Event: 24hr Swim Relay | Level Water
Date: 8-9th June 2024

This June marked the third year Level Water has hosted their 24hr Swim Relay in our beloved Shepperton Lake. For those that aren’t aware, Level Water is an amazing charity that helps bring the power of swimming to children with disabilities, by allowing children to develop strength, coordination and confidence in the water.

Pre-Event Planning

With this event hosted in our local Shepperton Lake, this was also the third year running that the Viceroys have taken part in this event. This year, VTC entered across three teams, with a total of 24 club members!  Ahead of the event, VTC Swim Captain Rachel Hall helped get us all in line with her trusty spreadsheet, arranging all our swims and kit for the event (thank you once again, Rachel!).

Saturday Into Sunday

Getting onsite early, the team set up camp next to the lake and navigated tent space real estate with our neighbouring teams. Once settled, and with the three VTC teams registered, the rest of the team began to filter in ahead of the start of the event.

As the countdown began, at exactly 12pm, the first swimmers from each team entered the water. With lots of photos and videos taken, the non-swimmers headed back to camp. At the turn of each hour, the team would head to the lake entry point, and cheer on the swimmers as they came out of the water and exchanged with the next three VTC swimmers.

As the day turned into night, all swimmers needed lights on the back of goggles, and lights inside their tow floats. The lights also switched on on the turning buoys in the water and the lifeguards, as each kayak lit up in the water. The night swims brought a completely different feel to the swims, and for those lucky enough to be in the water during the 3-4am slot, they saw the sun begin peaking back up over the tree line as you swam around the lake.

As the sun continued to rise, our beloved Lance cracked open his portable grill, and got to work on feeding our camp with bacon and eggs, something I know we all very much enjoyed and appreciated!

Closing Out The Weekend

With the final slot of 11-12am on Sunday, Level Water outlined all the money raised as part of the weekend (a whopping £135,000), and the impact it would have on those whom they support. In the final hour, all teams that had entered the event took to the water one last time, that’s almost 500 swimmers! This included our very own llama, who dedicatedly swam around the lake under the care of Carla and Marit.

With that being a wrap for the swims, the tents came down, the kit was packed away, and snacks taken home/eaten. The event was another huge success for Level Water and one we looked forward to next year!

Event: Martian Race 👽
Date: 16^th June 2024

The Martian Race is where War of the Worlds meets Mars Attacks, only this time you’re running for fun and not for your life, just a small difference!

It’s was a real family day out as there’s a 2km Mini Martian race (kids), this year a lion even did the run, then a 5km, 10km and 21km option.

The start/finish line was in the beautiful McLaren Technology Park and every year we’ve done the race, there’s been gorgeous sunshine, they must pre-order it.

The course begins through the open fields of McLaren Technology Park, the start funnel was much wider this year, so plenty of space for Peter to overtake and me to be overtaken, although you do have to keep an eye out for the odd hole in the ground. Then it was under the trees through Horsell Common (watching out for tree roots), over the famous War of the Worlds sandpits (watching out for aliens), and back into the sunlight at Heather Farm.

Heather Farm is the turning point for the 10km and as you begin to loop back, you get to enjoy the Heather Farm wetland area as you run along board walks and over little bridges. And just as you think you might melt in the sunshine, you head back into the cool forest and a welcome water station is not far off.

Almost half of Horsell Common is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so even though I was exhausted, the various changes in scenery were pretty amazing.

Coming towards the finish line, with an enthusiastic lion running the last 20 meters alongside me, I was greeted with a lot of cheers and a medal. This year, as it was my birthday, I was also greeted with a lovely bottle of champagne! Not a bad way to celebrate!

Such a fun event and the early bird entry prices are amazing! Plus, you’re supporting local charities through Woking Lions (hence the 🦁).

