Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said "A goal without a plan is just a wish". To this end, I have been executing a 2 year plan:

Month 1 - Complete 2 lengths of the swimming pool without:

                     - inhaling 3 gallons of water

                     - vomiting

                     - taking a 2 minute break to get my breath back

                - Cycle without:

                     - stopping at traffic lights with my feet still clipped into the pedals

                     - crying

                - Run without:

                     - being overtaken by 8 year old girls

                     - getting the familiar look of "he has the build of a runner but without the ability"

                     - crying

Year 1  - Sporadic, unstructured training

Year 2  - Complete a Half Ironman distance triathlon

 

As many of you will know, I have some disadvantages:

      1. Pakistanis do not swim competitively* (we hate the cold water of a British lake)

      2. Pakistanis do not cycle competitively* (you can get very cold on a bike)

      3. Pakistanis do not run competitively* (we have cars)

(*unless there is the opportunity to throw a competition with financial inducement)

 

On the 13th July, I will be attempting to complete the Trentham "Big Half" Triathlon, which is a Half Ironman distance race totalling 70.3 miles (1.2m swim, 56m bike and 13.1m run). Given that I started off not being able to swim 50m in a pool, hadn't cycled since I was a boy (a long time ago) and couldn't run for more than 20 minutes - the challenge is great.

*******EDIT*******

Just found out it is a 58 mile bike, not 56. What's 2 miles between friends?

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Ordinarily, I would have sloped off and done the race on the quiet, but I feel I may need some motivation and I can't think of any better than to support a charity that is close to my heart.

Maruva Trust is a charity that strives to improve the lives of HIV positive children through the development of appropriate care and support services. My friend Nicola founded the charity and has built it up to into a truely awesome organisation that does so much to help children with the psychosocial support they need. Imagine being a child with HIV, and imagine being in a country with little in the way of support.

 

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