<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>UK Ironman 70.3 - Tri247</title><link>http://www.tri247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest uk ironman 70.3 articles from Tri247</description><item><title><![CDATA[Win a trilife.com IRONMAN 70.3 UK training package]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9582.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Organizers of Ironman UK and thetrilife.com are offering athletes the exciting chance to win a three month training package for Ironman 70.3 UK*. Thetrilife.com is the event&rsquo;s Official Coaching Partner and they deliver swim, bike and run coaching via event specific online training programs. The programs provide the perfect opportunity to get race ready, and are designed to be completely event specific, meaning that it accommodates for the terrain, length and nature of the Ironman 70.3 UK course.

As part of the training program, athletes get:

	Fully structured and effective sessions in all disciplines
	Progressive overload and recovery periods to develop fitness, strength and speed
	Email support from a coach at thetrilife.com
	A course specific training program
	A well planned taper
	The reassurance that you are doing the right training at the right time
	A comprehensive online training diary to track your progress
	Thetrilife.com coaches available for last minute advice and reassurance over race weekend


Kevin Stewart, Managing Director of Ironman UK and Ireland said, &lsquo;The training programs are a great opportunity for our athletes to get themselves completely ready for race day. Thetrilife.com team are all extremely professional and very familiar with each of our events, which means that their advice is incredibly specialized. It is the perfect way to coordinate and balance your training over the coming months.&rsquo;

Liz Scott from thetrilife.com continues, &ldquo;Our programs are designed to welcome a range of athletes from those just starting out, to those that are competing to a very high level. They allow athletes to get the very most out of their training schedule and ensure that they maximize their performance potential. It is a great support to have in the lead up to such a big event, and we enjoy working with our athletes in such an important stage of their training.&rdquo;

To find out more about Ironman 70.3 UK then visit www.ironmanuk.com for further information about the race and how to enter. For more details about the range of training programmes and also the preparation days on offer from thetrilife.com then visit www.thetrilife.com for more information.

How to Enter
To stand a chance of winning you&rsquo;ll need to answer the following question:

Which high profile double Olympian has recently entered Ironman UK?

Email your answer, together with your full name and contact details to uk@ironman.com Winners will be contacted after the closing date, and announced on the official Ironman UK, 70.3 UK and Wales Facebook pages.

The competition closes at midday on Friday 10th February 2012.

*The competition is only open to athletes who are already entered to race Ironman 70.3 UK or to those who enter before the competition closing date. The three month training program is for twelve weeks and begins on 26th March 2012.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ironman 70.3 UK holds off late entry fee]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9522.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Kevin Stewart, Managing Director of Ironman Britain and Ireland, announced today (Friday January 13th) that the normal late entry fee for Ironman 70.3 UK will be frozen for the next 30 days to allow the last few places in the event to fill at the standard entry fee.

Ironman 70.3 UK takes place on 17th June 2012, at Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor on a course that promises to test even the toughest of athletes. Former Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack claims that it is the hardest course in the 70.3 series, as the 1.2 mile swim in Wimbleball Lake is followed by a challenging 56 mile bike course through the Exmoor National Park before the half-marathon takes them back around Wimbleball Lake. Athletes are attracted to the hills and varied terrain that it offers, and the event sells out year on year. The atmosphere, support and camaraderie means that racing at Wimbleball is a racing experience, and the enthusiasm given in feedback is often as strong from event spectators as it is the athletes themselves.

Kevin Stewart said, &quot;We recognise that there are a lot of athletes that have not yet worked out their 2012 race plan, and we hope that by delaying the late entry fee we will be able to help them out. Ironman 70.3 UK is not just a race, it is an experience, and our athletes come back to it year on year.&quot; He continued, &quot;Ironman 70.3 UK attracts a field of international athletes chasing prize money and ranking points for Las Vegas qualification. Age group athletes also have an eye on the Ironman 70.3 World Championship as they look to pick up one of the 35 qualifying slots available at Ironman 70.3 UK. It is a competitive crowd and we always get some great names along.&quot;

Ironman 70.3 UK&rsquo;s two official charities, Scope and the Rotary, also have charity slots for the race, allowing athletes to secure a place in the event at an even further reduced fee. They will not only help their athletes with some great training support and advice leading up to the event, but also ensure that they are the best supported athletes on race day, cheering them on from around the course.

For details on how to enter Ironman 70.3 UK and for more information about the race charities, visit www.ironmanuk.com]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[The ultimate IRONMAN test?]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9449.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Athletes of all abilities are pushing new boundaries in endurance racing although a fresh test has emerged which is arguably one of the hardest in Western Europe. The series of four UK and Ireland Ironman branded races is proving to be the ultimate challenge for some competitors next season. This will see athletes attempt an amazing two full distance and two 70.3 races between June and September next year.

