4Life Triathlon Club

Last Sunday was the third of the Mini Tri events held by Belvoir Triathlon Club. These events are a fantastic, relaxed way to enjoy Triathlon for junior/youth and adult members. The marshalls are super supportive, especially on track where they will guide you into/out of transition, remind you to dismount at the right point and generally cheer you on. As you can see, our younger members thoroughly enjoyed last week's Duathlon. A huge shout out to Ed Mayes photography for capturing these fantastic images and to Belvoir Tri Club for continuing to host these events.💜💚

🚴💜 A family affair at the "LESTA" Crit! 💚🚴

A huge well done to Sumayah and her dad, who took on the SPRNT To Victory!! "LESTA" Crit at Leicester's closed circuit this weekend.

For Sumayah, this was a particularly special day as it was her first ever cycling crit race. Having only previously completed one duathlon, she's still very new to triathlon, but she's already embracing every opportunity to challenge herself and gain valuable race experience.

Running may be Sumayah's strongest discipline at the moment, but she has a real passion for cycling and swimming too, putting in the work every week to keep improving. It's fantastic to see her confidence growing with every event.

A special congratulations also goes to her dad, who put in a brilliant ride to finish 12th in his race. 👏

As if racing wasn't enough, both Sumayah and her dad also volunteered as marshals, giving up their time to help make the event possible. That's what community sport is all about, and we're incredibly grateful for members who are happy to give back as well as compete.

Well done to you both on a fantastic day. We're proud to have you representing 4Life Triathlon Club . 🏊🚴🏃

One of our younger Triathletes- Freddie, took on the Future Outlaw run last weekend. If you're lucky enough to see him run, you can tell he's going to go far.... He's so quick in fact, that he'd already climbed Mount Snowdon(taking the Pyg track up and Miners track down) before I had chance to write this post. Freddie is very proud to be a 4life member, and we're very proud to have him on our team.
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Thirty years of marriage. One unforgettable way to celebrate. ❤️🏊

Huge congratulations to Stephen and Nanette, who marked an incredible 30 years of marriage by taking on Swim Rutland together.

While many people celebrate a milestone anniversary with a meal out or a weekend away, these two chose to dive into open water and create memories in a way that perfectly reflects their adventurous spirit.

It wasn't just about the distance they swam, but about celebrating three decades of love, partnership and supporting one another through life's adventures.

At 4Life, we love seeing our members achieve personal goals, but stories like this remind us that sport is about so much more than finish times. It's about making memories, sharing experiences and celebrating life's biggest milestones with the people who matter most.

Stephen and Nanette, congratulations on your wonderful achievement, and here's to 30 amazing years together. Wishing you many more adventures, in and out of the water! 💜💚

Stephen has reassured me that they're off to the jewellers tomorrow to buy some Pearls. I'd say this is the perfect marriage, wouldn't you? 🫶🏻

Sometimes race preparation goes perfectly… and sometimes you just turn up and hope for the best! 😂🏊🚴🏃

Coach Dereks account of last Saturday...

The Outlaw Sprint Triathlon had other ideas from the start, becoming a duathlon thanks to blue-green algae in the regatta lake. Great news for anyone who had forgotten how to swim… or perhaps hadn't quite got round to doing any swim training! 👀

The bike became a battle of “how slowly can you ride into a headwind without actually stopping?” around one side of the lake, before heading out onto the run.

A discipline that, according to the training plan (or lack of one!), had apparently been slightly overlooked too. Add in the heat and a spectacular double-leg cramp, and it became less of a run and more of an ambitious shuffle.

The thing keeping the legs moving? The thought of the legendary Paul Leaney somewhere behind. Whether he actually was or not is completely irrelevant… panic turns out to be a very effective pacing strategy! 😂

And somehow, despite the wind, the heat, the cramps and some very questionable preparation, the finish line was crossed with an incredible result:

🥇 Winner of the 45–49 age group!

A brilliant reminder that sometimes things don't go to plan, but you can still surprise yourself.

Although we suspect this particular approach to race preparation might not make it into the coaching manuals anytime soon… 😉

Congratulations! A fantastic achievement and another great result for the 4Life crew. 💜💚. Our junior members get the benefit of Derek's experience and amazing, patient coaching style on Tuesday evenings.

What a day for Emily! 🏊🚴🏃

Emily took on her second 70.3 with one clear goal: to beat last year's time. Even though the courses were completely different, she wanted to see just how far she'd come over the last 12 months.

The result? An incredible 40-minute improvement... but the journey to the finish line wasn't quite what she'd imagined.

The first surprise came before the race had even begun when the swim was cancelled because of the water conditions. Having worked so hard on her weakest discipline, it was a huge disappointment. So when Six Hills offered athletes the chance to complete the swim at 4am, Emily didn't hesitate.

Swimming in a dark lake with only head torches illuminating the buoys isn't something you experience every day, but it's one she's really glad she did.

