Race Report from ITU World Championships, Beijing China.

 

I arrived in Beijing on the evening of Wednesday 7^th of September it was around 7 PM after a long journey, the air was warm and thick around the airport and as I saw my bike being loaded onto what looked like a 1970s bread delivery van with no lights, I realized I was in a very foreign place. The 1 hour transfer to the hotel encountered a very intense rain storm, and as only one of the buses window screen wipers worked (not on the drivers side) visibility was minimal.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the hotel, the travel company had made out it was the second choice place and not that great, not sure where these guys usually stay but I imagine it must be the Savoy! I parked my bags, ate and returned to the reception to check in, then I realized that this was the Pros hotel of choice, Javier Gomez was sat looking relaxed playing on his Ipad while the likes of Tim Don, Helen Jenkins and the Brownlee brothers lugged there own bags and bikes around without a suggestion of being the worlds best. This made me realize that this was actually the world champs, and a pretty major event.

 

The following 2 days went very well the air was much fresher out of town and the conditions where like a good summer day in the UK. I did a recce of the bike course, which was made tricky by the over zealous Chinese security which frankly was all show. Being stopped, searched and going through a metal detector part way around a course seemed excessive to me.

 

I also managed a couple of swims in the reservoir, the water an amazing 28.5 degrees which made feel very relaxed and confident as I am sometimes badly effected by the cold water, and dislike  the wetsuit.

 

A couple of laps of the run course and I felt great, the jet lag did not seem to be troubling me and I was going well.

 

On Friday the main able bodied events started and I had the pleasure of watching the U23 men’s race, GBR filled the podium and I felt inspired, all was going to plan.

I ate at the hotel after the race and retired for an early night, not sure if it was nerves or jet lag kicking in but I could not sleep. I probably managed about 2 hours before the alarm told me it was 4 am and time to get moving.

 

I headed down for a very early breakfast, going outside in the process I was met by darkness, pouring rain, strong wind, the air was seriously cold, I can not deny that all my previous confidence and enthusiasm drained from me in seconds, I know I am a Yorkshireman but I hate the cold, I just don’t have the natural insulation to cope with it.

The 20 min bus journey to the race site was a miserable and quite affair with everyone left wondering where the previous day’s perfect conditions had gone.

 

The roads up to registration where stood in water as large crew of Chinese “volunteers” tried in vain to sweep the standing water away .

 The registration area, a large marquee was ankle deep in water, but proved to be the warmest place to hang out while the clock ticked very slowly down to start time. A last minute trip to the toilet was a horrific ordeal they were the hole in the floor type and had seen a massive amount of action! Yet again I realized that I was in a very foreign country!

 

30 minutes to start time , I checked in at the bag drop and made my way to the start pontoon, at this stage dressed only in my race suit I began to feel the cold badly. I went through a few nervous warm up routines and tried to convince myself that it was the same for everyone.

“14 and half minutes to the start” were reported by an America marshal, it was a very long 14 and half minutes!

 

On instruction I slide reluctantly into the water, at that stage my whole mood turned on its head, the water was still “swimming pool warm” and my confidence came flooding back.

Almost as soon as the words “take your marks” entered my ears the start horn sounded and the mass start chaos began to unfold. My approach has always been to avoid the “boxing”, it’s a waste of energy, so having adjusted my course a couple of times I found a bit of clear water and got to work, I felt strong and the field began to fall away .By the second buoy I had attached myself to the hip of Andrew Shipton (British champ) and was seriously cruising.(This was my race error, I believed him to be leading only to find out later that the Spaniard had given me the slip and I lost him in the choppy water).

The swim exit lead to a wide steep flight of steps leading into the transition area, all matt covered so good to run in on, I found my bike with out problem, clipped on my helmet and number belt and slipped into my bike shoes (bagged to keep dry). The exit was a very short run from the rack , I mounted and began the steep and very wet decent into the first sharp left turn by this time in pursuit of Shipton and an Australian who had made good time in T1. The 3 of us exchanged the lead on the first half of the 2 lap course, I was strong on the climbs they showed more confidence on the descents. 

As we began the second lap again screaming down the long steep descent to the sharp left hand turn the Australian had fallen away and my tussle with my fellow countryman continued. Unfortunately his confidence in the surface seemed to be greater than mine, and he began to open up a lead, I was reluctant to risk anymore than I was doing , and new I had the run to make gains on him,  so didn’t follow a Swiss guy into the railing and turn the shops bike into a mangled wreck.

