8 Days till IMFlorida.

Yep only 8days to go. Bella and I are feeling fit and ready and aim to do our best next Sat 5th Nov. There are 56 in the pro mens field and some very tough guys amoung them.

I'll be happy as long as I feel I have progressed again on my last IM (IMUK).

We fly down to Florida on 31st Oct and it should be a nice easy relaxing week pre the race. Furtunatley Panama City - which is the race site - missed the last hurracaine , so I'm looking forward to a nice hot calm week.

If done all my last long training, had some good long hard runs Sat and Sun and my last big bike session yesterday, all now is short fast sessions, to get my body in real race mode!! I hope!

You can follow the race Live on www.ironmanlive.com .

I'll be remembering my mantra on the bike especially "pace yourself" very easy to get carried away!!

I'll be thinking of Ibbo alot during the race.

Thanks for reading
Stephen

Ibbo's Funeral

I arrived back in the UK on Thursday 6th flights and the journey was fine, I spent the whole time thinking about John and planning the words I was to read at his funeral - a pretty dauniting task - .

Friday 7th and Johns funeral was at St Peters Church in Walton on the hill at 3pm. It was a very sad day. It was extremely tough to get up in the church to speak about John but I was proud and honoured to do so.
The whole church was packed , literally full, every space being taken, standing room was taken as well.
It was a very emotional day, the tributes to John were very moving especially Sams.

After the burial, we went to a hall down the road for tea and cake. It was really great to chat to so many family and friends of John, everyone had great fun times and lovely stories to tell about their time with John.

Saturday was John's memorial ride. WOW! What a ride, over 100 people met at Dauphin bike shop for a ride down to Fanny's Farm for more tea and cake. It was a great celebration of John's life and after such a sad day on Friday, Saturday was a great fun day, and I know John would of loved this ride and, I was so pleased to see so many there. It really was great.

Onto Sunday and I'd got an entry into the Kingston Running Festival for the 16mile race. I ran with a Black ribbon pinned to my vest in memory of John, I thought of John alot during the run.
I was very pleased that I won.

I leave to go back to Boulder today (Monday) , I will take John's memory with me always and he will give me extra strength in my races to come.

I will miss you John.