The challenge for 2012….

After much postering and pondering, I have decided on the challenge I will set myself for 2012.

As always, the goal is twofold. To raise awareness of this condition that blights my sons life – Type 1 Diabetes, and to raise much needed funds for a cure. Any challenge needs to be a stretch, and last year I started stretching myself in the direction of triathlon. The ultimate challenge in this area is an IronMan triathlon…

A 2.4 mile swim… followed by 112 mile bike ride… and finishing with a 26.2 mile marathon! 140.6 miles in total!

I certainly couldn’t manage all that in one go (I wish), but I got some inspiration from Phill Connel’s Monthly Cycling challenge, and thought… how about a Triathlon version..? For the last 12 months or so, I have been trying to cycle at least 100 miles in any given month, spurred on by my fellow cyber cyclists, all linked by a common twitter hashtag (#12×100) and a Google spreadsheet.

So how about extending that to swimming and running, as well as cycling…? To this end, I’m going to try and do an Ironman triathlon over a month, every month, for a year…

12 Ironman Triathlon’s in 12 months in 2012.

Wanna join in….? All you need is a Google account login (as well as a bike, some trunks and trainers). Just email me with your login and I will add you to the sheet. In the same way as Phill Connel’s sheet works, simply enter your mileage as you complete it, and see if you can do 140.6 miles a month!

I don’t want this to be a substitute for Phill’s excellent work over these last few months, so please continue to enter your cycling mileage into his sheet first. This is very much a complementary challenge! But I have noticed a number of people participating in that challenge, have like me, gone down the triathlon route as the next challenge. So hopefully, this will be the place where those who have been bitten by the Tri-Bug can come.

When you have put some mileage into the sheet, tell everyone on Twitter by using the hastag #12xIronMan. Complete the challenge in any given month and – for what it’s worth – you have my permission to tell everyone you are an IronMan (or IronWoman?!??) Triathlete!

Any questions or suggestions…? Email me. And over the next couple of months, I’ll tell you about how I hope to pull this together with fund raising for JDRF and Diabetes UK… lest we forget, it’s all about finding a Cure for Sam!