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But as the Optician Ironman Team headed off to Exmoor to taste the course for the UK Ironman 70.3, conditions weren't quite so pleasant.
The Optician Ironman team has been drawn together to raise funds for Vision Aid Overseas and will be takingpart in arguably the world's toughest Ironman 70.3 event on June 15.
This requires the competitors to swim 1.2 miles in the chilly waters of Wimbleball lake, cycle 56 miles through the rolling Exmoor landscape and then run a half marathon. The total distance is 70.3 miles hence the name. This is exactly one half of the full Ironman distance and will take most of the team around six hours to complete.
The plans for a weekend training trip to the race venue were drawn up by team member Fiona Bosher. She has become something of a triathlon specialist in the last year. In September 2007 she took part in the Monaco Ironman 70.3 as part of a Transitions Optical-inspired team and qualified for the world championships in Florida last November. She also qualified for the world triathlon age group championships in Vancouver and has received support from Transitions for her participation in that too.
The idea behind the weekend was for the team to meet and get to know each other and to recce the bike and run courses
Bosher, Emma Saville and Chris Bennett,formed an advance party travelling down to Somerset and staying at the delightful Holworthy Farm B&B.
Our host, Gillian Payne, made us feel right at home and had stacks of information on the course, organisation and everything else to do with the area and competing in the UK Ironman 70.3 event. The farmhouse has an idyllic setting above the lake and plays home to the organisers and the world's top athletes during the event. Among the farm's other activities are respite fly-fishing weekends for breast cancer sufferers.
Between the cycling and running life was relaxed and the team took the opportunity to unwind.Later in the day, the trio at the farmhouse were joined by Rob Dunford from Cornwall along with his family.
Sunday breaks
As a precursor to a Sunday ride, and with the weather so pleasant, the four decided to sample the bike course. It soon became clear who the stronger members of the advance party were the course would clearly challenge some more than others.
Saville, who is strong in the run and in the water found the bike particularly tough but was soon getting help and encouragement from the rest of the group.Her cycling had improved massively since her first outing with the team in the Surrey Hills a month or so earlier. This reminded the team that while, after months of training, they were all confident of finishing the course, the Ironman would present an insurmountable challenge for most people.After checking out the course's steep hills and rutted surfaces the four headed back to Holworthy.Once back at the farmhouse the group rounded off the day with a quick jog around Wimbleball lake.
Dunford and his family then headed back off to their hotel in Bampton and Bosher, Bennett and Saville headed to the pub for some carbohydrate loading, a pint and a discussion on the day's events.
Sunday morning broke to slightly cloudier skies and saw team members James Eastwood and Lyndon Ferguson join the group for another scope of the course.The group set off with the intention of completing two laps of the bike course and then a single lap of the three-loop run but the weather had a different idea.
Just a few miles into the bike course the heavans opened and the wind got up and, given it was late April, itwas cold. The team decided a single lap of the course was sufficient. After a farfromeasy 35 miles of hills, rutted roads and twists in around 2hrs 15mins the team headed back tothelake. Clearly, the pace would need to be increased to complete the full 56-mile course. Our quiet CornishmanDunford -an awesome athlete by anyone's standards -completed a second lap of the bike course on his own.
The scope out of the run route was a little less successful as following the course was a bit more tricky than anticipated. The run was also fairly technical with onand off-road sections, hills and tricky terrain.
The plan had always been to have a 'Brick' session (running straight off the bike) and given the conditions and the toughness of the run that proved a valuable experience. In restrospect, a single lap of the two-lap bike route was enough -for now.
After a cup of tea, a pasty and a review of the day's training the group decided it had been a useful meeting with no disasters and went away pleased. Everyone left with respect for the course and no illusions over what exactly lies in store for the team come June - or how much training will be needed.
? To make a donation to the team log on to www.justgiving.com/opticianironman