Ex professional Ironman Steve Clark has enjoyed great success and many headline results over the years in both Tri and Quadrathlon. Steve has been a prominent member of Lincsquad going back to the Club’s inception. He also runs Off that Couch Fitness personal training/coaching and is part of the Fast FWD Events team. Steve has had several interviews over the years in TRI 220/Triathlon plus and other sporting magazines. So we thought it was our turn for our own Questions & Answers with the Fireman/Personal Coach and newly found Father.

Two awards at the presentation night for ‘Ironman’ and ‘Race Performance’ of the year point toward another successful season for 2017. How did winning the ‘Triathlon X’ rank with your other litany of sporting achievements?…….

Yep its right up their especially because it is such a tough course and for me it completes the set as I can now say I have overall wins at all triathlon distances Pool Sprints, Open Water Sprints , Olympic Distance, Half Ironman and now Full Ironman distance.

Did you ever expect the Club to grow as big when you first started out?

 I’m proud to see how the club has grown over the years and to still be a member now as I was one of the original 8 members in 2007 along with Paul Carvill, Andy Veitch, Dan Broughton, Andy Coultas, Ken Collier,  John Pettinger, Paul Armstrong and myself 

How do you find running a fitness/coaching business helps with your own personal goals.

 It certainly helps now as Off That Couch Fitness has grown over the last 10 years. I’m now lucky enough to be able to have my own studio for my clients with Watt bike, Treadmill, Concept 2 and an endless pool so if I’m short of time myself I can do triathlon on my doorstep. I remember travelling all the way to Birmingham to use a Hydro-therapy Aquatic Treadmill pre Kona when I had a fracture to my leg. So to be able to provide this service and things like endless pool swim analysis to the local area is something I’m proud of.

How rewarding is it when your clients achieve their goals and how disappointing if they don’t quite get what they/you expect?

It’s a great feeling and most do but if they don’t it’s a case of sitting down and finding the reason why. It can be as easy as changing the training plan but sometimes the individuals focus and mindset needs looking at its not always the training. 

Over the years you’ve had National and International success at Quadrathlon? Is this something you’d like to revisit in the future?

Yep, my best Quad result was a Bronze at the World champs in Czech Republic and I’ve won the Brigg Bomber 4 times so it’s a race I love. I’ve not kayaked now for 4 years but its something I will return to one day and yes I’ll race the Bomber again but when I’m not sure?

What’s your favourite, Kayak, Swim, Cycle or Run?

The run. I’m lucky enough that on most occasions when it matters to be able to find the run I need. Ironman Wales 2012 always comes to mind as my best run after being down in 12th position after the swim and bike I managed to run a 2 hour 58 minute Marathon off the bike on a tough Wales run course to take me into the top 5 and qualify for Kona. This was also the performance that got me my GB Ironman Professional Licence so allowed me to race on the pro circuit for a season .

Racing for Great Britain, racing at the World Champs in Kona, Gold medal at the Age Group 70.3 European Championships, being crowned British/European Quadrathlon champion all paint a colourful CV. What would you say is your proudest Sporting achievement?

Tough one, probably going under 9 hours for the Ironman something myself and Emily chased for a while with times going from 9:41, 9:39, 9,33, 9:23, 9:14, 9:07 and then boom 8:57!

Favourite films? 

Shawshank Redemption, Basketball Diaries, The Dark knight,  National lampoons Christmas vacation.

Sporting hero/inspiration?

Simon Lessing and Tim Don I remember watching the 2000 Sydney Olympics and they finished 9th and 10th and that’s when I started getting into triathlon.  

Best advice received and by whom.?

A few gems…. always race a different event each year to keep it exciting (Dan Broughton). ‘I haven’t come all this way to watch you have a S**T race so get a move on’ (Christian Brown and Emily Clark) Ironman Wales 2012.

Dream job?

Butler at the Playboy mansion.

Three dream dinner guests?

Edmund Hillary, Bruce Lee and Tim Don.

Most treasured sporting possession?

Probably my photo memory wall in my studio. These are pics from races all over the world not just me but all the people I’ve helped over the years on their sporting journeys. If I’m ever low on motivation I go to that wall.

Favourite meal?

That’s easy Pizza followed by Tiramisu. 

What’s your next challenge/goal in the sport?

 To be a good Dad and then eventually have a good race at IM Lanza. 

