Competing just recently at the Camberley Fitness First X Training Challenge, Jamie Spencer decided to create his own challenge at Corals Health and Fitness Club in Hove, West Sussex. Jamie gives his views on the day.

Hi Jamie, how did it go?

Remarkably well, had a good crowd come down, the racing was good a lot of close races, judging I thought was quite good, not perfect but your never gonna get it perfect, everyone seemed to have a good time

 What was the race of the day?

Probably Chris Lord and  Andy Lett – wasn’t sure how Andy was gonna go because I don’t think they have raced before and he is like a little machine. I think Andy had to burn himself out just a little too much at the end but it is great to watch Chris Lord he is phenomenal!

Did you see Lloyd and Varouk race?

No they were the race in front of me so they were racing and I was following them down the course they were doing shoulder press whilst I was on the running machine, I heard that  it was very close, very close indeed

What would you like to say to Coral’s management? How the day went ? Do you think it was a good advertisement  for the gym and a good advertisement  for X training?

Yes a great event for the club, because the people that came and took part from the gym all had a good day and a got a  good result. I think it has really sparked their enthusiasm for it.  I think a couple of the guys that have come down and done their personal training - it was their first event and I know a lot of their friends entered. So I can see that now they are going to get into the x training more and more  now there has been an event. Some people who don’t train here have got friends here so are possibly going to start training here because of this event.

So  Corals,  are there bets going on in the gym who is gonna win?

Probably not!

Jamie you done really well here today, the first event the first time you have organised something you have got everyone together from everyone that took part WGC, UK XTA, well done.

Rising star in X Training Kelly Friel has dominated the Intermediate feild over the last year. Kelly has made this transistion from with nothing more then pure determination.The Brighton XTE was her first event at the Open and Kelly expalined to the UK GCA how she felt about it and her views on X Training at the moment.

The obvious question is do you feel the difference?

It was tough but really good, I did feel the difference - very much so. It was a little nerve racking before the race, but a good choice that I made the step, about time!

From your last event, the intermediate, you were dominating the timings there. This is a step up for you, how do you see the field at the moment?

Really tough field today because you got the likes of Jax and Becky, Sarah Deed and Penny B and obviously all the other competitors . It will be good to see where I lie today compared to everyone else after  making that step up.

Your training has obviously gone up a step or two what different  training have you done to prepare for the open?

Just more heavy weights, because the shoulders, the bench are heavier, so those in particular and now I’m never ever going to  run on the flat everything is an incline. I am also working on my cardio obviously making that stronger , but really brining in the heavy weights and doing more sets is my main difference.

So from the transition from intermediate to open are you pleased you made the step up do you think it was the right time? You have got the experience now?

Yes, right time I think and a fantastic competition to make the step up because it was not mega mega heavy weights, so it was quite a nice transition sort of move across smoothly, the next one is obviously Luton.

OK, talking of Luton are you preparing for that at the moment, are you and Simon both going to be taking part?

Yes, we are gonna both be taking part but unfortunately we go on holiday in 3 weeks time to Florida for 2 weeks and we come back on the Wednesday and the competition is on the Saturday so we don’t aim to be fantastically fit by then, nicely sun tanned though!

Have you still been training with Ty, is he still helping you out?

Yes, had a few sessions with Ty, but not for this competition because it was similar weights to Hampshire. Hopefully he is gonna give me a few tips leading up to Luton and Stuart has also been doing a few training programmes ,but  because obviously  we live so far away it is mainly email and stuff like that.

What about Ben? Ben is a personal trainer as well isn’t he?

Ben Williams?  we don’t have the pleasure of him at the moment purely because me and Simon just do it off our own backs and then speak to Ty

In the current climate, the financial positions, how are you finding training and attending these events?

Not too bad at the moment, fortunately me and Simon’s job is pretty safe at the moment, obviously some are more expensive than others and more are further away, like Manchester and that so it is quite nice having a local one where we can just travel down in the morning. It’s  quite nice having them every month or every other month because it is not a major pay-out

So on the whole how do you see X Training at the moment?

I think it is a fantastic way of keeping fit, it is great to meet everyone on the day of the event and when you haven’t seen them for months and months it is good to see how people have moved on,

How many competed from the Hampshire Club?

6 of us come today I think and all of us have performed pretty well

At the moment I am doing the UK’s fittest gym are you taking part in that at the moment? The idea is that over the course of the year you represent your gym and you earn points for the position you get and the time you get, obviously the more people that turn up, the better it is for your gym, maybe your gym would be really interested if you did really well this year?

I think Ty will, especially after the turnout today, yea definitely I think our gym would like to be involved.

The results are good for moral at a gym – and prizes include a tailormade photo frame of all who took part.

Yea, possibly it would be nice to go back with a team photo and display it in our health club wall  to say that these people took part in X Training in Brighton or whatever event, I think it would be nice to have something visual. There was a little challenge in the month of February in our gym and they did a little write up on it so it would be nice to take something back to the gym.

Thanks Kelly , all the best for the next event.