NICE LONG COURSE

Well this was the last ever Nice long Course race as next year will be Ironman and it was sad to see the demise of what is the greatest and oldest European triathlon. The weekend started well with our wonderful accommodation with 4 blokes, 3 bikes squeezed into a room with 4 sets of bunk beds which would have been great if it hadn't been for the other four people in there, although they did prove to be a source of amusement particularly Trevor the American and the two American girls and their new boyfriends!!!!!!!! (please ask for an explanation).
Anyhow the race, it was hot and sunny with a 7.15am start for the 4km swim which was the roughest swim I have ever been in with nearly 2000 athletes hobbling into the water across some very painful stones. After what seemed like an eternity it was out onto the bike I don't remember the hills being quite so big last year but this just shows how my memory is becoming clouded. The first 20km are all up mountain without a break if that wasn't bad enough then the downhills were worse requiring massive amounts of concentration and there were plenty of crashes before we had to climb again up another mountain.
Eventually it was back into transition for the 2 lap 30km run along the seafront which was flat and open Craig had to do 30km and 100m due to an alleged uphill drafting violation but I don't think it affected his overall time. It was good to see the friendly face of our team manager and bag carrier Paul as well as seeing the friendly faces of Craig and Buds on the course. After a considerable time our races were over and I knew how hard it had been when the first thing Buds said to me was " don't ever invite me to Nice again!!". Overall the weekend was great fun we met some great people particularly Jane Tomlinson who was racing and did superbly completing the swim and bike but unfortunately missed the bike cut off, just getting around that bike course in one piece is a major undertaking and made our sore legs pale into insignificance. This was without doubt one of the hardest races in world and is significantly harder than many of the Ironman races out there I just hope that the Ironman is not going over the same course next year as my flight is already booked.
ps where are all the pies and cream cakes no more training for at least 6 weeks

Ratty

Brief report on possibly the last ever Guersey Tri. Bob is emigrating to NZ (again) next Aug/Sep now that the kids are older. There is a chance there may be a race in early July 2005 which Bob mentioned in an email before we went but didn't really follow up. In any event early July would be a difficult time with Austria and Ripon. A good trip all round, extended by a day due to severe weather conditions in the channel.
Best weather of the weekend was reserved for the day of the event but even so there was a serious amount of swell/chop for the swim which saw me take 8 minutes longer than last year over the same swim course. Frank Appleton and Sarah P both had longer swims than before but their stronger swimming paid off and I don't think they lost quite as much time. The bike was blustery to say the least. Sarah lost her chain and Frank stopped to give her a hand with it. The run with a belly full of salt water was not the most comfortable of experiences. Frank has been suffering with knee problems and hadn't run since Ripon, he nevertheless made it round but is still struggling to walk. After a difficult first lap I settled and got a bit quicker. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed it. I finished in 2hrs 39 . 16 according to the results sheet which is one of my slowest guernsey's ever but came 103 out of around 190 !(the biggest field ever by a long way) which is probably my best guernsey performance. Both Frank and Sarah finished again in times which reflected the conditions more than anything else. I haven't got their finishing positions and times to hand. To put it into perspective less than 15 people went under 2:20 and apart from the winner who made a 2:06 no one else got inside 2:10.
Rene came last representing a much depleted dutch team. A time of just under 4 hours.

Adie Gathercole

Half Ironman UK was set in the breathtaking countryside of Dorset in the town of Sherborne complete with two picturesque castles where rumour has it that Sir Walter Raleigh wanders in the gardens with his head under his arm (I think he passed us on the run!).

It was a good start to the day, sunshine and blue skies saw us into the water with organisers stating that the temperature was a warm 21 degrees. The swim was done in two waves 20 minutes apart, the first wave with the elites and fast swimmers. The start was some 400 metres into the lake so it was a good warm up to get there although after a leisurely breast stroke and discussing if our bums looked big in a wetsuit both us girls were somewhat 2 minutes of the start point when the hooter went Ooops. The swim entailed one circuit of the lake, which was well marked with yellow buoys and at swim finish marshals were there to pull you out and help with getting wetsuits off and also in the tent with transition clothing.

