Story
<p><strong><span style="color: #000080;">RACE</span><span style="color: #006400;">NEWFOREST</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">BIG 7 August 2011</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">I used to do a lot of running........and cycling.........quite a bit less swimming (obviously) but these days my jaunts into The Forest seem to be getting louder and louder as I huff and puff my way along. More and more time to think, though, (as I get ever slower!!) and it was at one of those moments that it dawned on me just how much of a struggle it must be for a small and not particularly "trendy" charity to attract donations in the face of bigger, higher proflile competition....and particularly in the current economic climate.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">RaceNewForest had already become involved with The Trussell Trust to a limited extent via one or two of our races but I began to wonder whether there might be something I could do as an individual to help out a bit. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">Until three years ago I had taken part in Triathlons on a regular basis and put the training in to do so. As our events have grown, however, I have struggled to find either the time or the motivation to race and/or train......too much of a "busman's holiday", I guess!!! I wondered if the specific challenge of fundraising could fire me up enough to drag myself back into some kind of "shape" to take part in "something": but what kind of "something"? It would ned to be a significant challenge as I had already completed an Ironman triathlon when fit so I began chatting through a few ideas with Tim Harris (a man renowned forendurance challenges of stupid proportions!!). I'd always expressed a desire to have a crack at one of our own events but as Race Organiser that would never be possible. So what if we could come up with a challenge involving the RaceNewForest series somehow? Jokingly I suggested that we should do all seven of them consecutively, finishing with The ForestMan (which is a really tough Iron Distance challenge in it's own right!!!). Unfortunately this off the wall suggestion captured Tim's imagination and he didn't let me forget it.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">So here we are, a 50 yr old who hasn't trained in three years (and who'd really prefer to be in the pub) and a keen youngster (but one whose triathlon experience is limited to one season comprising two short races) and we're going to have a stab at taking on seven of the toughest triathlons around in seven days next August. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">The events are as follows:- (although the order may change as we begin to develop a better understanding of the unique demands of multi stage racing!!)</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Monday (Aug 8th) -The Boskman</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Swim 2.6km, Bike 126km, Run 21.1km</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Tuesday (Aug 9th)- New Forest Middle Distance</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Swim 1.9km, Bike 90km, Run 21.1km</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Wednesday (Aug 10th) -The Swashbuckler</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Swim 1.9km, Bike 81km, Run 22.6km</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Thursday (Aug 11th) - OLT</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Swim 1.3km, Bike 45km, Run16km</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Friday (Aug 12th) -The New Forest Standard T</span>ri</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Swim 1.1km, Bike 36km, Run10km</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Saturday (Aug 13th) - Sprint Triathlon</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Swim 0.75km, Bike 25km, Run 6km</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Sunday (Aug 14th) -The Forestman</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Swim 3.8km, Bike 180km, Run 42.2km </span></p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #006400;">All that gives a 7day total of:</span></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #006400;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Swim </span>13.35km (8.25miles)</span></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #006400;"> <span style="color: #ff0000;">Bike</span> 583km (362miles)</span></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em><span style="color: #006400;"> <span style="color: #ff0000;">Run</span> 139km (86.4miles)</span></em></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">Anyone who's done any of these races will appreciate the scale of our undertaking. We'll be unveiling a range of opportunities for everyone to get involved in helping us to raise as much money as we can at each of the individual RNF events next year: prize draws; opportunities to try and predict our times; the option to wager your time against mine ..........if we're going to put ourselves through that much pain it had better be worthwhile!!! In the mean time there's this page<span style="color: #000080;">:- just click and hand over the cash!!</span></span></p>
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<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p>
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