I have had a busy start to the year along with some 900 other people working out here in Afghanistan. What made it so busy for us? A New Year's Day Half Marathon. I had decided, about a week ago about ways to raise interest, and "up the stakes" a bit with regards to making things a bit tasty and see if people fancied a challenge. I would row the half marathon, whilst they ran it. In order to raise some funding for my charity bibic.org, I had decided to challenge $5 a head to anyone who could run faster than I could row the distance of a half marathon, some 21,100 Metres. It soon got published on BFBS Radio and people were asking me what my time would be. I guessed around the 1 Hr 40 mins. On a good day, maybe 1 Hr 30 mins. I managed to take on forty people who wanted to have a go. Some were just happy to donate the $5, others wanted the challenge. If I lost, I pay them $5, if I win, then $5 comes my way. With a temperature of just 4 degrees Celsius this morning at 0915, the race began. I was rowing just back from the start point, 900 people leapt away as soon as the 105mm gun fired to signal the start. Immediately I found myself almost alone on the dust stricken car park, in glorious sunshine, but biting cold wind.

Looking at the Performance monitor I was soon past the first 1000 Metre mark, rowing at 1.50 / 500m. I really was not sure if this was too quick a start. The furthest I had rowed in one session was 18 K. There was a long way to go. After 2 K things had levelled out, I was now at 2.00 / 500m. Still a strong pace, given the distance left to cover. I had to take my gloves off now, as my body temperature felt a bit more like normal, and the pre-race shakes/shivers had all long since disappeared. Now was the time to ensure my rhythm remained constant.

With 50 minutes past a couple of work Colleagues came across to view my progress. Now if ever there was a thing called timing, this was it! They really knew how to drive me on. The Army attitude soon came through. I was being fed Haribo teddy bears, drinks of water, whilst words just seemed to flow, encouraging me through every stroke. With 1 hour approaching, I managed to increase my stroke rate to 30 per minute. I normally pull around 27 to 28. The time per 500 M also dropped, and at the 1 hour mark, I had rowed 14,501 meters! Now that is faster than I have done before.

At 1 Hour and 20 mins, the first runner stepped foot over the finish line. A young, very fit US Marine, who looked as if he just been down to the local shop for a newspaper! He had set a blistering pace. Soon after, maybe 30 - 40 seconds behind another whippet crossed the line. By now Sergeant Brian Boylan who you can see in the back ground really started to have a word in my ear. Again driven on and looking at the 3rd person come across the start/finish line I had barely a 1000 meters remaining. Time was beginning to get tight, people were appearing in ever decreasing gaps across the line.

Finally, the energy in my legs had all but left me, high and dry, but the distance had clicked over to 21 Kilometres completed. Just a hundred meters remaining. Pulling with what energy I had left, with forearms that no longer wanted to retain any sort of grip on the handles I past the finishing distance of 21,100 Meters in a time of 1 Hour 27 mins and 19 seconds. I had finished, and in 11th place overall. It felt pretty good I must say. So all in all, it has been a pretty good start to the year. I shall be back in the gym tomorrow morning (Monday) and hopefully not feeling too stiff.

My next challenge before I leave here? Not yet sure. Maybe 100 Km in 12 Hours? Time will tell.

Bernie Heaysman

www.justgiving.com/bernie-heaysman