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		<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Off Road & Adventure - Tri247</title><link>http://www.tri247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest off road & adventure articles from Tri247</description><item><title><![CDATA[Lands End to John O’Groats (and everything in between)]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_3293.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[On Sunday, Neil Jordan will head out on a multisport journey with a difference. Lands End to John O&rsquo;Groats with everything else in between, using a mixture of cycling, kayaking and good old shanks&rsquo; pony. It might have been done before, but has it ever included canoeing the Caledonian Canal, hiking the West Highland Way and Penine Way, climbing the three highest peaks in the UK and braving Neptune&rsquo;s wrath as he kayaks the south coast of Cornwall, all in aid of the Sobell House Hospice Charity and Cancer Research UK.

The journey is expected to take the best part of three months, during which Neil will make his way south cycling to Inverness, kayaking the Caledonian Canal, climbing Ben Nevis, walking the West Highland Way, the Penine Way and climbing Scafell Pike, then cycling on to Wales where he will climb Snowdon, before canoeing the Severn and finally completing the mammoth challenge with either a final kayak or hike along the Cornish coast to his destination at Lands End.

Along the way he will be joined intermittently by friends and family including his sons, Richard and Stuart. Neil says, &ldquo;My wonderful wife Linda finally lost her long fight against cancer on 23rd June 2007. Soon after her Thanksgiving Service I spent four days walking the coastal footpath from St Ives to Penzance. I needed time on my own to start to come to terms with Linda&rsquo;s death, and it was on this walk that the idea for the Ride-Stride-Glide started to form in my mind.&quot;

&quot;Throughout our 32 years of happy marriage we had always enjoyed walking, and in the last two years we had taken up going for rides on a tandem.  In 2006 I finally persuaded Linda to try canoeing, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I was however told that if she ever fell into the river this would be grounds for divorce! We made short journeys in both England and Canada. It therefore seemed appropriate that, to raise funds for the Sobell House Hospice Charity and Cancer Research UK, I should make a journey, dedicated to Linda, combining walking, cycling, canoeing and sea-kayaking.&quot;

&quot;I believe that Linda would approve of what I am taking on and I hope that the monies raised will help Cancer Research UK in their work of finding a cure for cancer and Sobell House to continue to offer the care, comfort and support to others, that Linda and the family valued so much in her final days.&rdquo;

Sobell House fundraiser Kevin Game said, &ldquo;This is a huge challenge but a great one too. It&rsquo;s really exciting not only for Neil to complete the Lands End to John O&rsquo;Groats journey which is a challenge in itself, but also for him to polish off most of the other toughest challenges in the UK. By the end of it he will have seen the very best that Britain has to offer and have raised a huge amount of money to help us continue the invaluable work of Sobell House in our community.&rdquo;

You can see how Neil&#039;s challenge is progressing and see his timetable by visiting www.ridestrideglide.wordpress.com  or call him on 07813 704798.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[XTERRA UK training camp]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_3228.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Ever thought of doing an XTERRA, but didn&rsquo;t have the confidence? Or perhaps you&rsquo;re a seasoned racer who is looking for a new challenge? Well the XTERRA UK training camp held in Afan and Resolven in Wales on 24th-25th May could be the answer.

In preparation for XTERRA UK on the 21st June, Driven to Tri coach and 2008 XTERRA World Champion, Julie Dibens, has teamed up with World Cup mountain biker and top XTERRA athlete, Sam Gardner, to offer a jam-packed weekend including a unique chance to check out the race course under expert tuition.  

The weekend is designed to offer a fun and relaxed opportunity for you to take a look at the XTERRA course. A number of coaches and split sessions mean that the team can give you individual attention, whether you&rsquo;re an absolute XTERRA beginner or a seasoned racer. The weekend provides great value for money and would be ideal for club groups or individuals.

For more information go to: www.driventotri.com and for an entry form click here]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jamie Whitmore sidelined]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_3152.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Jamie Whitmore is no stranger to a tough challenge. You don&#039;t become 2007 XTERRA USA Champion, 2004 XTERRA World Champion and 2003/04 XTERRA European champion without a good fight. On Friday, 28th March, Jamie underwent surgery to remove a large cancerous tumor. After nine and a half hours of surgery, the tumor was successfully removed. Husband Courtney is very hopeful as Jamie continues to recover and undergo further treatment at UCSF Hospital in San Francisco.

