City of Lancaster Triathlon
"The only limits we have are those we set ourselves"
Captains Blog
Get inspired by reading one of the Captains gritty and amusing Ironman race reports HERE
Friday 16th April 2010
Hello COLT,
Not much to smile about this week a "Dodgy heart" a torn calf muscle and 6 weeks till Lanzarote, its going to take something short of a miracle to pick me up from this one. BUT !!!!!! the rest of you have no Excuses so come Sunday lets see if we can pack the top ten at Skipton and every category going ,get your race kit dusted off and lets hear "THE MIGHTY COLT" Roar into Action once again.
Kind Regards,
Richard
Thursday 25th March 2010
Hello COLT,
No warm weather yet but April is up on us and Easter next week and with it a few early season races to see where the form lies ,Skipton,Kendal to name but a few. Still struggling with the achilles (OH Appollo!!!!!!) so run training is having to be controlled ,however the BIKE is coming along nicely and hopefully come May 22nd we should see the fruits of all the pain and hardwork but it could end in tears if the achilles breaks down on the Marathon but i don't think you will be that lucky DAN!!!!!!!!.
I will be riding long Saturday 5hrs + meet 7-00AM Total Fitness car park,Sunday I shall be working so post or turn up I'm sure some Colts will be at TF at 9-00am
Kind Regards,
The Captain
Richard Mason
Monday 1st March 2010
Hello COLT,
Hope I find you all well and training hard ,haven't been sending regular emails out as have been too busy trying to get my new business up and running. Any of my Spartans ride the Coal Road Challenge this morning,hope you gave a good account of yourselves, I was looking forward to giving the Lune Boys a run for their money but Duty calls and I was down at Preston coaching at the Academy.
The Saturday & Sunday rides have been a little disorganized as a lot of the committee members are away and I have been working some weekends hopefully we can rectify this soon.
Along with Beau,Louise, John and Valerie I will be racing at Clumber Park next Saturday in the first warm up race of the season ,I'm not sure a fast 10k followed by an Eyeballs out bike followed by an even faster 5k is just what I need with a dodgy Achilles,any body else going?
Welcome to all our new members I'm sure I will get to meet you all soon. Have just updated the email list so everybody should be on it now ,if you know of anybody who isn't and should be please tell me and I will rectify this.
Spread the word and encourage people to join "THE MIGHTY COLT" Club membership for 2010 is now open and you can renew your subscription for a very reasonable £10.00 via the link on the website. http://www.cityoflancastertriathlon.co.uk/membership/
Our COLT Club designated races will remain the same as last year:
Skipton Sprint Sunday 18 April (19 COLT names are already on the start line)
Ripon Olympic Saturday 10 July
Day in the Lakes Sunday 27 June
Ironman UK Sunday 1 August
If you aren't racing come along and give those competing your support.
Louise Kelly is organising COLT terms for the National Relay Championships which take place on Saturday 21 August. Please add your name to the thread on the forum if you want to be part of a team or speak to Louise at Thursday swimming or Wednesday run training (Meet at Salt Ayre at 7.00 pm).
We are currently looking into the possibility of organizing an autumn training weekend in either the Lakes or the Dales - so watch this space. Kind Regards,
Richard Mason
Monday 4th January 2010
Hello COLT
CLUB MEMBERSHIP is now up for renewal at the bargain price of £10-00 so if your thinking of joining please do as the club committee have lots of ideas of how to progress the club for the coming season & we hope to make it a more fun & successfull year for our Members.
Thanks to my Turbo team ,Mark,Dawn,Phil,JK,Danny & Duncan who endured an hour in my training Dungeon on the turbo on Sunday morning ,hope you enjoyed it & gained some benefit . Apologies to Glenn & Chris who read the email too late about the changed venue. With the weather set to stay like this for a while I would be happy to run more Sunday sessions at the village hall which only costs £14-00 to hire for 2hrs ,so if interested please email me.
We went out on Saturday for a 4hr road session Me ,THE VICE,Steve,Dan & Crazy Ian all managed to get back unscathed ,when we got to Sedbergh & it started to snow I felt a little nervous but "CRAZY" reassured me by testing out all the slippy bits first by going as fast as he could downhill unclipping & putting his breaks to see if he could skid ,when he didn't fall off we knew we would be alright ? (The man is priceless)
I will be taking my level 2 coaching exam this Saturday so I won't be playing out but I am happy to run a turbo session on Sunday if we get enough numbers.
kind regards
Captain Mason
Thursday 17th December
Hope everybody is OK after the first icy roads of the season a few of the Mighty COLT have hit the tarmac myself included proving I am not immortal. Good time to ride the turbo ,you get much more bang for your buck an hour on the Turbo is worth 3hrs on the road . My aim is to run another Turbo session on Sunday January 3rd 2010 this will depend on numbers as the turn out for the last session was poor & the club had to fork out for the hire of the Hall .So if you are interested please email me.
Weekend Rides
Saturday 19th December 8-00am Total Fitness Sunday
20th December Christmas social ride to include a Cafe stop at Kirby Lonsdale 9-00am Total Fitness Car park
Last year we identified 4 club championship races at sprint (Skipton), Olympic (Ripon), middle (Day in the Lakes) and Ironman distance (UK). We would like to do the same for the coming 2010 season but instead of it just being my decision we thought we would open it up to the club and ask for suggestions. So if you've got a favourite race please pass it on to me including the distance and the date for 2010.
kind regards
Richard
Friday 13th November
Hello COLT
Training rides for the weekend
Saturday 7-00am Total Fitness 5hrs
Sunday 9-00am TF for hill climbing coached session at Jubilee Tower hill or B ride going out if you just want to ride ( I will be coaching the hill climbing session)
kind regards
Richard
Tuesday 10th November
Hello COLT,
Sorry for the lack of communication lately but have been busy & away at the weekend.