Charlie Stannett from Suffolk is a multiple time Ironman UK finisher and along with his wife Kate, is setting himself this ultimate goal in 2012, he said: &ldquo;As &#039;Repeat Offenders&#039; Kate and I had already entered Wimbleball and Bolton for 2012. As for Tenby I have a 2011 DNF to put right and Kate has a DNS to put right as she reluctantly withdrew to focus on Kona. That meant we were already looking at the three UK events when, after an evening drinking too much wine, we spotted that Galway was also a possibility.&rdquo;

This is no easy feat as it will require an exceptional effort to complete over 420 miles of racing inside three months. A number of athletes, like Charlie, have already put their names forward for the challenge and Ironman have responded to the idea enthusiastically. The UK organising team have agreed to provide some extra reward for athletes who are attempting the extremely difficult task.

Dan James, Operations Director for IRONMAN UK, explains: &ldquo;After launching the Ironman Ireland and Ironman Wales events last year some people started to talk about the ultimate test of completing our four races in one season. We thought this was incredibly hard but knew we had to recognise the achievement if someone could succeed in finishing all four in the same year.&rdquo;

As a result, athletes embarking upon the &lsquo;ultimate&rsquo; will receive special race numbers and a commemorative package including t-shirt, jacket and a unique medal as part of a special awards ceremony. A &lsquo;Wall of Fame&rsquo; will also be created online to honour the success of those who can overcome the odds to finish all four races in the same season.

Charlie Stannett continued: &ldquo;Kate and I love endurance stuff - the longer the better - and are both really looking forward to it. For my part I&#039;ve got a few butterflies in the stomach but nothing that I can&#039;t handle. I reckon it should be an interesting if slow experience and importantly for me at the back, a real giggle!&rdquo;

The series of races involved in the ultimate Ironman test comprises:
Ironman 70.3 UK: 17 June 2012, Ironman UK: 22 July 2012, Ironman 70.3 Ireland: 2 September 2012 and Ironman Wales: 16 September 2012. Dan James said &ldquo;We will discount the entry fee for the fourth and final race for people completing the series. They will need help to motivate themselves during this unique journey and we will do all we can to help them through what will be an extraordinary accomplishment.&quot;

To find out more about the IRONMAN series of events in the UK and Ireland visit www.ironmanuk.com or contact the Ironman office at uk@ironman.com to receive further information or to ask any questions.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Surviving Christmas]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9445.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The festive period can be a challenge even for the most committed Ironman athletes but with good planning and preparation there&rsquo;s no reason why you can&rsquo;t enjoy Christmas to the full, keeping your training going whilst avoiding those family arguments! Dean Hughes from thetrilife.com, official training partner of Ironman UK, Ironman 70.3 UK and Ironman Wales, talks to us about the best way to maintain your health and fitness over the next couple of weeks, whilst keeping on top of your training targets.



Finding out when your local pool is open and the timings for lane swims over Christmas and New Year will help you plan your holiday training programme around your swimming. If the pool is closed for a while or you are travelling around and pool time is not realistic, resistance band workouts (try the ones with paddles attached) are great for bolting on the end of a run session. It&rsquo;s not going to replace the feel for water but will help strengthen those swimming muscles and help the next time you get in the water.

Your long rides are going to be the toughest to fit in but turbo or roller sessions are great for a quality hour or so and you don&rsquo;t have to worry about what to wear or clean your bike.

Running is the easiest to fit in so travel with your trainers and kit in the boot!

Here are my top tips for festive survival!

	Schedule in a long ride weekend before the holidays start, this allows you to focus on your running which is the easiest to fit into your family plans. 
	If you are travelling visiting friends and family over the holidays, then you should schedule in a daily stretching programme and a simple core routine to help with posture and help prevent injuries.
	Try your best to wake up and go to sleep at the same time each day to help keep your immune system on track &ndash; this is where you can fit that turbo session in or run session when everyone&rsquo;s still in bed!
	Wear the correct clothing and warm up properly to avoid pulling muscles. Don&rsquo;t miss that warm up routine because you&rsquo;re short on time!
	Train on the day of the Christmas party not the morning after! Plan a rest day and long walk in the afternoon and maybe check the bike over and training gear.
	Enter a fun charity race or a relay running event with some buddies &ndash; something different.
	Need wood for the fire/log burner? Get your trainers and rucksack on and go to woods &ndash; take the kids too they&rsquo;ll love the adventure! You may find some holly for the Christmas table too! Chopping/sawing some wood and kindling up will burn a few calories too and get you out of the house for a while!


Plan ahead and you will reap the benefits of a change of routine and a bit of a rest, ready to hit the ground running in January! Chin, Chin!



Thetrilife.com is the official training partner Ironman UK, Ironman Wales and Ironman 70.3 UK. They deliver swim, bike and run coaching via event specific online training programs, preparation day camps, overseas camps and one-to-one sessions. The highly qualified coaching team that includes Richard Jones, Dan Salcedo and Andrea Whitcombe provides expert coaching for athletes of all levels of fitness and ability from first time triathletes through to seasoned professionals and elite performers. To find out more about the Ironman race training programmes and preparation days on offer from thetrilife.com then visit www.thetrilife.com or www.ironmanuk.com/ and www.ironmanwales.com for more details.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ironman announce UK race prep days]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9381.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Entered your first Ironman event and feeling slightly daunted about the amount of training ahead? Confident about your level of fitness but really not sure about how well you will fare on the long bike ride? Just need a little bit of a nudge in the right direction along with some expert advice and assistance?

