Its a year to the day since I started this blog mularky. It has involved lots of foul language, dollops of training panic, injury fear, bike breakdowns, lurgy, swimming doubts and running niggles but to balance all that out it has included all the good stuff too from getting fit, great mates, Mrs Brightside, Morphing VLM to becoming an Outlaw to the ultimate good news of Poppy's brain tumour being removed!! Afterall Poppy's plight was the driving force behind getting off my arse in the first place.
I am now at the point where I am preparing to tackle Outlaw again but this time in a Morphsuit. I was going to do the ride and run in it but not the swim as it won't allow me to breathe through it when wet. One thing however about any challenge is not cutting corners. Taking it on as it was intended. You dont for example take the bus between mile 17 and 19 of VLM because its hard. You dont get off the bike and taxi the last 10 miles of the Outlaw ride because its too hard. If you're gonna accept a challenge it should be done properly. So winter testing will not only include getting over the issues of impaired vision on the bike but will now involve finding a way to breathe through the Morphsuit in the water. Current thinking is Suit 1 for the swim using contact lenses and goggles under the suit and wetsuit on top. At T1 change into Suit 2 (identical) so I can be dry for the start of the ride, keep lenses and add tri shorts and socks under suit. This should then see me through to the finish with only a change of footwear necessary at T2.
If you are in Tamworth for a swim or in the surrounding areas on your travels please do not be alarmed if you see a Morph pedalling past or taking a dip. Its not some weirdo up to no good. If said Morph appears to be drowning however please alert a lifeguard!
I envisage that completion of Outlaw 2013 will bring to an end my current Justgiving attempt for Birmingham Childrens Hospital and will hopefully see me hit £10,000 following 2 yrs & 2 mths from Edinburgh Marathon 2011 through Liverpool Marathon 2011, VLM 2012, Outlaw 2012 to Outlaw Ironmorph 2013.
Thats not to say I will be hanging up my trainers to revert to the couch potato I once was. I am very much looking forward to doing the Birmingham Half Marathon next October with Mrs Brightside. She has very much got back into running and I love the runs we get to do together. I secretly hope the Birmingham Half (which I reckon we can both do sub 2 hours) will spur her on to want to do a marathon with me perhaps in 2014!
Other than Birmingham nothing is set in stone post Outlaw although I do have an eye on the JW 30 mile Ultra in Sept and the 35 mile Ripon Ultra in October. There are a few people I want to run with and these events can act as a springboard to The West Highland Way race in the summer of 2014. Its 92 miles off road 35 hour limit race along the West Highland Way. I've no idea why I like the look of it, I've no idea how I would prepare for it, and if it wasnt for the fact that I know I can I would really think that I can't do it. That seems reason enough to give it a go.
I cant guarantee this blog will improve over the next 12 months or indeed that anyone will start reading it but it remains a loyal outlet for my ramblings, failings, achievements and ludicrous follies. Stick with me if you dare, sponsor me if you care and dont be put off by my lack of hair!