The run into transition went smoothly, with plenty of support from the 4Life crew. The bike started brilliantly too... until a puncture before 20km left Emily stranded for around 20 minutes while rider after rider passed. It was a tough moment mentally, and the headwinds for the rest of the ride certainly didn't make things any easier.

By the time she headed out onto the run, the goal had changed. It was no longer about chasing a finish time. It became about digging deep, keeping moving and getting to that finish line.

And that's exactly what she did. 💪

Crossing the line to see the 4Life team and so many others still there cheering, despite her delayed start and the time lost on the bike, meant so much.

Emily joined 4Life in June 2024, ahead of her very first triathlon just a month later. In only two years she's completed five triathlons, having taken up the sport as a fresh challenge after years of long-distance running.

This was also her first Outlaw event, although she'd volunteered at Outlaw races before and already knew how brilliantly organised they are.

When asked about her favourite event, Emily said it was an ultra marathon in the Dolomites, where breathtaking mountain scenery and the chance to enjoy a holiday afterwards made it an unforgettable experience. 🏔️

Emily, we're so proud of the determination and resilience you showed. Race day threw plenty of obstacles your way, but you adapted, kept smiling, crossed the finish line and still took an incredible 40 minutes off last year's time.

Congratulations from all of your 4Life family. We can't wait to see what you achieve next! 💜💚

T100 you say??.

What a performance from one of our fantastic 4Life athletes this weekend! 🏊🚴🏃 Here's Fiona account of the event.

Taking on the London T100 is no small feat, with a 2km swim, 84km bike and 18km run through the heart of the capital.

After what she described as an "average" swim, it was brilliant to see all those small improvements coming together. The three-lap bike course from the ExCeL to Westminster, passing landmarks including the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament, was where months of hard work really started to shine. Every lap got stronger, proving that consistent training pays off.

The run brought fantastic crowds, music and atmosphere, plus a new friend, Rachel, who helped keep the pace honest when the legs wanted to slow down. To top it all off, there was a lovely surprise waiting on course with university friends cheering her on. 💜💚

Her triathlon journey only began two years ago after an old Army friend asked what it would take to complete a triathlon. At the time she didn't even own a bike, had only just returned to swimming after several years away, and simply had a solid running background. Just 12 weeks later they'd both completed their first Ironman 70.3 in Weymouth, and within 24 hours had entered another race!

Away from racing she's a final-year veterinary student, balancing demanding placements with training, making this achievement even more impressive. She credits coach Andy Matson, along with the support of the 4Life sessions, for helping everything come together.

"I'm so much faster when running with Rob and swimming with Sophie, even if I hate them at the time! I love the community of 4Life. It's a wonderful club to be a part of."

We're incredibly proud of everything she's achieved and can't wait to follow the next chapter as she builds towards Ironman Wales in eight weeks' time. We know you'll give it everything you've got.

Good luck with the final block of training. The whole 4Life family is behind you! 💜💚

Holkham Half Outlaw Race Report by David

Following Blenheim I had three races booked in before Holkham. 2x6hr run events and a 10km. Due to the ankle injury sustained at Blenheim I had to pull out of all three. It also affected my ability to cycle outside as it will balance any right turns. So any aerobic training has been done on the status bike or in the pool. So I arrived at Holkham with process goals. Swim well, bike with a high cadence (lower torque)and walk the run.

Prior to the race I had consulted Hilary who has had to transfer her running to exceptionally quick speed walking, to get pointers on nutrition and head space strategy.

Swim - There was a leak on the lake (?)so the water lower than normal meaning that more w**d was pulled up, more dirt from the bottom, and in places you could touch the bottom with your hand so you literally did front crawl. I was never comfortable in the swim and was happy with 35min.

Bike - there was a headwind in every direction except on the straight main road, so concentrating on a higher cadence was necessary but that meant less force on the pedals so the rear end stays in the seat a bit more, that coupled with the bumpy UK roads builds up an impact soreness that resulted in a change of strategy in the last 20km, and immediately I got feedback from the ankle, so having a sore undercarriage was the lesser of two evils!

Run - well walk… I’m walking at 11/12min per km whilst the leaders are streaming past at 3:30min per km. Mentally that’s tough, the supporters are trying to gee you up, that’s tough mentally too. The course is three laps so thankfully each lap and the people I’m with are getting slower. The last 4km is pretty much downhill so I decided to give it a go jogging. I managed a few km under 10 mins and one sub 9 so something to build on!!!

So I’m chuffed!

Footnote - on the bike I saw an athlete pushing her bike, I asked if they were ok and they mentioned their derailleur was catching the front rings. Whether I was running or walking the run I would have stopped to help. So I made the adjustment and she promised me a beer, I joked and said you can give me your Erdinger! I thought you’ll be finished and gone by the time I finish! Walking to transition after the race to collect my gear, I was telling this story to one of my fellow forever Outlaw, I then get to my kit and lying in the bike shoe is a can of Erdinger! Quality.