I will be running a coaching session on Sunday 15th November " Hill climbing tips for better cycling & Triathlon performance " any body is welcome but it is aimed at the novice & people who don't like hills & would like to improve on them.
It will be a practical session lasting approx 1hr where we will do short hill climbing repeats where you will be coached on technique ( hand position ,cadence ,seated or standing etc.) it is not intended to be a conditioning eyeballs out session ,however because we are going up hill you will have to puff & pant a bit but there will be plenty of rest . We will be using Jubilee tower as our hill which has plenty of diffrent gradients (we will not be using the whole hill just parts of it so don't worry)
We will meet at Total Fitness at 9-00 am & cycle up there as our warm up . Any body who wants to meet us there, be at the Quermore crossroads at 9-30am
kind regards
Richard
Thursday 29th October
Hello COLT
I have decided to write a little about a different subject each week to evoke debate & questioning of why we do things , I may just do it on the forum perhaps but for this week I'm putting it on the email . Hopefully it will help ,enlighten & you will find your own answers .Please don't take any of my ramblings as gospel ,do your own thinking & reasoning , mine are based on direct experience ,research ,reading & other peoples experiences. In a sport as young as Triathlon be wary of so called experts with little or no direct experience , even the the great Joe Friel has changed his mind about certain ways of training (racing 2 x Ironman in a season) The best coaches /experts are the ones that change their minds & are always evolving.
Here goes, I keep being asked should I be doing strength training in the off season . . This is my view on strength training for the endurance athlete.
Question " I do less than 10hrs of swim /bike /run training per week should I use weight training to improve my Triathlon performance ? " Answer " NO , if you want to improve swim/bike/run you need to swim/bike/run "BE SPECIFIC"
However ( I'm going to contradict myself)
Question " I am over 40yrs old, should I use weight training to improve my triathlon ? Answer " YES , As you get older you lose muscle mass at a faster rate ,a well designed resistence training programme will improve muscle strength help prevent you putting on excess fat & improve allround mobility.
Question " I want to improve my abdominals & lower back muscles as I get a sore back when in my time trial/ Aero position should I do crunches & sit ups? Answer " NO , how many crunches,sit ups ,ab curls have you ever performed whilst sat on a bike, NONE ! I thought so , "BE SPECIFIC " get on the turbo in your aero position & get used to being there all year not 2 weeks before your first race, that will train your abs a lower back to get used to being in that position & they will strengthen .
Question " If I am going to the weight room what are the best exercises to use " Answer " Lower body: Squats,Lunges ,Split Squats, Upper body : Press ups ,Chins, Dips ,Shoulder press, Core: Plank variations,Jacknifes,Stair Climbs ,stay away from machines.
Some Triathletes strength train 3 times per week others do none at all but both excel .If you strength train & put muscle mass on at the expense of your swim bike run training you will be slower the added weight will make you less efficient & the de-training of your endurance capacity will slow you down . "BE SPECIFIC" The bonus is you will look good & fast with your bulging muscles even if your not.
Weekend Rides & Training
Saturday 7-00am Total Fitness 80miles
Sunday 9-00am Total Fitness
Wednesdays 7-00pm Salt Ayre Run Training all levels of ability
kind regards
Richard
Thursday 15th October
Hello COLT,
It's official, the season is over . John Knapp brought the season to its end when he crossed the finish line in Hawaii on Saturday .Well done John our very own "GRAND MASTER" flying the COLT flag in Kona ,another one notched up in what sounded like HOT HOT HOT!!!!!!!!!! conditions, looking forward to the de-brief.
Well what a season it's been our first & the club is almost a year old with current membership standing at 137 UNBELIEVABLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I say the season is over, it means time to sort your training plans out, take a well earned rest if you need it & perhaps spend some more time with the family & start planning your goals for next year.
I am hoping to run some training sessions aimed at people new to triathlon & perhaps have some question & answer nights like we did with the IM sessions on what training & tri gear will best suit your needs & also some different sessions for the more experienced members. The weather is good at the moment so get out on those bikes at the weekend ,it won't last forever.
"The Bottom line is the finish line"
Captain Mason
Sundays ride Total Fitness 9-00am "B" 2-3hrs
Sundays ride Total Fitness 9-00am "C" 2-3hrs
Thursday 9th October
Hello COLT
Its the BIG ONE on Saturday ,keep an eye on the Athlete tracker on Ironman live to see how John Knapp gets on.
On the Pro side of things I would bet on Chrissie Wellington retaining her title & the young Phil Graves making his mark in the Ironman world ,a very impressive young man who was told he wasn't fastet enough for Olympic distance HAH!! but has blown the long distance race world apart with his performances.(His only problem is that he's from Yorkshire )
Saturdays "A" ride TF Carpark 7-00am 4hrs
Sunday , I won't be there but hopefully some other resposible person will make it & take charge.
Wishing I was somewhere else (Hawaii)
Captain Mason
Wednesday 30th September
Hello "THE MIGHTY COLT"
How mighty are we after tremendous performances at Fleetwood Triathlon on Sunday,Beau Smith coming home in first place ,what a star ,awesome awesome awesome!!!!!!! well done to the rest who raced, a great turn out.
