My name is Margaret Morley and I’ve been a member at Blackburn Road Runners for 8 years. Most of you I know but for those I’ve not yet met or got to know, I’d been a regular runner with the club on Wednesday evenings until about 3 years ago when I moved a little further away to Clitheroe. Work commitments mean I can’t always make the club night (I’m busy closing my beautiful laundrette…no, really!) but I try to make it to speed sessions when they are on and I do quite a few races throughout the year.
My distance is definitely the marathon and this year I’ll go beyond that by completing the St Begas Ultra with a few of our other lovely BRR’s…not quite sure what I was thinking about there either but I totally blame Shirley Hargreaves!
BUT before all of that, Jimmy Hindle and I will be taking on another challenge…
For those not familiar with this, the Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organised by the World Triathlon Corporation, consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile run, raced in that order and without a break. It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world. You may wonder why we are undertaking such a thing…I’m not sure either but it has been a long-held dream for me and for that reason, on Sunday 16th July I will enter the water at Pennington Flash and probably scream because it’s cold!
Me and Jimmy stood with the legend that is Jeff ‘Ironman’ Whitfield
Jimmy on the other hand made a very quick and snap decision last September so no dilly-dallying for him! And if you want to know why anyone would do an Ironman, please don’t hesitate to ask one of our existing Ironman finishers, Jeff Whitfield, Joshua Crowther and Scott Slater. You could also ask them if they would ever consider doing it again and maybe let me and Jimmy know – perhaps after the event??
So, next week we will post a little more about how we are getting on and then every couple of weeks. Please don’t hesitate to offer your support for marshalling the Ironman when the call comes out from our Chair as it really is the most fantastic day watching athletes in the competition, supporting them on the route and at the water/feed station and you get a real sense of the energy and enthusiasm of literally everyone from competitors to supporters, family and just passing spectators.
Finally just a short piece about our much missed friend Andrew Boardman; Andrew and I had committed to do the Ironman training together and had selected a coach and made plans. Sadly he isn’t able to complete his final dream but, on a lighter note he did make me and Phil White run half way up a mountain on his final journey to give him the best possible views and he must be having a right laugh at me and Jimmy now! Thanks Andrew, I know you’ll be with us every step of the way. x
Meanwhile back in the Jimmy / Sally & Margaret / Roger household ….