By admin on 24/06/2006

The ambition of almost every triathlete is to complete the ULTIMATE: The IRONMAN. After 3 years in the Club, a lot of people have accomplished this very, very, very long distance and talked about it with passion... At the end of the 2005 season, I registered for the event in my country of origin, Ironman France in Nice (and it is nice in Nice... too easy). As usual for every event, I gathered a huge amount of information to discover this other world where people endure pain and glory... But, I just wonder: Why do I want to do the ultimate endurance event? What I am looking for? Am I crazy or does something else push me to do it? First thing: the training. In the book they were talking about 15 to 20 hours of training a week. Ooops, no way I could do it. However - I was motivated to do it for 7 months. Second thing to consider: My swim is pretty poor and I don't know if I can do the distance...2 or 3 times in the lake will do ???!!!! Very optimistic... Third thing: I have never run a marathon. But I am very, very,...

Read More »

By admin on 24/06/2006

Five Ful-Ons joined the GB team in Autun (the really hot bit in the middle of France) for the European Championships. In typically French fashion the event organisation and location were "magnifique," with the swim and run based at the lake on the edge of town, and the bike course heading into the forest behind. The bike course recce left everyone a little nervous over their choice of bike/wheels/brakes (not helped by "Danger" signs and bales of hay round some of the corners of a very tricky descent), although the promised 6k climb out of town was steady rather than overly steep. However once again though nobody seemed to have explained to the organisers that Olympic distance is 40 rather than 45k, and that we'd have been quite OK with a 10k run rather than 11. Another case of "more" not actually being "more"? Team formalities having been dealt with early on Sunday morning, together with photos (devilishly handsome group, don't you think?) we all set off in the same wave (Men: 20-40) at 3pm. The swim was designated...

Read More »

By admin on 17/06/2006

Ideal preparation for a race usually involves trying nothing new on race day, arriving in adequate time to ensure meticulous set-up, doing thorough research of the course layout and then eating well and getting a good nights sleep. Given Jo Knight's and my combined efforts at the weekend I've got the following advice: Don't arrive at the venue 3 hours after the compulsory race briefing and just before transition closes

Don't choose getting an ice-cream ahead of finding the stressed Head Coach to give him his race wheels to put onto his bike

Don't choose a hotel next to a historic bell tower which chimes every hour on the hour thus ensuring little to no sleep

Don't use a bike you've never used before and have just picked up brand new

Don't use tri-bars for the first time ever (and especially not on descents)

Don't use a wetsuit you've never used before that is a size too small

Don't run with a sore knee

Try not to cut your foot open at the start...

Read More »