Ironman UK and thetrilife.com have announced the dates of their race preparation days for the 2012 season, these being one day courses to provide attendees with the chance to experience all aspects of the race course and increase their confidence ahead of race day. It is important to train specifically for the conditions in which you are going to be racing, and these courses enable athletes to try out the route and determine exactly what awaits them on race day. The course will be led by expert coaches from thetrilife.com and attendees will be given a comprehensive itinerary so to ensure that they can get the very most out of their day. Members of the Ironman team will also be on hand throughout the day to help with more specific race questions, and assist the coaching team with giving the most comprehensive overview to all attendees.

Throughout the day each athlete will have the opportunity to:


	Take part in a coached swimming session.
	Cycle a lap of the cycle course with coach direction and assistance.
	Run a lap of the run course with coach direction and assistance.
	Walk through the transition areas and see exactly where everything will be located.
	Attend a thetrilife.com seminar to discuss how to maximise their final weeks of training and get the best out of race day


Liz Scott, Director at thetrilife.com says &ldquo;At thetrilife.com we consistently tell our athletes to prepare as specifically as possible &ndash; and there is no better way to do this than to spend a day at the race venue soaking up advice and information. For some, the day provides reassurance that they are on the right track; for others, there is a reality check, and a renewed focus on what is required!  For most, it is a combination of both of these, and the chance to ask about, and experience everything just as it will be (plus 1700 other competitors!)&rdquo;.

The 2012 preparation day dates are as follows: Ironman 70.3 UK 21st/22nd April, 12th,13th May : Ironman UK 2nd/3rd June 2012 : Ironman Wales: 28th/29th July. Spaces at the preparation days are limited and so it is recommended to sign up early to secure a spot. For further information or to sign up please visit www.ironmanuk.com or www.ironmanwales.com where full details and booking instructions are provided.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ironman 70.3 UK nearly at capacity]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9329.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Organisers of IRONMAN 70.3 UK, World Endurance UK, announced today that the race is close to capacity with only a few hundred places left in this iconic event. The Ironman 70.3 UK Triathlon is one of the most popular events in the calendar with places filling before Christmas over the last few years so there isn&rsquo;t much time left to secure your place in the 2012 event.
Taking place in and around Exmoor at Wimbleball Lake IRONMAN 70.3 UK promises to test even the toughest of athletes, with former Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack claiming it to be the toughest course in the 70.3 series. The 1.2 mile swim in Wimbleball Lake is followed by a challenging 56 mile bike course through the Exmoor National Park before the half-marathon takes them back around Wimbleball Lake.
Kevin Stewart, Managing Director of World Endurance UK said: &ldquo;Entries to this year&rsquo;s event show that Ironman 70.3 UK is one of the most popular events in the UK calendar and athletes love the challenge that the course provides.&rdquo; 
Now in its seventh year at Wimbleball Lake, IRONMAN 70.3 UK attracts a field of international athletes chasing the prize money and ranking points hopefully taking them towards Las Vegas qualification. Age group athletes also have an eye on the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship as they look to pick up one of the 35 qualifying slots available at Ironman 70.3 UK.
SW Lakes Trust CEO, Tim Ashberry, said: &ldquo;Ironman 70.3 UK is a great event and we are proud to be hosting the event again for a seventh year. It&rsquo;s great to be able to show case the great facilities we have here at Wimbleball Lake and great to see so many athletes coming down to the venue to train year round.&rdquo; 
Many athletes combine the challenge of IRONMAN 70.3 UK 2012 with raising money for good causes and the two official charities Rotary and Scope can still provide access to places in return for raising money on their behalf.
If you are not racing this year but still want to be part of the IRONMAN experience, why not become part of the IRONMAN 70.3 UK RACE CREW?  Volunteers provide a huge amount of support to the race with a range of jobs on offer, taking into account your skills and availability during IRONMAN week.  More details can be found at www.ironmanuk.com ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wimbleball: a Pro perspective]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_8718.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Last week be brought you an image gallery from the UK Ironman 70.3 held at Wimbleball last weekend, courtesy of 2010 second place finisher Tamsin Lewis. 
We thought it was also be interesting to get a pro&#039;s perspective on a pro race, and so Tamsin has put together for us an extensive race report of the event through her eyes, for what turned out to be a very tight battle at the front of the ladies race in particular. 

Last week I found myself on the  other side of the fence at the UK 70.3 held at Wimbleball on Exmoor. I crashed at 70.3 Switzerland on June 5th  and broke my collar-bone (for the second time in a year!) so I was unable to  return to the race where I first made the step up to 70.3 racing (and my pro  debut) last year.
Wimbleball - The Background 
I&#039;ll start by saying &amp;ndash; I love this  race. I was brought up in Devon so the steep and  winding roads&amp;hellip; the moorland ponies and the country air never fail to stimulate  the ol&#039; nostalgia button.
 For many UK athletes, this too is their  first foray into middle distance racing and boy is it often a shock to the  system. The Wimbleball course is relentless.
 
