Chris and Steve’s Year of Pain

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Two friends have completed a gruelling 12 challenges in a “year of pain” to raise almost £5,000 for the Surrey Air Ambulance.

 

Mechanical engineers Chris Hicks, from Tongham, and Steve Breslin began their extreme test of fitness with The Riot Runner – a seven-mile cross county run.

 

The pair, who work at KBR in Leatherhead, completed one challenge each month including the Fleet Half Marathon, a Legs of Steel bike ride and a 2.4-mile swim.

 

But they both agree their hardest was the Iron Man Challenge in August which took them all day to swim 2.4 miles, cycle112 miles and then run a marathon.

 

Chris, 32, of Ellison Way, said: “It was one of the best feelings of my life, having finished the last event. There was a huge amount of relief and happiness that we’d completed it all.

 

“During a 100-mile ride in June my bike broke down and I had no lower gears so I had to walk up the hills which meant that it took two hours longer than it should have done.

 

“In October I had a stinking cold and I just didn’t want to run 10 miles, it wasn’t high on my list of priorities for that day.

 

“If I wasn’t doing it for the Year of Pain I probably wouldn’t have done it but I had to keep going.”

 

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Chris and Steve’s diary of challenges were as follows:

 

• January 31 - The Riot Runner – a seven-mile cross-country run
• February 20 - Big Cow Dualathlon – a 4.5km run, 13.2km cycle and 4.2km run
• March 21 – Fleet Half Marathon – 13.1-mile run
• April 18 – Brighton Marathon – a 26.2-mile run
• May 16 – Merchant Taylor’s School Triathlon – 1,500-metre swim, 40km cycle, 10km run
• June 27 – Chiltern Challenge – 100-mile bike ride
• July 10 – Super Series Swim - a 2.4-mile swim
• August 1 – Iron Man Challenge - 2.4km swim, 26.2-mile run and 112-mile bike ride
• September 17 – Legs of Steel – an 81km bike ride
• October 3 – Tempest 10 – a 10-mile run
• November 6 – Ballbuster – an 8-mile run, 24-mile bike ride and 8-mile run
• December 4 – Mudman – a 10km cross-country run

 

Steve, 27, from Clapham, said: “Never again! The combination of doing all the events month after month was not easy.

 

“We both already had a level of fitness before we started but had to build it up so we ran 50 miles a week.

 

“I also cycled a 35-mile round trip to and from work each day but picked up an injury through too much cycling.”

 

Surrey Air Ambulance carries a specialist doctor and Critical Care Paramedic who can carry out advanced medical procedures at the scene, giving patients the best chance and quality of survival.

 

If you would like to make a donation to the Air Ambulance please call 01622 833833. Alternatively cheques can be made payable to Surrey Air Ambulance and posted to Wheelbarrow Park Estate, Pattenden Lane, Marden, Kent, TN12 9QJ