Onto the bike and the course moved out of the castle grounds and onto the roads (the road was closed for most of the bike course). With a bit of a head wind we started a steep climb out of Sherborne and then six miles down to Holnest where the two-loop section started with a short steep climb (with a head wind this was by far the hardest climb of the course). Then undulating through Minterne Magna, Cerne Abbas with the famous "chalked giant on the hill" and on almost down to Dorchester before a left hand turn brings you onto a long steady climb ascending 250m to the top of Giants Head with a descent that dropped 200m in just under a mile (my brakes were smoking). Some more small climbs and descents then before the start of lap two. After the second lap you return to Sherborne along the same six-mile route that you came out on and back into the castle grounds.

The run course consisted of two loops and stays within the grounds of Sherborne Castle and there is plenty of opportunity for spectators to see runners. The run started with a slow and steady climb for about a mile with a turn round and descent (where you get a good view of the lake) that takes you on a scenic tour round the castle grounds which is fairly flat until another climb to the deer park where again you turn around for a run back round the old castle and back through the castle grounds for the second lap. The finish brings you back into the grounds where you finish in front of the castle. Where two very salty smiling faces finished up.

There were plenty of toilets and water/food stations. It was a fantastic day which we all enjoyed and would definitely do it again.

Angie & Lesley.

IM SWITZERLAND - JULY 2004

Travel to Zurich with Easyjet – no problems with bike carriage in either direction. One point to note was that on arrival one of the skewers had become bent in transit necessitating a small amount swearing and hammering to straighten. Thanks to John Robinson for tipping me off about this particular danger as I had used ‘old’ skewers rather than the nice Mavic lightweight ones I use with my Ksyriums.

So after a restless night (it was 30 degrees!) I traipse down to the Landiwiese in Zurich to register. Zurich public transport is fantastic by the way – absolutely no problems getting around with or without bike. Post-registration, and its on to the Race Briefing where we are told that there will be no wetsuits allowed as the water temperature is over 23.9 degrees. I am reliably informed that I spend the rest of the day looking like a startled rabbit. Temperature reaches 35 degrees at about 3pm at which point there is a violent thunderstorm so its into the shops. Mrs Cooper is very pleased.

Friday’s pasta party knocks the HIMUK effort into a cocked hat. Over a thousand athletes and family in a huge mediaeval hall served four courses, accompanied by a trio of alpine horns! Video shows of the previous 9 years events and interviews with the favourites leave me a very worried man.

Another restless night and Saturday is catch up with the Parents day – they’ve come to watch – and racking of the bike. Unfortunately I arrive to rack my bike about 3 hours early and its chucking it down so I ditch the parents and slope off to the IM hotel. Fortunately I’ve met with some other competitors and spend the afternoon ‘chilling’ in their suite. Wonderful people these IM veterans! Rack the bike in the rain and off to Pizza Hut for pre race meal.

Sunday morning at 4:15am the alarm goes and I’m up. Its Ironman morning and strangely I’m quite relaxed about the whole thing. Take the 5:00am tram to the Landiwiese to deposit all my kit by my bike in transition. As 7:00am approaches the news that wetsuits are allowed filters through, much to my relief. Wander down to the start and kiss the wife goodbye and remembering Gordo’s advice try to head to the far side of the start. Still no nerves to speak of for some reason. Spooky. Then suddenly the gun goes – I’m not expecting it and am not where I wanted to be on the start- so its into the water but I’m immediately in a patch of clear water. How lucky am I? Only about 400m in do I tangle with someone who cracks me in the face, giving me a fat lip. After that there are no dramas as I see a guy to my right who is without wetsuit and swimming breast-stroke. I assume he can see where he’s going so keep my eye on him. Exit the water in 1:19 and take my time in transition necking a bottle of drink and stuffing my face with food.

