So, did a 20 mile run sat morning and after 10 minutes my head felt clear and Bruce was a happy boy. I still felt like this after an hour but after that I was bored stiff and really felt like phoning someone to come pick me up. I didn't but the point is I so rarely feel like that that I have shared it with you. Be grateful, got it?!
I had planned to another 20 on Sunday but my left calf is still causing probs so going to see a physio asap to get it looked at. Instead I did some strength training. Walking lunges, pull ups, squats, press ups, sit ups and these funny things I call 'drags'. Some army type people used them to torture me many years ago and every so often I include them in a work out. They basically involve laying one foot over the other whilst laying on your front. Then you extend your arms (bit like doing a press up) then you have to drag yourself along. Killer upper body workout, but also great core conditioning as well. The only trouble is you get red ants biting your hands and it puts an odd pressure on the ankle that is being sandwiched between the ground and the other foot.
My abs and pecs are a bit sore today which feels great!
30.6.08
26.6.08
25.6.08
I could murder a curry!
Its a dam good job I finished training late this evening because otherwise I would of been straight up the curry house for a ruby. Tomorrow night I am all over that like a jellyfish!
Cant remember what I last wrote on here so thinking that I have not updated since Sunday. So after my Marathon on Sunday morning I have been a little gentle on my beautiful body.
Monday: Gentle ride to work and back (about hour in the saddle)
Tuesday: Gentle ride to work and then thundered home in record time.
Wednesday: cycled to work and back then after dinner I got serious.......
Well kind of. I did my core workout and upper body workout but frankly I felt knackered and did not really push myself as hard a I could/should of. After doing this strength work I went out on the bike for a hill session. 20 reps up a long hill which took me just over an hour.
Its now nearly midnight and all I can think of is having a curry. Sweet dreams readers.
Cant remember what I last wrote on here so thinking that I have not updated since Sunday. So after my Marathon on Sunday morning I have been a little gentle on my beautiful body.
Monday: Gentle ride to work and back (about hour in the saddle)
Tuesday: Gentle ride to work and then thundered home in record time.
Wednesday: cycled to work and back then after dinner I got serious.......
Well kind of. I did my core workout and upper body workout but frankly I felt knackered and did not really push myself as hard a I could/should of. After doing this strength work I went out on the bike for a hill session. 20 reps up a long hill which took me just over an hour.
Its now nearly midnight and all I can think of is having a curry. Sweet dreams readers.
23.6.08
On days like these
Morning all, you know its days like these I feel a bit odd about exercise. I feel completely lost sitting at my desk, I feel like I should be out running or cycling or doing something more linear. You head out for a run......you do it, done! Work; leave some messages, get something else done, go round in a few circles, overall purpose gets fulfilled when several other people finally get organised......sometimes months later......get the idea.
I find myself scanning through the training programme, wishing that it was Wednesday already so that I could get stuck in to that big training session I have planned....I am starting to think that I should step my training schedule up because I find my self just getting more and more hungry for additional sessions.
Whilst stepping out of the ordinary is awesome, it also underlines how ordinary life can suck!
On that happy note I hope you all have a good week!
I find myself scanning through the training programme, wishing that it was Wednesday already so that I could get stuck in to that big training session I have planned....I am starting to think that I should step my training schedule up because I find my self just getting more and more hungry for additional sessions.
Whilst stepping out of the ordinary is awesome, it also underlines how ordinary life can suck!
On that happy note I hope you all have a good week!
22.6.08
Weekend
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Gentle 26 miles.
So, cheeky Marathon this morning. Time was tricky so after 2 and a half hours sleep I woke up at 3am and was on the road at 4am. Obviously took it easy, eating and drinking along the way but I did not really feel the need to be eating and drinking that much so I guess that's why I did it in just over 4 hours. A half respectable marathon time all things considered.
Considering a Marathon is always a big deal and my weekly running mileage has been pretty low I feel really good. Grabbed a few quick cat naps during the day but have felt pretty wired all day.
The run itself was a complete joy. It was fairly dark when I headed out even though I was only a day shy of the equinox. Another surprise was just how warm it was. After 30Min's I was really sweating but the thing I really remember was just how much of a boost it is doing a big run so early in the morning. Even if you think you are doing badly you take a look at the watch and think 'Good man! Been running for 2 hours and its still only 6am!'
