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		<?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[Macca's back in the UK!]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_3137.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The organisers of the UK Ironman 70.3 have announced that Ironman World Champion, Chris McCormack, will once again be taking on the challenges of Wimbleball Lake on June 15th. McCormack, the winner of the Ford Ironman Hawaii World Championships last October, previously raced the Exemoor course in 2006 where he was victorious over a strong international field including Pete Jacobs, Richard Allen and Clas Bj&amp;ouml;rling. 2008 will see him attempt to reclaim the UK 70.3 crown which was won by Scotland&#039;s Fraser Cartmell in 2007.

Ironman 70.3 UK&#039;s organisers commented, &quot;We are always pleased when an athlete of the stature of Chris McCormack enters the UK race. The presence of the World Champion always adds something special to the atmosphere at any race. We are pleased that Chris has once again chosen to test himself against the course he described as the hardest he had ever done!&quot;

McCormack is a well-respected triathlete and, as well as being the 2007 Ford Ironman World Champion, he has an impressive list of victories including the double of ITU World Champion and World Cup Series Champion in 1997 and five-time winner of Ironman Australia. These results make McCormack arguably the best in the world!

In a move to give athletes the real racing experience and a chance to go head-to-head with Macca, the Wimbleball race will now be a deep water mass start event with everyone going into the water at 6am. The organisers continue, &quot;The mass start will give athletes the chance to test themselves against the best in the world at the same time on the same day. When you toe the line, you will be racing not only yourself, your age group but also Macca, we think that is a great incentive to all athletes.&quot;]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Here we go again...]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2158.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Stuart Lumb, aka JetSetSuperVet, still can&#039;t believe that his report from last year&#039;s Ironman UK made the top ten most read articles. In his usual determined style, he&#039;s never one to miss out on a challenge, he set out to have a crack at the Wimbleball 70.3 course.



Having been brought up in the Pennines, and consequently having one leg shorter than the other, I mistakenly thought that I could breeze round any bike course devised by man. That was before those delightful Ironman people discovered the highways and byways of Exmoor and decided that Wimbleball would make the ideal venue for the UK Ironman 70.3... As I grunted and groaned my way up that infamous 14% climb at Morebath &ndash; now renamed Morehill &ndash; I thought that there must be better ways of spending a nice sunny June morning.

I was but one of around 1,200 intrepid athletes who had travelled to Somerset to compete in the 2007 Ironman 70.3 event. The tales and rumours about the extreme climbs on the bike course had given many athletes more than a touch of insomnia so, in preparation, I&#039;d had a new big cassette and chain fitted which, along with my 21-tooth triple chainset, meant I (hopefully) could climb anything that the course could chuck at me.

The hard men &ndash; and women &ndash; no doubt look down on us lesser mortals who resort to such dubious tactics as fitting a triple. Amazingly,one of the elite girls, Chrissie Wellington, got round on her big ring as she couldn&#039;t get into &#039;Mr Small&#039; having broken her STIs &ndash; what a fantastic athlete she must be. As a Super Vet I have no qualms about using any help I can get, as long as it&#039;s legal, so my wetsuit has the maximum number of 5mm panels and my Motobecane 7005 AL has a triple chain ring and a big cassette. I&#039;ve yet to find a device or aid which can make me run faster, but I keep on looking! 

The weather had been quite showery on the Friday and Saturday but the forecast had promised a fine race day. At 4am I peered through the curtains &ndash; no rain &ndash; thank the Lord, as those descents on the bike split would have been horrendous in the wet &ndash; at least for me. The sun lit up Wimbleball lake as the various waves took to the water. For once my mask didn&#039;t leak and my dodgy zip behaved itself. My swim went very well &ndash; my time of 42mins was six minutes better than my time posted when competing in HIMUK in 2004, so I was well pleased at that. 
However, after the swim all did not go well. I&#039;d forgotten to pack my varifocals in my bike bag and so had trouble reading my computer &ndash; a bit academic anyway, as it turned out. The big descent down on to the A396 was not fun &ndash; made a mental note to add finger strengthening exercises to my gym programme &ndash; and I noticed three bikes in the hedge at the bottom &ndash; allegedly a draft buster had clocked some idiot doing 54mph down that descent... and he was still pedalling... crazy! Then it was on to those dreaded climbs. I&#039;d biked up by Wilson&#039;s farm and up the infamous Morebath hill on the Friday morning so knew I could get up OK, but nearly got caught out by the nasty incline just before the feed station.

