Please help me raise money for an incredible cause close to my heart and in return I promise to endure hours of training, pain and suffering to complete my ultimate goal!

A little about me!
Over the past six years, I have moved away from home, graduated my Law Degree, completed the LPC and began training to be a Solicitor in 2015. I figured that a great challenge to add to this mix would be training for an Ultra Triathlon, so here is where my road begins!

After learning to ride aged 2, I have always been passionate about riding horses. Since moving to Chester, horse-riding has taken a back-seat as keeping a horse full-time became almost impossible alongside student living. Whilst at University, I took up Rowing and before long it took over my life. During Uni I lived and breathed the sport and despite my annoying 5'5" physique, I stroked the women's senior squad to Henley and the senior women's pair into BUCS national semi-finals. I was a 'little rower with a big attitude'!

Injury is something I have always been unlucky with. To list just a few, from a crushed chest cavity (riding accident) to back injury (rowing) and most recently shin splints which came on the week before the Chester Half Marathon, it is safe to say, I have had my fair share and I'm sure they won't be the last! However I am rapidly learning the importance of good recovery and proper nutrition to stay healthy and hopefully prevent any major injuries which could get in the way of my goal.

Why Triathlon?
After finally hanging up my rowing oars in 2013, I threw myself into studying for my LPC, but was lacking the extra-curricular challenges I had always been used to.

I bought a cheap road bike to kill some time and get in some low impact training and began to really enjoy it! I gradually did more and more and before I knew it I was a Strava addict striving to put in more miles on each outing.

I have always done a bit of running to keep fit, never very far and never very quickly. I could swim, but I never really had any lessons (unless you count the times that my Dad used to bribe me with fish and chips after if I did 'proper lengths'). I had always enjoyed swimming in Bala Lake and the Sea on family holidays, but had never done any proper open water swimming of any particular distance and this is the part I was most scared of.

Despite all of this, I decided that my next challenge would be Triathlon! Unlike rowing, I did not have any crew mates who shared this ambition so I decided to go it alone! I completed my first sprint distance triathlon in August 2014 and just wanted to do more, but further, longer and harder!

The event
An Iron Man is essentially an ultra triathlon. It is the longest (organised) triathlon event and several each year are held at different venues across the world for those crazy enough to take part, some people travel hundreds of miles just to get to their chosen competition destination.

The event consists of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike onto a 26.2 mile run. All of this is completed by pro-athletes in around 8 hours, but can take anything up to 17 hours to complete. Currently my goal is anything under 12...

Apparently, completing a Marathon has a similar effect on the body as being involved in an RTA. The body's fight or flight system takes over when it is being pushed beyond its limits. Statistics claim that an Iron Man momentarily decreases a human beings life expectancy by two weeks due to the sheer physical exertion which the body undertakes in those 8-14 hours of pain doubled with the lack of food/hydration. Well I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't a challenge and I wouldn't be asking all of you wonderful people to part with your spare change if it wasn't a mean feat.

My training
Those who know me, will probably know Of some of the sacrifices I make on a daily, weekly and monthly basis in order to fit in the necessary training. I train before and after work most days and often spend weekends completing double/triple training sessions, long outings or 'recuperation' mountain climbs. I have one rest day a week (which I sometimes admittedly forget to build into my programme).

My current training includes approximately 13 sessions (22 hours) of exercise per week made up of running, cycling, swimming, circuit training, weights and core. This will gradually increase up to 30 hours per week in the months prior to the Iron Man (its almost a second full-time job!!).

I survive on minimum sleep (something I am trying to work on getting more of), usually choose water over gin (not an easy task) and spend most of my spare cash on nutrition, physio and usually bike parts. This all sounds a painstaking lifestyle and perhaps it is, but I LOVE it. I love the challenge of pushing my body beyond its limits and I love the thought that a little over a year from writing this I could be completing an Iron Man and delivering a huge amount of money to a fantastic cause.

Now is a good time to say thank you to all of my close friends and family who have supported me so far and continuing thanks to all of you who not only support what I'm doing, but understand it.

My cause
Last year we lost my incredible Grandma when she finally lost her brave battle following a series of strokes. She really was one of the most incredible, loving, determined people I have ever met. I have learnt so many important family morals from her and have a whole host of memories which I will always treasure.

A stoke is not like a disease, yet it is not a sudden death. It is hard to explain what a stoke is, but I do know that one stroke is capable of changing families lives, turning them upside down when they least expect it. Seeing someone you love coming to terms with losing a part of themselves is tough and watching them deteriorate to a shadow of their former selves is heart-breaking.

Strokes take many different forms and can effect people in many different ways. They can be brought on by many different things, but usually there is no warning, no reason, no explanation - it just happens. It is a common misconception that strokes only effect the elderly, the unhealthy, the weak. Although the risk of having a stroke increases with age, strokes have been known to affect healthy adults, athletes, children and babies.

I am hoping to raise at least £5'000 for stroke association UK. I am also hoping to work closely alongside the Stroke Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in order to help support stroke sufferers and their families going through difficult times in our local community.

I plan to complete a number of events leading up to my ultimate goal, Iron Man in the Summer of 2016. I solemnly promise to all of you who are kind enough to donate, that in every single event right up to the big one, I will not just aim to complete them, but will strive to complete them to the best of my ability and will give every last bit of effort in each and every mile!

Below is the list of events which I have completed, entered or propose to enter. This list will be kept updated on an ongoing basis:-

• Chester Sprint Triathlon - Completed (Time 01:34:22)
• Great Birmingham Run (Half Marathon) - Completed (Time 01:49:57)
• Chester Half Marathon - 17th May 2015 - Completed (Time 1.48)
• Dee Mile Swim (2km) - 30th May 2015 - Completed (Time 36.55)
• Chester Deva Triathlon - 14th June 2015 - Completed (Time 2.37.06)
• Henley Classic 2km upstream swim - Completed (time 48.30)
• Chester Deva Diva Sprint - Complete

• Rise Above Sportive with Mark Cavendish - 120km Bike Ride - Complete

• Fire Walk for Stroke - Complete
• Ellesmere Triathlon 2016 - 29th May 2016
• Bala Middle Distance - 5th June 2016
• Chester Triathlon 2016 - 12 June 2016
• Deva Diva Triathlon 2016 - 17 July 2016
• Henley Classic Swim
• 
  
• Chester Marathon 2016 2nd October 2016
• Iron Man Weymouth 2016

Please note that I have chosen to have one page open throughout this mission to try and avoid the sponsorship 'fatigue', where you all start to get bored of having to donate every time I do a different event. Please choose to donate in whatever way suits you. Once is enough and any amount helps a worthy cause.

Alternatively, you may choose to donate a smaller amount per event completed, or per mile covered. You may see me complete a gruelling training session during winter months while most people are tucked up by the fire or you may see me one morning in work looking a little dishevelled (having been up since 5am and completed a 2 hour slog before reaching the office).

Whatever you give and however often, it will mean the world and will keep on motivating me to carry on this crazy challenge. I am not an athlete, just a girl on a mission. Watch this space for ongoing updates.

Thank you for reading and donating

Big love

Steph =)

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