Reason To Ride we all survived

Wow, can't believe it is over, 2 weekends ago 14 of us cycled 200 miles in one go to raise money for a 7 year old boy with Cerebral palsy, Callum Brown.

When  I came up with the concept I had no idea what I was about to embark on, for me it was about doing a long bike ride, raising some money and altering a childs future. Turns out there was an awful lot more to it! The support I have had in putting this event on has been unbelievable. Really need to thank David Lloyd for supporting the whole event, Robin Palmer for doing the PR, Ann Marie for keeping me sane, doing all the artwork & design and generally being the strength behind me. High5 and Northumbrian Water for their very generous donations and Kaleel Zibe for giving up his time to Photograph the group. Another massive thank you is to one of my rider Michael, he lent us his van for the ride had signs made up and also packed up the van with all the gear and bikes, what a total superstar.

The list of thank you's goes on but I will end it there and tell you about the ride.

So we headed up to the David Lloyd in Edinburgh on Saturady 7th. It was finally good to have the whole group together. The group in the end was 4 girls and 10 men, we had a few drop outs along the way. We had 3 support Vehicles in total, the 3 drivers deserve medals for there efforts, not the easiest job following a pack of cyclists 200 miles.

The ride brief on saturday night

The Route

There was alot of nervous people with in the group, not one of us had cycled this far in one go. Think having the map layed out really hit home to some people how far 200 miles was.

The ride started at 4 am on July 8th.

Just before the start

It wasn't long into the ride and the rain started, it seemed to get heavier, my thoughts at this point was this is going to be hideous 200 wet miles. 

 The views were non exsitent 

But despite all this the group was in good spirits. As we got over the Moorfoot hill, the weather started to change, much to my relief. Our first stop was further on than planned, mainly due the weather, but at Innerleithen we had our first decent stop where I think most people had a change of socks and put their shoe covers on. 

From this point on the weather just got better and better. The group really started to gel together, I had introduced a buddy system, this was where riders were responsible to keep an eye on each other. They had been paired with a buddy (another rider or two) the night before and they just had to check that each other were drinking and eating regularly, running out of energy on the bike is no fun and it can be a quick transistion from feeling great to feeling horrendous, shakes, sickness feeling like you are going to pass out, it is not a nice experience.  Pleased to say the system worked and the whole way down all you could hear was 'Buddy are you ok'.

Unfortunatly before we left Scotland we did have two falls, both people suffered road rash, but both got back on their bikes and continued with the ride.

Our next main stop was Bamburgh, on the coast line, here I don't think I have seen so many portion of chips consumed in such a small amount of time, the word hoover springs to mind. But I must say they were most welcome.  After Bamburgh we were homeward bound, here is a picture of some of the pack in full flow.

 Need to give a special mention now to two members of our group Phil Gray and Robbie Elliott, here they are Phil is leading.

These two have an enormous challenge coming up and this 200 mile ride was really just a training ride for them. They will be cycling 3,500 miles in 25 days with no rest days . Here is the link for you to read more on this challenege http://www.robbieelliottfoundation.com/ 
It really will be a ride of a life time but at the same time they will be raising money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and Break through Breast Cancer.

So 17 hours later we rode into David Lloyd and what a welcome sight it was to, everyone was buzzing and I think quite relieved to be getting off their bikes. Here is a video that was done during the last section of the ride and I think you can gather from it I was really very proud of them all. http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news/local/former-nufc-star-among-riders-in-mammoth-charity-bike-ride-video-1-4722901

I need to say a massive congratulations (again) to Reason To  Run Guys. Matt, Phil and Lee began Running at 9pm on Saturday the 7th July and ran the entire length of Hadrains Wall, 86 miles in less than 24 hours, truly amazing here is a great report of the run from Matt http://hadriansrun.blogspot.co.uk/

Finally I don't have an actual over all figure that we have raised yet, but there is still time to donate. All money raised is going to a 7 year old boy who has cerebral palsy. Reason To is about a group of people coming together to make a difference and this year we were using our legs so Callum can get the use of his. 

http://www.justgiving.com/reasontoride

Reason To Swim

So this week Reason to Swim begins. Reason To swim is about seeing how many miles we can collectively swim. Its about people coming together and making a difference. The idea is to swim a mile (64 lengths of a 25m pool). This can be done in a relay, over a number of days or maybe you can just make your training session mile count. How ever you do it, please register your mile at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ReasonToSwim  with a small or large donation. All money raised will be going to the Percy Hedley Foundation which helps children with disability across the North East. Tomorrow I will be relaying my mile with my 9 year old twins and my 4 year old, it may take a while and I may be slightly water logged by the end but we are determined to make our mile count.

Here is a little clip from the Launch last week http://www.newsguardian.co.uk/news/local/newcastle-united-star-helps-launch-charity-swimathon-video-1-4681450

LETS SEE HOW MANY MILES WE CAN SWIM FOR DISABILITY?

Europeans

EUROPEANS I LOVED IT!!