As you may know I was marshalling at a very busy roundabout/road junction,you may have heard me as you went by ,the road was supposed to be closed but the people of Fleetwood were not getting it , Turning a coach round , upsetting a fat man smoking a cigar in his Jag trying to get to the Golf course & facing death from a speeding boy racer in his Subaru were just a few of the highlights from my first marshalling experience .
Just wait until "THE VICE & me are running COLT TITANIUM the premier long distance triathlon in the world I'm sure it was all good experience.
As October begins thoughts of an easy few months as the season ends are probably in your heads ,WELL forget it , Consistency,consistency consistency use it or lose it ,the more you let it go the harder it is to get back .
With this in mind
Saturday "A" ride TF car park 7-00am 4hrs +
Sundays "B" ride TF car park 9-00am 2-3hrs
Sundays "C" ride TF car park 9-00am 2-3hrs
"DON'T TAKE LIFE TO SERIOUSLY ,NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE"
The Captain
p.s If you haven't read the post on the forum JK is off to Hawaii on Saturday ,I hope the whole club will join me in wishing him well.
Wednesday 23rd September
Hello COLT
We will be holding a COLT Awards Ceremony (sounds a bit grand - don't get too excited, probably just me giving out bananas!) and end of season social on Saturday 28 November from 8.00 pm onwards at The Borough in Lancaster. There will be a buffet (similar set up to the BBQ and pizza/pasta party at the Open Water swims), cost approximately £10.00 per head. Partners very welcome. Further details to follow but get the date in your diary!
Seemed to be losing a bit of focus with no real direction in my training over the last few weeks , however Tornado Tom & Crazy Ian made me step up to the mark on last Saturdays " A " ride & reminded me of why I like riding my bike.
Hope the Rides on Sunday were OK to & nobody got lost or injured. The BIG race this weekend is Fleetwood with at least 10 COLTs competeing (THE KONA KING may even be there) I will be there in a marshalling capacity so any body found toot-aling or walking will be dealt with in the usual manner(ABUSE!!!!!!!)
Sarurdays "A" RIDE 7-00AM TF 4hrs + Sunday ( i will be at Fleetwood)
p.s BIG THANKYOU to "THE VICE" for organising the last open water swim pasta & pizza night ,very enjoyable
kind regards
Captain Mason
Wednesday 9th September
Hello COLT,
Some top performances at the weekend , Beau winning the overall title & Louise wining the ladies title (& kicking most of the mens arses) up at Cockermouth . "Crazy" Ian placing 69th at Helvellyn ,first Colt home gave him something to smile about after a dismal year of injury .Well done to everybody else who raced I'm sure with the numbers we have been getting in all these races everbody will have heard of & now fear "THE MIGHTY COLT"
Saturday "A"ride 4hrs + Total fitness 7-00am
Sunday "B" ride 2-3 hrs TF 9-00am
Sunday "C" ride 2-3 hrs TF 9-00am
kind regards
Richard
Wednesday 5th August
Hello COLT,
The dust has settled on THE BIG ONE & with every body round safely the Spartans brought it home for COLT.
Well done again to every body who raced on Sunday a great day for you all .
A BIG thank you to all the support on the course from club members, families & friends . I know I appreciated it so much ,although I may have not acknowledged you or looked like I even cared , I had my race face on & was in my own little world of pain . I even blanked Sarah at the start of the run which went down well , the support in the Park as I finished off my last lap nearley moved me tears .
I hope some of you watching were inspired to have a go at one & or appreciated the effort & emotion that was going into the race.
As a Club Captain I couldn't have asked for any more from you all on the day ,you were all brilliant,give yourselves a big pat on the back.
On a personal note I went to the the award ceromony & Hawaii roll down & although there were 3 places in my age group the top 3 took them & I can't complain as they were fast times unlike some of the other age groups whose times were a little more pedestrian but the age group system is probably the fairest way to do it.
So my season is over & with it those post IRONMAN Blues but now I can spend a bit more time doing & organising COLT club things.
Saturday "A" RIDE 7-00am TF CAR PARK ( I will be going out for 2hrs max ,JK & John T may be going out for longer)
Sunday " B" RIDE 9-00am TF CAR PARK 2HR-3HRS
Sunday " C" RIDE 9-00am TF CAR PARK 2HRS
A very tired Captain Mason
p.s. I may be down but I'm not out, plans are already in place for 2010 season with a diffrent approach to training & then its first stop Lanzarote. OOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! YES LANZA LANZA.
Wednesday 29th July
Hello my "SPARTANS"
Seven months ago we started a triathlon club not knowing really what to expect. Our membership now stands at 118 and is still growing. We've come along way in a short time. With your enthusiasm & drive we will go on to become an adventurous & successful club that every one wants to join.
We are now in the final few days before the premiere long distance race of the year; ‘IRONMAN UK (Bolton)’, I will be proud to be standing alongside 13 COLT members on the start line. The experienced old lags, they have nothing to prove. Oh don't you believe it. They will race harder than most of you could imagine.
The first timers and in-experienced amongst you need to look at how far you’ve come since you first started your IM adventure. Look at the athlete you are now. Compare yourself ONLY with yourself. The hours of training under your belt, the long rides & runs, draw confidence from your preparation & when the gun goes off on August 2nd, be the best you can be. You owe it to yourself for the months of training you have put in and the sacrifices you have made. Be the best; for the ones you have neglected over the past weeks, your loved ones & families.
