Good lord - they have given him a gun!

We recently descended upon a shooting club near Salisbury to learn the art of shooting spinning disks made of Clay.  These "pigeons" were shot so that we could familiarise ourselves with shooting a shot gun.  It all seemed very well in the warm (comparably) southern counties where we new we had a lovely lunch waiting for in a couple of hours. Focus your minds forward a few months (only 4 now) and it will be minus 20 with a wind that makes the temperature seem illegal, and the only time we will get a gun out is if we really have to. The only thing that will make this a necessity is about 3 m long and 500kg in weight, with a top speed similar to my beloved Vespa (that recently got stolen..).  So,  not seeming so very well when put like that.

Polar Bears are endangered and although we will not be surprised to see one, they really do not pose a threat to human in the majority of cases.  They are typically curious and are at the top of the food chain where we are going so what have they got to fear?  The issue is that we carry food, and a polar bear can apparently smell a seal more than 32 km (20 mi.) away (Domico, 1988). Although how they measured that I have no idea.  We take the guns for obvious safety reasons but if they are used, it is normally to create a loud bang (special cartridges) that would persuade Mr Bear that we are not a seal - and our food makes loud noises!

At the shooting range we had a great time unloading cartridges against clays coming at a variety of velocities and angles and all thought we were becoming pretty good (I had the Olympics 2012 in my sights - excuse the pun). The guns were wonderful looking engraved pieces of highly polished wood and metal - certainly the object of someones care and attention.  This was going to be a new hobby that we were taking to the pole! We then got given a few shots with the gun we are taking.  With the introduction of "its been built by the Americans for a purpose - there is nothing to go wrong, the design has been about for a very long time but it works so we use them." we got given a long, heavy, pump action shot gun.  The piece was certainly without any artistic engraving and was missing the fine lines of the classic Gentleman's shooting choice, but this was the Articulated Lorry of the shooting world. 

Firing three cartridges in quick succession with a gap only long enough for the "pump" provided the sense that I was Rambo, Arnie and the Godfather all in one - albeit in Wiltshire wearing thermal underwear.  It is an amazing bit of kit that we need to learn to respect and know how to use or it could be nasty!  We did of course spend a lot of time on safety, maintenance and the like - and then got to the important part - the lunch which was a quite remarkable spread of fantastic Yorkshire fayre.  Many thanks to the team and the Shooting club: http://www.wylye-shooting.co.uk/.

After the feast I was ready for a lie down and a snooze but we were sent off in our teams for a bit of GPS and orienteering practice.  Team you may ask?  You will have to wait until my next blog (and as the snow has set in that will probably be tomorrow!).   As a teaser,  Jo, Lucy and I have been put together in the team as we all entered individually.  We are already a good team and I have a good feeling that we are the right fit to get us to the North Pole, and get us there competitively.  More to come.

The Orienteering was supposed to take us over 2 hours and involved a lot of traipsing around the country side overcoming various obstacles that had been cleverly put in our way.  With a little pre planning and taking the time to work our an intelligent route,  we got back as the first team and withing 9m minutes - the only prize was that we were the first back into the warmth for a cup of tea - what a great prize! I should add that it was not a race, nor was it competitive - words I have ignored all of my life.

I will blog again soon - I have been sleeping in the garden as it has been dropping below zero and there is a lot of snow;  I have TWO charities that I am now supporting,  and I have had most of my clothing logo'd up and its all coming together well.

One last post - If anyone knows of companies who would like to sponsor this crazy endeavour then PLEASE get them on the blog! 

The Original Mountain Marathon

At the weekend I completed the OMM which is a 36 hour endurance orienteering race that this year was on Dartmoor. My team mate Seb and I met at the less than auspicious Travel Lodge at the Exeter M5 services on Friday night and tucked into the largest piles of stodge that the on site Harry Ramsdens had to offer. The Fat Duck it wasn't, but it did the trick e.g. prevented either of us from sleeping as we could feel our arteries groaning with the pressure!

The OMM has been running for 15 + years. There are about 2000 entrants competing in various categories from Elite to the Short Score. We had entered the Long Score which is 7 hours on day one, a specified overnight camping ground and 6 hours on day 2. At the start you get given a map of Dartmoor, with the overnight camp half way up - and several check points dotted all over the national park that have points allocated to them, the harder they are to reach, the higher the points. You carry a minimum amount of compulsory kit (tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear food etc) and try to go as light as possible (except Seb brought a travel pillow!). The forecast was for rain and high winds. Perfect.

