What's this all about?

A new adventure beckons, and this is once again about my personal journey to make it happen.

It might make you laugh; it might make you cry, but by 'eck lads and lasses, it will be worth a quick skeg every now and then, tha's for sure.

Friday 29 April 2011

First tyre drag completed !!

Well that's the first one done; dragging two car tyres which were lashed together with the finest nautical rope from B&Q (58p per metre and capable of withstanding 60kg of weight) for just over 1 mile in just under one hour.

Oh and my thanks to Jayson at M J Tyres in Rothwell for the kind donation of tyres. I couldn't have done it without you.

Didn't get off to the best start though. I carefully and masterfully rolled the tyres from the back of the LandRover to the entrance of Rothwell Park, whilst watching the 'twitching curtains' across the road ("Do you think that man is dumping those tyres at the park gates Ethel?"). I then rolled them one at a time into the park ... forgetting there was a slope off to the right and I realised just as one of the tyres found momentum and rolled out of sight into the copse ("He is Ethel, he's pushing one of them into the bushes. Call the park warden's office").

Anyway I rescued it only to then find a couple with their dogs, smiling and pausing to watch the nutter tie two tyres together with some rope. ("Do you think he's trying to hang himself or something Michael? Shall we do something ... like get the phone out and video it for YouTube? We'd get loads of hits and probably beat that 'farting baby' video clip from Japan").

As I was pulling the tyres I got a 'toot' from some passing builders, a couple of cars slowed down including a Police car, two dog walkers were interested enough to ask if my fundraising was on the 'web' and two ambulances passed me by. I think they were coincidental rather than someone caring enough to be precautionary. Oh yes and sorry to those cars that almost crashed; didn't realise my shorts were coming down as I bent over to re-tie my shoe lace.

I successfully avoided 4 lots of dog poop on the grass (where ARE the park wardens when you need them to enforce the poop-scoop law??) and can't smell any on the rope or tyres when I put them back into my car. Err not that I was smelling rope and tyres you understand; that would be just weird!!

Anyway, I completed it. What's that bit of muscle below your calf but above your achilles? Whatever it is it HURT !!

So in 50 weeks I have to do that 8 times a day for 8 consecutive days ...... on skis ..... wearing 9 layers of clothing ...... and keep my eyes open for thin ice and polar bears. Hmmm, so NOW I have some idea of what I've let myself in for but at least that will be easier than watching out for dog poop!!

PT session tomorrow at Iveridge Hall so I'd better text Paul (my PT) and say please don't do anything with my legs. Then again, he'll know what that bit of muscle is just below your calf etc etc etc so guess there's some divine intervention in the timing of it all.

Off for a shower now ... but you really didn't need to know that, did you : (

Sunday 24 April 2011

International viewing figures update

Well things have spread a little across the globe with a couple of new and rather surprising entries: -

With 1 page viewing we have: -
New Zealand
Spain
Singapore
Netherlands
South Korea
Burkina Faso (what????)

With 2 page viewings we have: -
Australia
Iran (err .......... ok)

With 4 page viewings we have: -
Belgium (you ARE interesting people; thank you)
Vietnam
Russia
Canada

With 5 page viewings, all out there on its own we have Germany (hello Tania and hello Viv & Jorg)

Topping that by one (that's 6 in total ... just in case you went blonde on me) is Hungary (nope, no idea)

Second in the charts pop-pickers (for those old enough to remember Alan Freeman) is the US of A with 148 and still at number 1 by a country-mile (whatever THAT means) is the UK with 891 page views ...... evidently.

Actually that was easy; NOW it gets tough !

Happy Easter folks.

No chocolate eggs for me but then again I really should get back to counting the calories and carbs now my trips to Prague and to the Lakes are over. Hmm having said that I lost almost 2kg's just doing twice-daily exercises on holiday and lots of walking so maybe there's a better way to train than feasting on exciting stuff like jacket potatoes & tuna and going to the gym : )

Of course the really tough stuff starts next week with not only work, gym visits and getting back to the correct diet but it's tyre-pulling time too. Got to get up to at least one 9-mile pull by the end of June but clearly I'll be motivated by the audience; oh yes evidently it's becoming quite a spectator sport as far as my friends are concerned. Are they evil or just sad? Hmmm.

Iveridge also have a new 'metabolic week' plan so I'll be looking to try that too I think. BTW if anyone wants to join Iveridge then I thoroughly recommend it so feel free to have a free visit/taster session and mention my name to Richard Hill. Just don't mention cups of coffee to Michelle on reception : )

Okay it's late and I still need to do some stuff in the Involve ethos so I'll sign-off earlier than usual, or maybe this will become my standard time to blog; no more 11:45pm mad typing with various re-reads and edits for bad grammar and poor spelling.