All in all a beautiful run and the weather was really kind. Too kind in fact, the 1.5 litres of fluid I had were not really adequate. Some tightness in my left calf which I have never had before so will keep an eye on it but not too worried.
Time for bed.
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Gentle 26 miles.
So, cheeky Marathon this morning. Time was tricky so after 2 and a half hours sleep I woke up at 3am and was on the road at 4am. Obviously took it easy, eating and drinking along the way but I did not really feel the need to be eating and drinking that much so I guess that's why I did it in just over 4 hours. A half respectable marathon time all things considered.
Considering a Marathon is always a big deal and my weekly running mileage has been pretty low I feel really good. Grabbed a few quick cat naps during the day but have felt pretty wired all day.
The run itself was a complete joy. It was fairly dark when I headed out even though I was only a day shy of the equinox. Another surprise was just how warm it was. After 30Min's I was really sweating but the thing I really remember was just how much of a boost it is doing a big run so early in the morning. Even if you think you are doing badly you take a look at the watch and think 'Good man! Been running for 2 hours and its still only 6am!'
All in all a beautiful run and the weather was really kind. Too kind in fact, the 1.5 litres of fluid I had were not really adequate. Some tightness in my left calf which I have never had before so will keep an eye on it but not too worried.
Time for bed.
19.6.08
Last two days
Wednesday: Warm up then 10 hill reps of approx 40 seconds (running)
Thursday: cycled to work and back then 3 and half hour ride in the evening. 11.20 finish.
Just got back and wanted to quickly update this blog, going to have a couple of days off training now and have a steady run on Sunday. I reckon the training plan has worked out well this week because apparently the weather is going to be shite for the next few days!
Maintained a pretty good pace during the ride and feel really good, not too tired.....should of stayed out a couple more hours! Neck was a little stiff towards the end but other than that, all was fine! Tonight was actually a bit of a departure from the original plan. Had scheduled another strength session but changed it a week or so ago after the last ride.....figured it could be accommodated when I took a second look at it.
Waffle, waffle, waffle, waffle. Sweet dreams all, I am off for a shower.
Thursday: cycled to work and back then 3 and half hour ride in the evening. 11.20 finish.
Just got back and wanted to quickly update this blog, going to have a couple of days off training now and have a steady run on Sunday. I reckon the training plan has worked out well this week because apparently the weather is going to be shite for the next few days!
Maintained a pretty good pace during the ride and feel really good, not too tired.....should of stayed out a couple more hours! Neck was a little stiff towards the end but other than that, all was fine! Tonight was actually a bit of a departure from the original plan. Had scheduled another strength session but changed it a week or so ago after the last ride.....figured it could be accommodated when I took a second look at it.
Waffle, waffle, waffle, waffle. Sweet dreams all, I am off for a shower.
18.6.08
Bike Gadgets!
Bike lights
Many of you must of been wondering just what light I am going to use for the all night stage of the 24 hour race? I am sure you have been wondering just how many lights provide enough light and last all night....and not have a battery bigger than the average house.
The burn times seem to be conservative, it really is a top notch product and beautifully made. Running the light at 40% during the majority of the race will doubtless make it last all night.
They really are the brilliant and if your going to do a long cross country mountain bike race then i really, really reckon you should give them a whirl! They are made by Ergon and are the large GR2's
Many of you must of been wondering just what light I am going to use for the all night stage of the 24 hour race? I am sure you have been wondering just how many lights provide enough light and last all night....and not have a battery bigger than the average house.
What do you mean you have never given it a second thought?
I decided after much research that I should just spank the credit card and get the best money could buy - Lupine. I opted for their new LED product which last summer was the 'wilma'. I went for the one with the second largest battery pack, the Wilma 6. The reason for this had to do with positioning of water bottles and battery on frame.....all of which is now redundant because I have a new bike (see below). I wont go into all the things this light does but worth mentioning that the power output is completely controllable for brightness.
