In a moment of weakness, I have agreed to commit to a year of increasingly difficult triathlon events, in support of my firm's fund raising efforts for our nominated office charity, Birmingham Mind. This culminates in me attempting a full "Ironman" event in September this year.

For those not familiar with the sport, triathlon consists of a swim, followed by a bike ride, followed by a run, with two swift clothes changes in between (technically known as "transition" but what most of us refer to as "getting dressed"), all against the clock. 

Sadly, I am more "chocolate brownie" than "Brownlee brothers" orientated and haven't really swum much since my heroic attempt to rescue a drowning brick whilst wearing my pyjamas back in the 1980's. I am told that the secret to success is to get as "aero" as possible - this  is the part I am looking forward to, as I particularly enjoy an Aero, even the mint choc ones.

Once having squeezed into my lycra race suit (picture a sausage bursting on the barbecue - it looks like that), I shall be attempting the following:

1. Blenheim  Palace triathlon - my first taste of things to come. A "sprint" event, this race consists of a mere 750m swim in the lake, followed by a 20km bike ride and a 5km run.  I'll be doing this as part of a team from Gateley.  

2. The Cotswolds 113 - things get a bit more serious. This is a "half" Ironman event, consisting of a 1900m lake swim, a 90km (56 mile) bike ride and a half-marathon.

3. The Long Course - a full Ironman distance but the events are spread over three days. And then on to the main event....

4. Ironman Wales - this is the real deal. Recognised internationally as one of the toughest Ironman events out there, this is a 3.8 km (2.4 mile) open water sea swim, followed by 180 km (112 miles) on the bike, then a full marathon. All against the clock, with strict cut off times for finishing each section. Set in the beautiful coastal town of Tenby, the sea can be rough and the course is hilly, to say the least.....

http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/events/emea/ironman/wales.aspx#axzz5GKLIV9k6

If you are too slow at any point, you are simply put down as "DNF" (did not finish). Given my initials are "DEF", I am already uncomfortably close to that! Grown men are often seen weeping on the side of the road during this race. I am guessing that they are not tears of joy...

I genuinely have no idea at this point whether I can complete any of these challenges. It would help spur me on if you would be kind enough to support me in my efforts by agreeing to donate to our office charity, Birmingham Mind.  Its a terrific local charity, which provides vital support and services to over 3,000 people at any one time, working incredibly hard to promote mental wellbeing and help those suffering or recovering from a broad spectrum of mental health issues. 

https://birminghammind.org/services/

I am paying for all the entrance fees, ill-fitting lycra and sickly energy gels, so every penny you donate goes to the charity.

Thanks very much for taking the time to read this and for your generous support - you're a star!

Best wishes

Dan 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.