2009 News
29-11-09 Coaches get coached
Ten of our swim coaches participated in the Coaches Professional Developement Day (aimed at keeping coaches up to date with current practices) organised by British Triathlon at the Devon Police HQ down in Exeter, and here they are ready for lift off:
The day was a "Front Crawl for Triathlon" Workshop led by Archie Brew (previously swim
coach at Kelly College as well as GB Olympic Team & Scotland Commonwealth Games Team coach)
and widely regarded as the UK expert on front crawl technique. The day included both
theory and practical session in the HQ's magnificent 6 lane 25m pool.
More will be revealed in the coming months at the Monday and Saturday swim sessions!!
Pictured from left are: Brian, Karen, Sue, Ellie, Jane, Guy, Lucinda, Simon and Jez,
photo by Ollie
25-10-09 Achievements in the Stroud Half Marathon
We had nine members turn out on Sunday for this year's Stroud Half achieving times of:
David Symes: 1:31:01
Dale Midwinter: 1:31:05
Alan Dougall: 1:36:38
Sally Freeman: 1:41:31
Adam Teakle: 1:41:41
Guy Douglass: 1:53:24
Cameron Pay: 1:57:20
Abi Hawman: 1:58:10
Elaine Edgeworth: 2:15:35
Guy's comments after the event were: "It was an interesting day from a weather point of view.
Set off thinking there was the potential to get too hot in my CTC cycling top, but after 4.5 miles
the heavens opened and suddenly being too hot was no longer an issue! The heavens opened again
in the industrial estate (really heavy this time) and I was grateful for the cheering of Colin
Watkins et al at the exit back on to the main road".
04-10-09 James tells how he achieved his goal in Malta
Having had a mediocre second season of Triathlon, I sat down in July to focus on some improvement. A feature event and a Holiday, combined with a training programe from our lovely Sue Bathgate, gave me 10 weeks to get my act together for the 4th. October!
I have
always had an interest in Malta and its history and I recieved a very warm welcome
from The local Tri Club. How about a sea swim with a temperature of 25c.? Lovely, but on the
day, the wind got up which made it easy to stray off course. I could'nt see the Bouys or even
other swimmers a lot of the time. A good flat course helped me to a P.B. though and if you
like the heat, then Malta is worth a visit.
About 50% of the entrants were Brits. It was a small (60 odd) but good quality field
and as they say, "A Grand Day Out"
For those of you who know me, the sign I spotted on the way to the start
(see photo in my Gallery) could have been made just for me!
Malta is a small crowded Island with rubbish roads and still bearing scars from WW2
but the old Capital of Mdina and the main City of Valetta, and the Grand Harbour are
something special.
All in all, a positive end to my season! Job Done.
Summer 09 - Cotswold Aquathlon Series
Over the summer, a number of club members rushed back from work on a Wednesday so they could compete in the Cotswold Aquathlon Series. The series entails 6 mid-week races during May, June, July and August at the Cotswold Waterpark.
Each
race includes a 750m open water swim and a 4.5k run on the trails around lake 32. The atmosphere
is superb, even on the wettest of summer days! Possibly the best aspect of the series is the
post-race cup of tea and fig roll (or 3!)
Lucinda Neeves and Sally Freeman (pictured) competed in 4 of the 6 races in order to qualify for the
series. Lucinda finished 2nd lady overall and at the prize giving received a Big Adventure
Store voucher and a bottle of wine. Close behind her in 3rd place was Sally, who was awarded
with a pair of Aquasphere goggles and a bottle of wine. With entry being a mere £10 per race,
we just about reaped back our entry fee in prizes!
Elizabeth Haigh, Andy Monaghan, Simon Clarke and Josh Hand also competed in at least one race. Had they
competed in 4 races, no doubt they would also have been in the running for some prizes!
Sue Bathgate of Cheltenham Triathlon club continued her impressive season with another win in her age group at the local Cotswold sprint triathlon (held at the Keynes Country Park near Cirencester) last weekend.
