ATHelite

2012 Training Sessions

2012-01-09T05:42:00.000-08:00

First full training week of the year this year so just to remind you all - this is what it looks like;

Monday;
Club Run (steady today - back to efforts next week) - East Kilbride 6.15pm

Tuesday;
Swim - Hamilton College 5.30pm

Wednesday;
Turbo Session - Calderglen High School 7.00pm

Thursday;
Club Run - East Kilbride 6.15pm

Friday;
Yoga - Shop 6.00pm

Saturday;
Club Bike Ride - Depart Shop 8.30am

Sunday;
Long Run - East Kilbride 9.00am

Holiday Opening Times

2011-12-24T02:51:00.000-08:00

Saturday 24th; 9.30 - 1.30
Sunday 25th; CLOSED
Monday 26th; CLOSED
Tuesday 27th; CLOSED
Wednesday 28th; CLOSED
Thursday 29th; 12.00 - 4.00
Friday 30th; 10.00 - 4.00
Saturday 31st; 9.00 - 2.00
Sunday 1st; CLOSED
Monday 2nd; CLOSED
Tuesday 3rd; CLOSED
Wednesday 4th; 9.30 - 5.30

Christmas Training Sessions

2011-12-16T03:47:00.000-08:00

December

Friday 16th
Yoga in the Shop 6.00pm

Saturday 17th
Turbo in the Shop 8.30am (numbers permitting)

Sunday 18th
Fancy Dress Sunday Run - Whitelees Windfarm (Ardochrig Entrance) 9.00am
(Tea/Coffee/Cakes afterwards!!)

Monday 19th
Club Run as usual 6.15pm

Tuesday 20th
Hamilton College Swim as usual 5.30pm

Wednesday 21st
EKRC/ATHelite Turbo Session - Calderwood Community Hall (NOT the School) 7.00pm

Thursday 22nd
Club Run as usual 6.15pm

Monday 26th
No organised run

Thurday 29th
No organised run

January

Monday 2nd
Club Run as usual 6.15pm

Thursday 5th
Club Run as usual 6.15pm

Back to normal from then on.

ATHelite Bikeless Duathlon

2011-10-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I never cease to be amazed at how many people turn up to train in ridiculous weather conditions. We seem to get better turn outs to freezing open water swims and running up the wind farm in blizzards than when the weather is nice. This Sunday was no exception as we headed up to the top of the bleak A77 for the ATHelite Club Duathlon. I thought we might get a couple of lunatics showing up but there was an ever growing huddle of people hiding from the wind & rain behind Michaels van. We were concerned about the conditions on the bike leg and worried that someone might get blown into the path of an articulated lorry so Michael bravely decided to go for a test ride. The decision was pretty much made when he exited the cover of the van & couldn't get his bike down on the road to even get on it.

We decided against the bike leg & went for a straight 10k run instead taking in two loops of the hilly 5k run leg. We lost a couple of people at this point at the very thought of a 10k but the rest of us lined up facing the wind & rain for the start of the ~~race~~ run. 2.5k out into the wind with one particularly gruesome climb to sap the legs then 2.5k back over the same climb with a flatter wind assisted run to the start point. And repeat.

Results are below including 5k split time after lap 1. Good to see people generally held their pace for the 2nd lap apart from those who couldn't face a 2nd lap (Nicola)

                 5k           10k
Colin F 18.19    37.18
Michael     20.05      (bailed out after going over on ankle)
Gareth       22.08     44.16
Mark         21.21    42.41
Lorna 24.04     48.34
Nicola    28.40    (bailed out after not going over on ankle)
Don           28.40     54.37
Laura         27.53     54.37
Graeme      23.51     47.52
Derek S 23.51    45.02
Calum        22.27     46.49
Derek B     27.53    54.44
Colin B       25 secs for 150 metres.

Well done everyone for a good run on a tough course in challenging conditions & thanks to Genevieve for standing there freezing in the rain to do the times.
As always the ATHelite mobile Cafe was on hand to defrost & refuel the team with hot coffee, Genevieve's Banana Loaf & Nicola's Empire Biscuits - both of which were scored 9/10 on this occasion.

Lanzarote Training Camp - Nicola's Report

2011-10-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

La Santa, Lanzarote.

September 2011

Wasn’t quite sure what I was letting myself in for given my first novice triathlon was only in May this year, but desperate for sun and keen to progress my tri ‘career’ I googled triathlon + training camp… and BLING!, first result La Santa!

The camp was Joe Beers TriSmarter, with Dan Bullock on swim coaching. A week of training pitched at beginner’ish level, with 14-16 hours training, 7-8 hours of talks and an almost sprint triathlon on final day. Only 13 of us on the camp so plenty of 1 on 1 coaching… although obvious down side of no place to hide despite my best efforts;)

It was a structured programme, with pre-published times, sessions etc every day which worked fantastically well. It was a full on week though, limited time in between sessions to eat and rest, but it kept us all motivated!

Hugely impressed with La Santa on arrival – amazing facility with every possible opportunity to improve your sporting ability no matter your level. Incredibly friendly staff too, easily bribed with biscuits and cake to help you out!

First few days training weren’t too bad, 2, sometimes all 3 disciplines in the day. It was good to hear some of the theory of running and cycling - everyone who runs and cycles thinks swimming is technically hard, but as a swimmer I find cycling and running hard!

Then we hit the 80k bike ride – pretty sure we were kept busy up to that point so we didn’t look at the bike route booklet we’d been given to see that the ride was in the “advanced” category and part of the IM route lol. Longest hardest ride I’d ever done, legs hit the wall with about 15k to go half way up a 6/7k climb. Muchos thanks to Joe for giving me a 5 sec push when we hit the headwind, a physical and mental support that was desperately required! After that all sessions seemed a bit harder, legs were more tired for sure.

The almost sprint triathlon came at the time we were at our tiredest but despite given option to relay it,no-one took the offer up! My swim time was good, was pleased with my bike given it was uphill one way and headwind all the way back, same as usual however greatly disappointed with my run! Had tired legs and cramping, but it was still a minute off my last 5k so I must’ve been going faster when I wasn’t walking lol. Was 2^nd chick out of 7 so can’t complain. 1h13m for 400/15/4.9.

We totally deserved the night out at the end! See lesson learned no. 5 however.

Main lessons learned:

1) This is a great place and type of holto do on your own – met a great bunch of people and we’re already planning to do a tri together next year. Will defdo another camp in the future.Refer to 2 however…

2) Take multiple flavours of electrolytes (avoids gagging on millionth gallon of orange on only day 3). See 3…

3) My nutrition sucks – am running out of fuel quicker than everyone else. If ate proper wouldn’t need to drink as much electrolytes as well! Top of my to do list to sort over the winter.

4) Coming from a swimming background with swimming build I probably will find it hard to learn to run. Hasn’t lessened my motivation, but has removed some of the frustration I feel with running. Will just keep at it!!

5) Jagerbombs are not clever. Neither is almost missing your flight due to throwing up in airport toilets. Remind self am athelite now;)

Yet another great tri experience to add to all my ATHelite ones!

Great Cumbria Half Marathon - Race Report

2011-10-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

Four us headed down to Carlisle early on Sunday morning to take part in the Great Cumbria Half Marathon; Myself, Phil Marshall, Graham Ramage and Mark Saez.
Despite Grahams insistence on discussing his favourite shampoo all the way down (Tea Tree and mint if you're interested) we arrived unscathed, very early, and to better weather than we had experienced on the drive (which seemed to stop the second we left Scotland). Still a bit wet underfoot but no wind and quite humid.
We got ready slowly and were on the start line with time to spare once we had coaxed Graham though his Portaloo phobia.

The race starts under the gates of the Castle in the city centre, heading out through the pedestrianised high street then leaving the city after about 3 miles and into the countryside. Some very nice villages en route and all with great local support. The course is not flat with more rolling hills than anything too sharp which is perfect for me. The course heads back into the city for the final 3 miles meandering round on a bit of dirt track, taking in a bit of the Brampton to Carlisle 10 mile route before joining the riverside path and down onto the running track for a stadium finish.

I have not run a Half Marathon for 3 or 4 years with my PB being 1 hr 22. As the race day approached my target time changed from a PB around 1 hr 21 down to 1 hr 25 down to being happy with a sub 1 hr 30. It was the finale to the 28 day run programme for me so I had run almost every day for a month. This did mean though that, apart from the TTC training camp, I hadn't run necessarily that fast or for more than 8 miles since Ironman in July. I had tried to run at race pace in the week but struggled to get near it but the minute the race started I instantly felt comfortable and strong. Amazing how so many people go off too hard and I spent the race picking these people off and pleasingly didn't get overtaken once in the whole race. I was surpised that I managed to hold my target pace of between 6.30 - 6.45 minute miles and finished strong in 1 hr 25. This is perfect proof to me that the 28 run programme works - if done sensibly and you listen to your body then you can build your strength & mileage without inducing the fatigue from longer runs.

This was Mark Saez's first half marathon but he and Graham both run with Calderglen Harriers so are well used to the high mileage. Mark fancied around 1 hr 31 and was not far off with a 1 hr 33 finish. An excellent result for his first time.
Graham ran this race last year and also ran the Glasgow Half last month but his 1 hr 34 today was a PB and a 4 minute improvement on last year.

Phil only started running with us in March and with a bit of consistency and some sensible training he has built his mileage up in no time at all. Phil had prepped well for this race and knew the course, the mile markers and his target pace to give him sub 2 hours. Whilst you never how it feels at the end of a half marathon till you've done one Phil hung in there and finished in a pace perfect 1.58.

We were lucky with the weather until the minute Phil finished & the rain started to hammer down as we headed the half mile back to the car. We quickly stripped off our soaking wet clothes in the middle of the car park only to put on clothes that became instantly soaking wet from the rain. We soon warmed up though with a coffee & cake stop on the way home.

I would highly recommend this event - really slickly organised, a great course and very easy to get to.

ATHelite Christmas Party

2011-10-05T04:02:00.000-07:00

The ATHelite Christmas Party is now booked on Saturday 3rd December at Toni Macaroni's in Calderwood Square in East Kilbride.

Table is booked for 8.00pm & the evening consists of a 3 course meal (£22.95) plus a DJ later & Robbie Williams!?!?

We need a £10.00 deposit from everyone ASAP as we need to pay this in 6 days time.

Please see the Facebook Page or contact us for more details.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182438341834201

ATHelite Opening Hours

2011-09-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

Please note a couple of amendments to our Opening Hours which are now as follows;

Monday 9.30 - 5.30
Tuesday 9.30 - 5.00
Wednesday 9.30 - 5.30
Thursday 9.30 - 8.00
Friday 9.30 - 5.30
Saturday 9.00 - 5.00
Sunday CLOSED

Trossachs Training Camp- Weekend Report

2011-09-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

Ten ATHeliteers linked up with Calderglen Harriers for our annual Trossachs Run Training Camp held up in Callandar last weekend. This was Dereks first attendance at the camp & he has kindly scribed us a short report of his experience............

It was with some trepidation that I put my name down for this weekend as I’d never been on an organised run training event before – in fact I’d never run 3 days in a row before! As for staying in a hostel, well that was also going to be a new experience but Lanza earlier in the year had prepared me for the farting and the snoring.

My first surprise was the hostel. This wasn’t what I was expecting, well kitted out and not 20 to a room. I shared with 3 guys and we all got on well and coped with the relatively confined space. Only on the last night did one have to be woken from his snore fest and reminded we weren’t as deaf or as obliging as his wife was.

On the Friday we went out in packs with a leader dictating the pace and ran almost 6 miles with most of it off road. The scenery would have been nice but through the rain we couldn’t see too much, although this was a great warm up. Off to the pub for a small refreshment, some good food and plenty of time to meet new friends as I didn’t know the Calderglen Harriers crowd.

In the morning we went off in our pack for a 9.5 mile cross country run with some testing hills and more rain. Back for a lecture from Physio David Nugent which was all about injury prevention and after lunch we had the second half from him including the physical analysis of our pack leader Eddie. Turns out that to preserve the long-term future of runners they should swim and cycle – wait a minute - that means they should become triathletes! I knew we had it right.

Then off for 6.5 miles, in the rain, which included an efforts session in the middle. It was as tough as you wanted to make it and I paced myself as I wanted to avoid injury and also save myself for the 16 mile run the following day. My legs were protesting a bit in the pub later (this is where we had dinner) but I made sure I was stretching and drinking plenty of water.

I was dreading the 16 miler on Sunday as I hadn’t been doing much running before this weekend. However the pack went off at a sensible pack and took breaks for drinks and gels while admiring the scenery which was stunning. Unfortunately we took a wrong turn and the run was extended to 18 miles! Funnily enough the last mile was my quickest all weekend.

This concentrated effort has brought my running on and mentally I was able to tough it out and get through the pain barrier. A great crowd of all running abilities made the weekend fun and a big thanks to everyone who arranged the event which I will definitely be going back to next year. I also intend spending a fair amount of time during the winter running on those forest tracks – miles better than on the road. Great kick start to my training for the South Side 6 in October.

Junior Clothing Clearance Sale now on

2011-09-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Loads of bargains now available online in our Junior Nike & Ronhill Clothing Sale.

Nike Junior Clothing

Ronhill Junior Clothing

Bealach Mor - Race Report

2011-09-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Bealach Mor – 3rd September 2011

I entered this event because of its reputation of having tough hill climbs – this is part of my preparation for Lanzarote Ironman in May next year. Well it didn’t disappoint.