So as normal I took everything very seriously. Packed all my stuff up, well apart from the bike, poor Phil G had to do this for me AGAIN!! Then decided I had best pack a few extra, more shoes and dresses and then a wig (GB Style of course)! You just never know when these things come in  useful and to round it all off decided to get my toe nails painted, just check this out.

For those of you lucky enough to live in Newcastle. These were done by U Salon Gosforth High St. Really think these should be a must for the Olympics.

So off I jetted to Eilat. Sun, Sea, biking, running, swimming, racing what more could a girls ask for?

First proper morning there started at some unearthly hour with a bike recci of the course. Not much to it really, going out up a hill and into the wind on a road equivalent to our A roads (there motorway). Then hopped over the central reservation (race day a ramp was construction, just like a skate boarders ramp..........awesome) then cycled back.......FAST, it's a very windy place.

Straight off the back of that was a little jog to check out the run route, you have to love a triatheletes holiday, sorry race event. Run course was a bit of road then dirt track with mines (as in blow you up) to the right. Decided best to keep to the track!!

Later on it was off to the beach to check out the swim course. The Red sea is really salty and as I/we found out and we also kept getting stung. We had or been told various reasons for this stinging sensation two reasons being, sea lice eurghhhh!! and algae, ok can live with this one. This aside I was actually looking forward to the swim, I was feeling good in the water, despite the shoulder injury which has been niggling for the past 5 months. My asthma still wasn't great, don't think the sandstorm on my first night really helped either!

Race day started early, nothing new in the tri world. after a light breakfast at 5am it was down to transition. Just did what I needed to do and got out. 7 am it started my wave was 7.40am, it came round quick. I was not as nervous as I was on the Ironman, infact I felt reasonable relaxed. The horn went off and off I went. You never really know where you are in the swim, so decided to just go (always hopeful to find some ones toes to hop on but unfortunatly it didn't really happen in this race). Turns out I was second in my age group out of the water. Long run to transition which gave me lots of time to get the wetsuit off. Transition went well and off I ran with the bike, first time with shoes already clipped in (kept in place with elastic bands, for all you non tri people). What can I say but live dangerously!! So got to the mount line and the elastic band snapped, leaving my shoe swinging around........that wasn't planned, took a bit but eventually got my foot into the shoe (need to practice this!). Wind was really strong and going up the hill my chest was heaving, but just kept my head down and did my best. Went up and over the ramp, decided best not perform a trick then flew back down to Eilat, it was an amazing return journey...quick as hell. Went through transition and onto the run course, 2 laps of heat and dust, every asthmatic dream. Had my usual thought 'why am I doing this' it soon past and finally crossed the line much to my amazement in 4th place. Only to realise that I had been in 3rd place and was overtaken in the last 8 second, DOH!!!!!!.  All I will say is next year.

 

 Since I have got back I have kept up with training, after all it is just the start of the season. My next big goal is the UK Ironman 70.3 in Wimbleball which will be June 17th. So not that long to go really. I raced at the weekend at the Alnwick Sprint triathlon, it was yet another very wind ride but a lot colder than Israel. I finished this race 5th female overall, and looking at my splits I have improved in everything since last year, so happy with that result. 

This weekend I am off to race at Keswick. Its an 800m open water swim, I am gasping for breath just thinking about it, it is going to be freezing. However have just got myself a nice neoprene hat to wear for the swim, that will be a good look.Then its a 35k cycle and a 10k run to be honest I will probably not warm up at all!!

Finally will leave you with a picture of the nice GB Wig. Probably would of looked a lot better had I got it on straight, then again maybe not!

INSPIRATION

Have you ever wondered how you have got to a point in your life? Well that is where I am at now, I feel like I am on a path somewhere which is exciting, daunting but a journey I have no idea where it will end but I wouldn't alter it for anything.

I have recently had a good look around at people and I am amazed at how many people give up their time so selflessly to help others. This can be just a parent helping out at school, running a committee or a neighbour or friend helping out one another.

There are the people who set challenges, putting themselves through and in some case quite an ordeal to raise money for charities that are important to them. One man who has just done this is Ivan Hollings, last weekend he completed 100 mile run in 24 hours to raise money for CHUF (Children’s heart unit fund at the Freeman Hospital). His determination and inspiration comes from his son. I am just full of admiration, here is the link to his blog, he is truly inspirational. http://seb4chuf.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/sebs-daddy-runs-100miles24hours/ If you are also inspired please donate, it is such a worthwhile cause.

This summer a friend David is going to attempt to break a world record to raise money for Help the Heroes. David Graham is aiming to smash the GWR himself for the amount of dead lifts in a day! The GWR is 475,065kg which works out at 5-6 reps of 60kg, every single minute for 24 hours. He is not alone there are three others you need to check this challenge out, it is something else, it is going to be a tough one. http://www.bmycharity.com/lift4heroes

Maybe my biggest inspiration is my dad John Shallcross. I have watched him for the last 25 years give up his time to help raise money for the 'Clubs for young people' which was formerly known as the 'Boys club'. There have been, boxing events, shooting events, dances etc and in that time he has raised over 1 million pounds which is just astounding and it is money that has made a massive difference to young people lives throughout the city.