A vast turnout from Cheltenham Triathlon club included not only Sue's win, but two other first places and four 2nds over the 750 metre Open Water Swim - 20 kilometre Bike - 5 kilometre Run course.
The fastest
competitor from CTC was Jason Humm who came 21st overall (2nd in the 35-39
age group) in a fast time of 1:03:43. Andy Monaghan was hot on his heals in 1:06:45,
37th overall (6th, 25-29).
The winners in their categories were Sue Bathgate (1:17:24, 1st F60-64) and Mary Welsh
(1:38:32, 1st F65-69), with a relay team made up of Penny Hickson, Jeff Kapp and Ellie
Millington winning the mixed relay in 01:07:34.
2nd place achievers were Jason Humm, Sally Freeman (01:11:44, 2nd F25-29)
who has continued to improve throughout the season, Anthony Lloyd (01:12:13, 2nd M55-59)
and George Eden, one of the youngest members of the club (01:19:15, 2nd M15-19).
Other Cheltenham finishers were as follows:
Jez Preston-Jones (1:08:36, 9th M45-49), Andrew Pittman (1:09:01, 7th M35-39), David Symes (1:09:04, 10th M45-49), Kevin Orde 1:09:37, 14th M40-44), Graham Johnston (1:10:53, 22nd M40-44), Cameron Pay (1:11:08, 23rd M40-44), Gerry Carroll (1:12:23, 22nd M45-49), Dan Hortop (1:13:09, 15th M35-39), Denis Betts (1:14:00, 33rd M40-44), John Wallace 1:15:08, 18th M35-39), Julian Bullas 1:15:09, 38th M40-44), Dale Midwinter (1:16:50, 39th M45-49), Phil Gomm (1:18:53, 46th M45-49), Peter Johnson (1:19:11, 30th M35-39), Colin Watkins (1:22:59, 6th M55-59), Lesley Oliver (1:26:25, 15th F35-39), Cathy Booth (1:27:04, 4th F50-54), Abi Hawman (1:28:29, 21st F30-34), Elaine Edgeworth (1:31:55, 7th F50-54), Brian Bathgate (1:33:47, 8th M60-64), Helen Yarnold (1:47:34, 17th F45-49).
Success was also achieved further afield by Guy Douglass (45), who travelled to Rutland Water in Leicestershire to compete in the Vitruvian Triathlon (1.9km swim, 85km bike and 21km run). Aiming for a sub six hour finish he was delighted to complete the famously gruelling and windy course in 5:58:03.
16-08-09 Bathgate a Super Vet winner again!
Sue Bathgate of Cheltenham Triathlon club continued her impressive season with another win in the super-vets category at the local Bredon Hardwick sprint triathlon last weekend.
An impressive
turnout from Cheltenham Triathlon club despite the holiday season made for a bit of a party
atmosphere at the event, with 19 members of the club making the short trip to compete over the
750 metre Open Water Swim - 20 kilometre Bike - 5 kilometre Run course.
With Sue Bathgate first in the ultra-vets category and Elaine Edgeworth second in the super-vets
(slightly younger) it could be said that Cheltenham are starting to get a reputation for running
away with the veteran prizes, but the youngsters from the club are also doing well.
Oliver Hilton came 16th overall in an impressive 1 hour, 7 mins, 22 seconds, with Andy Monaghan
coming 32nd, 4 minutes behind. Paul Wakefield and Kevin Ord both did well in the Vets category
(4th and 11th respectively) in 01:08 and 01:16 respectively.
Karen Hilton in her first Triathlon of the season came a creditable 8th in the vets category
in 01:27 and Lesley Oliver came back to triathlon after a season's break to achieve 22nd in
the open category in 01:31.
Other finishers from the club were Will Amies (01:16:23), Graham Johnston (01:16:49), Anthony
Lloyd (01:18), Steve Yarnold (01:24), James Kearney 01:28, Colin Watkins (01:28), Cathy Booth
(01:34), Cameron Pay (01:36), Brian Bathgate (01:36) Helen Yarnold (01:56). Jason Humm also
took part but was DQd for missing a lap on the run.