Event: Vätternrundan
Date: 15th June 2024

Vätternrundan 2024: The Epic Adventure of the VTC Team

This year, our intrepid VTC (Viceroys Triathlon Club) team embarked on the world’s largest recreational bike ride—a whopping 315 km journey around Lake Vättern in Sweden. The lineup: Richard “The Resilient” Hill, Nick “The Speedster” Christian, Marit “The Machine” Sõrmus, and me, also known as “The Last-Minute Airport Resident.”

Pre-Race Shenanigans: British Airways vs. The Bike

The adventure kicked off a day before the actual race when British Airways decided that road bikes weren’t their cup of tea. While Nick, Richard, and Marit began their leisurely four-hour drive from Stockholm to Motala, I found myself with a new friend at the airport, both of us staring wistfully at the arrivals board for what was hopefully going to be the arrival of our bikes on the next flight.

Nine hours, one newly hired car, and a friendship forged in the fires of airline-induced frustration later, we rolled into Motala just after 9 PM. Thankfully, my stellar teammates had everything ready for me, including a much-needed evening meal and, most importantly, a beer. With my bike hastily assembled by another team effort worthy of an F1 pitstop (untested, naturally), we hit the sack by 11 PM, dreaming of the next 4 AM alarm that awaited us.

Race Day: 5 AM Start with Perfect Weather and “BA Buns”

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (well, sort of), the VTC squad rolled out at 5 AM sharp under perfect blue skies. The weather was decent: a bit windy, but with beautiful views around Lake Vättern that made every pedal stroke worthwhile. The plan was simple: stop at all nine feed stations to stave off monotony and prevent our feet from seizing up and get the job done. And to our utter delight, not one person had to shout “hole” for at least the first 180 km—the road surface was impeccable, a stark contrast to the pothole-riddled roads of Surrey.

We maintained a strong pace, joining forces with pelotons exceeding 40 kph, pushing our average speed well over 30 kph for the first half. There were a few touch and go moments with some slightly inexperienced riders hanging on for dear life on the back of a 50+ well organised peloton but we all remained upright with some careful manoeuvring (including a strong dash to the front by Mr Hill in the quest to avoid any further danger!).

The feed stations provided a delightful array of water, electrolytes, blueberry soup!!, and the soon-to-be-famous “BA buns”—those tasteless, dry-as-a-desert buns you get on a British Airways plane (in a wrapper) that, while not exactly gourmet, were a step up from energy gels and shot blocks.

To break up the food monotony, we were treated to a feast of meatballs and mash in Jönköping (104 km) and then lasagne at Hjo (171 km). These were washed down with more blueberry soup and, of course, more BA buns!

The Windy, More Elevated, Hard Second Half

As we entered the second half of the race, the wind decided to crank up the difficulty level. Despite the battering from head and side winds, even after 200 km and in the absence of larger pelotons (all trains had left the station by the halfway point), our quartet managed to maintain a 30 kph average between the food stops – quite some effort on tired legs. Getting over the 200 km marker was a great boost, albeit quickly flattened by the next marker at 205 km indicating 110 km (a mere “long” Saturday ride) to go.

The penultimate stage, between feed stops 7 and 8, was a brutal stretch of continuous elevation in high winds. Marit, ever the optimist, didn’t want to know what lay ahead but soldiered on with the reassurance that the end of the hill was (somewhat) near (yes, course it was Nick!) 😊.

Despite all this we remained a tight group all the way through with everyone making massive efforts on the front, not once did we split so the training clearly paid off. The continual reapplication of chamois cream really paid off on this ride (thanks for that tip, Euan!).

While this was not a closed-road event, the marshalling and signage were top-notch, making it unnecessary to rely on our Garmins—a relief, given our concerns about battery life.

The final section was a blast, with each of us taking turns at the front, pushing through the pain and fatigue at over 35 kph. Richard lost his sense of humour, which is a rarity, with 15 km to go, but we dragged each other through the final, seemingly endless, straight to big smiles as we could see the end.