Lincsquad are pleased to announce that it will be hosting a weekend of quadrathlon on the 16th and 17th of June 2018. In association with the British Quadrathlon Association this new event is aimed at developing and encouraging more participants into the sport.

visit our events page for more information, click here

Main Awards

Male of the Year, Lincsquads top youth male during 2017 – Jacob Riby

Female of the Year, Lincsquads top youth female during 2017 – Hannah Lonsdale

Race Performance 2017, Who’s race performance impressed the most – Max Underwood Frost

Most Improved, The person who listened to their coach and showed the most improvement – Alasdair Riby

Spirit of Lincsquad, The person who has carried the spirit of Lincsquad throughout the year, supporting & encouraging others, always giving 100%, cheery personality  – Alasdair Riby

Coach of the Year, as voted by the Youth Members – Steve Cannings

Little Legs, as voted by the Coaches – Bailey Harris

Youth of the Year, as voted by the whole club – Chris Durham

Duathlon Series 2017

Tri Start Winners   – Suzie Gibbs (49 points) and Jack Shepard (30 points)

Tri Star 1 Winners – Alice Fearn (39 points) and Freddie Gibbs (49 points)

Tri Star 2 Winners – Isobel Foster (40 points) and Jacob Riby (40 points)

Tri Star 3 Winners – Hannah Lonsdale (40 points) and Alex Butterill (42 points)

So the hastilly applied with duct tape bedsheet/curtain comes down on another season awards night and it was good to see many Linsquadders both old and new as well as young and errr old in attendance.

Nigel Smaller (Youth Chair) opened the procedings with the Youth Awards and the results will be published soon……..

It was then the turn of the TT Series awards. Eleven rounds contested over the usual three courses, The clubs own 9.8mile LQ10/2, the Scunthorpe Road Club 0.3mile Burton Hill climb course SRHC1 and the Kirton/Greetwell SRC11/1

Ladies

1st Pam Challen

2nd Fiona Fisk

3rd Belinda Allen

Male

1st Steve Grocock

2nd Ben Creasey

3rd Jon Challen

We are also pleased to announce Pam (and Jon!) will be taking over as TT Secretary for 2018 and will keep you all posted on the plans for the season. We can already say the penultimate round will be a Two Up TT (two riders working together)  to add a little something new to those who wish to hone their drafting skills for events that allow it. Once again a big thank you to all who marshalled last year and the same requirement to marshall at least one round to qualify for the series will be in place for 2018.

On to the Main awards……..

As usual there was a fantastic response to requests fro nominations in the various categories. Due the large numbers of nominations only the top three were shown. Its very satisfying to see everyone in the club being recognised for their efforts.

The Winners were

Martin Foster – Splasher of the Year – The swimmer with the most enthusiastic style, the most powerful swimmer or the kyaker who just keeps falling in a lot! Martin is an easy sub 6minutes 400m swimmer!

Best WAG – Sarah Evans For the top supporter putting up with their athlete! Ash Evans IMWales 2017 race report is certainly worth a re read.

Newbie to Quad – Kev Lovett – Kev has properly embraced quadrathon and will be one to watch at this years Bomber in May.

Most Miles – Graham Elwood – Graham has already competed in Ultra distance is training for Cotswold Way. An 108miles race held over 4 days!

Youth of the Year – Christopher Durham. Chris has had yet another fantastic year. A move up to Cat 1 status has not altered his humble and friendly attitude. A true ambassador and credit to the sport.

Lincsquadder of the Year – Jess Porte As well manning the sign in desk at our coaching sessions Jess most importantly of all….bakes the most excellent cakes!

Ironman of the Year – Steve Clark Steve just keeps better and better. Winner of one of the toughest races in the UK Triathlon X and first Brit at Norseman.

Coach of the Year – Jeff Chappill – Once again Jeff retains the award he has made his own each year.

Most Improved – Claire Hobley. Since joining the club Claire has competed at Half Iron distance, the London Marathon, cycled the Coast2Coast and will be taking part in Ironman Maastricht this year. One to watch.

Marshal of the Year – Wayne Beedham. A long term supporter of the club. Wayne has marshalled the Bomber and Sprint practically every year.

So we come to the two main awards (or so you’d think!)

Prettiest Bike – Nicola Halls Liv TT bike – So much skullduggary, self promotion and just outright begging clearly worked! A worthy winner.

Sexiest Arse – Gary Horner.  I dont think even with all my experience of writing on here I can fully articulate the moment (and subsequent acceptance video) of when Gary won this award. Fully deserved…..for many many reasons.

Female of the Year – Louise Beedham. Louise has again had another successful year once again winning her British Quadrathlon Age Group. A regular racer at Brigg Sprint and the Bomber Quadrathlon as well other races Louise is constantly flying the club flag in Lincsquad colours.

Male of the Year Ric Longcake – Ric has had a what can only be described as a busy year. Steelman, Outlaw coaching for the club and Club Treasurer.

Christian Brown Award – Louise Beedham. The Christian Brown Award is a very special award and the Committee always try to award it to the person who displays the same grit and determination showed by Chris during his time with the club. Never one to back down he loved a challenge and he is still missed by many in the club. Louise has shows all these characteristics and we know the Trophy is in good hands for 2018.

Final business of the evening was the Kayak balance board challenge where Jacob Riby set the bar at 20 minutes only to be beaten by Beth Hall at 30 minutes and the raffle!

Winners were 2 x 1 hr Massage sessions offered by Jo Findley – (Thank you Jo who is always a great supporter of our club), Early Brigg Sprint won by Dan Ellis, Grantham Sprint entry – Lucy Cresswell, Goole Sprint entry won by Jon Challen, Off That Couch Swim analysis won by Jo Findley, Bomber entry won by Pam Challen. Cycle Route Lincs bike fit – Pam Challen and Cycle Route Lincs Bike Service won by Ric Longcake.