Burn times are as follows:
15W: 4 hours
9W: 6 hours 30 minutes
1W: 42 hours (still brighter than a standard commuter light)
0.5W: 84 hours
9W: 6 hours 30 minutes
1W: 42 hours (still brighter than a standard commuter light)
0.5W: 84 hours
I have kept my programming simple and have mine set up to run at 2 brightness levels. 90% and 40%. A simple touch of button takes you between the two.
Here is what it looks like when used in anger.
The burn times seem to be conservative, it really is a top notch product and beautifully made. Running the light at 40% during the majority of the race will doubtless make it last all night.
Hand grips
After just one practice lap of the course last year I knew my hands would not stand up to 24 hours on my hard standard grips. The hammering to the hands was unreal.
I decided to treat myself to some grips I had been thinking about for ages......as luck would have it one of the trade tents had them for sale!
They really are the brilliant and if your going to do a long cross country mountain bike race then i really, really reckon you should give them a whirl! They are made by Ergon and are the large GR2'sLet this post to serve as a reminder to all of you that boredom is a terrible thing.
17.6.08
Hard-core
Strength training this evening. Pushed pretty hard but at the same time keeping things at a fairly low level of intensity. By that, I mean not banging through the circuit as fast as possible. I catch my breath between each set and then hammer the next one out concentrating on technique. Intensity will build in the coming weeks.
What I did:
Core strength first - each circuit consisted of 9 different exercises. I did the circuit 3 times. This took about 45 minutes.
Then upper body. 5 Different exercises per circuit and again 3 circuits. About 25 minutes.
Finally legs: Simply 3 sets of squats. Man I felt this! prob 6 minutes.
Its worth saying that doing a dedicated core workout has already paid MASSIVE DIVIDENDS. NO lower back back sitting in the car, NO lower back after a four hour bike ride, NO lower back pain after a hard run and increased movement in lower back. So satisfying when you make things happen ay?
5 day Summary:
Fri: Rest
Sat: Rest
Sun: hard 90 minute run
Mon: Active rest..... Cycled to work and back (about an hour in the saddle in total)
Tue: Cycled to work and back + Strength training.
Oh yeah gave my gorgeous bike a bit of TLC this evening......Man I can't wait for sleepless in the saddle!
Need to get some photo's on here...how about one of my new(ish) wonder bike?
What I did:
Core strength first - each circuit consisted of 9 different exercises. I did the circuit 3 times. This took about 45 minutes.
Then upper body. 5 Different exercises per circuit and again 3 circuits. About 25 minutes.
Finally legs: Simply 3 sets of squats. Man I felt this! prob 6 minutes.
Its worth saying that doing a dedicated core workout has already paid MASSIVE DIVIDENDS. NO lower back back sitting in the car, NO lower back after a four hour bike ride, NO lower back pain after a hard run and increased movement in lower back. So satisfying when you make things happen ay?
5 day Summary:
Fri: Rest
Sat: Rest
Sun: hard 90 minute run
Mon: Active rest..... Cycled to work and back (about an hour in the saddle in total)
Tue: Cycled to work and back + Strength training.
Oh yeah gave my gorgeous bike a bit of TLC this evening......Man I can't wait for sleepless in the saddle!
Need to get some photo's on here...how about one of my new(ish) wonder bike?
16.6.08
1,2, resting....1,2
Clever title ay? I am dickhead sometimes.
A general post this time about rest. This is one of those subjects that every 'expert' talks about in the same way they talk about hydration. 'Make sure you drink enough, try to make sure your constantly taking fluid on, even in the cold you still lose fluids.....' Sound familiar? Well, blow me cupcake.
'I think you are over training, have to been increasing your weekly running mileage by more that 15% at a time, are you taking rest days?' Okay good advice, no wait, actually blow me cupcake.
Its personal, sometimes you know you have to just punch through this 'good advice' and accept the 'risks' of doing do. The real problem is that that all the expert voices can start to drown out the most important voice of all. The one coming from your own body!
Writing out my training plan a couple of weeks ago, it all seemed too crammed and unrealistic - jumps in distances looked too big etc etc. Generous blocks of rest were included as well as cautious sessions or 'active rest' as it's known. I feel great and know that I could of done more and pushed harder.