The Grand Finish: VTC Victorious

Crossing the finish line, side by side in our pink VTC kit, was a triumphant moment. It was the longest ride any of us had completed, and doing it together made the achievement even sweeter. From airport delays to headwinds that could knock over a large mammal, the VTC team conquered it all with grit, determination, and a good dose of humour….and of course, the BA buns.

Event: Free Tri Series Walton (IntoTri)
Date: 19th May 2024

This is a lovely, FREE, very relaxed triathlon, with children over 7 years even able to enter. Plus, it’s as local as it gets at the Xcel Centre. For adults, you can do a Senior Short (400m swim, 10k bike, 2.5k run) or Senior Long (400m swim, 20k bike, 5k run). Considering most triathlons cost about £40 to enter, I was amazed and excited that this one was free. 

My triathlon journey started aged 49 years young, post Covid, in 2021. I could only swim breaststroke (but always wanted to learn front crawl) and had never been on a road bike (never mind in cleats).  But I had run two marathons (slowly – 5hrs ish) and loved outdoor sports. Roll on 3 years and I had somehow managed to have been talked into entering a Half Ironman in July 24 (eeekkk).

So I thought I had better do some training…

My objectives for the Walton Tri were as follows:

1. Swim.  I had taken swim lessons all winter (Full Stream – Lee, Riverbourne Leisure Centre Chertsey. Brilliant), but I was still not confident at front crawl (more of a reflection on my in-ability rather than Lee’s coaching). So objective 1 was: can I do the whole 400m doing front crawl without panicking??
2. Complete the triathlon
3. Get my legs used to the brick transitions (swim to bike and bike to run)
4. Have fun
5. Practice the transition
6. Learn from it.

The venue was great. Easy parking, swimming pool clean. The pre-day online registration and race briefing was efficient and helpful, and the marshalls were very relaxed on the day (they are always keen for marshalls). Plus lots of excited kids which gave it a good vibe.

So I arrived early, racked my bike, sorted my stuff, chatted to my fellow competitors, quick loo trip and I was ready. I did ask a particularly muscly young man next to me if he had ever done a triathlon before.  He looked at his tri bike with tri bars and lots of fancy paraphernalia and said “Yes.” Ha ha – a bit embarrassing for me. Never mind.

Swim: We had to queue up by our expected finish time, so I headed straight to the back. Chatted to the others at the back and realised I might be quicker than 3 lovely Chinese ladies (similar age to me) and 2 guys, who all convinced me they were definitely only going to do breaststroke. So I shuffled up the queue to position 6 from last. When you are not great at swimming, I find it really stressful slowing other people down behind me. So the swim was all about a positive mental attitude, calming myself down during the race, slow breathing, not panicking. I can do this!! I quickly got overtaken by the 2 guys (their breaststroke was quicker than my front crawl). That’s OK. The rules are you let people overtake before you turn, which was fine, and actually it was nice to know the faster swimmers were ahead. I managed about 50% of the swim front crawl and 50% breaststroke. So that’s fine, pleased with that, and onto the bike.

Transition was not timed, so I relaxed changed into my bike stuff and dried between my toes.

Bike: I am confident on this. So I hit the road with my Wahoo Element on to see if I could maintain a consistent 25km/h plus speed. The bike route was lovely. Flat, well marshalled, easy to navigate. Two loops of a course turning at a lovely church. I waved and cheered the 3 x Chinese ladies (plus one other lady) cycling on the other side of the road, and they waved and cheered back, which made us all giggle. There were some roadworks with traffic lights, which got me twice, but I welcomed the break to rehydrate (note to self – must practice rehydrating whilst cycling more). Bike done. Pleased with that. Onto the run.

