As we welcome Tim Gray to Viceroys, we are proud to have another of our number representing GB as a triathlon age-grouper in Canada soon:

‘I’m a 45 year old triathlete living in Aylesbury, Bucks but working in Weybridge for Sony. Fitting training in around commuting and work is quite challenging which is why joining a club locally was such a good idea for me. The philosophy of Viceroys is in line with my own around our marvellous sport and I’d become very cynical around clubs only being interested in making money rather than the genuine improvement in performance of their members. It was great therefore for Mark Yeoman to suggest that I look at joining on an associate basis and I’m now looking forward to training and racing with other Viceroy members over the remainder of this season and ongoing into next.

My goals for this year were to go under 5 hours over middle distance and to qualify for GB age group over either middle or standard distances – I’ve managed to do both! All focus is now on coming up with a respectable time at the Worlds in Edmonton on 1^st September.’

Welcome to Viceroys Tim – and love the picture!

With everyone telling me how quick the Roth course was alarm bells should have been ringing…

Suze and I set off on Thursday morning only to find the uber efficient German motorways resembling the M25 – road works and lots of stationary traffic. Still, we knew we were close when passing a sign on the main A9 proclaiming ‘Welcome to Triathlon Region’ – very unlike Henley on Thames I dare say old boy!

Entering Roth we found it awash with banners welcoming triathletes and the ‘tri-village’ was pretty spectacular – not that I had a clue where to register!

Racking on Saturday afternoon was preceded with the usual last minute bike test – 20 meters up the car park road and there was a loud bang followed by lots of oooo’s – unfortunately all directed in my vicinity… Still rather Saturday afternoon than Sunday morning and wheel repaired, I nervously racked in what was considered ‘row Z’ – we’ll if you swim like me you will be in one of the last waves off….   (5500 competitors <> mass swim start in a narrow canal).

Sunday 3am and the alarm goes off, not that I’ve slept a wink. Getting to the race start was a doddle “ If Carlsberg organised triathlons”… Still one Policeman did have to dive out the way as I took his order to ‘turn left’ a little too literally – mind you he should expect that with GB plates!

Into the water for the 7.40 wave and the cannon went off. Cue Schoolboy error #1 – forget everything you have been taught by the Chairman and revert to short choppy strokes! Still it did protect me from a few blows to the head and allowed me to give as good as I got. Surreal moment was at about 2km in – man doing backstroke without a care in the world!!!???

Out the water in a pedestrian 1.19 but I was alive and had only swallowed 8.9 litres! Continue reading →