Maybe it is from him I have got to the point I am at now. Last time I told you about 'Reason To Ride' (another group of people who have agreed to give up their time to help make a difference to a Childs future). So maybe it’s time I should tell you about 'Reason To Swim'.

Reason to Swim, (this event is for everyone; yup that is all of you). Very excited to tell you that Virgin Money will be supporting me with this event. We will be raising money for the Percy Hedley foundation, which does fantastic work helping disabled people and their families in the North East.
All you need to do the week commencing the July 2nd is hop in a pool and swim a mile (64 lengths of a 25m pool). This can be done in 1 go or over 6. It is about doing something to help make a difference. All I ask is that you will go online and donate something for taking part at the time. Now here comes the twist being an endurance athlete I like big numbers, what I want to see is how many miles we can swim in 1 week, in my book the bigger the better. By donating your mile will be counted and you will be participating in something special and the money raised will make a huge difference. I will be giving lots more information nearer the time.

Finally maybe I should mention a little race I am in next weekend. On Tuesday I fly to Eilat (yikes, yippee, oh lord) for my sprint triathlon in Eilat, representing GB in my age group. Don't think it has really sunk in yet. Had an awful week last week, got sick then my asthma all flared off, not really the best. So have been taking it very easy, which probably isn't a bad thing for me. My race number is 281 thought for a second when I got that it was the same as my Ironman number which would have been spooky but that was 291 not far off though. So I will fill you in on how I get on when I get back. Wetsuits still haven't been banned so that will be an experience 30 degrees and pulling on a full rubber outfit. Thank god my race is 07.40am (on the 21st), couldn't imagine putting a wetsuit on in the midday heat to race!! Whatever happens in Eilat it is definitely going to be a trip that I will not forget. Look forward to filling you all in when I am back.

The blog is back!!!

WOW can't believe I am sitting here about to start writing another blog. In fact I can't believe now what lies a head of me.

So for those that followed the last one it was about me completing my first Ironman, which I absolutely loved. I then went on and qualified in a sprint distance Triathlon for GB in my age group, which I will race in April (yikes that really isn't far away) in Israel. Just check out this little cheeky number I will be wearing!!

So I thought that would be my year of 2012 a few races including the UK half Ironman (70.3) and one big race (Israel), and just concentrate on my career as a sports coach at Smart Fitness, which by the way I am loving.

Obliviously deep down I thought this wasn't enough. In October I was asked by my cousin if I could do anything to help raise funds for a boy, Callum Brown from Seaton Sluice, who has cerebral palsy. His parents are trying to raise enough money so they can get him to America for an operation that will enable him to walk unaided for the first time. I really didn't feel asking for sponsorship for one of my races would work again, not after the Ironman, so one solo bike ride later I came up with this:

REASON TO - RIDE. On July 8th 2012 I will be setting out with currently 22 other riders to cycle 200 miles in one ride, one day. We will be cycling from Edinburgh to Newcastle taking a somewhat scenic route so we reach our target mileage.

The support I am already receiving for this challenge has been amazing. David Lloyd have been unbelivable they are supporting the event fully, which I will shout about in the weeks to come. They are allowing all the riders to meet one evening a week to train, this will also help create a team feel to the ride, which I believe is very important. To me this ride is about a group of people (who don't all know each other) coming together. They will be using their legs so a child will get the use of his. All riders have agreed to raise money which is a challenge in itself.

High5 have agreed to help us nutritionally on the day of the ride, this will be such an important factor.

Nick Grantham of Smart Fitness and Jambo Truong  of  Jambo's yoga, Saddle Skedaddle and The Cycle centre are all helping by sharing their knowledge and expertise, which is invaluable for an event like this.

So you would think this would be enough to keep a girl busy, mother to 3 fab kids, training, working, put an endurance event on and now blogging again!!! But oh no I decided to take it a step further, will fill you in next time on that.

THE END

Well tonight will be the last blog for a while, maybe ever. I have now been writing this blog for nearly a year and to be honest at times it has been so much harder than the training, racing and even the Ironman itself. I started writing this blog with one goal in mind and that was to raise £3,000 for Tiny lives, a charity that really does means so much to me. I can now tell you all that I have raised just over £4,000, so I am ecstatic I never thought I would reach the amount let alone exceed it. So just a massive thank you to everyone who has followed my journey and donated.

I have one last picture for you I found it isn't the best picture but it really does show how small they were. Here Jakes chest is the size of my forearm, 2 weeks on.

All donations are still very welcome.

Just Giving Page: http://www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Reed0

I really do need to thank some people because without the support I have received I really don't think the Blog and the actual Ironman would of happened. So to all of you who have trained with me, Lisa, Laura, Andrea, Becci, Kay and of course my Tri club 'Total racing International,' especially Phil and Drew. Then there are the people who have given me so much support whether it is with my kids or with me personally, (so all of the above names again) Anne Marie, Rach, Simon, Jimmy, Toby, Gilsey, Vicky, Gemma, Lynsey, the Netball girls. To be honest there is a vast list better to stop now and miss a few out rather than just one name.