Upwards and onwards... I checked my watch and saw it had taken me two hours to do my first lap so my aim of completing the bike split in four hours was disappearing rapidly. At this point I wished I&#039;d done more training. The Wilson&#039;s farm ascent came round again much too soon. The mind was willing but the flesh was weak &ndash; in the form of a bad cramp in my left thigh &ndash; so I swallowed my pride and walked up &ndash; not alone I hasten to add. Pride was restored at Morebath as I got up that grind without stopping.

Back into T2, got changed and started my &#039;run&#039;. I&#039;d been bothered with a dodgy right hamstring for a few weeks and so had done very few training runs and just hoped that it would be OK come race day. Anyway, maybe because of that extreme bike split, it obviously wasn&#039;t going to be OK and after half the first lap I was not a happy bunny. [Ed: I bet you were happier than the bunny Julie Dibens hit on the bike!] Despite doing quite a lot of stretches I could only hobble along.

By this time I was up by the northern turn point and doing my sums to see if I could beat the 9hr 30min cut off, although maths was never my best subject! Then an angel in the shape of Cumbrian athlete Sue Agar came to my aid. &amp;ldquo;I can walk 15 minute miles,&amp;rdquo; she said cheerfully, &amp;ldquo;We&#039;ve bags of time left!&amp;rdquo; So Sue, bless her cotton socks, took me in tow. I managed to &#039;run&#039; down the hills and &#039;powerwalk&#039; the rest and, with her encouragement, I crossed the line in 9:02:30 with 27 minutes to spare and had the dubious privilege of being the last official finisher - but still managed third in my age group. Plus, I still got my medal and polo shirt, just like those guys that completed in half my time! 

One of these days I&#039;ll start a race 100% fit and 100% confident, but like many other athletes, I&#039;m having to learn how to compete carrying an injury. In retrospect I underestimated the severity of the bike split &ndash; one consolation is that Wimbleball&#039;s generally recognised as the toughest 70.3 circuit in the world. I&#039;m doing Nice 70.3 in September, which is also tough, so will be able to compare the two. IMUK at Sherborne is not an easy circuit but, for the benefit of those of you brave souls competing in this year&#039;s event, the Sherborne bike split &ndash; at least last year&#039;s &ndash; was a piece of cake compared to Wimbleball.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Of hills, champions and a rabbit...]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2157.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The 2007 UK IRONMAN 70.3 took place on the 17th June 2007 at Wimbleball Lake and saw two new champions crowned, course records fall and the reputation of the toughest 70.3 in the world gain another 1000 tired believers.
 
Fraser Cartmell (Scotland) and Julie Dibens (England) took the honours after a hard day of racing with Cartmell showing guts and determination to first lose and then reclaim the lead and Dibens dominating a stellar female field from start to finish.
 
The build up to the race saw traditional English summer weather, with heavy rain, floods and wind across most of England. However, race day dawned and the athletes were greeted with near perfect conditions for the challenge ahead. The men&rsquo;s race promised a new champion, as Chris McCormack was not back defending his title; however the field provided no obvious successor. Stephen Bayliss, looked set to lead the UK challenge whilst Paul Ambrose of Australia and Nicholas Le Brun of France looked to continue the theme of international winners.
 
On a clear and sunny morning, the horn sounded and the athletes entered the stunning man-made Wimbleball Lake for the 1900m one-lap swim. From the start it became clear that there was a new player looking to make a name for himself as Fraser Cartmell led the field out of the water. Cartmell raced up the long drag to T1 closely followed by Paul Ambrose, with a pack containing Le Brun and Bayliss hot on their heels. Taking his bike, Cartmell led onto the notorious bike course and the 52 hills in 56 miles!
 
Using the downhills to his advantage, Ambrose took the lead from Cartmell on the first lap, however Cartmell kept the flying Ambrose in sight. Perhaps he noticed the medical strapping on Ambrose&rsquo;s thigh and was thinking his best chance may come on the run.
 
Entering T2 Ambrose had a minute lead, but as soon as the run began, the smooth fluid figure that Ambrose had cut during the run and bike changed as what looked like a thigh injury took its toll. By the end of the first lap, Cartmell had reclaimed the lead.
 
Behind, new pro, James Gilfillan was close behind and running strong. Gilfillan looked like a man with a point to prove: he had entered the race as an age grouper, but was actually attempting to turn Pro. Issues with his governing body meant that his Pro licence only came through 3 days prior to the race.
 
