Wednesday 29 July 2015

Oxfam SDW Trailwalker, DTUF Half and REP Worthing Triathlon 2015 now live


Wet Wet Wet at Worthing Tri 2015
 Wet Wet Wet, a popular band from the 1990's once sung - "I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes..." in their hit "love is all around". No matter that it was a cover from the 1967 Troggs song, but ended up being a massive hit because it was used as the main theme song to the film "Four Weddings and a Funeral".
Anyhow - This was indeed how we felt the rain on Sunday, as did pretty much everyone we saw running or walking. We felt the rain in both our fingers and our toes.

However, nowhere in the song does it mention rain. The one rain scene at the end of the film where our bumbling hero played by Hugh Grant realises that he does love her after all, is generally considered to be ruined by her delivery of the line "It is still raining ? I hadn't noticed" . Well we did.

The rain on Sunday wasn't really that romantic, and it was wetter. We didn't notice the rain that much either, mainly because of the hypothermia that was setting in, despite wearing winter clothes and waterproofs.

Welcome to Summertime everyone and well done on getting through it !

Here are the latest galleries

Race Logo Gallery Link
PP DTUF http://bit.ly/PP-DTUF-Half-Gallery-2015
REP Worthing Tri http://bit.ly/REP-Worthing-Tri-Gallery-2015 - Free downloads
Oxfam South Downs Way (SDW) Trailwalker http://bit.ly/Oxfam-Trailwalker-2015-Gallery

Here are some other galleries from past weeks - which judging by the web traffic have been missed - probably due to the start of the summer holidays and end of exams:
Wed-08/07/2015 http://bit.ly/RPAC-Summer-10k-2015-Photo-Gallery
Sun-12/07/2015 http://bit.ly/ETL-Badger-2015-Gallery
Sun-12/07/2015 http://bit.ly/Wycombe-Half-Marathon-2015-Gallery
Wed-15/07/2015 http://bit.ly/Phoenix-10k-gallery-2015
Sun-19/07/2015 http://bit.ly/Harry-Hawkes-10-2015-Gallery
Sun-19/07/2015 http://bit.ly/Marlow-Middle-Distance-Tri-2015-Gallery


At the Worthing Tri on Sunday it started raining at about 8:30, but it wasn't until 9:45 that the main squall hit - so the sprint tri was basically dry, and the standard tri - wet... As it was the European qualifiers - they need to bear in mind that it does rain in europe too, so all good training in case it does on the big day...
running out from the swim warm up

Getting on with it for the sprint tri - for a dry run

Fresh from a swim and off for a bike ride

Bubblegum optional

off to the hills

off Up the Downs

not too wet and windy

Almost blown off his feet, but just a bit wet.

Meanwhile over near the River Thames, on the Purple Patch Down Tow Up Flow (DTUF) Half Marathon... it had already started to rain when the race started at 10am

All good at the Marina - boats available in event of flooding

The flood plains were dry as long as you ran fast enough

Down past the Lock at Dorney (might take a strimmer to that hedge stopping the view next time)

Keep your feet dry they said. Good Luck we said.

Not quite what they meant though

Double thumbs up and flying into the finish. No supporters on the bank this year in the rain though...

Mel and Rich made it round with the biggest smiles of the day
Starting on Saturday at 6am was fine for most people for the Oxfam Trailwalker, and to be fair, until sunday the conditions were perfect with a tailwind blowing them up the hills and along the south downs way. It was about 9am (a bit later than at worthing) that it started to fly cats and dogs and stair rods down. If you had finished in under 25hours and had an early start - you would have been fine - and the first 825 finishers benefited from that !

We had phtographers at the start, just after CP2, on the section at Bignor Hill after CP3, up the climb after CP4 and then at the finish from 9:20pm - because even at CP4 it started to go dark and we like a bit of light if you want a view of the countryside behind you...
Very well done to everyone who made it through the 60miles and also through the rain !
Not far enough in for some people

Good team running

Oxfam team finish at the Brighton racecourse

happy to be finished !