 A steep descent and sharp left lead into T2, I was out of the shoes and moving well, racked the bike quickly popped off the helmet and got into my bagged dry run shoes. (Always take a bin bag to a wet race).

My run legs felt ok the conditions on the bike course had prevented me from a total burial of myself, but that of course could not last, I had to track down the opposition and started to take the heart rate to a dangerous level. The run was a 3 lap course in and out of the main arena, not sure why but I did not see Shipton, but knew he could not be too far away so pressed hard.

As we entered the arena with about a km to go I knew the gap behind me was closing and I also knew that I was not prepared to give anything away and so started the “sprint” at that point, not a particularly wise move. By the last turn about 300m to go I was wrecked the legs had gone solid and I was convinced I was about to throw up, but the pursuit was still on, I had a quick glance back (big mistake) and was convinced they were gaining, my heart rate now about 100 above MHR. One last push took me over the line. I was wrecked Chinese officials tried to move me along the finish area, I was not polite!

After a minute or so I was back among the living and staggered down through the recovery area having water, bananas, towels and paperwork pushed in my hand.

I soon came across Andrew Shipton who seemed to think he was 5^th?

5^th ,I thought he had won and I had come 2^nd or 3^rd ,more must have got away on the swim I thought, I was still strangely happy , I knew I had given it everything in the conditions and if I had been beaten then fare enough.

I slowly made my way back to the bag drop discussing every detail with my mates, I noticed Shipton talking with the Spanish guy, so went for a word. He was claiming that 2 of the top 5 had been disqualified for only completing 2 of the 3 run laps, this made sense I was convinced they hadn’t passed me ,that said I never saw the Spaniard get away! Still not sure I thought best wait for the official results, which seemed impossible to find at the race site.

We collected our bikes and remaining rain sodden gear and made our way back to the hotel. I went straight on the net to find the results, but without any luck. I washed, changed and tried to sleep but was still in race mode and could not settle.

I met my mate for lunch and we headed back to the arena to see the men’s elite race. As we took our seats my mate received a text from his wife, he was delighted he was 4^th in the 30-34 which was a good result in a very competitive age group. He offered to find my result and I waited for the reply,” f**k me, you where 3^rd man!” was the answer and he gave me a big hand shake I struggled to remain cool taking the congratulations but was actually “over the moon”, as the football pundits would say.

We watched the elite race which was great to see, I had never seen a pro race before. After this recollections become very vague due to a period of celebration which involved an untold number of Chinese beers, at the race followed by many more back at the hotel.

The following day was the  ladies elite race , I had arranged to go to breakfast with one of my mates but on calling at his room found him in a very sorry state, so I headed down alone. I sat on my own nursing something of a hangover when a couple of Spanish track suited guys sat down at my table closely followed by Javier Gomez, It seems strange being sat with people you usually see in magazines or on TV. I chatted to him and he seemed a really descent guy who spoke excellent English, he was telling me he’d suffered with the cold and the conditions had made it a “tough day” for him. I caught up with him outside and got a photo.

The weather was again back to being sunny and warm for the elite women and it was again a good race and great to watch. After the race we went back to the hotel and got ready for the medal presentation and closing ceremony which was held at a large sports arena about 45 mins away.

As we arrived I was ushered to a seating area by the stage and shown to a seat with my name on (you know you’ve made it when a seat has your name on).

After a Chinese themed show, the medal presentation started, I was called up, armed with a Union Jack handed to me by one of my fellow countrymen, I felt immensely proud and to be honest a bit emotional ,although managed not to cry!

I left the stage a happy man and again set about the Chinese beer until the very early hours.

I won’t bore you with the following day’s trip around Beijing or the very long flight home, but all in all it was an amazing trip, a great race for me and a fantastic experience.

Thank you to all my friends, family and sponsors for all your help I could not have done this without you.

Tony Winbush has put this report together of a "little run" he and a friend partnered up for, a couple of weeks ago.

Do have a look at the link that he sugests it is awsome. 

The  2011 Transalpine Run – “The Highway to Hell”

4 countries – 8 days – 274 km – 15436 m climbing – 320 teams from 25 nations

Click here for some inspiring video of the full 8 day race.

http://www.transalpine-run.com/alps_cross_clips.htm

Despite the AC/DC soundtrack that blasts out on the start line each day this race seemed more like a “Stairway to Heaven” – eight days of eating, sleeping and mountain running across the earthly paradise of the European Alps!