So we started with an hour long bus ride from Okehampton army camp (the finish) to the south of Dartmoor. Our start time was a little after 8.00. 2 x laminated A1 size maps were provided and we were off! We ran on the flat and down hill, and reached many high scoring points and as the weather was good, it was all very enjoyable if very hard work. We got to the overnight camp in good time and had just enough time to put the tent up before the heavens opened. And they really did. What we had not prepared for was the lack of things to do in the evening. Keeping as much mud out of the tent, and keep as dry as possible we boiled our water, had our soup, re hydrated our freeze dried chille and then.... well that was it really. It was hosing it down outside and dark so we were both in our sleeping bags and try to sleep by 7.30!

All night the rain continued and the wind was considerable. Inside the little 2 man tent it was dry and comfortable enough - and quite exciting with a storm raging outside! DAY 2 - Quite a lot different. Tent was wet and therefore heavy, it was raining and looking at the map it was 25km without picking up any "points". It was going to be a long day.

To get North to Okehampton we had to cross 3 streams. Because of the deluge, these streams were now torrents. They were all about waste deep and bloody cold! The method to cross these are sideways, crab like holding on to each other and only moving if the other has firm footing! We made it in one piece!

We finished later than our allot ed time at about 2.30pm. After checking in, collecting our results and have the hot soup we got back to the car and changed into dry clothes for the first time in 2 days. It took until Bristol to fully warm up!

All in all it was great, hard work but worthwhile. The main lesson learn was to take lighter gear as some of the competitors had bags half the size of mine. The other runners were supremely athletic and talented. It takes something to run over the moors in the rain and mud non stop for 6 hours whilst map reading. Next year!

I should also mention that its a dangerous game! Quite a few people dropped out including friends Nick and Bruce B-H who had to retire after Nick ripped his calf muscle whilst daintily leaping over streams!

Next blog to follow soon - I have chosen McMillan as my charity for the race, more on that later. Now I better do some work.

Tough guy and the Cabbage Patch 10

A long time ago I took part in the Tough Guy Nettle warrior. It is a crazy 10 mile obstacle course including crawling through mud, swimming, jumping off stuff and general putting yourself through a lot of discomfort. As I did this on my own (and there was no way I was taking a camera!) I have no photos to share as proof - so I waited for the DVD footage to arrive and sadly I did not feature once! However, from the attached you will get the drift.





The worst obstacle by far was the Vietcong tunnels. Very aptly named 50 ft long underground pits that had lengths of wood, scaffold poles and waiting for it.... electrically charged wires hanging from the roof. It was nuts! To get out of these you had to crawl up through sewerage pipes for about 20 feet - and that took all your skin off knees and elbows. All in all I had a great time - and recommend it to all.

A couple of weeks ago I took part in the Cabbage Patch 10 which is a famous road race along the Thames near Twickenham. As this is close to home my wife and girls came to watch and I therefore looked at the route on the Internet to find a good vantage point. To my horror the 10 in Cabbage 10 refers to miles and not Kilometres! Bugger. We also had friends coming round for lunch that day so the pressure was on! The run was great - I finished in 1hr 20m which was good as I took it easy to take care of my bad Achilles. Everything was fine at the end so I think I am on the mend.

As seems to be the case with my blogging - there will be another one in a couple of days as we now have had our teams confirmed for the Polar Race. I will introduce the team members in the next blog! Until then....

Injuries, new excercises and more weight!

All

I will never get a job as a blogger, simply because I never turn up!

I have just come back from a week working in New York. You cannot walk further than 30 feet without passing a fast food restaurant and my itinerary was such that I had three options. 1. Go without (I did). 2. Go junk food (I did, once) 3. Go corporate and wine and dine my clients (I did - lots). Exercises? I did none. The portion control is remarkable - 20oz Steaks and chowders you can swim in. To be honest, I loved the restaurant part but now back in the UK I am on a strict diet!

Talking food, we will be eating upwards of 6000 calories per day on the way to the pole and I have started to get my body used to that intake by eating a large calorific but healthy meal every few weeks. A family sized pack of fresh pasta, 3 skinless chicken breast, a cup of homemade pesto, some pine nuts and lots of onion and garlic - takes an hour to eat! The first time I ate this I unsurprisingly felt unwell - not just full but headaches and nausea as well. After a couple of attempts and I now just feel uncomfortable! Of course, you have to eat this early in the day, not eat again and also keep on the move otherwise I would fuse with the sofa!

