IRONMAN 🏊🏼‍♂️🚴🏼‍♂️🏃🏻‍♂️

So, I competed in my first Olympic Distance The IRONMAN Group #triathlon last Sunday…

I have been training intensively for this day for the past 9 months 💪🏼

And was raising money for the extraordinary work that Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders in war zones and disaster areas around the world 👩🏻‍⚕️

I hit over 100% of the target I was raising thanks to some donations from some very generous souls (you can still donate on the link in my profile!) 🙏🏼

My parents came over from Portugal for it and my brother jumped over from England 🥰

I was aiming for a sub 3 hour #race 🎯

Everyone kept telling me forget time, just enjoy it, but you see, us sales people need targets 😅

The elements were against me though…

Serious heat 🔥

Very choppy waves as I left the Hoorn harbour on the swim 🌊

Then a small storm/heavy bout of rain with massive headwind on the last leg of the bike 🌧️

I had the will to endure 💪🏼

All whilst, passing my other fellow athletes and shouting motivational words at them as I do 📣

However, tragedy kicked in on km 4 of the run - excruciating cramp kicked in on the legs 🤦🏻‍♂️

I went to the ground and could not get up🧎🏻‍♂️

Nearly started crying as I thought the race was done for, the pain was real 😭

Then some angel of a nurse who knew her way with muscles helped work some magic for a few minutes…

During the first aid, I popped another salt pill and chugged a load of ISO 💊

I was down for 4 mins which felt like an eternity and kept telling myself to get up…

Still aching loads but dug very deeeeep and raised from the dead 🧟‍♂️

Pushed through the pain and picked up the pace to make up for the lost minutes 🏃🏻‍♂️

I DROVE IT HOME TO #FINISH IN 2h58 ✊🏼

If it wasn’t for that 4 minutes that I lost, I would have ranked 97/374, instead I have to deal with 143/374, big difference that it cost me…

But coming from a guy who was technically extremely obese, class 2 (BMI of 37) last year - smoking like a chimney, drinking like a fish, and no exercise for 20 years 👹

I adamantly tell you that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE KIDS 🥳🔥

Here are some snaps of the special day 📸

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey, this one is for you ❤️

Oh... this is only the beginning 😉

Have some other races but this year all roads lead to the #Ironman 70.3 in Cascais, Portugal in October 🇵🇹

Happy Friday all, keep rocking and have a smashing weekend ✌🏼