All,
Yesterday one of Chester Tri started out on a mission to become the 2nd member to complete this massive race. Tony Fisher who was named in 220 this month along with certain other Ultra Athletes started swimming the 1520 lengths of a pool at 9am yesterday. Below is a link to his BLOG site and a link to the website with a webcam.
I will also be giving regular updates as and when we get any notification from his sherpa, Brian.
>IR<
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The Deca is based in a town called Vidauban some 50 km outside Nice. It all seems very well organised: I've been getting emails, letters and phonecalls from the organisers every other day.
Last night I had the strange experience of closing the e-training log on my website that I have been diligently filling-in every day for the last 7-and-a-half months.
Tony's BLOG site
Closing totals are:
Swim: 356 km
Bike: 8140 miles
Run: 1278 miles
Quality: zero
Rest: zero
I couldn't have realistically done much more whilst keeping down a busy full-time job (and staying part of my family!).
The whole of the Deca will be apparently be on 24-7 (or rather 24-14!!) web-cam coverage. For those of you who think that watching paint drying is a spectator sport, you could have a look around the website at:
' target='_blank' rel="nofollow">Deca Webcam
As I sit here trying to type with shaking fingers (ie: fingers that seem to shake from my neck down), I just can't think how on earth I am going to be able to swim 24 miles before we get down to the real race!
The mainstay of my crew is my chum Brian. There is an Internet press room at race HQ. I hope he will be able (via my user name on the eGroup) to send out the occasional Deca up-date.
With very best wishes to all my special friends at Chester Tri, Tony Fisher
Race site and webcam
Chesters probably 20 miles from Wilmslow I'd guess ?
Totally and utterly mental.
Didn't notice the year and thought this was to be a pirate trip....
phew!
Running: Course of 788km, 533 laps
8o|
totally totally mental.
!!!
Anyone???
Thought not!
tony fisher out of the water in 20.49 and safely on the bike.
I mean we've got 60 or so pirates aiming to do IMDE in a few weeks, about half of whom have never done an IM before and have trained from fit, but not exceptional, bases over the last 6-9 months.
Do you reckon that given 18 months, and without having to give up a full time job, then someone who's capable of doing an IM, but has never done anything further than that, would actually be able to complete something like this?
Please note, I am in no way suggesting I am EVER going to do a deca, just idle curiosity
Its the mindset really, you have to be prepared to go long and slow for a long time. Rob Holmes who did this 2 years ago didn't really change his IM training that much but added a few longer sessions including 4hrs bike am and then 4hours bike pm.
Tony has been doing 10km swims and 250 work miles on the bike a week for weeks now but will then do 2 x 20 mile runs on 2 consecutive days.
Its achievable but you need base and lots of it and a think a slightly warped sense of reality as this will change your life.
Bob Brown wrote a book on his exploits which when I read it really covered his rise from very fast IM to wanting to find something else. He also trained hard and partyed hard in the early years but the real test was the Deca. It also took him 2 years to recover from the tablets he had to take to get round, Rob has also been out of mainstream tri for about the same time, it is a huge price to pay but for some the lure of the competition is there.
@8:57 this am. 338910m completed & 66 laps done.
WHAT A GUY!
Also one of the women Astrid Benohr appears to have dropped out - or at least isn't on the results.
Some photos starting to go up on the website too.
bring on the Alpaca lips
...just been thro' all the photos on the Deca web site, is Tony the invisible man?...or is it a plot by those nasty Frenchies to omit the Brits from the worlds view??
Spoke to Heather, Tony's Jeanne D'Arc of a wife, she is flying out to France for a few days to support him. apparently during the swim he was sick a few times, memories of Hawaii eh Rob?...caught the sun on his neck and a dehydration problem too. He finished his 20hours swim about 5am Sunday. Once on the bike, he punctured on the 2nd lap!
The race organisation seems to be somewhat lacking in food supply, comfortable bedding etc and Tony's crew Brian is struggling to get the vegetarian choices that Tony needs. Heather is, as I write, preparing some grub to take out to him. On top of all this the temperature seems to be in the 30's and there looks to be a hill on the 5k bike circuit!!
<<Removes ginger wig, baggy trousers, comedy hooter and oversized "I'm bonkers, me!" badge and hands them to Tony>>
Although, I must say Nick, I am a touch disappointed in you. I thought it was YOU that was going to be doing it!
I'll give 50p to the charity of your choice if you do!!