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!