26-07-09 Trentham Proves Tough
Several members of Cheltenham Tri club travelled up to Trentham in Stoke on Trent to compete in a variety of triathlons held there on Sunday.
The weather was atrocious, leading to a freezing, muddy and over-long swim, a dangerously wet bike and an uncomfortable run. Some members have vowed never to return to Trentham following their experiences.
Despite the
appalling conditions Sue Bathgate (61), who described the race as "horrible" - won
her age group and came sixth overall in the women's classic length triathlon (1500m swim, 45k
bike, 10k run), finishing in a time of 3 hrs 7 minutes. Sarah Roberts (43) came 2nd
in her age group and 13th overall in 03:18. John Wallace (37) also completed the
classic length course in 03:03, earning him 8th place in his age group (34th
overall).
In addition to the shorter races there was a half ironman event (1.2 mile swim, 58 mile bike,
13 mile run) in which four members took part. The most impressive was David Symes (47) who
completed the course in 5 hours 40 minutes, coming 4th in his age group and 47
th overall. Steve Yarnold (52), who couldn't have chosen a more challenging set of
circumstances for his first long event, was delighted to finish in 06:10 also 5th
in his age group (83rd overall).
Two women (pictured above looking somewhat apprehensive!) from the club also completed the
challenging half ironman distance. Ellie Millington (47) came second in her age group in a
time of 6 hours 19 minutes (16th overall) and Elaine Edgeworth (54) completed her
first half ironman event in 07:34, half an hour quicker than she dared to expect and the only
woman in her age group to complete the course (32nd overall).
The most sensible members of the club were Helen Yarnold (49) and Brian Bathgate (64) who
chose to compete in the mercifully short sprint event (500m swim, 28km bike, 5km run), which
they completed in 2 hours 14 minutes (9th in her age group) and 1 hour 50 minutes
(4th and in his age group) respectively.
25-07-09 Cheltenham Off-road supersprint triathlon a "resounding success"
The Cheltenham Off-road supersprint triathlon, organised by the Cheltenham Triathlon Club, has been described as a "resounding success" by race director James Kearney. The race was blessed with perfect weather, and many of the 125 finishers of the race were first time triathletes who thoroughly enjoyed their first race.
The race,
which consisted of a 400m swim, 10km off-road bike around Pittville Park and a 2.5km run around
the same course, was won by Roddy Gosden who was the fastest male and the fastest veteran male,
and who was also a member of the winning team (pictured) in the team event - the Glospol plodders
(Gloucestershire Police). Roddy won the race in a very impressive 39 minutes 12 seconds
(swim 6.18, bike 23.08 and run 09.46). Matthew Dove (West Midlands Triathlon) was second in a time
of 42 minutes and Emily Taverner came 3rd overall and won the women's event by just
over 8 minutes (in 42.28), with Jo WIlkie coming second and Ann Singal 3rd (50.19 and
50.27 respectively).
Terence Tuckley was the first MV50 home in a time of 50.19, and Val Kirkham won the equivalent
women's age group in 55.13.
Husband and wife team John and Cheryl Sussens both won the 60+ age groups, with John completing
the course in 52.26 and Cheryl in 1.48.36
19-07-09 Welsh Wins In Scotland.
Mary Welsh (65),
a keen member of Cheltenham Triathlon Club, won the Vintage category of the Scottish Sprint
Triathlon Championships held at Loch Ore on Sunday for the second year in a row.
Mary exited the 750m open water swim in second place (which she reported was surprisingly warm
despite being in Scotland), before overtaking the leader to move into first place 4 miles into
the undulating, long bike course with strong headwinds along the shore of Loch Leven.
Mary was then able to maintain her lead on the 5km run course to win the Vintage age group for
the second year in a row.
