MMRC Newsletter February 2001
Club Web Site at http://www.miskinmanor.btinternet.co.uk/
or http://www.btinternet.com/~miskinmanor
e-mail – miskinmanor@btinternet.com
Tri Swimming Uphill.
Special Correspondent G. Thomas
Blaenafon has the big pit but you will have to dig deeper if you want to complete the Blaenafon tri.
What is a tri? Well it is a three-part event, which consists of a swim, a bike ride and a run all non-stop!
The usual distances are 800m for the swim if it's a pool based event, longer if sea or lake; bike is usually 40k on roads and a run of 10K also on public roads.
Wales currently has an established circuit of events, which make up a championship called the Tour of Wales but anyone can enter and there are the usual age and sex categories.
This is an event where you are really competing against yourself, as you will not know your overall position until all results are in and the final positions calculated. The one who comes in with the fastest overall time naturally wins. For most just finishing is a heroic enough challenge.
Wales has one of the toughest events in the UK and it is the Blaenafon Tri.
One which I competed in for the first time this year. People usually tell you that you must be mad to want to do a tri but to do the Blaenafon you must be certifiable. Although the distances are the usual there are aspects of the event, which put it in a different league to others.
Anyway there it was - a tri to be dared. Die Hard X, The Terminator 3, Mission Impossible 3, Sooty Goes Bonkers - these were images thrown up by the event.
So what was it really like you fool?
The Swim was as the usual game of chasing around a lane with 4 others intent on kicking your teeth in or gouging your eyes out. Usually because they don't know what a clockwise direction is. This also turned out to be the flattest part of the course.
So out of the pool straight onto bike - remember to put some additional items of clothing on although you will notice the 'pros' don't bother but then they usually don't have a potbelly to hide either. Some have even been known to take a shower - a casual approach not recommended to those of a competitive nature.
The bike went across the British and Blorenge mountains - a total ascent of over 5000 feet and in temperatures of 80deg F. You could hear the tread sticking to the road as you grind and grimace your way up the narrow roads. Encouraging crowds were some comfort as you quickly donated a few pints of sweat to the earth beneath your strained body.
Eventually you return to the start at the leisure centre and having prised yourself off the bike try to rev your legs up for another series of ascents on the run. An 8.5 mile run over the edge of the Blorenge on hillside tracks and old tramways. Struggling towards the final ascent the circling vultures above were ready to pounce on my shattered body. However the end of the road was near and I was glad to have reccy'd the route earlier as some kids had by now changed the route signs around thus heaping pain on some unsuspecting athletes.
I finished. I was dead on my feet but I felt I had put in as much as I could. The end was low key - no great crowds or goodie bag but you knew you had achieved something special.
Would I do it again? Try stopping me. If you want to have a go and want more info - just look out for me - I'm the one trying to ride a bike up the side of the building with water wings on each arm.
Contact Gareth ‘Mad Dog’ Thomas to Tri .
London Marathon Charity Place
Richard Boon has gained a charity place for this year’s London Marathon. He is running for the National Asthma Campaign. Please support his fund raising activities. Good luck Richard.
The Big L
Congratulations to Bill Bainbridge on reaching another memorable mile marker. Good luck in your preparation for the marathon in Hawaii.
26th December Glyneath 5
69 Richard Boon 32:43
89 Mike Davies 34:07
108 Paul Hay 35:07 and
57 Rowland Williams 31:55
31st December
Nos Galan
None but the brave ventured out on this bitterly cold and wet New Year’s Eve. The appearance of Christian Malcolm as the Mystery Runner helped to raise the spirits of the insane runners who had fulfilled a promise to run in such difficult conditions. However, Paul Hay and Wendy Edwards will remember the occasion that they held a lead over Richard Boon for at least 400m. Richard eventually cruised to a respectable 20:25, 1min 29 sec quicker than 1999.
Congratulations also to Daniel Hay who finished a creditable 20 in the race for 10-11 year olds
46 Richard Boon 20:25
65 Wendy Edwards 21:37
68 Paul Hay 21:48
and
38 Rowland Williams 20:01
21st January
Richard Burton 10K
50 Richard Boon 40:13
72 Mike Davies 42:56
and
68 Rowland Williams 42:48
Races for February and March
From the 1st of February there are 80 training days to the Flora London Marathon.
February
11th Pontypridd Reverse 10 (Hilly) cd 4/2
18 Tough 10 Challenge
No other details yet.
March
4 Pegasus 8 (Multi-terrain, challenging)
17 Rhayader 20 (Hard but an alternative to Gloucester)
April
1st Islwyn half Marathon (Downhill)
Website of the Month
An extensive site which includes news and features, athletics diary, performance, results, records, rankings etc. Unfortunately no one from the club gets a mention …. yet. Steve Jones still heads the marathon list for his Chicago Marathon in 2:07:13 on the 20th October 1985. Miskin Manor is identified as a running club in South Wales.
Club Stickers
Display your running club membership with pride. Club Car Stickers are now available from Richard Boon(Cost £1) . Every car should have one.
New Year’s Resolutions
Richard Boon – to complete the London Marathon in less than 3 hours 5 minutes.
Gareth ‘Mad Dog’ Thomas – to complete the Blaenafon Tri in under four hours.
Wendy Edwards – not to train with Richard.
Paul Hay – not to listen to Richard.
March Newsletter.
Contributions to Mike Davies before 25th February 2001.