Run: By this time I was feeling a bit tired, the sun was getting hotter and I hadn’t practiced much running recently. So this was going to be all about getting round. The route was along the river, a bit shaded, nice support, so all good. 2 laps. This is where I need to kick in my mental support. I can do this. This is fine. Keep going Al. With one foot in front of the other, a positive mental attitude, and congratulating my fellow athletes as we passed, I got round. With the obligatory high five jump, ‘jazz hands’ wave and smile whenever I saw an official photographer.

So by 9.15am the tri was done. It would have been lovely to chat to the Chinese ladies, but they had done the shorter route and were long gone. I was second to last overall (in front of the other lady on the bike), so had a lovely chat with her at the end (similar age to me, she had completed a Half Ironman before). Our bikes were the only 2 left in transition, which made us laugh. We congratulated each other on how fabulous we both were and then headed off for bacon sandwiches.

A great event, very well organised, lovely marshalls, very relaxed and nice routes. And Free!! The next one is 14th July.

Alison Lyons (aged 52). Not yet quite ready for World Champ Qualifiers, but getting there 😊

PS. Alison has since done another Free Tri and knocked 2 minutes and 20 seconds off her time! Whoop, whoop!

Event: The Grafman / ATW Middle Distance Triathlon
Date: 2nd June 2024

This was my first 70.3 event and I chose it because it involved a lake swim, and a relatively flat bike and run course with an elevation of only 600m and 130m respectively. Plus it had an achievable cut-off of 8.5 hours, the venue is only half an hour’s drive from my mum’s house in Cambridgeshire and it was good value at £130 entry fee!

With only around 300 participants, registration in the on-site café was quick and simple, although I nearly had a heart attack when I was told that the water was a fresh 14.5°. Time for a strong, hot cup of coffee!

Being a small event, set up was simple and it was easy to find my place on the rack and spot the various in/out points.

The swim is a mass swim entry with an “Aussie Exit” after the first lap. Because of the water temperature they allowed us to wear booties and neoprene hats (but not gloves) and announced that anyone not wanting to go back in after the first lap could just give their number to the marshal and drop to the “Grafman Lite”. I seriously considered it, especially when I made the first turn and hit choppy waters and then on the next turn started being lapped! But I knew that it would leave me with unfinished business….so back in I went to the cheers and screams of Alison Lyons who turned up to cheer me on totally by surprise!

I finally made it out (I’ve never been happier to finish a swim) to the cheers of the crowd, I think Alison made sure everyone knew my name 🤣. My hands were so cold I struggled to get out of my wetsuit and into my cycling gear but thankfully two of the volunteers came to the rescue and after around 7 minutes I was finally away.

The cycle section is on roads open to traffic but the roads in that part of the world are very quiet. It is made up of 4 out and back sections centred around the aid station which helped me mentally tick them off and makes it easy for any friends/family that want to support you.
Whilst it’s fairly flat, there are a few ramps to get you out of the saddle and a few open sections where the wind is not your friend. I took everything I needed with me so I didn’t stop at the aid station so I can’t comment on the offerings.

T2 was much better; after a quick shoe change and drink, I was off and running (wobbling) in 2 minutes. The run is made up of 4 laps on mixed terrain that snakes past transition twice per lap, meaning lots of opportunities for spectators to spur you on and hear shout-outs from the MC on the tannoy (everyone definitely knew my name by this point and Alison had even acquired a cowbell!).

Jason also brought the children to see me run and they even jogged alongside me for a few metres giving me a well needed boost. It was a great atmosphere.

My goal (other than just finishing) was to complete in under 8 hours which I did. Having never done another 70.30 I can’t compare, but if you’re looking for an event for next year I would wholeheartedly recommend The Grafman, or maybe join me at the full distance Odyssey (run by the same people in nearby St Neots)?!

Event: The Bull Ring 200
Date: 17th/18th/19th May 2024

The Bull Ring 200 is a MTB sportive over 3 days covering 338km and 5,000m of climbing that orbited Birmingham, linking some great and often lesser-known off-road riding spots.

