ATHelite Tri Club

Bike - Graeme has requested an additional bike session!!! As of this Tuesday (3rd March), we will do a speed work turbo session in ATHelite Hamilton. Starting at 6.00pm. Duration at least 1hr.
Let me know if you fancy this as the shop door will be locked.

ATHelite Tri Club

Good swim session this morning - alot turned out and we seemed to take over the lane!!

Bike Ride - Saturday, meet at 9am East Kilbride Shop for 20 odd miles, you can add as many miles onto the 20 as you like.

see you all tonight for the AGM...no new ideas (AOB) on the night as the agenda is already jam packed. If you have anything to add please email me today and I'll see if we can slot it in.

Trossachs Training Camp 2009

Updated AGAIN! and AGAIN!!
Only 6 places left!!!
The TTC09 is already more than half full, 28 out of 34 places have already gone. So please, if you are interested fill in an entry form and return to ATHelite. Only £10 deposit required to secure your place.

ATHelite Tri Club AGM

UPDATED
It's a Goer,
ATHelite Triathlon Club AGM - Hamilton Shop about 6.45 for 7pm?
Items to be discussed;
-The Club Constitution!
-Secretary/Treasuer any other positions voted in
-Training Days/Nights
-Club Kit
-Fees
-Perks!?!?!?
-Training Days away/Training Camps (added 26/2/09)
-Fixture List/Club Championship (added 26/2/09)
see posting belowing for comments or leave comments in original post please. Leave a comment or email if you would like something added to the list.

Drybridge Icebreaker TTT

So we took part in our first ever competitive bike Time Trial this morning - we have done plenty of club 10 & 25 mile time trials & longer 100+ sportives but never one of these.

The Icebreaker is a good first race of the season - a 12 mile Team Time Trial out on the A78 near Irvine. Myself & Mrs ATHelite were the team - going off together you take it in turns to draft & hang off your partners back wheel but change positions every 30 secs to a minute to keep the pace high & technically recover (very) briefly.

We arrived to find lots of fast looking guys sitting on the road side on turbos before the start - all I wanted to do was dump the bike back in the car & just run it. Shows where my comfort zone is.

Best practice is obviously to practice this constant drafting/leading changeover & I am sure most teams did. Not us though - typically for us we got to practice for the first time during the 10 minute warm up! Lucky that as husband & wife we are completely in tune (?!?).
The warm up/practice/finessing was a little sketchy to say the least but as soon as we left the start we actually got it together pretty well with some good communication & lots of code words being shouted (none that we had agreed on 10 minutes earlier!).

Our main aim was to get as near to 40 minutes as possible but weren't sure about it as the wind was pretty blustery in every direction as always. After a very hard last 1/2 mile chasing down the clock we actually managed 39.51 so really pleased. Not only that but we discovered after we left that we actually won 3rd mixed team so over the moon for our first proper bike race.

Summary -
1. Mrs ATHelite seems to be really comfortable on the bike - pushing some pretty big gears throughout and spending half the time on the front when initially we thought I might do more.

2. I however need to do more work - I did not find my bike set up comfortable & know I can go much faster than that. First race though.

3. Fullarton Wheelers do a good spread afterwards - can't beat sugary tea & battenberg after a race!!

Another busy week!!

That seemed like a really tough week - Monday was taken as a rest day as we were both so tired, (if you can call trudging round Glasgow at 8.00am trying to sort passports, followed by 4 hours on the sofa then out with JogScotland a rest!), 4 swims & only 2 runs. Focus now is on the bike - we managed a couple of early morning 25/30 milers in the week - nice to go out in the dark & see the sun come up, we will try & do more of that next week. You get to work afterwards feeling amazing but by the time the evening arrives you are falling asleep in your dinner!

We have both been tired this week but especially me, I don't sleep well if I know I have to be up at 6.00am, but just need to adapt to this as it is the only extra training time we really have.

Saturday was another recovery day as we were racing this morning (Sunday) so the ATHelite Club had to go out on their own - a great turnout though & they all did really well given the blustery conditions.

Looking forward to tomorrow for a good longer bike - we are hoping the weather will be kind to us as we are hoping for about 4.5 hours in the saddle.

This mornings race report to follow.....

