The day of "The Accidental Iron(wo)man"!!!!!!

ForestMan would not be ForestMan without a blessing and some words to give a sense of perspective to the day from our good friend Andy Baker, who dragged himself out of bed and down to the lake for a far smaller field than he usually speaks to on the proper race day.

The great compensation for his having made such a big effort on behalf of so few was that for the first time in three years he could actually see the lake!!! And a picture it was: flat calm and glassy with the first hint of blue skies and sunshine.

Big hugs (friends and family, mainly......not Andy specifically!) and into the lake which has become progressively cooler as the week has gone on; three, two, one!!....and we're off with Steve and myself side by side, Kev tucked in a little behind and Tim bringing up the rear.

Tim's swimming is not his forte but has improved hughly over recent months and more particularly, through swimming umpteen kilometres this week. His "umpteen" k's probably include a couple of extra due to his open water navigational skills???

So in the water with Tim was his "minder", who has also looked after him variously on bike and run routes during the week, bringing a level of "maturity" to curb his youthful exuberance: ie making sure he didn't go too fast, too soon!! Now Nicky, for such is her name, is not the most experienced Triathlete in the world herself: hell of a runner and fit as you like but pretty new to biking and swimming. Her mission at 5:30 that morning was to stop him swimming further than necessary by keeping him "on course". Thereafter she would get out for a lap of the bike "or so" to slow him down early on before offering some moral support on the run!!!........this thread of my rambling to be picked up again later!!!

Steve and I had arranged to swim together (he's a top swim coach so keeps me concentrating on correct technique). He obviously resisted the urge to keep stopping me for a bit of extra tuition as the laps flew by and we emerged to hear the words......."blimey 57 mins".

I'll settle for that.

Out of the water and up to the car for another speedy (10 minute or so) transition......well you need to make sure you've got everything don't you!!!

Off on Joanne's trusty Kestrel KM40 (most of you will be too young to remember this iconic bike) and as far as The Alice Lisle (about a mile) before the first numpty car incident of the day where a 4X4 decided to overtake us on a blind left hander over the cattle grid to come face to face with another idiot going eqully too fast in the opposite direction. Fortunately no-one swerved in our direction and they managed to stop, head to head about a metre apart.......

Another half mile down the road I lost my "minder" with a puncture but that was (fortunately) it for incidents until the roads got busy with traffic and inumerable other cycling events a bit later.

Fuelled by InfiniT and the occasional Shot Block all went well and I made my first "pit-stop" to re-stock at the top of the Ornamental Drive.........we are so lucky to live, work and cycle round here!

Under the A31 and up towards Ocknell (for the 11th and not yet final time this week!!) Joanne went past in the car and shouted that Wayne was not far behind and just coming over the top of the Ornamental Drive so I would soon have some company again. Given the "solid" pace I had been churning out I was not overly surprised when he finally caught up and checked his computer to be told he had covered almost 50 kilometres of the course at 40+ kmph to try and catch me. Given that he reckoned it had only taken him about 5mins or so to repair the puncture it didn't take me long to calculate that I had actually been going pretty well myself up to that point. Too hard?: we'd find out , know doubt! Time to settle down and "enjoy the ride"!!

Point of interest (or possibly not!) I never ride with a computer.....old boy triathlete!!...and the only time-check I got all day was the 57 min shout at swim out. Actually, I did get one more shout but much, much later.

With the traffic increasing I opted to do my "Nomansland" loop on the second circuit in order to clear Burley, Brock and the A35 before they got too bad. Couple more pit stops to collect nutrition and drop off long sleeve jersey and I'm enjoying the last few miles of competitive cycling clad in my "Devon Flag" cycling jersey.........proud of our home County!!!! Home of all things "great and good" (see new BLOG pic) and in the company of one of the real nice guys of Duathlon/Triathlon, Wayne Smith.

