On Sunday 4th August I will be racing in Ironman UK, a long distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. My training for this event began in January and to date I have swum, biked and ran over 3000 miles, putting in over 250 hours of training through snow, rain, wind and sleet, and that's just been the summer!

I'm hoping that through this crazy and fairly selfish desire to race and complete an Ironman I can also do something positive for a good cause. I am raising money for a charity called Child Victims of Crime whose primary mission is to brighten the lives of children who have been badly affected by crime.

The race will be the biggest physical and psychological test I have ever encountered and I expect to visit some very dark places during the journey, so with the added pressure of people having donated money I will hopefully resist the desire to stop or quit.

So what will it be like?? Will I finish?? What time will I get?? How much will it hurt?? I have no idea, but a sports psychologist who studied the minds of long distance triathletes came up with this..

In the hardest moments of a long race, the athletes entire conscious experience of reality boils down to a desire to continue pitted against a desire to quit. Nothing else remains. The athlete is no longer a teacher, student or salesman. He is no longer a son, father or husband. He has no social roles or human connections whatsoever. He is utterly alone. He no longer has any possessions. There is no yesterday and no tomorrow, only now. The agony of extreme endurance fatigue crowds out every thought and feeling except one, the thought of reaching the finish line.

Let's hope I get there!!

Thanks for sponsoring me..