The 2025 Barrow Blitz.
51km along the Barrow Navigation, across 21 locks, several towns and villages, countryside and rolling fields of green and forests, with heavy headwinds and blistering sun from a cloudless sky.
8 hours paddling, 8 hours of pure grit and determination, no giving up, but wanting to give up.
This was by far my toughest paddle yet for health reasons, but we push on, we did deep, we look thru what physically hurts and realise, while the mind may have given up, the body can and will keep on going.
It wasn't KM to KM, it was stroke to stroke, it was exhale to exhale, with the classic
@bikerowski line "you can do anything for 60 seconds" running thru my brain.
I made up songs, I cried 3 times, I cried more when random people cheered from land, I saw a one winged swan fly in a circle and wondered if the fish in the river knew they were swimming in a river.
The crew who look after us are the heroes. Paul of
@swiftwatertraining cycling along the course, that reassuring voice of confidence. The checkpoint crews with our supplies and smiles and cheers!
@aoife.cannon down from Sligo to help me thru the last few portages and put a fire in my soul when I'd all but given up and at checkpoint two when I couldn't speak but only shake.
And the biggest thank you to Paddy, Lynn and Philip of
@pureadventure.ie who plan and run the race each year, their attention to detail, their support and who brings us all together as a crew, as a family.
The crew of paddlers : many names...
While we race, everyone paddles and pushes together, everyone looks after everyone and we are a team, we win, we don't lose because we do it together.
Apart from that one guy, who is now my nemesis...👀