As a proud South African I'm sure he can't fail to have been impressed when I declared that I was wearing my "lucky South African trunks" under my Trisuit...... I had swopped my GB kit for SA kit at some ancient World Champs and (incredibly) have never failed to win whilst wearing them........and if that's not "lucky" I don't know what is!!

Incidentally as I won't be needing them any more, I'm open to (sensible) bids but they will need a bit of a rinse after Sunday's endeavours!!!! (See pic........will part with them if anyone makes a big enough donation to the Trussell Trust!!!) hahahahah!!!

Chatting with the guys afterwards I think we all enjoyed the bike, albeit that it was a bit "blowy" in places. Even Tim was round in just  7 and a bit hrs I believe and the others were both still on course to (incredibly) challenge their ForestMan pb's ,set on stand alone race days.

Back in my world it was soon "big thanks and goodbye to Wayne" and "hello, Joanne; fancy meeting you here!!" as I hit "T2".

Now doing transition at our Lodge at Sandy Balls seemed like the perfect idea: Joanne could get her MTB plus drinks together and shoes on ready to go, throw the Kestrel into the lodge and follow closely behind me on the run. The flip-side of all that luxury "on tap" is that there is a huge temptation to take your time and to avail oneself of the available "facilities" in a far more leisurely fashion than one might if, say just for arguments sake, a putrid portaloo!!.....................so I did.

Some time later, I emerged ,somehow resisted the temptation of the Hot Tub ( and the lure of the ice cool beers nestling in the fridge) and headed out (uphill!!!) on to the run course.

Our Lodge was very nice but those of you who have done any of our events involving a "loop" on site at Sandy Balls will know that the word "loop" is actually "Richardspeak" for "hilly detour"!! This made for a challenging start to the run.....one I may feel inclined to inflict upon future competitors!!!!!

Off up the road and by now it's traffic/ bke mayhem with the Sportive and charity riders being joined by two thirds of the families staying at SB!! Still, in no time we're off road, into a rhythm that I think/hope I can sustain for the duration and we're both laughing / joking our way round the course.....didn't I say I'd intended to enjoy every minute of the "last blast"!!!

First person to greet me was Nick Wright, out on a training run and, as usual, smiling, what a nice guy!! A few words of encouragement always welcome!!

 Then at about mile 7 we bumped intoNeil Lewis who then ran with me and Joanne (who was carrying all the nutrition) until I collected my blue and final band at Abbots Well. Andy Moore also ran a lap with us and it was great to feel "supported" for a chunk of the run.

Was even more delighted to encounter young Mr Bailey well into his first lap just as we dived down the steep hill for the second time: still looking fresh enough, still smiling and heading towards a big PB if he could keep it going.

Ran all the hills and every step of the route (unless it counts when you stop for a comfort break!!)....this was my own personal challenge and didn't really have a bad patch all day.......and in particular no cramps which have clobbered me so badly in the past. !!!! Whilst I never quite felt as good as on "BoskMan" day (best running day of my life, mind you!!) I was always ultra comfy and sticking to my plan to "enjoy the ride"
Then, in what seemed like no time, I'd collected my Blue (and final) band along with a cheer from Graham and Nicky and Tamsin and Paul........thank you, all!!). We ran back past a family whom we had seen on numerous occasions over the "laps" only for the mother to shout out: " you could have done a marathon by now!" Funny that!!!

Back to the centre where Nicky's husband Greg along with children Alice and Sam was setting up an extra drink station for Tim and Co. Having also already seen Kev a couple of times looking in good shape plus Steve still happy and moving well it was a shame to have just missed out on seeing Tim and Nicky who had just begun their first loop as I legge it off the Forest.

It was at this stage that I got my second (unsolicited) time check of the day. Wayne and Jax were by now also positioned at the Central point and when I said to Wayne "last three miles , about 22 mins" he told me that I'd be just outside 10hrs. Hearing this I bolted off down the hill, through the stream and up the other side before "wising up" metaphorically shaking my head at my own behaviour and settling back down as I reminded myself that it wasn't a race, noone was chasing me down and that it really, really didn't matter....... "enjoy the ride!"