Massive thanks to the Committee and events team for looking after everyone during the past year and good luck to you all for 2018.

David H.

Chair 2018

The final Lincolnshire League Cyclo-Cross race of the season was held at Abbey Farm, Bardney on Sunday 21st January. As a handicap race this meant, as I was told,”The slower riders from the races last year start first”, so somewhat cat & mouse. Yep, I started from the front.
We were set off in intervals, and as the whistle blew, me and a couple of other riders set off at a frantic pace, knowing all too well that the second group would be on their way to catch and overtake us. In my case, that didn’t take very long! The course was undulating with a few ditches, mud, rain and snow. Lots of technical bits and the frozen mole hills didn’t help. I was expecting a 40 minute race, and it turned out to be just over an hour. Must read race info properly!
All in all a great day, I really enjoyed it. Thanks to the marshals, they did a brilliant job and it couldn’t have been very nice standing out in that weather. I got home, cleaned my bike, gear and myself and then sat down for a glass of wine in front of the fire. Lovely.

On the 7th January I ran in the Lincolnshire County XC Champs in Boston. We arrived to discover it was on a farm (a very muddy one). It was absolutely freezing and despite having four layers on I was still shivering!
We had a mix up with my entry so had a panic on Friday night as to if I would be able to race. I entered U17 by accident when I should’ve entered U15. But thankfully my dad managed to sort it.
My race was 3350m long, but felt much further. It was the muddiest place I’ve ever been! I ran in track spikes which had absolutely no grip whatsoever. So as you can imagine I slid more than ran. I had to run two laps (1 small, 1 medium), which meant I had to run through the river twice. When we were walking the course beforehand the marshals were smashing the thick layer of ice that had set on the surface of the river. So it was very, very, very cold. One girl in the U11’s race fell over!!
When it came to the race I had a bad start and ended up being pushed to the back of a pack of 17 people down a narrow field. But despite that I pushed myself to the limit (almost collapsed) and managed to overtake them to get selected for the 2018 Lincolnshire County Squad.

This is to inform Lincsquad Members that our Annual General Meeting will take place at 7.30pm, on Thursday 18th January 2018, at Redbourne Club, Scunthorpe. Tea and coffee will be provided.
The agenda will be;
• Opening address from Chair
• Secretary’s report
• Treasurer’s report
• Membership Secretary’s report
• Coaching Secretary’s report
• 2017 Committee stand down
• Nomination and election of 2018 committee
• 2018 Events and Events Committee
• AOB
All the committee members will step down, as stated in our constitution, so all committee positions are available. Although some committee members have stated their willingness to continue in post, this should in no way discourage other members from standing for a position. It is important that all committee positions are filled, to ensure the smooth running of the club in 2018 and its continued success in the future.
We encourage club members to consider assisting the running of the club, for example by serving as committee members, coaches, marshals, event organisers or by writing up race reports. If you are interested in being on next year’s committee, please speak to one of the current committee, to find out what the role entails. To stand for a committee position, you will need a fellow club member to nominate you, and another to second that nomination.
Committee positions are;
Chairperson – Leads the direction of the club.
Youth Chair – Leads the direction of the Youth Academy
Club Secretary – Handles admin, renews affiliations and Club insurance.
Treasurer – Manages Club finances
Coaching Secretary – Liaises with coaches to ensure coached sessions are covered, coaching qualifications are up to date and coached session venues are booked.
Membership Secretary – Administers Club memberships and club kit orders.
TT Secretary – Co-ordinates the Lincsquad TT series’ and liaises with CTT.
Race/Events Secretary – Responsible for booking race venues, updating Risk Assessments and liaising with race venues and other local authorities.
Social Secretary – A non-committee position, but gives feedback to the committee on social functions throughout the year (Awards night, Christmas party, etc)

if you have any queries about the above, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sallie Joseph
Club Secretary 2017

The 2018 summer duathlon series dates are now available from our friends at the Scunthorpe Triathlon club. The first training race will be on the 4th April 6:30pm, starting from the usual place south end of Burringham.

A full list of dates and other information is available to download here Duathlon 2018, times, dates & venues.

If you have any questions,  Jason and Jeff can be contacted on the numbers below.

Jason Frary 07947146988

Jeff Chappill 07850545790

Many thanks to all who have supported us this year, we hope you  have a great Winter training and we will see you all next year.

Click here for Training Race 11 results

Debs, Jason and Jeff

*Trademark issues. We’re not allowed to use the word P0rtal00s.

So this was my 3rd attempt at a half iron man distance triathlon. My 1st was Grafman in May last year which was just a ‘get round’ then my 2nd at Steelman in July this year. I’d had a strong swim followed by a strong bike leg but fell apart on the run. Despite being able to comfortably run half marathon distance on its own it had proven to be a real challenge after a 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike. On reflection of the day there were a number of things I could work on but a big part was nutrition. No one feels like eating on the bike and Steve Cannings was right Haribos were never going to get me round the course that day. Continue reading