For me the season = opened unexpectedly with the first of the Castle Coombe Duathlon = series

JUGGLING

Two Triathletes = and a=20 Toddler =96 It=92s Possible

For me the season = opened=20 unexpectedly with the first of the Castle Coombe Duathlon series. Ian was unable to compete = (injury I=20 recall), so I took the opportunity to turn the tables and enlist him to = cheer me=20 on whilst keeping tabs on Leah. =20 This was my first duathlon and experience of cycle racing on the=20 track. I was pleased to = finish=20 within my self-allotted time, albeit over the hour mark. The thrill of cycling on a = fast surface=20 (no potholes to negotiate) got me hooked, even if it did mean two=20 runs.

The season = continued to go=20 well, when I actually managed to a) get to and b) compete at = Burnham. I was first tempted by this = event back=20 in 1993/4 but bottled out because I didn=92t think doggy paddle was = allowed in the=20 pool. I didn=92t then = think about=20 triathlon again until Ian took it up in 2000 with Burnham being his = first=20 event. Even as a = spectator I felt=20 the buzz and was rather envious that I couldn=92t compete (not a good = idea at 8+=20 months pregnant). I swore = that I=20 would be there in 2001. = However I=20 didn=92t account for the fact that my totally knackered Espace would = only make it=20 to Clevedon before it blew up.

But this year I = was going to=20 do it. Even if Ian was = doing the=20 London to Brighton Ride or still on holiday in Cyprus and my father = (prime baby=20 sitter) was in York. = Arriving back=20 from holiday the day before, just in time to cut Leah=92s birthday cake = (thanks to=20 Rich for collecting him from Parkway), and lacking fitness after a four = week=20 break, Ian once again did the honours whilst I raced. Although pleased with my time = of 1:25:46=20 which saw me just outside the top 2/3 I was just delighted to be there = at=20 last.

By July I felt = that it was=20 my turn to stand in the wings with Leah and let Ian get an event = in. OK, I was a wimp and didn=92t = really fancy=20 doing the Monster at Castle Coombe. =20 The second bike ride appealed, but a third run =96 no way!! So I had to wait until August = before I=20 could speed my way around the circuit again. But with less than a week to = go I=20 managed to send myself over the handlebars and smash my front = forks. I wasn=92t worried about the = grazed knees,=20 knuckles, elbows, etc, just the bike and what was I going to do on=20 Wednesday? So Trade-It to = the=20 rescue and a rather appealing ad for a =91very fast racing bike=92. I left a message on an answer = phone then=20 waited eagerly all day for the poor chap to get home from work and = return my=20 call. Finally the call = came and I=20 arranged a trip to Bath to have a test ride. Once loaded into the back of = the car I=20 could not wait to try my new baby out on my training route. Wow =96 2 =BD minutes off my = PB!!! (Thanks to Lee O=92Brian a = regular at=20 Castle Coombe). Although = the bike=20 did the trick at Castle Coombe (2 minutes off my previous bike = split) my legs did not (1 =BD minutes = down on the=20 second run) so I came away with only a small improvement in time, but a=20 determination that I would be there in September no matter what, and I = would do=20 better. =

It was then that = panic set=20 in. We were now into = August and had=20 not sent in entries for any more tris. =20 I had duly filled out entries for Wansdyke and Tewkesbury back in = June,=20 but in true disorganised Barter fashion (it=92s not just Ian) had = forgotten to=20 post them. Naturally, = when I=20 realised this blunder it was a day or two after the closing dates. Fortunately Eric came to my = rescue with=20 a ladies entry which was going begging at Tewkesbury. Ian had competed here in 2000 = and 2001,=20 and was keen to have another go, but as luck would have it there is no = way he=20 would pass off as a lady, so once again he was left holding the = baby.

The bike section = was quite=20 fast, little of the route being through the town and it=92s not long = before you=92re=20 cruising through gently undulating country. It=92s an out and back route = with no major=20 hills. Unfortunately the = road=20 surface is a bit rough, particularly on the return leg. The run wasn=92t too bad, the = majority of=20 which is flat and on grass. = However=20 as I was a substitute I had not seen this year=92s race pack. Although I had last year=92s I = was=20 blissfully unaware of the fact that a third lap had been added! I don=92t much like laps = anyway, so=20 imagine my dismay when I thought I had almost finished only to be told I = had one=20 more to go! That=92s one = disadvantage=20 of running on someone else=92s entry. =20 Another is when prize giving comes around and you realise = you=92ve been=20 running as a novice! - a = touch=20 awkward.

A few days later = and it=92s=20 time for the final event at Castle Coombe. =20 Neither Ian or I want to miss out, but what about Leah! Fortunately Ian Gillard = decides to show=20 his face and his good lady Fi offers to look after Leah, aided by her = children=20 Nicki and Daniel. I=92m = looking for=20 that sub hour result and Ian=92s looking to thrash the Mrs. With perfect conditions that = evening I=20 doubt there were many that failed to achieve good times and there must = have been=20 a lot of PBs too. Both = Ian and I=20 achieved circuit PBs on the night: I finished in under the hour (58:34) = with Ian=20 not quite thrashing me but beating me with a time of=20 56:25.

