4 Weeks to Go

So, it is now 4 weeks to go until the first event of the challenge. To re-cap it all looks like this.....

8th August - Ayr Sprint Triathlon (750m river swim, 20km bike and 5km run)
15th August - Aberfeldy Half-Marathon (1.9km loch swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run)
21st August - Great Scottish Swim (1 mile open water swim)

It doesn't really look too bad written down but by the time I start the half-marathon in Aberfeldy I suspect I will be suffering from total body collapse. Since I swapped the pleasures of fine alcohol (think Guinness and Jaeger bombs rather than Montrachet) and kebab (grilled chicken of course) in January last year for healthier pursuits I have run over one thousand miles and cycled nearly two thousand in preparation for these events.

Since the start of this year the mileage and time commitment has been substantial despite a spectacular collection of injuries.

The Bike - 1300 miles done, with one spectacular crash near the end of a 60miler
The Run - 350 miles done - 280 in the 2 months before the Rome Marathon and a measly 71 in the 5 months since
The Swim - 115 miles done. I use every excuse not to swim having spent my whole childhood with my head submerged in verruca infested water with vaseline soaked cotton wool in my ears. Luckily, I now have a good excuse not to swim - more later!

Pam has been very patient with all the training time and, like this week, "took one for the team" by selflessly working in the Dominican Republic so that I could concentrate on my training. While I was out biking in the hosing rain Pam had to endure a warmish PinaColada next to the pool and the pool boy even smeared her shades when he was cleaning them.

The key training element to the triathlon is the "brick" - basically running straight after you get off the bike which is a sensation similar to wellying back a bottle of sambuca blind-folded, being spun around for a minute and then sent off for a run. Tonight me and my old training partner "Shakey" did a 25k bike and 8k run in the dinging rain. Thankfully I had a Yorkie in the afternoon which I think was the only thing that got me to the end of a sodden, hilly run. Shakey and I aren't the most accomplished of bikists but these fellas make us feel a bit better!

So, "what's it all about?" you may ask. Well, in all my couch potato years I spent a lot of time sponsoring others but haven't really done anything myself. I decided that to make up time I would really put myself on the line to raise money for a great cause. It's not a well known or "sexy" charity but I am doing all of this for The Anaphylaxis Campaign which supports a cause that I feel very passionately about. I will write more in the blog but in the meantime you can learn a bit more on my justgiving page............

http://www.justgiving.com/Daft-Dougie