Yes I know it's late on a Thursday night ..... again ... but life is just SO very full right now but at least I can announce a number of things (which I will follow-up directly with the charities over the weekend).
Firstly (drum-roll please and I'm so excited) the lovely Su at Zinc in Manchester has agreed to hosting an event with a share of takings going to MacMillan Cancer Support (the Group's charity of the year) as part of my fundraising total. The date is provisionally 22nd June 2011 and I'm now looking for more 'unknown' artists who want to display their artwork, for sale, at the event. A percentage of any artist's sales MUST be donated to the charity of their choice (out of the 10 I'm supporting).
Check out http://www.bentynanart.co.uk/ as an example. I'm also delighted that some emerging raw talent, Lucia Kosikova (pronounced Loo-si-ya Ko-shi-kova if you wanted to know), will have some work on display (plus I'm looking for 3 or 4 more unknown artists to get involved so if you know of anyone who wants the opportunity to display in addition to both Lucia and Ben Tynan .... pronounced 'Ben Tynan' just in case you were starting to wonder .... then please ask them to contact me on northpoletrek@ymail.com).
There will be a similar event in Yorkshire (date and location still tbc), in addition to a York wine bar offering to host a black-tie do. Thank you so much to my friend Jane and her sister for offering their superb support.
Hmm now onto training; my harness is in the post according to Simon Albert at Charity Challenge so I'm looking for three tyres (and a £500 donation to the charity/charities of their choice if they'd like me to 'advertise' them whenever I'm out pulling the darn things around). My targets for training are simple: -
a) Every month from June onwards, to increase the number of consecutive days I can pull a tyre 9 miles by one per month (July = 1 day, August = 2 consecutive days, September = 3 consecutive days etc etc) and my consulting boss says if I text him he'll come and laugh at me .... and put £10 every time into the charity pot. I tell you, being ridiculed is such a fundraiser : ))
b) Every month to increase the amount I can chest press and (seated) leg-press by 2.5kg. Thus far I've gone from 32kg to 44kg chest pressing and have returned to my previous best of 160kg on the seated leg press although I really can't sustain that beyond 5 presses yet without feeling a tweak (what an old wreck).
c) I'll be returning to cycling again now the nights are lighter and the air just a little bit warmer. I don't intend to get back up to 45 miles a day simply because with everything else I have to fit in I just won't have the time.
d) And of course the lovely x-trainer will be my best friend and worst enemy until I can get to x-country ski for real later in 2011.
I'm away on holiday from 11th April until 25th April so the blog will stand idle for some of the time, at least until I return to England, but then the training re-starts with vengance.
Finally, to Dave and his colleagues at the Arndale Starbucks I again extend my heartfelt thanks for their offer of fundraising support. It is with kind spontaneous gestures like this on top of scheduled events (like Zinc), generous donations such as Sam's and Vivienne's and James's and the amazing ideas from some of the charities that I WILL reach the £100 000. I will achieve it, will complete the Trek (safely) and I will therefore be motivated to deliver even more with my 2014 and 2016 challenges.
Good night, sleep well and see you all soon
Firstly (drum-roll please and I'm so excited) the lovely Su at Zinc in Manchester has agreed to hosting an event with a share of takings going to MacMillan Cancer Support (the Group's charity of the year) as part of my fundraising total. The date is provisionally 22nd June 2011 and I'm now looking for more 'unknown' artists who want to display their artwork, for sale, at the event. A percentage of any artist's sales MUST be donated to the charity of their choice (out of the 10 I'm supporting).
Check out http://www.bentynanart.co.uk/ as an example. I'm also delighted that some emerging raw talent, Lucia Kosikova (pronounced Loo-si-ya Ko-shi-kova if you wanted to know), will have some work on display (plus I'm looking for 3 or 4 more unknown artists to get involved so if you know of anyone who wants the opportunity to display in addition to both Lucia and Ben Tynan .... pronounced 'Ben Tynan' just in case you were starting to wonder .... then please ask them to contact me on northpoletrek@ymail.com).
There will be a similar event in Yorkshire (date and location still tbc), in addition to a York wine bar offering to host a black-tie do. Thank you so much to my friend Jane and her sister for offering their superb support.
Hmm now onto training; my harness is in the post according to Simon Albert at Charity Challenge so I'm looking for three tyres (and a £500 donation to the charity/charities of their choice if they'd like me to 'advertise' them whenever I'm out pulling the darn things around). My targets for training are simple: -
a) Every month from June onwards, to increase the number of consecutive days I can pull a tyre 9 miles by one per month (July = 1 day, August = 2 consecutive days, September = 3 consecutive days etc etc) and my consulting boss says if I text him he'll come and laugh at me .... and put £10 every time into the charity pot. I tell you, being ridiculed is such a fundraiser : ))
b) Every month to increase the amount I can chest press and (seated) leg-press by 2.5kg. Thus far I've gone from 32kg to 44kg chest pressing and have returned to my previous best of 160kg on the seated leg press although I really can't sustain that beyond 5 presses yet without feeling a tweak (what an old wreck).
c) I'll be returning to cycling again now the nights are lighter and the air just a little bit warmer. I don't intend to get back up to 45 miles a day simply because with everything else I have to fit in I just won't have the time.
d) And of course the lovely x-trainer will be my best friend and worst enemy until I can get to x-country ski for real later in 2011.
I'm away on holiday from 11th April until 25th April so the blog will stand idle for some of the time, at least until I return to England, but then the training re-starts with vengance.
Finally, to Dave and his colleagues at the Arndale Starbucks I again extend my heartfelt thanks for their offer of fundraising support. It is with kind spontaneous gestures like this on top of scheduled events (like Zinc), generous donations such as Sam's and Vivienne's and James's and the amazing ideas from some of the charities that I WILL reach the £100 000. I will achieve it, will complete the Trek (safely) and I will therefore be motivated to deliver even more with my 2014 and 2016 challenges.
Good night, sleep well and see you all soon