A year ago I knew my 2 brothers were thinking of entering ironman Wales. I thought ‘no way’ for me. For starters I have 3 kids (4 year old and twins, 2, at this time) I would not be able to train. It was not even a thought. But when my sister had the thought of entering it with her husband I had to re think. How can I let my 3 other siblings do it without me? That was it was it, I had to enter!! I didn’t even tell my husband I just announced it to him after paying up.
First thing first was to buy the essentials. New bike, helmet, shoes, running shoes. Seriously didn’t think about this financially!! Then it dawned on me ‘how am I going to train?’ My twins still had their afternoon naps and all kids are asleep by 7 so my best buy was my turbo trainer. Then running with the twins in the pram and using my local crèche for the odd gym session. It was working.
But cycling was the issue. I hated the cleats. After a few falls my confidence was SO low. Then in march came my local tri club. Perfect. Long bike rides and great companionship really made this enjoyable. My life saver.
Being a swimmer I knew this discipline was my strength and running I would just plod on. Cycling was what I concentrated on.
Trying to juggle 3 children, the household stuff and working shift work was not fun but somehow we made it work. I had to train when I can and it would mean getting up before kids woke or sacrifice my family time to train. My husband was amazing and without his support this would not be possible.
With my sister living an hour away I would try and meet up for rides and perfect through the beautiful Richmond park. During the summer I would pair up with my younger brother and ride the route and with Tenby Aces. It was a great 2 week holiday and treated it like a training camp!!
With the tapering weeks I tried to relax and ease off but working full time was taking it out of me.
Going to the start line I could not have done anything more. I was prepared the best I could have been. Walking down to the start line was eerie, the nerves were there but also excitement. Can this really be possible? I went to the front of the swimmers as I wanted to avoid the washing machine of all the other competitors. The hooter went off and that was it, the start of the longest day ever (even beats child labour!!)
My first breath I swallowed water and I knew this was going to be difficult. Getting to the first buoy was hard work. The waves were HUGE. It was a struggle but I loved it. I stroked it out and just got my head down and got on with it. Getting out to start the second loop was fun as I spotted my family. Giving the high fives was great and back in we went. The second lap I knew what to expect. Overtaking some pro’s showed encouragement and knew I was doing all right.
Coming out of the swim the crowd was just awesome. I felt amazing and just soaked up the atmosphere. Waving and acknowledging the crowd felt like a celebrity. Tenby was just electric and the run to transition was beyond words

.
Onto the bike. 112 miles of hill after hill after hill. There is no let up on this ride and thankfully I knew it well, I knew what I was expecting but maybe this was a bad thing. The hills here are just gruesome and no wonder it is the toughest course in Europe. Coming out quick in the swimming means I then have so many cyclists over taking me. One after another but I expected this and instead of panicking I relaxed and stuck to my own game plan. When my younger brother, Steve, over took me this gave me encouragement but also I knew I was first of the siblings out of the water!!! Each and every town there was so much support. Flags flying, cow bells shacking and even saucepans were banging. Each food station I topped up on drinks and much needed banana. The journey was long but ticking off the Towns as I went past was all I could do. My brother in law, Iain was going well and my older brother was close by so this spurred us both on. The worry of my sister was awful. Can her knee hold out? Finally reaching my home town Saundersfoot was euphoric. It was buzzing and the noise level was defending. It is just what you need to get up these hills. I saw so many faces I knew. Heart break hill can only be described as a part of the ‘tour de France’ the crowds only allowing space for 1 bike to climb and the noise just bellowing in your ears. Each pedal was painful but once reaching St bridges I saw some of my family and this spurred you on to the next hill. Going past my parents house was my husband, kids and my parents. This was SO nice to see. What made me laugh were my 3 year old twins fast asleep on my parents laps, well they had got up at 5 to see the swim!! Back into Tenby to do the 40 mile loop again. But then my knee was starting to hurt. It has never given me any problems and this was a bit worrying. I pedalled through I thinking it was psychological.
Town by town still ticking them off each pedal made a bit closer I got.
Seeing Tenby knowing the bike was nearly over gave me so much more belief. Yes I am going to make this, I can do this. I had not had this feeling until now.
Onto the run. Will my knee hold out and how the hell am I going to run a
Marathon?!!! There were 4 laps and like the cycle never flat either up or down. The course is fantastic for spectators and us in the sense your family are there on every lap but also when you re running to see other runners that you know is extremely encouraging. Seeing Iain and then Steve was great and seeing Bryan at the end of the first lap was fantastic. But then it was the agonising wait for Kate, had she made the cut off and will her knee hold out. Starting the second loop I hear a voice I recognise and it’s Kate’s behind me. The relief, we had all made it, was amazing.
I had ran for the first lap and onto the second and bang my knee had had it. Every stride was painful but walking was fine. I knew I could make the cut off if I walked the whole way so I did not become stressed. I walked the up hills (lots of them) and ran on the slightly down hills and flatter bits. Every lap I was seeing my siblings and Iain but also faces I recognised from my school days but also from training with Tenby aces. The crowds were just amazing. Running through the Town of Tenby and the cobbled streets cheering my name (clearly written on my front) just got me through this. Onto the last lap and I had to walk when my body was wanting to run. I was able though to chat to lots of runners with their own inspirational story. Each person had sacrificed something for this race and each had their own story. I couldn’t stop smiling as I walked through the town one last time in the dark. I could feel and hear the end is close by. When I came round the last bend I saw my wonderful husband and sister in law Hannah cheering me, the noise was electric. The announcer stopped me and said, “You are an IRONMAN,” and then I went through the finishing line. 15 hours 34 minutes and 19 seconds. All siblings and Iain finished which is an amazing achievement for one family and so proud for us all.
I am an Ironman and nobody can take that away from me.