Riding through Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire, the many highlights included some of the best off-road biking trails found in the West Midlands.

We encountered a huge array of trail gems, taking in bridleways, byways, singletrack, moorland, woodland, urban and some purpose-built MTB trails.

Not only was the riding superb, the views from the likes of Bredon Hill, the Malvern and the two Clee Hills were fantastic too.

The event started in the historical Forest of Arden area in Warwickshire and headed towards the Malvern Hills. The route then turned into the Shropshire Hills (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) before crossing the Severn Gorge at the UNESCO World Heritage site at Ironbridge.

It then went across the top of the West Midlands metropolis to join a full traverse of Cannock Chase, one of the best riding areas in England!

The final part of the route headed South and utilized some of the plentiful canals found in the West Midlands, as well as a full mixed bag of woodland and rural trails.

There were many surprises on this route, ranging from superb singletrack, gut wrenchingly steep climbs, great architecture, and a fascinating history.

Fortunately for once, the weather was kind to us, so we didn’t have to deal with wet kit whilst camping after tough days of riding!

Event: Madrid Marathon
Date: 27th April 2024

In an attempt to get some spring sunshine and a weekend away, I entered the Madrid Marathon and embarked on a short and insufficient training block. The trip, which took place in late April, got off to a bad start in that one of my two supporters who were joining me failed to get a passport in time which reduced us to a party of two; this proved to have a consequence on the race itself as I felt more obliged to stay out later and have a few too many beers on the Saturday night immediately before the race…oops.

Alas, the day of the race itself was bright and sunny and armed with a grande latte from Starbucks I embarked on the 2 mile walk to the start line – it was at this point I realised that Madrid was not a flat city and I may have underestimated the challenge that lay ahead. The marathon itself is part of a wider event that also includes a half marathon which started at the same time as the marathon and a 10km which I was fortunate to see the climax of as I was making my way to the start line. One last toilet stop and I managed to locate my starting corral alongside the 3.45 pacers (ambitious!).

The race forms part of the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ running series which essentially meant that there was lots of loud music throughout; crossing the start line whilst ‘Highway to Hell’ blared out, certainly felt appropriate given what was to come. The first 5km took us north out of the city passing Real Madrid’s stadium ‘The Bernabeu’ and was almost exclusively uphill. The fact that the half marathoners were running alongside us at the same time meant the course was incredibly congested and I was already slipping behind the Garmin ‘pace pro’ time.

The course then wound its way back into the centre of Madrid through tunnels, over bridges and past a huge number of cafes which looked incredibly enticing. Unfortunately, the only refreshments I was set to enjoy that morning were water, Gatorade and SIS energy gels. Just after going through 19km the half marathoners broke off leaving the course a lot less congested which was appreciated, however, at this point, with the sun beating down, it was beginning to get warmer and the first signs of feeling uncomfortable became apparent.

I struggled on to the 27km mark where there was a well needed drinks station where the Gatorade shuffle was enabled. I wasn’t the only one struggling with a fellow competitor stepping off the course and taking his number off at this stage. Quitting was not an option for me and I was grateful for the tree cover providing shade as we worked our way through the Casa de Campo before looping back towards the city centre via another massive hill.

It was as I went through 34km that the uncomfortable feelings began to manifest themselves and a decline became inevitable. A lone Portaloo came into view which was just what was needed and I was so pleased that I had thought to pocket some toilet tissue as I was leaving the hotel room that morning as it was well needed. Apologies must go to the runner who was waiting to use the Portaloo after me for I had just turned it into a biohazard.

The final 8km was all about staying alive as the sweat was starting to cause chaffing issues everywhere. I employed a tactic of walking up the hills and shuffling on the flats and down hills with a renewed aim of coming in under 4 and a half hours. I’m glad to say I achieved this with quite a few minutes to spare, partly due to the help of a man dressed as a pirate with a megaphone who forced me to sprint alongside him 300m from the finish line. After deposing of him as he went back to encourage another hapless victim I stumbled across the finish line and promptly vomited right in front of some spectators. Shrugging off the advances of the first aiders, I made a beeline for the goody bag and refreshments table in search of some water and a banana.

