Well by the fact I'm writing this message shows I'm still alive.

My knee is battered and I'm covered in bruises but I managed to complete the course in 3:20.

Clare and I were alarmed when we arrived to see people throwing bricks in some of the murky water I was soon to run through only to see the bricks bounce off the 1 inch thick ice. Temperatures were below freezing.

After all the running came the 'killing fields' where the fun began. Between the insane obstacles (narrow tunnels 30 feet long filled with water, harsh electrocutions, fire, under water crossings, huge climbing A frames and huge mud and water crossing which needed swimming at times) there was a lot of waiting around for people to move forward which added to the pain of being freezing cold and standing in the wind!

I remember thinking about 2 hours in what a stupid idea this whole thing had been and that there was no way I'm ever doing something so ridiculous again. After doing the under water crossings I was so cold I had an inkling of a thought I might not complete the course. Then the thought that Roberts had done it and the ridicule I'd face at work was not worth it so I figured I should take my chances with hypothermia and Weil's disease. This and the thought of raising a little money for charity spurred me onwards!

All in all a great day (the cup of tea at the end anyway) and I would thoroughly NOT recommend it to anybody.

Thanks to all who donated and Clare was kind enough to take lots of pictures of the pain so I'll forward them about in due course.