Got a couple of special thanks to pay now.

Jambo Truong - the man with a massive heart. He has inspired me, looked after me (fixed me) and introduced me to a new way of life a more balanced one. For those of you who are lucky enough to live in the North East you need to check out a class.  http://www.jambotruong.com/

Matt Key (aka yaagTri for you twitter people) - Matt has been a great inspiration to me also, but I think he is better known with my facebook followers as the man responsible for posting all the links and info while I raced in Germany. Thanks to him my kids, mum and everyone else actually got to see me cross the finish line, which really meant the world to me.

My Coach Woody, what can I say the man really does know his stuff and during the time I was training for my first Ironman he had his first Ironman win with an athlete. So anyone who is thinking off racing and needs a coach I really can't recommended him enough. http://www.ironguides.net/coaches/alunwoodward.html

Finally my mum who has just been simply amazing, don't know what I would do with out her. Also my Dad and  his wife Michelle for all their support, it truly is appreciated, so thank you.

So what a year I've had its hard to sum up what I have done. Firstly I did my first Ironman WOO HOO and loved it, in an all right time to. Had some great races and seem to have won a few prizes. Had some a awesome bike rides which included my solo ride to the lakes and back (300 miles in one weekend mixed with some socialising).  An obsession with handstand ( thanks Jambo) and now with yoga. Slowly learning to love running, I am a firm believer you need to work at some things. I have met and now made some fantastic friends, been on the radio twice. I have had so many nice emails from people telling me I have inspired them and are going  to start exercising again. Personally I have had some very high moments in the year and some very low ones, especially losing loved ones. But at the end I have achieved what I set out to do and that was to raise money for a very worthwhile charity.

Finally before I sign off  I just need to mention the small matter that I raced today, it was the Newbiggen Bay sprint and it was a ETU qualifier. Which means you can get the chance to represent GB for your age group at Eilat, Israel 2012.

I think first I should mention the weather, it was blowing a gale. The waves were MASSIVE, you could say it was a little intimidating. Especially as it was Lisa's ( my cycling partners) first ever Triathlon. I had been telling her what a great race it was (it still is) how the bay is quite sheltered. Umm it was ridiculous, we watched the first wave go off and saw them all get pushed to the left quite servely and then a few being pulled back in on the front of canoes. Also I should mention I started this race injured, so apart from the tail end of a  horrendous chest infection, it has been looking more and more likely that I have a slight tear at the top of my achilles, so the advice was not to run or start and if any twinges stop. I have never started a race injured so it really was a very stressful decision on what to do.

Those waves really were massive

 The horn went and off we went, the breaker waves were enormous, I swallowed so much water, goggles filled up twice and properly got smacked around a few times, just nasty. Getting out to the first buoy was hard, high fast arms were needed. Eventually I saw the end of the swim, transition included a beach run to a car park where the bikes were racked. Freezing cold I got out of transition as fast as I could, once I found my helmet, Inhaler and race belt which had blown away. About 2 minutes into the ride I realised I had lost my race chip, which meant no time. The first marshal I passed I informed them hoping some-one could get some times for me. 3 very windy hard going out and very fast coming in laps later ( managed to set off the 30mph speed camera on every entry into Newbiggen). I dismounted the bike, informed the marshals again that I had no race chip, at this point I really was seeing it as an omen that I should not go on the run with my foot. However off I went, the run was two laps along the beach front. I took the first one nice and slowly trying to figure out what my foot was doing. Its was just full of pins and needles that was about it, as I turned around for the second lap, I got it confirmed that they would get my time, that was it off I went, I ran as hard as I could even managed a sprint finish. So as I had no race chip I have no splits. I came in with a time of 1hr 30, placing me 2nd in my age category and if I have got it right I have just got my place for Israel. The fastest female overall was 1hr 22, so considering my injury and chest I am happy with my time. I think it may be time for me now to recover fully before I start training intensively again.


So once again thank you to so many people especially to everyone who has donated, tweeted me, left messages on facebook, you have really inspired me. I am currently on a course to become a personal trainer, which I can't wait to qualify in. Then it seems I may have a place representing GB for my age group in Israel, I think I have some exciting times ahead of me.

Finally if you have been inspired by me please have a quick look at what a friend of mine overcame to get to the start line alongside me for his first ever Ironman as well, truly inspirational.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/lifestyle-news/great-north-fitness-revolution/great-north-fitness-revolution-news/2011/09/08/gosforth-dad-goes-from-couch-potato-to-ironman-triathlete-61634-29382133/3/

IS IT THE END OR JUST THE BEGINNING?

Well it has now been 3 weeks since my Ironman and I am still feeling the effects which I am not impressed about especially as it is in only one place! About 3 days after my race just above my heel started to get sore, very sore, which only means one thing my achilles, arghhhhhhh!!! I have one race left to go which is on September 11th, I was really hoping to go hard but now I will have to wait and see. So till then I have been advised ice and anti-inflammatory's. It was also suggested to wear a bit of a heel to rest the achilles so they are not being stretched all the time. WOO HOO I need to wear heels, well you have only got to tell me that once, I think these will do nicely for starters!!

only joking........I went for a bigger heel!!

