Team Poppyfields

40 hours or so until the start gun/whistle/horn goes in the lake at Holme Pierrepont. Then I will be off on my 4th ever open water swim and my first swim over 3200 metres ever. I'll be swimming 3860 odd metres. Within 2hrs and 15 mins of the start gun/whistle/horn i will have changed into my bike stuff and embarked on my first ever ride over 88 miles and my second over 48! I will be riding 112 miles. Within 10hrs 30mins I will have changed into my running kit and embarked on my 4th ever marathon!
I wanted to blog something brilliant, something inspirational. For me personally (as this blog has always been a kick up my own backside) but also for anyone that reads it. I've already quoted others that put things much better than me and posted pics I wish I could lay claim to have created. I've watched clips of other people attempting amazing feats of endurance including the Hoyte Ironman clips (this only demoralised me if I am honest) and I've followed other peoples journeys as they run Britain or the USA, or cycle Europe or even the world, they have walked VLM in a mechanical suit, or walking near blind 2500 miles to all 92 football clubs or run for as far as they can in 24 hours or raced over 100miles or walked their first 5k for cancer research! The list is endless. These people have 'something' that propells them forward despite or is it inspite of everything.
I can draw inspiration from others, I have to. Over the last 6 months I've had immense support from family, friends, strangers, cyber mates ranging from a 'good luck' and £1 sponsorship to advice and training assistance. People have gone out of their way to help me despite being an internet stranger initially (now probably just thought of as strange). I've had brilliant bits of advice throughout from a sub culture of our society that goes against everything we see on the surface of today. They think nothing of travelling across the country for a training session or running a 30 mile ultra race on a friday so a mate who cant make the saturday doesnt miss out (of course they run it Saturday too!) or sharing a juice or a gel when racing or helping someone stranded fix a tyre or making sure someone who cant go on receives assistance before continuing themselves or just passing on nuggets (golden nuggets) of information and support. They band together like the immense unstoppable force that they are. I've a list of probably 500 people that I personally know as Team Poppyfields (to do with Sunday this is as Team Poppyfields has a far greater reach). Half of them dont even know they are Team Poppyfields but every person that has helped me is Team Poppyfields because without them I wouldnt be stood in a lake in Nottingham at 5.55am Sunday morning waiting for the start gun/whistle/horn to go!
I want to shake them all by the hand - come 11pm Sunday I'll probably accept huge hugs only - and if I could get round all of them and thank them I would. I did toy with the idea of naming them but I see the pitfalls with that - miss a few (unintentionally obviously) and I'd feel bad. So if you have read a blog of mine, or sponsored me or retweeted me or shared my FB page or wished me good luck or called me insane or lent me kit or given me advice or trained with me or followed Poppy's story or held me together or inspired me or just said something nice, whether you like it or not, you are part of Team Poppyfields which means you're doing Outlaw with me!
I will be proud to represent Team Poppyfields and welcome the Olympic Torch to Tamworth tomorrow morning, I will be proud to suffer an anxiety attack on behalf of Team Poppyfields as I register at Outlaw tomorrow afternoon, it will be my pleasure to be unable to sleep tomorrow night so Team Poppyfields can sleep soundly, and it will bring me great joy to throw up my guts sometime (maybe several times) for Team Poppyfields during Sunday!
I would love to write something brilliantly brilliant here - leave you with an original inspirational quote. All I can say however is thank you very much indeed - all of you. Good luck to all the other Outlaws - race safe and enjoy. For Team Poppyfields I will give it my all and we will conquer Outlaw Ironman!