Gatorade Half IM UK

Have a great day all those racing tomorrow - make sure you report back and let us all know how it went.

Great minds, Panty! I was just thinking of that - I have several friends in it (not just those from here! :o))

I feel a quotation coming on:


'Oh god of Battles! Steel my soldiers' hearts!'


there ya go.

look out for the great Jane Tomlinson and give her a cheer if you see her

Beat me to it Bune!

She'll be doing a full one before you know it :)

Anybody back yet?

Who won?

Just got back. Could write a race report that goes on for hours but am so knackered I can feel my bed calling.

Highlight of the weekend for me was when I left the pub in Sherborne on Friday night to walk back to the campsite at the castle and a woman asked me directions to the castle. It was the aforementioned Jane Tomlinson. Walked along with her and her husband for 10 minutes showing them the way and saw her and chatted sveral times over the weekend. I joked with her yesterday as she was racking her bike in the pro section (Sky Sports were filming her so they wanted her in a prominent position) that she was getting unfair preferential treatment! Truth is she was the biggest star there by a mile.

Not sure who won the race although I did run with him for about five minutes, he, obviously, was a lap ahead. Richard Allen came second and Spencer Smith dropped out after two punctures. Oh and the lovely Lisbeth Kristiansen won the Ladies.

Start was delayed by an hour and a half due to mist on the lake so you couldn't see the buoys. Once it got under way it was a right laugh. 1500 people in a narrow lake... mayhem. Had a good swim, just under 31 mins.

Bike course was hilly but beautiful. 2 hrs 40 mins approx. First sighting of Daz as he came past at pace. No respect for his elders that chap.

Felt very good on the run which was in the Deer Park and again was a lovely route but hilly. Think I overtook Daz at some point although I didn't notice at the time. Totally hit the wall with about two miles to go though. Very low blood sugar and felt awful but managed to stagger home in 1hr 30 mins having been overtaken in the last few hundred yards by two clubmates and ......... Daz (I think it was him anyway) ... f*ck ;-)

Total time 4 hrs 45 something, which I was pleased with as I don't think it was a particularly quick course.

Saw Jonathan afterwards getting a telling off (and penalties) from the race referee for drafting (twice!). Can you believe at odds of 1500 to 1 he was actually 118, so he wore the vest on the run, had to be done.

Well there we go, I got carried away after all, but I'm sure others will add more later. Overall verdict... top weekend, well organised in a perfect setting, just the unfortunate mist this morning but can't blame anyone for that.

Good work Richard ! And meeting Jane as well - isn't she amazing ?

Did Daz really beat you ? We aren't gonna hear the end of this for a lonnnng time !
;-)

Cool!

Well done Richard - I had a mate do it in 5hr 04m, so you beat him, anyway! :o)

C'mon chaps! I wanna hear some more tales of derring-do!

I dislocated my right shoulder coming out of the swim which I had done in about 33 mins (a pb for me)

such a cruel sport

Well done Richard, reading your report makes me more determined to give HI a go. I choose my nickname for the very reason you noted, the beautiful hilly area of Dorset.

Bad luck Casper K, that must have been very painful!

Morning all!

I was gutted about the drafting! I made a huge effort not to draft - but how can you avoid other bikes when 1600 of you are out there at the same time ?????????

I was also naked in the change tent but was not penalised for that!

Managed it in 5hr 25 which I am very happy with as I just wanted to go around in under 6 hours.

I did wear the 118 shirt from the advert as I really was 118 so got a lot of laughs and cheers for that - great fun!

Good to see Richard and all, and maybe a few more from here next year?

well done all of you, I was thinking of you when I was pottering round my much shorter course... more later!!

Well done you lot!!!

Ooh! Caspar - souns horrible. :o(

Well one Jonathan - that's exactly the question I ask in crowe races (sorry - '' key not working) - how can everyone not cycle close to anyone else?

an why were you nake?

It was fun, but as I had never done anything this long I decided to do full changes. So after the swim I dried myself off and changed.

Also after the bike I changed into running shorts and put on that famous 118 shirt! Also I put on my lucky rugby socks - certainly not looking like a serious athlete!

You tempted to be along next year JJ?

Yep very sore today- not so bad yesterday- as I was tanked up with morphine.
Frustrating trying ti type with a left hand as well!

Pretty grim in the ambulance on sight as the doctor tried to relocate my arm and was bracing himself using his full strength and still unable to pop it in place- of course by this point I was kicking the side of the ambulance with full strength.

I have dislocated it before though- in an adventure race- so now I know I have a weakness. I dont want to give up the idea of doing tri as I have only just strated and enjoy them.

Anyway plenty of time to gather my thoughts and bounce back for next season

Well done guys,

went there on saturday night and camp at the castle. enjoy a lot watching the race (not the guy with the mike at five o'clock in the morning), and see one of the guys i knew at the swimming and all of them at the running.

saw Richard at the start of the second lap although i wasn't sure was him (because of the cap). and saw you again at the finish line, this time cheer up but it was crowded with people screaming in several languages including welsh.

i enjoy as spectator but i guess you enjoy more as athletes.(maybe next year who knows)

Jonathan - are they after marshalls for the changing tents then?

:o)

auntie!!!!

Wahey JJ ! Will watch out for the next marshall I see in the change tent with a camera!

What happened to you Caspar? Sounds bad - can we get the full story?