So last week I was on the radio again, I am really starting to enjoy going on, BBC Newcastle. However this time I was slightly distracted. I took the kids down with me, to say they were excited is a bit of an understatement and the excitement seemed to reach a new level when they discovered the water machine, the fact that mummy was going onto the radio seemed to take second place at that point. So for those who have not heard it here is the interview;

http://soundcloud.com/mskey/ironman-jo-2#

And here are the four rather excited children straight after the interview (only 3 of then are actually mine)

I would like to thank everyone who has donated, currently I am only £117 off £4,000, It would be amazing if I could reach this amount. So please if you haven't donated please feel free to do so any amount really is appreciated, it is for a great cause, it really can make the difference to a premature babies life.

My daughter weighing a mere 2lb 8oz, her arms here aren't as fat as my little finger and her chance of living was 50/50 maybe less

Once again here is my just giving page, the page currently says I have raised £3, 683.00 (I also have a cheque  for £200 at home).

Just Giving Page: http://www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Reed0

Finally here as promised are some more photo's of the trip, it really was a great trip to Regensburg with some great people. Doing my first Ironman has really made me appreciate how lucky I am to be able to do something like this for a charity, and how my twins would be capable of doing something like this when they are older, if they wanted to. I have to say that is all thanks to the amazing care they received at the special care baby unit at the RVI in Newcastle upon Tyne at the time of their birth and after and of course to my beautiful twins for fighting so hard to survive at the start of their lives. I would of been a lost soul without them.

I AM AN IRONMUMMY

I have done it and it was the most amazing experience. I loved it all from start to finish, even when I was in pain. The whole trip was fantastic, I got to know the people of my tri club better, I met some fantastic people and the support on the course was just unbelievable.

So my Ironman event started for me at 3.45 am when I got up for some breakfast, which really isn't a pleasant time to be eating especially when I had only managed to fall asleep at approx 11pm the night before. By 4.30am we were in a taxi on our way to transition one, to do our final bike checks and get ourselves prepared for the start.

So an hour before the start of the race I had my first chocolate bar, a biscuit boost I have pretty much lived on these while training and then 30 minutes before the start I had a can of redbull. You have to love the diet of an ironman.

So the start what an experience, I don't quite know how many took to the water, but I do know it was over 2,300 people. So my plan was to sit behind Phil Gray and try to head out with him and sit on his feet. Who was I kidding, that idea went straight out the window the minute it started. So for those of you who have no idea what a mass start looks like, this is the start of my race below. If you manage to get to the end of the clip, it does go on a bit, you actually get to see me on the bike. In fact you can't really miss me I am wearing a bright yellow waterproof jacket. I was instructed to put it on by the coach, think he forgot I am a geordie girl, it lasted all of about 20 minutes till I took it off.

So apart from a couple of smacks across the head, I had a great swim. I swan the 2.4 miles in 1.03. This put me 6th in my age group coming out of the water, 388th overall. I think it must be one of my best swim, I just felt great through out it.

Next was the bike. I was in transition for just over 4 minutes before heading out to cycle the 112 miles, it absolutely poured down for well over 90% of the ride. The hill section of the ride was definitely went on longer than I expected, but I didn't find it too challenging. This is possibly due to the fact most my training is done on the hills of Northumberland and the Lake District. So the two laps went well, on the second lap I started to struggle with the thought of more chocolate which is a first for me. I ended up gelling the second lap, this proved to be a massive mistake, which I will never make again ( I will explain later). I finished my bike in 5.53, which I am delighted with, especially as that time also includes my chain coming off which I had to stop and fix. On completion of the bike I was 12th in my age category and 983 overall.

Finally the run, the part I least enjoy. I had 4 laps to do, which saw us running through the old town then out through a park, which was a lot quieter. The support on the run course especially in the town was unbelievable and it really did make a huge difference when you are out there. So my first 10km lap I felt great, just took it nice and easy. Ran past coach Woody gave him a big thumbs up and took off on lap 2. Not long into lap 2 things started to go horribly wrong. My stomach started cramping up, it felt like it was filling up with gas and it just couldn't escape. I struggled on round, past Woody again I think this time I just glanced at him. Then took off on lap 3, not long into this I noticed my fingers were starting to swell and I was getting the fattest fingers. Then I remembered this lovely bit of information I had read and now quote from Phil Smith (an experienced ironman from our tri club).

'if you start to swell up (scary) its a sign of kidney failure and hyponatremia. noticeable in wrists and hands. you have drank too much water and need more salt!!'

Not to worry is easier said than done when you hands start to look like they belong to shrek....ok slight exaggeration they weren't green but they were that size!! So I continued on with my fat hands and sore stomach passed the coach again, this time I did say something, decided it couldn't make me feel any worse and shouted ' red bull please'. So off I went with my red bull, swallowed some more salt tablets then pretty much jogged and staggered my final lap. The last 3km of my first ever marathon was hard, felt like it was never going to end and then I saw the finishing shoot. I suddenly felt as fresh as a daisy and sprinted the last little bit, for those of you that missed it, here it is, I am wearing the red top.