 The  swim is cold and this year perhaps a little long. 
 The run to T1 is uphill for the best part of  a Km.
  The bike course has 52 hills in as many  miles and these are proper hills&amp;hellip; not to be mistaken for undulations.
  The  roads are often narrow and twisty and there are a few nasty hairpin turns.
  And the run well, you can forget about  getting into any sort of rhythm because the course is run over grass, tarmac,  packed trail and mud and the surface is perhaps never once flat!

Despite the above, this event rocks.  The atmosphere is awesome and the sense of camaraderie  exceeds any other race I have been to. 
Wimbleball 2010 was a beautiful sunny day  but this year the days leading up to the race had been pretty dire. I was  afraid travelling down that our friends in the campsite may have been washed  away and was contemplating whether our rented caravan would have enough space  for them on the floor. Weather premonitions aside, the morning of  the race was chilly, but bright and many competitors breathed audible signs  of relieve.
Transition on race morning is always a hot  bed of adrenaline and I always wince when I hear a tire pop or whistle. 
The Swim 
The pre-race favorites for the win today  were Samantha Warriner and Stephen Bayliss (although Martin Jensen was also thought  to be a top contender). Stephen looked calm and confident as we  did the ceremonious guided walk from Transition to the lake.  Many other faces were, however, contorted  with a variety of emotions&amp;hellip; fear, trepidation, excitement and nausea. It was interesting for me to be on the  sidelines watching other competitors, as they got ready to start &amp;ndash; for many  this would be their first triathlon.   They did not know what to expect. Many people asked me as they walked  down where I thought the best place would be to start the swim and I advised  appropriately.
Of course the most anxiety provoking part  of the swim for many is the start as thousands of bodies scramble over each  other weaving their way to the first buoy hopefully sans black eyes and  suffocation.   
Today, the calm waters of Wimbleball lake  saw a lead pack of three men come out in 23minutes 32 seconds, led out by  Daniel Halksworth (a recent Team TBB recruit from Jersey whom I spent some time  training with last year). Stephen Bayliss followed close behind with  Blue Bikes sponsored athlete Martin Jensen (second place finisher at Ironman Louisville 2010).   Just over a minute back were chasers Scott  Neyedli, Rich Allen and James Hadley.
  Simone Benz was the  first female to exit in the water in 25.28 surprisingly putting 2.5 minutes  into Emma Kate Lidbury (EK) and pre-race favorite Sam Warriner. I&#039;ve raced EK enough to  know that this is way off what she normally swims and sure enough she  remarked after the race that she got sucked into the bun-fight with the AG men,  which lost her valuable time. Lucy Gossage, Eimear  Mullan were a further two minutes back  -  way less than they expected!
  The Bike 
  On to the bike&amp;hellip; I  legged it to the T1 exit to give some split times to the pro women and my  partner Declan and fellow Freespeeders.   Then quick change for me and out onto the bike course. 
It&#039;s was 2 weeks ago on  race day that I broke my c-bone and I am lucky to be healing well. I can ride,  run and do doggie paddle! Riding up the first  hill away from Wimbleball Lake, I spurred on the competitors as I passed. I did  get quite a few strange looks, which is perhaps unsurprising as given my  state of dress (knee-high Compress sport socks, run shorts, a back brace and  digital SLR slung around my good shoulder)... I had to fight the urge  not to race past as many people as possible!   Reaching the point perhaps four miles up the road where the second  lap starts, I rode on riding the course in reverse to reach Haddon Hill where I  stopped to give splits again to some of the competitors.

At this point in the  first lap &amp;ndash; around mile 27, Mikel Elgezabal, the  eventual race winner had a two minute lead on chasers Stephen Bayliss and Dan  Halksworth.  Behind them was Nick  Saunders, Martin Jensen and Scott Neyedli. [Ed. Rich Allen, the inaugural Half Ironman UK winner 10 years ago in Llanberis had come into the race in good form, and had pulled away from that group in the early stages before disaster struck as he hit a pot hole and broke his rear wheel, to be out of the race after just 12 miles. A real shame, having travelled in from the States specifically for the event]. The rain was holding off, but it was  far from warm! 
On the women&#039;s&#039; side. Sam Warriner came  past in the lead with Simone Benz close behind. Sam didn&#039;t look happy, but not  uncomfortable either&amp;hellip; so I was at this point unsure as to what was going on. 2mins 10secs back was EK (who looked  great in her Wiggle gear &amp;ndash; where did you get those chequer board arm warmers  from?? LOVE em&#039;!). I then spotted Eimear approaching  Haddon Hill (one of the steepest on the course) &amp;ndash; I shouted two minutes to EK to  her.  She uttered some expletives,  smiled, thanked me and then shot off literally! She not known until now how  close she was to a potential podium). Eimear  loves to climb and this Wimbleball course suits her strengths perfectly. The determined face of Lucy Gossage  followed another few minutes back then Yvette Grice and Jo Carritt behind  her. 
On the AG side of things. Oliver  Bradbury of Thames Turbo was leading the AG&#039;s overall at this point in the race  but closing in fast was eventual AG overall winner Stuart Anderson of Team  Freespeed.  He was moooooving fast!  Declan Doyle, also a Freespeeder was close on  his heels, but having been poorly all week he wasn&#039;t able to assert his usual  dominance on the bike.   Race regular Tracy Cooke  was leading  the female AG race (until the last lap of the run), closely pursued by  Freespeeder Jenny Gowans.  Jen was  smiling as she passed me saying &amp;ndash; &amp;lsquo;I need to learn how to descend!&#039;. Having  just received her new Blue bike last week, she was a little nervous on  Wimbleball&#039;s notorious descents.
Riding much of one lap of the course  (in reverse) today&amp;hellip; two things struck me about the AG race which I will  highlight here so that some may improve radically the next time they race. 