My damaged ankle quickly turned into an acute Achilles issue so I was banned from long runs by my good physios. Instead I have taken to swimming, rowing and weights. I have also added yomping with a full rucksack as I still cant find the time to walk! The half marathons and 10ks plus the training runs reduced my weight down towards 13st 5lb. Now a typical session will be 500m of front crawl (shoulders, core and tummy), 5k of rowing (shoulders back and everything!) then 1 hour of weights and stretching, I am getting bigger and heavier! The US has not helped and I am back up to almost 14st again.

By the way - its less than 6 MONTHS TO GO!!!

Last weekend I went to the new Forest for a practice run with some pals of mine. We are all doing the Original Mountain Marathon at the end of October. This is a 48 hour orienteering run over Dartmoor. You cover about 35 miles and have to carry everything you need - tent, clothes, sleeping bag, cooker, food, safety equipment etc. Almost a lightweight version of the gear taken to the Pole. We had set up 6 way points in the New Forest and took all the gear that we need on the OMM. Although we had agreed to mainly walk with a bit of downhill jogging, we ended up running almost all of it. We started at 9.00am and ran 10 of the 13 miles we had planned and ended up finishing in time for a pub lunch! A picture is above, that's me in the middle!

The guys I did it with have there own adventure in May next year. They are attempting to scale 5 unclimbed peaks in the Arctic so they have there own training that they are doing. When they get their website sorted I will post it here.

Sponsorship has slowed up but I have my sights on a few that are still interested. Will update soon.

Lastly, the charity I will raise money for will soon be selected and I will be arranging various events. I am also starting the press release circuit soon... Its all getting busier!

I pick up the gear soon, including the pulk harness. This will mean that I will be starting the dreaded tyre pulling around Richmond Park - just as the mornings get darker, colder and wetter!

Cold weather training - sort of

The family MacAlister have come back from a trip to Canada where we had a HUGE RV (recreational vehicle for those who don't know). Starting out in Vancouver we headed for the island for a few days, then up through British Columbia to the National parks of Wells Gray, Jasper and Banff before hot footing it back to UK from Calgary.

If there are any Canadians reading this - I take my hat off to you. Your country is amazing! There is so much diversity. Campbell River on Vancouver Island, for example; in one day it is possible to Salmon fish, watch wales, spot bears, play golf and also get in some skiing! We saw bears, Osprey, Elk, Deer (but we have them on our doorstep at home), Bald Headed Eagles, lots of ground squirrels and Marmots and possible a wolverine. The only thing I could not adjust to was the food. Everything seemed to come with fries and meat and maple syrup! I have put some timber on.....

Re the training. My injured ankle turned out to be a severe sprain so I am off running. Instead I am cycling as much as possible, running in the pool with a float belt on and walking everywhere I can. I am still keeping up the weights and now have a physio to assist me with my rehabilitation. The running in the pool (at Pools on the Park, Richmond) has been amusing. The other morning a school session was due to start when I was just finishing my very slow 20 x 15 metre runs. One child asked his teacher whether "the man in the pool is drowning" to which he received the reply "no, don't stare - everyone needs to learn to swim at some time in life - even when they are old!". Cheers!

As there have been very few events booked for the summer I am going to have to invent some. I will keep you posted on what hair brained ideas I have. One of which is to get my wife to drop me off 50 miles away up the Thames (which runs near our house), with a compass, map and some water and to expect me home at some point that day!

The photo was taken at the foot of a glacier in the Columbia Icefields. At the beginning of the holiday I had decided that shorts would be sensible attire for some conditioning, and at the foot of the pathway up to this glacier I got many strange looks from the other ramblers who were dressed head to foot in waterproofs, walking boots, ski poles and backpacks! The looks got even more stern when with my sandals on, I headed off at some pace to the summit!

Great place Canada - I recommend it.

I have some good news concerning sponsorship - but will wait until it is finalised until a name is announced. I have now raised over 70% of my target so am feeling much more relaxed!

Lymington RNLI 10K

Another post so soon can only be explained by the fact that I have saved blogs instead of posting them! My deepest apologies if there is anyone actually reading these!

