Well, I did it! In 10 hours and 31 minutes, I completed my first ironman. It was, by FAR, the hardest thing I have ever done, and for that reason, all the more worthwhile for having completed it in the time that I'd hoped.

The swim went well enough, I exited the water in 1h 4 mins. As I got on Zac I felt great, and I overtook lots of women during the bike leg, coming into T2 in 14th position overall. As I began the marathon I felt euphoric, having completed the bike in a good time (5h 19mins) and my legs felt good. However, as I completed the first 15km or so, my calves became progressively tighter, and it felt as though every fibre in my body was urging me to stop. This feeling intensified as my ITBs also became incredibly tight. Every step was a struggle (literally), and I won't lie- the thought crossed my mind, not infrequently, that never would I ever put myself through this torture again. However, as I saw more and more people begin to walk the second half of their marathon, I told myself that I would not be one of those, and that all I had to do, no matter what, was I keep running. And that I did, in my mind, incredible slowly. So much so that I stopped checking my pace on my watch, stopped looking at my total time, instead having negative thoughts about how I was silly to have thought I could do sub-11h, and that I would be lucky to finish it under 13h. It wasn't until I was back in Roth, with 1km to go, that I decided to look at my watch. Upon seeing it read 10:27, a truly amazing surge of happiness filled me, as I realise that for the past 2h I hadn't been running as slowly as I had feared, and that I was, in fact, totally going to accomplish my sub-11h target. Picking up my pace I stepped on the red-carpeted home strait, and was filled with SUCH incredible feelings that it *almost* made the pain in my legs, which had intensified in the past 2 hours, disappear.

It was a truly amazing experience, but not one I will be repeating in a hurry :)

I have not yet forgotten the minutes upon minutes that with every step I said in my head "...never, ever, ever, ever again..." However, the memory of the elation I felt as I crossed the finish line, as I overtook 15 women on the bike course- those feeling won't fade, and they're the ones that make the effort so totally worthwhile.

Thank you so much to those that have sponsored me- I thought of you during my race, wondered if I was going to let you down in that second half of the marathon. I'm glad, for me and you, that I didn't.

Roberta -xx-

Dear Friends,

In 10 days' time I will be taking on the toughest and longest physical challenge I have ever undertaken: Roth Ironman, in Germany, on July 18th. This triathlon consists of: 

3.8km Swim, 180km Cycle and 40km Run.

For you imperialists and number enthusiasts out there, here's some stats to put this into context:

2.2mile swim = 152 laps of a 25m pool, which I hope to complete in an hour.

112mile bike = roughly central London to Bristol, this should take about 5 and a half hours. (for the US contingent, it's LA to San Diego, or [southern] Philly to DC)

A full marathon, which, after the above two, I hope to run in under 4h.

Thus the goal is to go sub-11 hours.

Having raced triathlons for 4 years now, you may argue I am pretty well-trained for this sort of thing. However, this is my first full ironman, and with the above targets, Roth is a big challenge. I've trained harder and longer this year than any before, and I know that to use this opportunity to raise money for a very worthy cause will make crossing that finish line so much more worthwhile.

Sobell House Hospice, funded almost entirely by charity donations, provides palliative and end of life care to the residents of Oxfordshire, caring for both the patient and their families. They provide an invaluable service, keeping patients comfortable and dignified as they live through their final days, and supporting their loved ones at an undoubtedly very difficult time. My personal contact with patients and families affected by cancer and other terminal illnesses make this challenge evermore meaningful, and I urge you to be as generous as you can. You can be sure that I will think of each and very one of you at some point during my (looooong) race, and will be encouraged to dig deeper and do better to justify your generous sponsorship!

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Sobell House Hospice will receive 100% of what you donate, and if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Thanks so much for your support- I appreciate it immensely.

Best wishes,

Roberta -xx-