Hi & thanks for taking the time to find & view the site. If you've managed this far then please do read just a little further ... As you probably know over the past few years I have been involved ( inspired by the Mid Argyll Tri Group) in various forms and distances of Triathlon (= swim, cycle & run multisport events). The most well-known format of triathlon is the "Ironman”. It’s (in)famous partly because of a special lady : Julie Moss (see link) and partly because it’s a ridiculous and unfeasible concept. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NzMTLMJwao The “Ironman” was born when the triathlon concept was taken to Hawaii and used to combine three pre-existing endurance events – an Open Water Swim of 3.8km , a Bike Ride of 180k and a Marathon (= 42k) – combined into one single race with a time limit cut-off of 17 hours to complete. Yes, 17 hours & over 140 miles - with just the one set of legs. So, in the safety of last Sept, I wondered, what would motivate friends, colleagues and relatives to dig deep for a very special cause ? What’s got “WOW”? Well I think I found it. On August 24th I will attempt Ironman Canada in British Columbia. The flights are booked, I pleaded for an international entry and as of last weekend I (finally) found someone who would insure me. You too can get inspired by following this link …http://www.ironman.ca/ There have been staging points along the way in 2008 - races to show how fitness was improving (or not) - The final “test” on going live with this idea was Sunday 18th May which was a bike race of 81 miles near Perth. It went sufficiently well (although I did have vet on hand throughout) to think that the training might be there or thereabouts. But why even consider doing this ? It is clearly NUTS and there's a better than 50% chance that I won't finish it. You need a PhD just to understand the nutritional aspects alone. Well... You, as I, couldn’t fail to be moved by the tragedy of 4 year Leticia Wright - possibly you might recall her as “the child in the window” who, having suffered terrible abuse died in hospital during November 2006. Her story recalls that of Victoria Climbié and makes us aware of the vulnerability of children. The NSPCC (GB & NI) and the Scottish equivalent Children 1st encourage people, both individually and on a professional basis to contact the National Child Protection Helpline to report any cases where they are concerned about the welfare of a child. The NSPCC and Children 1st have missions to protect children individually and to encourage everyone to recognise and play their part in the safeguarding of all children. They also support families under stress, protect children from harm and neglect, help children recover from abuse & promote children's rights and interests. I'm determined that, with your help, Leticia is remembered and her short life makes a difference for others. So far the formal race journey has been .. Jan: 10k Road race Glasgow. Feb: 10k Road Race Nr Stirling. Apr: Sprint Distance Triathlon Fife. Apr: Marathon, Fort William. May: 81 mile Cycle Road Race Perthshire. The next challenges are … Jun: Middle Distance Triathlon : 2k, 78k, 21k North Wales Jul: 4k Loch Craignish open water swim Argyll Jul: Middle Distance Triathlon 2k, 90k, 21k NE England At the moment a training week approximates 13 hours of swim, cycle & run. This will build to approx 16 hours during July. I’d love to have your support along the way and hope you can use the very unlikely spectacle to dig deep for Children 1st and NSPCC. There are 2 Just Giving sites - one for Scotland and one for GB & NI - pick whichever suits your geography. If you wish to receive updates and progress reports as we work our way through to August then join us on the Blog http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/view.php?b=391 Oh, and you don’t need to donate just the once - why not keep giving as we, hopefully, work our way through the challenges in June, July & August John
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