Knowing my ABC’s

 It’s important to know what you’re aiming at, right?  Well, when I started with the Ambulance Service early in 2022 it meant I would have a regular enough work schedule that I’d be able to train for a summer event- a big change from the feast-and-famine schedule of sea kayak coaching.  So having been a volunteer on Celtman, knowing the organisers a wee bit, and having several friends that have completed it, the lure of my local XTri was very, very strong.  What’s an XTri?  It’s an ‘Iron-distance’ triathlon with more adventure involved than your average Tri.  There are mountains involved, usually.  




The start line of Celtman is just over an hour from our house, and it’s an area that’s incredibly special to me.  It involves three sports I enjoy, and all the right kinds of adventure… so it’s a no-brainer of a big goal. But it is BIG. Very big. 

And then last year, along came Celtman Solo Point Five.  Half the distances, but with very cool swim, bike & run courses and plenty of adventure.  




So that was it: Celtman Solo Point Five in 2023, Celtman in 2024…


But how do I get there?  That’s the hard bit. My goal is to stand (or float) on the start line of Celtman Solo Point Five on June 24th 2023, having done the work to make myself believe I can complete it.  I don’t care how long it takes, as long as I can meet the cut-off times. And if I don’t, I want to know I’ve given it my best shot. 


In the meantime, I have a whole load of ‘progress goals’. And hey, I might as well collect a few medals & event t-shirts along the way…





A events are the biggies. The non-negotiables.  All roads lead to these… So what’s that? Two A events? Well, yes… A 10km marathon swim caught my eye.  I’ve no idea if I can do it, but am intrigued to find out.  


B events are still important, but more for preparation for the A’s, and with half an eye on 2024.  And everything else is just training - an officially measured means of seeing how prepared I am for the A events, and for doing long swims, bikes or runs in an organised environment. Solo training can be hard and monotonous, so I wanted to use events to provide a bit more fun, a bit more commitment… and in the case of the Bealach Beag in April, the opportunity to ride the Bealach na Ba (Solo Point Five bike course) on a closed road without the motorhome traffic that makes it so difficult to ride safely these days. 


Will I complete all those events?  I have no idea.  But if I knew the answer to that it wouldn’t be an adventure. The hard work is in simply getting to the start line. 

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