Onto the bike and the first 10 miles are pancake flat and fast, people are coming past me like I’m going backwards, but I resist the temptation to up the pace. The first climb named ‘The Beast’ is a 2-3 mile drag, at most a 1:10, but long. I get in the 25 cog and sit it out, not wanting to kill myself early on. The next climb is on you quite quickly, but is more of a long, dead straight drag, enough to sap the legs but again sat it out, but nowhere near the granny gear. The fun starts as you descend from 1800 feet in Zurich at 50mph plus and back onto the pan flat stuff before ‘Heartbreak Hill’. This is a short, sharp climb lined with spectators as in ‘Le Tour’, banging music, claxons, whisltes and rattles greet you as you near the top. Wonderful. Then it’s a 30mph dash back to the start for the second of the 3 laps. I come across a group of half a dozen riders about my pace and sit with them (nothing to do with the gorgeous backside of the Spanish lady in front. Honest). Lap 2 offers no dramas other than do I pee on the bike or not? Having ‘lost’ my Spanish companion I catch another group for Lap 3 which is tough, but not unbearably so. On returning to transition I wonder why I didn’t apply the factor 30 before setting off on the bike as by 3pm its 30 degrees and am I burning to a crisp!

Set off on the run – a four lap affair - the first lap is easy and completed in an hour and I am now starting to believe I can finish this thing, and realise that my finish time could start with a "13". Laps 2 and 3 are uneventful, I walk the aid stations as had been my plan and drink as much Water/Gatorade/Coke as I can handle. I have to pee every lap so assume that I’m not dehydrating too badly. Lap 4 is a different kettle of fish though – whoever said that an Ironman marathon is "20 miles of hope followed by 6 miles of reality" was completely correct. I’m shuffling at no great pace (maybe it’s the topless sunbathers in the park?) but at my lowest point I’m back through the start/finish area and gain momentum as Mrs Cooper joins me for the last 3 miles. I count down the km markers on the way back and enter the start/finish area for the last time managing more of a run than a shuffle. I cross the line shouting like a loon. I’m an Ironman and it feels brilliamt.

Where’s the next one?!

Jon Cooper His time was 13.01.42

JULY 2004 - HELVELYN TRI

Saturday morning came all too soon and as promised by the nice guys at the met office it was throwing it down and got progressively worse as the morning rolled on. If ther is one thing I hate its setting up in the rain and getting soaked before I even hit the water,it was during setting up that I was so glad that some bright spark at NYP had the foresight to give plastic transition boxes as race goodie at Ripon !.

So anyway after the usual banter with all and sundry about how perhaps this weather would slow us down,and not having really done enough training ect ect, it was time to creep into the water,the water was shall we say...COLD !, the way we were creeping in slowly you would have thought we were trying not to wake a monster in the lake or something,then the claxon went off and the monster was on my back ! or at least something was becauce I felt like I was swimming backwards,I dont know what this guys problem was but for some reason he just kept hitting me on my back like I was a punchbag,in the end having no luck with a few kicks I just swam to the side of him and took off....wide !.

Out of the swim,27 mins, ok thats cool and probably means the swim was just a touch long but hey Im out of the water so Im happy.

The bike course rolls out alongside the lake for a while on a undulating twisty road before you reach the turn for Matterdale and here starts the first of the days climbs (there are really only two of note on the bike) its not overly difficult and if you have geared up right you can sit and spin it. Im not known for my climbing, and been a touch on the large size Im more at home on the flats or rolling roads, as a result Im passed on this climb by several riders,I take note of the kit and under my breath,which is rapidly running out , I promise myself to "Have em" later on.

Onto the A66 and now its my turn,I really enjoy the next hour as I start to get moving,feeling good enough now to take in the lovely views up here and especially along St Johns in the Vale , I must be having a good ride im thinking, Im not really pushing it here shall I go ,shall I stay as I am ?, I look to my left, cant even see the tops for cloud cover and think back to my last effort running up Helvellyn (another story available on the helvellyn website !) and decide to just keep it rolling, wicked fast descent down to Grassmere,go past Colin Hawxby (he is outriding not racing) and he informs me Im doing ok 21st. The bike continues to be fast and having passed more riders I hit the mini roundabout in Ambleside,not actually hit it no !, the marshall informs me I have 13 riders in front,I think well they can stay there,I have both biked and run this next climb known to all as the "STRUGGLE" and its a real S.O.B. so I will be more than happy to just get up it without losing places, well that didnt last long as only 100 meters into the hill I hear the click,click of someone right on my wheel and think oh well I can handle one passing me, then they both come past at once.