What ever happens out there don't lose your sense of humour & keep smiling even when you doubt yourself and it gets tough. OH it will get tough!!!! I can't hide the facts, but when you’re in the depths of despair and you think you’re going to quit & you can't go on, RELAX, slow down, stop & think. NOBODY really cares if you D.N.F (Did not finish), nobody else will remember, BUT!!!!!!! YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER & you will carry it around forever, & that's a long time. So remember RELAX, slow down, think. Unless they are going to come & stretcher you off the course or call the ambulance you’re going to have to finish the race under your own steam somehow. So walk, crawl, shuffle to the END & collect your ‘Finishers Medal’ while you’re there.
"THE MIGHTY COLT ARE COMING"
CAPTAIN MASON
COLT
Wednesday 22nd July
Hello COLT
There will no doubt be a few anxious people out there as the clock is ticking ever closer to D-DAY for all you wannabe Ironmen , I will be leaving my Maximus speech for the final week but if any of you need any last minute advice on getting ready for the big event in the final week please get in touch with me or John or any of the other IM. I will be available on Monday night at open water swim for counselling .
"A" ride Saturday please post on forum or email if you want company ( I will be down in Bolton again finalising race strategy )
" B " ride Sunday TF car park 9-00am 2-3hrs " C" ride Sunday TF car park 9-00am 2hrs +
kind regards
Richard
Wednesday 15th July
Hello COLT
Well done to all those who raced at the weekend (Ripon & Divas) the results will be on the website this week. Special mention to Louise Kelly who was first girl home at Ripon ,well done Louise & considering she is just coming back from injury I'm sure she will only get stronger a superb effort.
Captain Mason
Wednesday 8th July
Hello COLT,
Fast racing , to those taking part at Ripon & any other races,sorry I won't be with you at Ripon but need to go and blitz the Ironman course again down at Bolton just to get my race pace hard wired.(& not to get lost).
The "VICE" will be in attendance at Ripon so there should be no slacking (perhaps tea & cake afterwards though)
Anybody riding on Saturday please post on forum for company.
Sundays B ride 9-00am Total Fitness 2-3hrs
Sundays C ride 9-00am Total Fitness 2hrs
happy racing Captain Mason
Monday 29th June
A Day in The Lakes - My legs feel remarkably O.K,should have pushed harder on the run perhaps. A fantastic days racing in a beautiful setting & the sun shone.
To all those who stepped up to a new race distance which was most of COLTs taking part . Chris,Simon,Mike,Rob,Peter,Hannah,Andrew W,Dave,Paul,Danny & Phil fantastic effort .
Thanks also to the Vice & Tom for making me race hard to stay in front. They reckon Wimbleball is a tough Half Ironman having done both it pales into insignificance in comparison . You should all be very proud of what you have achieved . p.s Andy Webster, hope you are now feeling better & able to appreciate your accomplishment.
A very proud Captain Mason
Thursday 25th June
Good evening members
The main event this weekend seems to be " A Day in the Lakes" middle distance race with 14 COLTs taking part ,hopefully the sun will shine & nobody has any mishaps descending the fells,unlike my partner in crime last week when recce of the the run route ,one minute our vice captain was running along side me admiring the views the next he was tumbleing downwards rolling about in the heather ,just a few minor grazes but nothing serious.
A few tips for the run route if your interested , fell shoes are a definite if you want to descend fast ,lots of wet grass & loose shale ,but there not so hot for the final 3miles on tarmac ,no serious climbs but it does get you puffing & after a challenging bike route your legs will be squeeling at you as you reach the highest point of the run which in my calculations is approx halfway on the run .Talking of mishaps ,on another reccon mission last weekend down on the Ironman bike course nr Bolton yours truly managed to get lost on the second lap & ended up in Chorley town centre a little bit off route, much to the amusement of our vice captain .
In my opinion it is the worst bike route I have seen for an IM race two many junctions & traffic lights very uninspiring ,however there are no real climbs (if any body calls the bump up from the resevoir over to Belmont a seious climb ,they will be banished from the club & made to join one South of the manchester ship canal.) & i would guess it is a faster course than Sherbourne as long as the junctions are marshalled correctley. My advice would be to ride it ,or parts of it as many times as you can to get the turns hardwired into your race plan head.
I won't be out on a Saturday ride this weekend & shall be racing on Sunday so if you fancy a ride out on either day please post on the forum or send an email round.
kind regards
Richard
Monday 22nd June
WUH HOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to make a comment on the level of performances that COLT athletes put in over the weekend although everybody who competed did well ,there were some standout performances that need a special mention .
Beu Smiths performance was top drawer & I suspect there are bigger & better things to come from this young man.
Mark Hammonds time of 2:09 was the breakthrough performance of the weekend & some may be surprised, but his talent & how far Mark could go with the right training has often been discussed by the old men at the top table of the IM club , Marks ability as a swimmer has never been in doubt but he has now has proved he can cycle & run as well.
Last but not least & with no bias what so ever the legend that is John Knapp " The Grandmaster" of all that is Ironman has qualified for a 3rd time for the Hawaii World Championships, OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE MIGHTY COLT HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED.
Thanks to all of you who raced this weekend you make it all worthwhile.
A very happy Captain Mason.
Friday 19th June
Hello the Mighty Colt,
Well done to all those who raced last weekend all the results can be found on the website.
Another amazing turnout at the open water swim 60+ swimmers & the water was warm ,hope all you new to open water swimming are gaining in confidence. Please support the barbecue that we are putting on it is an extra chance to swim & then meet & chat with your fellow triathletes ,Monday 6th July 6-30 pm start, hope to see you there(not sure about the veggies being allowed to come though).
