturday - here is Tom's report:

I participated in the third Larkfield Aquathon which was a 500m swim and 5K run. There was a small field of 35 that braved the fresh but sunny weather last Saturday at Larkfield Leisure Centre. The swim was made easy by the staggered start and due to the time of year competitors were allowed ten minutes to dry and change before starting their run. This ensured no wet runners were in danger of freezing if the weather had been worse! I posted a sub 10min PB swim and completed my race in just over 30 mins timing in 10 secs faster than Adrian who had completed a much better swim time. We came in 13th and 14th overall to give a good showing to Ashford Tri Club.

Beth Rees took part in the infamous "Tough Guy" this weekend and got a PB over last year by 20mins and was 3rd female vet! Here is her report:

" Tough Guy currently runs twice a year - once in January and once in July.  The events differ in that the January run is longer but there is only one lap of the assault course; in July there is a shorter run but two laps of the assualt course.  They don't cancel for anything and will happily break the ice on the lakes to run the January one.

The run route is x-c, mainly flat but varied terrain - including mud, fields, paths, woodland - and one section which snakes up and down the side of a steep slope.  Towards the end of the run is a set of mud / water filled ditches and cargo nets to crawl / walk through and we were snaked in and out of a stream with steep sides.  The run is advertised as 8 "country miles" but I did it in an hour so I think it is probably around about 6 miles.

The assault course is challenging.  The obstacles are designed to be high and/or challenging so you need a head for heights and a willingness to push yourself out of your comfort zone (well, I do, anyway).  Around 4000 people start the event so there can be log-jams at the obstacles too so you can end up queuing.  The way to avoid this is to put in a bloody good run time and get ahead of the crowds!  There are overhead rope walks, water slides, cargo nets, a "walk the plank" style jump, a crawl under barbed wire, tyre and concrete tunnel crawls, and lots and lots of mud.  Very deep mud in places.  You need to be willing to get very wet (including putting your head under the water) and very cold in very smelly conditions!

In my experience the assault course takes about as long as the run does.  It's a great event for cameraderie.  You can go round as a team or individually but there'll always be someone to give you a leg up if you need it.  Unless of course you're in the lead!  There are "prescribed" ways to do the obstacles but these only really apply to the front runners - for the rest of us you just do them the best you can. 

I'd really recommend it as a great challenge.  Hints and tips on the clothing front.  Wear good x-c shoes, light gloves and (if poss) good gym gloves over the top of them, a hat you're not worried about losing, long leggings and a long sleeved top and a big grin.  Don't wear anything that you love or can't live without because it will never be the same again - the mud never really comes out!!  Oh, and get there early - the traffic to the event is mad and it's worth doing a tour of the assault course before the start."

Terry Foreman and Dave Griffin were out racing around the Betteshanger Cycle Circuit on Sunday 14th Jan - here is Terry's report:

David and I turned out for the club on Sunday for what was a fairly well attended event (26 finishers) - 1.8m run, 10m bike, 1.8m run . Conditions were good and the run track was in fine condition given recent weather. David completed the course in a very strong 1:02:33 in what was his first multi sport event finish (no punctures this week.). I failed to break into the 1 hour mark by 3 seconds - must put in more effort on the bike training - just as well it's a turbo session this week.