On the run, the lead was cut to 50secs at one point, but Cartmell remained strong and crossed the line in 4hrs 24mins to record the first major victory of his career and claim the crown of the 2007 UK IRONMAN 70.3 Champion and the first British winner the UK 70.3.
 
The women&rsquo;s race was all about one women, Julie Dibens. The 2007 St Croix 70.3 winner dominated a field that included IRONMAN winners Katja Schumacher and Bella Comerford and a new generation of British Pros including Michelle Lee and Chrissie Wellington.
 
Dibens smashed the women&rsquo;s swim record with a stunning 22minute swim, coming out with the leading men. No surprise, given her swim background, however the bike would throw up a surprise or two. Dibens had the misfortune to hit a rabbit out on the course, which caused her tribars to break. This would have meant the end of the race for most athletes, however an athlete of Dibens undoubted class was not going to be stopped.
 
On the run, Dibens continued her dominance to win in 4hrs 48mins, smashing the course record by six minutes. Behind her Schumacher raced hard for second, with Lee proving a surprise package in third. 
 
The UK IRONMAN 70.3 has gained a deserved reputation as the toughest race on the circuit and this reputation grows every year. For those who are looking for a challenge, the UK IRONMAN 70.3 awaits. Come and have a go, if you think you&rsquo;re hard enough!]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[UK Ironman 70.3 report]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2139.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Nick Saunders, our roving long course specialist, was down in deepest Somerset this weekend at the UK Ironman 70.3 race. Here&#039;s his report on the race and we have also compiled a PicasaWeb photo gallery and loaded some video footage of the race onto Google TV.



I raced the UK 70.3 event over the weekend in Exmoor, I think it is safe to say that it is one of the hardest, if not the hardest half Ironman course in the world. Not many first timers are put off by this fact, I am not sure of the exact figure but a large proportion of the field were doing this distance for the first time.

I knew it was going to be a tough day of racing from the end of the swim...

There were only about 15 pro men and 10 pro women entered and we set off in the first wave at 6am sharp. The swim start went well because of the small number of athletes in our wave and I tried to hang onto the lead group of four which included Stephen Bayliss, Fraser Cartmell, Paul Ambrose and Julie Dibens but the pace was a bit to fast for me so I settled into the second pack and came out the water in just over 24 minutes, about 1.40 down from the leaders. I used my Orca 3.8 for the second time and had a much better swim, it really is comfortable and one does not overheat in it, I find the shoulder flexibility good and it does not tighten my shoulders.

Once out of the swim, that&#039;s where the fun starts! You are confronted with the first of many hills on the course leading up to the transition, it&#039;s a 400m run uphill, and then you&#039;re out onto a two lap bike course, again it is straight into the hills while trying to recover from the run to the transition. You don&#039;t get much time to do this as it is undulating the whole way and it is hard to get into a rhythm and stay down in your aerobars as one is always getting out the saddle to climb. There are two very steep climbs on each lap, they are not long - not more than 500m, but on our second lap we saw a few people even pushing their bikes up the hill on their first laps!

I rode the first lap with Challifour and Neyedli, Lebrun rode up to us towards the end of the first lap and we then we caught Bayliss at the start of the second lap. Ahead of us were Gilfillan, Ambrose and Cartmell and it would stay this way until the start of the run. We started our run nine minutes down from the the leader as I headed out with Bayliss and Lebrun for the three lap course with second and third place about five minutes ahead.

We ran the first lap together, each taking turns at the front, and we were making up time on the leaders. I started to feel like I needed to go to the toilet at the start of the second lap, I tried my best to hold this off, but to no avail, and was forced to make a stop at the next aid station. I thought that if I kept running it would result in the obvious and could possibly make Bayliss and Lebrun run even faster to get away from me so it was a lightning fast pit stop and then off again having lost about 40 seconds.

I tried my best to catch up but was unable to and ended up finishing sixth, one up from last year and a few minutes quicker in 4:30. Fraser Cartmell held off his chasers for a gutsy win, Gilfillan took second and Ambrose third with Stephen Bayliss was fourth, feeling a bit tired after his great result at IM Brazil, and Lebrun fifth.

It was a good result for me after my race in Austria, I am trying to build on my results each race this season, and now it&#039;s off to Belgium for the ITU European Long Course and then to France to train leading up to the ITU World Long Course in July.

