My Forum

Phoned them today and they've only just started sending men's forms out, and they're going alphabetically by name.

I've been plotting the perfect time to stage my miraculous return to the world of ironman racing

but as that wasn't working out I've decided I may as well just get on and enter one.

How is everyone?

Think it's time I confessed to having entered this too, it's about time I dusted off the piratey kit again

Better look into getting some accomodation sorted too

Full Race - well 'ard aferletes innit
Bassy
Mellifera
Pkim
IW
Barley
Foggy
Trogs
Kanga
bos1
Melds .. save me a place please!
Happychap
Toucs
IronM.in
Bedders
Hope ... will sell a kidney!
Nam... will sell the other... between us we can manage with two...
Smiley Lady
Zuppy
funkin
Bear
ditchy/DTB
hairier half
g-sport
Hoofin
SyM...es - entered
LittleFatWelshman
Alan W
Pebble
Tonka Boy
Artful Hen
Donald
Leo M

Relay Gaylords
LJS, swimmer (definite) - SP, cyclist (definite) TL, Runner (definite) = So sorry if we let LJS down, his a bit quick in the water.
Holly G- swim, DrM- bike, oxy- run. Sub 10, easy!
Swim - Crashie, Bike - Rosey, Run - Aitch
swim - Petal/bike - FB/run - Debbo

Maybe
Plum
Cougie retire??? No way!!
Garr
kittenkat (but also maybe not)
Calf
SuperCaz
Monique

Hiya meldy, been on a new project at work which just eats my time so I hardly ever get a chance to stick my head in here anymore.

How's things?  IM training going well?

I did the London Rat Race last year (and have done many other rat races in other cities over the last couple of years).  It's a lot of fun and not a typical adventure race in that you have challenges to do which can sometimes be a bit odd (one of my team had his headshaved into a mohican in one race......though not very well so he ended up looking like he had mange for the rest of the weekend )

 I'd say the key things to ensure are:

• Understand the rules around timings and penalties for violations, it's easy to check and can make the difference between a placing vs a mid-pack (10 mins overtime in the Birmingham Rat Race cost me an hour penalty and meant I finished 19th rather than 4th)
• Same with ensuring you take mandatory kit, penalties for not having it at a kit check are harsh
• Be able to mountain bike all day and run for up to an hour a couple of times during the biking (after having run for 3hrs the night before obviously)
• If you know London well you can almost dispense with the map reading on the prologue, last year we barely used the map as it was a case of getting from one landmark to another and between the 3 in my team we all knew the City and West end inside out so hardly had to use the A-Z.  If you do practise map reading, bear in mind that as an urban race it's generally a case of following roads as opposed to sticking to a compass bearing, and they give you a hefty route book which outlines most of the route you need to take.
• The rope work will be easy if you're OK with heights, typically it'll involve abseiling off a stadium somewhere (Twick rugby stadium last year). No need pratise in advance as they'll tell you what to do.
• The kayaking will be short, but it's worth getting some practise in advance if you can.
• Finally, be prepared for anything, previously I've had to eat a deep fried mars bar, practise parkour, identify adverts, run to the top of the Birmingham Sheraton hotel, mountain board in the dark, neck a pint of coke and loads of other stuff that's too painful to remember.