Back on to the road : firstly, Neil Lewis cruised by pumping out some loud music to see me home!! Then,  for the second time that day, Wayne came hurtling up behind me; this time on MTB to watch me finish........fantastic. Told Joanne and me that Greg had also decided to jump on his bike and whizz back from the central aid station to do the same. Wayne seemed perplexed as to Greg's whereabouts.

 Joanne and I had to laugh at  a world class duathlete, who has just done the Race Across America with Team Feat (and very nearly won it!!!) wondering  how he'd managed to drop a Recreational Cyclist over 3 hilly off-road New Forest miles. Strange that!! Anyway the explanation was not long coming as Greg did catch us and declared that he'd had to go back for his helmet!!!

End in sight and there's Neil again with some "Faithless" blasting out to welcome me home!!!!

Finish line : big hugs, especially for Joanne and a moment of reflection for a number of reasons,,,.been a difficult year in some ways. Then it was my turn to sweat over other people for a change!! with hugs for everyone!!!): immediate post-race beer, always important, so "thanks, Tom".

 And then, suddenly, that's it.....all over: as in "completely": "the day", "the week", "the challenge" and my "racing" career.

For those of you who are interested, and to whom it means anything at all, I crossed the ForestMan line in 10:04:42 so sub 10 was really not on the agenda a great deal more suffering a good bit earlier on the run (or a filthier portaloo, perhaps?? LOL . But I'll happily settle for that ass my "finale".
(Before anyone asks,I honestly don't accurateley know my splits but I'm told my run was about 3:37ish)

Will deal with thoughts and the "deeper" side of my week seperately along with big thank-you's but for now, on with the day!
.
Big news, once I'd polished off that pint (I did share with Joanne!!) was that Nicky, rather than dipping in and out of "proceedings" after the swim, had actually undertaken the whole Bike and was now pacing Tim on the run: incredibly, well on her way to becoming an "accidental "IronMan" Good job I'd packed an extra medal "just in case"!!!!!

Now, I've witnessed some amazing achievements in my 20 odd (sometimes very odd!!) yrs of triathlon but it never occurred to me that someone might wind up doing an Iron Distance race "by accident"......and particularly over a course a tough as ForestMan. For Tim, with only 3 short course tri's behind him before 7in7 it virtually defied logic but this???...................emotional stuff, heh?????

Anyway, for me some proper post race rehydration and recovery stuff, quick shower and back to the finish line for the others.

When I'd passed Steve going in the opposite direction on the run for the first time his words to me were: "Bet you're surprised to see me!!!!" I replied "No, just delighted!!" But since Steve has freely admitted subsequently that he tried to drop me on the swim!!!!! (B**t#*d), and in the spirit of honesty,openness and trust that I live by, I can say now that I had been a bit surprised: absolutely chuffed but, yes, a little surprised.

I've known Steve for as long as I've been in the Forest and in this sport. His wife was my inspiration for first taking up Triathlon (so blame her ultimately for our events and all the hills on our Run courses!!) and in early events Steve would cruise past me on the bike and offer helpful coaching tips like"You need to pedal on the downhills as well, you know!!!" He's a great guy: a very fine triathlete but more often than not, and I hope he won't mind my saying so, his race results have not reflected either his potential or his level of fitness going into an event. Anyway, his performances all week had been just brilliant and here he was, possibly knocking out a ForestMan PB to boot: just fantastic to see!!! (even if he did try to drop me on the swim after saying he'd let me swim alongside him!!!!!!) Had I already mentioned that???

To be honest, I'm not sure of his finish time.......I was too busy being emotional with everyone else as he crossed the line still smiling but I know it was quick. Round about 11hrs 30 if I had to guess......but a big F'Man PB and at the end of a tough week!! Chapeau, Steve!!!!!