Last Sundays "B" ride turned into a bit of a carve up , having been split from the main peleton to look for stragglers , I then had to ride solo to catch up the main group ,it took from Bolton -le- Sands all the way to Sanside for me to catch the main group ,thanks lads just what I needed after too much Stella at a party the night before, I will repay you !!!!!!!!! I promise.
All eyes will be on IM Coeur d' Alene over in Idaho U.S.A as the GrandMaster John Knapp & Valerie take on the race for the first time this coming Sunday ,track them at IM live , I wish them well & a trouble free day .
Weekend training Rides
Saturday, Bolton IM course meet at Rivington Barn Tea rooms car park 7-00am two laps.
Saturday , Total Fitness car park (if any body is going out locally on Saturday & wants company please post on the forum)
Sunday "B" TF car park 9-00am 2-3hrs Sunday "C" TF car park 9-00am 2hrs
Good luck to all those racing at Chester this weekend (get your finger out Hammond)
happy racing
Captain Mason
Friday 12th June
Hello club mates,
The National relay champs are coming up in July we would like to get as many teams from COLT involved as possible , Louise Kelly has already posted on the forum about the race & some of you have showed an interest in taking part ,please don't think its just for experienced triathletes ,its not ,the emphasis is on fun so if any of you are interested please get on the forum & pledge your loyalty to the COLT cause.
The club kit is now here & if any body hasn't collected theirs yet i will be at TF swimming between 8-00pm -9-30pm Thursday , on the Sunday bike ride at 9-00am & at the open water swim on Monday from 6-30pm onwards , I will bring all the kit along to all those sessions, those who still owe me money cough up.
The club kit is now available to buy on line from impsport & Andy Holgate has set up an idiots guide of how to order on our website,you can see it here
Hope lots of you turned up for Louise's track session last night ,yes i know I wasn't there I took my coaches advice & did a bike/run brick, running on the treadmill @ 14kmph (3hr marathon pace) only 30mins though coach,honest.
The COLT club rides Saturday & Sundays ,the numbers have been dwindleing I hope this is because you have all been racing or doing some intense training on your own not because you couldn't be arssed to get out of bed.
Last Saturdays ride was quite interesting with the young prentender making an appearance for the first time since the club was formed (oh how I've missed his opinions on Saturday mornings ) & it was nice to sit on somebodies wheel for a change but nothing got too out of hand & the testosterone simmered rather than boiled over .
Sundays ride saw a certain Mrs Mason turn out on the "C " ride so of course there was no swearing,belching or farting from any of the COLT s ,thanks to everybody who turned out.
Saturdays ride "The Iron Hippies , IM Bolton magical mystery tour "(see forum for timings & info)
Sunday "B" ride TF car park 9-00am 2-3hrs
Sunday "C" ride TF car park 9-00am 2hrs
Friday 5th June
Had the post Im blues this week after the initial high of the week after the race this week has seen me reflecting & analysing my race performance . My aim was to hit 10hrs -45mins so 10hrs 47 mins was close enough on a very hot & windy day . My initial response to my 151st placing out of 1200 athletes was one of happiness but when seeing my age group place of 25th it was a huge dissapointment with my target being inside the top 20. With the top 11 getting the Hawaii world championship places my dream of going seemed to be getting farther away even though my performance was improving .
I have now got over myself & I am now determined to keep on trying & not give up the fight . When you start racing IM some people are happy to do one, just finish & then say thats enough for me & never do one again others like me are drawn in by the whole experience again & again to test ourselves in what is in my humble opinion the toughest one day endurance sporting event in the world.
Some of the athletes I saw finish at this years race taught me a valuable lesson long after I had finished ,showered,ate my steak & drunk my beer they were still shuffling along the marathon course in the darkness on there way to there personal triumphs some 6hrs after I had fInished they had now been on the go for more than 16hrs the looks on there faces said it all they would never ,never ,never give up. So with repect for them neither will I.
Watch out Bolton "THE MIGHTY COLT ARE COMING"
Saturdays "A" ride Total Fitness 7-00am 4hrs +
Sundays " B" ride Total Fitness 9-00am 2-3hrs
Sundays "C" ride Total Fitness 9-00am 2hrs
"train hard ,race easy "
Good look to all racing this weekend ,"make the fast bits faster"
Friday 29th May
Hello COLT
Well done to Louise Kelly 6th place at ETU European Duathlon Champs ,outstanding !
Good luck to Andrew Holgate & Stuart Pike racing the Cheshire Sprint this weekend.
Training rides this weekend
Saturday A ride 4hrs + TF car park 7-00am
Sunday B ride 2-3hrs TF car park 9-00am
Sunday C ride 2hrs TF car park 9-00am
Open Water swim Monday 1st June Waters Edge 7-00pm
oh ! nearley forgot well done Chris Wild ,Mark Proctor & Mark Buckley you did us proud the mighty COLT didn't quite dominate but you all raced fantastic times at the toughest Ironman in the world ,very proud of the mighty COLT.
Mark Buckley 13:04
Mark Procter 12:46
Chris Wild 11:27
Richard Mason 10:47
race report to follow
happy racing kind regards
Richard
Friday 22nd May
To all, Bike rides as usual this weekend………
Saturday "A" ride 4hrs +TF car park 7-00am Andrew + John
Sundays "B" ride 2-3hrs TF car park 9-00am John Knapp
Sundays "C" ride 2hrs + TF car park 9-00am Andrew McC
Good luck to all those racing this weekend, especially our very own Club Captain Richard Mason who along with Chris Wild, Mark Proctor and Mark Buckley are all racing Lanzarote Ironman. Regarded as the toughest race in the world due to the mountainous terrain, the wind and the heat.