My aching limbs took only a day to recover from the 40 odd mile walk in the North and the sun burn took a little longer. I was feeling pretty fresh for the next challenge; 10K race in aid of the RNLI crew of Lymington. Lymington is where some of my family are based and where I spent a considerable part of my youth. There were familiar faces on route, and also a few family members who came to see me at the finish which was a great boost.

Lymington is a small town on the South coast. It is wedged between the New Forest and the Solent and is a mecca for yachties, caravaners and other tourists, but also has a healthy population of locals. This is unlike other seaside towns where the property seems to be predominately second homes. Its a great place, with a lot going on. This was evident by the turnout for a fairly unknown 10k. There were 1,100 entrants made up of a varied mix of people, notably:

A team from "Best of British" who are aiming to reclaim the South Pole unassisted record during 2011. They were running with 5 metre promotional flags, which in the wind was no mean feat.

Part of the newly formed Lymington mariners Rugby club who had the inaugural AGM the night before in a local pub, so again no mean feat at all! Rumour has it that one of the players managed to get all the way round but then was violently sick over the finish line, in the view of a few hundred spectators! Good work!

The race started on playing fields and after 2k on country lanes, turns onto gravel tracks around the old salt marshes (a primary source of income in the past). The majority of the run is on the sea wall and is a great place to run. Salt marshes on one side (with sheep, horses etc) and on the other is a great view to the Isle of Wight with the yachts, dinghy's, power boats and ferry's on the Solent. There were plenty of Oyster Catchers, ducks and other birds and it was a lovely day! Apart from the wind! Although not very windy, it was right on the nose for 50% of the run.

The final stage of the run is possibly the cruelest as the route takes you straight past a pub called the Chequers. The Chequers is a well know hostelry in a great rural / nautical location and has been a favourite of many for years. Not only that but the land lord was standing outside almost challenging you not to come in! I placed an order for 30 minutes time and picked up my pace considerably.

I finished in 49 minutes and came in the top 20% which I was pleased with. Not as fast as I could have done, but I am doing it for fitness and not speed. Then I enjoyed a beer!

There has been no update re sponsorship for a while simply because it has not progressed. I need to get cracking or the whole adventure is at risk. If anyone knows anybody?????

I have a half marathon this weekend coming, which I am using as a long run to plan to get round and not race. I am getting a little punch drunk with all the running so am planning to get some more long walks in. Maybe some Wild Camping! More to follow.

Lastly, I am delighted that Jessica Watson is getting close to the end of her historic and record breaking voyage (see links). Sad to hear that some governing bodies are questioning the validity because of some detail or other. She has sailed around the world, single handed, at the age of 16. What more can you say!

Hadrians Wall

Let the train take the strain. So we did boarding at 6.00am in London and getting to Carlisle just after 9.00. Quick use of public transport to get us out of the city centre and we kicked off leg one at 9.30. The original wall was built by Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD. It was 84 miles (135 Km) long from Bowness - on Solway on the West Coast, to Wallsend on the East. The Romans left in AD 410 and the wall was no longer the frontier at the North of the Roman Empire. As a testament to Roman engineering however, the Roman wall and the military way to the south of it was used by the English to build a coast to coast road during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745!

So, with Jacobites building roads on the wall, and local farmers using the stones from the walls for building materials (in fact Hexham Abbey dating from AD 674 and built by Queen Etheldreda has Roman stones within the crypt), the Wall proper does not start until Banks, about an hour into the walk.

I was with a Friend of mine who is training to lose weight for a parachute jump. He also needs to lose some height as well but I could help with that. We had decided to walk the as much of the route where remains were visible over the 2.5 days that we had. That was Banks through to Chollerford which is about 40 miles.

The weather was fantastic with sun all the time. Off at a startling pace we soon came across our first fellow hikers. We then saw the next lot, and the next and realised that this was a busy part of the trail and also, there were unproportionate amount of beards sported by the men. So we started to count them. I believe we gave up at 30 men, 18 beards and about 45 women! We told them all we were walking end to end in 3 days and they were suitably impressed!

8 hours walking up and down some craggy terrain and we got to our destination for night one. Twice Brewed inn which is based near Once brewed on the Wall. Fantastic place, and let me tell you about the food. We were starving, had sore feet (we had walked 23 miles and been up since 5.00am) and needed some refuelling. My walking buddy ordered black pudding and Haggis to start with a Pork Belly main, I sensibly went for chicken kebab starter and what I read from the specials board as Lamb Shank. Done.