I cant see the top,a mixture of steamed up glasses low cloud and double vision ! but I know its fast approaching as I can hear the supporters cheering rider through the summit,which not only serves to make me smarten up a bit and try look I am actually in control of this hill, but also it means there are some rider not that far in front.

So I made it,im bearly able to turn the cranks but Im cresting the summit, I know this next bit is very fast,its also very wet and some quite sharp bends,well they are at 40+mph anyway,Im flying now and decide its a good time to re adjust the back brake as I had slackend it off for the climb, a momentary removal of eyes from road and I come within about six inches of ending my race, fortunately nothing coming the other way and overcooking the next corner brings me back into control !.

Now down the valley floor and I decide to go and catch the few riders I know cant be far ahead, getting speed up catch a rider just as he catches a camper van, decision time, just go keep the momentum and pass the van,the other rider seems content to draft the van Im in race so Im going. Another minute or so I see this bike and rider and think, that dont look right,he cant be in the race, and as I come up behind him I see he is riding a mountain bike with fat slicks ! I just pull alongside and tell him "Awesome ride mate" and then have to expend loads of effort to drop him as fast as possible while still looking easy,come on we have all done it !!.

Hitting T2 the sun is making an appearance, all is well, I take an age to have a drink put on dry socks and just compose for what I know will be a tough next hour. The mtb guy obviously out to prove his point now comes zooming past me out of T2. The run goes basically 3/4 mile flat then straight up to the top of Helvelyn,the last part been scramble where you are actually climbing with your hands and not moving very fast at all. Top repect now to anyone that is doing this race as to top it all the cloud cover is coming in again and visibilty isnt good. I know from Andrea who was watching the run from about 1/3rd way up the climb that Im in about 10/12 th position and I am happy with this,no need to panic then !

As the descent starts I get passed by what is obviously a fell runner type,he is flying so I decide that having been lost up here before I will just give it all and just try keep him in sight he obviously knows where he is going running at that speed ! yeh right !! after the descent from helvelyn ther is a short climb again up white side bank, you then descend again around keppel cove and make your way back down to Ullsewater. Well guess what ? my fell runner type took us up the next climb (raise) and along the top, now the thing is I would have kept going but suddenly I started to catch him up and I knew then something was amiss ! so having exchanged words I turn and head back,cursing my stupidity for yet again missing the path,its my own fault I blew it,worse still this guy then took off and didnt bother with the paths,he went in a near straight line down to the bottom path, I didnt dare follow Im no mountain goat so he was away.

How much time did I lose ? well who knows and its not important really now, but what I can say is I dropped from a top ten slot probably down to 36th.

The race was good and fired me up to do the Dales , now that is not taking place its six weeks training for Vitruvian.

Well done to Alan Beavers 4:12:54, Andrew Budimir 4:29:38 and the comeback kid our leader Mark Reese 5:23:47,as for me my time was 4:20;20.

A final note for those that are interested, having done both races I think the Dales is tougher and that's because of the dales bike course, the helvelyn run hurt more in my opinion but overall the Dales is still the toughest.

MARCH 2004 - TRAINING CAMP - SARDINIA

Have just returned from a weeks TRI training with Activepeople in Sardinia & had to share it, in case any of you were think of doing it.What a week, I we went with the Whiterose Tri Club and there was also a group of around 20 athletes from Crystal Palace who were great fun. Not all were TRIs some were roadies & a Scottish Pair of MTBers.We had 2 coaches, both Elite athletes Andy Blow & Elliot someone, we had 4 intense swim sessions, open water swim technique ( in the sea) guide bike rides every day, with chain gang work & hill stuff & guided runs & 1 track session as well as 2 core strength sessions. Both coaches were excellent (I nearly tipped them, but remembered my roots) they freely gave help & advice to all abilities, & made everyone feel like they counted. The food was good the weather was great (short sleeves & pants) & Sardinia is a cheap place for eats & drink. the road's out of town were great, long ups & downs with very little traffic, ( in town was not so good ). The Sardas are great friendly people.If you want culture then Aggroturisimos (not sure on the spelling) are the way to go, staying on working farms, all homegrown organic food & wine.I need a rest now.

Alan Beavers