Kayak Training Triathlon, 2015 Macclesfield
The first of John’s Training Days took place on Sunday and what glorious weather for the 1st of November! A great enthusiastic bunch of us had an excellent training session and it was well worth the trip to Macclesfield … Back to Back Sessions are much more fun when there’s 10 of you!
All Ten of us paddled on the Canal, then rode and ran. John managed to be 1st off the water, closely followed by Nigel who was quickly away on his bike. Ned was not far behind but waited briefly to accompany Jean on the ride as she did not know the route. A good hilly route out of Bollington, with plenty of undulations and cheeky climbs! John waited to ride with Mary Margaret and Tim. Andrew went off ahead of us and Jaqui and Cliff brought up the rear (Cliff is new to paddling his K1). We finished the run much the same order as we set off on the bike, except for Cliff who went storming past a few of us. The order did not matter as there were no prizes, we were all just out to have a good time, a good quality Brick Session with two hours or so training in the Bank! Not to mention the homemade Cake and Flapjack to finish!
Good to see the regular Quadrathletes out from Macclesfield Canoe Club, and potential Quadrathlete Andrew Gage getting some training in before he embarks on his first Quad next season. Good to see Tim Deykin back in action after a few years out, now going well again! Thanks to newcomers to our sport Cliff and Jaqui for coming up all the way from Frome! Lets hope more athletes on the start list for next year ….. more of this training and we’ll all certainly be ready!!
The Next Training Day is 6th December – Meet at Adelphi Mill, Grimshaw Lane, Bollington, SK10 5JB, in time for a 9:00 start.
John Kavanagh winner of the Eric Hatliff Trophy this year, is going to continue encouraging like minded athletes over the winter months by organizing some ‘off season’ training sessions. John has had a brilliant season this year, he’s raced 4 of our Trophy races, competed in the Long Course World Quad Champs in Hannover, and Won Gold. He also went to Poland the the World Middle Distance championships winning Silver in his V60 category. He has won the BQA Vet 60 Trophy and also the World (WQF) Gold Medal and Crystal Globe …… and just to top it all completed in the Bolton Ironman!
As off season training, John will be doing a series of kayak triathlons on the first Sunday of each month starting in November through to March. These will be a 5km paddle, about 20km cycle and 6km run. Transitions will include the time it takes for him to put his kayak back on his car and get his bike out etc.
They will be starting at 9:00 – unless he hears from people that a later start would enable them to join me. PLEASE let him know if this would help.
Anyone is welcome to join in, but please note that this is an informal outing for individuals, not an event organised by any club or organisation.
People may also choose to do their own variation, e.g. Run, Cycle, Run. The intention is to have fun training with others rather than serious racing. Weather conditions might also force a change of plans, for one of the races last year the canal was frozen …. so they did a Duathlon!
No specific rules, no timekeeper or marshals, everyone is responsible for themselves, and their own equipment and its safety. John will be happy to cycle in a group with anyone unfamiliar with the bike route.
1st November – Meet at Adelphi Mill, Grimshaw Lane, Bollington, SK10 5JB, in time for a 9:00 start.
DATES – 1st November, 6th December 2015 – 3rd January, 7th February, 6th March 2016, any changes will be posted on our BQA facebook page.
Hi Quadrathletes,
The last major championships in the Quadrathlon World Cup Series took place in Lake Balaton in Hungary at the end of August 2015. The temperature soared into the 40°C mark giving organizer Adam Schmuck and his team lots of work to keep the competitors cool and the race as hot as is ever required for a sprint distance race. We certainly haven’t had any conditions as warm as that at any of our races this year ….. but you never know we still have 2 races left in our British Trophy Series!
On 1st August Phil Holden and Robert Jefferies raced in Samorín, at the World Sprint Quadrathlon Championships – 0,75 km swim – 20 km bike – 4 km kayak – 5 km run.
It’s the bike next, and we run up the steep grass embankment to the tarmac path along the Danube and mount up. I set to and go chasing, on the only leg where I have any real chance of gaining places. After a short section we turn back into the wind. Fortunately the torsos of these strong Czechs and Slovaks offer more windage than mine, so I creep up a dozen or so places. I count the people ahead as they go back the other way, I’ve got up to 34th. We turn again tightly by the ferry over to Hungary, and fly back with the following wind. Watch for the odd nasty hole and lumps in the tarmac, and overtaking cyclists coming the other way. I can’t catch any more.
Excited commentary on the PA momentarily exceeds the flow of pumping dance music. A young Hungarian woman seems to have a short time penalty in the box and then races up the bank and off, as I start to plod behind with legs feeling like lead. The run is an unforgiving out and back on the tarmac, it must be around 30 degrees now. Some cool water feels good on my head, but this is hard and I haven’t much left to give. A man flies past looking fresh, then we catch the Slovak second placed woman and make the turn, I stretch my longer legs and overtake the petite Hungarian, trying to nail the move with a sustained push. The next guys are quite far ahead. I gain on them as one overtakes the other but we’ve run out of road, it’s gasping down the bank, onto the mat and there’s the line!