You can track their process at http://ironman.com/events/ironman/lanzarote it gives live updates. Just look for the links to live athlete tracking on these pages. Type in the surname, it’s that easy. They start 7.00am on Saturday GMT.
Also good luck to Louise Kelly who is representing GBR in the European Duathlon Championships And Kevin Bedford at the Beaver Half Ironman.
Have a good weekend
Andrew
Thursday 14th May
Hello COLT
Last Sunday saw the grand daddy of all sportives take place "The Fred Whitton " 6 COLTS took on the challenge ,John Knapp,Valerie O'Donnell,Tom Phillips,Andrew Webster,John Towse & Andrew McCracken all taking the challenge , well done to all. A race report will follow by our "never say die" Vice Captain who despite having total mechanical failure on Whinlatter pass still managed to finish the race despite all his delays in 7hrs 3mins. An epic story best told in his own words.
Good luck & race hard all COLT athletes racing events this weekend.
Keswick Triathlon Tom Phillips ,Kevin Bedford,Peter Clarkson & Chris Clarke
Etape du Dales Loz Loxam, Paul McQueen,Rob Smith,Dave Wilson,Mark Hammond & Andrew Mc Cracken
The Struggle Andy Holgate ,Ian Richardson ,Andy Holme
If you are racing & I've missed you ,please drop Andy Holgate a line so he can add you to the "who's racing where " list & please put down your club as COLT when you enter,making it easier picking out your results.
A late apology to Louise Kelly who raced Kendal Sprint a couple of weeks ago & was first female home & placing 13th overall kicking most of the male fields arses ,well done Louise ,great result.
Training Rides
Saturday 16th May TF car park 7-00am "A" ride
Sunday 17th May TF car park 9-00 am "B" & "C" rides 2 to 3hrs
This will be my last email for a week or so as a I will be leaving for Lanzarote on Monday to race the IM along with my club mates Iron Hippy( Chris Wild) ,Mark Procter & Mark Buckley , hopefully we will all see you happy & in one piece on the other side .
kind regards
Richard
Tuesday 6th May
COLT Athletes were out in force again at Kendal Sprint Triathlon on Sunday with some impressive performances . Well done to Andy Greenwood 69th,Dave Worthington 25th ,Paul Tynan 12th & Martin Boddie 10th both following up from strong performances at Skipton but cream of the crop was the up & coming star Paul Hodgson 8th overall & 1st in his age group (i think we may have found another Dan or better) well done to all of you.
More hot news!!!!!!!! our very own Iron Hippy ,Chris Wild has made the centre pages of this months 220 magazine ,read all about the "Wild " mans training regime in this months issue of the popular triathlon magazine .
The first open water swim took place last night with 29 brave souls taking the plunge ,it took a while to catch your breath but after the first lap the cold didn't seem to be a problem especially for our very own " Crazy" Ian who after everybody else had got out & gone home proceeded to do another 2 laps just to make sure it was cold enough & to get his moneys worth ,as dark was falling & the safety canoeists had lost the will to live he emerged from the gloom with a big smile as happy as ever (we like to give customer satisfaction ) the man is priceless & is line for one of my special awards at the end of season ,well done Ian glad to see you enjoy it. Thanks again to Andrew for his effortless organisation.
I will be away this weekend so i will be leaving the the training rides in the hands of The Vice & the rest of the committee so watch your emails for timings etc.
kind regards
Richard
Thursday 30th April
Hello COLT
As most of you will know open water swimming starts on Monday 7-00pm waters edge . For those of you who have never been before here's the details :
The swim is in a lake with no other water traffic apart from the odd swan or duck.There are three large green marker buoys anchored out in the the lake which form a large triangle for us to swim around .There are 2 canoeists in attendance for safety if anybody gets into difficulty.You will receive a safety briefing before you enter the water.The session lasts approx 1 hour but you are free to swim for less time if you wish.This is not a coached session so you will be left to swim as fast or slow as you like /do as little or as much time swimming as you want.We do recommend if it is your first time open water swimming you make Andrew & myself aware of this at the safety brief (we will ask the question to everybody on the night) & we will normally pair you up with an experienced swimmer to stay with you in the water till you get your confidence. There are no changing rooms,just a wind break to protect your modesty & the other park users .The water at the begining of May will be cold but will warm up throughout the year (the first one is always the toughest) Hope this gives you an idea of how it works.
Bike rides
Saturday "A" ride ( I will only be doing 4hrs ) I'm sure some of the regulars will be doing longer .TF car park 7-00am
Sundays "B" ride 2-3hrs TF car park 9-00am
Sundays "C" ride 2hrs + TF car park 9-00am
Good luck to Paul Tynan ,Dave Worthington & Andrew Greenwood all racing Kendal sprint on Sunday morning.
kind regards
Richard
Thursday 23rd April
Hello COLT
After the excitement of last week its back to the training rides
Saturdays "A" ride 5-6hrs leaves Total Fitness car park 7-00am
Sundays "B" ride 2-3hrs leaves Total Fitness car park 9-00am
Sundays "C" ride 2hrs leaves Total Fitness car park 9-00am
anybody racing any where over the weekend ?