The Black pudding was the size of a hub cap and whilst this was being demolished, the waitress pointed out that the Lamb Shank was in fact Ham Shank! I have never heard of a Ham shank (knuckle or hock yes, not shank) but wanted anything. When it arrived it was a thing of monstrous proportions. Think a Ham all the way to the trotter, whole, on your plate. It was immense. Other diners were staring and we realised that between the two of us we had eaten almost a whole pig (blood in the pudding, the belly and the whole of one leg). We completed the task in the morning with sausages and bacon!

After all the food and exercise it was not long until we were asleep, and ready somewhat limping, the next day.

Day two was a 16 mile hike over the highest part of the wall, Steel Rigg, past Sycamore Gap (on photo and featured in Robin Hood) and we finished in Chollerford!

In Chollerford we had a well deserved beer or two at a pub with Gardens overlooking the river Tyne. We met another hiker; a Dutch guy who said "You were the one with plate of meat the size of a small child" so news does travel fast. After a night in Hexham and a great lunch with my mother who lives there (we went to the Rat which is a pub I highly recommend), we decided to walk the final few miles to Corstopitum Roman Fort at Corbridge where we stocked up on souvenirs for our children.

Highly recommend a visit to the Hadrians Wall if you can. The scenery is beautiful and although we counted beards for a few hours, it is really tranquil yet wild. The sense of history is obvious where ever you look and it makes a very memorable trip.

10k next weekend! Until then.

West to East on the Hadrians Wall.

Hi. Training is back on, but in a more gentle fashion. Tomorrow morning a friend and I will bet getting a remarkably early train to Carlisle in the North West. We are walking a large chunk of the Hadrians Wall in 3 days. Our plan is to start just East of Carlisle and walk 26 miles on Friday, 15 miles on Saturday and another 15 on Sunday which will get us to a train station / taxi / bus so we can return to Carlisle. As we do not really fancy walking through city's we are not doing the full length, and as we have time limit of work on Monday in London!

If anyone is on the wall on the weekend look out for us? We will be setting a startling pace!

Have enjoyable weekends!

One step forward....

A few people have asked me to provide an update on the blog as it has been so long. The reason for the delay has been because I have been pretty unwell for a few weeks! Not doom and gloom but because I learnt a lesson not long ago my training has almost stopped.

I ran the Hastings half marathon feeling under the weather. Being a typical bloke I thought I would "get through it" and promptly found myself on a course of anti biotics (sinusitis, chest infection plus dodgy type of flu). I duly took these for a couple of weeks and did not train, as per doctors orders. I then very foolishly took part in a 10k Race in Richmond Park! The race itself, plus the organisation was fantastic and I must thank "The Fix" (who arrange it) for getting me in last minute. My time was 50.01 which is 2 minutes slower than my last 10k and proof that I had dome some damage to my training.

Before the race, the fella on the microphone introduced a chap who was flying to the Arctic the very next day to take part in the Arctic Marathon. I spent some time chatting with him (I was very impressed with his beard!) and his main concern was getting injured before the marathon, so the 10K race was a slow run to give him time to think and mentally prepare. Taking on some of this wisdom I hung up my running shoes, have avoided the gym and have been on a road to recovery ever since. I am not sure how he got on, but when I find a link I will post it.

So I am faced with a mental dilemma. I am asked a lot about the training and feel very guilty having not done much, especially when I have you folk following a blog that does not appear! Being of a slightly foolish disposition, I just want to get out there and get on with it, but I am resisting until I am totally better. Another doctors appointment will be arranged if I am not better in a week as this will be over a month and not right.

I hope this does not seem like a whinge, it is supposed to explain my absence, and to a certain extent my mood. Mentally I am all up for it, physically I am not 100%.

Any words of wisdom?

Until the next time - be healthy!

The Hastings Half Marathon

Hello - I hope that you have all had a glimmer of spring? The weather has turned better where I am and it has dawned on me how quickly the seasons are changing and how time is flying by! It seems no time at all since I was running in fresh snow, in a fresh pair of running shoes thinking that this was the beginning of over a years worth of excercise, fund raising, planning and excitement! I hope I am getting there!

This weekend I took part in the Hastings Half marathon. Hastings is a lovely seaside town on the south coast of the UK and with a forecast of sunshine looked like a great day out. I had been warned by a few people that this may be a challenge for a first half marathon because of the hills and they were not wrong! This was to be the furthest that I have ever run by 3.5 miles, and I was also suffering with man flu, but once I have said yes to something, I never turn back!

