PSOF Championships 2013 - Challenge Henley

seren nos wrote (see)

With so much oppossition form the villages how many will come out to support the cyclists going past..

At IMW the villages have parties and are out cheering the cyclist on

Maybe because they know the economy needs it.....maybe henley area is just too rich with commuters that the economy doesn't need it

i dunno, while a vast majority of the Pembrokeshire community were very pleased for us to be there, there was also a signifant amount of vocal opposition (remember a few very angry locals on fb) as well as some dangerous non vocal opposition - tacks on the road!

it seams exactly the same here - most of the communuity seems delighted to have a event like this there - there's just a small number who unfortunately have a mouthpiece to express thier opposition! 

Just out of interest, do the roads really need to be closed for 12 hours? Assuming the race doesnt start til 7am, you could start to close them at 7.30am, (depending on the route some coiuld close later?) then start to close them as back markers went though? Allowing for a 2.20 swim, and 10 minutes in T1, you could probably open roads round T1 for a few hours inbetween last rider leaving and first riders home? Even the slowest rider will only be out for 8 hours or so (cut off for combined bike and swim is 10 hrs 30 mins) and half the course would presumably be clear long before that?

I've not studied the route but presumably after certain times some roads could be open after the last rider is through?

I realise that where there are feed stations being set up you would need to take extra precautions etc. and cordon off a safe area around them whilst they are being set up etc.

You would also need to police the roads more carefully, ensuring that they opened and closed at the right time (and had flexibility if riders should be particularly fast or slow) but you could turn this back on the villagers and say that they needed to police their own village in accordance with the times specified, or it would be closed solidly? That should see just how in favour they are of the race "in principle"!

Just showing willing!

Having said all that, whilst clearly I would prefer closed roads, did anyone doing the Outlaw really feel they were hindered by traffic? We knew when we were on a busy road and were sensible.

Gladys - its basically one road that's an out and back, which you do 3 times, so it would be difficult to open as you suggest. Its also a fairly narrow B road - its bad enough riding it on a normal day with the odd cyclist and cars. I think it would be a little too dangerous on race day. Noce thought though.

Schmunkee - The List Fairy wrote (see)

But Starbucks wouldn't have paid all due UK tax so don't be so smug about your virtuosity there, Cat.

Starbuck's will have paid all due UK tax. They don't design the rules they jsut have to obey them. They also have a legal duty to share holders to maximise profit. So if the UK don't require tax due to shoddy rules then they are legally bound to pay the minimum required.

How would you feel if you owned shares in a corporation and they said sorry no dividends this year as paid tax we didn't have to. I would be livid.

So blame the HMRC and MPs for a shoddy job. We need better taxation laws not whinging by MPs that the big boys were mean to them. Note they brought Starbucks into parliment. If what they were doing was at all wrong they would have been in court.

Note I still buy Costa Coffee as they are UK owned (Whitbread) and would prefer my cash and their corporation tax remained in the UK. I shop Tesco and Sainsbury rather than Walmart (ASDA) for the same reason. Celebrate great British companies don't slam them.

M..eface

have they resolved the road issue yet?

Nope, not according tho their website. Might be doing the whole 112 miiles on rollers in T1!!

m..eface wrote (see)

Schmunkee - The List Fairy wrote (see)

But Starbucks wouldn't have paid all due UK tax so don't be so smug about your virtuosity there, Cat.

Starbuck's will have paid all due UK tax. They don't design the rules they jsut have to obey them. They also have a legal duty to share holders to maximise profit. So if the UK don't require tax due to shoddy rules then they are legally bound to pay the minimum required.

How would you feel if you owned shares in a corporation and they said sorry no dividends this year as paid tax we didn't have to. I would be livid.

So blame the HMRC and MPs for a shoddy job. We need better taxation laws not whinging by MPs that the big boys were mean to them. Note they brought Starbucks into parliment. If what they were doing was at all wrong they would have been in court.

Note I still buy Costa Coffee as they are UK owned (Whitbread) and would prefer my cash and their corporation tax remained in the UK. I shop Tesco and Sainsbury rather than Walmart (ASDA) for the same reason. Celebrate great British companies don't slam them.

M..eface

Notwithstanding.......the yokels got paid wages....

And no, I didn't buy a bloody teddy bear!

Cat - you obviously took your own bear then. Good man. 

My local starbucks is a franchise so i think they do have to pay their tax. 

Where is this wondrous teddybear shop ? Its definitely on my 'must see' list for Henley.

I'm tempted to take my own shabby (obviously not bought from Henley) teddy and fasten it to the front of my bike for the race. 

Its in the town centre cougie. 

In the Town Centre where all the spectators will be gathering? The spectators with bored children? The bored children who see that a Teddy Bear shop could fill in a piece of time between seeing the other parent at 2 hourly intervals?

 some of the parents may hate you for that suggestion Blisters as some of his 'bears' are the same price as a pair of Mavic wheels!!

Excuse me for dropping in ... but with the Kit Fairy's guiding hand, I'm going to do an order so that a nice yellow golf umbrella with a fetching black logo might

a. Keep my supporter(s) dry / happy at Outlaw / Henley / Lanza (delete as appropriate)

b. Make them feel they're a part of this happy ship ...

c. Make them easier for me to spot

If you reckon you'd like one too, then pop over to the Pirate Umbrella thread and add yourself to the list (need another 7 for a minimum order of 25). Looking at around £18 plus postage - full details on thread ... 

Blimey, the town will be complaining that people bring their own umbrellas next! 

Its a great idea Britrisky. I'd order one but I've cancelled the rain for Henley. 

Are there any date for council meetings etc, I want to know if this is going to happen before it is to late for IMW. Just Racing's website doesn't give much away.

Last time I posted a few others mentioned that it would be good to post about our training and support each other.... 

I've done 2 weeks of Fink like training I'm planning to follow the competitive plan at least to start with, if it gets too much then I'll drop back to intermediate. I managed 8 hours 3 swims, 3 bikes (2 on turbo) and 3 runs the first week and 7 hours with one less ride this week. Coming from a marathon background I don't think I've ever put in so many hours.

Hows everyone else doing?

Ticking over until Fink official start date of Feb. 11th...

p.s. My impression is that the race is definitely happening - it's just some members of the town council being a nuisance. Ultimately the town council don't have much of a say. But hey, it makes news in the local rag. 

Whether it will be there next year is another matter I guess...

In week 13 of Fink....but then I'm doing Lanza first, so planning just to wing it when it comes to Henley

I've got Joe Friel, but find it uninspiring. It's technical and sounds logical, but when I got bored and turned towards the training schedules I couldn't understand them. So, my plan is thus:
1) Get marathon fit again (tick)
2) Learn to swim 152 lengths of a pool, and to take it outside. (max is 102 so far)
3) Bike 112 miles. (Much more biking needed, max has been 70).

The swim has sort of hit a plateau.
The bike has got a new opportunity, with my Christmas turbo.
The run has become enjoyable again.