For The Record

Less than 24 hours to go, and I'd like to put a few things on the record before my own personal Charge of The Light Brigade begins - in case it just sounds like sour grapes tomorrow afternoon you understand..........

1. My poor ravaged feet.......






























I realise there are people right now hiking the Hinda Kush, or even the Pennine Way crying 'PANSY!' but are they about to douse their feet in festering salt water, grind it in the soft sand and then run sockless? I thought not. Both feet are already ripped to shreds, but somehow I think that'll be the least of my worries.

2. I have a cold, courtesy of our little toddler Typhoid Mary. Boo hoo poor me. Is being able to breathe really all that important whilst swimming/biking/running? I didn't think so.

3. I am on the rag, again. This will be my fifth tri, and I have yet to do one bloodless. WTF body? I know these things are cyclical, but I had a chuffing baby in the interim - why the slavish devotion to the old lunar calendar? The good news is, I think the shark attack risk will be lessened by the fifty billion other people all swimming and clawing their way round me.

Otherwise, I'm in good shape. LK and I are off to 'carb0-load' right now with a healthy serving of pasta. I'll leave you with this, I have two goals for tomorrow morning:

• Finish in under an hour - I have acheived this in 3 out of 4 triathlons, but to put this goal in perspective, I have never broken 59 minutes. See? Not smiling now are you.

• To run the entire run - I have acheived this in 1 (ONE!) out of 4 triathlons.

Why am I doing this?