Blenheim Place Revisited. The BATS Have Returned and have Brought reinforcements , with a 12 strong Squad The 2015 Take over can begin.

Well This year has Seen the Club Grow and with in that more and more of us are Gaining confidence to Go Out there and compete ...... And Compete Hard.....

So with enough Members to Make up Three Teams for the Saturday , it was going to be a Girls Vrs The Boys Affair... Hehe and no stopping our Ladies from putting a strong show on for everyone.

BATS Dream Team = Myself (swim) Stephen Cox (bike) Tony Terras (run)

BATS Crazy Ladies = Michelle Copeland (swim) Joanne Jenkinson (bike) Deborah Terras (run)

Blackpool

Aquatics BATS = David Barnes (swim) Simon Dixon (bike) Kevin Rawding (run)

Umm this was going to be interesting from the off, some teams Choosing To Go Strong at the Front while others saving there strongest till the Run.....

So I'll be brutally honest I wasn't in the swim for a win , more of a right of passage, so that said this left The Boss (David ) up against one of our strongest Swimmers we have , Yes Michelle had Everything to win and nothing to lose...... Anyone who knows Michelle will also know how Focused she can be, But up against The Boss, you would be a fool not to have a side bet going on just in case .... Lol...

So while we settle in the water I could see David getting in place , centre about 3 back , I am think game plan is he is going to draft for a short distance then just open up his stroke and go for it, Michelle on the other hand opted to stay close to the Lane rope , picking a shorter more direct route, and just Pushing her self right up front, you could see guys looking and thinking pardon Love Back Off or your going to get swam over... Lol.. These guys don't know Michelle.... Well as the starter gets us under way Michelle was off , as the murky waters in front of me Turned Fluffy and white I lost them both ....

So it's just down to the time of Swim and that Run Up Hill to T1 , 400m dash in a wetsuit and bare foot..... So The Boss was out in 14:41 and a T1 of 4:24

Michelle had a Epic Swim with a 14:14 and a T1 of 4:25, this was a Job Done and a Job Done well, no one takes 27 sec's of David over 750m OW by chance , this was just pure Effort, well done.....

Me , well with my breathing still not becoming my friend in OW all I could do was my best Breaststroke and hope I could hang on to my pace... As I was swimming away All I could think of was that Run Up to T1 , I had nothing left to do but run up a Hill for 400m, umm.... Well it was going to be my only chance of making up places in this section....

So coming out of the water in 21:44 (3 sec of last season pace) it was time to up my game , give it everything plus give a bit more that I didn't have.... Making my Run to T1 in 4:02

Wow I am happy with that.....

 So for us it's down to Coxy to reel in Jo and Simon on the bike section , and hopefully give Tony enough time to regain a lead in the Run....

Coxy didn't let our game plan down at All working on double time and just catching Jo on the final 30m coming into T2 , this was going to be Epic... What's left is a Husband and Wife Run Off, both Deborah and Tony coming out of T2 together.... Phew... You kinda know how this race will end, but never sure till the Finish line.....

Simon Put an Epic fight together on the Bike leg , like my self the under Dog in his section , but Not Taking anything away from His Efforts... Be Proud Simon , because we Are.... Kevin was soon out on the Run , but this wasn't going to be Easy, All that was left was to see how Fast Tony was on this 5K two lap up Hill Down Dale circuit....

Wow 21:17 Job Done Nice one Tony....

Kevin was pulling time back with a 28:24

And Deborah's Epic Time of 30:16 that is a great pace for this course....

So how did we All do....

Well BATS Dream Team Home in 1:26:22

...... BATS Crazy Ladies home in  1:35:21

And Blackpool Aquatics BATS in 1:44:09

So Who Won , Well We All Won, Everyone going All out in each off there own section, pushing our selfs to new limits..... Team Bonding, Amazing Banter and that All important Support for each other.....

Truly Great stuff.

So let's Move on to the Individual Events, here we have some Athletes taking on All new Challenges and event Open water Event Virgins... Wow ....

So Step Up Graham Brook , Sharon Bowie and Kerrie McNeil.....

Sharon is now a Seasoned Triathlete with this being her second season here at Blenheim and just taking Everything in her stride and Making it All look to Easy, with big smiles on the Bike and Run.... Just a Great Solid performance Anyone would be proud off....

Graham has Come on so well this last spring with lots of training in the bag, and Again put down some solid times , and I am sure this will not be the last we see of Graham on the Triathlon circuit, well done matey.

This leaves Kerrie.... Phew, what a Journey this Lady has Had.... Not sure ware to start, but let's go swim , bike Run.

Kerrie has Come on so far with her swimming , but Like my self has found that none of this is coming easy... Then if just getting a pool 400m comfortable , Kerrie has to Take this outdoors and into Open Water.... Phew... On the bike it would be fair to say that Kerrie while not fast is more settled than most and this plays a strong hand for Kerrie , because her Strong point is the Run... Bloody hell here is a Lady that can Run and run well......

But non of this is gelling together for Kerrie , with big gaps of lost of confidence and having to Reboot one self with a Can Do Attitude , just like a Pro.... Kerrie installed some personal Emotions with in her Triathlon Tool box to Pull on when the going got Tuff..... While we train we all use different Tools to help us along our Journeys, and with me one thing I Found that Helps so much on race Days , is the Crowd Support and how you can use this to get you though those tuff I Just Want To Stop Moments, And that is the Crowd High Five... It's just the best Buzz while Running, Total strangers just so Happy to shout you on and High five you... Whoa.. It's fab.....

So while we wait on the Finish Home Straight I See Kerrie Coming into sight , but on the opposite side to me... Bugger I'll have to just shout louder... "Come On Kerrie" everyone was going mad.... Then I could see that Kerrie was changing her path... Wow... She coming over... Yes Get that Arm Out Bob... BOOM ... Kerrie's face as she ran past was so Focused , The High Five sent a Shiver down my spine, I could feel those Emotions , it was Truly Electric, and as Kerrie past , I must of got something in my eye as it seamed to leak water on my cheek.... Damm You Kerrie that was the Effort of The whole Weekend......

Truly Amazing......  

Well Blenheim It's been Emotional ....

See you Next Season.

Bob.