Safe training and racing.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Veolia to clean up after HIMUK]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2072.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The UK IRONMAN 70.3 endeavours to leave a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of everybody who competes and spectates at this great event. However, thanks to a partnership with Veolia Environmental Services, there will not be any marks or impressions left behind in the stunning Exmoor National Park.

Veolia Environmental Services are one of the world&rsquo;s leading waste management companies promoting reduction, reuse and recycling, and supporting energy recovery both as a means to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and to cut greenhouse gases. The UK IRONMAN 70.3 promotes a healthy lifestyle and human powered movement, whether swimming, biking or running. In an age where the size of your carbon footprint is becoming ever more of an issue, the UK IRONMAN 70.3 will see 87,875 miles covered by the athletes on race day, with over a million man powered miles covered in training, all under environmentally friendly conditions.

UK IRONMAN 70.3 organisers commented, &ldquo;Veolia Environmental Services share our commitment to promoting a clean and healthy environment. We are pleased they have decided to come on board with the UK IRONMAN 70.3.&rdquo;  Veolia Environmental Services will be providing IRONMAN UK with bins for refuse collection on site, recycling facilities and also road sweeping of the race course prior to the event.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Zoot suits Ironman UK races]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_1964.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Following on from a successful partnership in 2006, American based multisport apparel and wetsuit company, Zoot Sports, has once again signed up to be the official Apparel Sponsor of IRONMAN UK and the UK IRONMAN 70.3. Zoot Sports, the original triathlon company, was born in 1883 in Kona, Hawaii, the home of the IRONMAN Triathlon World Championships, and began making performance apparel that catered to elite athletes competing in the emerging sport of triathlon.

The innovative designs and apparel solutions such as the padded Tri Brief, the drop tail, the aerodynamically designed Tri Jersey, and the 3&quot; inseam bike shorts immediately gained popularity as did the colourful lycra fabrics that were custom fit for athletes. 

24 years later, the Zoot Sports focus remains the same: finding product solutions for multisport athletes.  This Spring, Zoot Sports expands on their ULTRA line and introduces six game-changing BIOwrap&trade; features &ndash; ranging from an innovative integrated tri pad to a sew-free leg hem technology and even a new women&rsquo;s support line. Zoot Sports has been committed to triathletes and their sport for over 24 years and the partnership with IRONMAN UK, allows UK athletes to take advantage of latest in product innovation and commitment to the sport from Zoot Sports.  

Eli Carlson, Zoot Sports Director of Marketing, comments: &ldquo;Zoot Sports is 100% focused on providing you with the ultimate in performance apparel and accessories. We are a multisport and multiseason company that provides the highest level of performance, innovation, quality and fit without sacrificing design and aesthetics. The athlete that is the most comfortable, supported and ventilated will be the athlete that performs best, race day and everyday&rdquo;.