So I ran my first ever marathon in  4hours 41, to be honest under the circumstances I am now happy with this, the shrek hands really were quite disturbing. I came 16 in my age category out of a total of 48 people and overall I came 1283.

Personally I think the problems I faced on the run was because I consumed too many gels early on with not enough fluid and then I started to take on too much water with not enough salt, hence the shrek scary hands. But I am no expert and everyone is different, but I do know I will do another one and this time it will be chocolate the whole time on the bike, even if I don't feel like it.

So after my first ever ironman you will be pleased to hear after a quick shower I was straight to the bar with my Coach and his girlfriend for some Beer and just for you all I managed this.

Lovely short marks, haha!!

For those who haven't seen it, here is my medal

Once again there is a bigger reason I have been doing all this and that is to raise as much money as possible for 'Tiny Lives'. So far thanks to everyone I have raised £3,743 which is just unbelievable. It would be fantastic if I could get over £4,000. So please repost and share this link to everyone, it really can make a difference in saving a premature babies life. It is my children and your generosity that has kept me inspired to do this and I really can't thank you all enough. To be inspired is to feel alive and to feel alive is a gift in itself, so thank you.

 

http://www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Reed0

I will still be blogging for a few more weeks, got the holiday snaps to show you all from the trip. So get your cups of tea and biscuits at the ready, haha!!

IT'S TIME TO FLY, THEN SWIM, BIKE AND RUN!

Well this is it. No blog next week as I will be in Germany racing around Regensburg. I can't believe it is finally here, but I have never felt more ready to do it. Getting to this point has been one huge roller coaster ride for me, but the support I have had from family and friends has been amazing. I need to especially thank the ones who have trained along side me and those who have helped me with my training. Those who have helped me out with the kids when I have needed to train and of course from everyone who has donated. All of your donations have really inspired me to keep going, not only in training but also in writing this blog. I don't think I realised how time consuming this would be as well!!!

So on Thursday I will be flying out to Germany, cannot wait. First though I need to get my bike into that.....UMMMMM......HELP!

 I think I am going to have to make some phone calls to the boys because I really haven't got a clue what to do.

As this is my last blog before my race I thought I would share with you a clip I got shown early on in my ironman training. The thought that, that could be me, has haunted me since. Poor Kay can't even bring herself to look at it.

 

Its not really how I want to see myself cross the finish line to be honest, but you never know it could happen. I suppose your body can only take so much and a lot can go wrong on race day which can effect the entire race. For example kicked in the face swimming, falling off the bike, being sick on the day, the list is endless hopefully I will experience a accident free day and who knows maybe handstand over the finish line.

Talking of handstands, that is the outfit I will be wearing for the race. My race number is 291, this will be written across my arms and legs, and for those of you who are interested you will be able to track me next Sunday. Just click on the link below and fill in the details. I start at 7am European time and  finish, well who knows when!!!!

http://bit.ly/r4DnLm

This week I would like to say I was really touched to be nominated by a good friend Gemma to carry the Olympic flame. What she wrote really meant something to me, so thank you Gemma. You can view this on the link below.

 http://www.lloydstsblondon2012.co.uk/en/carrytheflame/Nomination/?nid=a38aaae1-b8b0-47d7-b9df-86c84804b10b

Finally this week I have some great new I have now exceeded my target amount of £3,000. I truly feel inspired by you all. I will now go to Germany and thanks to all of you and your generosity and of course my kids who inspire me every day, I will race the biggest race of my life so far and who knows what will happen but hopefully I will be an IRONMUMMY.

Just Giving Page: http://www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Reed0

TIME TO TAPER

So this week I undertook my last endurance block, which I have now finished, YEEHA!!!

Will make this short - not for the faint hearted!!

DAY1 THURSDAY

SWIM SET -4000m swim (160 lengths) in sets.
3 HOURS ON BIKE - messed up a bit here, went too far out then had to cycle back like the clappers to get back in time for the  school run.
Day 1 should of finished here. However ended up doing a hours Taekwon-do with my son and then a 90 minute yoga class. Ouch!!

DAY 2 FRIDAY

DISTANCE RUN - ended up getting up to start running at 5.30am (It was the only time I could fit it in). One  word for this HIDEOUS. It felt so much harder than normal and gelling at that time in the morning is just wrong on all levels.
That night I got to yoga again. I went into yoga in pain, my left leg was aching and really sore. But I left feeling a 100 times better, as always Jambo (my saviour) sorted me out. I really don't know where I would be without him.

DAY 3 SATURDAY

BIKE RIDE TO RUN - So I teamed up with the lovely Kay for this one and off we went for a ride round Northumberland. Going to confess we were very naughty and stopped for tea and cake, it was a lovely cafe it would of been very rude to just cycle pass. 5 hours later we hopped off our bikes and went for a little run. All in all no real problems.

DAY4 SUNDAY


2 X BIKE SESSIONS - First one was hills and 2nd was a time trial, to be honest I felt amazing, legs felt good and I felt strong. Just hoping that, that is a good sign.