Lanzarote can't come soon enough, ,just about holding it altogether. How is everybody's IM training going for UK ,we will be having another masterclass soon .If anybody is struggling or wants some advice please get in touch.
kind regards
Richard
Tuesday 21st April
Well done to everybody who raced yesterday ,I think we certainly put COLT on the Triathlon map. The sun finally came out & the later starters were treated to glorious sunshine unlike their team mates who started earlier in the dull & cold wind . The only glitch of the day was our vice captain doing some afternoon shopping down in the middle of Skipton after taking a wrong turn on the bike route (don't worry when we get the tandem, I'll lead) resulting in his first DNF ,along with his DQ from Bala a couple of years ago he's getting quite a collection.
The BIKE leg was slightly longer than last year with a long drag up from the roundabout to finish you off in the last mile with a tricky decent down to the dismount & run across the main road into transition,very interesting ( all the same for everybody tough).
There were some serious athletes racing yesterday & although it was disappointing not to get a COLT athlete into the top ten ,we didn't do too badly considering the quality of the field. Best placed from COLT were
20th Richard Mason 1hr 8 mins 29secs
35th Martin Boddie 1hr 11mins 44secs
37th John Knapp 1hr 12mins 18 secs
Fastest Splits
SWIM 6mins 25secs Paul Higton
BIKE 40mins 34 secs Richard Mason
RUN 18 mins 10secs John Towse
COLT athletes also dominated the 40-49 old gits age group with Richard Mason , John Knapp, John Towse & Paul Tynan all making the top ten, well done fellas.
Special mention must go to first time triathletes Sam Patterson,Stuart Foy & John Towse all racing for the first time & by the looks on their faces after the race I'm sure they will all be back for more ,good efforts by all three. Hope everybody enjoyed it ' I always forget how painful sprint race triathlons are ,Ironman is much more manageable pain .
fantastic turnout & racing ,very proud of COLT.
Captain Mason
Thursday 16th April
Hello COLT
How excited am I? Just days to go before the first COLT showdown of the season & a difficult one to pick a winner out of the motley crew of athletes assembled, more on the race later.
Saturdays "A" ride will leave Total Fitness at 7-00am 5hrs duration easy pace . Sundays "B" & "C" rides (please if you are not racing on Sunday somebody take charge & organise a ride ) either post on forum or email me & I will copy everybody in.
Skipton Triathlon Sunday 19th April ( COLT sprint Championship) & series counter for the overall champion tri-athlete of the year.
There will also be a special prize if any body beats Dan Mcparland's time from last year (2nd place overall 1hr 1 min 42 secs) There will also be a prize for any COLT member who picks 1st ,2nd, & 3rd in the correct order .We will set a section up on the forum for people to post their predictions. To help you make your choice I have written some form against each athlete)
Those taking part are as follows (if I've missed you please let me know)
Swim start times
Andrew Turner 7:54 (unknown form)
Andrew Holme 8:12 (unknown form)
Sarah Patterson 8:57 (plodder but will always finish)
Sam Patterson 9-00 (young COLT inexperienced fist time out)
Tom Phillips 9:18 ( more suited to the caves & mountain terrrain )
Stuart Foy 10:00 ( frst time out, could struggle with navigation on the bike)
Philip Taylor 10:18 (unknown form)
Valerie O'Donnell 10:24 ( Iron lady from the top stable of KNAPP)
Chris Wild 11:03 ( Iron Hippy may have his eye on bigger prize later in the season)
Danny Rogerson 11:15 (well seasoned but still in good shape)
Paul Higton 11:27 (could show early in the first part of race)
John Towse 11:30 (little known ,could be holding something back)
John Knapp 11:42 (injured)
Richard Mason 11:54 (may struggle to get up to speed over the shorter distance)
Andrew McCracken 12:00 (showing good early season form, could fade with heavy legs towards the end of race)
Ian Richardson 12:06 (Crazy !!!!!!!! my Tip for 1st place)
Martin Boddie 12:10 ( Fast swim ,could get off to a flyer)
Happy Racing
Captain Mason
p.s looking forwarding to meeting some of you that I don't know.
Thursday 9th April
Hello COLTS
Because of the Easter holidays ,injurys,races ,weddings & feeble excuses this weekends training rides will be as follows:
Friday morning 7-00am Total Fitness 3hrs ride steady pace .
Saturday please post on Forum if you want to ride in a group & same for Sunday as nobody is around to lead the rides on Saturday or Sunday.
As I mentioned last week the racing season is now with us so the weekend training rides may become disjointed ,however not an excuse to miss though ,,just post on the forum to organise yourselves if all the comittee members are away.
Happy Easter
Captain Mason
p.s Club Kit orders in by Friday please ,if you haven't got the money to me by then don't worry I will pay for the deposit with a club cheque & then get the money to me as soon as you can ,don't worry I'm very good at collecting money !!!!!!!
Thursday 2nd April
Hello COLT
Apologies but I am away this weekend which will be a relief to some of you ,but don't worry there are rides going out Saturday & Sunday. Andrew is Taking Saturdays ride out at 7-00am from Total Fitness & there will be rides going out on Sunday at 9-00am from Total Fitness (group leaders still to be decided).
As the race season is fast approaching you will probably see less of me on Sundays as I will be racing (Lakeland loop next week ,Skipton week after ). We will try to have rides every weekend on Saturday & Sunday so my advice if you're wanting to ride in a group just turn up (if there's nobody there ,you can post on the forum calling everybody a bunch of lightweights).