IRONMAN UK race organisers believe that athletes wanting to perform at their maximum would benefit form Zoot clothing, &ldquo;The work that Zoot has invested in their clothing over the past 24 years has made them one of the premier manufactures of Tri Clothing in the world. The commitment to innovation and comfort, all done with the athlete in mind, can only benefit the IRONMAN UK athletes&rdquo;.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[IRONMAN UK moves to Roo suits!]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_1938.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The organisers of IRONMAN UK are pleased to announce that they have signed a three-year deal with Quintana Roo Wetsuits to be the Official Wetsuit of the UK IRONMAN 70.3 and IRONMAN UK triathlons. The three-year deal covers the 2007, 2008 and 2009 races and shows the commitment of Quintana Roo to UK triathlon and IRONMAN racing.
Quintana Roo Wetsuits pride themselves on offering technical innovation, superior performance and the perfect combination of buoyancy and speed. With three models covering a range of abilities, from the top of the line Superfull to the entry level performance orientated ultra full they have a suit to suit all abilities. 
As part of the wetsuit sponsorship, Quintana Roo will be offering a wetsuit testing opportunity at the IRONMAN UK Course Familiarisations Camp and IRONMAN UK Taster Days. Quintana Roo will also be on hand at the IRONMAN UK and UK IRONMAN 70.3 to offer advice and help to those looking to get the most from their wetsuits. They will also be offering a testing facility at the races at the organised swim session.
 Official Retailer TRI UK will also be offering the complete range of Quintana Roo wetsuits in store throughout the year and athletes will be able to try them out in the in-store Rapid River pool.
Dean Jackson, Brand Manager of Quintana Roo believes the partnership will be a good one, &amp;ldquo;IRONMAN UK is a great race with great competitors and at Quintana Roo we believe in supporting triathlon and triathletes. I am sure that the IRONMAN UK competitors will embrace what we are doing at QR and hopefully we can help them achieve their swimming goals&amp;rdquo;.
The new QR Superfull is the most functional suit in the market place today, offering buoyancy, flexibility and speed. Backed by new Virtual Pull Buoy (VPB) technology, foot release system and breakaway zipper all wrapped up in the new high end Yammamoto Type 40 Neoprene, QR are again one step ahead of the competition.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ironman UK Gator-aids the athletes]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_1908.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[IRONMAN  UK organisers are pleased to announce that Gatorade will once again be the  Official Sports Drink of IRONMAN UK and the UK IRONMAN 70.3. The deal, which is  for the next three years, will cover the 2007, 2008 and 2009 races. As part of  the deal, Pepsi will also return as the Official Drink of IRONMAN UK and will  make a welcome return to the course.
IRONMAN  UK organisers commented: &amp;ldquo;We are pleased to welcome Gatorade back to the IRONMAN  UK fold. The commitment they have shown to their product and IRONMAN worldwide  over the years has been incredible and we are sure that the athletes will  benefit from their experience and products&amp;rdquo;.
The deal  sees Gatorade return to the course at all of the aid stations and provide the  Official Sports Drink on the course. On the bike leg the drink will be provided in the  classic Gatorade 500ml water bottles, whilst on the run it will be provided in  250ml Gatorade cups. Pepsi will also be provided in the same format.
Commenting  on the relationship with IRONMAN UK, Gatorade&amp;rsquo;s Arif Haq said: &amp;ldquo;We are  extremely pleased to be back working with IRONMAN UK&amp;rsquo;s two events. Gatorade and  Ironman are synonymous globally in their ideals around sporting excellence. We  are proud to be growing our commitment to triathlon in the UK in partnership  with the organisers.&amp;rdquo;
Official  Retailer, TRI UK, will be stocking the Gatorade products available on the course  in a special IRONMAN UK Pack. For more information call 07000 874854 or visit www.triuk.com.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Route of the Month: Wimbleball]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_1839.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[This month&amp;rsquo;s Route of the Month is the UK Ironman 70.3 course at Wimbleball in Somerset. The course was ridden for us as a training exercise by Mat Cowdrey and Richard Merry who kindly carried the Garmin Edge 305 unit to get the route data for us.

Matthew is an experienced triathlete at both Ironman and ITU Long Course (the good old fashioned Nice-distance type) and is currently sponsored by Tri-UK. Richard is a member of East Grinstead Tri Club who is making his first step up to Ironman 70.3 from a number of years at Standard distance. Neither had ridden the course before and the following gives their account of the route. Matthew was riding a Giant TCR Trinity with Reynolds DV UK wheels, Oval A900 Upgrade tri bars and an Ultegra 53:39 and 11:25 setup. Richard was riding an Argon 18 Helium with Ultegra 53:39 and 12:27 setup.
The numbers in square brackets [x] refer to locations on the map and represent the major identification points on the route map. You can match these very easily to the map on the MotionBased system which we have included below. Because both riders were wearing their own HRM units we did not record a heart rate trace on the Edge. 
 

Transition [1]

M: As soon as you come out of transition you start going uphill. This sets the scene for the next 20 minutes of riding so make sure you&amp;rsquo;re in a nice small gear and just spin up the first couple of hundred metres. As you hang a right at the end of the lane you start to descend and you&amp;rsquo;re able to pick up a fair bit of speed as you cross the lake. Immediately you&amp;rsquo;re across the lake you start your first sharp climb of the day. I was able to spin this reasonably well in 39/25 and although I stayed seated, the HR did rise a little. From here the road rolls up and down for the next two miles until you get to the junction with the B3190.
R: The initial climb proved a little harder for me although I did remain seated and tried to spin my 27 (a very suitable addition for the weekend!) We did gain over 300ft in this opening section.
Turn left [2]
M: You turn left and have a short hop to the A3224. The road is a little bumpy in places, but nothing out of the ordinary. Just as the road flattens out you take a very sharp turn left [3].
R: An uneventful opportunity to put some air back in my lungs after the first couple of miles.
Left turn [3]
M: After this left turn you can just get it in the big ring and work. Even the uphill pieces feel quite smooth and the rolling nature of the road means that you can maintain good speed as you climb. I spent this entire stretch of road on the tri-bars
As you approach the last piece of this top road you can stay in the big ring and work the bike out of the saddle to the top of the slope before you do a sharp left turn.
R: Overall a pretty flat leg of the loop, no real time lost by not being on a TT bike set-up here and a chance to catch your breath after the initial climb and get some food and drink onboard.