As raced and reported by Sarah Hempenstall (Ironman)

In 2013 Mick Tumilty raced the London Duathlon, his first multisport event in the UK and recorded a 2hr 52 (53min 10K, 1:33 44km bike and 26 min 5k run) which at the time he  was rightly delighted with .  This year he decided to go back and try to smash it.

‘I cycled to Richmond Park to allow my knee to warm up, and it seemed to work. I set off about 11am with Dan Everall and Dennis Parker on the 10km run. I stuck to my 7.30 min/mile pacing and watched as the boys pulled away by 200m or so by the time I entered T1. However a quick transition of 60 secs dead and I was away. It was only after the 3^rd lap of trying to hunt the Viceroys pink of Dennis that I realised I might just have caught the others in transition.  Chatting with Den afterwards he admitted he nearly fell over (laughing I expect) at my sprinting jumping bike mount, as he was just behind me as we exited transition. Sorry Den!!

Anyway, I pushed hard around the park averaging 33kph and topping out at 74kph down Sawyers Hill. That was FUUUNNN!!! Otherwise it was pretty uneventful apart from when a stag or 3 walked out in front of me and a few others along the long flat/fast section of Broomfield Hill.  I’m sure my skid marks (from the rear tyre) are still there for all to see!

So I get to the end of the 44k bike unscathed in 1:18 and out for the final 5k. Jelly legs and cramp hell – I was in good company though as many others were viewed attempting to push trees over or yelping in agony at the latest rush of lactate caused their calf’s or hamstrings to spasm as mine were.  With 2k to go the legs started to work and I was able to open it up a little and get past a lot of runners on the home straight. This was such a nice feeling – running as opposed to the robotic shuffling of the previous 3k.

So 2hrs32 and a 20 min PB for this race. I’m happy with that, but I hope to be back next year to go sub 2.30.  To finish, it was great racing with Dan and Den and I would like to say well done to everyone who raced this weekend wherever they were in the country.’

20 minute PB? Great work Mick

‘Well today’s race didn’t exactly pan out the way I wanted it to!

Today I was racing at Hillingdon E/1/2/3 Class (as a 3rd CAT) and was looking good on paper, I’ve been top 10 most weeks now and 1st or 2nd in my class each week ANNNNNND 4 of my main rivals where not here today!

The race today was a little different, there where a few breaks but we pulled them back. Then myself and my “cousins” from Pedal Heaven broke away for 3 laps but with only 3 of doing the work in a group of 3 we soon realized that it was for nothing and dropped back to the Peleton of 60 riders and sat at the back.

With the 1 1/2 hour of close circuit racing over the 5 lap board came out and it was down to business! I didn’t have any teammates left so had to rely on me myself and I for my own lead out and sprint to the finish! 4 laps to go and I moved back towards the front of the group and was sitting pretty in about 10th – 15th

3 laps to go and some moron decided to go for a gap that wasn’t there in front of me and took myself down and 10 other riders! I scrambled back to my bike (grass stains and bumps) and jumped back on as quick as I could and got back on the bunch with a lap 1/2 to go….