I travelled up the day before as it’s 1.5 hours north west of Inverness. Over dinner my pals regaled stories of accidents on the Bealach including the poor guy who ended up in a wheel chair 4 years ago. It’s fair to say by the morning I was dreading it and the rain didn’t look like it was going off but they reassured me this was good conditions for the Bealach as there was no wind and one of them had been blown off the top on his bike the day before – very reassuring.

The start is unusual in that you can leave when you want after 9am. The key is that the road to the Bealach Mor isn’t closed to cars till 11am and you won’t get access before then. Believe me that single track road wouldn’t be possible if there were cars on it. Also you need to avoid a train at an unmanned crossing at 10.30! So the start is a 3.5 mile climb rising 700 ft which gets the heart rate going but isn’t too bad. Then it’s a fast ride to the bottom of the Bealach with the exception of one wee tester of a hill just to remind you where you are.

I was looking forward to the views on the Bealach Mor but as cloud base was around your ankles with the constant rain which made it very difficult to judge how far you had to go. It starts with a gentle slope then the gradient starts to get much harder. I had been warned about the 4 hairpin bends at the top and how steep they were so before I got there I was getting really worried as I was starting to really struggle. For the first time ever in my short cycling career I had to step off the bike on the hill or else I would have fallen off. I was dizzy so took 2 minutes to get my breath back. I tried to get started but the gradient was too steep so I had to walk 100 yards before I could get back on – very disappointed with that. Almost immediately I came across the 4 hairpin bends and they were fine. The real challenge had been the steep section before them. Perhaps if I could have seen ahead I may have stayed on the bike but I really felt like I was going to collapse. In total the climb took me 51 minutes and 42 seconds.

I put on a wind cheater at the top as I was told by the bottom I’d be frozen – they were right. The scariest descent of my life with the wet, steep single track road with tight hairpin bends. It wasn’t long before the accidents started to appear and the odd ambulance. Twice the same cyclist in front of me went side-ways at a corner and on the second occasion managed to knock someone over. Getting down in one piece was all that mattered and I’m glad I had put on fresh brake blocks. When you reach the bottom you are only half way and the second half is a lot harder than the first due to the constant hills and the distance.

You always had to concentrate to make sure in the wet conditions you didn’t run out of road on a tight corner. I kept my max speed down to 35 mph not willing to chance anything faster although the opportunity was there is you were daft enough. At 68.8 miles (yes that’s how hard I felt it) there was a climb that my legs really didn’t want to know about as they screamed stop and walk but once was more than enough for that nonsense – rule 5 I kept repeating to myself, MTFU.

The last 3 miles are downhill and very welcome. I arrived back completely (5hrs 58 mins) soaked through and once again needed help off my bike as the legs were protesting. The locals put on a great spread but coffee and cake was sufficient for me as I had to cycle another mile to get the car – by then I was a shivering wreck with the cold. A shower followed by a hot tub, beer, wine, whiskey, fantastic food and excellent company and all the pain vanished.

I had managed the steepest climb I’d ever attempted, the hardest course I’ve ever taken on and exceeded my average speed target (I had set 14 mph but managed 15 mph). Cycling isn’t my strongest discipline but I’ve come away feeling my training is paying off and I’ll be ready for Lanzarote next year.

Strathclyde Standard Triathlon Race Report

2011-09-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mark Russell had to pull out of Aberfeldy Half Ironman recently with a burst tyre but he has got straight back in the saddle and had a strong performance at the Strathclyde Standard Tri last weekend. Here is his race report.....

Strathclyde Standard

Meeting Jack 10 minutes before the swim to find out that he wouldn't swim in
that water if I paid him was funny if a little worrying, but I had raced in
the park twice before so how bad could the water be?

It's pretty bad. So, I thought if i started nearer the front I would be out
quicker. Hmmm. Big mistake, I ended up in the heat of the nonsense, swimming
over and being swam over. I reached the first buoy reasonably intact and
had 7 to go. It was pretty much like it always is in open water swims.
After 5 minutes or so it thins out and you try to get into your stroke.
Surely those early Tollcross mornings would be worth it. They seemed to
be, I exited the water 3 minutes faster then I had in 2009, with a time of
26:39.

I haven't really raced this season, so felt pretty dizzy in t1. It was arse
to the ground to get the wetsuit off and bike shoes on, so was out on the
course in just over 2 minutes. They changed the route of the course this
year. It used to be 6 laps of the loch with long straights after the
roundabout. This year it was 7 loops of the hills out to the roundabout,
turn there and the same hills back to the water centre. It was pretty
difficult to get into a steady pace as the course never really settled but I
entered t2 after 1:13:30, about 10 minutes off 2 years ago when I was a baby
to this triathlon lark.

I guess the run is always where I feel strongest. Just. The run was two
4.25k loops along the side of the loch with a little nasty hilly part on the
far shore. I set out at a reasonable pace, trying to keep it steady. I took
my gel towards the end of the first lap and it seemed to go well for the
first 3/4 of the run. I started to feel really strong on the final quarter
and began to pass a few of the other guys. When we hit those hills a couple
of them got pretty religious. 'Oh, Jesus' was all I could hear as I came
over the top of them. It was a strong run home, focusing on my breath and
form, which I think I've learned from yoga. I hit the finish line in an
overall time of 2:27:46. 5 minutes off the run last time and 18 minutes off
overall. To be honest, it just felt good to cross the finish line. I had a
DNF at Aberfeldy but some good advice from Colin and Gen and other Athelite
friends helped me get back on track.

My favourite thing from the race though was meeting Jane Askey who came and
sat on the wall beside me and a friend after her race. She's an older lady
of the vintage variety who was hoping for 3:45 and completed it in 3:41. I
do triathlons for a lot of reasons, but meeting inspiring people like Jane
Askey is one of the main ones.

WETSUIT SALE!! Up to 25% OFF!!

2011-09-07T04:56:00.000-07:00

All remaining Wetsuits are now on sale with up to 25% off.

There are some BIG savings to be had here so it's worth a look!!

CLICK HERE to see the Wetsuit Sale including Blueseventy, Zone 3, AquaSphere & 2XU models.

28 Day Run Program

2011-08-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

What is it?

An individual 28 days in a month training program, dedicated to running, which should take your performance to another level. The program is all about increasing your total run volume for a month with all the benefits of frequency & consistency without the fatigue of individual long runs. If you do this properly & listen to your body it definately works.

How?

Run for 6/7 days on the trot, then take a rest day, then repeat 3 more times over the month. The runs you do are entirely up to you depending on how you feel, your ability and where you are at with your training.

Any run must be at least 20 minutes but can not be more than one hour. It can be any pace and keep it varied eg; steady run, time trial, hill efforts or speed work.

One of the important points to this program is to learn to listen to your body & tap into how you are feeling.

Every day someone can post their run on the ATHelite Facebook page & everyone participating can leave a comment on that post of their own session.

When?

We start on Thursday 1st September at our East Kilbride Run Group & carry on from there.

Follow us daily on the ATHelite Facebook Page

A spot of Wind.

2011-08-29T03:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I was extra prepared for the Saturday Athelite (could be abbreviated to Satelite?) Bike Ride & published the route on Friday on the Facebook page. I will think twice about doing this again as we barely stuck to the route at any point but a good ride from everyone nonetheless with some good sharp climbs to test the legs. A few too many stops & starts what with getting lost, mechanicals & adjustments but we will work on a bit more fluidity & group riding skills over the next few weeks.

Sunday was our 10 Mile Road ~~Race~~ Run Training Session. An excellent turn out on a very windy Sunday morning & everyone produced some excellent times & improvements despite the blustery conditions. I really enjoyed the workout & paced myself on heart rate all the way round for a change & it worked well. I have actually run the same hilly course as a race when Calderglen Harriers organised it in 2009. My time then was 62 mins & this time I was 67 but I have a whole range of excuses to try & justify that including age, Ironman fatigue, a cold.... whatever!!. I was pleased none the less as both myself & Genevieves run pace over these runs is starting to get quicker.

A few guys were running the 10 miler as a test for this Sundays Glasgow Half Marathon. If you are running the Half or the 10k this weekend then have a good rest this week & Good Luck on Sunday!!

ATHelite 10 Mile Road Run

2011-08-28T04:53:00.000-07:00

Great turn out this morning for the 10 Miler in less than favourable conditions. It's a pretty tough hilly course anyway but the additional strong winds added a bit of an extra challenge today. Everyone should be really pleased with their times and some great improvements on show.
Big thanks to Mandy for doing the times & showing her face around the course & thanks to Lyndsay & Lesley-Ann for adding to the post run mobile buffet.

Results are as follows;

Lyndsey         1.40.30
Lesley-Ann    1.40.30
Mairi             1.40.30
Phil                1.31.39
Graeme A      1.31.38
Lorna             1.26.32 (part of an 18 mile run)
Robbie           1.26.20
Paula              1.25.00
Callum            1.19.44
Gareth            1.19.35
Genevieve      1.16.47
Mark R          1.15.51
Graham R      1.11.30
Mark S          1.11.00
Colin              1.07.29

Competition Time!!

2011-08-26T04:59:00.000-07:00

Competition Time again and this week we have a cracking red Mizuno Boston Sports Bag worth £35 to give away. Loads of storage & functionality, ventilated side pocket, dual zip wide opening & a padded Mizuno AeroStrap.

Inside the pictured bag are some Mizuno running shoes. Go to our FACEBOOK PAGE & leave a comment guessing how many shoes you think are in the bag & we will pick a winner next Thursday. (If there are multiple right answers we will pick a winner from the correct answers at random whilst blindfolded in a dark room).

Miles better.

2011-08-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

I thought our next target event was Carlisle Half Marathon on the 2nd October but I have just realised that before then we have the TTC (Trossachs Training Camp) up in Callander later in September. This is a running weekend with Calderglen Harriers in which Genevieve has a big part in the planning & organisation. It features run sessions on Friday evening, Saturday Morning & Afternoon & Sunday morning. These sessions are interspersed with workshops, eating & drinking. For me the nights are spent laying awake listening to my colleagues snore, mutter & creak their way through the night exhaused & semi-inebriated in bunk beds. I am not a good sleeper.

Whilst I am happy that my eating & drinking are at a suitable level, I do need to improve my running so as of last week I have been trying to increase my running frequency & volume. Last Tuesday I headed out for a 30 min run on a pre-planned route only to turn the opposite way at the first junction to go & run the Harriers 'Four Hills' route. I haven't run this for a couple of years & forgot what a toughy it was. I still don't know why I chose to do it, or which of the numerous hills in the run are counted as the four hills but all I do know is that I seized up at about 4 miles & the following 6.5 were slow & painful. Being a stubborn fool though I was intent on finishing it.

I have run 5 days since last Tuesday & also endured a killer leg rub from Grant & yesterday I went to run the same route again. All I wanted was 1 min quicker over the same course but my mind & body were clearly in a better place. Keeping strictly to Zone 3 on my heart rate monitor I cruised around & finished over 13 mins quicker than the previous week. I was more than happy with this & whilst it was still a way off my pace in previous years it is amazing what a difference a week makes!!

This Sunday we have the ATHelite Club 10 Mile training run so hopefully we will have a good turnout, good run times, good weather & a good post race buffet in the Car Park.

Back in the Saddle

2011-08-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

We are feeling like we are starting to get back to normal after Ironman Switzerland last month and we are starting to introduce a bit more activity again. It's either that or go mad.

I took the bike group out as usual on Saturday morning - this is a great group & everyone gets something out of it whether you are just starting out & are wanting to up the distance & practice riding in a group or, like me & Gareth, like to race for every hill top, street sign & junction possible. We had Paula out this week for her first outing with us & she did really well until she fell off standing still about 1/4 of a mile from the finish. I've been there - I am quite capable of riding 100 miles in all conditions only to get home and fall off in the flower bed outside the house. The post ride snacks were Empire Biscuits courtesy of Nicolas Mum & were of a very high standard!

A lot of the Sunday run group are in training for half marathons at the moment and we were down for a 10 miler this week. I have upped my running this week and finished on about 40 miles after the rather brisk Sunday run. I have been struggling with sore stiff legs all month - I have a habit of ceasing up when not running, but following an increase in mileage & a killer leg rub from Grant on Thursday I finally started to find some looseness, speed & strength again. It's great to see the difference in other people too as they increase the number of weekly runs & build some consistency. Phil Marshall & Lindsay Cruikshanks are standing out to me as a great example of what you can do if you pick a challenge & focus on training for it, the difference in both of their running is excellent. Next week is the Club 10 miler which should be good fun - it is timed to be a good race day simulation for those doing Glasgow Half Marathon the following week.

This week we are trying to commute a bit more on the bikes. This does require what feels like a 'Live-Aid' level of organisation & forward thinking but we have managed 3 days in a row so far. So far we have managed to leave all the right clothes in the right places but today is the biggest challenge so far. Up at 5.30am, breakfast, then ride to Tollcross for the morning swim. After the swim ride from Tollcross to Hamilton to work. After work ride home to East Kilbride, get changed then drive to the run group, run, then home again probably for a very large dinner!

Facebook Giveaway

2011-08-22T05:10:00.000-07:00

This week we are giving away £40 of Asics Running Socks.

All you have to do is follow our Facebook Page. Click & Like one of the Competition Posts & share it amongst your friends & we will chose a winner at random on Thursday. Easy!!

Here is the link to the ATHelite Facebook Page

Vibram® FiveFingers® coming to athelite

2011-08-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

5 Reasons to Wear Or train in ViBraM® FiveFingers®. Vibram® FiveFingers® is different than any other footwear on the planet. Not only does it bring you closer to your environment, FiveFingers® delivers a number of positive health benefits by leveraging all of the body’s natural biomechanics, so you can move as nature intended.

Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs – wearing FiveFingers® will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.
Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes – no longer ‘cast’ in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally.
Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility – when wearing Vibram® FiveFingers®, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility.
Eliminates Heel Lift to Align the Spine and Improve Posture – By lowering the heel, our body weight becomes evenly distributed across the footbed, promoting proper posture and spine alignment.
Allows the Foot and Body to Move Naturally, Which Just FEELS GOOD.

In 2005, Vibram® introduced the next generation of innovative performance sole design: one that allows the foot to move and work naturally, as if barefoot. We call it Vibram® FiveFingers®

Vibram® FiveFingers® challenges the paradigm of conventional footwear. The thin, flexible, and deconstructed sole allows the foot to curl and flex as nature intended. The five toes are separate just like our feet! Because of these features, every step taken in FiveFingers® is a lesson in texture, temperature, and biomechanics that can make us healthier and more connected to our bodies.

Due in to athelite 5th September

Facebook Giveaway!!

2011-08-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

Go to our Facebook Page for a chance to win a Mizuno TriSport Triathlon Bag worth £40!!

ATHelite Facebook Page

Kelso Triathlon 7th August 2011 Race Report

2011-08-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

Having achieved a podium spot at the weekend Nicola is contractually obliged to come up with a race report so here is her report from Kelso Novice Triathlon. As always - never short on words!!

This is my first, and probably last race report if you only get to do them when you make podium or do a PB! So I’m making the most of it and as well as doing a story about Kelso, talk about my first 6 months in the wonderful world of triathlon – just hope ATHelite aren’t getting their editorial red pens out as they read this incase there’s a word count restriction!

I’m a girl of many things, but making it up as I go along def isn’t one of them, I have my routine day before and on race morning – so I serviced the bike, put gas in the car, packed kit as per list, ate my porridge, and most importantly made sure I packed cake the endless consumption of which is the main benefit of triathlon for me!

Awful lot of time to waste post registration to actual race, 4 hours. This very nearly put me in the wrong frame of mind, but thankfully some family came to see me and despite this only being my 3^rd triathlon I recognised a friendly face from a previous race so I narrowly avoided boredom and pre-race demons!

As always I couldn’t wait to get started, no butterflys in tummy, just knowledge that I’d done it before, had trained my best, and would do it again. Ever since my first triathlon where in naivety my race strategy was to go as hard as I could and I died half way through the bike, my race strategy has been the same – slooooow swim (because I’ll still be one of the first out the pool and my bike is weak if I’m even remotely out of breath after the swim), good but not too hard bike, and then whatever I can manage on the run! Reckon by adding 30 seconds on my swim I save at least 3 or 4 minutes on my bike and run.

Swim felt great, although I did have some 12 year old North East champ on my tail the whole way – not a chance was that kid getting past me! Or so I thought until the wee fecker bombed it the penultimate length and tapped me on the foot 2 seconds before the wall… WTF?!

On the bike I soon hit the not inconsiderably sized hill, but I get a lot confidence from having survived a trauma before, so I just thought of the eaglesham, bonnington and ardochrig climbs at home, imagined I was drafting behind Malcolm on a Saturday morning with Shirley yakking away in the background and just kept spinning as Colin told me to do on my first day! The roads could have taken narrowboats instead of cars what with the size and frequency of the puddles, and I decided it wasn’t worth coming off the bike on the downhill so kept it fast but safe! Pleased to say I burned the North East champ in T1;)

On to my 2^nd nemesis.. the run! All I can say is thank you to the Monday run group for making me feel so welcome. It is entirely down to my 3 weeks there that I managed to put in what was for me a great tri run, and all on a hilly course with 30 uphill steps in the middle! I really felt the benefit of even that little bit of formal training after having done all previous training on my own. But I am looking forward to knocking off serious minutes from my time with continued attendance Genevieve so I know I’m not off the hook;)

I thought it was worthwhile mentioning transition - quite frankly it was chuffing freezing and the rain was binning it down, but as the Saturday bike crew know, I go out in anything. So whilst others were faffing around in T1 and 2 with long sleeves and waterproofs, I went hardcore - tri suit only. In the end I made 3^rd female by just 36 seconds, the girl in 4^th was technically faster but spent well over a minute longer than me in transitions – I think the message there is hypothermia will only kill you after the race so deal with it then;)

So here’s my parting thoughts, it’s pretty daunting for a girl doing baby triathlons with only 6 months training under her belt to be in a world where everyone is much more fit and far more experienced. There’s comfort to be had from ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’! One of the hardest things for me is the fear of holding better people back, but I can honestly say without attending the club training and everyone’s help and support I wouldn’t have got even this far! So whilst triathlon is a solo sport, I feel I swim bike and run on the shoulders of others, including my family and friends who listen to me wanging on about the hardships, the aches and pains, the ups the downs, tolerate the being late for things, turning up with hair wet and no make up, or not being able to join in at all because of some training commitment. And special mention to Gordon and Peter, you’ve not only had to do your own tri training but have lived through every step of mine too.

Lets hope I never win an Oscar, over and out;)

London Triathlon Race Report

2011-08-03T02:40:00.000-07:00

Here is Lornas race report from her London Triathlon experience at the weekend. Well done Lorna!!

The Transition, Expo, start and finish for this race were all inside the Excel London - a massive exhibition centre of which one entire side was the London Triathlon - billed as the largest triathlon in the World.

The massed ranks of bike racks was something to see. I was told there were 8000 folks entered - presumably they didn't all turn up but they were starting waves all day Saturday and Sunday from very early till evening. Each one with the warm up comedian at the swim start and commentators at the waters edge. The swim start was pretty calm - big floating dumbells provided by Virgin health clubs - very appropriate. I was in the mixed wave (thanks to entering late) and found myself having to swim through lots of very boisterous men who seemed intent on thumping me in the head. I am not used to that kind of thing at all and had a couple of big swallows of Thames water - mmm slightly salty mixed with mud and a little bit of something I really don't want to know about.

I enjoyed most of the swim - didn't feel it was hard work particularly but because I hadn't really studied the course, I hadn't a clue where I was going and so it seemed quite long and I had been too cautious and unwisely put myself in the slower half of my wave I must admit after my second big gulp of river water and subsequent retching fit, I started to look forward to getting out. Transition was up very wet stairs back into ExCel - very interesting underfoot.

The cycle was billed as 'past big Ben' - unfortunately for me that route was only for the morning lot and I spent my time going back and forth through the Blackwall Tunnel - although I daresay I was cycling much faster than most cars get to do it - oh and I got to see the delights of Billingsgate Market too. V picturesque. It was a very easy cycle - fairly flat with just the ups and downs of on and off ramps so it flew by. I thoroughly enjoyed whizzing past people until the age groupers in the wave behind me started to catch up and overtake me at about 40 mph - plenty of pointy helmets in that group.

Transition again was a delight in cycle shoes - I have not mastered keeping my shoes clipped to my bike so I just had to tap dance in and out on the shiny floor and hope I didn't fall - very gingerly does it.

The run was excellent. 4 laps of a highly entertaining route - almost totally flat with a giant inflatable shoe and gatorade bottle, lots of support and asics banners all along the waters edge. Before I knew it, I was on my last lap and I could sprint to the 'raised' finish line in the middle of the expo. I had told Gavin I would be between 3 and 3:30 so I was surprised and pleased with my time. I haven't done this distance before and so I was pretty nervous about how the run would feel after, what is for me, a longer cycle.

It was a very warm day and the organisers seemed intent on keeping everyone hydrated - plenty of water, gels, stuff everywhere - way more than I was expecting. There was also a ton of marshalls and helpers - people in virgin tops everywhere you looked. I cannot think what else they could have done to help the competitors or the spectators. Brilliantly organised and so very friendly - everyone seemed to be grinning. I watched the video playback of my race this afternoon and noticed that I too was grinning like a loon in most of the shots. I think I enjoyed myself.

1.5km/38.7km/9.8km : 34.22 (T1- 4.31),1:13:09,(T2- 2.20), 50:28 - 02:44:50

Ironman Switzerland 2011 - Race Report

2011-07-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

It seemed a long time coming then all of a sudden it was upon us and we were heading down to Manchester Airport at the crack of dawn on Thursday for the journey to Zurich, Switzerland.

This time round Colin, Genevieve & Pam were on their 3^rd Ironman distance race, Graeme & Johnny were on their 2^nd and we had two first timers Gareth & Dawn –one of whom was very excited, the other of whom was looking sick & had been for 6 months at the prospect of this trip. We also had a further 11 people in the support crew either with us or joining us a bit later in Zurich.

Having completed the uneventful flight and slickly transferred by the easy to use train service we exited Zurich HB main station and were immediately hit by the heat as we dragged our bike boxes across the city centre over dressed as foreigners in jeans & warm tops. Once we had all checked in to the hotel we jumped on the tram & headed across to the expo by Lake Zurich for race registration. As we entered the expo we got our first sight of the finish line which is always a goose bump moment & went quickly through the registration process. The lake was looking beautiful in the sun, right in the middle of the city but surrounded by hills & mountains on all sides.

Having spent a couple of hours buying Ironman goodies we headed back for the most expensive pizza ever and off to bed. It was at this point that we discovered that whilst the hotel was great, it was slap bang in the hub of Zurich’s red light district. From our front facing rooms we could hear & witness the goings on of at least 20 ‘ladies ‘on the night shift from 10.00pm till 5.00am. Not much sleep for us on the first night & from then on we had to try & sleep with the windows closed & the shutters down in the hot non-air conditioned rooms.

We headed down to the lake on Friday morning for a fantastic swim in the Lake & a short run before heading back for bike construction & testing. The only hitch I encountered was that I put my hand right through the shoulder of my wetsuit, & not through the normal arm hole. Having been told at the Expo that it was un-reparable I took it back to the hotel & did the best repair job I could myself. Friday pm was the race briefing & a great 4 course pasta party in the evening. Great pasta & cake, dubious drum show on stage.

Saturday morning was just time spent getting organised then we headed down after lunch for bike racking & transition set up. The transition area was very tight, especially as there were no tents for Swim, Bike & Run bags & you had to set up your gear next to your bike as you would do for a smaller Tri at home. Everyone got their areas set up well, though Pam needed hers streamlining as she seemed to have just empted her suitcase on the ground & left it. Dawn was still looking sick & just stared into open space with one eye twitching. All that was left now was dinner & the last night of attempted sleep before the 3.45am alarm on race morning.

It rained heavily as I lay awake on & off through the night listening to the girls outside and they were still going strong as we left in the 5.00am taxi down to the start line. Not much to do once we were down there other than double check everything & hang out with the supporters for a while. Everyone seemed fairly relaxed though Dawn must have had a bad dream as she kept crying & I wondered how she would get those puffy eyes into her swim goggles.

As 7.00am approached we headed to the adjacent swim start area. It was very congested and at first we couldn’t even get into the start area because of all the crowds of supporters. I squeezed through & found myself on the far right hand side of the beach. Not where I had planned to be as the first buoy was a right turn & it was a guaranteed bottleneck but it was too packed to move anywhere else so there I stayed. The girls had headed off left to the unidentifiable female start section and we waited nervously for 5 minutes for the hooter.

The first 5 metres were a walk into the water & from that point onwards we all experienced the roughest swim we have ever had to endure. Jack had warned me that we would be swimming into the sun & unable to sight on the first buoy about ½ km out & this was the case but it was also the very least of our worries. I got swum over, swum under, crushed, elbowed & punched repeatedly for about 300 metres. At one point my goggles fogged up then I was punched in the face & they cleared – result! It was impossible to swim properly as people constantly tried to swim up your back & pushed your legs downwards. At one point & could feel the panic rising in my breathing but I managed to get a few longer strokes of bi-lateral breathing in & got it under control. I found myself a little bit of space & speeded up towards the first buoy & the inevitable crushing again. The swim opened up a little after this point & I felt like I swam strongly round to the narrow Island where we had to exit up a ramp (at which point my wetsuit shoulder burst again), run over the Island & dive back again for the slightly less traumatic 2^nd lap. I was disappointed when I looked at my watch as I was hoping for 1.03ish for the 2.8km swim but I was also just glad to have survived it. Some people struggled more with the swim or just held back as you can see from the swim times below.

Swim times (2.4 miles)

Colin 1.08

Dawn 1.11

Genevieve 1.13

Pamela 1.18

Johnny 1.29

Graeme 1.32

Gareth 1.38

Having planned our route from the swim exit to the bikes carefully the previous day it was a bit of a shock to find that the transition entrance had been fenced off & there are various photos of Genevieve & myself running around in circles looking desperately for our bikes. Despite this we both got through T1 quickly. Some people took longer. Some took MUCH longer, we don’t really know what they were doing in there.

Genevieve 1.55

Colin 2.02

Dawn 3.33

Gareth 3.37

Graeme 4.04

Johnny 4.14

Pamela 4.48!

Out onto the bikes and a long flat 30k alongside the lake for starters. The weather was warm & roads were fairly good other than a lot of manhole covers & a stretch of road works where we were actually riding along the pavement at 25 mph.

At the bottom end of the lake the road turns left & you commence the first climb. Nothing too taxing here though at the first descent & easy corner I came across two riders who must have collided & both come down face first into the road. A reminder to be careful. There was a lot of drafting going on but also a lot of people in the penalty boxes. Why they do it I never know.

