I am now an Ironman.

13 hours 16 minutes and 40 seconds to travel the 140.6 miles

That was the furthest I've ever swum in open water, the longest bike ride I've undertaken and the furthest I've ever run. All one after the other. I was prepared for it to be painful, mentally challenging as well as physically exhausting. I had a race plan, followed it exactly and finished the marathon running faster than at the start. Big smile all the way around the course and thanking marshalls and supporters. It seems a bit unreal to describe the race as surprisingly easy, but that doesn't mean it wasn't hard, it just wasn't as hard as I was expecting it to be. The last few months of training paid off. Still, I used about 9500 calories in the day, so I'm off for a big slice of cake now!

Ironman is 2.4 mile swim (1 hour 40), 112 mile cycle (6 hours 48), 26.2 mile run (4 hours 27). "As long as I finish I'll be happy, but I will be gutted if I take longer than 14 hours."  - Targets met, job well done. What's next?  Leicester Marathon in October, aiming for the magic 3 hours.

I am extremely fortunate not to have encountered circumstances that draw me to a particular charity, but I am happy to be able to support the work of SCOPE, the official charity partner to the Ironman event.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Scope gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.