THE FINAL UPDATE - FINISHING TIME - 2HRS 13 MIN 43 SECS.....

 So on April 25th, Lee, Libby Dee and myself all took part in the Formentera Triathlon we had been training  so hard for....   It started at 10am, so we were up early to prepare ourselves, register and get our gear sorted.  There was were a lot of people arriving, some obviously doing this kind of thing on a regular basis, but for us first timers, it was all about having fun and doing our best.  First up was the swim, which for me went well, first out of the water of my friends, and I completed it in 20 min, 43 secs, a little over 4 minutes faster than i'd done it before.  Then a quick change and on to the bikes, 4 times round a 5km course, with 2 1/2 km of it being totally off-road, winding around trees and sandy slopes, by the 3rd lap, I started to feel it in the legs, but again a pretty good section overall.

Then came the dreaded run, the one I knew I would hate, 2 laps around a 3km course.....   a quick drop-off of the bike, and straight up a hill....   jeez, I wanted to give up within the first 200 metres, but like a friend told me, get through the swim and cycle and you'll complete the run on will power alone.  So with this in mind, I kept going....   and it became a little easier until I hit the sand section, again, I slowed almost to a crawl....   but I knew if I stopped i'd find it difficult to start again.  After the first lap, and with friends cheering me on, I knew I was going to make it, I just kept going until finally I came into the finishing area.... and then it was all over.  Absolutely knackered, but felt great!!!   I came 32 out of 68 entries, a position way better than I had expected.  

So thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far, and if you haven't but still want to, the page is open for at least another month, so please take the time to check it out and add a little to the total. 

Also, thanks for all the wishes of support and especially to the friends that came over to cheer us on....

David 

 

UPDATE - Only 4 days to go now until the triathlon, the training has been going well, we're all swimming around 1.5km a few times a week, cycling around 60km on the weekends, and running when I can....  but its a killer on my knees!!!  I think i'll be getting through the running on will power mainly.  

We've got a good group of friends coming over to cheer us on, or maybe heckle in some cases.....   but we're all feeling good and ready for it.

I haven't reached my target yet with sponsorship, so please take the time to read about the charity and if you can, help me on my way with a donation.

thanks 

So after spending a fairly sedentary time in Ibiza this past winter, i've decided to enter my first ever Triathlon taking place in Formentera on April 25th.  The triathlon consists of a 1km sea swim, 20km bike ride and finishes with a 6km run.  Why I entered it I have no idea, because I hate the idea of running, let alone running after swimming and riding, but I have, and to make sure I don't back out, i've decided to do it for charity.  

My chosen charity is Independence ZA, set up by a group of good friends, all south africans, who have decided to give something back to their place of birth.  The charity helps young South Africans affected by HIV-AIDs, to become more independent.  AIDs orphans are usually looked after by the state until the age of 15, and are then often left to fend for themsleves.  Independence ZA help these young people by raising money to fund education and trade based training courses, that will hopefully lead to employment and a chance of a more independent life for them.

So on that note, thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

 

David