  Many were putting in  good effort up the hills, but as soon as they got to the top, they backed off,  sat up and wasted valuable time freewheeling. Much could be gained by staying  aero and pedaling strong over the top and down the hill the other side.  You will have recovered by the time of the next  hill.
  Poorly fitting bikes. So many  people looked uncomfortable, stretched out, saddle wrong height, aerobars wonky  etc. 56miles on a bike is hard enough without having  extra discomfort!  Having ridden bikes that don&#039;t fit before, I  can truly vouch for the difference it makes when you ride a bike that fits you  or one that has been adjusted as best as possible for you. 


The Run!
This is where  the excitement really starts!  I have  never been in a transition area before when not racing so it was exciting to  see competitors come through.  I stood  with Bella Bayliss (who looks amazing and seem so relaxed and happy at the  moment 33 weeks pregnant! Bella won this race last year with me close behind,  it was good to chat without any hint of rivalry for once!)  
Mikel came in  off the bike first. Strange thing being, no one actually knew  he was other  than he was a ex-pro cyclist from Spain. We were all expecting him to die a  death on the run and shouted words of encouragement to Dad to be &amp;ndash; Stephen &amp;ndash; as  he came into T2 just over two minutes down. Dan Halksworth  followed then Martin Jensen and Nick Saunders. Scott Neyedli having had a  bumpy start to his race (leaving his race shoes at home) was a little off the  pace starting the run.
  Word on the  course at this time was that race leader Sam Warriner had suffered mechanical  problems and lost a lot of time. She eventually came into T2 eight minutes down from  Simone Benz.  On to the run it was great to watch as the  course is so spectator friendly. I didn&#039;t stop for more than 10secs for the  whole hour and a half on the run course.  The  adrenaline got the better of me as I screeched words of encouragement and  (sometimes favorably enhanced!) split times at the competitors.
The men&#039;s race was less exciting as Stephen  didn&#039;t bring his usual supa-quick run legs and Mikel managed to hold him off to  the finish.  Dan Halksworth also,  suffering from the cold, didn&#039;t manage to hold his usual run pace and faded to  fifth. The most impressive run split came from Nick Saunders who set a  blistering 1.17 pace to run into fourth place. 
The girl&#039;s race was where the excitement  was!  Last year, EK came off the bike  two mins ahead of  me (my chain came off  and twisted which lost me the lead on the bike), and Bella and I excited T1  together for the run leg. Having never run a half marathon before &amp;ndash; let alone  off a bike, I went off way too hard and from the end of Lap one it was pure  pain. Bella, a truly experienced and classy competitor held her own pace and  kept strong for the win. EK had blown and was really suffering... I caught her  with one mile to go for second.
  Racing is a learning game and I often think  how much the psychological side of  sport  is underestimated. One thing I learnt from Brett Sutton is that the mind is the  most powerful predictor of sports performance. If you truly believe you can &amp;ndash;  you most probably can.
Onto the third lap of the run and EK had  caught and passed Simone Benz&amp;hellip; Eimear was closing fast on EK and was running  obviously a lot faster. Then coming up the first hill on the second lap Eimear  caught EK and I shouted words of encouragement at her, saying &#039;this is your  race Eimear, you&#039;ve got it, just hold strong!&#039;   Now this was in no way disrespectful to EK but Eimear had been running  quite a bit faster and I had expected would run straight past EK. This was not to be!

