Ironman Action

A group of nine triathlon fanatics have been busy making preparations in recent weeks for a trip of a lifetime to Klagenfurt, southern Austria, to participate in an ultra-long distance Ironman triathlon race, writes Ed Zackery.

The group, part of Bahrain Triathlon Club, all full-time workers, husbands and fathers and ranging in ages from 31 to 46, have been following a strict training programme called J:18 which trains all three disciplines in triathlon: swimming, cycling and running, specifically for the event.

Bahrain Triathlon Club (BTC) started out as an informal group of professional male and female workers, stay-at-home mums and children who collectively have a common love for and desire to play sport … and more specifically triathlon.

“Most of our members have played sport when younger at a regional or international level, for example, rugby, football and hockey, or have other related interests such as running and swimming. We are self-funded through member contributions,” explained Allan Sword, BTC’s treasurer.

Conceived by Toby Leyland, BTC commenced in 2011 as an online forum for established and new triathletes, informing them of training sessions for the three disciplines in and around Bahrain.

A BTC facebook page was recently established to share ideas, training plans, event information and offer encouragement. Initially a small circulation amongst friends, BTC’s weekly newsletter now reaches out to over 170 triathletes primarily living in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, however, the distribution also reaches the US, Brazil, the UK as well as the broader Gulf. 

In the past 12 months alone, the BTC logo has been seen racing in four continents, from New York to Italy to Phuket to South Africa to the UK.

The Ironman Austria event is a total of 226kms, involving a 3.8km swim in Lake Wörther, a 180km cycle, and finishing with a 42.2km marathon around the city centre. Klagenfurt was founded in the 12th Century by the Duke of Carinthia, and lies on the banks of the warmest lake in the Alps. The city is famous for its various museums, art galleries, castles, churches and literature.

The idea came about by Toby, an Ironman finisher and experienced triathlete. He put together a crack team to do BTC proud in Austria, including Allan Sword, Clarke Morton-Shepherd, Matthew Rushton, Brandon Smith, Brandon Cainen, Andy Turner (also an IM finisher), Jonathan Robinson, and John Dunkerley.

“Triathlon is a relatively new sport, with the first recorded triathlon taking place in 1974,” explained Allan. “Organised in San Diego, rumour has it three individuals (a swimmer, a cyclist and a runner) were arguing over who was the fittest, from which a race involving all three disciplines was agreed!” Triathlon has been an Olympic sport since 2000.

Clarke added: “Triathletes race the three disciplines of swim, bike and run, always in that order. They are performed one after the other, with ‘transitions’ in between to change clothing and equipment, refuel, etc.”
“There are different race distances”, explained Matthew. “Distances start from a super sprint – covering a total distance of 13km – all way up to ultra-distance covering 226 kms.”

Brandon Caine, a cross-fit lover, says that triathlons are one of the best forms of exercise. “It’s the ultimate cross-training workout, since we swim, bike and run every week, ensuring that we always have a varied workout programme. Because there are three sports to master, the training is much more interesting than just running, swimming or cycling individually.”

Brandon Smith has been pleased with his recent performances. “Everyone’s a winner” he said. “The three disciplines mean that people like me who are not great at any one event can compete in all three.”

The triathletes have been pushing themselves in training, with early morning starts necessary to counter the heat and humidity. “You can really push yourself, we call it ‘shock and awe’ training. Because simply finishing an event is seen as an achievement, it’s a great opportunity to test your limits,” said Andy Turner, one of the youngest and fastest in the group.

There are also health benefits related to triathlons. Doing three different sports, triathletes can avoid many of the injuries that single sports athletes – such as runners or swimmers – fall prey to.

One of the hardest things has been to overcome the heat and humidity during training. In addition to early morning starts, Jonathan says that nutrition has been an important part of the J:18 plan.

He said: “I have a nutrition background, so have helped ensure the guys eat the right amounts of the right things, especially on the bike. Food which is easily digestible with sufficient carbs is the way to go, with a mixture of cheese and turkey ham wraps to baked potatoes used by us. ‘Prized foods’ are also used as emotional ‘pick-me-ups’ as the training gets longer and your taste buds change.
 
“These can include a simple packet of crisps or jelly babies. This is in addition to an ample intake of performance gels and fluids. It’s a learning experience for us all.”

Training has now tapered down, but the main weeks often involved 18-20 hour training weeks, in addition to full-time jobs and family responsibilities. The boys are grateful to their families and friends for their understanding and support. “We could never have contemplated registering for this event, if it were not for the support from our wives, children and friends. To them we are grateful, and we will race to do you all proud,” adds John Pretty.

After IM Austria and a well-deserved summer break, the BTC will be back in training for an amazing race in Bahrain recently announced.

Challenge Bahrain is a new exciting race on the international long-distance calendar this year, to be held on Saturday, December 6. It is the richest race on earth, with world-record prize money on offer of $500,000.

Challenge Bahrain is the first officially-sanctioned event in the Middle East and North Africa region. Bahrain is lucky to have royal connections with the sport, with involvement and participation of Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa in races at home and internationally being an excellent platform to spread the words of ‘triathlon’ and ‘Bahrain’.

BTC will be reaching out to newcomers as well as seasoned triathletes to race in Challenge Bahrain, to make this event a success.

This complements the BTC Mantra of ‘Positive’, ‘Realistic’ ‘Inclusive’, ‘Courageous’ and ‘Social’, and BTC objectives of interacting with each other, and the broader community, to ensure a healthier Bahrain. BTC is open to anyone – contact bahraintriathlon@gmail.com for further information.

Triathlon features will make a more regular appearance in GulfWeekly in the months to come. The group says it is grateful to Apache Capital, a niche real estate investment management firm based in London and Bahrain, for its financial support in making the recent trip possible.