Some of Great Britain&#039;s top XTERRA athletes and coaches: Julie Dibens, Sam Gardener Jim Mcconnel and Chris Volley pay tribute to an immensly popular and talented athlete. 

I first met Jamie over an Italian meal in Guam in 2007, the local athletes obviously loved her and many Jamie and Courtney (her husband) stories were coming out before they arrived. And boy did they arrive! I&#039;ve never known two people take over a table with such energy and condidence (possibly arrogance?) as the pair of them. We hardly got a word in all meal! To say I was taken aback was an understatement. Since then I have decided it is definitely confidence and NOT arrogance. Both Jamie and Courtney would do anything for anyone. She invited me to stay with them before Tahoe in their ski lodge and again after Tahoe at their own house, fed me, did my washing, fixed my bike. One thing I noticed is that she always has time for to talk to other athletes or fans, no matter what their standard. She is a great athlete and a credit to the sport, and with her confidence, fighting spirit and faith I&#039;m sure she be a match for her current challenge! We look forward to seeing you back on the circuit and until then I&#039;ll enjoy getting a word in at the dinner table! 
Sam Gardner

Jamie Whitmore is a true gutsy girl. Anyone who has raced beside her will recognise her tenacity and determination to succeed. Boundless energy, always on stage and one hell of a good bike handler. She focuses at an elite level whilst maintaining consideration for those around her regularly heard  shouting at fellow racers with loads of encouragement! All the best with your recovery Jamie. 
Jim Mcconnel 

Although we may be on the other side of the Atlantic our thoughts are with you every day.  We know that with the strength and determination you show when you train you will not only overcome, but beat this challenge, like never before.  We look forward to hearing about your road to recovery and can&rsquo;t wait to see Jamie Whitmore the &ldquo;gutsy tri girl&rdquo; back to her happy and healthy self doing what she does best! Our love to you both. Chris and Ruth Volley

I had heard a lot about Jamie and Courtney through some good friends of mine, Chris and Ruth Volley. They raved about what a great couple they were and how much fun they were to get to know.  And they were not wrong. I can&#039;t imagine there are too many dull moments in there house. Jamie has boundless amounts of energy and this can&#039;t fail but to rub off on those around her.  She always goes out of her way to help those around her when possible. I remember last year in Saipan checking out the run course.  I think it took us a good 0ne hour 30 minutes to get round, and i swear she didn&#039;t stop talking once! I was loving the entertainment!  While we were in Saipan we also got to see what a fighting spirit she has and what a great competitor she is.  No matter what we did, she was out to win it.  From table tennis, to go-karting and walking across the ladder in the pool - you had to give it 100%! Jamie, if you can tackle this challenge with the same tenacity, I know you will beat it.  It&#039;s on like donkey kong - but you will prevail. All the best with your recovery from the surgery Jamie, and  hope to see you back on the racing circuit soon enough.
Julie Dibens

Our thoughts are with Jamie, and all the team at Tri247 wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her back training and racing again very soon.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kielder MTB tri]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_3102.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[It appears that off-road events are becoming ever more popular! One more to add to the calendar this year is the Kielder MTB tri, held  on the 14 September in Northumberland. This event will be a prelude for next year when Paul Drinkwater Sports Management company will be hosting a  series of off-road tri events, starting in April with Ampleforth College. This will be a sprint event with a 500m swim, 15k mtb and 5k trail run. This will be followed by Coniston/Grizedale in July, which will be a 1500m swim, 30k mtb - taking in North Face trail - and 10k run around the bottom slopes of the old man of Coniston. This will be followed by Kielder MTB tri again in September and the series ends with a mountain bike duathlon in Dalby forest, North Yorkshire in October. 

For more information on this years event go to: www.ukmtbtri.co.uk and follow the Kielder links. Details for next years series will follow at the end of the year. 
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Las Tres Islas turns five]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_3046.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Las Tres Islas, a race that we featured on the site last year, is one of the the most innovative sports endurance events held anywhere. And this year, the Canary Islands event has reached its milestone fifth year. The 2008 mega event will take place on Saturday May 31st,  a double celebration as it is also `Dia de Canarias&amp;acute;, a special Bank Holiday in the Canaries. Organiser Tila Braddock is currently in communication with the Tourism Department for the Canarian Government and the island authorities in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura to ensure that this hugely popular event receives the support required to help retain its position as one of the most televised and media covered sports gatherings in the Canaries.