EK told me at the end that my words acted  as fuel for her fire to push for the win and hold Eimear off. Knowing that she  had pushed hard to catch her, EK didn&#039;t give up but pushed back and held a  stronger pace. This is a psychological tactic as most people would think  &#039;Geees, she has got a lot left in the tank &amp;ndash; I don&#039;t think I can go any  harder&#039;.  They battled to and fro for the  remainder of the six miles then EK showed true strength and class as she pulled  away  for the win. 45 seconds separated them at the finish. 
I was really impressed with the way  that EK executed this race. Her running has come on leaps and bounds this year  and it would seem her race head is firmly screwed on too. (This bears some resemblance of the  Macca/Raelert jostle at Kona last year where Macca won by  breaking Raelert mentally...)
Heading to the finish, it was great to  see Lucy Gossage put in a stunning surge on the final part of the run to catch  Simone Benz for the final place on the podium. Her finishing shot pictures are  classic!
Age Group 
The AG racing was exciting too as  Declan started to close on Stuart Anderson on the run. Simone Benz&#039; partner  (Reto Brandii) was second fastest AGer overall with Tom Wilby putting in the fourth  fastest run of the day to finish third. Declan followed just behind as  12th male overall.  There  were many highly commendable finishers today, but I was very impressed by the  riding of young Oliver Bradbury (Thames Turbo) who had the second  fastest bike split (30seconds behind Stuart). Surely a rising star?? 
The women&#039;s AG race came to an  exciting conclusion as 2008 Norseman winner, Jenny Gowans put in a strong 1.30  run to catch leader Tracy Cooke on the final lap. Her partner, Richard Melik  had told her he didn&#039;t think she would catch her &amp;ndash; but Jen is nothing if not a  fighter and in the end came home with spare time to finish seventh  female overall.  This was an awesome  result for Jen, whom had been so disappointed when,  despite being in the form of her life, she was  forced to DNF at Hawaii last October.
The results speak highly for Team  Freespeed who will all be heading to Challenge Roth in a few weeks with the  aim for the boys being all to go sub 9!  

I&#039;ll be back! 
UK 70.3 2011 was a phenomenal success  once again &amp;ndash; and most people seem to have a fantastic time.  Of course, the fact that we seem to step back  40 years to a time where mobile phones and internet were mere figments of  imagination is by the by!  We are  promised high speed broadband next year so that online results and live feed  may be a reality.
 I&#039;ll finish by saying that the organization of  this event &amp;ndash; which I appreciated more as I was less preoccupied with racing &amp;ndash;  was outstanding. Emma Jenkinson who did much of the   commentating kept everyone&#039;s energies high and ensured  spectators had fun too. I know behind the scene Laura Beecroft was working hard  too &amp;ndash; so thanks to you guys and of course to the hundreds of enthusiastic  volunteers who made the event possible. A big thank you also to Race Director Richard Wallace, Event Director Dan James and Managing Director Kevin Stewart for a fantastically organised race.
A word to the wise &amp;ndash; This event sells  out QUICKLY!  Get in early and secure  your accommodation in local BandB&#039;s, unless you like soggy camping!
I will be back next year on the right  side of the fence ready to smash up some hills!   (Unless of course I manage three collar-bone breaks in as many years! ;)
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Emma-Kate Lidbury: Wimbleball win]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_8702.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[It&#039;s been a great season for Emma-Kate Lidbury so far. Starting the year with a top-10 at the stacked Abu Dhabi International in March, she then secured her first two professional wins at Tristar111 Nevis and Ironman 70.3 Mallorca. 
In our weekend preview last week, we had predicted a win at Ironman 70.3 UK, Wimbleball for &#039;EK&#039;, and while that did come true... she had to dig very deep to make it happen, having been passed in the very late stages of the race by Ireland&#039;s Eimear Mullan. Having lead for so long in 2010 before finishing third, and &amp;quot;never before have I won a  race on the run course&amp;quot;, this was to prove a truly memorable victory for so many reasons.
Here, in her words, is the race report of Ironman UK 70.3 winner  Emma-Kate Lidbury.

I took my second Ironman 70.3 title of the season on  Sunday at 70.3 UK in Wimbleball and what a race! To say I am pleased is an  understatement; it was a hard fought race with the victory only being sealed in  the final moments. Of course, the win is fantastic and is enough to keep a  silly smile on my face for many days to come. It is more the way in which I won  that will ensure the smile stays a little longer. Never before have I won a  race on the run course. In seasons past, it is typically where I have lost  races, so Sunday&#039;s victory means an awful lot to me and is about far more than  the win. It was about all the months and weeks I&#039;ve spent sidelined with run  injuries; it was about the countless times I&#039;ve built leads on the swim and  bike only to see them &amp;ndash; and me &amp;ndash; fade away; it was about racing smart and  racing hard and doing exactly what I had hoped and dreamed I could&amp;hellip;
Anyone  who&#039;s ever raced 70.3 UK will know how brutal this course is. The swim is cold,  the bike course is challenging (to say the least) and the run course is...well,  it was obviously mapped out by someone who loves inflicting pain on others!
My  swim is almost always a strong point of the race for me and over the past few  months I have been working extremely well with Dan Bullock from Swim for Tri. In every race this season I&#039;ve  been able to focus on technique pointers Dan has set me. Unfortunately it  didn&#039;t quite work out that way at Wimbleball. The age group race starts a few  metres back from the pro race and they obviously didn&#039;t have quite the same gap  as last year because - THUMP, BOSH, BANG, OUCH! - before I knew it they&#039;d  caught us (some of the pro women) and we were caught up in a melee of bodies  who seemed more intent on boxing than swimming.  Typically a strong  swimmer in these situations, I took on so much water that I couldn&#039;t get my  breath and panicked. By the end of the swim I was just pleased to reach dry  land in one piece but my race had not started well and I was second, two  minutes back off the lead girl, Simone Benz from Switzerland.
With  the weather being so grim in the days leading up to the race, trying to figure  out what to put on for the bike leg had become a tough call. My family was  treated to a full dhb fashion show the day  before as I weighed up what wouldn&#039;t take too long to put on in T1 with what  would be most breathable/windproof/waterproof. After all that, I made the  executive decision in T1 to just throw on arm warmers and then shivered around  the first lap of the bike. 