Despite being accosted by fellow runners who wanted me to take a photograph of them, I managed to get some food and also found my mate Paul. The 2 mile walk back to the hotel was less spritely than the walk to the start of the race and this time punctuated by a trip to McDonalds.

After a quick shower, it was time to tear up the town and drink as much Spanish lager as my depleted stomach could take, which turned out to be quite a lot. Hills were mostly avoided as we stuck to streetside cafes and rooftop bars with the odd strip club thrown in for good measure.

Event: May Flyer
Date: 12th May 2024

The May Flyer is always such a well-run, relaxed sportive, set in the Surrey Hills, and as usual, we had a good Viceroys presence.

There were 2 distances to choose from – 90k with 1100m of climbing or 162k with 1900m of climbing. Too much climbing, and way too much climbing in my book….but to the hills we went!

Our merry band of Pinks all rode together at a fairly punchy pace for about 40k until the riders doing the shorter course did a left turn and the crazy hillbillies continued on for more punishment.

Having got Staples and Pitch ticked off, we stopped for a refuel and were serenaded by musicians and replenished with homemade sandwiches and cakes at the lunch stop. That all got a big thumbs up from us!

More undulating terrain and the last big bad boy Coombe to climb with tired legs.

Back to Cobham we went and the short cycle home to complete a very enjoyable day.

Event: RideLondon-Essex 100
Date: 26th May 2024

With an arrival time of 6:45 am and a start time of 7:45 am, we drove to Battersea Park and parked the car before setting off (parking was £5.80 for over 3 hours). We then kitted up and cycled across the river and down the embankment towards the start line.

The event was very well organised with clear signs directing you towards the different staging areas. We joined our starting wave and awaited our time to start.

The atmosphere was exciting with thousands of riders from all around the world. We made our way towards the start line and just before Waterloo Bridge, we were off. This is a closed-road event with lots of marshals positioned along the route.

We headed northeast as we headed out of London. The route weaved its way through London, through tunnels and over bridges out into the countryside. The weather was generally dry however due to heavy rain the night before and light showers throughout the day roads were wet.

Unfortunately, I suffered 2 punchers within the first 20 miles! So I recommend taking enough tubes and gas cylinders. I only had 1 spare tube on me but I was lucky that another Viceroy helped me out with a spare tube. There were so many punchers and breakdowns on the route, the most I’ve ever seen on an event like this. I know it’s probably down to the amount of riders but I believe the weather conditions were the main contributor.

As I mentioned the event was very well organised, however just be aware of other riders as some of the country roads are a little narrow. The route had 4 food/welfare stations along the way (25, 55, 73 & 88 miles). We did the 103 miles however you could have chosen to do the 30 or 60 mile routes. The food/welfare stations are clearly signposted and very well run by the organisers. I would say however that they were only giving away the standard items; gels, bananas and High 5. Due to the amount of riders, the staff were only allowing you to take 1 item from the stands. A lot of riders chose to stop at local convenience stores to purchase food and drink which in hindsight would have been a better option.

We didn’t stop at the first and last stop as we pushed on towards the finish. On the way back into London we faced a fairly strong headwind which caught some people off guard as they passed through the dual carriageway back into central London.

We finally turned onto Tower Bridge where crowds of people lined the bridge cheering riders on as we passed over the finish line. It was a great ride, with spectacular views of London and the Essex countryside. Lots of locals from the small towns and villages cheering you on as cycle through.

The route is rolling with one 4% climb at about the 20 mile mark and another lesser climb (but longer) on our way back into London.

This is the second time I’ve ridden the Ride 100 and I would recommend it.

“It was alright” – Alan Parker