The route continued to undulate along for a while & the views were stunning – beautiful Swiss villages & farms & cows by the side of the road with their cow bells ringing - just as you would imagine it to be.

After a long descent back to the lake side we took in the diversion around the road works that annoyingly turned the bike into 115 miles instead of 112. It was not so much the extra distance but the fact that we now joined the ‘Beast’ climb an extra km lower down. The two consecutive climbs were certainly a slog in the hot sun & seemed to go on for a long time but were not too tough on the first lap. Having topped out on the highest point there was a death defying technical descent back to the lake side and back on the flat. We were teasingly taken straight past the transition entrance & out for the shorter sharper Heartbreak Hill climb. This zigzags up towards the crowds & noise at the top. Not quite as busy & ‘Tour de France’ like as I expected but still good fun. We were then onto the second loop which was certainly a good deal tougher than the first, especially the Beast & the long climb afterwards. The loop seemed to go on forever & I was looking at my watch trying to work out times. I had hoped for about 5.15/5.20 on the bike but that time slipped past with still a few miles to go. Having ridden Heartbreak hill for the 2^nd time we headed back & into T2. My watch showed that I was along way off target at 5.53 with maybe 15/20 mins being accounted for by the extra mileage & climbing. All the other guys had good rides with no problems other than sore legs.

Bike times (115 miles)

Colin 5.53

Genevieve 6.02

Pamela 6.27

Gareth 6.30

Johnny 6.48

Graeme 6.58

Dawn 6.58

T2 was pretty easy to get in & out of & myself & Genevieve rattled though in under 2 minutes.

Colin 1.37

Genevieve 1.43

Gareth 2.37

Dawn 3.11

Johnny 3.20

Pamela 4.26

Graeme 4.53

The run course was quite a tricky affair with lots of small loops, out & backs, dark underpasses, cobbles & narrow stretches with runners going in both directions. If you were to run this as a straight marathon you would certainly not get a quick time on it. I had expected to see lots of the other guys on the course but actually hardly saw any one other than Pam a few times but our supporters were great & a welcome sight in their spot near the transition area.

I was a little concerned about the run as my Achilles had been bothering me for a month before the race & I had only been running short once a week. I felt good on the first two 10km loops & felt that I would be near to the 3.20 marathon time that I wanted. Unfortunately with my slight lack of run fitness I seemed to lose half an hour in the second half marathon. I could see that I wasn’t going to hit any time I wanted but knew with 10km to go that I would get under 11 hours which would do me. On my last lap I saw all the other ATHelite guys so it was comforting to know that they would all finish.

The finish line was fantastic & our support crew were right there for us. I crossed the line & Alan Cardwell was there with two delicious pints of (alcohol free) beer for us. Within 5 mins I had eaten Beef Stroganoff & 4 pieces of cake & waited in the finish area for the rest of the gang. They all came in one by one looking tired but happy.

Run times (26.2 miles)

Colin 3.49

Genevieve 4.09

Johnny 4.31

Pamela 4.33

Gareth 4.37

Graeme 4.54

Dawn 4.56

Total finish times

Colin 10.55

Genevieve 11.29

Pamela 12.29

Gareth 12.53

Johnny 12.56

Dawn 13.12

Graeme 13.33

There were lots of different emotions at the end of this event. Myself & Genevieve were both so pleased to have finished our 3^rd Ironman distance but both slightly disappointed that we were about 45 mins to an hour off the times that we had been training for. We certainly maybe felt slightly less hungry for this one & probably need a year off but are certainly very proud of doing it & especially proud of all the guys that came along with us and completed this great event alongside us.

Pams aim in this race was just to finish & she had a great safe race and put aside the problems that she encountered in her last Ironman. Johnny had a great race too & was strong & steady throughout & he has some cracking photos of him running down the finish chute with his girls. Graeme missed a good chunk of training earlier in the year & had to re-set his targets. He managed to come through a dark patch on the bike to finish strong on the run.

Best of all was seeing the two first timers Gareth & Dawn completing their first Ironman events. Gareth was so focussed all the way through training & other than a difficult swim came through strong & smiling right to the end. And Dawn? Well the hardest bit for Dawn was the 6 months up to the event where she had wobbles & tears & self doubt mixed in with her training but with (a lot!) of help & coercing by us & everyone around her she made it through as we knew she would & completed an event that most people cannot even contemplate.

We had a wonderful relaxing day walking round in the sun on Monday with a few beers. Great company & a beautiful city.

Well done TEAM ATHELITE!!!!!

Now in - more Super Snazzy Asics Limited Edition Footwear

2011-07-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

We have just taken delivery of more Limited Edition Asics footwear. These shoes are available in Running Expert Shops only are not available on line. Call or pop into the shop for more details!!

Womens Nimbus 13 - Pink

Mens Nimbus 13 - Blue

Womens Kayano 17 - Blue

Mens Kayano 17 - Blue

Mens 2160 - Gold

Womens 2160 - Purple

Mens Cumulus

Womens Cumulus

A Day in the Lakes - Race Report

2011-06-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Following the first year of this tough event when Colin & Genevieve entered this challenging race without quite realizing what it was, Team ATHelite have turned up with more & more numbers each year. This time was certainly the biggest ATHelite onslaught yet. Even at registration the organizers couldn’t believe the number of people we had in the race – 6 relay teams plus Alan Stirling doing the whole thing. Registration was a little confusing as we had lost Jack from the 1^st team at the last minute & there was some complicated restructuring going on with none of the teams remaining the same as initially planned.

The weather forecast on Saturday was always wet & windy and we pitched the tents quickly before the rain started. In the middle of the tented corral we also had 2 gazebos to shield us from the elements – in fact we had so many tents, windbreaks & fancy furniture we were virtually back indoors again.

Having indulged ourselves in a bbq meat overload & a light drink we all headed to bed and (in a Beaver Triathlon flashback) spent half the night awake as the wind whipped through the camp site & the lambs bleated away in the adjacent field.

As we nervously peeped out of the tents early on Sunday morning it looked pretty unpleasant outside with heavy cloud & a strong wind blowing. We started to hear rumours that the swim was being cut short due to the conditions and were initially annoyed but, as we finished the race briefing and headed down to the lake it was clear to see why. The safety kayakers were having real trouble & I have never seen such big waves on a lake. There were 2 swim heats depending if you predicted faster or slower than 30 mins for the 1.9km (though the distance was now cut down to about 1.3km ish). As I had replaced Jack I found myself in the first faster heat and whilst I should have been at the back of this pace group I saw people struggling with the conditions & went to just behind the front instead. Alan Stirling was also in this group

The Swim - Ullswater (1.3 ish km’s not including the vertical ascent!)

As the hooter went it was immediately clear that this was going to be tough. Those people who weren’t breathing away from the waves were really struggling. It was quite nauseating at first & I was really fighting to stop being dragged away to the right. Sometimes as you went to stroke there was no water there & you then dropped into the trough before being hammered by the next wave. It was also impossible to see the buoys and on the way back in a group of about 30 of us were dragged out to the left but I eventually sighted on the buoy & picked up the pace & pulled away from the group I was in. Despite being in a faster swim heat I actually exited the water in 28^th position to hand over to Michael before chucking up about 4 litres of lake water all over the grass!

Alan Stirling was also in this group & appeared to have a solid swim before heading out on the tough bike leg. Genevieve finished very strongly on the swim and despite starting 5 mins later in the 2^nd heat exited the water ahead of a lot of people from the first heat. Graeme had a chat with a man in a Kayak & Dawn swam the whole thing breast stroke?!

Swim times for the miscellaneous distance were as follows; (I hope these are correct as the teams & names all changed)

Colin 22.24 (28^th overall)

Genevieve 24.39

Alan 26.01

Sandy 26.11

Lorna 28.53

Graeme 29.02

Dawn 29.33

Having watched the bikers go out we all headed back to our little tented village & put our feet up for a couple of hours. This is the first time I have done a relay as opposed to the whole thing & I could definitely get used to it!

The Bike

The bike course is actually slightly long at 58 miles but it is the climbs that make it tough with a particularly hard ascent up & over Kirkstone Pass (in the clouds & rain) followed by the climb up Shap. The wind made it doubly hard for the riders too.

As we headed back to transition to watch the bikes come in it was clear that there were some really fast guys racing today – the lead guy had already built up a 7 minute lead & would extend this lead even further on the run.

We were expecting Michael to arrive in first for us but it was actually Brian who came in first & he had clearly had a flier. Brian handed over to Colin Bain and we waited for Michael who appeared a few minutes later handing over to Alan Derrick who set off to see if he could hunt down Colin B. Whilst the others waited to see in Lisa, Frank, Ian & Don, myself Genevieve & the Gman started our run out to the feed station to cheer everyone on. By now the weather had really warmed up to the mid 20’s & even running out on the road it was really hot & sweaty. It was going to be a tough 13 mile fell run for the final legs competitors.

Unfortunately Frank had some knee trouble on the bike whilst climbing Kirkstone & had to turn & come back. We also had a disqualification as The Blonde Rocket Lisa jumped a set of amber traffic lights right under a marshalls nose!!

Relayers Ian & Don both had strong rides & Alan Stirling was still progressing well in the full event.

Bike times as follows

Brian 2.53

Michael 3.01

Alan S 3.30

Lisa 3.47 (DQ!)

Don 4.02

Ian 4.02

Frank DNF

The Run

The run route teases you initially with a bit of flat road before kicking up right into the hills up a landrover track then undulating along a rocky path for 5 miles to the feed station & then the main climb (walk) up the fell and around a tough loop before coming back to the same feed station & a 3.5 mile hobble on the road back to the finish.

We waited at the feed station & saw everyone through with Genevieve giving her usual high octane encourage to one & all, prompting one of the marshalls to ask if she had an ‘’off switch’’!

By the second water stop Alan had swept past Colin B & we were now sitting in 2^nd team position with Colin B holding onto 3^rd team position.

Our other relay runners Dawn, Shirley, Lorna & David were all looking good & enjoying themselves. Alan Stirling, like all the others doing the full event, was starting to look pretty hot & tired but still moving forwards at a steady pace and seemed in good spirits.

We ran back to the finish line & waited for all our guys to finish. Alan Derrick is totally in his element on this kind of run & cruised past several people to finish & give us 2^nd team prize & Colin B also held his position to win the 3^rd Team prize. Out of 40 teams this is some result.

Dawn, Shirley, Lorna & David all finished to big cheers from the rest of the teams at the finish line.

Run times as follows

Alan D 1.39 (3^rd quickest run of the day)

Colin B 1.48

David 2.10

Alan S 2.59

Lorna 2.28

Dawn ??? (chip time incorrect)

Shirley ??? (chip time incorrect)

Overall Times;

Colins Team 5.02 (2^nd Team)

Genevieves Team 5.07 (3^rd Team)

Sandys Team 6.41

Ians Team 7.01

Alan Stirling (whole event) 7.01

Dawns Team 6.05 (DQ’d)

Graemes Team (not quite sure!)

After the event half of the group had to pack up & head north again but a few of us stayed for another night of more BBQ & (a lot) more booze in the evening sunshine &, apart from us, a much quieter camp site.

The next morning was glorious and following breakfast & a gentle morning swim in the mill pond flat lake (what a difference a day makes) we were the very last to leave the camp site & head north to the greyness & driving rain of home!!

This was a fantastic weekend & highly recommended event. We will no doubt be back but I am doing the whole thing next year!!

Paolina Allan wins Welland Half Ironman

2011-06-28T03:54:00.000-07:00

Huge congrats to Paolina Allan (Genevieves sis) who decided last minute to enter the Welland Half Ironman in Canada. She only went & won the event beating 5 Pros & broke the course record finishing in 4.29!! All the damage was done on the bike. Well done Polly!!

Gray and Allan win the Welland Half Iron

June 27, 2011By Roger Hospedales

Toronto's Nigel Gray and Aurora's Paolina Allan took the overall wins at the second Welland Half Iron Triathlon.
Allan used a top bike ride (2:22:03) to secure her victory. Toronto's Ayesha Rollinson led the swim (27:51) closely followed by Torontos Suzanne Zelazo (28:40). Once on the flat but windy 90-bike course that is where Allan took control and powered to the front of the women's race. Toronto Chiropractor Cindy Lewis, making her professional debut, rode a second best 2:26:50 to get into third. Zelazo chased hard during the final run (1:29:59) but Allans lead was just too much. Allan stopped the clock at 4:29:04 to take the win, Zelazo who used the race as a tune up for Ironman Lake Placid, settled for second (4:31:17), and Lewis maintained her bronze medal position (4:37:37).

'' When I got onto the run I knew I was in the lead. I am not used to running scared, that was a scary run, said Allan, who is toying with the idea of returning to Iron distance racing at Rev3 Cedar Point. I am pretty shocked that I won because the field was very steep''.

Top 5 Men
1. Nigel Gray 3:59:55
2. Wolfgang Guembel 4:03:36
3. Chris Van Kooten 4:10:24
4. Tyler Lord 4:15:42
5. Matt Barfoot 4:19:01
Top 5 Women
1. Paolina Allan 4:29:04
2. Suzanne Zelazo 4:31:17
3. Cindy Lewis 4:37:37
4. Ayesha Rollinson 4:40:58
5. Nicole Van Beurden 4:49:51

UK 70.3 Ironman Wimbleball Race Report

2011-06-20T03:10:00.000-07:00

Derek Stewart took in his 'A' race at the tough UK 70.3 Ironman Wimbleball at the weekend. Here is his race report...........