As far as I could tell Hastings is built on a cliff that is a physical impossibility. I ran uphill for 9 miles and downhill for 4 and ended up at the same place that I started! Not fair! I was pleased with my time - I aimed for a sub 2:00hr and came in at 1:58 so job done!

I have a new running watch which my wife gave me for my birthday (thank you!) which told me that I had burnt 2,500 calories. With this good news I retired to have lunch with some friends who live in Hastings and ate pizza and drank tea for the next 2 hours! (Thanks Guys - it was great).

A day off the excercise today, and in fact off most things as my flu was infact flu - so my time was not bad at all. When better I will back in the gym, but probably not quite yet as I am aching somewhat! I have not got an event to aim for in April, so if you have any ideas please add them in a comment!

I have found an interesting event for October which is the Original Mountain Marathon. A 65K, 2 day run /walk / navigate and wild camping trek. Looks great and a big one to aim for.

Funny to think that not long ago I would be anxious about playing a game of squash as I was so unfit. Now I am planning 65K races!

I wanted to add a link to an interesting blog that I have been introduced to:

http://myminutementor.wordpress.com/

The largest part of my North Pole challenge remains raising the funds. This blog has lots of advice about keeping the dream alive, and how to make synergies between acheivement and aspirations. I have am learning from it - which is part of my journey!

"Life is to be spent, not saved. " D H Lawrence. Wise words, especially as the days get longer! Best wishes to you all.

Whats the North Pole got to do with Technology?

So soon after my last post I know! This was sent to me this morning. A colleague who is an industry leading mind and authority in Storage solutions has written about my quest in his blog! If you are technically minded then please read on!

http://whatsthisgottodowithstorage.com/

Until the next blog....

Kit weekend - Making the cold a reality!

I am sorry that it has been so long! During the past few weeks a lot has happened but the most exciting event was the weekend that has just past. 15 fellow racers, the race doctor, the quartermaster, 3 race organisers and I attended a two day session in the South West of England. The main aim was to become familiar with the equipment and to be fitted for the all important clothing.

We started with the clothes. Unlike our under prepared predecessors who wore thick woolen, animal fur and leather clothing, we are using a tried and tested layering system. It seems that the cold becomes a problem in three main areas:

1. When you stop
2. When you sweat
3. if you have any skin exposed and it is windy

We therefore need to have layers of clothes that "wick" moisture away from the body, can be removed easily, do not rub or chaff and have certain hygienic properties! (some wear the base layer non stop for 4 weeks!). We also have windproof outer garments for on the move, down based garments for when you stop, multiple hats / face mask / glove combinations and also some of the largest footwear I have ever seen!

The essentials will be:
Inner gloves
Outer, waterproof and windproof gloves
Very thick down mittens for periods of inactivity

Neck sock / snood / scarf thingy (names given by colleagues!)
Neoprene face mask
Fleece Hat
Balaclava

Goggles and sun glasses

Base layer leggings or top (either merino wool or synthetic)
Mid layer fleece style, snug fitting, Polartec top and trousers
Outer trouser and fleece (for when stopped)
Huge comfy down jacket (for when stopped)
One piece wind suit
Harness

Thick socks
very big Baffin Boots

With it all on you feel like the marsh mallow man!

I am not going to list everything else but if you are interested let me know and I will tell you. We learnt about our stove and fuel systems, the skis and bindings and the tent / sleeping bags / sleeping rests and how to use them safely and properly. All in all it made the trip, which is over a year away, seem much more of a reality.

I have continued my training with a lot of running (5 miles most days and 9 miles at the weekend) and trips to the gym to work on core strength. I also went to a spinning class that was almost the end of me! Its good to mix it up so you can see areas that need work. It is 3 weeks until my first half marathon (the Hasting Half) and I have this in my sights now. Its good to have short term goals.

I hope to have some good news for the blog in terms of technology sponsorship which I will post in the next few days. It seems like I may not be able to blog every day during the race, but can update the site every few days. So much to try to arrange!

Today is my birthday and I am celebrating by leaving work early to spend time with my young family. I will not be training today - but will be running to the gym again tomorrow at 6.30am!!

Thanks again for reading and if you want to know more please let me know!

The Love Run!