This is where it gets confusing.....if I had done this would I be sitting here injured and severely pissed off? Alternatively I might be sat here stronger, fitter and more confident in what I was capable of. My recurring lower leg injury (medial tibial stress syndrome) has gently re-surfaced and I expected it to. Physio is now being done before I go to bed to sort it out and it will doubtless fade into the background.
I feel a bit confused myself about how much I could or should be doing. I am being cautious and roughly sticking to my plan of getting a base of strength and cardio ability locked in. Then I can really hammer myself - hopefully with reduced chances of injury. I feel there is so much more to come and I am literally arguing with myself about what to do tonight. I really want to do that 4 hour cycle ride again, rationalising that if I feel like I want to then I cant be too tired. The other half is saying, stick to the plan for one more week Bruce and then start doing additional stuff.
Really interesting topic this. The answer is unique to the individual. Dependent on current fitness levels, training experience (months, years decades), age, stress levels, diet, climate, illness, genetic makeup and probably loads of other things.
My guess is that even people who are serious about fitness or a particular sport could train a bit harder and usually a lot harder than they think they can. That probably includes me - even in this cautious stage.
A general post this time about rest. This is one of those subjects that every 'expert' talks about in the same way they talk about hydration. 'Make sure you drink enough, try to make sure your constantly taking fluid on, even in the cold you still lose fluids.....' Sound familiar? Well, blow me cupcake.
'I think you are over training, have to been increasing your weekly running mileage by more that 15% at a time, are you taking rest days?' Okay good advice, no wait, actually blow me cupcake.
Its personal, sometimes you know you have to just punch through this 'good advice' and accept the 'risks' of doing do. The real problem is that that all the expert voices can start to drown out the most important voice of all. The one coming from your own body!
Writing out my training plan a couple of weeks ago, it all seemed too crammed and unrealistic - jumps in distances looked too big etc etc. Generous blocks of rest were included as well as cautious sessions or 'active rest' as it's known. I feel great and know that I could of done more and pushed harder.
This is where it gets confusing.....if I had done this would I be sitting here injured and severely pissed off? Alternatively I might be sat here stronger, fitter and more confident in what I was capable of. My recurring lower leg injury (medial tibial stress syndrome) has gently re-surfaced and I expected it to. Physio is now being done before I go to bed to sort it out and it will doubtless fade into the background.
I feel a bit confused myself about how much I could or should be doing. I am being cautious and roughly sticking to my plan of getting a base of strength and cardio ability locked in. Then I can really hammer myself - hopefully with reduced chances of injury. I feel there is so much more to come and I am literally arguing with myself about what to do tonight. I really want to do that 4 hour cycle ride again, rationalising that if I feel like I want to then I cant be too tired. The other half is saying, stick to the plan for one more week Bruce and then start doing additional stuff.
Really interesting topic this. The answer is unique to the individual. Dependent on current fitness levels, training experience (months, years decades), age, stress levels, diet, climate, illness, genetic makeup and probably loads of other things.
My guess is that even people who are serious about fitness or a particular sport could train a bit harder and usually a lot harder than they think they can. That probably includes me - even in this cautious stage.
Comments rock!
Cheers Helen and Charlie, gives me a serious boner when people actually comment on ye old blog!
Anyway, it seems that the petrol crisis is deepening and many stations have run dry......only joking people, I am in a much better mood today!
Hokay, so I have had one of those weekends that was way busier than expected. Plumbing emergency upon plumbing emergency and unexpected trip in to London to help my Brother out of a spot. But don't worry I still managed a Run and a Fathers day curry which was preceded by a rather splendid siesta.
Okay running was cut short by the various things going on but I managed to get out for a blast on Sunday Morning. Time was short so abandoned the 20miler idea and thought I would blast out for 50 minutes and then come back again. Got home a lot quicker and was back 1hr and 30 after I left. I reckon I must of done at least a half Marathon. I cant wait to verify the distance on my gps gadget, because that's a pretty respectable time.
One other interesting thing about the run was that I carried a water bottle in my hand and when my arm tired from holding it I would swap hands. In a very real way, this change really seemed to reset my mind and I could stay focused on pushing hard. Is this some kind of left brain, right brain thing where one side distracts the other from the pain and fatigue? Any theories you guys have would be cool! The more ridiculous the better!
Hope you all had a good weekend and did not get burnt in the sunshine! Who would be that daft?