According to the 2010 Ironman World Champion Macca, this is the toughest 70.3 in the world. I had entered it because it is famous for its bike course with 5,900 ft of climb in the 54.6 miles but as I came to discover, the run course was harder!

The day started with a 4am breakfast of Muesli, yoghurt and a banana – I’d normally go with porridge but the hotel we’re going to entertain that at 4am. I felt extremely calm as I waited for the mass exodus down to the lake – 1,200 rubber clad hopefuls. I picked my position towards the back and off to the side as it was a deep water start it was a real punch up for the first 300m and at every buoy thereafter. People stopped in front of you and it was like a pile up on a motorway. I exited on 40 mins which was my target time but could have gone faster if I could have found some space.

T1 was 400 yards up hill so I took my time as I was quite dizzy and got half out of my wetsuit. Disaster struck in that my orthotics weren’t in my bike bag. It took a few minutes of searching before I realised they were in my run bag so I had to go and get them. 12 mins 54 sec for a transition was at least 6 mins over schedule but I couldn’t go on the bike without the orthotics.

There was a strict cut off time of 5hrs 30min for the swim and the bike and I was worried about this because of the reputation of the hilly bike course – I didn’t know how long I’d take. So my strategy was to make sure I did a fast bike as running is my strongest discipline. It was windy and cold and the bike course was challenging with the narrow roads, long inclines, 3 monster steep hills and 1 “falling off a cliff” decline which burns your brakes out. Peoples’ bikes were failing within the first mile – there were at least 8 and I counted 3 bust chains.

The 3 steep hills were hell especially as you knew you would do them twice. Lots of people walked the hills but I am pleased to say I wasn’t one of them. My guts didn’t feel good on the bike and I stopped eating solids earlier than I would normally, reduced my isotonic intake and only managed 2 gels – I felt there was a looming explosion on the horizon and it could be either end! I managed the bike in 3hrs 54 mins so for 56.4 miles that’s an average of 14.5 mph. I was 40 mins inside the cut off time.

Disaster number 2 struck as I tried to dismount the bike and my left quad ceased. The marshal shouted on the paramedics but the thought of two hairy arsed fat guys rubbing my quad made me carry on without their assistance. But I knew my legs were in trouble.

T2 was better at 3 min 54 and I am sure this was assisted by leaving by bib shorts on (completely forgot but don’t know if my legs would have coped taking them off anyway). The run course is a complete bast**d with 1,300 ft of climbs over 3 laps. Within 200 yards my hams were starting to protest so I ended up nursing them round. There was one hill I wouldn’t have like to have tackled on the bike and most people walked it. I kept running the whole time except when I reached the top of this hill I had to stretch my hams out.

On the third lap my mantra was “pain is only temporary, failure is permanent”. Each step hurt and I had to be careful my hams didn’t give up. I knew my 1hr 45 wasn’t on when I saw the course the day before and had mover the target to 2hrs. I managed 2hrs 3 mins and my total time was 6hrs 54 mins which was under the 7 hours I’d set as a must beat time.

Crossing the line was a relief. The queue for the massage was a mile long so I rehydrated, packed up and drove the 7 hours home stopping every couple of hours for a meal! As always I have learned a lot and having thought I had prepared everything one simple mistake cost me a lot of time. I need to sort out my nutrition, especially a cold breakfast that give me what I need, but in the end I am very pleased that I managed the tough bike course. While I’m slightly disappointed in a very painful and ugly run I am immensely proud of fighting off the mental demons that visit you and tell you to walk or give up.

If you’re looking for a challenge then look no further that this event.

Saturday Bike Ride

2011-06-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

This week we are departing the shop half an hour early at 8.30am so we can nudge up the miles slightly. Still the same pace and, as always, no one gets left behind.

Should be around 32 miles tomorrow - see you there!!

MBT Clearout!!

2011-06-11T08:40:00.001-07:00

We having an MBT clearout so all MBT's are now on sale with some BIG discounts!!

http://www.athelite.net/search/mbt

NEW Limited Edition Asics 2160

2011-06-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

We are quite excited about our new drop of Asics Shoes. We now have in stock the New AW11 2160 in colours exclusive to us as a Running Expert Retailer. These shoes are available in-store only.

Pictures to follow!!

The Beaver Triathlon 2011 - Race Results & Report

2011-05-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Team ATHelite Ironman division headed down to Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire at the weekend hoping for a race in glorious sunny English weather. However the weekend was turned into a test of stamina and grit due to the horrendous winds and driving rain that we were hoping to leave behind in Scotland.

We (Colin, Genevieve, Pam, Gareth and Graeme) all converged on the camp site simultaneously and soon had the tents pitched. Gareth and family (too posh to pitch) promptly headed off to the Premier Inn for an evening of warmth and luxury as the rest of us huddled around the uninterested bbq wearing fleeces, jackets, hats and glove. By the time the bbq was ready for cooking we had already flame grilled and eaten the food, polished off the bottle of wine and were ready for bed.
We all tucked in, freezing & still fully dressed and lay awake till 2.00am as the wind tried to rip the tents apart. I slept in Jacks pop up tent which appeared to hover above the ground in the wind like some minature airship. I finally passed out and re-awoke at 5.00am once the rain started coming down & the local hunt dogs started baying for meat. If I ever need to spend a night at Everest base camp I will be totally prepared.

We finally managed to step of of the tents at 6.00am after 3 hours sleep to get the coffee on, except the wind kept blowing out the gas stove so we drank luke warm coffee & tepid porridge. As always loads of spare time turned into not enough time and we hurriedly racked the bikes during the race briefing. With 5 mins to go till the pink swim capped ladies went off in the first wave Pam was locked in a portaloo half a km from the lake without a wetsuit on but somehow managed to get to the start line on time.

My group of black caps (stupid colour for open water swimming) jumped into the lake with 5 mins to go. I noticed everyone around me was looking scared & shivering in the cold water. I personally felt quite calm & found the water pleasantly warm compared to the temperatures we are used to! The only person in our group who found the water freezing was Pam, but her last event was Ironman Florida & it may be slightly warmer there!
I had somehow injured the top of my bicep the previous week & wasn't entirely sure if I would complete the swim so I positioned myself 2/3's of the way back in the pack of about 100. The gun went & we were off & it was total carnage - kicked, punched & crushed but I held my position & tried to stay calm & not throw my bad arm out of shape. Within 100 mtrs it started to flair up but I relaxed, and eased back on my left arm pull & swam almost one armed until the turn point. The crowds thinned out a bit here & with the tide on our side and settling into bilateral breathing I managed to cruise home around the 2 loop course using one and a half arms, exiting the water in about 33 mins. It was at least a 400 metre long run to T1 so I decided to remove the wetsuit at the lake side & run with it. With my quickest wetsuit removal ever (I almost high fived a spectator as I kicked it straight off but they didn’t seem as impressed as me) I ran & overtook loads of people running in their wetsuits.

Swim Times including the ridiculous run to T1 were as follows

Swim
Colin 35.40
Genevieve 35.56 (and 7th female out of the water)
Pamela 38.51
Gareth 41.10
Graeme 41.10

T1
Colin 2.21
Graeme 2.29
Pamela 3.27
Genevieve 3.33
Gareth 3.54

For the first time ever I actually put a long sleeve bike jersey on for the bike & was so pleased I did as the weather was horrific. We exited T1 for the 3 lap bike course and turned left immediately into a very strong head wind and must have ground away into this for about 7 miles including a particularly sharp climb. After turning at the top of the course the wind really ripped across giving me a couple of nasty wobbles on the open sections & descents before turning right & finally having the wind on your back for the rest of the lap. There were a lot of people struggling both with the winds & also on the climbs. Fortunately we are used to both these things & we all rode at something near our Ironman pace & knocked out some good bike times. Genevieve & Pam are so light they always find biking in the wind & driving rain very tough & today was no different & they were both pleased to get off & start running (until they saw the run course!)

Bike times were as follows with (average pace);
Colin 2.22 (23.6 mph)
Graeme 2.25 (23.1 mph)
Gareth 2.25 (23.1 mph)
Genevieve 2.34 (21.8 mph)
Pamela 2.37 (21.45 mph)

T2 Transitions were pretty quick all round;
Colin 1.32
Graeme 1.43
Gareth 1.48
Genevieve 1.52
Pamela 2.06 (caught on video knocking back cans of Red Bull in transition!)

So finally the Half Marathon. A tough route, heading out of transition on the flat before crossing a bridge, then running uphill for about 2k before turning & running down it again. 4 of these loops brought a lot of competitors to a walk but team ATHelite all soldiered on & kept running. It took almost 7k before my feet & toes defrosted from the bike & I felt like I was running well. I actually felt very strong on the run all the way & overtook people non stop despite the driving rain & wind. I could have kept going at that pace (quicker than IM pace) and finished in what felt like a very controlled 90 minute half marathon. Everyone else held an excellent & consistent IM pace and finished the run as follows;

Run
Colin 1.30
Gareth 1.48
Genevieve 1.50
Pamela 1.54
Graeme 2.01

Total finishing times;

Colin 4.32 (32nd overall & 11th in Age Group)
Gareth 5.01 (Very impressive!)
Genevieve 5.07 (9th Female & 4th in Age Group)
Graeme 5.12 (Well controlled race)
Pamela 5.16 (14th Female & 5th in Age Group)

The plan for the Beaver was always for it to be a test event for us for Ironman. It enabled us to check race gear, bikes & bike set up, race strategy, nutrition, transitions and so on and I was so impressed with the way all the guys handled it. No mindless pacing errors and no mistakes. Personally I felt over the moon with my performance – I felt very in control & strong in the Swim, Bike & Run & it was good to see how everyone was focused, calm, organised & in control despite what the weather tried to throw at us.

We all came into this event with a different approach – Graeme & Gareth tapered into it, Pammy travelled all the way from Canada to race with us & still managed to cram in a good few training hours in the run up and myself & Genevieve treated it as part of a peak training week and finished the event week on 17 training hours. We even managed to head out on Sunday morning with Pam for a one hour off road run in the hills behind my parent house & all felt pretty good!

I certainly now feel confident that our training is coming to a peak at just the right time as we approach the 6 week countdown & I hope everyone is looking forward to Ironman Switzerland as much as I am!!

Full Results Here

Video Swim Analysis Sessions

2011-05-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

Video Swim Analysis sessions are taking shape. Hamilton College is booked on June 7th, 14th & 21st from 5.00pm - 7.00pm. Each session is for 4 people & available to Club Members only including Videoing, Analysis & Drills. Only £10 each to cover pool costs. A few names on the list already but add yours here or on the Facebook page if you are interested.

ATHelite Facebook Page

Training Sessions this week.

2011-05-25T02:36:00.000-07:00

Some of the club training sessions are being affected by other events this week as follows....

Weds 25th;
Pm; Ayr 10k so no Open Water swimming this evening.

Thurs 26th;
Pm; Run group on as always - just a recovery run if you were racing at Ayr.

Fri 27th;
Am; Tollcross Swim as always
Pm; No Open Water Swim as we are heading down south for our Half Ironman

Sat 28th; Colin, Graeme & Gareth will not be here but if you wish to ride leave a message on the Facebook page and meet at the shop at 9.00am as always.

Sun 29th; Sunday run is on as usual. 9.00am from Hurlawcrook Road.

Ayr 'Land O Burns 10k'

2011-05-25T02:25:00.000-07:00

Good luck to everyone running tonight at the Ayr 10k. This is a great 10k route with a good chance of a PB as long as the wind in kind!! If you didn't do this race last year but have done the Ayr Open Water triathlon you will recognise some of the route & transition area as you hurtle past.

Asics Shoe Sale - up to 30% OFF!!

2011-05-25T02:22:00.000-07:00

New season Asics shoes arrive in June so time for an end of season clearout. Up to 30% of all Asics Road Shoes. Be quick - they are already going!!

ASICS SHOE CLEARANCE

Countdown to Zurich

2011-05-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a long while since I last blogged on our progress towards Ironman Switzerland. There were a number of events & performances at the weekend which have prompted me to let you know how we are getting on with 7 weeks to go to race day.

We were tracking a couple of Ironman events on Saturday with home interest in both. Whilst Scotlands Catriona Morrison paced herself to a perfect win in IM Texas we were following Gerry Seenan making his Ironman debut around one of the very toughest IM courses in Lanzarote. We helped Gerry throughout his training and his commitment to the training plan & his consistency paid off with a great result and we are very proud of him.

Out in Ohio Genevieves Big Sister Paolina 'The Machine' Allan was taking on an event that seems as hard to comprehend as it is to complete, though she may say otherwise. The American Triple T features an Open Water Sprint Tri on Friday pm, Olympic Distance Tri on Saturday am, another Olympic Distance Tri on Saturday pm & then a Half Ironman on Sunday Morning. A totally crazy event but in true Paolina style she trained hard, lapped it up & won. We are hoping for a Race Report out of her in the next couple of days.

Back on home territory and in very testing conditions thousands of runners were taking on the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday. Our own Robbie Rooney was taking part in this, his first marathon & having trained hard & consistently took a bad case of cramp at mile 17 and had to dig deep to finish. In his true positive manner he looked on this as a positive thing and will no doubt be back for more.

At ATHelite our focus is always on getting novices into the great sport of triathlon. We had so many people in the shop during the week looking not only for running & tri gear, but also advice and maybe a confidence boost for the Novice & Sprint distance events at Strathclyde Park on Sunday. Too many great performances to mention from so many of our regulars but well done to all of you whether this was one of many events this year or if it was your first foray into the open (murky) water.