The  bike course at Wimbleball makes grown men cry. It is one hell of a ride - 53  hills in 56 miles - and on Sunday conditions were far from easy. It took me a  while to find my bike legs but by lap two I&#039;d finally warmed up and got into  more of a rhythm. I really felt for Sam Warriner, who I saw had punctured on  lap two while leading, and never ruled her out of the race because I know what  a tough cookie she is. By the time I reached T2 (in second place) the gap  between me and first place was almost four minutes.
In  previous years, running out of T2 with that kind of deficit - coupled with the  fact there were some strong runners behind me - would have scared me silly.  Fortunately, though, the work I&#039;ve undertaken with The  Running School in Chiswick has helped to change all that. Although on that first lap of the  run there were times when I felt so bad I was ready to walk off the course, I  knew also (from my own personal experience last year), that a lead of that size  on this run course doesn&#039;t mean much. I worked hard to keep positives going  through my brain and focused on all the technique pointers Mike Antoniades and  his Running School team have set me. 
By  the end of lap two the four-minute deficit was now just 20 seconds and I was  feeling strong. This was not going to be easy, though, because although I&#039;d  caught the girl in first, the girl in third (Eimear Mullen from Ireland), had  also closed on me. Not long after I made the pass to take the lead, Eimear came  past me on a steep grassy uphill section. We ran shoulder-to-shoulder with the  TV crew catching every grimace. We were at the point on the course where  there&#039;s a steep uphill before it falls away into a sharp descent. Eimear pulled  away on the downhill and I thought that might have been the race-winning move  but we hit the dam (the only flat paved section of this killer run course) and  I could see she wasn&#039;t taking any more time out of me. A quick slurp of Coke at  the next aid station and we were back to running uphill off-road. I continued  to feel strong and caught up to Eimear knowing that if I didn&#039;t make my move  when I felt good then I&#039;d regret it. After passing her, the very next athlete I  saw (of all 1600 on the course!) was my boyfriend Ozzer who, seeing me in the  lead, promptly went nuts and gave me enough verbal firepower to propel me to  the finish. There was still a couple of miles to go so the win was by no means  signed, sealed or delivered. 
After  winning 70.3 Mallorca, I could remember how sweet the finish chute was and I  wanted it all over again - this time with family and friends here. As I turned  into the chute and saw I was clear for the win I think I went a bit loopy. To  say I was pumped might be a bit of an understatement, but this is a race I have  wanted to win ever since last year when I lead for so much of it. 
It  was brilliant to have my sister Susie there as well as her fianc&amp;eacute; Gavin and my  good friends from Miami who&#039;d come over especially to do this race. Steve and  Ian were racing while Steve&#039;s wife Jill had been on course giving me  first-class support (as always!) as well as reliable splits and feedback I  could trust. Every pro athlete needs Jill Brookner on their team! Thanks guys!
Huge  thanks also to:

  Mark  Stenning, my trusted mentor/coach/consultant/advisor/go-to man who turned 40 on  Monday so belated happy birthday old fella! ;-) 
  Sally  Pinnegar, sports nutritionist extraordinaire from Fit  Naturally,  who has overhauled my diet and fuelling and helped me with more than she&#039;ll  ever realise. She played a key role in ensuring my recovery from 70.3 Switzerland  a fortnight ago was tip-top, so Sal, massive thank you. 


To  all my sponsors, without whom I simply couldn&#039;t train and race at this level: 

  Wiggle and its amazing team  who really make it the award-winning online retailer it is; 
  Morris  Owen Chartered Accountants of Swindon &amp;amp; Cirencester 
  Mobile  telecoms firm Virtua &amp;ndash; I went out riding  recently with many of the staff from Virtua and they were far too good at  giving me a run for my money! I&#039;ll come training with you all again soon ;-) 


Thanks  also to Paligap for my Fast Forward Powertap wheels; Orbana energy drink and Neovite colostrum.
Special  thanks always to Ozzer and all of my family, whose continued love and support  means so much. And for my Dad: race day was also Father&#039;s Day and, although my  dad died eight years ago, he was with me every step of the way on that run  course. A large chunk of my prize money will be going to the British  Heart Foundation. 
Happy  training and racing all.
  EK
PS  Thank you to Richard Melik of Freespeed and Tamsin Lewis for  photos.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wimbleball 2011 image gallery]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_8695.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Last year she finished second, but a recently broken collar bone (again!), meant that Tamsin Lewis wasn&#039;t able to fight for the win in 2011 at Ironman 70.3 UK. 
Still, that didn&#039;t stop her from heading to Wimbleball, and her (racing) loss is our gain as she was a very busy girl, getting around the course with her camera to capture these great images of some very close racing action. 
Click on the Lauch Image Gallery link at the top of the page to view the full collection. 