Anyway, it seems that the petrol crisis is deepening and many stations have run dry......only joking people, I am in a much better mood today!
Hokay, so I have had one of those weekends that was way busier than expected. Plumbing emergency upon plumbing emergency and unexpected trip in to London to help my Brother out of a spot. But don't worry I still managed a Run and a Fathers day curry which was preceded by a rather splendid siesta.
Okay running was cut short by the various things going on but I managed to get out for a blast on Sunday Morning. Time was short so abandoned the 20miler idea and thought I would blast out for 50 minutes and then come back again. Got home a lot quicker and was back 1hr and 30 after I left. I reckon I must of done at least a half Marathon. I cant wait to verify the distance on my gps gadget, because that's a pretty respectable time.
One other interesting thing about the run was that I carried a water bottle in my hand and when my arm tired from holding it I would swap hands. In a very real way, this change really seemed to reset my mind and I could stay focused on pushing hard. Is this some kind of left brain, right brain thing where one side distracts the other from the pain and fatigue? Any theories you guys have would be cool! The more ridiculous the better!
Hope you all had a good weekend and did not get burnt in the sunshine! Who would be that daft?
13.6.08
Running in a new direction
People who know me personally will know that certain things about my country drive me nuts. I was also thinking that as no one reads this blog anyway I could start spouting off about those things on here to make my self feel better! Just what the world needs another half wit going off about how he can save the world!
I always said to my self that I would keep this blog to training and fitness matters but as no one reads the dam thing I am seriously thinking about branching out.
Any objections?! Course not, your all too busy queuing for petrol......its started!
I always said to my self that I would keep this blog to training and fitness matters but as no one reads the dam thing I am seriously thinking about branching out.
Any objections?! Course not, your all too busy queuing for petrol......its started!
Tired but happy
OK, quick update...
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Hard (and hot!) 10k.
Wednesday: Core and lower back training.
Thursday: 4 and a half hours on the bike.
I guess the 10k and cycle are worth a mention. Really felt the 10k and was really pleased at how hard I pushed myself. Really hit 'the wall' (going anaerobic) about 8 minutes from the end and that was interesting. The weekend had taken more out of me than I had realised.
The cycle ride was great! After a massive dinner I headed out about 7.30 and got back at midnight. Scoffing cereal bars and losing myself in that tired tunnel vision you get when your fatigued and its dark. Awesome stuff!
Couple of rest days planned now and then a run on Sunday, but we'll have to see if I can sit still until then! I really should do dome upper body work this week......
Have a good weekend everyone.
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Hard (and hot!) 10k.
Wednesday: Core and lower back training.
Thursday: 4 and a half hours on the bike.
I guess the 10k and cycle are worth a mention. Really felt the 10k and was really pleased at how hard I pushed myself. Really hit 'the wall' (going anaerobic) about 8 minutes from the end and that was interesting. The weekend had taken more out of me than I had realised.
The cycle ride was great! After a massive dinner I headed out about 7.30 and got back at midnight. Scoffing cereal bars and losing myself in that tired tunnel vision you get when your fatigued and its dark. Awesome stuff!
Couple of rest days planned now and then a run on Sunday, but we'll have to see if I can sit still until then! I really should do dome upper body work this week......
Have a good weekend everyone.
9.6.08
Update
I keep promising myself I will stop waffling so this one is going to be brief!
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 20 Mile run
Sunday: nearly 3 hours on mountain bike
Interesting stuff getting the rucksack on again and carrying fluids and food for a run! I was really excited the night before and really pleased I did it. I had planned to run 25 but I really felt the 20 in my legs so not over doing it seemed to make sense. It did it in a very cautious 3 hours 17.
Fair bit planned this week so really looking forward to it!
Ps. No spelling mistakes, why does that turn me on so dam much?
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 20 Mile run
Sunday: nearly 3 hours on mountain bike
Interesting stuff getting the rucksack on again and carrying fluids and food for a run! I was really excited the night before and really pleased I did it. I had planned to run 25 but I really felt the 20 in my legs so not over doing it seemed to make sense. It did it in a very cautious 3 hours 17.
Fair bit planned this week so really looking forward to it!
Ps. No spelling mistakes, why does that turn me on so dam much?
