I'm an iron lady
Morgan and Lucy
Monday 15th October 2007
How many times have you said: 'I'll never drink again?' Well I said it every Sunday morning. As usual, my head was pounding and all I could taste was vodka and coke.
And to make things worse, my brother, Morgan, 32, had come round to give me a hard time.
'I know,' I sighed. 'I feel like death so go easy on me.'
Morgan shook his head.
'All this going out isn't good for you,' he sighed. 'It's about time you made some changes to your life.'
I rolled my eyes. Morgan was super-fit. He regularly took part in triathlons and trained every day. He was always having a go at me about my partying. If I was being truthful, it had started to get a bit much.
Every Friday and Saturday night me and my mate Clare McGhee, 34, would paint Sheffield red. I wouldn't roll in until 4am and spent most Sundays in bed.
'So that's why I've entered you in a triathlon in eight weeks time,' Morgan grinned.
'What?' I cried.
I felt like vomiting as he described how the triathlon in June 2005 was made up of a 400 metre swim, a 12-mile cycle and a three-mile run.
'B-but I can't even swim,' I wailed.
Since I was a kid I'd hated swimming and could just about manage doggy paddle.
'Well you'd better start training then, ' Morgan laughed.
I was utterly terrified but I wasn't going to let my little brother get the better of me.
The next day I borrowed a friend's bicycle and took it round the block.
'This isn't too bad,' I thought.
But by the time I got home, my legs felt like lead.
I was determined not to give up.
Two days later I went for a run round the block.
'If only I hadn't smoked that packet of cogarettes on Saturday night,' I puffed as sweat dripped down my forehead.
I was in agony the next day but in strange way, I'd actually enjoyed it.
A week later I felt brave enough to try swimming. Slowly, I lowered myself into the pool at the local gym. Taking deep breaths, I did my version of doggy paddle. After two lengths, I was exhausted.
But every night I forced myself to either run, cycle or swim and slowly I started to feel more confident. I even started staying in on a Saturday night.
Finally the race day arrived and Gary and I made our way to Southwell Leisure Centre for the women's triathlon. The swim was first and my legs turned to jelly. I'm going to make a right fool of myself, I thought.
But there was no going back. The whistle blew and I kicked off the edge. I may have looked daft doing doggy paddle but I'd finished in no time at all. Next it was the cycle, then the run.
I legged it like it was last orders at the bar. By the end of it I was exhausted but my final time was one hour and 18 minutes.
'Not bad,' Morgan said. 'Are you going to do another one?'
'Why not?' I grinned.
Training had been tough but I'd loved the buzz of competing.
From then on there was no stopping me. I did another triathlon four weeks on in Mansfield. Since then I've taken part in two more Olympic Distance Triathlons in New Zealand. In January 2006, I took part in the Tauranga half Iron Man competition and qualified for the ITU Long Distance World Championships in Loriant, France, where I finished third in my age group and got a bronze medal.
I feel so much healthier, I've given up smoking and I don't drink anywhere near as much.
So thanks for the wake up call, Morgan. I owe you one!
To find out what Lucy's got planned next, click here!