Turn left towards Dulverton/Tiverton [4]

M: After the turn you have a good half a mile of downhill where you can pick up speed nicely, whilst at the same time keeping an eye out for some uneven road surface. You face three short climbs on this stretch of road that it&amp;rsquo;s perfectly possible to take in the big ring although I&amp;rsquo;d probably err on the side of caution and spin up them. You can let the bike go on all of this stretch of road giving you a good lead into the uphills as the road continues to open up in front of you.
R: This 9 mile stretch of the route drops the best part of 1000ft, there are some short, sharp hills but the speed gained means they are just a &amp;ldquo;spoiler&amp;rdquo; to what would be a fantastic descent.

M: The end of this stretch of road is met with a very sharp and descent where you just bleed speed as you have no choice but to be on the brakes. You&amp;rsquo;ll see the descent coming to your right as you ride through some heavy tree cover so you should have fair warning. At the bottom of this descent you take a 90-degree left turn.
R: This downhill and the turns to negotiate at the bottom mean you have no choice but to cover the brakes, any speed gained on the drop down will have been lost by the time you reach the turn onto the A396 so sit back and enjoy.
Steep downhill then sharp left [5]

M: Once on the A396 you get to enjoy what is probably the only truly flat piece of road on the course. Enjoy it while it lasts.
As you come in to Exbridge you approach a very small village with a pink/orange sided house on the other side of the road. As you get level with the house you have a blind left hand turn to make at Wilson&amp;rsquo;s farm.

Sharp, hidden left turn [6]

M: Ahead of you is the first of the real climbs. You can see the hedge line ahead of you as you start to climb and it&amp;rsquo;s the pylons at the top that you&amp;rsquo;re aiming for. I was able to spin this one to start with but was soon out of the saddle with a 39/25. Although steep it&amp;rsquo;s over pretty much as soon as it started and you&amp;rsquo;re on the downhill.

R: The first real shock to the system, I was spinning away happily under the crackling power cables when the road kicked up a little more, maybe for only 4-500m but enough to get me up out of the saddle and my heart rate up to 180bpm, about 90% HR max.
The first real climb of the day.
M: After what is a very short downhill you get to a T-junction where you turn left. You&amp;rsquo;re soon into a slight incline that goes on for half a mile or so and again I was able to spin this out with a 39/21.
Left towards Morebath [7]
 
M: As the road progress round to the right you pass a driveway with two birds of prey at the end. This is a good place to take in some nutrition as you have about two minutes to the main climb of the day. The road bends left and then left again and over to your right you get to see the 14% hill that everyone&amp;rsquo;s told you about.
Time for a quick feed
M: It starts out pretty steady, and as you go past the 14% sign there&amp;rsquo;s a short piece of out the saddle work before you&amp;rsquo;re back seated again and spinning it out. Then the road bends left and the real hill starts. The steep bit comes in two waves with the second part being slightly less severe than the first, but as it naturally comes after the first it doesn&amp;rsquo;t feel a lot better. My max HR on the bike is 179 and I hit 175 and 176 respectively on my two laps. Once the steep stuff&amp;rsquo;s over you continue to climb, but now you&amp;rsquo;re just spinning away.
R: The mere sight of the 14% sign had my HR climbing however it&amp;rsquo;s the pitch that kicks up that is that steep I am guessing, more time out of the saddle on the 27 got me hauled up to the top. With a highest HR recorded of 189 (95% MHR) 500ft of altitude has been gained back. Like the first main climb it&amp;rsquo;s the steep pitches that catch you out.
That climb

