Hi all
Right this is going to be my last post on this and then it’s time to let go, not to mention stop annoying you lot with this nonsense 😉
Got back to Hampshire at 8pm last night after a trouble free drive back down from Scotland. Took my brother in law, my wife and my 6yr old princess to help me out of the van but we got there in the end.
Every part of my body hurts and I can’t really walk. Today is all about recovery so gonna soak in the bath, stretch, foam roll and get some protein in me. I’ve stopped feeling sick as least. Worst part is my ankles took an absolute hammering along the West Highland Way where I felt so strong and ran quick but took some heavy blows on the rocks and boulders.
The toe issue I had during the bike only seems to happen from vibration when I’m riding over dodgy surfaces and didn’t bother me at all on the run. Not sure what that’s about.
Took 7 months of training to get round this event and I needed every minute of it in my legs. But it works – I finished stronger than anyone but most importantly I finished. Less than 40% of the field got that far through the horrendous wind and rain. My advice to anyone taking on something like this is get a coach, it’s changed how I train.
This has been an incredible experience from start to finish. Trying to balance training, a high-stress long hours job and a young family has tested every ounce of my resilence but ultimately it was that mental strength that got me up Ben Nevis at 8pm at night, blocking out the shivering cold and the tiredness.
The best thing that happened in all of this was the 48 hours after I launched my JustGiving page. I’d hoped to raise a couple of grand but that target was doubled in the first 2 days. That was the moment this changed from something I desperately wanted to do, to something I was going to finish at all costs. Nothing was going to stop me delivering for all of you that backed me.
The £6.5k that together we raised for Bloodwise will provide real world help to people with blood cancer. People who are scared and confused and facing huge challenges and uncertainty. This was for them and the people they love that will find the strength to rally around them and make them feel like they’re not alone.
I wish I had the words to express my gratitude to all of you.
If anyone hasn’t sponsored me who would like to, the link is at the top of this thread. The page will be open until Saturday and then it will be time to let it go.
Right, I’ve now realised somehow in all of this I’ve signed myself up for Club des Cingles next week so better go get some training in..