Closer to home Guy Douglass and Abi Hawman both took part in the Hereford triathlon. Douglass
managed to break the hour (59:45) for the 400m swim, 18km bike, 5k run course) at the third
time of trying, achieving 20th male veteran whilst Abi Hawman completed the course
in 1:09, coming 12th in the senior ladies category.
11-07-09 Bathgate Does It Again.
Cheltenham Triathlon Club were out in force on Saturday at a surprisingly hot and humid Upton Triathlon event with their "vets" doing particularly well. The river, not as swollen as last year, still led to some fast times as the whole swim was downstream.
Sue Bathgate took
first place in the Women's veterans (over 40s) section completing the Standard length
race (1500m river swim, 40k bike and 10k run) in just 2 hours 39 minutes. Sarah Roberts was
3rd in the same section (2 hours 45) and Ellie Millington 4th (2:47),
so Cheltenham took three of the top 4 places with just Trudy Compton from Cirencester preventing
a clean sweep by coming second.
Cheltenham's Vet men also did well, with Paul Wakefield coming fourth in 2 hrs 18 and
David Symes 11th in 2:30.
The fastest woman from Cheltenham was Sally Freeman (29), who continues to go from strength
to strength. With good times for all three disciplines Freeman came 7th in the women's
open category in a time of 2 hrs 37.
Other finishers from Cheltenham in the standard distance event were Andy Monaghan ((02:33:57),
Dan Hortop (02:37:52), Graham Johnston (02:40:59), Anthony Lloyd (02:44:30), Alan Dougall
(02:47:11), Guy Douglass (02:48:16), Graham Beddis (02:50:18), Steve Yarnold (02:59:17),
Colin Watkins (03:08:21), Brian Bathgate (03:26:20) and Elaine Edgeworth (03:43:57).
In the sprint event (half the distance of the main event) Elizabeth Haigh led the club home in
01:31:23, coming 16th in the women's open section, followed by Cathy Booth who came
4th in the FVet category in a time of 1:40, Mary Welsh who was 7th in the
same category (01:44:43) and Helen Yarnold in 02:05:11.
05-07-09 Weekend of 4/5 July.
If anyone competed last weekend could they let me know so that I can do a press release? So far I only know about the events that I did which were the tandem triathlon on Saturday and the long swim on Sunday, so if anyone is proud of what they did elsewhere please let me know.
As a matter of interest the tandem triathlon was quite a laugh (although Anthony and I were
both walking like old men after riding on really uncomfortable hire tandem saddles).
We finished the 1km swim (Anthony) 32km bike (both of us) and 10k run (me) in 2:44.
Results aren't out yet but we think we represented the club well. Jeff Kapp and his
partner appeared to finish in about 2:20.
Results from the long swim were as follows:
Oliver Wilkinson 00:48:29 4th (Oli the Aussie who swims in the fast lane with us and is training
to swim the channel)
Karen Hilton 00:58:27 44th (10th FS)
Anthony Lloyd 01:02:40 66th (8th MSV)
Guy Douglass 01:06:31 100th (26th MV)
Caroline Kiwitt 01:06:47 104th (23rd FS)
Jezz Rutt 01:09:03 117th (32nd MV) (Badly held up by cramp)
Paul Dow 01:09:14 119th (40th MS)
Ellie Millington 01:10:18 130th (11th FV)
Gerry Carroll 01:13:31 137th (37th MV)
Mikki Storey 01:13:39 139th (39th MV)
There were 202 entrants so we all did the club proud.
Cheers.
24-05-09 Top Ten finish for Captain Hilton in Gloucester Triathlon
Oliver Hilton, male captain of Cheltenham Triathlon Club, came 10th in the Gloucester Triathlon that took place in Brockworth on Sunday, exactly the same position that he occupied last year. His time of 1 hour, 1 minute and 56 secondswas slower than last year but still earned him 8th place in the open category.
17 other members of Cheltenham Tri Club also completed the course, with varying degrees of success. Paul Wakefield was
3rd Veteran home in 01:03:08, with David Symes 7th in the same category in 01:06:17 and Simon Wintle 10th Vet in 01:07:35.
