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I have signed up to Ironman Wales... something of a Daddy amongst triathlons... having never taken part in a triathlon of any distance at the time of signing up!! In at the deep end! Ironman comprises a 2.4 mile open water swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride followed by a 26.2 mile run... and the Welsh course is renowned for being hilly and tough!! (Even the swim!!)

Autumn 2017: I have decided to dedicate the whole 2018 journey to Ironman Wales to Macmillan for very personal reasons. My best buddy and training partner for this journey (pictured with me) faces a tough year personally on top of the training we are both having to do. Her father, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumour a couple of years ago and has battled bravely against the terminal diagnosis, even taking part in the London Marathon in 2017, two days before his last brain surgery. Unfortunately, medical science has now reached the limit of what it can do for Martin and so the family are left waiting to see how quickly and in what manner the tumour will take its course.   Martin is determined to make the most of whatever time he has left and (as at November 2017) is still taking part in Parkrun and other 5km runs despite his failing health. Living life to the full gets more and more difficult, however, as his health deteriorates. The time approaches when he, and the family, may need the assistance of Macmillan to ensure some quality of life. It is good to know that they will have this vital support on hand, and I am proud to be helping  their fundraising by doing something this crazy!

My swimming is currently pretty poor, and rather slow and will take a lot of work over the coming months to bring it up to a decent speed. I have engaged the assistance of a swimming coach to help to get this sorted! My cycling is better, but my longest period in the saddle to date is only about 3.5 hours - roughly half what I will need to be doing for Ironman Wales!  My only saving grace is that, after years of running ultra-distance events, I  certainly know how to run on exhausted legs! My main challenge therefore is going to be in getting through the swim and the bike legs within the cut offs, so that I can get out on the run! It's going to take a lot of digging deep to get through it... not just on the day, but through the training!

UPDATE: July 2018: Martin sadly lost his bravely fought battle back in March. His legacy will live on in all of us who knew him as we carry the memory of his determination and zest for life. I hope that Lucy and I can do him proud come 9th September... We have now both completed a bike ride of over 100 miles, and done our first half-iron distance triathlons (as well as our first sprint distance ones). My swimming is improved, although still very much a work-in-progress... I am not much faster (if any!) but I am steady and have almost got up to the 2.4 mile distance required (I am hoping to do a couple of swims of that distance this month...). I am pleased to report that we are both still enjoying the journey too.. :-)

September 2018: I can't believe we are in the final few days of countdown. All the hard work has hopefully been done in training and we are now at the mercy of the weather gods and fate!! We have both completed the distances for each of the disciplines in training so we know we can do them separately... let's hope we can put in all together within the time limits! Please help us to make all the effort worthwhile by sparing us a donation.

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Thank you for choosing to support me and Macmillan Cancer Support. Just so you know, 30% of the sponsorship that I collect (up to the cost of my entry fee) will be reimbursed. This means that Macmillan receives 70% or more of my sponsorship.

Reimbursing 30% of my sponsorship (up to the cost of my entry fee) is a safe way of fundraising for the charity as it can be cheaper than the cost of a charity package! If you have any questions about my fundraising or why your donations may be used in this way, please don't hesitate to contact Macmillan directly at triathlon@macmillan.org.uk.