tri talk with ....
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If you are looking for inspiration, GTC member Adrian Thorley is a prime model. Adrian is a perfect example of showing you what you can
achieve if you want it badly enough. Starting with a minor dabble in
triathlon last year he was soon persuaded to take up the challenge of
Ironman Nice in June of this year. Adrian wasn't exactly a natural
waterbaby but he proved that with a little help from swim instructor Jen
and a lot of practice and grim determination a 3.8k sea swim (with 2,000 other triathletes) was a walk
in the park. As well as Ironman Nice, Adrian also completed the Paris
marathon earlier this year and the Rotterdam marathon last year. Adrian
lives in St Peter Port with his wife Liz. |
Which sports did you do before triathlon? I played football, very badly, for NatWest in the Business League for a couple of seasons. At school, I did everything I could to get out of sport, including working in an Oxfam shop on a Tuesday afternoon, when "games" was on!
What's your most memorable race? Without a doubt, IronMan France 2008 - an unforgettable experience.
What's your favourite discipline? Most definitely the bike.
Most embarrassing moment? Consistently arriving in T1 to find my bike is the only one left on the rack!
What event are you currently training for? The Guernsey Granite Man in August (and the inter insular in Jersey!)
Favourite post race meal? Roast Dinner, especially chicken. Is it wrong to have six potatos and four Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire Puddings??
Most treasured piece of triathlon kit? My Giant TCR.
Sporting hero? Dame Ellen McArthur - some may not view yachting as a sport, but this lady is an inspiration - incredibly brave and determined.
What frustrates you? People who have no consideration for others and accept no responsibility for their actions.
Favourite TV show? Boston Legal.
What was your last holiday? Nice (for IronMan France) but, before that, two weeks in Egypt with Liz last November.
Final comment? I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who has given me so much support and encouragement since I joined up last year. Here's to many more years of enjoyment.
SAM'S DIARY
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For those of you who don't know Sam Herridge, Sam is Guernsey's elite female triathlete. She won the GTC's Novice Triathlon back in 2005 and from then on there was no stopping her. Sam represented Guernsey in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 and won individual gold and team gold in the Island Games in Rhodes last year. Not to mention her successes as an elite athlete! Sam is aiming to compete in the following races this year: |
Sunday 11 May - Helston Triathlon - 1hr 12 mins - 10th overall (out of 221 entries), 1st female
Sunday 8 June - Blenheim Triathlon - 1hr 13 mins - 4th female
Sunday 15 June - Windsor Triathlon - 2hrs 8mins 50 sec - 3rd female
Saturday 26 June - Corus Race - Bryn Back Parc National Champs
Sunday 3 August - Egirdir European Cup - Turkey - 2hrs 6 mins 48 sec- 5th female
Sunday 10 August - London Triathlon - 2hrs 4mins 52 sec - 8th female
Sunday 24 August - Weiswampach European Cup - Luxembourg
Sunday 31 August - Bordeaux Tri - French team
Sunday 7 September - Corus Race - Strathclyde Supersprint
Sunday 21 September - La Baule Tri (French Team) or Perranporth
Wednesday 22 October - Alanya Continental Cup, Turkey
15 August 2008 - update
Following a two week pre-Olympic training camp in Montpellier, France with my old training partner Flora Duffy from Bermuda; I have been busy on the racing circuit. The first race was the elite national championships in Wales, followed by my first European Cup race in Egirdir, Turkey where I was placed a creditable 5th. The following weekend I was competing in the London Triathlon to finish 8th in a strong field, and this coming weekend sees me returning to the Channel Islands to represent Guernsey in the Jersey inter-insular triathlon.
I suffered at the Bryn Bach National Championships, having just driven for over 5 hours returning from France. It was a combination of trying out a new race strategy – which included trying to draft on the swim, and just not having the race legs for the bike or the run. I just fell into one pace and couldn’t get myself out of it again. I was disappointed finishing in 13th place, although I should take some comfort from the fact the time was 10seconds quicker than last year.
I was then back at work for four days before flying to Turkey for the Egirdir European Cup. The race was being used by numerous European Olympic Athletes as a final tune up before heading to Bejing. Despite the travelling, the race was really enjoyable, and I had a really good result. Leading out the swim with Czech Republic athlete Radka Vodickova (the eventual winner), we worked well on the bike together to build up over a two minute lead on the chase athletes including Carolyn Murray from Canada, and Diniz Dimaki from Greece. However, racing in temperatures of over 35 degrees soon took its toll, and I eventually took 5th place in an overall time of 2.06.48 – a credible performance for my first European outing.
The London Triathlon claims to be the largest triathlon in the world, with over 10,000 age group and elite competitors taking part over the weekend. After “an average swim” for me, I found myself in the chase pack on the bike. The past two years in London, the water has been warm enough for a non-wetsuit swim which really suits me, as it emphasises the difference between the good and weak swimmers. Unfortunately with the horrendous weather we’ve been having, it was a wetsuit swim, which helps other weaker swimmers a lot more than it helps me!
I worked with Andrea Whitcombe, Jodie Stimpson, Kirsty McWIlliam, Vicky Holland and Kathrin Muller from Germany on the bike, the group failed to bridge the gap to the pack in front. I really wanted to attack the run this time, as my run splits haven’t been reflecting the times I’ve been doing in training. So although I did some work on the first half of the bike, the second half I did stay at the back of the pack to reserve some energy to really attack off the bike.
And attack I did, with a personal best run split of 38.23, by nearly a minute. I managed to overhaul two athletes in front of me on the run, I eventually finished in 8th place, in a time of 2.04.52 - my best placing so far at the London event.
I will be competing in Jersey this weekend to hopefully help Guernsey colleagues to Inter-Insular victory, before a three week training block with no competitions to prepare for the back end of the season. I am really looking forward to competing back in the Channel Islands again, and I am very hopeful of a Guernsey Inter-insular victory!
Meanwhile, I will be looking to focus on the remaining races in my season, including the British Grand Prix Strathclyde Supersprint Eliminator; the Vienna ITU European Cup in Austria, the La Baule French Triathlon for my French team, and hopefully the Alanya Continental Cup in Turkey. Coverage of the London Triathlon should be on Channel 4 in a couple of weeks time, on a Sunday morning.
Thanks
Sam