Lewes Vet Rachel Completes UK Ironman Triathlon!

Having completed the final stages of her training, Rachel Perry, vet at the Lewes branch of Pet Doctors, entered and successfully completed the Ironman UK Triathlon which took place in Bolton on 2  August 2009.  The event involved a 3.8 km open water swim at Rivington Reservoir followed by a 180 km bike ride in the countryside around Bolton, immediately followed by a 26.2 mile marathon.

 Rachel completed the whole challenge in 13 hours and 10 minutes and came 4th in her age group.

After the gruelling swimming and cycling challenges, she managed to complete the marathon in 4 hours and 20 minutes.  Well done Rachel from all of us at Pet Doctors!

Rachel, a keen triathlete, has been preparing for the Ironman event for the last seven months, having been persuaded to try it by her brother and sister-in-law who are also attempting their first Ironman challenge.  In the final weeks before the event, she concentrated on tapering which reduces the volume of training, so that she was rested and at her fitness peak for the race.  As part of the challenge she has also raised  money for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, Pet Doctors’ nominated charity, and for the Alzheimer’s Society. 

Commenting on the Ironman event, Rachel said:  “I've never done a triathlon of this length before and it was the toughest challenge I’ve ever taken on, both mentally and physically.   I was hoping to finish all three events and am elated that I achieved my goal.   Knowing that I was raising money for two important charities helped spur me on.  I know I can run a marathon, but I've never tried to run one after 75 minutes of swimming and over 7 hours on a bike – it was daunting!  I’m delighted to confirm that all three of us in Team Perry completed the challenge.  It's been an emotional few months for us all."

"I lost my father earlier this year after a distressing struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease so I’ve experienced at first hand the devastating effect it has on those that suffer and those who care for them.   Doing the race was a fitting tribute to my Dad.”

“I’d like to thank my family, friends and colleagues at Pet Doctors, who have supported me in my training regime and who have been so generous with their sponsorship.  I hope more people will decide to sponsor me so I can raise more money for these two very good causes.”

For further information or to sponsor Rachel, check out her just giving pages at:

http://www.justgiving.com/Rachel-PerryAlzheimers
http://www.justgiving.com/Rachel-PerryHearingdogs

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