With both of us on = a high we=20 looked forward to competing at Langport. =20 We=92d both felt pleased with our performances here last year, = and for us=20 it is our local tri, as both of us come from nearby. I was looking to shave 6 = minutes off=20 last year=92s time, a tough order but not impossible with my current = training and=20 level of performance. = Being keen=20 not to be late we drove to Somerset on the Saturday evening, got held up = on=20 route and ended up having a pre-race supper of sandwiches and = crisps! A short night followed and = added to the=20 cold I had =85 disaster!!! = The swim=20 went as they all do for me, slow but consistent. The bike time was cracking = with 4=20 minutes shaved off last year=92s time. =20 However with such a sore throat I took on a lot of water whilst = on the=20 bike and suffered on the run. = It=20 sloshed around and I doubled over. =20 Apart from the first 200m I did the whole run with the mother of=20 stitches. =93Run through = it=94, I=20 thought. So I ran and ran = and ran,=20 but the stitch persisted. = So those=20 2 minutes I was supposed to lose on the run, I gained and I finished = only 2=20 minutes up on last year, with a time of 1:29:11.

It was at the = bike/run=20 transition that I was alerted to the usual Barter forgetfulness. Ian should have been poolside = at this=20 point, but he was hanging over the rails mumbling something to me. It wasn=92t until I had set = off on the run=20 (bellyache) that I realised what he had said. He=92d forgotten his cycle = shoes and after=20 having had a word with the organisers was awaiting my return so that he = could=20 use my bike (as I use the antiquated toe clip system =96 remember = them?) He too finished in a slower = time than he=20 had hoped (1:26:52), not only down to using an unfamiliar bike (a chance = for me=20 to get the better bike split) but he too had an abysmal run. Fortunately one of us had a = great=20 day. Leah thoroughly = enjoyed=20 chasing Daniel and Nicki around. = Thanks once again to Fi for the help.

Both feeling = rather low=20 after Langport we wanted to have a good race at Newent, the final tri of = the=20 season for us. Training = was going=20 well, childcare was organised and we were up for it. We were then let down not = once, but=20 twice on the child care front. = We=20 explored various avenues with no success and I couldn=92t really see a = way around=20 the problem. On the = Friday evening=20 before the event I phoned the race organiser, Sue Purnell, and explained = the=20 situation. Perhaps she = could change=20 our swim times. She was = very=20 sympathetic, but could not promise a result. However within an hour or so = she was=20 back on the phone, having contacted another competitor who was willing = to swap=20 places with Ian. This = separated our=20 swim times by 1:20 and I reckoned I needed 1:15 to complete the course, = which=20 left things a little tight. = No=20 problem said Sue, she would look after Leah for a short time to take up = any=20 slack. So we headed off = to Newent,=20 not really knowing what to expect. =20 The race was on the shorter side (400m/18km/5km) and hadn=92t = been run=20 since 1999 and we got the impression that there were not too many = competitors.=20

With a swim start = at 9.45=20 there was still quite a nip in the air and I knew my legs would cease to = function on the bike in just a tri-suit so I wasted quite a bit of time = in the=20 swim/bike transition as I pulled on tracksters and a t-shirt. This had been a wise move for = the bike=20 section but as the sun broke through later it made for a very hot = run. The temperature probably cost = me a=20 couple minutes and I crossed the finish line in 1:14:05, where Sue and = Leah were=20 waiting to great me. With = no time=20 to catch my breath we were off in search of Ian so that Leah could now = cheer her=20 Dad on. Not that he = needed much=20 encouragement. With an = increase in=20 his training distances Ian finished in 1:06:55 taking a good 2 minutes = off me in=20 each section.

With two of us competing and = a little one=20 in tow, organising events can be interesting and we always have to = remember to=20 load three bikes. But the = real=20 organisation comes into play with the training. Trying to juggle 9 training = sessions a=20 week between us can become like a military operation but if we want it = enough we=20 can do it. And how could = we deprive=20 Leah of her beloved triathlons. =20 With winter looming I=92m not too sure what I=92m going to say = when a little=20 voice says =93Mummy, can we do Tri-Ath-LON?=94. How do you explain to a = 2-year-old that=20 she has to wait another 6 months.

Caroline Barter

Newent

6=20 October 2002

400m/18km/5km

Ian Barter =20 1:06:55

Caroline Barter 1:14:05

Newent Triathlon has been = revived after a=20 two year break. Although = a shorter=20 distance it was a very pleasant way to round off the season.

The swim took place in a 15m = pool, which=20 required one to be able to count to 26. =20 Most people recorded faster swim times, as a good kick off = propelled you=20 most of the way up the pool. = The=20 bike section started off slowly as we had to negotiate the twisty and = narrow=20 High Street before heading out into the country. Little of the route was flat, = but there=20 were no severe hills. = Finally, the=20 run was an urban run, taking us through housing estates and the = municipal=20 park..

Although a small field size, = competition=20 was strong and the atmosphere very friendly. The event was very well = organised=20 (including impromptu childminding!) and probably the best marshalled = event I=20 have attended. Credit = must go to=20 the organisers who only decided to revive the event 9 weeks=20 beforehand!