I used most of my matches getting back up to the bunch so I knew the sprint was out the question…. Yeah right! I still put my head down and went! Came home top 15 and first 3rd CAT! ‘

As raced and reported by Kevin Argent

‘Thursday night saw the teams assembly for the Parade of Nations – with each nation walking the streets behind their national flags. The streets were lined with local, friends & family and the atmosphere was amazing. Once we had all fill the square in front of the stand – we were treated to a fly by by a fighter jet, local big wigs wishing us luck. Compared to the home nations & nearby national for once Great Britain had a small side of 380 athletes, Mexicans had over 600 as did USA but Canada had over 800 athletes competing! Even the Brazilians had brought a team of 300. This meant only one thing, that the completion as you’d expect was going to be off the scale. Racing these nations is harder than racing on the other side of the world. Yes Australia are good but nothing like America, Mexico & Brazil who have a decent amateur set up. After the parade we out paced the Aussies & Canadians to the welcome banquet. Small victory there. 
 
Mike Essex & myself in the 40-44 race saw the largest field for the days racing and it was packed with the key nations & rumours of two ex Olympians from Sydney & Beijing (Brazilian & Mexican – still unconfirmed. we were lead from the swim holding eon where I was trash talking anyone who’d open their mouth – yes I was nervous so I was on attack 🙂 We moved from to the race area by a guy playing the bag pipes. As we headed through a pack crowd I saw Michael Armer & his lovely girl friend – this made me very emotional as every was cheering & shouting ‘Go GB!’. We had to wait 30mins in the holding pen. The tension always rises in these situation but I wasn’t fussed, I won’t lie and say I wasn’t nervous but more about will my goggles as it’s was a dive beach start & if they’d came off I’d be making life hard for myself. Mike lined up beside me & a simple look said it all – ‘let’s do this’.  
 
We all filed in & line up on the pontoon on the beach and take our positions ahead of the horn going off. It was 250m straight swim to the first buoy and I wanted to get their well placed. The horn went and I had the perfect start. Massive dive in and powered away as hard as I could. I was swimming eye ball to eye ball with a dude to my left – for me this never happens as I’m always one of the quickest swimmers. Half way I looked to my left and there where still swimmers making a charge but by the time we hit the buoy it was just myself & this American. I felt great as a result. In my head I was saying – ‘here I am at the world final racing the best in the world & I’m leading the out – COME ON!!!!’.  
 
This gave me such confidence & focus that the game was REALLY on! I stayed close to the guy by me for the next two turns but he took an aggressive line so I found myself on his toes then he open I little gap. I didn’t panic and swam straight & true whilst he drifted around. I exited closed to him and looked up to see a gap behind – wow! Im in 2nd place (silver bloody medal & I’ve just dicked the best In the world. 2nd place overall & 9 second behind gold medal. 
 
The run from swim to transition (bike) was so long – nearly 500m. I looked to run hard but going from swimming to hard running can kill you so as the crowds cheers me on, I settled in. This allowed two other athletes to get a little closer to me. After a quick transition I exited still in 2nd place overall. I looked to get the American back quickly but he flew off quickly. 
 
The first part of the bike was a steady incline into a steep hill of 8%. I was moving well but got mugged by 2 Brazilians & Mexican who on road bikes made good use of their advantage. I didn’t panic so now I was 5th I worked hard and took one back place going down hill and then another 5km in up the second long steady drag of a hill. Back to 3rd place overall. In this kind of racing, everyone is amazing, people flying around looking like they are moving quicker than you so there was no backing off. Better to die trying than to not try at all. On the second lap I held my place and opened a gap on the next British athlete. 
 
Coming back into transition I was nervous about the run. My bike split was in the top 5 overall so another job done. My weakest discipline now but one I’ve worked so hard on. Would my legs work, would they perform or would they blow up after my strong bike. 
 
I headed out & looked to settle into a nice pace. The first half of the run was on a nice shady trail. I was moving but not flying – but at I was moving okay. The course was quiet. I was catching the women from the age group below who’d set off 15mins earlier. I was followed by a very nice American girl for a while & we were running well together but by 2.5km the two Brazilians flew by me like I was standing still – both clearly playing their trump cards.  
 
Back to 5th overall. I could never run at that place – they both clocked low 17mins so I said that’s fair, but let’s hold onto top Brit & this position. But fatigue set in & I lost focus with this and listened to my body rather than telling it to shut up. Once we got onto the Tarmac road Section I quickly regained focus & looked to secure top British athlete (great honour & automatic qualify for the next world championships). Over the last 500m I was over taken by an American but safe in 6th place overall.  
 