5.6.08
Wooden legs!
Morning all, great couple of days but now my legs are feeling a little stiff! Good. Means I am working them!
Monday: Rested after having had 3 pretty hefty days
Tuesday: Core strength, Upper body strength, short run and then leg strength. prob 2 hours.
Wednesday: Hill reps on bike. 12 reps.
Thursday morn = Stiff legs!
Last night I realised that the area I live in is as flat as a pancake! The only hills are pretty short and certainly all the off road hilly bits just aren't that steep. So I had to settle for doing the hill reps on road.
Unfortunately I don't have my daughter this weekend (school trip) so I have a weekend all to myself......if the sun is out I will be unstoppable!
Loving training at the moment, just wish the weather would sort itself out!
Monday: Rested after having had 3 pretty hefty days
Tuesday: Core strength, Upper body strength, short run and then leg strength. prob 2 hours.
Wednesday: Hill reps on bike. 12 reps.
Thursday morn = Stiff legs!
Last night I realised that the area I live in is as flat as a pancake! The only hills are pretty short and certainly all the off road hilly bits just aren't that steep. So I had to settle for doing the hill reps on road.
Unfortunately I don't have my daughter this weekend (school trip) so I have a weekend all to myself......if the sun is out I will be unstoppable!
Loving training at the moment, just wish the weather would sort itself out!
1.6.08
And there off.....no wait...
Well, a couple of days after I just decided to get going again I sat at work feeling decidely odd. My head started to ache, I had sinus pain and I felt very light headed. I had an early night that night and improved quickly thereafter. That was on Wednesday of last week and what with Charlies 30th celebbrations and My Mums Birthday on the same weekend it all got rather hectic and exercise was lost.
Anyway I reckon this was a good thing to ensure I had what must of been some sort of virus out of my system. It has been immensely frustrating and the weather in the UK has been shite as well. However I can now be sure that my ongoing cold was not hayfever but some kind of light virus that had been lurking in the background.
So what have I done recently?
So, I have cycled to work and back twice (Wednesday and Thursday)
Friday: Hill reps 10 x reps of 40 approx seconds (this hurt)
Saturday am: Hard and fast 10k (also hurt!)
Saturday pm: Core and upper body work out (again....)
Sunday am: Very gentle run of around 1hr 45. I am guessing 12miles.
I feel great for it and cant wait to do more. My legs are a little sore but my recent focus on core strength is already paying dividends. Lower back pain has reduced massively and even sitting in the car for hours on end collecting my daughter is less uncomfortable. Result!
Need to get some pics on here soon!
Anyway I reckon this was a good thing to ensure I had what must of been some sort of virus out of my system. It has been immensely frustrating and the weather in the UK has been shite as well. However I can now be sure that my ongoing cold was not hayfever but some kind of light virus that had been lurking in the background.
So what have I done recently?
So, I have cycled to work and back twice (Wednesday and Thursday)
Friday: Hill reps 10 x reps of 40 approx seconds (this hurt)
Saturday am: Hard and fast 10k (also hurt!)
Saturday pm: Core and upper body work out (again....)
Sunday am: Very gentle run of around 1hr 45. I am guessing 12miles.
I feel great for it and cant wait to do more. My legs are a little sore but my recent focus on core strength is already paying dividends. Lower back pain has reduced massively and even sitting in the car for hours on end collecting my daughter is less uncomfortable. Result!
Need to get some pics on here soon!
21.5.08
Cold?
I finally just decided to get stuck in and ignore the cold. After a week of taking it very easy I was desperate to start dedicating some proper time to working on my lower back and core strength. So, Saturday afternoon I got the Swiss ball out and ploughed on with the new routine. Kept it all gentle so as not to prolong the cold though.
Come Sunday evening I was actually feeling anxious because I had not run for over a week so I decided that I would run to work and back on Monday regardless of my cold (total of 14 miles). Well, still had the cold and ran in but I am seriously starting to wonder if I have developed hay fever? I have heard you can develop it at anytime in life. This would be a major annoyance if I had! It is now Wednesday and I still have this dam 'cold'.........
Anyway, great run in to work and back on Monday and then a great weights session/core routine again in the evening. Still a little bit stiff but that might be from clattering over curbs when go-karting last night (bit bumpy!).