Lots of inspiring performances there and the one thing that dictated the success of all these is consistency in training. This is so key & especially so in Ironman training. It is all well & good knocking out the occasional great session but you have to keep these going over a long period of time to make them count.
Having already built up a solid endurance base over the last couple years of Ironman, our training looks a little different this year but in these final stages we are still focusing our training around a number of key sessions which we never miss. These sessions include weekly Swimming Speed Work, Distance Swims & Open Water Swims (very cold at present!). Running also includes Speed Work, Tempo Runs & the crucial Long Run of about 16 - 18 miles weekly. Biking includes Speed Work, longer Time Trials of 25 - 50 miles and the important weekly Long Ride. The last couple of weeks we have ridden over 100 miles solo on our long ride. They have gone very well & these are vital Ironman training sessions. It is all well & good knowing you can ride the distance but riding that distance alone trains the mind and Ironman is all mental (literally!).You must remain focused on your race plan, know what your race pace feels like & train in your nutrition strategy. These sessions all happen in a cycle and each cycle is sandwiched by a recovery week, which is almost as important as the training itself.

It is not just us taking part in Zurich this year - we have 6 others from the ATHelite team taking part & they are all training as hard as they can but all with different aims & objectives. We also have our comrades from Lanark Tri Club who are heading out on mass plus our entourage of friends & family. It's going to be a great trip!!

This weekend a crowd of us are heading down to Belvoir Castle near Leicester for our final event before Zurich. A Half Ironman (ish) in which the objective is to test our race day strategies. It shouldn't cause too many problems other than the fact I have strained a tendon in my arm swimming this morning & it now has 4 days to cure itself before Saturdays race!!

So 7 weeks till race day, but (without wanting to worry everyone!) with one recovery week & a couple of weeks tapering it is only really 4 hard weeks of training so the day is looming closer still. We are starting to think about what we need for race day and getting it ready now - nutrition, new bike tyres, racing shoes, sun cream, travel logistics etc. Lots to worry about nearer the race so best to deal with this things early.
One last focused push and we will be there. I can't wait - Bring it on!!

Strathclyde Park Sprint Triathlon Results

2011-05-23T02:53:00.001-07:00

Tough conditions for Sundays race. The results are at the following link.........

http://www.tri247.com/results_10818.html

Iroman Lanzarote 2011

2011-05-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

A great day for GBR Ironman females, As well as Catriona Morrison winning in Texas GBR Pro Rachel Joyce leads Ironman Lanzarote from start to finish & gets close to the course record.

Ironman Lanzarote Report

Huge well done also to Gerry Seenan who finished in 12.03 after a 3.38 marathon. Big well done also to Cammy Clark with a total finishing time of 12.37 & Mel Anderson who completed the race in 14.36. You are all IRONMEN!!

Ironman Texas 2011

2011-05-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

In conditions very similar to Kona, Hawaii Catriona Morrison yesterday won Ironman Texas after a paced & patient race, breaking the 9 hour mark in 8 hrs 57. Awesome performance.

Ironman Texas Report

Royal Wedding Day

2011-04-28T09:26:00.001-07:00

We will be opening at 1.00pm on Friday 29th, just to give you time to clean up your Street Parties.
Have a good day!!

Ayr Duathlon 2011 Race Report

2011-04-18T09:33:00.001-07:00

Another Ayr Duathlon (5k Run, 20+ k Bike, 5k Run) and another fantastic sunny day as Team ATHelite converged in good numbers on the Auchencruive Estate. With 9 ATHelite members plus two ATHelite wannabees competing (you know who you are!) plus the support crew, this was our best turnout for any event yet. Some of the crew were a bit edgy as it was their first multi-sport event of any type, others were a bit edgy because of the potential of Ironman training having drained any speed required for this event out of our little legs.

Following the customary & relatively care-free race briefing the horn blew & we hammered off down the hill before a sharp left onto the trails alongside the river (which I am told is very picturesque but I can't remember ever being in a position to look at it). The route stays flat temporarily before kicking back up to the left and then hitting the tarmac again for an undulating loopy run around the estate & back down to transition.
I was first in for the team & sitting in about 6th or 7th position having had a surprisingly good run (a couple of weeks of mile efforts have put a bit of zip back in the legs). 18.24 for me, a sloppy out of practive transition & off out on the bike.
Next in with an expected good 5k was David H (20.34), closely followed by Genevieve who we think managed to pull a 5k PB out of the bag in 21.02 (1.30 quicker than last year!). The rest of the bunch followed in the following order; Patrick (21.54), Derek (22.28), Ian (22.38), Gareth (24.03), Fluffy (24.25), Don (25.37). There is photographic evidence of Ian seated on the grass in transition & further multiple evidence of Don seated, then standing getting changed in transition with a coffee & a cigar.

So off we charged on the bikes over the rough pot hole & gravel strewn Ayrshire roads. I was quite looking forward to the bike as I have been feeling strong of recent and give or take a couple of places I pretty much held my position after the first lap. I was shortly after this that a bunch went past & I seemed to give away about 8 places in the space of 100 metres. For some reason I could not seem to respond & did all I could to keep the pace going & the lactic acid at bay for the rest of the lap. A disappointing 42.00 minutes for me (and almost 1 min slower than last year so something wasn't firing!). Genevieve was doing rather better on her ride & having swept past 6 of her female competitors she rode herself into 2nd position finishing in 42.57 - almost 2.5 mins quicker than last year and only 13 secs slower than the race winner Kelly Van der toorn. Next in was Gareth who had a great ride (43.15) followed by Patrick (44.27), Fluffy chicked a few of the boys (49.14), Derek (50.38), David (51.09), Don (53.29 & 4 mins quicker than last year) & last but not least Ian (54.00).

The last run is always a tough one here & today was no different. I was more than pleased to get off the bike & following a second amateurish transition I was pleased to find that I could get immediately into my stride & running comfortably. No big dramas here - I managed to pull in a couple of guys but it was too late to pass but was relatively happy with a 19.43 run. David ran another good 5k (22.13), Patrick too (22.17), Genevieve (23.55), Gareth (24.21), Derek (24.34), Fluffy (24.57), Ian (25.38) & finally Don (27.17).

The overall finish times were as follows;
Colin 1.20.07
Genevieve 1.27.23
Gareth 1.31.39
Patrick 1.33.38
David 1.33.56
Derek 1.37.40
Fluffy 1.38.36
Ian 1.42.16
Don 1.46.23

On a personal level I can't say I was overly happy with this performance. The runs were as expected but the bike just didn't work for me on the day. If I was to reflect on why, it would probably be the result of racing on the last day of a heavy 3 week training block, though this didn't seem to affect Genevieve on the bike! All I do know is that the event I am training for is bares no resemblance to this one & I am confident that on the day I will get the result that I am looking for.
Genevieve had a great first run & bike but had breathing problems on the second 5k. This is the 2nd year that this has happened in this race so we think it maybe pollen related from running in the park. The only other times this has happened is on more than one occasion in Calderglen Park & she has now had to stop running there.

It was great to see so many ATHeliteers out in force & thanks also to Gman, Shirley & Sandy for their support. For those who have only asked about the cakes I had Treacle Tart, Banana Bread, Caramel Shortcake & a Scone. All were very good.

On a final note it was a disappointment to find out that this event may not happen next year as the estate has been sold off but we hope that it will go ahead - this is a great little Duathlon & so many peoples first foray into multi-sport events. This is where we started and will always come back as long as it is in existance.

New Sports Nutritionist @ the ATHelite Sports Clinic

2011-04-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 30th April we are pleased to announce the start of a new member to our team & the ATHelite Sports Clinic.
Elaine Lowden is a fully qualified Sports Nutritionist and will working in the Sports Clinic alongside Robbie, our resident Sports Othotist & Bio-mechanics Guru, & Sports Therapist Grant.

Elaine Lowden will be offering dietary advice which is designed to improve exercise performance at all levels. With degrees in Nutrition and Exercise Science, she is acutely aware of the importance of diet as a key part of any training regime and as a significant aid to achieving competitive edge. She is a keen athlete regularly competing in Duathlons and Cycling Time Trials.

Whether you are completely new to exercise and are looking for some guidance as a starting point or you are a top level competitor looking for an extra edge, Elaine can help you.

In an initial consultation your personal goals both dietary & sporting will be identified and will form part of the dietary recommendations during the second consultation.
Your Food diary will be analysed to assess current diet/eating habits/patterns.
Dietary recommendations are then provided based on the results of the dietary analysis and the specific goals identified during the initial consultation.

Elaine will be in store on April 30th plus we will also be hosting an Open Evening on Friday 6th May at 6.00pm where Elaine will be giving a short presentation followed by a Q&A session for any inquiries regarding nutrition & it's impact on performance.

We will be offering a 10% discount on any sessions booked with Elaine on the evening.

If you require more information, wish to book an appointment or just want to pop in on the 30th for a chat then please either contact the shop on 01698 422448 or email Elaine at e_lowden@hotmail.com

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-04-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

This week we are giving away a FREE Bodyglide Lubricant with EVERY Wetsuit purchase.

http://www.athelite.net/search/wetsuit

ATHelite 25 Mile Hilly TT Report

2011-04-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a fabulous day for the ATHelite Hilly 25 Mile Bike Time Trial - sunny & not too windy for a good blast, not too hot to spoil the post race tea and cool enough to stop the post race carrot cake from melting in the car.

After waiting for a couple of riders who were finally declared missing in action (one has admitted to being too hungover to ride, the other has yet to make contact) the first rider went off at 8.55am.

Timekeeper Graeme set David H off complete with a bike lock the size of something found on a scrap yards gates attached to his frame. Two minutes later & next off was Derek who fired off down the hill in the small chain ring. It was in fact such an easy gear that he created enough wind for the turbines on the adjacent whitelees windfarm to all turn to face him.
Next up was Mark who had to stop 10 metres in to pick up parts of his bike & then promptly overshot the junction adding a bit of extra time & distance to his race.
Bringing a bit of female order to the proceedings, Genevieve was off next without any problems. I was next man off and I could see that this left Timelord Gman with the 3 EKRC bully boys - Bill, Michael & Faither. Having left instructions for them to stick strictly to the 2 minute intervals they clearly over-ruled the timekeeper in my absence & reduced the gaps to 1 minute each.

The course starts briskly towards Newton Mearns on the A77 before turning left onto Malletsheugh Road and left again onto the energy sapping hills & head wind of the Stewarton Road. Straight out to Stewarton, onto Kilmaurs then another leg draining climb out of Kilmaurs before heading toward Fenwick & back in on the A77.

I immediately regretted my zero warm up and also probably headed off way too fast resulting in me limping feebly up the early climbs with a serious overload of lactic acid in the legs. I eventually rode this off as I passed through Stewarton. Luckily the traffic lights had recently been green & thus the ride through the town was completely legal. Kilmaurs soon arrived as did the climb out at which point I was passed first by Michael then soon after by Faither who appeared to have Bills hair caught in his back wheel. Either that or Bill was DRAFTING.

It was a relief to get back onto the A77 at Fenwick and I was back into my comfort zone on the flatter faster road & got a good pace up on the way back in to offset my poor performance on the hilly sections.

Final finishing times (minus the seconds) for the Hilly 25 TT were as follows;

Faither 1.03
M&M 1.04
Dulux 1.07
Freebie 1.11
Mrs ATHelite 1.13
Herbie 1.25
Yogaman 1.25
DerektheGolfer 1.27

Following a post race appeal it was decided that Dulux was DQ'd for drafting.
Following a second appeal it was decided that Faither was DQ'd for entertaining drafting.
Following a third appeal Michael Martin was penalised 25 mins for turning up to a training session in an aero-helmet thus getting an unfair advantage.

This now meant that Freebie was quite rightly 1st Male. Mrs ATHelite kept the competiton at bay & finished 1st Female.

Well done everyone for a fun session, thanks for the Gman for timekeeping & thanks to Genevieve for serving a full range of teas, coffees & cakes, on china, from the back of a car in a lay by.

We will hold the 25 TT again in the next couple of weeks then we will do a two lap 50 TT after that.

Blue Seventy Wetsuits - Sale & Rental

2011-04-04T05:48:00.000-07:00

We have had a big Blue Seventy Wetsuit delivery this morning at ATHelite. Blue Seventy Wetsuits are now available for Sale & Rental plus neoprene booties, gloves & skull caps to keep you extremities warm(er).

We have wetsuits for sale to suit all budgets or if you wish to rent we do Daily, Weekend, Week & Season Rental with the option to pay the balance & keep the wetsuit at the end of the rental period.

ATHelite Tri Club Sessions

2011-04-04T04:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of updates on training sessions this week. The Hamilton College Wednesday evening swim is OFF for the next two weeks (6th & 13th) as the College is closed for Easter. We will be swimming Weds Am at Tollcross instead. Tollcross is Closed this Friday (8th).

Mon 4th;
Am: Swim Tollcross 7.00am
Pm: Run Group East Kilbride 6.15pm

Weds 6th;
Am: Swim Tollcross 7.00am

Thurs 7th;
Pm: Run Group East Kilbride 6.15pm

Sat 9th;
Am: Intermediate Bike Group Hamilton 9.00am

Sun 10th;
Am: 25 Mile Bike TT (+ optional Brick Run) A77 9.00am.
Am: Long Sunday Run Hurlawcrook 9.00am.

Calderglen Harriers Trail Races

2011-04-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

The ATHelite sponsored Calderglen Trail Races are now live on Entry Central. A great June evening of Trail Races for adults & juniors with a distance for everyone. An unhealthy array of cakes available after in the bar too!!

