Yay, another milestone and reason to celebrate.

Twenty Olympic-distance triathlons in 20 consecutive days (but too early to think of what lies ahead).

Every day since October 31 I have completed a 1,500 metre swim followed by a 40km bike ride and then immediately run 10km.

After my knees started playing up on Day 5, I have managed to recover slowly although both knees continue to hurt.

My swim times are stable at just over 29 minutes but shoulders ache slightly more each day. The bike times fluctuate between 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on whether I am on a Wattbike at the gym or heading into the wind on the road. However, I feel my legs getting stronger as each day passes. And the runs are very consistent now at around the 50 minute mark after one outlier of 57 minutes when the knees started causing problems.

I am loathed to say that I am strong and stable, you know where that got someone else.

However, I am bearing up but the constant effort is very tiring – I am beginning to turn to sugar to get me through. Discipline will definitely be needed.

I have learnt to control the efforts with my mind on the bigger goal, no matter how much the mind urges me to catch the swimmers/cyclists/runners in front.

Today was bitterly cold and tomorrow the forecast is even worse. I know I chose the timing but we need to raise the remaining amount now so we can start building the memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in 2019.

I have achieved this milestone so I can recognise and pay tribute to all the police officers and staff who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Today I remembered the following who lost their lives on duty on November 19:

1832 – Sub-Constable Denis Hayes – Irish Revenue Police

1845 – Detective Sergeant John Stubbs – Leeds Borough Police

1878 – Police Constable Thomas Carlyon – Metropolitan Police

1889 – Police Constable John Mills – Royal Irish Constabulary

1940 – Special Constable William Dalgetty – Birmingham City Police

1940 – Special Constable Charles Mann – Bath City Police

1940 – Sergeant Edwin Thompson – London Midland & Scottish Railway Police

1950 – Police Constable Frank O’Connor – Lancashire County Constabulary

1959 – Police Constable George Gale – Metropolitan Police

2003 – Detective Constable Robert Keylock – Thames Valley Police

2006 – Police Constable Conal Hills – West Yorkshire Police

Please support my efforts by donating and helping build a fitting memorial to these and say a thank you to all still serving and entering into danger to protect us. Go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Paul-Lander3

Thank you.