Tila stated &amp;ldquo;I&amp;rsquo;m really looking forward to meeting Rita Martin the new Councillor for Tourism in the Canaries Government, she seems to have the vision and drive to start making things happen to bring quality tourism back here. Through our events we have five years of film footage and stills photography showing just how stunning these islands are, absolutely perfect for sports, eco, rural and corporate tourism.&amp;rdquo;

&amp;ldquo;Las Tres Islas has massive potential as a tool for helping to promote both individual islands and the Canaries as a whole and we look forward to working with the authorities to show the Canaries in the best possible light as a sports mecca with fantastic weather and a unique beauty. Las Tres Islas 2008 will have more top athletes, more high profile celebrities, more international TV coverage and the best party ever to round things off on the beach in Fuerteventura&amp;rdquo;

As always, the challenge starts in the harbour of La Graciosa for the 2k swim to the Playa del Risco beach at the bottom of Mirador del Rio&#039;s cliffs. On arrival at the beach, competitors dry off and put on shoes and kit for the next stage of the event, a 2km cliff path which climbs 650m from sea level to the start of the bike course at the top.

Starting from the road near to the top of the cliff path (about 2km from Mirador del Rio), the cyclists will set off south towards their ultimate destination, Playa Blanca. The route takes the competitors through some of the most stunning parts of Lanzarote. Dropping down past Guinate and into Maguez, the cyclists then have to tackle the climb up &amp;ldquo;Curvas del Malpaso&amp;rdquo; towards the Mirador del Har&amp;iacute;a restaurant. From there they will continue along the long sweeping road downhill towards Teguise and then up towards Monumento al Campesino, the geographical centre of Lanzarote, in San Bartolom&amp;eacute;. Passing along the recently re-surfaced roads of La Geria and onto the island&amp;rsquo;s beautiful wine-growing regions of El Grifo, the cyclists will then turn left up and over the hill into La Asomada, and then onto Yaiza. From here they continue along the last part of the cycle along the quiet old main road towards Playa Blanca. Arriving in Playa Blanca, the cyclists head towards the beach and the start of stage 4.

The fourth stage of the race is a crossing from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura, some 10km south of Playa Blanca. Because of water safety considerations all the competitors set off together in their choice of craft; windsurfer, Hobie catamaran, kitesurf - anything without a motor. Once all competitors and safety crew are safely moored-up in Corralejo, Las Tres Islas 2008 party begins!

For more details about the 2008 race contact the organisers through their website (www.lastresislas.com) or email them at info@youthsunited.com]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Getting Durty in Scotland]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_3033.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[News comes from the Borders Triathletes about a new off-road triathlon they are organising in Scotland. The Nineteen Durty Triathlon is being held at the spectacular freshwater St Mary&rsquo;s Loch and Loch of the Lowes in the Scottish Borders. The venue is midway between Moffat and Selkirk, and is only around 25 minutes from the M74 and around an hour from Carlisle -- so not totally in the middle of nowhere!. The loch is the largest in Southern Scotland, and has water quality right up there with the best in the country. 

It&rsquo;s set right in the bottom of a tree-covered valley, which means only one thing when the mountain bike section starts &ndash; you are going uphill! The bike section is totally off-road and covers a range of surfaces from good forest roads to quad bike tracks, to a water splash, and a bit of &lsquo;Red&rsquo; standard singletrack thrown in for good measure. Breathtaking views all round (if you can shift your gaze from your front wheel for a few seconds!).

The run is again completely off-road, the sprint distance 5km version is a flat(ish) lochside trail run, the 10km is a hilly trail run with a small bit of nice, boggy, pathless open hillside stuff.

Headline sponsors of the event are &lsquo;Nineteen&rsquo; Wetsuits, a new brand to the UK who are using this event as part of their launch. They will be supplying a top-of-the-range &pound;400 wetsuit for the fastest finisher using a rented wetsuit. Lots of other prizes and sponsors including Tri UK, Craft, Iso-Active, Big Agnes (a technical outdoor equipment manufacturer), and Honey Stinger.