ATHelite Tri Club

Bike Ride - tomorrow (Saturday 21st), meet at East Kilbride shop at 9.00am. Should be a nice morning. I was out at 6am this morning at it was fabulous...only 2 cars passed me and it was so mild....LOVE IT! Helmets must worn.
see you in the morning....leave a comment

ATHelite Triathlon Club AGM - can you all make next Friday night? Hamilton Shop about 6.45 for 7pm? Please leave a comment so we can get an idea of numbers.
Items to be discussed;

• The Club?!?!?
• Secretary/Treasuer any other positions
• Training Days/Nights
• Club Kit
• Fees
• Perks!?!?!?
• Training Days away/Training Camps (added 26/2/09)
• Fixture List/Club Championship (added 26/2/09)

ATHelite run in the park 5k, Chatelherault

Well - were we lucky again with the weather or what?
Given that the trails were covered in either snow or sheet ice a couple of days previous we ended up with a clear 5k course with only a few splodgy areas to trouble our intrepid runners.

The race started at 10.00am prompt & saw an early lead out by Stephen Matthews as the runners left the open park & headed into the 'undulating' trails. Who knows what went on in there for the following 16 minutes but first out into the view from the Start/Finish line was last years winner Stephen Wylie from Cambuslang. It would be fair to say he was 'pure flyin' as he made light of the last 1/2km down to the finish, winning in a new Course Record of 16.56. Outstanding given the challenges & terrain of the trails. Second home was the 1st years winner Robert Gilroy (we think he might have won if he had still had blond hair) just keeping a bit of distance between himself & 3rd place Stephen Matthews.

First Lady home in 21.37 was Jo Clark from local club Motherwell AC followed in by Jessie Miller from Motherwell AC & in 3rd place Carol Munro. From Motherwell AC.
Motherwell always have great success at the ATHelite 5k & also cleared up the Male & Female Team prizes as well as Vet & Super Vet categories so a good day for the club.

Many more runners continued over the finish line for the next half an hour to collect their well deserved Goody Bags of Mugs, Energy Bars, Water & a cheeky Tunnocks.
Well done to everyone who took part in this challenging but scenic race & we look forward to seeing you next year for another go at it.

Finally, BIG thanks to all the helpers & marshalls & time keepers (you know who you are) for taking a bit of time out to help us as always. It is much appreciated by us & indeed all the runners. Thank you & HAPPY RUNNING!!!

Results; http://www.calderglenharriers.org.uk/ATHelite5k_2009Results02.pdf

ATHelite Run in the Park 5k

Click on the link below for a photo gallery of this years race. Some of you were a bit too fast for our photographer - either that or he had a bit too much of something on Valentines night.

See if you can spot yourself........

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/ATHelite.net/ATHeliteRunInThePark5k2009?feat=directlink

ATHelite Triathlon Club

Bike Ride - Still quite icy so Turbo Session it is at ATHelite, Hamilton. 9.15am Saturday 14th.
Bring bike and Turbo. Hopefully get back out on road next week.

ATHelite Run in the Park 5k

Race Guide for Sunday 15th February

Thankyou for entering our Trail Race – below are a few pointers to help you on the day…

This is a Trail race and is therefore uneven, undulating & includes a number of stairs (going down), slopes, roots, branches etc. Please take care on the trails to avoid injury.

Toilets are available in the Courtyard of Chatelherault House & will be open from 9.00am.

The start line is narrow - please choose your position sensibly to avoid congestion – try to avoid impeding faster runners who may be behind you.

There will be a small tent at the start for changing however this is just a shelter & by no means private!

Whilst the Park should be relatively quiet we will be sharing it with its regular users – please be aware & considerate of other runners/ walkers/ dogs etc. Marshalls will try to warn all other users of the park. Please try & keep left where possible.

Prize giving will be at the finish at 10.45am (ish)

Finally we hope you have a great run – enjoy it & remember to pick up your goody bag at the finish!

Lets Crunch!!!

Struggling to tie your laces? (or even see them?)

Tired of exploding belts?


Ashamed in the showers?


Sounds like you need to be doing the Two Hundred Sit Ups plan.

Having made it half way through the penultimate week of the One Hundred Push Ups plan (I will point out that I haven't actually done 100 yet but I'm banking on it all coming together in the next 10 days!), I am now seeking a new challenge. And yes, it is crunches.