I'm certain Steve, Kev and Tim will want to add their own personal pages pages to this BLOG over the coming days so I'm sure They'll give times etc if want to. For my part, I'll do a couple of "follow ups" with specifc times and try and offer some kind of explanation for the level of performance across the group, throughout the week,which seems to contradict most training / race prep logic and standard practise.

Anyway, next Kev, who has done more IronMan events that any of us and who, again, had knocked out exceptional times each day only picking up minor niggles along the way. He was also now clocking up consistent run miles to back up very respectable bike and swim splits..........like all of us he had taken an age in each transition (particularly T2 where he had to wait for his kit having arrived before his helper and filled the time by scoffing a couple of cheese and ham sandwiches). Whatever, it had worked and he was soon over the line to register his own personal ForestMan PB (sub 12hrs for sure) and with loads of friends and family to greet him; just brilliant.His Dad did ask me to tell Kev he's getting too old for all this stuff but I didn't feel I was the most suitably qualified for the task!!

Kev and Steve both did their first events in 1989 and were founder members back then of one of the very early Tri Clubs "5 Go Mad", so it was great to share a day, where everything had gone so well for us all with two other like minded old gits who actually "get" what it (Triathlon) is, (or used to be) all about: flogging yourself senseless in beautiful places amongst a small community of friends. Where it's more about the experience and how you deliver what you set out to do as an individual, rather than purely about time, position or bragging rights at work on Monday!!!

More similar "cod - philosophical" stuff at a later date but now on to "The Main Event"

We three "experienced" athletes spent the week in awe of Tim, who, after one year in the sport and a few short course races took up this challenge and never looked likely to fail!! He's a very fine runner who is gradually improving on the bike but lacks miles (but makes up for that with smiles!!). He can't swim in a straight line in open water: in fact two years ago he was a "really bad" swimmer........now he's just "not very good", "bad".......but improving fast and particularly so over the course of such an intensive week...... to the extent that I might be wrong but doubt that he took much more than 1.5 hrs for the F'Man swim: a time which would please an awful lot of competitors doing it as a "stand alone" race.
7+ windy hours on the bike with Nicky and Jax for company....they probably talked "at him" non-stop to keep his mind off it!! Then he and Nicky were out there on the run.

Meanwhile Steve and Kev were recovering in the hot tub.....thanks so much Del and Jen @ Sandy Balls for that facility!!!......but we were all back together to see our hero Tim and "The Accidental Iron(Wo)Man", Nicky Yevko cross the line, also in fine shape, as the clock ticked up to 13:30. They had also knocked out a 4:20 ish run split, which as all you ForestMen out there will know, is very, very respectable.

Awesome. What an achievement.

I'm not sure that either of them actually has enough triathlon experience to fully comprehend the level of their achievement that day but there must be hundreds of RNF event "veterans" around, who can appreciate the severity of the courses out there and who will be sufficiently impressed by their achievement to,hopefully, stick their hand in a pocket and make a small donation to our charity, which can be done simply by clicking on the whopping great icon at the top of the RaceNewForest homepage.

I really hope that the donations flood in, if for no other reason than to recognise their feat on Sunday!!!! Remarkable!

PLEASE help us reach our target. www.justgiving.com/racenewforest7in7

My life is the richer for having enjoyed this week with these guys. Apologies for it being more about "me" than the team as a whole but I'll pop contributions from them all.....and Nicky up here as I get them

Hopefully something I've written about just what they've all achieved will inspire some contributions.

So that was ForestMan day..........except for the eating, drinking an continued hottubbing.

If Thomas (Peoples) should catch sight of this BLOG, you're right: they do a bloody good BBQ at Sandy Balls: just the ticket at the end of a long week!!

For my part I'll post all our "thank you's" along with some times/ comparisons etc once I have those, just to give some idea of the level at which the guys operated all week and then try and make some sense of how three old gits, a "nutter" and an "accidental Iron(Wo)Man" managed to perform as they did., without injury or post race stress/ DOMS and, still "look" and "feel" healthy" right to the end........bizarre!!