Tuesday 19 April 2011

I'll be back !! (err, well, actually I AM back)

Hmm missed my chance to say that when I was packing for Prague and then the Lake District; darn it would have been really good. Well, maybe not REALLY good but it would have been better than typing it now. In fact not sure why I really typed it just now; maybe some act of revenge in response to a suppressed desire to appear Austrian/Californian.

Actually that whole paragraph is a bit odd so .... where's the delete key on this new keyboard. Err , oh never mind. As my friend Iain 'Nods' Clark said today "You're doing what??? Are you mad?".   Well yes Iain and now here's the evidence to support your carefully crafted statement of motivation : )

Anyway, hello again it's me and I'm literally typing this just moments before I get back to the gym for the first of 4 trips in 5 days. Little bit too much vino and goulash in the last week so time to shock my system back into some form of shape as I kick off the much-hailed summer training targets (see previous blog entry).

What I have managed to do today already though is secure a supply of tyres to drag around behind me with my new harness (friends and family are just going to LOVE admitting they know me; my girls are already begging me to choose some anonymous locations to train) so my thanks to MJ Tyres of Rothwell for their kind donations and Sam rang earlier from Iveridge Health Club to say I can put up the posters for sponsorship there so need to pack those too.

Okay, iPod charged? Check !

Gym garb ready and clean? Check !

Water bottle and sweat towel ready? Check !

Mind and body in tune with new targets? I said mind and body in tune with new targets??? Okay, 3 out of 4 isn't a bad start.

Talk to you again in a few days. Enjoy the sunshine (and get well soon Andrew Green)  : ))

Saturday 9 April 2011

Time for a momentary pause ... of a week

Saturday evening and today has been a glorious day; sunny, lots to do, lots done and my first ever PT session where I had to drag a 50kg 'powerbag' - and boy was I knackered after that !!!!

In the photos attached you'll see me in a very typical activity (the cross-trainer, with my Yorkshire Cancer Research t-shirt on) and last weeks first;  a 30kg bag drag (with my Candlelighters t-shirt on plus a bad hair-day photo .... I know) and I had to carry it on my shoulders as well. I tell you it's hardly surprising I'm tired on a Saturday after a week at work, three lots of exercise sessions and trying to organise stuff.

Of course I don't mention my girls or my social life in the same way because that time is sheer pleasure : )

Speaking of organising stuff, here are 5 things you really ought to know. No, seriously, you should: -

a) Su at Zinc you are wonderful for saying yes to a North Pole Trek ticket-only event in Manchester on the evening of Wednesday 22nd June. £30 gets the ticket holders a 3-course meal and a welcome drink and £10 of the £30 goes to any one (or split across more) of the charities I'm fundraising for. Tickets available via me so feel free to e-mail me on northpoletrek@ymail.com if you're interested BUT (Yorkshire-based folks) there WILL be at least two events in Yorkshire as well.

b) From Tuesday 19th April you will see me dragging a tyre round with my harness. Cameras at the ready and have oxygen for me just in case.

c) My warmest thanks to Jonathon Booth and Michael Croft for a thoroughly motivating session on Wednesday morning about the wider Involve ethos and it's potential strategic development. Now that could be REALLY exciting. Watch this space folks !!!

d) I'm heading off for a week (thus the heading at the top of the e-mail; weren't you paying attention?) and part of next weekend and the week after will be to re-gather my weary mind and complete a wonderfully challenging plan of action for the next 3 months at which point (big cheer here for the lovely Jo Jay Hughes) I'll be trying to formally putting together a more progressive PR plan to get myself noticed by businesses and individuals alike.

e) I'm tired. Yes it's that important that you know I've crescendo'd over the last 3 weeks and my mind and body are winding down for the 4 days in Prague and the 4 days in the Lake District where I know good food, great wine and fantastic company will refresh me, ready for a 5-days-over-7 assault on my fitness from Tuesday 19th April.

Wonder if my Twitter contact Hazel Kurz has finally flown to base camp? She's heading to the Pole but has had 3 VERY frustrating days waiting for the weather to be suitable. Attached is her starting her packing of the sled she'll be pulling. Same guide as I'll have I think; Alan Chambers MBE.

Speaking of Twitter, if you're on it please check out @jack_marshall_ who is 5 and battling brain tumour/cancer and for the sake of 2 minutes of your time, also speak to @kerrysingleton1 who is trying to petition to keep a childrens ward (Ward 10 childrens cardiac) open at the LGI.

You see charity doesn't always cost money, perhaps just a little time for you to feel humble.

Enjoy your weekend and type to you again after the 18th April.


Friday 1 April 2011

My first 2 pieces of 'celebrity encouragement'; 98 to go to hit my target

Sir Ranulph Fiennes, explorer and legend (with thanks to Denise from Heart Research UK)

'The Duke' (with thanks to Caterina; a very special friend and an inspiring woman)