CLUB KIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have just approved the art work for the design of the club kit ,you will eventually be able to order the kit individually online ,but the quickest way to get the first lot ,is to put in a bulk order,it will take approx 4 weeks once the order has gone in.
- Tri-suit one piece £66-00
- Tri shorts £38-00
- Tri vest £36-00
- Short sleeve cycle top £48-00
- Long Sleeve cycle top £50-00
Other items will be available once the link to the website is up & running.
I will forward you all the art work tomorrow so you can have a look at it ,the kit is basically black & white ,if you don't like it TOUGH!!!!!! blame GOK Knapp. I am going to put an order in next week ,no we haven't got a sample ,no we can't change the design & no you can't send it back if it doesn't fit so with all that said we are ordering blind ,if you don't want to take the chance fine .
I will be ordering my race day outfit for Lanzarote next week so the Germans know who it was who just tore their legs off on the bike . I will also forward you the size charts which has both men & women sizes (if the X large doesn't fit, you know what to do fat boy).
If you have any other ???? about the kit please email me & I will try to answer them.
Kind regards
Captain Mason
Thursday 26th March
Hello COLTs
Good turn out Saturday & Sunday last weekend ,Saturdays riders took on a challenging 100mile route with lots of climbing & cold conditions to start with ,however the sun came out & wind was minimal perfect for a long morning of suffering ,well done to all who endured it. Sundays ride saw 16 COLTs head out onto the roads ,another pleasant mornings ride. Thanks to all those who turned out.
Saturdays "A" ride leaves Total Fitness at 7-00am 75 miles undulating terrain (no tough climbs like last week boys) if its a north wind will call at Caton,Kirby,Barbon,Gawthorp,Sedbergh,Hawes,Ingleton,Bentham,Wray,Lancaster 4.5hrs-5hrs approx duration.(should be a much easier ride than last week especially if my bikes working properley) If your coming have a good breakfast & bring plenty to eat.
Sundays "B" ride leaves Total Fitness at 9-00am 35 miles will call at Caton,Quermore,Jubilee Tower,Lee,Marshaw,Street,Forton,Cockerham,Conder Green,Lancaster.
Sundays "C" ride leaves Total Fitness at 9-00am 25 miles will call at Caton,Quermore,Forton,Cockerham,Conder Green,Lancaster.
hope to see you all there
kind regards
Richard
Thursday 19th March
Hello COLT
Body is feeling battered after another 25hr week ,supposed to be an easy week this week but COACH said we don't have easy weeks ! so here we go.
Saturdays Ride 100miles!!!!!!! leaves Total Fitness at 7-00 am (this is a tough ride with a bit of climbing) calling at Halton,Arkholme ,Whittington ,Hutton Roof,Burton,Holme ,Beetham ,Levens ,Underbarrow,Crook,Widermere,Top of Kirkstone Pass turn right down the struggle,Ambleside,Hawkshead,Grizedale forest,Satterthwaite,Newby Bridge,Gummers Bummer,Crosthwaite,Levens,Heversham,Sanside,Arnside,Silverdale,Warton ,Over Kellet,Lancaster.
Unlike last week there is plenty of opportunity to cut this route short when you have had enough if you so wish (good news is it can't be as windy as last week Malham fell was like Lanzarote on a bad day ,I kid you not Chris) if you do come please big plenty of nutrition (e.g. extra gels are always good) or money to buy some coke or mars bars for a melt down emergency.
Sunday rides all leave Total Fitness at 9-00am
" B" Ride 38miles calling at Halton,Arkholme,Hutton Roof turn right at Saw mills ,over Farleton Knott down steep hill to Clawthorpe turn right to Holme, Beetham,Silverdale,Warton,Burton,Over Kellet,Nether Kellet,Lancaster.
"C" Ride 26 miles calling at Halton,Arkholme ,Hutton Roof down into Burton turn left ,Longlands,Over Kellet,Nether Kellet,Lancaster.
I expect the same turn out as last week, hope to see you all out in the sunshine (and nobody better use that feeble excuse Oh! it's mothers Day )
I have a mother to, I'm not the emotionless machine you think I am.
kind regards
Captain Mason
ps. been out on the FELT tonight turning a big gear in the evening sunshine oooooohhhhhh!!!!!!! it feels good.
Sunday 15th March
Hello COLT
FANTASTIC TURNOUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
26 riders thank all for coming ,makes starting a club worthwhile.
Apologies if you got split up ,got in the wrong group ,or even lost ,Unfortunately the group fragmented too much before we got to waters edge & by the time i had got from the back to down there the riders had lost the trail of the ones in front .However Andrew carried on with the slow group & got them home safely ,I on the other hand with team COLT time trial team of Steve ,Rob & Loz spent the morning hammering around the general Arnside /Burton area looking for the rest of you but to no avail. Hope you all enjoyed yourselves thanks again.
Richard
Because of the Easter holidays ,injurys,races ,weddings & feeble excuses this weekends training rides will be as follows:
Friday morning 7-00am Total Fitness 3hrs ride steady pace .
Saturday please post on Forum if you want to ride in a group & same for Sunday as nobody is around to lead the rides on Saturday or Sunday.
As I mentioned last week the racing season is now with us so the weekend training rides may become disjointed ,however not an excuse to miss though ,,just post on the forum to organise yourselves if all the comittee members are away.
Happy Easter
Captain Mason
p.s Club Kit orders in by Friday please ,if you haven't got the money to me by then don't worry I will pay for the deposit with a club cheque & then get the money to me as soon as you can ,don't worry I'm very good at collecting money !!!!!!!