Two distances are available: the Quick Fast Durty; 750m swim, 15km bike, 5km run and the Long Hard Durty; 1.5k swim, 30km bike, 10km run. There will also be a kids race but the distances for that are not yet confirmed. Prices are very reasonable too; &pound;18 for the sprint and &pound;25 for the full (non-BTF members pay an extra &pound;2) and there are relay options for both events. The organisers are also putting on an &#039;acclimatisation&#039; session a couple of weeks before the race at the Loch to entice more beginners into the event.

Online entry is available through Entry Central or you can download a form off their website: www.durtytriathlon.com]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[XTERRA UK - website and online entry go live]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_3025.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The XTERRA UK website and online entry system are now live. This year&#039;s event  will take place over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd June in South Wales, and as well as the traditional XTERRA off-road triathlon will also feature an off-road half marathon. This is an event not to be missed, and as always, Tri247 will be providing you with all training information and news to get you on the start line in tip-top condition. We are also pleased to announce that Julie Dibens, current XTERRA World Champion and winner of XTERRA UK 2007, will not only be taking part in this year&rsquo;s event, but will be working alongside Tri247 to update the event website and provide training tips and advice.

As an additional bonus, the organisers of XTERRA UK will be entering all athletes that enter the event in March into a competition. One lucky person will win a place on Julie Diben&#039;s and Sam Gardner&#039;s training camp and will also have their entry fee refunded! So, dust off your trail shoes, pump up your MTB bike tyres and log onto www.xterra.uk.com now and sign up for this unique event.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kielder mountain bike triathlon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2902.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The organisers have just finalised the arrangements for this event which will be held on September 14th. Starting with a 1,500m swim in Kielder Reservoir followed by an approximately 16-mile off-road bike which includes the new Deadwater trail climbing to 1,800ft. The final 6.5-mile run climbs to 1,500ft through forest, open fells and fire roads. This event will be a cracker! There&#039;s great support from Kielder Partnership, on-site camping, caravan site and a YHA hostel so you can book your holiday now. They are still working on a title sponsor for the race with more details within next month or so. The website address is ukmtbtri.co.uk and this will be operational soon.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[First Monster 120km duathlon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2953.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Model Nell McAndrew, who was first to cross the line in last year&#039;s competition in the Highlands, and television presenter Ben Fogle are launching an invitation for entries to this year&#039;s First Monster Challenge. The 120km team duathlon takes place around the shores of Loch Ness on 13 September.

The First Monster 120km duathlon is a relay event for teams of four. The course consists of eight stages - four running and four cycling. The event will start in Inverness and follows the Great Glen Way along the north side of Loch Ness. The first four stages are running stages, and are off-road, and the final four stages are cycling stages. Each competitor has to complete one of the running stages and one of the cycling stages.

Last year&rsquo;s event was a huge success so places will go fast. To enter, or for more information go to: www.firstmonster.co.uk ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Are you unbreakable?]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2952.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[It seems as if everyone is looking for super fit and highly intelligent people these days. Following on from ITV&#039;s request to find competitors for their &#039;Beat the Stars&#039; competition, which was advertised here on Tri247, the TV world is on the look out for more competitors for a new competition called, &#039;Unbreakable&#039;. Richochet, the makers of Supernanny and Extreme Dreams, are looking to find Britain&#039;s toughest people for this brand new, Channel five series. So if you think you can rise to the ultimate challenge of your physical and mental capabilities, read on. 

&lsquo;Unbreakable&rsquo; will test your performance, push your endurance to the limit and change your life forever. But you need to ask yourself the question, can you cope with some of the toughest physical, intellectual and skilled tests used by the world&rsquo;s elite performers and organisations? If you can, then this competition must be a once in a life time opportunity.
 
Filming will take place around the world over an 8 week period, starting from the beginning of April through to the end of May. Unbreakable are looking to select people for the programme by the end of next week, so it is important to get in touch as soon as possible.  


If you think you&rsquo;re &lsquo;Unbreakable&rsquo; then contact the Unbreakable team at: Unbreakable@ricochet.co.uk or alternatively leave a voicemail on 012 7322 4815 

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