Hello Oxford Tri Family,
I hope that this finds you all well. I realise that we are now in Summer Holiday season so as a club there is not a huge amount of things going on, however there are a number of members who have been out and about racing. With one race report included below.
Also a big welcome to the handful of members who have joined us over the past couple of weeks. It is great to have you on board.
Finally from me it looks like we have no cover for our swims at the lake this weekend. Please if you can consider if you can help cover this.
Have a great weekend and a reminder that the Triathlon Series up in Sunderland should be on the TV and a great watch!
God Bless
Craig
‘On The Edge’ Middle Distance Triathlon – Race Report by Hannah
Oops we did it again.
For the second time in a month, Jane Bell and I entered the same triathlon unbeknown to each other. This time we were treated to everything rural Warwickshire had to offer, starting with long grass and sheep poo sticking to every bike in transition from the hike down a hill from the car park (field). And hills were to be the theme of the day: short ones, long ones, brutally steep ones. For me, this was my first attempt at middle distance to see how I fared; for Jane, a challenging practice event before the 70.3 Worlds in Finland next month.
The 1900m swim had a ‘trickle’ start – lining up in number order and wading in every few seconds – and for me this removed all the usual stress of the mass start washing machine. I was so obsessed with efficiency I managed to fully head butt one buoy so you can decide whether my sighting has improved… Otherwise, a nice course (if you are happy carrying a bit of plant matter) and a decent swim, thanks to the Queenford sessions.
The 90km bike course was lovely: sandy stone cottages in pretty villages, their churches pealing the end of Sunday service; views of endless fields of golden barley bathed in morning sunshine (yes, it actually stopped raining!) But it was also a challenge in its many hills – including the notorious Edge Hill (as in the civil war battle of 1642), max gradient 13% – and head wind.
A brief pause here to reiterate how important it is to stop and check on a fellow competitor who has crashed. Whilst they might gesture a thumbs up to say they are ok, this is likely adrenalin, shock or pride talking, possibly all of the above, as I found with the guy I stopped for who was on his back in a hedgerow. We rarely take mobile phones with us, having been promised an army of marshalls, but these people aren’t easy to reach in long events. Luckily, I persuaded a passing morning jogger to help and call an ambulance. And tri belts make excellent slings for injured arms/shoulders.
OK, back to the 21km run. Did I mention brutal hills already? It was hotting up and here we had every conceivable terrain: lakeside path, winding village lanes, farm tracks, tarmac road, long grassy fields, muddy woodland. My veteran joints were really starting to hurt and I was convinced that everything went up as if Escher had designed it (actually 263m elevation according to Strava) but that’s possibly my shameful lack of brick training.
And then suddenly I could hear the race announcer through the trees and some cheers; that beautiful sound that means the torment is nearly over (even though we’re loving every minute, honest). Final turn out of the wood, onto concrete, back onto more grass. Follow the cones towards the arch. Chin up and try to look vaguely composed for the official photographer. Finish. Stop. Pain. Bad decision. Walk around in circles. Slow down. Stop. Done.
Results (awards presented on a podium of straw bales): Jane, 1st F60+; Hannah, 1st F40-49.
Oxfordshire Triathlon Series – Club Champs 20th August
With 21 members racing at the weekend it is only right that we aim to go even better for the next one in just seven weeks time, right?
The Oxfordshire Triathlon Series at Queenford Lake. It’s a 1km open water swim, a scenic, fast yet challenging 35km bike route and a flat 7.5km run on Sunday the 20th of August.
Thanks to our club captain Sarah we have also managed to secure a 10% discount which makes it a really reasonable price considering the distance. This can be found under My Account and Partners and Discounts on the website found here Partners & Discounts – Oxford Tri. I have already signed up again as have five other members so we are at six so far, will you be next?
Thoughts for this one was to book a table in the Wandering Cafe afterwards.
Entries can be found here – https://www.britishtriathlon.org/events/Oxfordshire-Triathlon-Series_14119
Oxford 1/2 Marathon
One for the diaries. On the 15th of October it is the Oxford 1/2 Marathon. The organisers have asked us if we would be up to the challenge of running one of the aid stations. It is the same people who run Blenheim Tri whom a number of us volunteered at and we as a club benefit hugely from supporting these kinds of events. It is also just a great way to give back to our local sporting community. They have also asked if we would have anyone in the club who would be keen to act as a pacers too. More details to follow soon.
Training Calendar
See the official calendar for full info and sign up links.
Saturday 29th July: Open Water Swim – Queensford Lake @ 08:00
Monday 31st July: Coached Swim – Abingdon @ 20:30
Tuesday 1st August: Member Lead Social Run – Headington Hill @ 19:00
Tuesday 1st August: Coached Swim – Thame Pool @ 20:00
Wednesday 2nd August: Open Water Swim – Queensford Lake @ 19:00
Thursday 3rd August: Coached Run Session – Horspath Athletic Track @ 19:00
Friday 4th August: Strength and Conditioning Online @ 07:15