Sally Freeman was the first Cheltenham female home in a time of 01:13:53 (7th FOpen) with Elizabeth Haigh following her
home in 01:19:45 (14th FOpen). Elaine Edgeworth was 4th female Supervet (over 50) and Mary Welsh was 5th in the same
category in 01:33:57.
In the Male Supervet category (over 50s) Alan Dougall came third in 01:09:16 with Anthony Lloyd 5th in 01:11:00.
Other Cheltenham finishers were Andy Monaghan (01:06:43 13th MO), Paul Dow (01:06:52 15thMO),
Graham Johnston (01:10:40 16th MVet), John Wallace (01:15:23 43rd MO), Graham Beddis (01:18:06 16th MS-VET),
Colin Watkins (01:21:49 21st MS-VET), and James Kearney (01:32:09 29th MS-VET).
10-05-09 Cheltenham Tri Club crowd out the opposition
At the Cotswold Super-Sprint Triathlon (at Keynes Country Park near Cirencester) Cheltenham Tri club had more competitors than any other club, including the oldest competitor at the event. They also managed to achieve some impressive times on a beautiful morning (despite a lake temperature of only 11 degrees).
Paul Wakefield was first home,
easily breaking the hour for the 400m swim, 20k bike and 5k run course, finishing in 58mins 27 secs. This earned him
17th place overall, and 7th in the 40-44 age group. Lucinda Neeves was the first Cheltenham female finisher, achieving
2nd place in the F25-29 age group and 10th overall in the women's race.
Next home for the men was David Symes in 1.01.31, 35th overall and 6th in the 45-49 age group. Dan Hortop came in
just over two minutes later (1.03.53, 57th, 13th in 35-39).
Other male finishers from Cheltenham were Guy Douglass (1.05.37, 77th, 13th 45-49), Kevin Orde (1.07.02, 84th, 19th 40-44),
Steve Yarnold (1.09.12, 104th, 4th 50-54), Graham Beddis (1.13.14, 153rd, 6th 50-54) and Colin Watkins (1.14.12, 157th, 3rd 55-59).
The remaining Cheltenham women were Mary Welsh, who was the only competitor in the 65-69 age group and completed the
course in 1.28.22 (206th, 1st 65-69), and Helen Yarnold (1.39.40, 215th, 13th F45-49).
Meanwhile the Lydney Sprint Triathlon was Sarah Roberts's first event of the year, and she started in style coming 7th in the
women's race and 2nd in her age group in a time of 01:13:00, improving her time from last year by more than 2 minutes.
Further afield Alan Dougal came third in his age group (50-54) in the Stratford Triathlon (1.14.26, 106th overall) and Elizabeth Haigh
was 10th in her age group (25-29) I a time of 1.23.09. Ben Spry also competed at Stratford (1.20.09, 246th overall, 31st 25-29).
Finally three Cheltenham Tri members competed in the Tewkesbury Half Marathon. Richard Walklate excelled with an impressive
time of 1.25.37, Cameron Pay completed the course in 1.57.12 and Elaine Edgeworth came home in 2.07.59.
03-05-09 Results demonstrate the benefits of proper training
As the football season ends the tri season starts, and the early birds from Cheltenham Tri Club started strongly in Hampshire and Staffordshire.
The benefits of sustained winter
training with the club were there for all to see as both Dan Hortop and Alan Dougall improved their times from last
year in the Hart sprint triathlon in Hampshire. Dan Hortop in particular knocked 5 minutes off last year's time, with
impressive improvements in the swim and bike sections. Dougall came 70th overall (3rd in his age group) in a time
of 01:09:40. Hortop was ten places further back (33rd in his age group), finishing in 01:10:39.
In the Three Spires sprint triathlon in Staffordshire Julian Bullas also made a significant improvement, knocking nearly
four minutes off last year's time, with improved times for all three disciplines. He finished 71st overall (12th in his age group).