Much to my surprise she was more worried about the swim than the bike, this was after worrying about what to wear and would the weather be fine. As it turned out warm and sunny (I told her it would be) and she looked great in her new Tri-suit, all was well on this front. Her main worry regarding the swim was that the pool would not have proper lane ropes (anti-wave version) making the swim choppy, she was also convinced she had put down too fast a time for the swim (along with every other first-timer there). In the end there were anti-wave lane ropes and she was about mid-pack swim-time wise, unfortunately her time chip came loose and she had to re-fit it when she came out the pool which did give her a slower time, but overall she swam what she said she would.

She was also worried about getting cold on the bike (Lynn can feel cold in Florida) but again she was fine and she also cycled faster than she thought she would. I have yet to speak with anyone who did not find the run tough so it is no surprise that Lynn also found it hard, but she still managed to run her predicted time more or less. Her overall time was quicker than she thought she would achieve, I had told her that a sprint triathlon would be easier than a half marathon, she disagrees but as I pointed out to her, she trains for a half, swimming and cycling once a week on top of her running does not constitute triathlon training.

Overall I thought she did very well and I am very proud of her, now where’s that entry form for her next tri.

She has also purchased some elastic laces (which she insists on calling electric laces, she says it sounds faster) and a numbers belt. Lynn’s intense training programme has consisted of adding a weekly 26k bike ride (race distance 22k, she does not want to over-train) to her running and swimming training. The secret weapon in her training arsenal has been looking at very expensive properties in Florida, that only a big lottery win would allow us buy. I have yet to see the true value of this aspect of her training, but when I hear the words ‘come and look at this one’ I must admit the idea is beginning to grow on me.

Last Saturday I held a training day for all the first time triathletes who will be taking part in this event, we covered all the aspects of a pool-based triathlon (I hope), had a practice 400m swim and cycled the bike and run courses. Lynn attended this training day and on the way home all she was talking about was ‘did you see that house at so and so, did you notice that garden’ while we were on the bike course. Somehow I don’t think Lynn will be the head down, arse up, go like hell type of cyclist. Or is she just saving her self for race day? I will let you know.

By race start my bum was firmly planted on the sofa and I began (at a pace I thought I could hold) to work my way through 4 slices of toast and two mugs of coffee. I did hit a difficult patch half way through slice three but after two slurps of coffee I managed to pick up my pace and finish strongly. I do believe I could have tackled a fifth slice, I did not really want to but if I’d had to I think I could have done so. All in all a very successful marathon.

Now I am not going to claim that I coached Rod in his achievement, all I did was advise and hopefully added some useful input to his training. From my point of view, I did not think running on the beach in Florida constituted running in a desert terrain, mind you it was sandy and hot. Whereas Rod has hiked in various deserts in Africa plus trips to Arizona, where he once fell on a cactus, you should have seen where those needles went.

The other thing was, I have never, and I hope it stays that way, run that far in such a short time. Plus from what I understand there are no five star hotels on route! Can you believe that, bloody madness. Anyway between the two of us we managed to plan a race strategy, with Rod's desert experience and my coaching knowledge/imagination, plus having been Rod's Sports Therapist for the last 5/6 years I do have a good idea of what he can and can't do training wise.

Anyway to cut a long story short, Rod put in all the hard work and completed the race in 38 hours and I sat at home and followed his progress on the net, I did not even break sweat - how's that for being super fit. I did ask Rod about the creepy crawlies getting into your sleeping bag, he told me it was so bloody cold at night, that his chattering teeth kept them away. Rod was in today for a treatment and he told me that one guy has lost six toe nails since the race and that's just off one foot! But he still maintains it was one of the best experiences of his life. I worry about the boy, is he suffering from sun stroke? did he fall and bump his head? did Gaddafi brainwash him? we may never know.

When buying running shoes, especially if you are new to running, it can be quite confusing and the last thing you need to consider is the colour (though I would never buy black running shoes, it’s just not me).

One of the things you need to consider is, do you pronate (your foot rolls excessively inwards) or do you over pronate? (everyone pronates to a certain extent) and is it slightly or excessively, there are shoes to accommodate your level of pronation - allegedly.

If you are a big built runner or have just started running to lose weight you could need extra support and cushioning. You may benefit from a make of shoes that includes width fittings.

There are numerous things to consider and if you don’t know what you are looking for it can be confusing. My suggestion is go to a specialist running shop, not a sports shop/store (they seem more interested in selling you cleaner for the shoes, rather than the right shoes) but a real running shop where they can watch you run on a treadmill and analyses your running style. From this they should be able to supply you with the correct shoes to suit your running style and compensate for any bio-machanical problems you may have.

Don’t be afraid to ring them and ask if they can analyses your running, if you happen to live in the Swindon area I have found Run Swindon a very helpful and knowledgeable shop. Ask for Liam and, no, I am not on commission.

After years of watching me compete in everything from super sprint to Ironman (not always a pretty sight) she swore she would never be tempted into triathlon, her more delicate parts were not built for cycling was her excuse. The triathlon she entered is the Westonbirt Triathlon on the 31st May and the reason being is to raise money for a young lad who had a bad bike crash last year and is now confined to a wheel chair. Sean was a very good mountain biker and all the money raised will go towards equipment helping Sean maintain fitness and hopefully give him the hope/desire to strive for new sporting goals in his life. Very easy to writeabout, very hard to come to terms with, at any age. If you would like to donate to Sean's charity go to www.friendsofsean.org.uk

Lynn has now purchased a bike, a nice little number - a Scott hybrid, which she likes riding, well at least in the fine weather. I promise to keep you posted on Lynn's big adventure between now and the big day. I still can't believe she has entered a triathlon, I know I will be more apprehensive about her racing than I have ever been about any of my races.