The 5k & 10k are on the ATHelite Club fixture list so get your entries in.

Enter Here

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-03-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

This Weeks Special - a FREE Mizuno T-Shirt with every purchase of Mizuno Road Shoes.
In-store & Online.

http://www.athelite.net/mens-c11/footwear-c12#m5

Stirling Duathlon 2011 Race Report

2011-03-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

A small number of ATHeliteers were competing in the Stirling Duathlon on Sunday. This event always seems to start with near freezing temperatures and yesterday was no different. Having dealt with the clocks changing & the last minute clothing dilemmas we all lined up ready to go.

In the Sprint race (5k run, 20k bike, 5k run) Ian Dysart was competing in his first multi-sport event. We were also expecting Don Kennedy who whilst going through the motions of training for this event seemingly neglected to actually enter it. He opted to stay up later on Saturday night and consume cheap champagne as a race alternative. In the Championship race (10k run, 40k bike, 5k run) were Colin, Genevieve and the Gman.

A slightly delayed start saw the Sprint start at 9.30 with the Champ race 5 mins later resulting in a Fox and Hounds situation as we hunted down the Sprint race runners and engulfed a few on their second lap. The run loop is renowned for its 'cheeky' hill which is easy enough on the 1st two loops but becomes increasingly tough on the 2nd two loops to a point where you think walking up it might actually be quicker. With Colin and Genevieve just back from a tough bike week in Lanzarote we were not expecting any miracles on the run and this was just the case. Colin was 39.30 (1 min slower than last time in 2008), Genevieve was 46.34. This was the Gman’s first crack at this event but he still knocked a 10k PB in the process in 47.23 – a sign of the continuing improvements in his running over the last few months. In the Sprint race and following a niggly achilles injury Ian ran a controlled 5k in 25.18.

Good transitions for everyone and out onto the bike course. This was where C & G wanted to see some improvements and whilst both struggled a little with tired crampy legs, Colin finished the 2 loop bike course in 1.05.25 (3 mins quicker than last time), Genevieve showed a 5 minute improvement finishing the 40k in 1.08.04 and the Gman put the hammer down and finished in an excellent 1.07.07.
Ian finished his 20k bike in 44.08.

Onto the tough final 5k run and the hill reared its ugly head twice more. Colin finished the run in a rather disappointing 21.21 but still achieved a PB overall thanks to a strong bike leg. Total time was 2.07.32. Genevieve also found the last 5k hard but ran 1 min quicker than last time in 25.28 and achieved a total finish time was 2.21.24 - a total PB by a massive 9 mins.
The Gman felt the bike a little on the last run but completed the 5k in 26.56 & achieved a great final time of 2.23.15.
Ian had a strong final run & actually went slightly quicker than his first 5k in 25.05 and a total time of 1.37.21. A good result for his first time.

Having completed a photo shoot with supporters Mandy & Martin we headed to the Café for a coffee in the sun when the prize giving started and in the distance we heard ‘3rd Senior Female… Genevieve Freeman’. After 10 seconds standing in shock she shot off so fast that by the time we caught up with her she was dismounting the podium embracing 1st place finisher & World Champion Catriona Morrison. Not sure who was most shocked, but what a great finish to another fantastic Stirling race.

Well done to Genevieve, Graeme, Ian (& Me!) & thanks to Mandy & Martin for coming up to support the team.

Stirling Duathlon

2011-03-24T03:55:00.001-07:00

Stirling Duathlon is on Sunday. Clocks change on Saturday night so watch out for that one!

Registration 7.30 - 8.30. Race Briefing 8.45.

Sprint Race Start 9.15. Championship Race Start 9.30.

Weather looks great for competing & supporting. If you're not racing why not take the bike out & support the team?

Saturday Bike Ride

2011-03-23T04:35:00.001-07:00

Due to various reasons including holidays, work commitments & Stirling Duathlon on Sunday there will be NO Saturday Bike Ride this week. Normal service will be resumed next week.

Good luck to all those doing one of the Stirling events - we'll see you there!!

K-Swiss Performance Shoes

2011-03-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

We love the K-Swiss performance shoes & we've just had a new drop of these snazzy numbers - K-Ona S Ironman, Blade Light & the Kwicky Blade-Light

http://www.athelite.net/search/k-swiss

Skechers Tone-Ups

2011-03-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

The first of the New Season Skechers Tone-Ups are now in stock....

http://www.athelite.net/search/skechers

ATHelite Tri Club Training

2011-03-10T03:49:00.000-08:00

As you may well know - there are a number of us heading over to Lanzarote on Sunday for a week of road biking. I am not posting to brag about this fact but more to point out the effect this may have on some of the Club Training Sessions over the next few days.

Sat 12th
Am; Intermediate Bike Ride - Colin won't be attending this as he will hopefully be packed by this point but the session is on & the route will be the same as last week as known by the regular crew including Graeme & Don.

Sun 13th
Am; Long Run - On as always at the usual meeting point.

Mon 14th
Am; Swim - not on (Tollcross closed for the week)
Pm; Run - this is on but is UNCOACHED & will just be a group training session. No need to pay. Graeme, Don & Liz know the session.

Weds 15th
Pm; Hamilton College Swim - this is on as normal and Jack will be there shouting at you as normal.

Thurs 16th
Pm; Run - this is on but is UNCOACHED & will just be a group training session. No need to pay. Graeme, Don & Liz know the session.

Fri 17th
Am; Swim - not on (Tollcross closed for the week)

Sat 12th
Am; Intermediate Bike Ride - The session is on & the route will be the same as last week as known by the regular crew including Graeme & Don.

Sun 13th
Am; Long Run - On as always at the usual meeting point.

Please note - apart from the Weds Swim these sessions are not official club sessions & are all uncoached. They are just a means for you guys to meet up & train together. The runs & bikes are just that & you must all take responsibility for yourselves.

Have a good week & we shall see you on our return!!

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-03-09T03:39:00.000-08:00

This weeks Weekly Special is on all Merrell Footwear including the Best Selling Pantheon Gore-Tex Trail Walking Shoe. 25% Off all Merrell Footwear until this Sunday.

ATHelite - Merrell

Mizuno TriSport BacPak Transition Bag

2011-03-04T07:22:00.000-08:00

Travel to transition in style with the Mizuno TriSport BacPak Transition Bag. Why push your bike to the start line with a plastic tub on your bars when you can ride in with it all on your back? Extra 10% off & FREE P&P if you order online!

ATHelite - Mizuno BacPak

ATHelite - Mizuno BacPak

Tune Belt Sport Armbands - Phone & MP3 Carriers.

2011-03-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

New delivery of Tune Belt Phone & MP3 Carriers. Something here for virtually every Smart Phone.

http://www.athelite.net/search/tune-belt

http://www.athelite.net/search/tune-belt

Sunwise Multi-Sport Sunglasses

2011-03-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

Sunwise Sunglasses were incredibly popular last year & we have just taken 1st delivery of the 2011 models. Fantastic Multi-Sport sunglasses - they are great for running & biking & come with FOUR interchangeable lenses for different light conditions, including a clear protection lens for the bike.

ATHelite - Sunwise Sunglasses

ATHelite - Sunwise Sunglasses

Xtenex Elastic Laces

2011-03-04T05:02:00.000-08:00

You know Triathlon Season is upon us when the demand for elastic laces rockets. Xtenex Elastic Lock Laces are the lace for you if you want to combine super quick transitions with comfort on the run. Available as always in numerous colours including ATHelite Orange!!

ATHelite - Xtenex Laces

ATHelite - Xtenex Laces

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-02-28T03:12:00.000-08:00

This weeks Weekly Special is for the kids. Up to 50% off all Junior Running Shoes & all Nike & Ronhill Junior Clothing & accessories.

http://www.athelite.net/search/junior-running#:page1

Skechers Boots

2011-02-24T07:37:00.000-08:00

Last few pairs of Skechers boots on Sale before the new Spring/Summer Stock arrives...

http://www.athelite.net/search/skechers

220 Triathlon Magazine

2011-02-24T06:02:00.000-08:00

athelite appears in the latest edition of 220 Triathlon Magazine......

http://www.220triathlon.com/advertisement-feature/run-specialists

Asics Racing Shoes

2011-02-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

Just had a colourful delivery of Asics Racing Shoes - The ever popular Gel Hyperspeed 4, the superbly cushioned Gel Tarther & the crazy glow in the dark Gel Noosa Tri 6 (Colin's Ironman Shoe).

Available in store or online now here... ATHelite Performance Shoes

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-02-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

The new Triathlon season is almost upon us so we are having a final clearout of 2010 stock with up to 50% off Mens & Womens Tri Clothing.

Mens Triathlon Clothing
Womens Triathlon Clothing

Calderglen Harriers Trail Race 2011

2011-02-16T06:36:00.000-08:00

This year's trail races take place on the evening of Friday 24th June.

You can use the links below to directly download the flyer and entry form or to see the entry list so far.

Download Flyer

Download Entry Form

This year you can also enter on-line at http://www.entrycentral.com/

Polaroid Eyewear 10K Road Race Series 2011

2011-02-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

The four race Polaroid 10K Series once again hits the roads in 2011.

Featuring a range of 10K challenges for all road runners including Helensburgh, Clydebank, Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven

Polaroid Eyewear Series 2011, 19 May 2011
Entries close: 17 May 2011

Helensburgh 10K (Polaroid Eyewear Series 2011),19 May 2011
Entries close: 17 May 2011

Clydebank 10K (Polaroid Eyewear Series 2011), 26 May 2011
Entries close: 24 May 2011

Dumbarton 10K (Polaroid Eyewear Series 2011), 02 June 2011
Entries close: 30 May 2011

More info here

Enter here

Saturday Bike Ride

2011-02-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

This weekend (19th Feb) sees our 2nd Saturday morning group bike rides which we will hopefully continue on through the Summer. This ride is open to any athelite club members but our aim initially is to get those of you out who have been holding back so far for whatever reason, be it the weather, the distance, confidence etc.
Remember - This is not a coached session but a mixed ability group ride, though there will be experienced riders around to help out where needed, especially on these initial sessions.

The ride will be more of an orientation session and we will head to the quiet country roads. Everyone will stick together for the main session but if you want to do a bit more feel free to ride down to the meeting point or add on at the end.

A few points to note;
1. You can come along on any type of bike but please make sure it is roadworthy & the gears & brakes work. We will check your steeds before we head out but that doesn't mean you get a free service!

2. No helmet - no ride. No arguments.

3. We DEPART the shop on Hamilton Cadzow Street at 9.00 am. If you are anything like me it will take you a while to get ready for a winter ride so get there early, wrap up warm & be ready to ride at 9.00. There is a car park behind the shop.

4. Allow time after the ride to consume tea & biscuits in the shop, nothing worse than rushing a hobnob.

Hopefully see you on Saturday!

Swimming

2011-02-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

Swimming this Wednesday night (16th Feb) will not be on as the school is closed.

We will swim Tollcross in the morning for those that are interested.

Calderglen Trail Races

2011-02-13T05:59:00.000-08:00

The ATHelite sponsored Calderglen Trail Races are now live on Entry Central. This is a great evening in June featuring trail races from 1k & 3k for the kids & 5k & 10k races for seniors run in & around Calderglen Country Park. The Harriers website is currently down but all info is on Entry Central.

http://www.entrycentral.com/index.php?festivalID=180&raceID=null

For Goodness Shakes - It's a new product!!

2011-02-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

New product alert - and very tasty it is too!! For Goodness Shakes Protein Recovery Shakes. Great for pulling you back together after those hard swims, bikes & runs. We have tried them and we like them!!

http://www.athelite.net/search/for-goodness-shakes

Extra support for Valentines Day

2011-02-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Nothing says 'I Love You' on Valentines Day like some lingerie so why not go for double brownie points & get her a Sports Bra?! We have some Shock Absorber lines now at HALF PRICE on the website.

http://www.athelite.net/search/shock-absorber-sports-bra

Saturday Morning Bike Ride

2011-02-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend (12th Feb) sees the the first of our Saturday morning group bike rides which we will hopefully continue on through the Summer. This ride is open to any athelite club members but our aim initially is to get those of you out who have been holding back so far for whatever reason, be it the weather, the distance, confidence etc.

Remember - This is not a coached session but a mixed ability group ride, though there will be experienced riders around to help out where needed, especially on these initial sessions.

The first ride will be more of an orientation session and we will initially head to the quiet roads in Strathclyde Park where we will go over some basic group riding principles before heading out for a few miles on the roads. Everyone will stick together for the main session but if you want to do a bit more feel free to ride down or get a group together & go out for more afterwards.

A few points to note;

1. You can come along on any type of bike but please make sure it is roadworthy & the gears & brakes work. We will check your steeds before we head out but that doesn't mean you get a free service!

2. No helmet - no ride. No arguments.

3. We DEPART the shop on Hamilton Cadzow Street at 9.00 am. If you are anything like me it will take you a while to get ready for a winter ride so get there early, wrap up warm & be ready to ride at 9.00. There is a car park behind the shop.

4. Allow time after the ride to consume tea & biscuits in the shop, nothing worse than rushing a hobnob.

Hopefully see you on Saturday!

Swim Technique

2011-02-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

We have been poolside a lot recently looking at people's technique and there is a great Swim Smooth article below that sums up much of what we have been talking about. A good explanation of hand entry, catch & pull.

http://www.feelforthewater.com/2011/02/do-you-ever-get-shoulder-pain-when.html

See this and more on the athelite facebook page...

