Time to spread my wings...

As much as I'd love to write about how wonderful my training's going and that I'm fully fixed for the Dublin marathon, unfortunately none of those things are the case. I fear you may well be as bored as I am that I am indeed still not fixed! Endless physio (some taking place at a wedding we went to on Friday in fact!) and stretches galore, my ankle just doesn't want to play ball. I've endured hours on the cross trainer and I know every crook, cranny, dint and mark on the back of our garage door after spending oodles of time on the turbo. At least I may come out of this with better cycling legs! I ran for 30 mins today, not before standing in a full hot bath with a towel under my big toe stretching my tendon before I was allowed to play out and then on my return, back into the hot bath to stretch and then immediately followed by ice. I appear not to have reacted badly to the run although I can still feel it, so I'm being very careful. Dublin isn't, wasn't and won't be the be all and end all. I'm not promising I'll be happy about it on the day but I know I'd be very silly to run Dublin if I wasn't 100% sure that it has gone, so I think the marathon's canned and I'll be there in spectator mode (grizling away while the others flog themselves - see the sadist in me is jealous already!)

So, to the picture at the top. My wings don't have tendonitis and on the 1st November this year I will be free and spreading them into the big wide world of freelance photography. I've worked for ITV for over seven years now and have loved every second of it but it's time for me to challenge myself in the photography world and step out of my comfort zone and see what's out there. I can't wait, it's a bit scary but I have amazing support in Tom and as always he's helped me every step of the way. I'm looking forward to new projects, new people and my new working life and it's all out there waiting for me to discover it and for it to wonder where the hell I've been for the last seven years!!!

In two weeks time I shall leave the world of employment, comfort, safety and security and step into a world of unknowns but exciting unknowns and it couldn't feel more right. Tom's post is all about the World Champs in Hawaii (our Mecca.) Every one of those athlete's takes a gamble when they step into the water, and they're scared and excited, some make it, some don't, some excel and some don't finish but they never regret the fact that they are there and that's how I feel about going freelance. I'm going to be the Chrissie Wellington (new Hawaii Ironman World Champion) of the photography world...talented just undiscovered.

So, this week has more turbo, more cross trainer and more hot bath stretching for me. My swimming lesson with Clare last week went really well. She pointed out the biggest and most noticeable difference in my stroke... it had become very, very short. Short at the front and at the back, so with a few pointers and a few drills I've managed to re-focus and am concentrating on staying long. It's already making a lot of difference, I just have to practice, practice, practice.

I can't wait for the beginning of December when I can get my head on (hopefully the tendonitis will be well behind me by then) and I'll be in the throws of Ironman training and the push to make it to Hawaii, bring it on.

Before I go I must say congratulations to Martin Yelling (my coach) who enviably made it to Hawaii this year. We watched him cross the finish line at 4.15am this morning after being glued to a computer screen watching the favourites fall and the undiscovered's stealing the limelite, so very well deserved to both Chris McCormack and Chrissie Wellington. Just astonishing and inspirational to see. I can't wait to hear all about it from Martin when he get's back.

I must take myself and my gammy ankle off to bed, our week of 5am starts will be round in only 5hrs and 45mins!

Night :)

H. x