Story
UPDATE IT IS OFFICIAL - I AM AN IRONMAN. My training paid off and I survived (including my first ever marathon). 3.8km swim in 1:20, 180km bike in 6:26 and 42km marathon in 5:21. Total time 13:21 Thanks for your support and I promise not to ask again for my next one! Photos here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2248132599653.2134815.1138321529&l=5463171136
--------------
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. On 3rd July 2011 I will be stepping up a level and doing my first Ironman triathlon, in Klagenfurt, Austria. This comprises a 3.8km lake swim, a 180km bike ride, and concludes with a full 42.2km marathon.
Although I have been getting gradually into triathlons over the past few years this will be a massively bigger challenge than my previous efforts. I have done two half Ironmans, not very fast (6h32 in 2009 and 6h09 in 2010) and a range of shorter races. I will be training 10-15 hours a week from January onwards, and probably more in May and June.
Every penny you donate goes to CRY – a charity I chose as it deals with cardiac risk in the young, in memory of my friend Tim Wilks who died of a heart attack whilst racing in May 2010. All my costs in terms of travel, training, equipment, time etc are paid by me, plus I will probably do another half Ironman in May 2011 as a warm-up, also all paid out of my own pocket.
You probably get fed up with sponsoring people for "easy" events. This will be tough, mentally and physically. The cut-off time is 17 hours. I would estimate around 15-16 hours for me to get round.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. Please feel free to donate as much as you can afford!
Julian