By admin on
16/07/2005
Fog, fog, and more fog!! Unfortunately and quite surprisingly the weather got the better of the race organisers. A thick fog stubbornly hung over the lake delaying the race start by 2 hours. And once started the swim was reduced to a 400m dash. The delay coupled with the reduced length of the swim seemed to dampen the race spirits of most of us, taking the wind out of our sails a bit and reducing enthusiasm for racing over a reduced course (although it did give Tristan the chance to wake up!). Also chewing on energy bars at 7:00 in the morning to try and keep energy levels high was not my idea of a Sunday morning fry up!
So after a 300m swim through what can only be described as the dirtiest open water swim I have ever done we were faced with an almost equally long run to the transition area located in the local athletics track and race stadium. The transition area really did give the feel of a professional race with bikes racked on wooden stands rather than precariously hanging from an iron bar.
With the swim being so short and the hurry to get us all out on the road before we brought Ashford to a standstill there was the obvious problem generated with many bikes bunching together making drafting very difficult to avoid at times. The bike ride opened with a long 1.5mile hill climb after 2 miles. This was the worst part of the ride and the rest of it was rolling flats with a few small climbs thrown in for good measure.
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By admin on
16/07/2005
 Overall the event was a great experience and the welcome at the finish line made up for all the pain suffered during the race. The swim was tough, overcrowded from start to finish and no fun at all! However, the bike course gave you back the freedom to move and the surroundings and cheering spectators were just amazing. Finally, the marathon in the scorching heat of 31 degrees was hard, but well supported by strategically placed water and food stations. The logistics and organisation were superb and I can strongly recommend this fantastic race. [Daniel Mertens]
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By admin on
10/07/2005
The Etape du Tour 2005 started in the Pyrenean town of Mourenx, a jewel in the crown of Industrial France. Local must-sees include the cement works, the extruded polymers plant and, of course, the Eddy Merckx velodrome. The velodrome acted as the welcome village for the Etape and the first port of call for the intrepid Ful-on-Triers to collect numbers and goodybags.
All 8200 competitors got underway in 8 waves setting off between 7 and 7.30 on Monday. It was a clear morning and the site of a ribbon of cyclist snaking through the Basque countryside was unforgettable.
The ride itself was 181k long comprising of 3 major climbs- the warm up Col d'Ichere (647m at 8%), the killer Col de Marie Blanque (1035m at 11%) and The Big One Col d'Aubisque (1677m at 8% but a mindblowing 16.6k long!). The other factor was that it wasn't enough to get around but you also had to average 19km/h at all times to avoid the Broom Wagon. With that in mind the goal was to hit the top of Aubisque in less than 4.45hrs.
It's...
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By admin on
08/07/2005
Last Saturday, at 7.30 pm, Emily Reynolds, Tristan Roper, Gavin Bradley, Bryan Tate, new-member Jaco, and I elbowed our way through the wet-suit clad throng of 220 runners legging it the 1.5 miles to Carbis Bay from St Ives. The 1.5 mile sea swim back to St Ives was blissful: a slight swell at first gave way to dead calm for the remaining mile back to the harbour with the evening sun belting down on gin-clear water.
Ms Reyonlds put in a fine performance, completing the whole thing in 44 mins, with Roper bringing up her rear in 47 mins. The race was all over by 8.30 pm and it was onto a complimentary pint and pasty and more drinks tillo closing time.
Not wanting the evening to end, we gained insider knowledge of "Liberty's", a nightclub for the mature and somewhat overweight, on the edge of town. Imagine all the worst weddings you've ever been to. So bad, it was great. For brevity, I'll spare you the details here but do ask Emily about her run ins with the gulls; Roper about his quest for blue juice; and...
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By admin on
02/07/2005
PRE-RACE: Tongy: The struggle of leaving work for a few days (how would they survive without me?!), only just making the flight due to traffic, and a day of bad weather in the last few days of prep were not ideal since I am a stress nut. However, was happy on the Saturday to finally ride my bike, stretch the legs with a run and have a massage before race briefing and I finally started to relax. Enjoyed being able to bore Tim and Shannon about Ironman racing for a few days, the pre-race dinner with all the crew (Alyson plus Tim's mum Jean & brother Martin) and an early night. Race morning came and I was eager, the weather was good and there was a hum of excitement in the breakfast room at the hotel at 5am. Tim & Shannon: We were as ready as we ever could be to race, thanks largely to Andrew's advice - well - the bits we remembered before dropping off.
SWIM: Tongy: A warm up, a goodbye from Alyson, and we all headed to the start with 2,000 other swimmers to find any space we could. The start was a boxing match - a frenzy of arms and legs, which never really got any better. Exited in 1.06 on target. Tim & Shannon: (1.10 and 1.14) - Awesome! 3.8k of contact swimming with Tim coming out of the water having twice rescued his goggles from being kicked off, and Shannon coming out with a large cut on her chin from the frenzied kicks and scratches of 2,000+ nervous swimmers trying to stay afloat. She was hoping for a little scar on her chin to show off to her friends and work colleagues, but it quickly healed showing no signs of her "tough as nails" attitude in her ultra distance feat.
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By admin on
02/07/2005
The swim was a massive rugby scrum with all 2000 competitors starting together. The lake allowed some spreading out of abilities, but the final 500m up a narrow canal meant that weaker swimmers were dragged along and stronger swimmers were hindered by the melee - which probably suited me quite well on balance. Despite a few feet in the face, I managed to keep a fairly good rhythm and felt stronger than expected coming out of the water.
The bike ride was pretty quick and the hills that we had been warned about didn't turn out to be so bad. I managed to keep going up the climbs as the crowds of supporters were magic and there were several DJs at the summits which helped spur you on. I forced myself to not get overtaken by anyone up the steep climbs which are harder on heavy blokes and then I was able to overtake quite a few on the downhills - my max speed was 46mph! I was disciplined about forcing water and energy bars down my neck all the way round and poured water over myself which I grabbed at the aid stations...
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By admin on
02/07/2005
The alarm goes off at 0430. Out of bed, I start applying high factor sun screen and washing down malt loaf with water and the first of many sickly sweet sports drinks. Down at the start the crowds are gathering, the music is blaring and the commentator is whipping up the support. My friend and fellow competitor, Ross and I make our way to the far left where the crowd of rubber-clad oddballs appears to be thinner. There is little being said among the competitors on the beach. The lake looks smooth and clear. Ross and I wish each other luck, then we're off. All 2,000 competitors enter the water together and the maelstrom begins.
Compared to other triathlons, I have done more swim training and crucially, or so I think, a reasonable amount of open water swimming in the wetsuit. I believe I am confident and well prepared so I start in the thick of things and strike out strongly. 200 metres in and I think it is going alright. My arms ache, maybe I have started too hard but I am coping. Then I am hit hard on the goggles...
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