Come Sunday evening I was actually feeling anxious because I had not run for over a week so I decided that I would run to work and back on Monday regardless of my cold (total of 14 miles). Well, still had the cold and ran in but I am seriously starting to wonder if I have developed hay fever? I have heard you can develop it at anytime in life. This would be a major annoyance if I had! It is now Wednesday and I still have this dam 'cold'.........
Anyway, great run in to work and back on Monday and then a great weights session/core routine again in the evening. Still a little bit stiff but that might be from clattering over curbs when go-karting last night (bit bumpy!).
17.5.08
The last few weeks
The last few weeks have seen me get pretty serious with training and I have been loving it. Starting to look a little leaner and loving being out on the bike. The sunshine has really helped and I have been so excited about the 24hr mountain bike race on August 9th/10th.
So why am I sitting here on a Saturday Morning with a laptop on my legs? Well, because I have a cold, and jolly annoying it is too. I am really wanting to be out running or cycling or at the very least be doing some strength work indoors. Instead I am sat indoors with rain falling outside.
There have been some great sessions during the last month though, some gentle 15mile runs, some reasonably quick 10k's, cycling to work, the odd hill session (running), the odd long session on the bike and I just cant get enough of it! Monday night just gone saw me get a great 2 hour session in on the bike. Great practice for the race because it was mostly dark and riding by artificial light is a very different experience to day time. Not least on this occasion because I actually had a bat bump in to my chin and then skid off my neck as I was cycling along! That was definitely a first! I also saw a huge owl and cool little badger that.......I love that!
The morning before this night ride though I decided to see an Osteopath. Nothing particularly wrong with my back I have just had a few niggles over the last few months and wanted to get it sorted before anything went majorly wrong. He crunched me about and generally said I was in pretty good shape. Despite this though my lower back was pretty sore on Tuesday after my cycle and I reckon I really need to work on my core strength to compensate for the strain being placed on my back whilst cycling.
Other than these generalities I am annoyed to say that the first event of the year was cancelled at the last minute. It was called Tough Challenge (11.5.08) and was billed as the toughest half marathon in the country. A bit relieved but it would of been better to have an event under my belt.
Anyway, back to writing that training plan. keep you posted..........
So why am I sitting here on a Saturday Morning with a laptop on my legs? Well, because I have a cold, and jolly annoying it is too. I am really wanting to be out running or cycling or at the very least be doing some strength work indoors. Instead I am sat indoors with rain falling outside.
There have been some great sessions during the last month though, some gentle 15mile runs, some reasonably quick 10k's, cycling to work, the odd hill session (running), the odd long session on the bike and I just cant get enough of it! Monday night just gone saw me get a great 2 hour session in on the bike. Great practice for the race because it was mostly dark and riding by artificial light is a very different experience to day time. Not least on this occasion because I actually had a bat bump in to my chin and then skid off my neck as I was cycling along! That was definitely a first! I also saw a huge owl and cool little badger that.......I love that!
The morning before this night ride though I decided to see an Osteopath. Nothing particularly wrong with my back I have just had a few niggles over the last few months and wanted to get it sorted before anything went majorly wrong. He crunched me about and generally said I was in pretty good shape. Despite this though my lower back was pretty sore on Tuesday after my cycle and I reckon I really need to work on my core strength to compensate for the strain being placed on my back whilst cycling.
Other than these generalities I am annoyed to say that the first event of the year was cancelled at the last minute. It was called Tough Challenge (11.5.08) and was billed as the toughest half marathon in the country. A bit relieved but it would of been better to have an event under my belt.
Anyway, back to writing that training plan. keep you posted..........
I need more cow bell...MDS dates released
Well, well, well. Was expecting a call this morning from South Africa so took the mobile in to the shower with me and low and behold I get a text from my partner in crime, Charlie. Big news often comes at odd times and this was big news indeed. The dates for the MDS 2009 had just been officially released.
The 24th Marathon Des Sables takes place 27th of March to 6th April 2009.