Potential Boy Band team entry

Cracked *that* hill !

gather round, gather round

These girls can and did !

positive mental attitude at the start

Gurka Breakfast at the start - pack those calories in

Hooray for walking on the flat

Top team finishing

Team "The Walking Tread" feeling a bit tired and sleepy afterwards

Flying the Flag at the finish

The flags not quite being blown away in the wind and some expectant supporters !
So get yourself online and over to the galleries to get this weeks memories for your "life long laugh bank" as someone referred to it the other day...
Congratulations on finishing the challenge of the weekend and the weather !!

until next time
Anthony

p.s. yes I did like four weddings and a funeral when it came out, and Wet Wet Wet in the 1980's and 1990's. I also like Ikea Hejne Shelfs for garage storage with the deep shelfs...




Wednesday 22 July 2015

Phoenix 10k, Harry Hawkes 10mile, and F3 Events Half Ironman Middle distance Tri 2015

A multitude of races through the week and weekend with some lucky weather on the way.
The midweek Brighton Phoenix 10k had free live digital downloads provided via Pic2Go technology - a first for a race in Sussex, and perfect running conditions except for the humidity which took it's toll on a few pushing their pace.

Sunday saw the Harry Hawkes 10 mile and the F3 Events Marlow Half IronMan Triathlon - both with slightly soggy overnight rain but brightening up perfectly for the races themselves.

This is where the galleries are:

Race Logo Gallery Link
Brighton Phoenix 10k 2015
Free photos via Pic2Go available on the gallery page, otherwise you can order them as normal:
http://bit.ly/Phoenix-10k-gallery-2015
Harry Hawkes 10mile Classic
http://bit.ly/Harry-Hawkes-10-2015-Gallery
F3 Events Marlow Half Ironman Middle Distance Triathlon
http://bit.ly/Marlow-Middle-Distance-Tri-2015-Gallery

Please make sure you read the search instructions - 'sss' for unidentified swim exit images, and let us know any corrections so that they can be included in your collections.




The Brighton Phoenix 10k - took part on Hove Lawns last wednesday evening - perfect summer sun and warmth and a tail wind on the way back (possibly a bit warm for some). With Pic2Go being used by participants to get their images direct to facebook - the images were seen over 124,000 times on facebook - and with over 2550 likes and 358 comments to date it looks like it was a very well received and popular service to bring to the race.
If you used the service and liked it - please let us know - it's always good to get feedback !

All go on the Gun in perfect summer conditions

That concentration into the distance look at the start

The view from the front near Hove Tennis Lawns

It's all quite good fun really

Tom made a good showing 

The new i360 goes up in the background at the finish

Finn takes first place

It's not always that painful

I wonder what she had seen ?

Fast run in with the wind behind

if you do cross over to high-5 your kids, mind the poor runner overtaking you that you might have to reach across...
Meanwhile on Sunday at the Harry Hawkes 10 mile classic:


Steady Start for the run up to Kingston, Hampton and back


All going well along the riverbank with double thumbs up

well ahead of the rest of the field behind

another double thumbs up means all is ok


Pushing into the finish

Always good to bring some Pride to a race


Getting overtaken in his blind spot at the finish...

Great teamwork

Jayne drags another victim to their end
 Meanwhile in Marlow...
Big splashes from the off

The Synchro quad gets into their stroke

Interesting stroke recovery...

Need a smaller watch

DOh ! Forgot to get hand marking

see - no hand marking

Swim finished, all is ok

Down the hill into the sun

Aero

Keeping it running into T2

found something extra at the finish

The joy of finishing


Time for walkies please, surely one more lap is ok ?

Always good to finish with friends

kicking it out on the course on the way back in

Can't look up, concentrating, will a wave do ?

over the bridge of sighs

All smiles on lap 1

By lap 3 it had started to take it's toll

Can't be too bad with double thumbs up and a lovely backdrop

This weekend coming up has the Oxfam trailwalker along the Southdowns way to finish at Brighton race course, the European Qualifiers at the Worthing Triathlon with Raw Energy Pursuits, and the Purple Patch Down Tow Up Flow half marathon is the only race of the weekend that is taking entries on the day - all other races are now closed.

Don't get wet on Friday and have a good time at the weekend wherever you are, remember it's schools out for summer - so it's bound to be a busy one...

until next time
Anthony