Same applies as with the Push Ups - carry out the initial test & see where to start & away you go. I managed 40, but only because it said 0 - 37 was 'poor' & refused to be poor - I am an athlete!!! Felt sick afterwards.

Incidently - ignore the image above, you are allowed to keep your skin & arms on whilst doing them.

Log on & see how you get on....

http://www.twohundredsitups.com/

Flippin' eck it's cold!!

So we ran JogScotland on Thursday night - 1 mile efforts on the ice becomes 1.5 mile efforts by the time you've factored in wheel spin.
The Friday morning swim session was a good one - the total distance increases slightly each time but the fatigue doesn't. I used to go to work afterwards & wake up every time the front door pinged but this time I went to work & did my 100 press ups regime. Into week 5 now & completed 173 press ups over the 5 sets so pretty chuffed. Mrs ATHelite is progressing into week 3 now - steady progress but I don't think she is going to be a Power Lifter when she is older! We are both swimming faster now & I am sure part of the reason is the push ups.

Mrs A sat on the bike in the house first thing Saturday morning whilst I headed out for a run at 7.30am - it started snowing heavily the minute I stepped out the door & stopped the minute I got home. Quite nice to run in, though the new snow does hide the sheet ice hiding beneath - I couldn't do the splits before, but now I can't get my legs together.

A longer run first thing this morning (Sun) saw us heading out into the very cold minus 5 temperatures. I just could not get warm & ended up wearing virtually all our clothes whilst Mrs ATHelite ran in a t-shirt! Not very gentleman-like but I was freezing & she has no thermostat & is constantly roasting so no problem. We did cut the run slightly shorter than the desired 2 hours but we did a good deed by saving the life of a small field mouse. Rolling about on its back in the middle of the road it was. I wrapped it in straw & popped it in the hedge. No mouth to mouth required fortunately, though it was a pretty little thing.

We finished the run, now feeling warm with goodness & headed to the shops to sit on the bikes before work.
We had intended to do the St Christies 10 Mile TT today but decided that 1. We would have been late to the shops & 2. We were more interested in time on the bike rather than a time trial, so we went to our respective shops early & sat on the Turbo/ Rollers for 1.5hrs instead.
It was good - I managed to watch yesterdays 6 Nations Rugby on the BBC iPlayer on the laptop whilst cycling - certainly makes the time pass quicker.

An hour of Core & Stretching this evening will take us just over the 10 training hours that we were targeting. Next week the biking needs to go up as we only have one month till the warm weather training.

ATHelite Tri Club

Bike - ok, so it's going to be frosty and icy this Saturday...what we propose is a turbo session in ATHelite Hamilton Shop.
We already have a few up for this so leave a comment or email if you're coming.
You will need bike and turbo!!
See you all 9.15am

Training is on the up!

So following a week of the sniffles we are all cleared out & gathering pace again.

10 training hours each last week - as mentioned before we had Mrs ATHelites sister over for a week so with her in tow (or infront in the pool) we had a couple of good swim sessions, only 1 bike due to poor weather & a good few runs of varying length & speed.

This week so far our main Monday training day was hampered by the snow so we all went for a long walk around snow covered Auldhouse (why is walking so hard - I can run for miles but make me walk & I find it exhausting!). Monday night was the traditional snow run at the Harriers - away from the roads & up around the Golf course in the dark & snow. Pretty extreme conditions & wearing glasses & not contact lenses was definately a bad choice - I was virtually blind for half of it with the snow coming at us sideways. We must have run a total of 10 miles that night including running to the club & home, very tough & I struggled to stick with the usual gang but I haven't been out with them this year so it's to be expected!

Tuesday rest day, then last night (Wednesday) was Roller Night at the Road Club - a hard session but good fun on the bike rollers. Need to do more of this - we have the EKRC training camp looming in Spain in March & don't feel very ready for this!

JogScotland tonight followed by the Harriers again then swimming with the ATHelite group in the morning then maybe some more bike rollers tomorrow night.
Saturday morning should be the ATHelite bike group but we are a bit dubious about the weather conditions so watch this space!

ATHelite 5k Run in the Park

We are still looking for a couple of marshals for our 5k in Chatelherault Country Park.....
please leave a comment or contact us if you can help.

There's a goody bag in it for you..