ATHelite-Running-Triathlon-Specialist

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-02-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

Weekly Specials Time & we think this one will be a popular one!
This week we are offering 30% off all Brooks Nightlife Running Jackets plus a few other choice Brooks clothing items. This our biggest selling Running Jacket year in year out, so a good chance to snap one up at these prices till Thursday only.

Click here for Brooks Clothing Sale

Click here for Brooks Clothing Sale

Champion System

2011-02-05T03:42:00.000-08:00

This bodes well for Pb's at ATHelite Tri Club......

Bobridge Breaks Boardman's Record in CS Speedsuit

Wearing Champion System's custom fitted speedsuit, Australia's Jack Bobridge has just broken Chris Boardman's 4000m individual pursuit world record of 4:11.114 at Sydney's Velodrome during the national elite track championships.
Boardman's time was set in 1996 using the now-banned 'superman' position at the Manchester velodrome and Bobridge's time of 4.14.427 set at the 2010 Australian track titles was considered the closest any rider would come to breaking the Englishman's record.
But after 15 years of trying, a rider has finally broken the barrier previously thought untouchable.

The record was set by the Garmin-Cervelo pro wearing the cutting edge CS Speedsuit. Made from a special wind tunnel-tested dimple fabric developed by the Swiss company Eschler, the CS Speed Suit is a must for any serious time trial or track rider. To view an action shot of Bobridge, click here.

Club Race Calendar

2011-01-28T02:52:00.000-08:00

As discussed at the AGM. below is the proposed list of main events for the club's fixture list. Unfortunately Bishopbriggs is full so we shall remove that and add another ASAP. I propose Peebles triathlon which is a great wee event and has a Novice and Sprint - http://www.bslt.org.uk/triathlon-series-2011/peebles-triathlon.php

Those that are wanting to do Stirling on the 5th June please, please, please, enter immediately as there are only 30 places left for the Sprint and 80 for the Novice - these will fill up today and tomorrow or the next....... ENTER here http://www.entrycentral.com/index.php?festivalID=6

For other races on the list you can find them here http://www.entrycentral.com/

Stirling Duathlon 27th March

Ayr Duathlon 17th April

Bishopbriggs Novice/Sprint Tri 8th May

Stirling Novice/Sprint Tri 5th June

A Day in the Lakes – Half Ironman ** 26th June

Ayr 10K August

Glasgow 10K/Half Marathon September

Strathaven 10K November

Let me know if you are in for ADIL (a day in the lakes).

Links to races;

Ayr Duathlon http://www.entrycentral.com/index.php?raceID=100028

Stirling Duathlon http://www.entrycentral.com/index.php?festivalID=27

Stirling Triathlon http://www.entrycentral.com/index.php?festivalID=6

ADIL http://www.trihard.co.uk/ADIL/ADILhome.htm

ATHelite Tri Club - Club Kit

2011-01-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

As discussed at the AGM our intention is to place a kit order on 4th Feb (end of next week).
We need both your order and payment by this date (no money up front & your order won't be included). Please remember it takes 6-8 weeks turnaround therefore if you have races scheduled April/May/June you will need to order now. The next order after this is planned to be early April. Graeme has revised the order forms to account for price increases, VAT change & new items. Please see Graeme at one of the training sessions, leave a comment here or on the Facebook Page or contact the shop for more details & order forms. Thanks

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-01-24T05:08:00.000-08:00

It's Monday again & that means it's time for this weeks Weekly Special!!

This time it's a great opportunity for all you GORE lovers out there to get your hands on some discounted top level gear that will probably last you for years!

35% off all 2010 Gore stock (Mon to Thurs Only).

http://www.athelite.net/search/gore

ATHelite Triathlon Club AGM

2011-01-24T04:51:00.000-08:00

Please can all Club Members try & attend the AGM tomorrow in the shop for a 7.00pm start.

If anyone has any points for the agenda please leave a comment or email us direct.

Thank you & see you tomorrow.

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-01-17T04:33:00.000-08:00

Monday 17th - Thursday 20th January only!

Women's Ronhill Clothing Winter 2010 - HALF PRICE

Men's Ronhill Clothing Winter 2010 - HALF PRICE

Many other lines discounted up to 50% off at http://www.athelite.net/

ATHelite Tri Club AGM

2011-01-16T04:43:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again.......

Event: ATHelite Triathlon Club AGM
Date: Tuesday 25th January
Time: 6.30pm
Where: ATHelite, Hamilton ML3 6DS

We hope as many of you as possible can make it. The agenda will comprise of this years events, club events, workshops, club fees. Also, appointment of club positions - Secretary, Welfare Officer, President, Social Secretary, Press Officer.

Nibbles and drinks will be provided. Bring your cheque book for club fees
If you would like anything else added to the agenda please email me here

Ignis Women's 10k Race

2011-01-14T05:10:00.000-08:00

The race will take place at 10am on Sunday 8th May, setting off from Glasgow's scenic Bellahouston Park.
Enter by 18th March for the best savings on entry, plus save almost 30% by entering the September Great Scottish Run 10k or Half Marathon at the same time.

More information

Alloa Half Marathon

2011-01-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

The 29th Alloa Round Table Half Marathon takes place on Sunday 20th March 2011.
The race start time is 10:00am .

More Info

Stirling Duathlon and Kids Duathlon

2011-01-14T05:02:00.000-08:00

Sprint Duathlon 27th March
The Duathlon is raced as a run/bike/run format over the following distances: 5km/20km/5km.

Note: This is not the Championship event, but a separate race held on the same day over a shorter distance.

Standard Duathlon 27th March
The Duathlon is raced as a run/bike/run format over the following distances: 10km/40km/5km.

Both routes takes in some of Scotlands most picturesque scenery. The run starts under the shadow of the Wallace Monument within the grounds of Stirling University

Entry and more info

Come on lets get a group up there!!!!!

Buchlyvie 10k

2011-01-14T04:57:00.000-08:00

The Buchlyvie 10k 2011 is now open for public entries.

The Buchlyvie 10k is organised by Sarah Gleave whose aim is to ensure that it continues to be "one of the best 10Ks in Scotland". The course is out and back. It begins in Montgomery Place turning right onto Station Road for just over half a mile turning right onto the old railway track (predominantly firetrack and flat). The halfway turning point is at Barbadoes Cottage (situated on the old railway track). On the return the course finishes with one lap of the village playing field.

More information and entry

Edinburgh Marathon Festival

2011-01-14T04:53:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Edinburgh Marathon Festival will incorporate all the races over the marathon running festival weekend. The name is to represent all of our events that take place on the weekend, this includes: The Edinburgh Marathon Festival Marathon, Half Marathon, Team Relay, 10km, 5km, Junior Race and International Breakfast Run.

We are expecting 30,000 entrants for all events across the weekend.

The Edinburgh Marathon was launched in 2003 by and it is the second largest marathon in the UK.

More info

KIRKINTILLOCH 12.5km Road Race (Run)

2011-01-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

This year’s race will be held on Sunday 20 Feb 2011, with the start at 10.30am. Now in its sixth year, this popular but challenging race will be held over the same course on quiet scenic roads. Registration will be at St Agatha’s Primary school with the start and finish a few metres away. There are toilets but no showers available with car parking at the school. Pre-entry to the race is strongly encouraged as the race as been full in advance most years.

Enter

Website

ATHelite Weekly Special

2011-01-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the launch of our NEW website we are also launching our new ATHelite Weekly Special.

This week - an incredible HALF PRICE on all Mens & Womens Nike Storm Running Jackets!!

HALF PRICE NIKE JACKETS

Available from Monday to Thursday.

Tri Club Training Sessions

2011-01-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

Several new faces appearing in the last few days enquiring about Club Training Sessions so here is the current list of sessions;

Monday;

SWIM; Tollcross, Glasgow. 7.00am
RUN; Montgomery Place, East Kilbride. 6.15pm

Tuesday;

SWIM; Tollcross, Glasgow. 7.00am
BIKE; Indoors, ATHelite Shop. 5.45pm

Wednesday;

SWIM; Hamilton College. 5.15pm

Thursday;

RUN; Montgomery Place, East Kilbride. 6.15pm

Friday;

SWIM; Tollcross, Glasgow. 7.00am

Saturday;

VARIOUS - depending on members preferences

Sunday;

RUN; Long Steady

Please contact us if you need more detail regarding these sessions.

You can see regular updates on the ATHelite Facebook Page. See the link at the bottom of the website homepage http://www.athelite.net/

ATHelite Tri Club AGM

2011-01-08T02:26:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again.......

Event: ATHelite Triathlon Club AGM
Date: Tuesday 25th January
Time: 6.30pm
Where: ATHelite, Hamilton ML3 6DS

We hope as many of you as possible can make it. The agenda will comprise of this years events, club events, workshops, club fees. Also, appointment of club positions - Secretary, Welfare Officer, President, Social Secretary, Press Officer.

Nibbles and drinks will be provided

If you would like anything else added to the agenda please email me here

New Website!!

2011-01-07T04:32:00.000-08:00

In case you hadn't noticed - we now have a new swanky website.

We still have loads more to load up but there is already loads to look at with many items now on sale.

Take a look & sign up for the newsletter to be the first to hear about sales, offers & events.

ATHelite NEW Website

Happy New Training Year!!

2011-01-07T04:21:00.000-08:00

So we hope you all had a great Christmas & New Year - it's now that time when we all want to launch ourselves into the new year but it's hard to do this unless you know what your goals are for 2011. We asked the run group last night what their goals were & it was clear that whilst there were a few people who had already put some thought into this, 50% of people were just coming back to training with little idea of what, if anything, they were training for. Pick a couple of races at different times of the year - enter them, then train for them. Try aiming for something above & beyond last years achievements. Move up a distance or try a Duathlon or Triathlon if you haven't done one before. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Our big race this year is Iromman Switzerland and we now need to launch our 2011 assault on Ironman training for the race in July as the next training phase is upon us.

We are now in Base training phase which is all about building up the endurance in all 3 disciplines. We managed to get a good few off road runs in over the Christmas break to keep things ticking over but the next target is still our bike training camp in Lanzarote in 9 weeks. We are now on a bike focus for the next few weeks in the run up to this. I made an outlandish commitment to bike 100 hours over the winter & I still intend to do this, though I do have a bit of catching up to do! We are now biking 5 days a week - still mainly indoors but outdoors as & when the weather permits & coincides with a day off.

It feels like we have already had winter but unfortunately it is only January & the cold weather continues.Whilst I can run in any weather when most people stay indoors, I am not renowned for my winter biking prowess but I promise to get tough & get out there more. After all, I am not going to complete my 100 hours target by biking indoors on the rollers 5 days a week!

Happy New Training Year - lets make 2011 a rewarding one.

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-24T02:44:00.000-08:00

To all our Staff, Club Members & Customers we hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Many thanks for all your support & custom throughout 2010. We look forward to seeing you all for an exciting & action packed 2011!!

2010-12-15T07:09:00.000-08:00

We are celebrating Christmas early

ATHelite, Hamilton

Friday, 17th December

9.30am - 6.30pm

For the 5th year at ATHelite we are putting on our Santa hats and offering you the following...

25% off all in-store purchases*
25% off Sport Therapist Vouchers
(Pre-pay for an appointment for 25% off the usual price or buy as an ideal Xmas present)
Mince Pies
Mulled Wine
Personal Shopper
Gift Wrapping

Come and see us for a Christmas Catch-up!!

*excludes sale items, already discounted items, Skechers and MBT’s.

ATHelite Tri Club Training Sessions.

2010-12-15T03:19:00.000-08:00

o Wednesday 15th LAST SWIM at Hamilton College 2010!

o Wednesday 15th Rollers, ATHelite 6.50 for 7.00pm

o Thursday 16th Usual Run 6.15 – 7.15pm

o Friday 17th Swim Tollcross 7.00am

o Friday 17th Discount day at ATHelite

o Sunday 19th Long Run, Whitelees Wind Farm 9am Last one of the Year (for us)

o Monday 20th Swim Tollcross 7.00am

o Monday 20th Usual Run 6.15 – 7.15pm

o Wednesday 22nd Rollers, ATHelite 6.50 for 7.00pm Last one of the 2010!

o Thursday 23rd Usual Run 6.15 – 7.15pm

o Sunday 26th No Run - unless you want to hook up???

o Monday 27th Usual Run 6.15 – 7.15pm

o Thursday 30th No Run – unless you want to hook up???

No Swim at Tollcross on the 24th, 27th, 31st as the Pool Opens at 9am.

I'd recommend you all try and hook up over the Holiday to get training sessions in.

You can leave comments here or on the Facebook page to organise.

Happy Holidays!!

2010-12-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

Winter Reductions instore at ATHelite

A Two Day Bonanza!!

25% OFF

all Footwear & Clothing

(excluding sale items, MBTs and Skechers)

Thursday 9th and Friday 10th December

ONLY!!!!

2010-12-04T08:04:00.001-08:00

Sandy, I need your meal choice for the night out no later than Sunday 5th!

Pool Mate Swim Watch by Swimovate

2010-12-04T04:25:00.000-08:00

After being so popular and selling out we've managed to get the Pool Mate back in stock at ATHelite

The Pool-Mate is the only fully automatic Swimming Computer. Simply press the Start button and begin to swim. No forgetting your lap count! No pressing buttons at the end of each lap!

Features:

Laps, Time, Average Strokes per lap, Speed, Distance, Calories, Set times, Pause function, Efficiency Index, Large Memory, Alarm and fully functioning stylish digital watch, Water Resistant to 50m

ATHelite website