The challenge.

Start at Marble Arch.

Run to Dover.

Swim the channel.

Cycle to the Arc de Triomphe

Simples.

Except it is never simple.

The idea had been conceived years ago. The odd mention of such a feat had been spoken of in piano sotto voce tones and conversation altered rapidly when the magnitude (and cost) of such an undertaking was considered.

The vocalised concept crescendoed to a mezzo piano. I had swum Ullswater end to end, with the obligatory wiggle in the middle, meaning that a 7.5 mile swim had realistically been clocked on my Garmin at 8.25 miles. I made the schoolgirl error of articulating, “What next…?” on a public social media platform.

There it was: that simultaneous fortissimo utterance bursting from my fabulous friends, Vicki (she of the 2-way crossing of the North Channel fame) and Jane (she of the quintuple ironman fame) and me with declaration of eagerness to take on the challenge of travelling from Marble Arch to the Arc de Triomphe by foot, by swim and by bike.

Of course, on paper, this is an easy thing to write. It might even be an elementary event to plan for, if we occupied our days in leisure: swimming, biking, running, eating and repeat, all basking in glorious sunshine whilst every whim and desire was being attended to by a fleet of hired staff. However, sooner or later reality bites.  Both Vicki and Jane are marvellous Mums (Vicki is also an incredible grandmother). All of us have careers and jobs that dare to intrude upon our leisure time (only joking in case my boss should ever read this!). Jane and I enter our 50^th year in 2024 and we needed to mark this – albeit with chafed necks, sore shoulders and aching legs (not to mention the unmentionables suffered by cyclists the world over).  Nevertheless it was important to all of us to establish that you can be “fit at fifty.” So we aim to demonstrate to the world the strength and resilience of fifty-year old female triathletes.