Bye for now

Rich

Saturday and waking up Sunday

Wow!! Only two days since I last posted an so much to say. Let's deal with "stuff" chronologically...............at least to start with!!

Saturday was plain weird. Firstly we got a "lie in" with a scheduled start time of 7:15 it was light when we got up. I felt a bit "down" and my mood wasn't helped by having to share the lake with other people, having had it to ourselves all week.

Once started, though, my energy levels picked up and I enjoyed being finished before 9:45.As on other days no major crises: my calf was ok if not ideal but definitely healing. Steve and Kev still bearing up well and Tim, after a bit of massage, a bit more comfortable.

Tim does a lot of Personal Training, so had arranged for a number of clients to try out "multisport" by either biking and running with him or doing all three disciplines. They all seemed to enjoy the lunacy of our fantastic sport; so more new "converts"

Quick breakfast togetherto run through the logistics of ForestMan day and then off to "prepare". With everything having gone so well for all of us right through the week my great fear was that the "wheels might come off" right at the last.

ForestMan is demanding enough as a "one-off" so we were completely blind as to what to expect this late in the week.

For my part I had Joanne to gee me up so when I would say something like " if I can swim and bike solidly, I guess we'll have plenty of time for the run??" She'd say "yes......but we don't want to be out there all day, do we!!!"

In all seriousness, I couldn't have done what I've done this week without her total confidence in me!!!

Day spent eating, drinking.......met Jax and Wayne up The Old Inn for a couple of beers (you should never, ever (not) drink before a race!! and then making up various energy drinks and lining them up in order in the fridge (all the same drinks on the same shelf......who says I'm "obsessive/compulsive"?? Seems perfectly normal to me. No stranger than putting 6 spare wheels in the car......just in case!!!!

Having been totally at ease all week I again managed almost 7 hrs sleep before waking up (in the dark again Sunday) putting on the kettle for tea and eating Weetabix with my eyes still closed: starting the long established "pre-race prep" for the very last time in an "organised" triathlon. 3 cups of coffee and a 10 minute shower; on with the tri suit and the bottom half of my (very nice and supplied by 2XU.....plug!!) wetsuit  and we're in the car heading for the lake to the sound of some suitable Armin Van Buuren..........................

Will deal with "the day of ForestMan" and it's aftermath later today!

More kit opts for "Early Retirement"!!!!!

First of our two much shorter events today and a few signs of fatigue creaping in. A bit less happy chit- chat and a bit more "let's just get through today!"

Understandable after 7.5 km swimming, 340+ km biking and (in particular) 80+ km running so far: and all done at a "competitive" pace. If anyone thinks we've just been touring round together, just ast Dave Doust!!
Dave came along yesterday for OneLastTri and had assumed that we would all be "re-grouping" after the swim, getting changed, having a coffee and then biking as a group. Big shock as guys ripped their way out of wetsuits and hurtled out into the Forest!!!

All came through today relatively unscathed: an early finish with everyone done in under 2:75 hrs and home to catch up on some sleep: lack of sleep is proving as difficult as physical deterioration!!!

Bit of a change for me today as I switched over to the road bike to give my back a bit of a rest. Pleasant change for the shorter courses but will be back on the Kestrel on Sunday.

We had forgotten my calf guards, so I decided to pull on my compression tights over my trisuit for the run. They went on ok and I set off still wearing my cycle shirt. Got a bit warm and took off the cycle jersey and the resulting "look" was not great. Fortunately Steve and Kev were the only others out on Rockford Common so I got away with it. Have posted Joanne's (fortunately distant) pic of me coming down towards the ford!!

For all you longstanding RNF supporters I can confirm that we opted for one of the early versions of the run route which included "that hill" up the side of the sand pit................don't know what all you lightweights were moaning about!!!!!