So that is it, my endurance training is done and now it is time to taper. 2 weeks left and then the real fun begins...............I hope.

SO AS MY IRONMAN IS SO NEAR, HERE IS A LITTLE RECAP.

I AM DOING IT TO RAISE MONEY FOR TINY LIVES A CHARITY FOR PREMATURE BABIES. A CHARITY VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART.

I HAVE DONE A LOT OF THIS

AND THIS

 AND THANK GOODNESS THERE IS NON OF ME RUNNING BUT A LOT OF THAT TO.

 ALSO HAVE DONE LOTS OF THIS

JAMBO AND I STRETCHING, FEELS AMAZING.

http://www.jambotruong.com/

 HE IS ALSO THE MAN WHO HAS INSPIRED ME AND SO MANY OTHERS TO DO A LOT OF THIS

AND I HAVE RECENTLY STARTED TO WIN A FEW OF THESE.

 I HAVE PROBABLY HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS SIMILAR TO THIS (HAHA!).

 BUT FINALLY I STILL NEED TO DO THIS.





In a way I feel that my journey is only just beginning and it will start the minute I enter that lake in Germany and begin my 2.4 mile swim.

Page: http://www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Reed0

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

I think this week has been the calm before the storm, despite starting the week in a blizzard of polystyrene balls.

I have my youngest to thank for that one who very kindly decided to unzip one of the beanbags and have a glorious time with the contents. I am still finding them everywhere.

So next week will see the start of my second endurance block which will commence Thursday and finish on Sunday. Then that is it for my endurance training, it will be time to taper as it will be 2 weeks till race day, YIKES!!!! It is also the start of the summer holidays so I am looking forward to getting out and about and doing some fun stuff with the kids.

Back to this week. Tuesday I did a distance run with Laura again. However I turned up with a little surprise for her. We normally always consume a gel or two on these runs but I fancied trying a 'Redbull shot', as more than likely I will need it for my marathon. So after after about 40 mins we shared the little bottle, OMG it was GO GO GO. Will be definitely packing one of those in my suitcase for Germany or maybe two!!

Eventually I got back to yoga this week, haven't managed to make it for a few weeks and I was really starting to notice it as my nerve pain down my left hand side was starting to flair up. I just love Jambo's classes they are always so much fun. I had persuaded Lloyd a member from our tri club to come whose IT bands are in a worse state than mine. I think he got a shock how  hard it can be to hold some of the poses/stretches, but he also couldn't believe how light his legs felt at the end, its a great feeling. In this class I partnered up with Lisa my biking partner, it was her first time to, I think we can agree we saw each other from new angles.

 Finally the weather has not been the the greatest for biking this week. Managed to get outside once, however the rain at the weekend could only be described as torrential. So I opted to do an hour on the bike in the gym, I swear this hurts so much  more than being on my actual bike on a really steep hill.

Once again I am doing all this for a reason. I am hoping to raise £3,000 for 'Tiny Lives', which is a charity that helps support the enormous costs in caring for premature babies born in the North East. This is a charity very close to my heart as my twins were born at 29 weeks weighing a mere 2lbs 8oz and 2lbs 9oz. The best way to describe how small that is, is that there legs weren't as fat as my little finger and I have small hands!

No amount of money is too small as it all adds up. But you can also just help by sharing the link and letting people know what I am trying to achieve. I have nearly hit 40% of my target it would be fantastic if I could be half way there by the time I leave for Germany.

Hopefully this picture gives you an idea how small they actually were.

Just Giving Page: http://www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Reed0

FEELING THE PAIN

Well it has been another really hard week on the training front.

Monday I need to do a 2 1/4 hour run to finish off my endurance weekend. It was incredibly hard especially after the Steelman race. I messed up by not having enough breakfast and the whole run was just painful, but thanks to Laura I got around it. Don't think I would of had the will power to do that on my own, not that day!

Afterwards I hobbled (literally) off to see Jambo for him to attack my IT bands, which by now were just screaming at me, to stop all this torture on them. The man is a miracle worker, I hobbled in and walked out, what a difference he made. However I will confess it was a pretty painful experience again and with children in the room I  think I did really well keeping my words to owww and ouch!!!

ummm...........hello IT band.  OUCH!!!!!

 Tuesday I made tri club but on Wednesday I took a much needed day off, my body just felt totally fatigued.

Thursday I got a 2 hour bike ride. Then that evening it was a hill session in the dene with Laura, her husband Paul and a friend Jimmy. I think it must be a truly terrifying sight to see four adults trying to sprint flat out for 40 seconds up a hill. To put in mildly we were all in quite a state however what I love about these sessions is that they are over relatively quickly and you can feel that you have worked.

Under coach Woody's instructions I was to get out Saturday for a 5 hour easy ride. So it ended up a good group of us going out from tri club. Basically it is some of the people who I will be going to Germany with for the Ironman. I shall abbreviate this but OMG!!!! EASY RIDE, WHO WERE THEY KIDDING!!
a hilly 90 miles later I got off my bike in pieces. It just wasn't what I was expecting to do the day before a hilly Olympic distance triathlon.

