Another tough day at the gym, and on the road.

Contrary to triathlon racing, in which the swim is most people’s least enjoyable element, because of the clashes with 99 others vying for the same space, my swims are by far the best part of my challenge.

Once again I had a lane completely to myself and could concentrate on my stroke and make it as smooth as possible. The 40km on the Wattbike, however, has become extremely tedious and it is so tempting to push it beyond my limits just to get it over with. Today I probably did just that and suffered on the run.

Recent days have seen my calf muscles tighten and cause me great concern, particularly as they feel similar to last year when injury prevented me from running for a few months, until April this year.

I started today’s run very slowly and carefully. Knowing I usually pick up the pace, I was comfortable easing into the run but today I didn’t gat much faster at all. I could tell that the tightness in the calf muscles was so close to tipping over into an injury that I was extremely careful. Despite a huge urge to run faster and finish the effort, I was effectively holding myself back as if on my own leash.

The times are no longer important, I just hope that I am employing active recovery to its best effect and tomorrow I can loosen the leash just a little bit.

I am so close to the halfway mark, and just 52 left to complete the challenge.

Today, I paid tribute to the police officers and staff who died doing their duty on this date. They include Police Constable Jane Arbuthnot and Sergeant Noel Lane who died when IRA terrorists detonated a bomb outside Harrods in London in 1983 (Inspector Stephen Dodd died on Christmas Eve from injuries received in the same incident). The full list of officers is:

1842 – Sergeant Andrew Allen – Metropolitan Police

1867 – Police Constable Donald Bain – Newcastle-upon-Tyne Borough Police

1887 – Police Constable James Davies – Cheshire County Constabulary

1910 – Sergeant Robert Bentley KPM – City of London Police

1910 – Police Constable Walter Choat KPM – City of London Police

1917 – Police Constable John Settrington – Metropolitan Police

1920 – District Inspector Philip O’Sullivan – Royal Irish Constabulary

1920 – Police Constable Peter Shannon – Royal Irish Constabulary

1956 – Temporary Sergeant Maurice Eden – Metropolitan Police

1973 – Detective Constable (Retd) – Ivan Johnston – Royal Ulster Constabulary, GC

1983 – Police Constable Jane Arbuthnot – Metropolitan Police

1983 – Sergeant Noel Lane – Metropolitan Police

1995 – Police Constable Robert Dallow – West Midlands Police

Please donate here to build a fitting tribute to them at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.