On a slightly more serious note the lack of the calf guards has resulted in a bit of a tweak but I hope it will settle over the next couple of days.

On the social scene I need to thank everyone at our local The Old Inn (Woodfalls) who made donations at Wednesday's music quiz and to John for putting on a quiz dedicated to Music on a "running" theme. Really enjoyable but made for a short night's sleep on Wednesday. Also to Nicky, Greg and Alice for coming over to Sandy Balls for a pizza last night: another good excuse to be out drinking again!!...............not that I need an excuse!

Special mention to those in support of their "athletes": Steve would want me to give a shout to Tamsin, Paul and of course Joanne......keep peddling, girl!! Austin and Andy B have helped look after Kev.In Tim's camp: Ivan, Emily, Susi, Jamie, Alice and of course Nicky, who is almost a 5th competitor by now having biked and run such a chunk of the week with him.

Joanne is keeping me under control and making sure I get my nutrition and kit sorted at all times:meeting me with top ups at strategic points. Sorry you had such an "energetic" ride to catch me on Tuesday's run!!!

In addition to my wetsuit deciding to give up the ghost.....thanks Mike at 2XU for the spares!!....today my zip on my trisuit became impossible to fasten. I'm assured by my wife that this is definitely not due to any sudden weight gain during the week so I can only assume that it's another sign that it's definitely time to call it a day.

Probably won't post tomorrow as will need to start thinking about Sunday. Next post Sunday/Monday depending.........Will be able to incorporate some of Nicky's shots of the other guys into a round up next week when I will be able to announce winners of the various sweepstakes that have been running on our cumulative times!!

Good to see anyone at Sandy Balls when we eventually get finished on Sunday but really difficult to predict times: depends how fatigue kicks in on that run. But will definitely be back..........eventually!!!

For a rough idea of a schedule we'll start at Ellingham at 5:30ish: swim just over an hour : bike somewhere between 5 and 5.5 hrs (I hope) and then just get round the run. If my calf settles down I hope to run just under 4hrs but, as anyone who does this crazy sport will know, that could extend substantially, especially on "that" course!!......depending.........................!!!!  Definitely back before closing time, though.

Thanks for all the support and feedback.

Cheers

Rich

.........and I Thought the Previous Days Had Been Windy Enough!!!!! (and it rained)

"Proper" windy today...........but incredibly enjoyable.

Four down now and time for a little reflection on the week so far.

Firstly, it's good to be able to report that we're all coping pretty well with recovering from day to day. No "unexpected" twinges or problems although Tim's knee is playing up a bit and he'll need to keep an eye on that over the next couple of days ahead of ForestMan on Sunday.

From a personal point of view I have to say that I've had a fantastic time: whoever designs these courses is a bit of a star!!! No, seriously, I've always wanted to do the events and now I've had a chance to do so: ok so Transition is the back of the car/bus-stops etc (when I first started racing, that was the norm.....in fact a bus stop would have been luxury!!) but I'm able to be out there on the bike, completely on my own, not having to worry about other competitors.The Forest is stunning at the moment with real colour in the heather (especially when the sun has shone!) Wildlife highlights without a doubt the piglets at Bramshaw.

On the run, just Joanne for company and not "running scared" that I'm being chased down. Seem strange and a little scary, to have been so concerned about "not winning"

The joy of doing the events "stress free" is so therapeutic and has helped me keep to "do-able" pacing and consistently respectable times over four tough days.

Steve and Kevin are fnding the same: a level of performance over multiple days that they would be satisfied with as a "one off"

ForestMan on Sunday is to be my last "proper" triathlon and I'm now hoping (and I know Kev and Steve feel the same) that we can keep this level of calmness and really go out there and enjoy it!

