10 years & 2 kids later, it’s time to start the journey again…

I began this journey back in 2014 along with my mum, sister and all our family and friends in memory of our amazing Dad - Tony Woodcock.

The photo that you see above was the finish line of Ironman Barcelona 2015 after a 2.4 mile swim, 112miles on the bike and 26.2 mile run…as I say this, I have absolutely no comprehension of how I hauled myself over the line feeling the way I did. I was in a bad place mentally but physically in the best shape of my life. It was definitely sheer stubbornness and the support of all our friends, family and team mates that got me round that day and the memory of my Dad. It was one hell of a year in which we managed to raise over £30,000 for Pancreatic Cancer research - the horrendous disease that claimed our lovely Dad.

Almost 10 years on as I reflect on that time and how difficult, yet rewarding it was, I find myself in a very different situation where I am very unhappy with the health of my own body. I am not ill in the slightest but have allowed myself to get hugely out of shape physically and sometimes mentally. Life is busy. Now married with 2 gorgeous children (Freddie and Hattie) and the best husband I could ever wish for (Ben), my needs and wants have (like many mums) gone to the bottom of the pile. Having started my own business at the beginning of the year, time to myself has become the greatest luxury in life and in short supply a lot of the time.

I need something for myself. A new challenge in which to reclaim my body, my fitness and my own mental health. Training is something which has always helped keep my mind clear, my stress levels down and my mood up, so in writing this blog I intend to keep a record of my experiences, my physical and mental health while I embark on my challenge.

The challenge - Ironman 70.3 Mallorca 2025. This is where it all started…it was my first ever long distance Ironman. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run.

Whilst I love the notion (at some point) of completing another full distance ironman, I am not naive enough to think I can complete this type of training with 2 young children in tow - some people may be able to but I also don’t want to miss out on this precious time with my babies.

As I sit here typing this post, I feel like I have a huge mountain to climb…I am massively overweight, very unfit and although many people may think - ‘you’ve done it before, you can do it again’ - It is literally like starting from scratch - This time there’s more weight to lose, much less fitness in the bank and I have two babies to care for in my (very limited) rest time. I hope that by embarking on this challenge, I am setting an example to them of how being fit and healthy can have a positive impact on your life. I want to re-discover my own identity as a person, get my body and mind back in shape and hopefully raise some funds along the way in memory of Dad. We had so many adventures together in the great outdoors - running, swimming, biking, building dens, body boarding to name a few…I want this with my kids and I don’t want to feel held back by my own inhibitions or negative body image that I have created for myself.

I hope that you will join me on this journey and that come the finish line in May 2025 (fingers crossed) I will be signing off this blog feeling like the journey has all been worth it - fitter, healthier, happier - for my babies and myself, also having raised more awareness and funds for Pancreatic cancer.

Big Love,

Lottie xxx