Hi - Today I took part in the Love Run for Action Duchenne, a 10K race in Battersea Park. The route was 4 laps of the park in a light flurry of snow (Good practice), with about 400 other runners. My time? Well, I was aiming publicly to finish in under an hour, but secretly thought that sub 50 minutes was a proper goal. I finished in 48m, 27 secs! Very pleasing! Currently sat with a bottle of cold beer (watching the France v Ireland rugby) that I feel I certainly deserve! Although not fast, it is not bad for me! (Almost 14 stone, 36 year old with a weakness for food and wine!).

I must admit to be enjoying this year long training campaign as no sooner as I had finished the race, I had my sight set on the next milestone which is the Hastings Half marathon in five weeks. Its double the distance so I will have to up my training runs, and also must continue to get my strength up in the gym.

For those of you who do not know about the Action Duchenne charity, please have a look at the link on the right.

Until next time...

Oh yes - We have a hits counter!

I am a blog novice and only just put this on today! Looks a bit sad at the moment being in the teens, but I wonder what it will say by the time I finish in May 2011!More I hope!!

The night before and some good news!

Evening all (or morning, depending on your longitude!). This week has flown by with astonishing speed. We have some great news in that Computacenter have offered sponsorship and support. As my employer, they are allowing me a sabbatical to take part in the race, and to come back to a job afterwards, which is a relief! I am also to be getting technology support with the all important communications. There has also been a discussion about the creation of a website, and to make the whole web / blog usage more interactive and exciting! Its really good news to be able to put another link on the right hand side!

Another area of excitement is that an article was published this morning in the Richmond and Twickenham times. It is exciting to see myself in print, but the main effect it had is how real this adventure has become. Once it was just an idea, and now a well read local paper is encouraging people to read this blog and to keep up with my training progress, and that I will be spotted in the local parks dragging car tyres behind me! I have my own spare tyres, but hopefully these will go!

I have been inducted at Pools in the Park and have managed two sessions down there. I have been put through my paces on developing core strengh and have been on fitness machines I never knew existed, working on muscles I never know existed! The gym has been a welcome break to the late night or early morning runs, or I should say addition as I have to do them both.

It is the night before my first planned race. I am running in a 10K race in Battersea Park, London called the Love Run (Valentines weekend .....). It is for the Action Duchenne Charity which I am pleased to be supporting. The plan is to complete it in less than an hour which should be achievable. I am really using it as a measurement to my fitness, and how I progress moving forward. Fingers crossed for me!

If anyone has tips on diet for the sort of training I am doing, or can point me to other blogs I would appreciate it. Tonight I had steamed salmon with pasta and a cherry tomatoes sauce - tasted healthy at least....

I better go and relax before tomorrow (excuses I know) so thanks again for reading - and thanks to http://www.Computacenter.com

A reply to Jess Followers!

All - Am overwhelmed by the quick response from Jess followers. For those of you who do not follow - the link is http://www.youngestround.blogspot.com/ Jess is 20 years my junior and is already a long way through her epic voyage - a true testament to courage and determination.

Great to get feedback from Graeme who has already been to the Magnetic, and the Geo north Pole - Graeme - my headings have been changed accordingly! Any tips you have during my preparation will be greatly appreciated!

There has been a lot of interest in communications and the weather. The temperatures I refer to have been in Celsius. The lowest recorded temperature at the North Pole was -68 degree Celsius = -90.4 degree Fahrenheit! Cold in any measurement scale! I am not sure whether that takes into account wind chill, but using average wind speed of 15 mph would make -40 (same in both C and F) feel like - 71F! Crikey!

The primary risk from this is of course frost bite which will freeze any part of uncovered skin, especially the extremities (furthest from the heart - fingers, toes, ears etc). I will be very wrapped up!!!

On the subject of communication, I will be taking an Iridium satellite phone that will allow me to contact the safety teams to provide location updates and also, in case of emergency (or not, fingers crossed). I am not sure about HF radio devices, but I am meeting several tech companies over the next few weeks to discuss. I will post what I will be taking, once all finalised.

Polar bears will be a risk, but we have to remember that it is their environment and not ours, and humans can be more of a risk to them (especially as their habitat is shrinking due to climatic change). We will report all sightings, and be trained in Scare tactics to get them to move away and lose interest.

I loved the reference to Jack London. I am a fan and enjoyed his books in my youth - he probably has something to do with my sense of adventure! I will list other authors that scintillate the taste buds later, but if you have time, read "The Worst Journey in the World" by Apsley Cherry-Gerard. You will need time however! Its huge!

Must do some work - thanks again for all the posts!

We are gettting fitter!