And that's been the key:- if you've been following the BLOG postings you'll know that I've been trying to keep in mind a lyric from a Judie Tzuke (with Morcheeba) song:- "Enjoy the Ride"........."stop chasing shadows, just enjoy the ride!" Also contains the lyric "With the moonlight to guide you, feel the joy of being alive: the moment you stop running is the moment you'll arrive"

It was the sentiment that underpinned my training......I only did stuff if I was enjoying it! It's been the theme of each day so far and although I'd really like to achieve a decent F'Man fnish time I have to accept that it's been a long week and I have no idea how that will impact during such a difficult event.

Target, therefore, is to come back to Sandy Balls still smiling and having enjoyed the week as a whole!!!

Struggling? Back off!! It's a new approach for me but one I can heartily recommend!!!!!

Update tomorrow

Peregrine, Helpful Wind and a Flat Run!!!!

Just a quick update today:- more time tomorrow as we should be done a bit earlier.

Old bones still bearing up ok and everyone still very positive.

What a priviledge to swim in the Beaulieu River this morning: even tracked by a peregrine falcon which flew from boat to boat, perching and keeping a close eye!!

Wind today was strong but not as unhelpful so I can't moan about that.

For my part I felt a good bit stronger on the bike: guess the back is settling and was surprised at how well my legs had recovered from a difficult day yesterday, when my quads felt a bit mashed on the down hill sections of the run.

Three shorter days now so a chance to recover a bit we hope!!

Catch you tomorrow

Who put all those hills there?

Even windier today (and a northerly) which certainly made the cycling challenging to say the least:: just what you need before "that" run .........who designs these courses??

Anyway, none of us was in particular pain as we set off this morning....if you discount the soft tissue damage I suffered at the hands of my Chiropractor yesterday afternoon!! (Thanks Sharon!) Still, at least I've been straightened up now.

Beautiful clear skies first thing.....The Forest was glorious if a little chilly out on the bike, particularly under the trees on Bolderwood but needed to work harder in the wind than I wouls have ideally liked which, coupled with yesterday's effort made for a more painful run and sore quads post-event.

Will need to try and take it a good bit easier over the next couple of days to try and "recover" a bit. To be honest these first two races, along with the ForestMan are the ones I would most like to have taken part in so I was always likely to try and keep the "outcomes" respectable hitherto.

I think the others have been a bit more sensible in their pacing with a far more measured approach to the whole week:- me, I've always been a bit "Tin Cup" anyway!!  Sunday could be very messy!!!!

Special mention for Tim who is by a long way the youngest and least experienced of us. Great efforts over the past two days to finish the BoskMan and Sept Half course in under 8 and 7 hrs respectively. Top effort.

SwashBuckler tomorrow.........where I'm reliably informed that the river is awash with JellyFish : will that help me get a bit higher in the water?

Thanks for all the donations. As the week goes on that's what is going to keep us going.

Thanks

PS Getting fed up with ignorant gits who completely "blank" me when I say hello out in the Forest. It's beautiful out there! Smile, get a life or stay at home!!!!!

DAY ONE........OUCH

How come, whenever I ride in the Forest it gets windy? Right.....rant over!!

So today we finally got underway and the sun shone on us down at Ellingham as we paddled our way round the lake. No swim problems (except for Kev who found his vision impaired by the bubbles in his goggles): says he'll rinse the washing up liquid out properly next time!!

The Wind blew up on the bike making it quite challenging as the ride progressed, especially at the back end of Tim's final lap.

Not too hot out on the run with a pleasant cooling breeze. Various run/walk strategies in place and all four of us reasonably happy with how it went.

Now we just need to see how we recover ahead of tomorrow's event: The September Middle Distance.

Off to the Chiropractor at 5:00 so hopefully straightened up and pain free (at least in my back!!) for the end of the week.

Big thanks to all our support crews today and to everyone who came down to the lake to see us off.

After finishing I was walking through the Plaza at Sandy Balls when a guy who said he had done last year's Middle Distance asked if I was the bloke who had won it!!!!
Chuffed to have been mistaken for a double world champion just a little younger than myself.......not sure James would be so impressed!!

Time for a beer and more to eat..........speak tomorrow!!