<p>Hi all and thanks for visiting my page.</p> <p>I am currently training hard for the Ironman UK Triathlon in 2012. For those of you who don't know what an Ironman involves let me tell you. Competitors are required to complete an open water swim of 2.4 miles. They then enter a transition area where they strip out of their wetsuit and climb onto their bike, before completing a 112 mile cycle. Once they arrive back in transition competitors change into running shoes and complete a marathon (26.2 miles). This is all done in succession and against the clock.</p> <p>Training for this kind of event will require a year of early starts, careful diet and no doubt a world of pain along the way!! Training at peak will be 19 hours per week.</p> <p>I have chosen to raise money for Blind in Business; a small charity based in the City of London. BiB work with young blind and partially sighted people and help them gain the confidence needed to excel in the workplace. BiB have to date helped 450 young people into work and given both genuine and tailored employment advice to hundreds more. Their work covers the whole of the UK and their dedicated staff overcome their own challenges in order to offer the very best service they can. Being a small charity your donations will actually make a real difference to their operations.</p> <p>Everything about this challenge is tough. Reaching the fundraising target will be tough, the training will be tough and the event itself will be even tougher. Do your bit and make at least one of the above a little easier for me :)</p> <p>Feel free to contact me on <a href="mailto:matt.pougher@hotmail.co.uk">matt.pougher@hotmail.co.uk</a> or 07786054139 should you have any questions.</p> <p>Thank you for your support, a load of money raised will certainly help ease the pain of completing this - I hope.</p> <p>Matt xx</p> <p>p.s. The picture of me in a hamster wheel isn't for training, I just thought it looked funny.</p>