I have compiled a brief report below.  Unfortunately there was no over 60 or 120+ category as we were the only team in that category but we still managed a top 5 place in the senior master (100+) category as well as beating  two thirds of the rest of the field.  We got presented with expensive Suunto watches. We weren’t entirely sure why, perhaps they took pity on us for being the oldest team!!

 One of the great features of this route is the cameras stationed around the course each day to produce some inspiring video footage which is then presented in the evening (see link above).

REPORT

Following on from previous GB successes a small contingent of a dozen GB teams made their mark on the 7^th Transalpine run. There were outstanding performances from Scotland with Claire Gordon & Fiona Maxwell taking first place in the women’s categories in 34-40-28 while Jethro Lennox & Joe Symonds came second in the men’s with 26-54-18 close behind Spaniards David Lopez & Miguel Cabellero in 26-37-51. Ben Abdelnoor & Mark Palmer were 8th in 31-33-38 while Yorkshire runners David Jelley & Martin Gabriel of Ripon Runners and Rod Sutcliffe & Tony Wimbush of CVFR/Idle AC made 4^th and 5^th respectively in the Senior Masters category.  Unfortunately there was no 120+ or v60 category.    320 teams started and 245 finished the epic 274 kilometre route which involved ascending 15436 metres of alpine terrain as it made its way from Obersdorf in Germany through Austria and Switzerland to finish in Latsch in Italy.  Stage details are shown below.

The entry fee plus “camp” fee is about £700. Almost like a military operation cum travelling circus the run takes over the seven stage towns to provide all food, stage baggage transfer (for which you are given a spacious Salomon holdall) plus sleeping space on a sports hall floor (for which a sleeping bag and mat is required), prize giving, stage briefing and finally a ‘pictures of the day’ presentation to close each night.  To get everyone psyched up at the early morning starts AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” blasts out prior to the countdown to each stage!   Full details and loads more videos at www.transalpine-run.com

The 2011 Western Route Stages

September 3      Obersdorf (GER) to Hirschegg (AUT)       27.2 km/1806 m 

September  4     Hirschegg (AUT) to Schruns (AUT)            53.2 km/2481 m

September 5      Schruns (AUT) to Galtur (AUT)                   43.1 km/2672 m

September 6      Galtur (AUT) to Scuol (CH)                           39.9 km/2339 m

September 7      Scuol (CH) – uphill run                                    6.2 km/ 936 m

September 8      Scuol (CH) to Mals (ITA)                                                37.0 km/1332 m

September 9      Mals to Schlanders (ITA)                               36.9 km/2063 m

September 10   Schlanders (ITA) to Latsch (ITA)                 30.2 km/1807 m

   

Gummers How Weekend 2011

Not all of us win races, so to most the “race within a race” is just as important.

And so it is for the Idle teams who now regularly compete in the Lakeside Gummers How Fell Race.

The overall standard this year was high and although Donna, Lawrence & Leon were the first home for Idle, triumphant for the second year running in the “race within a race” (gutted), The competition was too strong for them to match last years commendable overall third place position.

Phil Goode, myself & Phil Routh had a better row across this year & because you can’t set off back until your last man is down you would think the sensible option would be to only go as fast as your slowest team mate (or Phil Routh as we like to know him) take it easy, enjoy the view. But again the ”race in a race” mentality kicks in, & in no one more so than ultra competitive P. Goode, who put his head down & went, getting to the top & back down in great style. First for his team, first for Idle.

Dave, Tony & Martin on getting down only had the row back to contend with. But the Windermere Ferry had them in its sights & that sinking feeling was soon replaced by an altogether warmer (and smellier) feeling as the propeller came inches from their boat. Luckily the boat came to no harm.

The evening was rounded off with the usual banquet & celebratory drinks, where, as the night goes on stories are embellished & challenges made for the next year (again).

The weekend didn’t end there for some, as on Sunday morning Lawrence led a mean mountain bike ride over terrain that only areas like the lakes can throw at you.

Back next year?

WEST YORKS WINTER LEAGUE PRESENTATION NIGHT

Friday 6^th May was the WYWL presentation night.

While these nights (as important as they are) can be a bit (shall we say) dull, a few of us still felt obliged to show our faces. And as it turned out all had a good night.