that really was a fantastic adventure, and it proved our original idea that anybody can do an ironman in 9 months if they really want it, are prepared to dedicate themselves to the training and have enough character and mental strength to deal with the demands of the day.

the pirates really are a team and a half, and a great group of people and athletes, and i'm proud to call them all my friends.

see you at next year's race!

And I'm sure the others have nowt but praise for you too, Candy.

You're all inspirational and as a result I'm seriously considering having a go.

i'm not sure about that, every time i saw cougie, FB or punchy on sunday they threatened to beat me up. fortunately they can't catch me.

thats awfully kind Waaaabit, but it wasn't me, it was zilla's race report. I did one a while ago.

<BLUSH>

Slight typo there, Rosie! I'll copy and save my comments for when you next do a Tri. But you'll have to make sure you don't finish otherwise they will make no sense! ;o)

Candy, wait until they find their legs again! You may want to find out where your local A&E dept is, in the meantime! ;o)

You won't have to wait long Waaaabit, 2 weeks Saturday is the next one, I don't think there will be quite so much noise but we have a small supporters group here in blighty and I expect Candy to be supporting as he jibbed out of it earlier in the year.
Due to his injuries right now, its just as well.

Ooooooooooh, tell me more ie where, when, how, who!

I suspect watching a Tri is the first step in deciding whether I am capable LOL

I have a friend over from the States but no reason why supporting a Triathlon can't be part of the weekend!

:o)

absolutely mate, i'll be with you all the way. from the comfort of my living room!

Sorry mate, its in Norway, 6th August and you can read all the details under the Norseman thread.

And CO, i was only joking mate, I always leave the pi$$ taking to Smiffy. I can't wait to shout at him from the top of the mountain that I am getting bored waiting for him haha !!

I will only be taking the my time so I get to look up your skirt.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooorway!

I presumed it was in England! I doubt whether my friend from USA will want to hop on another plane to fly to Norway for the weekend.

Perhaps not this time but I am interested in supporting in the future at an event!

Best of luck though. Eye of the Tiger (aka Rocky)

;o)

Right I will attempt to fit my race report into the 13 minutes I have left of internet connection.

It has been a brilliant week, strting with rolling out of a taxi at the youth hostel at exactly the same time as Avalaf and proceeding in an orderly fashion to a kebab shop. To the self surgery I will have to do for the third time on my blisters in a bit for the third time since the race.

Go for it

The start of the swim on the beach was very different from last year with only myself and Andy wondering what we were doing there, now there were more than 20 of us thinking the same thing.

<Pulls sofa into the middle of the thread, removes tops from Bud bottles and slices the battenburg cake. Sits back to munch, slurp and read>

I was next to Fat Buddha at the start, and I thought he was going to knock me out with the enthusiasm with which he entered the seething maelstrom, but never mind I thought I will soon have a bit of clear water to get into my rhythmn, but unlike Austria this never seemed to be the case. I was spending a lot of time wondering what Richard M had been going on about when he talked about a relaxing swim at Switzerland a couple of years ago (pants on fire).

Incidentally candy spent ages chatting to carl in the shower, i know cos i was in there at the same time. erm that doesn't sound good either...

night mon look forward to reading this later

I'm orf to bed too, Monique but I WILL be reading it tomorrow morning!

Well done to you too!

There was never more than 10 metres of open water ahead at any one time and that soon closed up, I was swallowing a lot of water, but my goggles stayed put at least. I was then getting worried about SP as he had seemed the most anxious about the swim beforehand.
Anyway on rounding the island for the first time I was able to pick out the splash of yellow shirts on the bank and wave and shout to the Pirates onshore, the second loop was still congested and I tried to snatch the odd look behind to make sure I wasn`t last, I really have no idea in a tri how my swimming is going so imagine I am the slowest person in the water. I got punched in the nose and need to work on my kick for future- not for forward propulsion but for self defense purposes.