A few thank you's
30th Apr 2012
There are a few people that made the PDG possible for me...
You can’t do this race on your own. Not just because the rules say that you have to enter as a team of 3, but because I don’t think I could do it on my own. It’s tough and you need a team and all the skills of that team to make it possible.
Jules MIlls at The Boot Room, Chamonix
Boots that fit properly are essential for doing an event like this. There is no margin for taking enforced rest days through blisters. Having comfy feet throughout means there is one less thing to think about! Not only did Jules manage to source small lightweight boots for me, they were also fitted so that I never experienced any discomfort in training or the race. My feet were the only thing that weren’t cold on top of the Tête Blanche!
I learnt to deal with the pain of having a massage from Steph because I associated the pain with the relief that I would get over the following days! Those massages were essential for my muscles to deal with the load from working and training. They were an essential part of my preparation.
Thank you for sourcing my new best friends; my Ski Trab Race Aero’s. I have loved the challenge of learning to ski downhill on these and made new volumes of uphill in a day a reality.
Ben Bardsley and Dougal Ranford
When I watched Ben and Dougal race in 2008 it gave me the inspiration to get involved in the event myself. Since then they have both provided hundreds of little tips and bits of advice; the stuff that you can’t read in books but makes a real difference. And Dougal’s bright head torches came in handy too!
As always the ski servicing from Ski Perf beforehand was excellent. It’s just one less thing to think about before the race if you have someone reliable that you know who can do this for you.
The Supporters
At dinner the evening before the race we were chatting to a Swiss team that asked "Would our fan club be meeting us at the finish?". Our reply was "We have one person coming to pick us up". They obviouly had more than that. But from the texts and emails that we received we had more people following us than we thought. Thank you for everyone for your messages; all the encouragement makes a real different. There are too many people to name.
Without the Swiss Army this race wouldn’t happen. But they do more than that. In their welcome speech they say that every competitor is a VIP to them, and they mean it. All throughout the race you are looked after and feel safe knowing that someone else is helping to manage the risks for you. The years, months and weeks of preparation that go into making this race happen are unthinkable; far easier to compete in it than run organise it!