Watch out for this lot they are animals....Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

 I actually woke up Sunday not feeling as bad as I thought I would, maybe that was because I was asleep by 9.30pm the night before, shattered.

The swim was in Derwent reservoir. This was by far the coldest swim I have done this year and the choppiest and overall the hardest. I just didn't enjoy it at all. I was having to breathe every stroke just to catch my breath.

The bike course was 2 two loops around the reservoir, it was hilly with one hard steep climb in it. I came out of the swim in 3rd place (I think) and finished my bike in second. ( manual timing so still haven't seen the full results yet).

Then the run, one word for this HIDEOUS. Up a hill and then another, on a very stony track. Just not pleasant. I had new trainers on they rubbed, my feet bled but I just battled on. I went into the run in 2nd place for the women and finished in 4th, however in my age category I came 2nd. So I am totally delighted especially considering to previous days session.

So my next race is the Ironman, 4 weeks today. I really just hope all this training will pay off and I will be able to finish what will be the longest and hardest race of my life!!

 Here once again is my just giving page. I have raised just over a third of the amount I am trying to reach. No amount is too small it all adds up. Thank you.

You really can help save a premature babies life.

Just Giving Page: http://www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Reed0

THRIVE TO SURVIVE!!

FIRST DOUBLE CUDDLE

Before I start on this weeks training, lets mention again why I am writing this blog. Two of the most important people in my life were born very prematurely, my twins. It was touch and go with both of them if they would survive. I just couldn't imagine my life without them and if it wasn't for the special care baby unit at the RVI in Newcastle, it may well of been the case. I am fund raising for 'Tiny Lives' a charity which helps contributes to the enormous costs in caring for premature and sick babies. No amount of money is too small and I am hoping at the end of my Ironman I will have raised enough to buy a new CPAP machine. A machine that can help keep a baby alive in those first few critical hours,days and even weeks.

Back to this week and what a week I have had. Firstly my asthma started to get a lot worse. So on Sunday I made the decision to go onto the drugs, which I wasn't keen about but I really couldn't risk a full blown asthma attack so close to my Ironman. So the start of the week was a quite one, however under my coaches instructions I needed to  do what is called and Endurance block. This apparently will set me up for the Ironman and its distances. So Kay (who is also going to Germany) and I teamed up to tackle this together.

Thursday Day 1 of the endurance block. Kay and I went out on what was meant to be a 5 hour easy bike ride. Ummmm Kay had other idea's and decided to show me the lovely moors and hills around her neck of the woods. They were spectacular but I wouldn't say easy. However we made the judgement call that 3 1/2 hilly is the same as 5 hours easy. Then that evening I teamed up with the lovely Laura as I needed to do a hill session. This involved sprinting up a hill 8 times, which was then generally followed by lots of wheezing and puffing on my inhaler!!

The easy ride.......NOT!!!

Friday Day 2 - I met up with Kay again to do a quick hour hill climbing on the bikes. ( to be honest it was pretty tame compared to what she had me doing the previous day). Then we got ourselves to the pool where we need to swim 2 1/2 miles (4000m). We both really enjoyed this session. Then that evening I did another hour on the bike with a 20 minute time trial in the middle.

Saturday Day 3 - Today I only had to compete in my first ever half Ironman.  This race is known as the Steelman. I loved it, the weather was amazing, my asthma was really starting to turn the corner, the only downside was that I was feeling a little stiff from the previous 2 days.

The Swim - this proved to be a proper wrestling match pretty much from start to finish, I actually ended up giving a few shoves, mind you I was receiving quite a few knocks. I came out of the water 2nd (in the ladies 27th overall) in a time of 33.38 minutes. (also we all ended up swimming an extra 400m by accident)

The bike - 58 miles this took me 02:57:16. I averaged 19mph so really happy with this. It was pretty uneventful really, managed a few nice chats and ate some snickers bars (yum yum).

The run - Today I loved the run, I was amazed. I think the run was approx 12miles and I came in with a time of 01:33:13. Which I am amazed with.

Overall I came third, I can't tell you how chuffed I am, my total time was 05:06:59, I really wasn't expecting it. To end the blog this week  here are some photo's of today.

MY PRIZE

:

COLLECTING IT - :-)

THE LAKE BEFORE KICK OFF

DREW & KAY - LOVING THE THUMBS UP!!

UMMM.... I THINK THIS IS DREW TRYING TO LOOK FIERCE

KAY LITERALLY AS SHE FINISHED - YOU GO GIRL

KAY CHILLING OFF IN THE LAKE (ICE BATH)

SOME OF THE CREW FOR GERMANY

ME WITH THE HAT ON

PHIL COULSON OF OUR TRI CLUB WHO CAME FIRST TODAY WITH A TIME OF 4 HOURS 13, AWESOME!!

CELEBRATIONS WITH MY THREE BIGGEST FANS AT HOME

 Here once again is my just giving page. I have nearly raised a third of the amount I am trying to reach. No amount is too small it all adds up. Thank you.

Just Giving Page: http://www.justgiving.com/Joanna-Reed0