Turbo back to school Highlights
Social news & dates
Right, I’m starting proper with the social news on this update & some key dates to ensure are in your calendar. We might be drawing to a close of the triathlon race season, but this shouldn’t mean a drop off in training numbers (note Alan’s email on booking yourselves on) and you should have fewer excuses not to join in on participation for the club social events.
The first is the AGM on Monday 13th November at the Anglers Pub, 19:30 – this an important meeting to ensure we have officers in place to ensure the club’s smooth running & a summary of the club’s activity over the past year. Please make an effort to attend.
The second date is the annual mob match vs Ful-on-Tri and Xmas party (the Adelaide as last year), both on the same date, Saturday 9th December.
The next is a new date and hopefully a fun new addition to the calendar from Copeland/Drake productions – a Halloween themed FUN 3-person relay at St. Mary’s track on Wednesday 1st November, followed by drinks in the Alexander Pope. Full details and invitation to follow very shortly, but if the quality of the flier is anything to go by, it’s going to be good. You’ve got two months’ notice to make yourselves available for this one evening.
Hopefully this will be a pre-cursor to more frequent Turbo runs (a handicap Tamsin Trail loop has been mooted) and a return to Parkrun tourism. But please get involved with our regular socials – thirsty third Thursday at the Beech House (21st being the next) and the 1st Saturday of the month, coffee after Bushy Parkrun.
And also I’d encourage you all to suggest other activities you’d like to do as a group.
Performances & races
As previewed, a fabulous day and lots of racing to catch up on.
We’ll start with a hugely successful New Forest triathlon. Lauren Steadman stepped up her preparations for the World Championships in Pontevedra with a dominant win in the sprint event. In the standard, Kester McQueen was so far ahead of the rest of the field, the marshals assumed he was doing the sprint and sent him round on the 5km loop (which he completed twice) and was blatantly the winner, 7 full minutes ahead of the next “finisher” (who must have been truly embarrassed to be awarded the winner’s prize) – Kester deservedly earning bragging rights over Megan (predictably the 1st woman in 5th overall).
Also taking an overall win was Steve Hughes at the Belvoir sprint triathlon.
In Tenby, John Taylor has just completed IM Wales for the 7th time (his 19th Ironman) in 14:25 (1:22, 7:12, 5:22), finishing a very fine 2nd in the M65s; whether this is enough for a Kona spot – here’s hoping. (But John, didn’t you realise you were keeping me waiting from sending the mail?) Whilst over in Munster, Germany, Julia Snaith produced a beautifully controlled paced run to come home in 3:44, comfortably inside the London GFA time, now just have to hope on a successful application. Turbo friend, Josh, ran 3:02.
Closer to home in Richmond Park, in the London Duathlon, Sam Holness produced a solid 2:20 for 16th, Lewis Vanhinsberg a 2:30 & Mark Gee a 2:31. With 3 club rides to Windsor, the Surrey Hills and the Col de Tourmalet, it’s been a truly successful day.
Last weekend saw another Turbo friend Megan Chapple finished a quite magnificent 5th overall (2nd in 25-29 AG) at the Ironman 70.3 World Champs in Lahti, in a time of 4:28 (a 2:22 bike followed by a 1:26 half – splits I immediately said I’d be happy to match).
Spencer Bateman produced easily his best international result to date, finishing a fabulous 5th in the European Aquathlon in an absolute deluge in Menen, Belgium. I decided to have an altercation with the metal steps coming out of the river, and limped home 6th in the M50-54. Fortunately, I had the middle distance champs on the Sunday to take out my frustrations, duly matching Megan’s 2:22 & 1:26 splits (albeit on a different course / conditions), on my way to a 70.3 PB of 4:25 for 4th – in both races, my times would have had me on the podium in the M45s.
Sara Deakin overcame sickness (wasn’t sure she’d be in a well enough state to compete 24 hours beforehand), to finish 7th in the MD Aquabike – only (like many of us) to succumb to Belgian belly afterwards.
On Bank Holiday Monday, Charlie Brook finished 13th in the Eton Eliminator series of triathlons (possibly one race too many) & stands in 12th place overall in the British Super Series, with just the Grand Final at Mallory to go.
And the previous weekend saw lots of Ironman action. Oli Hammans produced a 12:43 at Kalmar & Simon Beal a 15:43 in Vichy, where in the 70.3 Ben Newman & Willy Duhen came home in 5:33 & 5:38 respectively. Mark O’Brien overcame “interesting” swim conditions at Cork 70.3 to finish in a fine 5:30, where ex-Turbo Elaine Harris came home in 6:38. Whilst Alan continued his racing come back with a fine 2nd placed AG finish at Box End.
Very fine performances all.
Next weekend sees Tim Cox in action at the European Long Distance Champs at Challenge Almere and lots of running action. Angelo Bella takes on the Thames Path 100 on Saturday, whilst others head to Denbies for the Bacchus Wine HM – whilst there’s the temptation of Kayleigh’s birthday brownies for those running parkrun at Bushy (bar set high after last year), whilst Matt Denham heads to the Isles of Scilly for a swim challenge.
The following one sees a whole host of Turbos & (ex-Turbos) heading to Weymouth 70.3 - Sarah M, Luigi, Lewis, Steve H, James D, Jess, Amy, whilst Ian travels to IM Maryland chasing very limited Kona 24 spots, whilst others take on various distances at Swim Serpentine.
All race results that I know of have been added to the https://thamesturbo.co.uk/club-champs/ and with the standings reflecting these. But as always, please let me know of events you’ve signed up to (thamesturboresults@gmail.com) so I can look for results and put you in touch with others.
Also as always, please can you share your photos from events or socials so we can post to social media to showcase the club to anyone looking in?
Whatsapp Groups Reminder
A reminder that the two main WhatsApp groups have been slightly repurposed, with “TTTC Social & General Chat” & “TTTC Everything Bike”, with Strava invites to the rides/routes here. There is also now a specific women’s only group – for which you’ll need to ask another member for an invite.
Lots of opportunities to get involved on the social side outside of just the training sessions.