 All pictures are &amp;copy;Tri247 / Tamsin Lewis]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wimbleball report: Karl Alexander]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_8689.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Age Group athlete Karl Alexander reported for us recently on his race at the The Beaver Middle Distance, having also done that same last season at Ironman UK and the BustinSkin Middle. 
 Being in good form, when race #247 became available an an opportunity to report- from the frontline - for Tri247, Karl jumped at the opportunity for a late notice addition to his race calendar. Good job too, as he had a great race and just managed to beat his tough per-race goal of a sub- five hour finish. Here is his report. 

The Ironman UK 70.3 event held at Wimbleball Lake in the  stunning Exmoor National Park has the reputation of being the toughest 70.3  course on the international circuit and it was here in 2006 that I first dipped  my toe in Triathlon. So, when I was asked if I would like to race here again by  tri247.com&#039;s Editor it was an immediate and resounding yes!
Having just raced The Beaver Middle Distance I knew my form  was good and with the addition of this race into my schedule it mirrored my  build and prep from last year towards IMUK.  It did mean however that the five week block of  training I had planned now had a short taper, race and recovery to be included.
The drive from High Wycombe came with a sense of foreboding  as it pretty much rained for the entire journey and I suddenly had a IMUK 2009  premonition but once we arrived the rain showers had stopped but it remained  overcast, the car park and race venue whilst a little soggy were perfectly  accessible. I headed to register and collect  my race numbers, swim cap and timing chip and I&#039;m certain it&#039;s just  coincidental that since I there to report for tri247.com that my race number  was 247! 
Once my bike, bike and run bags were racked in transition it  was time to head up to the campsite for some food and sleep. As with last year  I stayed at Halse Farm and at &amp;pound;13 for  a tent and two adults it&#039;s a great option although there is camping available  at the venue. By the time the tent was up it was blowing what seemed like a  gale so we abandoned the tent and headed to the nearest pub for some home  comforts and a cheeky beer, it seems that last years IMUK winner Yvette Grice  had the same idea and we chatted about the race (she would finish sixth).
The swim is a mass open water start with the Pro athletes  starting 15 meters in front of the Age Group masses and  at 7am the claxon sounded and we were underway. Setting myself a target of a  sub 5 hour finish time (for the whole race, not the swim...), I started from the  front and spent the first 100 meters or so swimming over or under other  athletes but a surge of pace and I soon found some clear water and settled into  my rhythm, the triangular one lap course is easy enough to navigate but the  first turn has you swimming into the morning sun so tinted or mirrored goggles  are a must. The rest of the swim passed uneventfully for me and I exited in 29th  place after 29:04.
The run to transition is long, very long and up, very up!  For those people not used to running hard after swimming a few aquathlons in  your build up may be a good idea as you could quite easily be left feeling  dizzy and disoriented. I opted to run the hill and stripping my wetsuit to the  waist as I ran and utilising the volunteers in transition to help me pull it  off entirely I cleared T1 and headed out onto the bike course.
The first three miles out of T1 are uphill and going too hard  here can leave you feeling cooked later so pacing and a steady tempo are a  must, a fast downhill offers a little respite before turning left and starting  lap one of two full laps. I knew that to stay in with a chance of going under five hours  I needed to come off the bike after 3 hours 30 minutes since race start which  meant averaging 18.9 mph for the duration of the bike leg. There are three  significant climbs on the course that again need to be well paced, the first  has a fast descent straight over the top so this allows you to spin your legs  out and recover before hitting the next climbs, it&#039;s not uncommon to see  athletes push their bikes up these inclines so if you&#039;re not a strong climber a  triple chainring should be considered. I used a standard road bike as normal  for this race and it certainly paid off for me on the climbs, next year I&#039;ll  use a road bike again but with the addition of some clip-on tri bars to make  the most of some of the flatter sections of the course. I arrived at T2 after 3:31:14  since the race start which meant I needed a 1:28:46 run split including T2 to  go under five hours. 
I left T2 in 1:29 and immediately set about picking off the  athletes ahead and after less than a mile I had caught and passed several athletes.  I continued to watch the clock, calculating how fast I&#039;d have to go to achieve  my target and at the final timing mat I had just over 5 minutes left to achieve  my goal, I knew that unless I pushed hard I wouldn&#039;t do it, but I could also  feel that if I upped my pace I would almost certainly cramp and lose more time  so it was time to put myself on the pain train and go for it, I crossed the  line after 1:27:14 for a total time of 4:59:55.
I finished in 22nd overall and fourth in the 30-34  age group and with six slots for the World 70.3 Championships in Las Vegas I had  qualified but I chose to decline my slot in favour of trying to qualify for the  Ironman Worlds in Kona, I don&#039;t think my wallet would appreciate two World  Championships in the same year! All things considered I&#039;m pleased with my  performance considering 10 days ago I wasn&#039;t even doing the event.
I&#039;ll next be racing on July 10th at The BustinSkin Middle Distance in Weymouth, a  race I closed my season with last year but with a change to its date it will  now serve as my final race before I taper to IMUK in Bolton.

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