As I came down the blue carpet I was relieved as I didn’t need to run hard I could jog it out & enjoy my achievement – proud of what I’d achieved. 6th in the WORLD, 1st Brit & I can honestly say that I had really given it a go. This has given me hope that although I’m 40 soon that I can race hard & compete on a world level. I couldn’t have ran with the two Brazilians but a bronze medal would have been a dream but now I think it really is a reality.’

As raced and reported by Mark Yeoman

Zell am See 70.3- a year in the making!

‘It started in August 2013 when I was watched Lance conquer his first 70.3 in 5hrs 26mins on a great fast, flat, friendly course.  When he finished he was elated & I was inspired.  So once we were home I booked it and started my journey! A nice novice 70.3.

I got my first road bike in February, my swim was okay & my run needed work, so it was time to get training. Everything was going okay till I got the email saying that they had changed the course! Apparently I should be happy that it was now a 70.3 world championship course with a climb of 950m to the top of a 1260m mountain! WHAT!!!!!!!! Panic!!! There was no going back.  So I joined Viceroys and got a plan off Mark & the real hard work began! Swim, bike, run, eat, sleep, repeat!!!  2 weeks before the race I did my first and only wet, windy real hilly 100k around the Cheddar Gorge. Thank God I did because those were race day conditions- thunderstorms!

Race start was a leisurely 10.25am, so no 4am up! Hooray! The swim is always my favourite bit and for the race it was push hard and get as much time as I could on the bike.  The reality was I was chasing the cumulative 5.30hr cut off and with the 13k climb and a nasty 15% 2k kicker at the end and a wet 16% long wiggly hairpin descent I was up against it. So into the washing machine for the swim, at one point I thought the lovely lake had been replaced by the sea.  Loved it and did an okay 35mins considering the amount of people.  Quick run through the mud to transition and off for the hardest ride of my life!

The good news, if there was any on the bike, was the climb was at 21k and over by 35k & it was mostly down hill till then.  Luckily the rain hadn’t started it’s down pour so I could eat and hydrate & prepare to keep the pedals turning.  Which I did and nearly got to the top, the last bit beat me and it was timber or walk.  The second bit of good news is there was also more down that up, however it wasn’t a Sunny Sunday afternoon it was chucking it down, windy & hailing at one point so the descents were terrifying- full on brakes and still doing 18k/h! They put on special crash mats for us! Luckily I only saw one bad accident, as someone went over a barrier into the gorge and one air ambulance. (Winter is about mountain biking for me so I can get really confident with my bike handling.) Once the mountain was climbed and the descent chilled out it was about pushing hard for home. It was a bit lonely at times but I was pedalling in a picture postcard alpine extravaganza- so beautiful. If I wasn’t going to make the cut I wasn’t going to leave anything out on the course.  I rode the fastest last 30km of my life as I watched the clock tick away- just for good measure they gave us a couple of nasty shortish sharp climbs in the last 15k!! I pedalled hard & got into transition with about 15 mins to spare! Yippeeeee! I couldn’t quite believe it.  Now all I had to do was keep running and I’d get that medal.

The run was along the beautiful shore of the lake, in the rain! 2 laps both through the centre of town.  It was time to just keep the legs moving. I genuinely doubted I’d get to the run so when I did I just kept on going, I was going to finish.  Half way in the first lap I ran past a Lance going the other way on his second lap!  It was so brilliant to see him and he was super happy I’d made the cut.  I was okay till 1k to go and I was about to walk it all the way home when Lance came back after finishing and got me to the home straight and that magic carpet.  So after a year it was my finishing moment and it was ace, high fiving all the way!

Can’t quiet believe it! Rachel Hall 39 and 3/4 Ironman 70.3 :-)’

As raced and reported by Rachel Hall

Leadville 100 – Peter Kelsey Reflects on the Experience

29 August 2014

‘I am now back from racing the Leadville 100 in Colorado.

I am happy to report that of nearly 2,000 riders that lined up at the start I was one of the 1,216 who finished within the 12 hour limit to receive the (among mountain bikers) legendary Leadville Belt Buckle – finishing in 9 hrs 12 minutes (37^{th in the over 50s and first British male of any age group). Initially I was a bit disappointed, as I had hoped and trained to finish in under 9 hours, but in part I had not fully grasped the challenge of such a tough high altitude race, especially when starting towards the back of such a large field of athletes.}

At the briefing the afternoon before the race Ken Chlouber, who was the original founder of the Leadville races, gave a lengthy pre-race speech about guts, grit and determination. To the many experienced athletes in the room the speech would have been as easy to ignore as the safety video that few of us bother to watch on modern flights, but seven hours into the race his lines were ringing in my ears as I faced the all too common challenge of a long endurance event – ‘the bonk’.

