• a veritable feast of race reports from April, May & June
• exciting news about OPEN WATER SWIMMING (starting tonight!)
• Danny's holiday diary from the Pyrenees training camp
• a new triathlon, at Dunmow
• news of an attempt at the Ultraman

It's even got a new small ad!

Good luck to everybody racing or just taking part at Norwich this coming weekend. Steve dB plans to take a gazebo and a club power flag or two (as long as they let him in to drop it all off!) so we’ll have a base camp for everyone, so keep an eye out for him.

I have spent many hours sweating over PDFs and an increasingly irate PC but I think I have successfully processed all available data and updated the ITCH league - click here (and keep your fingers crossed that it works) to see the full spreadsheet approximately half-way through the season.

Some members have already completed four scoring events; others have yet to start. But it's already looking very interesting, with Rick Berry and Julia Green heading up things - and things can only get hotter as we go into July with Norwich & Grays, and also a bundle of Longs...

Thursday club sessions:

4 Jun: Fynn Valley run (off-road, approx 5 miles)
11 Jun: Spin session (not at Greshams; tell Ross if you're coming)
18 Jun: 1hr bike ride (2 or 3 groups, distance depends on speed)
25 Jun: Christchurch Park hill session
2 Jul: Shell garage run (4.5 mile road run)
9 Jul: Speed session (interval training road run)

Free talk at Bury Physio, Maynewater Lane, Thursday 4th June - see e-mail for details

Suffolk villages charity bike ride - Sunday 14th June - 20/40/80km options - see www.stowlions.org.uk for details & entry form.

Club championship - when I last looked, 27 members had entered the Norwich standard triathlon. If you intend entering then do it now - there were only nine places left. See http://www.entrycentral.com/index.php?festivalID=46

Funding for training as a coach - more to follow in next ITCH but if you can't wait visit www.suffolksport.com for details. Look for the item "Leading the Field".

Apparently Waveney 2 has opened - see http://www.entrycentral.com/index.php?raceID=100149

Time-trials - Wednesday evening bicycle time-trials start this week.
See ITCH or http://www.ipswichbicycleclub.co.uk/events.html for details.

April      11^th, 18^th  (No swim 25^th)
May.     02^nd, 09^th, 16^th, 23^rd, 30^th
June     06^th, 13^th, 20^th, 27^th
July.     (04^th No swim - club champs on the 5^th), 11^th, 18^th, 25^th

2 April – John W Speed Session
9 April – Spinning session £3 at the fitness unit on felixstowe road
( First come first served, only 15 places - let Ross know if you're coming)
16 April – Christchurch Park session
23 April – Shell Garage run
30th April – Fynn Valley
7 May – Turbo/Brick session or group ride subject to interest/weather

Specialist all-day swim coaching session: still to be confirmed with the coach but pencil in Sunday May 10th.

Long bike rides: Nick Collinson is planning to do the Hell of the East (his very own "Tour of the Four Counties") on the following weekdays.

Tuesday April 7th
Wednesday April 15th
Wednesday April 22nd
Thursday April 30th (depending how tired he feels)

He’s planning to leave about 8:30 each day and will ride north out of Ipswich on the Westerfield Road. The ride is c. 120 miles so takes 6:30ish.

Sport England Survey - if you haven't already done so, consider registering to take part in the Sport England Survey about your participation in triathlon.
See http://surveys.globalepanel.com/wix/p286573946.aspx?type=2&Sport=triathlon

ITCH for February 2009 is viewable on-line.

The ITCH league has now also been finalised for 2009 - click here for details.

Wattisham vs Fritton Super Sprint
Wattisham is taking place on Saturday 25th April - see http://www.wattishamtriathlon.co.uk/ - which clashes with the Pyrenees training camp and the London marathon that weekend.
Ant suggests Fritton Super Sprint as a replacement for the purposes of the ITCH league. The "Super Sprint" is the same weekend as the Fritton Standard event - June 6th and June 7th - so it seems like a good idea - see http://www.fritton-lake-triathlon.co.uk/
If enough of you are still going to be doing Wattisham, I can include both in the league, which will give a wider choice for people not yet up to doing a standard distance or further. Let me know.

Reminder - don't forget to renew your subscriptions.
If you renew by end of January (and enclose an SAE when you send your wads to Simon) you should receive a club kit discount voucher on due course.

You need to act NOW if you want to enter the Suffolk County Athletics Association Cross-country championships at Haughley Park, Stowmarket on 11-Jan-2009.  YOU NEED TO ENTER IN ADVANCE and the closing date is December 19th so please don't delay.
Dave Copland will collate entries and send them off together so that we can enter the team competition.  If you want to enter, please email Dave at davecopland@btinternet.com with the following information:

•     - Full name

•     - Address

•     - Date of birth

•     - Telephone

•     - Qualification (either born or resident in Suffolk)

The cost is £4.  Dave will pay for the entries and you can reimburse him at Haughley Park.  Men race over 12k and women over 6k.
Please let Dave know by Wednesday at the latest so that he can get the entries to the organiser by Friday.

