Greg James Quotes

I just have to deal with it [injuries] if and when problems happen. It's obviously a concern and I've been very careful with my training, making sure I warm up and warm down before everything and not pushing myself too stupidly.

At the end of October I started doing a bit more swimming and learning how to swim properly, because I hadn't really done it since I was at school. Then I really accelerated in December and for the whole of January's I've been doing at least one thing a day - normally a swim and a cycle, or a swim and a run, every single day.

You wouldn't run a marathon the day before you run a marathon, you need to leave some sort of surprise for your body.

I've always been a decent runner so I've never been massively unfit, but for this I've got stronger. I've got rid of a bit of podge and I'm just a bit leaner, which means that I'm just quicker at moving, I'm more agile and I recover much better as well. At the moment I feel ultra-fit and it's been an amazing change.

The transitions will be tough because of the nature of a triathlon, you have to get changed and dry off or whatever. But this is going to be even harder because I have to do all that, then speak on the radio, do an interview with local telly, do some press and some interviews.

What's most troubling is the open water swim. It's windy, the waves are getting in your face and the water is a bit dirty. And there's silly things like you can't touch the bottom if you swallow a mouthful of water.

The air was so thick with crumbs that it was like a scene from the horror film that cakes would make if they had video cameras and thumbs.

Also it'll be unbelievably cold in there and the thing I'm probably most worried about is my face. That sounds silly but it's very difficult, if you're in cold temperature water, to get your head under because it takes your breath away. And then your hands go numb so you try and wriggle your fingers while swimming to warm up. It's very tough.

There's going to be a lot of eating. My listeners have tweeted me and said "You've just got to keep eating, keep your energy up and have someone on duty to give you a massage if you need it." It will be a case of getting it done and making sure I don't get too cold, because that's crucial for the muscles. So that's all going to be taken care of. But really there's not much you can do - if you start cramping up you've just got to get on with it.

Strength is not merely proved by how much blood one has spilt, how many foes defeated, or how many battles won. Sometimes, living day-to-day, hour-to-hour, and minute-to-minute is a truer sign of one's mettle. The ticking of the clock and the passage of time wear away courage more surely than any mortal blade might do -