, the Forestman - a full Iron-distance triathlon. This year, it was a standalone race and the relatively small field made for occasional lonely moments on the undulating but beautiful course.After two laps of Ellingham Lake, competitors set off on the bike

from the marshals but no prizes for places - the laudable idea is that everyone's a winner. Before the event, the club even ran a training day to guide newcomers through the rules, practise transitions, try the bike course, work through the kit

for wondering if they'd turned up at the same venue; in 2010 the rain came down in torrents, but this year's event was blessed with sunshine.The perfect conditions made for a trouble-free swim in the lake. The 43K undulating bike leg didn't present too many

mouthfuls of mucky water when the swim leg of your triathlon takes place in a reservoir for drinking water.Athletes took advantage of the good weather conditions to make quick work of the two-lap 1.5K swim. The bike course was a scenic 40K trek through

that most athletes felt comfortable racing in just their trisuit. After just over two laps of the loch, competitors headed out on a 42K bike ride on open country roads. One or two short, sharp climbs and descents kept riders alert. A single loop of road

part of the lake. They made quick work of the course, the majority clearing the water in under 30 minutes.With the temperature rising, racers faced a punishing 90K bike course that took in Kirkstone Pass, a climb offering stunning views and a gradient

in. When you start to do well, it kind of hooks you in."Her biggest year so far was 2008. She won the ITU World Championships and a place on GB's Olympic triathlon team. She was sixth out of the water in Beijing and seventh off the bike, but it wasn

. The swim was a straightforward out-and-back affair but the bike, described as "very undulating" was the kind that crushes spirits: it features 2,500ft of ascent. However, it wasn't enough to slow down Karl Alexander, who opened up a big lead and never

:05, with eventual race-winner Graham Leitch close on his heels.Then it was onto the undulating 20K bike course that provided a chance to take in the scenery of Tighnabruaich and surrounding villages, while providing some challenging hills. Leitch quickly overtook

pace on the bike. But powerful headwinds allowed the chasing pack to catch up, so the leaders had to dig deep as they headed for home. Tim Don was race favourite (he won here in 2009 and 2010) but he struggled somewhat on the exposed sections