Further details from http://www.suffolkathletics.org.uk/

Dec 13th            last before Christmas, to be followed by optional ALTON WATER run

Jan 3rd               CANCELLED

January             10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
February           7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
March               7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
April                  4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
May                  2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
To get on Steve’s “ring round” list, contact Steve de Boltz on 07795 564322 or e-mail stevedb@btsgroupuk.com

Thursday sessions – all in evening at Greshams (7:00pm start) unless otherwise shown

Dec 25th            No run

Jan 1st               Dales Road Hangover Cure – meet at 12:00 noon at 83 Christchurch Street
Jan 8th               Fynn Valley Head Torch – five miles cross-country under the full moon
Jan 15th             John Speed session – it’s hard, it’s fast and John is the boss
Jan 22nd             Valley Road Hills – the hills are alive with the sound of hamstrings
Jan 29th             Shell Garage Run – four miles on pavement

Feb 5th              Fynn Valley Head Torch – five miles cross-country under the full moon

• race reports from the Vitruvian, Lafarge Helwith Bridge Duathlon, Clacton & duathlon world championships
• ITCH league final outcome
• social networks
• possible change to the Culford bike route

Do not forget to come to the AGM.

You are reminded that the Ipswich Triathlon Club AGM is on Thursday 13^th November, to be held in Greshams’ annex (not the bar). Buffet from 6:30, formal business from 7:00.
Click here to download the agenda [PDF], which also includes a list of all valid committee nominations as at 29th October.
Note that there are currently no valid nominations for either treasurer or development officer. Any further nominations by e-mail to Simon Palmer.

Thursday run routes:

Arrive in time for a 7:00 start (except November 13th when, to be honest, 6:00 is probably pushing it!)

Christmas Social Shindig - Ross has booked 20 places at the Greyhound for Monday 8th December at 7:00pm (order from menu & pay at bar).  If you want "in", please contact Ross by mobile 0773 6322 776 or email.

ITCH league provisional outcome - click here to download as a PDF file - follows manual cranking of Vitruvian results, so this is really subject to confirmation from all the Vitruvian folk.

As most of you know this is all a bit unofficial but the “winners” are Dave Copland and Kate Stannett – both of whom actually scored slightly LOWER than last year. Lucy Bowditch would have scored higher if she had worn club kit at IMUK which would have given her an extra place or so.  Ross Weldon may also have done really well if he'd been first claim Ipswich.

The big improvers are all people who did more eligible events but, based on a quick butchers at my old print outs, words of praise must go to Julia Yelloly, Amanda Mallett and John Wankowski. And probably everybody else as well!

Thursday night sessions:

Sep 18th	Dave's House Run 4.5 miles with a couple of little slopes
Sep 25th	Valley Road Hills 400m repeats up hill to help improve your speed
Oct 2nd	Big John's Speed Session Experimental speed work session - ooer...
Oct 9th	Shell Garage Run 4.5 miles - and it's flat
Oct 16th	Finn Valley Head Torch Excitement in the dark for five miles on a cinder track - bring a head torch!
Oct 23rd	Dales Run 5 miles with one - okay, maybe two -small hills
Oct 30th	Valley Road Hill 400m repeats up hill - improve your speed or collapse in a shaky white pool of pain - it's your choice

Please remember these are informal social training opportunities - and a perfect way to build up a thirst before hitting the bar afterwards!

Nominations invited for committee posts - please remember that all committee posts are elected on a yearly basis at the AGM. Nominations should be sent to Simon Palmer before 6th November, and should show the consent of the nominee to stand for the post, the name of the person nominating them, and the name of at least one other person who is seconding the nomination.

London marathon places - we will be applying for club places for the 2009 Flora London Marathon, for which members can apply.  As in previous years the committee will decide where the places go based on various criteria such as "did you apply in the open ballot" and "have you already had a club place".  However, we are applying a new "golden criterion" - you MUST have fulfilled your race volunteer obligations before your application will be considered.

Reminder - Marshals Urgently Required for Ipswich Duathlon, 21st September.
We need over 30 volunteers to make the Ipswich Duathlon a success and as of yesterday morning still did not have enough. This is the last club race of the year so could any members, especially any who have not yet helped out at a race this year, please contact Derrick Smith ASAP at derrick.smith@bt.com or on 07710 105551 to volunteer their help, or that of a friend. If you are racing then you could bring a friend along to marshal and watch at the same time.

Reminder - Saturday morning pool swim sessions resume tomorrow

Club development plan for 2009 onwards - Adrian Green is drafting the club development plan for next year. I know Adrian wants to reflect the needs and aspirations of all our members - that's seniors as well as juniors - so if you have any (preferably realistic) proposals you'd like to make,  please contact Adrian sooner rather than later.

John Wankowski has taken over as senior kit monitor.
You can continue to use the e-mail address kit@ipswich-tri.org but John's address and telephone details are:

93 Darwin Road
Ipswich
IP4  1QD

Ipswich (01473) 711592.

John will be compiling an order soon so please let him know if you are thinking of buying any kit.

For junior kit contact Adrian Green, juniors@ipswich-tri.org - he operates a special scheme for juniors.

• update to the league following London, Cambridge and the Norseman
• a look forward to a busy weekend including the Vitruvian and the UK Ironman
• Framlingham race report & director's report
• cross-country dates

Don't forget as well that we need more volunteers for the duathlon - contact derrick.smith@bt.com as soon as possible.

Pyrenees training camp - the date for this is being fixed as 18th-25th April 2009.  See Susannah's item in April's ITCH for further details, and contact Susannah as soon as possible if you want to book a slot.

We are short of volunteers to help with the Ipswich Junior Triathlon on Sunday 24th August from about 9.00am until midday. Many people who originally offered help are now unable to do so.

If you can help please step forward by contacting Simon Palmer at simon.palmer@talk21.com as soon as possible.