M: Once on the downhill you can pick up speed quite quickly and again the road just opens up in front of you, but as soon as the road starts to climb, get in the small ring and start spinning or you&amp;rsquo;ll get caught out (as I did on the first lap). You get to the top of this incline at Haddon Cross and then you&amp;rsquo;ve got a nice long downhill piece coming up. The worst is over.
The downhill gets as steep as 17% and unfortunately you don&amp;rsquo;t get to take full advantage of it due to the narrow nature of the bends and poor road surface. Then you&amp;rsquo;re left with about a 3km climb to the end of the lap. There&amp;rsquo;s nothing nasty about this last climb, it just comes at the end of the lap after a lot of hard climbing and you&amp;rsquo;ll need to get spinning again.
At the end of the second lap you turn back down the road to the lake. You obviously already know this piece of road from the other direction, but it&amp;rsquo;s a lot more fun on the way home. The lake road was a little unstable at speed as there was a bit of a crosswind, then there&amp;rsquo;s a short climb and you&amp;rsquo;re back at the entrance to transition.
R: Make the most of the downhill run into the lake (you drop around 500ft again) Enjoy the views, get a drink, but don&amp;rsquo;t however switch off. There is one final climb before transition, which will shake you from your revelry.

Left turn [8]

M: In all I found the course quite good. The road surface was poor in places, but the majority was OK. The first two thirds of the lap are pretty quick and I was able to stay in the big ring for a very long time that came as a nice surprise. The last third is hilly and nasty and needs to be taken gently the first time round. The hills are definitely steep, but with the exception of the 14% climb they&amp;rsquo;re all pretty short. Oh, and if you get the chance to look, the scenery&amp;rsquo;s wonderful.
R: I finally realised I had not bitten off more than I can chew! I will get round this course, lumpy though it is. The road conditions are no worse than those around the Surrey Hills lanes and the scenery is stunning. Be prepared to work hard on the second half of the lap and if, like me it&amp;rsquo;s your first attempt at a 70.3 maybe pack a 27, or even a compact. They won&amp;rsquo;t suffer from lack of use!.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ironman Camp with Richard Allen]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_1546.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[richardallenfitness, in association with the country&rsquo;s leading triathlon store TRI UK, are offering all Ironman UK participants the fantastic opportunity of a weeks Ironman-specific training in Portugal from March 17th to 24th 2007. The camp will take place in the Alentejo National Park, an unspoilt and almost undiscovered part of southwest Portugal which runs along coast towards the Algarve.  The week will be run by Richard Allen, nine times National Elite Champion, a member of the Sydney Olympic Games and Manchester Commonwealth Games squads and winner of Half IRONMAN UK, London and Windsor Olympic distance triathlons.  The aim of the camp is to prepare you for Ironman racing, both physically and mentally. The programme has been specifically created to get you to the finish line in your best time, whether beginner or seasoned Ironman athlete! Sessions to look forward to will include long swim, bike and run workouts against the stunning Portugese scenery. Training by day will be through the rolling landscape and along dramatic coastlines while the evenings will be warm and social.  During the week there will also be talks on aspects of Ironman preparation and racing. The highlight of the camp will be a race at the end of the week in which to put your newfound skills into practice followed, of course, by the obligatory end of camp party!!  Accomodation will be in a comfortable guesthouse, Casa de Eira, located in the picturesque town of Vila Nova de Milfontes, with many supermarkets and restaurants close by.   The cost of the week is &amp;pound;450 per person (shared occupancy) or &amp;pound;550 per person (single occupancy) on a self-catering basis. The price includes full airport transfers and all of Richard&#039;s coaching and advice. Many reasonably priced flights to Faro, the local airport, can be found at flymonarch.com, easyjet.com and ba.com. These are only a few of the airlines that fly into Faro.  Bookings for the Richardallenfitness Camp can be made via the IRONMAN UK Race Office sending full payment, please complete the online form and send cheques (made payable to Richard Allen) to;  Richard Allen, c/o IRONMAN UK , 76 Lyde Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 5DW  Further enquiries can be made by email to info@ironmanuk.com alternatively you can call the IRONMAN UK RACE OFFICE on 08700 11 28 11. You can get more information about richardallenfitness from their website: www.richardallenfitness.com Proposed camp schedule         10 - 12    2 - 4    4 - 6     Saturday Travel Travel or optional jog Welcome talk   Sunday Open water swim technique Long bike ride Long bike ride   Monday Run: Tempo fartlek Talk: Ironman racing tips Open water swim relay race   Tuesday Bike ride: Tempo fartlek Talk: Ironman nutrition Long run   Wednesday Long bike ride Long bike ride Short run off bike   Thursday Long swim Talk: Ironman UK/70.3 course Rest   Friday Race: distances tbc Rest Awards &amp; party   Saturday Optional jog Travel Travel  ]]></description></item></channel></rss>