As the highest profile local event on the calendar, the Ironman 70.3 on Exmoor attracts a lot of entrants from the club- many undertaking the "half Ironman" distance, or participating in a large -scale race, for the first time. These training are open to any athletes from the club and provide the chance to preview and practice the challenging courses, to get a feel for how the transitions and race site will be set up on the day and to ask race-specific advice from experienced club members.

The guides are giving their time voluntarily, so the more athletes the more worthwhile it is likely to be. If you are racing Wimbleball this year, then you will get the most benefit from these sessions. If you are not racing, but are thinking about it for another year, then you are very welcome to come to the sessions and get a feel for what is involved.

The only really basic requirements are fairly obvious, but I will state them here just in case. Each athlete attending the training day must be able to ride a bike for at least 30 miles over undulating road terrain, and each athlete must be able to run/jog at least 4 miles over undulating road and trail terrain. The athlete should also provide their own equipment as detailed in Basic Kit section.

This year the Wimbleball Training Day is set 3 weeks before the race date, on the 7th June 2015. 

The format will be simillar to previous years as follows: 

- Arrive 8:45 at the cafe area. 
- Start 9:00 with Intro and recce of the swim course. 
- Practice transition swim exit to T1 in wetsuite (no swimming involved). 
- Recce and description of transition area layout. 
- Start the bike route 10:15. 
- Run off the bike route on arrivale back at the cafe area. 
- Race day equipment and colour-coded transition bags. 
- Question & cake. 
- Depart. 


A copy of the athletes guide can be found here. 
http://www.somersetrctri.co.uk/club_docs/athletes_guide.pdf 

Basic Requirements

Basic Kit and Equipment

So you can get the most out of both training days we shall detail a recommendation of basic equipment you need to bring on the day.

Swim

It is probably not that useful swimming the course in the lake. This is also better done during the official swim slots just prior to race day, as it will give the you an accurate measure of the water temperature just before racing.

It is probably more useful to practice the run up to T1, and avoid going anaerobic before getting on the bike. For this we shall be running up from the lakeside wearing wetsuit, hat and goggles and jogging up to T1. This is approxiamately 400 metres. During the jog, the you will:

• Gauge the pace you can maintain.
• Partially remove your wetsuit down to the waist. Not take it all off as you may get DQ'ed.
• Remove your hat and goggles.
• Hence, I would suggest you bring; wetsuit, swim hat and goggles to practice this with.

Bike

Probably one the most important parts of the day is to be familiar with the bike course. If nothing else but to dispel the 'myths' surrounding the Wimbleball bike route and to give you confidence.

An essential part of this section is to highlight some of the dangerous parts, such as the rapid descent and sharp turns leading down to the river Exe. Also, highlighting areas where you need to take care not to go too hard as you will soon be climbing a 15% gradient, such as on the approach to Exbridge.

There are also plenty of sections that can be highlighted where you can go fast, spin easy, eat, refuel with drink (aid stations), stop for a wee and so on.

For this you should provide a roadworthy Road or TT bike, Helmet, suitable clothing for the weather and any food and drink you need to cycle around 30 miles at a moderate pace.

Run

The run section will follow on from the bike course. Once the you have had a chance to put your bike away, you should change into your running gear. Since there will not be any aid stations on the training day, you should bring your own off-the-bike-run nutrition and hydration. Typically, a running belt with a couple of gels should suffice as the run is only 4 miles or so. Again, you should consider bringing running shoes and clothing suitable for the weather conditions at the time of the training days.

Finally, the wiggly bit of the run route by the start and finish may be overgrown at this time of year, so we may be running over thick grass and trying to locate the original run route from last year.

Transition Bag Practice (May Only)

For this we will give a demonstration of how to bag up the kit in the various coloured bags. For example if you plan to pull on a cycle jersey over your trisuit then don't put your helmet on first! Get things in the right order and practice putting the kit on.

Parking and Start/Finish Area

We shall use the cafe area at Wimbleball as the start and finish for both bike and run routes, as this is the same as race day. The cafe car park can also be used for parking for the day. You will need to pay for your own parking.

Changing Area

There are limited changing facilities at the Wimbleball cafe. You should be able to use the toilet areas for a changing room if needed.

Contact Details

Whether you are racing or not this year, or just thinking about it for another year, please come along to the training day. You are welcome to attend either one or both days as you like.

Contact Adam Tuaima on adam_tuaima@somersetrctri.co.uk.

Download the Athlete's guide here.