I was half way up the steepest climb on the return (Powerline) when I ran low on blood sugar. Luck can play a part in any event, and as luck would have it I was passing (very slowly I might add) a local man in his 70s as my race so nearly fell apart. He was handing out cans of Coke and Mountain Dew – as was typical of Leadville he was not on anyone’s payroll, just a kind-hearted local who wanted to be involved. I chugged two Cokes and bounced back within minutes, akin to a small child who has been fed too many sweets.

Sadly I will never meet him again to thank him, but he saved me from the very real risk of not making the finish line!

At that point Ken’s words drove me on:

‘All of you will feel like quitting at some point tomorrow’.

‘If I see you after the race, just don’t look me in the eye and tell me that you quit’

And

‘You can do more than you think you can’.

The race doctor had also given a speech saying most of you will bonk at some point in the race, but you can recover if you take on enough nutrition and remain calm and patient.

The depths of a bonk in an endurance event are pretty grim, but the doctor was right. If you remain calm and take on enough nutrition you can recover – no matter how unlikely that might seem as your mind (starved of sugar and now highly irrational) struggles to face down what feels in the moment like an impossible task.

In my mind I had also dedicated my race to Margot and the girls as they had to put up with so much of our leisure time being focused on cycling, so that too meant quitting after all that time and effort was not an option, even when every step (I was now down to walking up a very steep hill) was a huge effort.

In the post-race ceremony and speeches even the winner Todd Wells (a US Pro rider and national champion from Specialized) explained he felt like quitting and was struggling to reach the finish as others chased him down. Incredibly having settled for 2nd place Todd only took the lead when the leading pro, Kristian Hynek bonked quite late on despite seemingly having an unassailable lead – Todd came across Kristian, weaving all over the course, as he tried to take on enough nutrition to recover and eventually finish in 3rd place. Whilst I will never know how Todd felt to win the event, I do at least know how Kristian was feeling in those dark minutes before the sugar did its job!

The message?

Well there are several, and they don’t just relate to sport, far from it:

Even professionals and experts suffer setbacks, despite meticulous planning, support and preparation;

In life very few things go perfectly to plan. You will face challenges and setbacks, but accept them, deal with them, and be prepared to re-set your sights (some goals are perhaps very optimistic in the first place so a degree of compromise is likely – be prepared for that);

If you really want something enough then plan for how you might best achieve it, and ideally seek expert advice where you need help;

If you do seek advice from experts then listen to it, and don’t deviate from your plans. My coach Jay created a fantastic programme. I just did my best to do what I was told;

Revisit and review your plans regularly to check they remain realistic, and adjust them as required; and

Don’t quit. Others are also hurting, and sometimes in life the winners are those who cling on the longest – as was illustrated by Todd catching Kristian for the win when it seemed that second was his best hope by that late stage in the race.

Overall I had a fantastic time in Leadville. It is a small town that pulls together to support the race series, which in turn has helped them recover from being an ex-mining town with the highest unemployment rate in the US to one where the Leadville Race Series has created growing prosperity and a common goal. It all stems the vision of one man, Ken Chlouber (with me in the photo below), back in 1983, when faced with appalling economic prospects as mining dwindled he proposed a seemingly unlikely strategy that has since seen the town prosper – in part because the local population all pull together so well as such an effective team and focus on a common goal. They also tapped into unused natural resources that had previously been ignored – stunning unspoilt scenery, previously unused for such fantastic and now legendary endurance races that are heavily over-subscribed every year.

I was very lucky to get to live my dream 50th birthday celebration and ‘Race Across The Sky’. This seemed ‘highly optimistic’ in late 2011 while watching the 2009 race on DVD whilst in rehab (post-surgery not alcohol or drugs!). I was taking warfarin and heparin from the added complications of post-surgery DVT and on crutches and just learning to walk again in a swimming pool – I could only dream of ride this challenging. All this stemmed from having had surgery to re-attach my hamstrings, an operation that was made more challenging after serious delays due to initial medical negligence where a radiologist somehow missed on his MRI scan the very clear and apparent injuries I had asked him to check for!

The point I am trying to make to anyone who reads this?

‘you can do more than you think you can’
Onwards to the next challenge….’
As raced an reporred by Peter Kelsey

Mike Armer is one of our 5 proud Viceroys who qualified to compete at the ITU World Championships in Edmonton, Canada – he tells us how he got there

WHAT/WHEN ARE YOU RACING AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS?

Mon 1 Sep – Olympic Distance