Having been training  for over 23 weeks having  Run over 305 miles, cycling 1,878 miles and swimming 31.1 miles, totaling, (so far)240 hours of training, I am now beginning to believe that I am getting close to being ready to do the Lake Placid Ironman,

This comprises a 2.4 Mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and finishes with a marathon (26.385 Miles) I have some targets to meet.. Firstly to get to the starting line injury free, second to complete the race, third to get as close to completing the race within 13 hours and last but not least to raise some much needed funds for Hope and Homes for children and the St. James’s Place foundation.

I know we all seem to get targeted for sponsorship on a regular basis but I would really appreciate your help and support for this one, never before have I been so far out of my comfort zone!

Not only in terms of Challenge but also in the amount I wish to raise…. £10,000 and as you probably know this figure will be matched pound for pound by St James’s Place and would therefore amount to £20,000. I could go into great detail as to how much good this sort of money would do for the Hope and Home projects and will be happy to do so if you would like an idea…

Whatever you give will be greatly appreciated and (hopefully not sounding too sanctimonious) on behalf of the kids we would be supporting.. Please dig deep!!!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hope and Homes for Children is a registered charity working in Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. Their head office is based in Wiltshire.

Imagine growing up not knowing what a family is, not having the sense of belonging, or the emotional support that being part of one provides. Families are a source of comfort, warmth and nurturing, protection and security. If children are denied this love and respect their chances in life are dramatically reduced.

At Hope and Homes for Children we believe that, above all else, every child should grow up within a caring family.

HHC work together with children, their families and communities across Central and Eastern Europe and Africa to ensure that children grow up in an environment where they have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. They move children out of institutions into family-based care, help keep together families at risk of breakdown – due to the pressures of poverty, disease or conflict – and work to prevent child abandonment.

Below are some examples of what your sponsorship could help achieve:

£50 Could provide eight mosquito nets to keep children safe from malaria, one of Africa’s biggest killers

£114 Could pay for furniture and household equipment for a vulnerable family who have lost everything

£288 Could provide a uniform, school books, stationery and school fees to enable a child to attend secondary school for a year

£240 Could provide emergency food packages for a year to keep a child or grandparent headed family well fed whilst they get back on their feet.

£540 Could train a group of community volunteers who give day to day support and guidance to child-headed households The volunteer will be on hand to help with homework, teach practical skills such as cookery or agriculture and provide the simple things we take for granted like encouragement and advice.

£1,000 Could provide a package of loans for two vulnerable families. The loans are usually given in three stages. Initial loans could be for small-scale activities or livestock to provide food or a small income to meet their basic needs. Further loans enable small businesses to be set up and expanded to generate a long-term sustainable family income.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

WEBSITE: www.ironmanusa.com

Ford Ironman Lake Placid

Distance:
2.4 mi. swim • 112 mi. bike • 26.2 mi. run

Centered amidst the northern beauty of the Adirondack region, Lake Placid is a solid choice as host for the Ironman Lake Placid Triathlon. The Lake Placid course presents challenging sections on both the bike and run courses that gave last year's nearly 2,000 competitors a workout to remember. Famous champions include Thomas Hellriegel, Heather Fuhr, Melissa Spooner, Steve Larsen, and Cameron Widoff.

The course is nothing short of spectacular. The swim takes place in the pristine Mirror Lake.

The challenging bike course winds through the Adirondack Mountains, and is both scenic and tough - what more could a triathlete want?

The run is no picnic, either, and offers up some more great scenery, along with some more challenging hills.

Put it all together and you have the essence of Ironman ... a race that captures both the beauty and the challenges of the area, and the sport.