Don't You Just Love Getting Mail?

I got my entry forms and information package in the mail today, which was awesome. But even better, it came with a great letter from the Competition Director. 

You see, I sent in a letter with my nomination forms:

To Whom It May Concern:

I first heard about the Blackwood Marathon when I was a teenager, still living in Canada. My cousin and pen pal would write me and tell me about this amazing marathon, and how he did the horse part of it, but the whole family was involved. Of course, I was interetested! It involved riding horses in a marvellously foreign and exotic place in the world! And I wanted to do it!


When, many years later, I finally moved to Australia, I insisted to the family that we put in a team! So in 2006, my family who had once upon a time participated as the “Pingelly Pee Wees” and their parents who were the “Woodland Wobblers” came together again to do the Blackwood. We called ourselves “Woodland Wobblers II” and with much support and advice from the orginal Wobblers, we ran, canoed, swam, rode and biked our little hearts out!


I did the horse leg on my lovely little mare, Cassie. We came through slowly, because there are no such thing as hills in Katanning, so we had to take it slower than we had trained. We had done the distanaces, the trot work, but those hills just knocked my little girl out! But I think everyone who participated was a little surprised by the effort that we all had to put in! I'm sure it all seems easier when you're young and fit! But the imporant thing was that we vetted through and everyone in the team finished!


At the finish line, I can remember Sarah Wiese joking about how she was happy that her husband had given her his horse 'because she was too slow' and was completely inspired by the Iron People. For some reason, that evening, the idea was born that I was going to do that.

I would be a Blackwood Iron Lady!

It took some time for everything to come together. Four years in fact.


I lost my lovely horse that I rode in 2006 and trialed three other horses, each proving unsuitable for one reason or another, until this year when I got my lovely gelding, TK. He's not fast either, but he's strong and I'm confident in our ability to complete safely.


I also had a long-standing knee injury that made it nearly impossible to run more than a few hundred meters without pain. It took well over a year of careful training and building up to finally be able to run 12km without pain! I am so happy to finally be able to call myself a runner!


In Katanning, our pool opens at the end of October, after the Blackwood Marathon, so getting any swim training in has been a challenge! So far, I have had three training swims leading up to the event. And to top it all off, I've been nursing a shoulder injury for 6 months, and can only swim breast stroke!


And as there are no real hills to speak of to train on, the bike leg is terrifying to me! The very idea of starting on tired legs and a worn body and pushing UPHILL for the first half of the ride is going to challenge every part of me, mentally and physically!


Even today, only 10 days before the race, I still haven't paddled a kayak in water yet! I know! What is this crazy lady doing?


But since the Blackwood Marathon won't wait for me to be any more ready than I am, I am going to do it! I will be slow, and I'm okay with that! Feel free to start presentations without me! But it is my intention to complete. I am confident that the training I have put in will take me through to the end, and if not, it will take me to my limits and I will know I have done my very best!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the finish line and then collapsing in a big happy heap!

 And in my information package there was a letter of reply:

Hi Andrea,  

Loved the letter you sent with your entry.

My sister-in-law has also entered the ironwoman section for the first time as Sarah and Tim Wiese stay with them for the weekend and have motivated her to do the whole event. She is SO very concerned that she will be in after presentations too but is determined to finish. She is also nursing a knee injury and is beginning to stress out about what she has got herself into!! Her name is Alison and her phone number is [removed for privacy]. I know she would love to chat to you.

Regards, Sue Doust, Competitor Director

How wonderful to get this letter! How much better is it to know I'm not alone out there? I feel relieved and happy.


I think it's time for me to make a phone call!