Good evening. Some good news came today in the form of Pools on the Park, the gym, swimming pools and leisure centre complex in the Old Deer Park, Richmond. They have agreed to get me match fit for the Race! Early days yet but we have discussed a year long training plan which will focus on endurance and stamina and also core strength. We will be monitoring my lung capacity, BMI, fat percentage, strength and overall fitness from month to month.

The rather daunting prospect is that they are planning to post this data on a chart in the reception area so there will be nowhere to hide. I am looking forward to it as all I have been doing so far is running, in the dark and in the rain or snow! Pools in the park is also a great family gym so I am looking forward to get the family involved with some swimming and providing some encouragement!

Once I get the results of my first assessment I will post it here in a chart to monitor ups and (no doubt) downs. I will also post some more details of the Green initiative I am looking to promote from the Pole; the testing of solar technology for hand held devices (phones, mp3 players, notebooks etc). If reusable energy becomes the power supply of choice for these products instead of non degradable and toxic batteries it can only be a good thing!

Over and out for now, and for more information on the Gym, the link is on the right - and a BIG thanks to Pools on the Park!!

P.S - To the "friend" who asked why I was not making this blog funny - as you have seen me deliver a best man's speech, I am surprised you have to ask!

What a week!

Hello. Its been about a week since my first post - and what a week it has been. Those of you with eagle eyes will see a Sponsors and links area on the right - which has a link in it (the text, not the pic)! That's right blog watchers, I have a sponsor. The great thing about Vedett is their mantra that everyone has a chance to be famous for a day, to be in the limelight and to be out there. Click on the link and you can upload your photos to them and you might find your mug shot on the labels!

I will be doing just that with all my polar gear on! If published I will buy a crate of it to drink at the North Pole!

I have been asked to be interviewed by the local newspaper - the Richmond and Twickenham times. I will post how I get on and when it will be published. I have been confident that this race will gather a lot of media attention. and although it is a year off it seems to be true already.

Other meetings during the week have been positive and I may well be testing Notebook technology in the sub zero temperatures. Communications are important if I am to be able to continue my blog from the frozen North! This decision, plus a few others will be made during the week so please wish me luck. If you have any suggestions then please drop me a comment below!

I have been asked to provide updates of my training as I go along. Its less than two weeks to my first 10K race proper, so I ran 13k last week to ensure I would be OK. I was, but only just and I need to plan my training a bit better to make the most out of it. With limited time on my hands I seem to be getting out when I can and running for as long as I can before its to time go to work, or time to go to bed! I think structure is the key so any thoughts from experts out there would help!

This week brings more running, a meeting at a gym re training, the interview with the paper and I will be contacting more possible sponsors.

Thanks again to Vedett for agreeing a sponsorship package - and please click on the link on the right, or even better - order it when you are next in a bar or off licence!

Quote for the week:

Shirley McLaine once said: "I think of life itself now as a wonderful play that I've written for myself ... and so my purpose is to have the utmost fun playing my part."

Until next time!

The training has started

First blog, first race to the North Pole! In 2011 I am racing to the North Pole from Resolute Bay, man hauling 75 Kgs on a sledge in temps of -40 degrees C. It is quite simply one of the most gruelling events in one of the worlds harshest environment - and that is why I am doing it. Life is a recipe - its the ingredients that make the difference.

So, just after Xmas I went for a run. It hurt. A lot. I managed about 3 miles so was quite pleased. I am 36, 6ft and 14 stone. I love to eat, drink and had the occasional rendezvous with Marlboro. But not anymore. Over the past 3 weeks I have upped the anti and last week ran for 19 miles in total, 8.5 miles on Sunday at 9mins per mile. I am getting there.

With 2 x 10k and 2 x 1/2 marathons booked for me to aim at, I will continue to briefly update about my progress (I mean running is boring to do, let alone reading about it).

Brings me on to the next task - Fund raising. This is a race that receives a lot of coverage - people like to read about things like this - from the comfort of the fireside armchair with a glass of red. I need to raise a lot of money to get this off the ground and am looking at IT Companies - this is because I work for one! First presentation is tomorrow to a Head of HR. Fingers crossed. I have put the work in and am now a powerpoint expert.

So - 1 year and 10 weeks to the Race start. 3 weeks to my first 10K race, 9 weeks to my first half marathon and many pounds to lose but even more to raise.

I will keep this updated. Its part of the coverage!

Until next time.