Coincidentally I had been up late staring at a training plan that took me up to mid September. I was shuffling various sessions around and stressing about how little time I had to get ready for SPAR Coast (3 day Ultra of 105 miles). Spar coast will be hard and with only 4 months to get ready for it I am little pushed for time. Not too mention the fact that I am entered in a 24 hour montain bike race a month before SPAR Coast. The word 'yikes' comes to mind.
The main goal posts hav been laid out now. In 10 months and 10 days I will be in Morroco to fulfill a dream I have held for 10 years. Is it me or is there a lots of '10's in hat last sentence? Time to ge serious about all this.
The 24th Marathon Des Sables takes place 27th of March to 6th April 2009.
Coincidentally I had been up late staring at a training plan that took me up to mid September. I was shuffling various sessions around and stressing about how little time I had to get ready for SPAR Coast (3 day Ultra of 105 miles). Spar coast will be hard and with only 4 months to get ready for it I am little pushed for time. Not too mention the fact that I am entered in a 24 hour montain bike race a month before SPAR Coast. The word 'yikes' comes to mind.
The main goal posts hav been laid out now. In 10 months and 10 days I will be in Morroco to fulfill a dream I have held for 10 years. Is it me or is there a lots of '10's in hat last sentence? Time to ge serious about all this.
7.5.08
2007 summary
Well it started off well with a successful attempt at the Tring2Town 45 mile Ultra Marathon. I think inexperience and less than adequate prep cost me better performances in SITS and Night and Day Ultra. But then, that is the point of doing these events. Hopefully I wont make a hash of the MDS in 11 months time!
Bring on 2008's events......first one is this Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More info soon!
Oh yeah my partner in crime has kicked his Blog in to gear as well check it out;
http://www.charlierunsmds.blogspot.com/
Bring on 2008's events......first one is this Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More info soon!
Oh yeah my partner in crime has kicked his Blog in to gear as well check it out;
http://www.charlierunsmds.blogspot.com/
Sleepless in the Saddle
A few weeks before the Dunwich Dynamo I was agonising over whether to purchase a ridiculously expensive light for this race 24 hour epic. I had resolved that if I felt strong through out the Dun Run then i would purchase the wonder light.Well, Dun Run was a success and if I was doing the SITS race then I needed illumination that would last all night. The other tricky bit of the equation is that you actually need a light that is not just designed to make you seen by others (i.e motorists). For an off road night race you actually need one that enables you to see where you are going. This sounds simple and after all how expensive can such a gizmo really cost? The answer is hundreds. However, if I was up for this I kind of just needed to take the plunge and do it.
Anyway, what a lot of waffle about a light.
So i travelled up to Derby the Friday afternoon before the race and pitched my tent in the solo entrants area and set about fixing a puncture that had somehow occurred to my spare bike in the back of the car. Mmmm. Still scratching my head about that one. The whole set up for the race was awesome, there was a real carnival type vibe and everyone was really friendly and happy to help. I had a wander around the stalls and then got a quick lap of the course under my belt so I knew what to expect during the race. Holy Cow! It was a epic ride! By the end of one lap i decided it was time to treat my self to the big over sized handle bar grips that I had wanted for a while and had spotted in one of the trade tents. Suffice to say it was hard work and was very glad to have given my self a taster of what to expect. I registered my arrival and got my timing chip before having a cook up and watching a DVD in my tent.
The race it self kicked of at 2pm on Saturday and during the morning I took advantage of the shimano tent to get my bike checked over, they tuned my gears and even replaced a cable free of charge which I was very chuffed with.
The race began with a Le Mans style start where we all had to run for about a mile and then grab our bikes to cross the start line. All went well for the first few hours and I planned to stop at around 8pm to attach my light and get a good helping of food in before settling in to the night stage of the race. I remember stopping and texting my Brother's saying it was great, but stupidly hard and my hands were ruined and knee was hurting.
The hurt in the right knee soon developed in to get the most horrendous pain. I pushed on for a couple more hours but it became excruciating and I was worried I was going to do my self permanent damage. So I am guessing at around midnight I retired, pissed off, to my tent for a rest and then it started raining. I guess I stopped at the right time! I laid there in disbelief at what I was doing. When not riding, my knee felt perfect and I felt pretty fresh and awake and yet I had to stop. This was really odd. Eventually I fell asleep and woke at about 7am, I opened the tent to see other riders still going strong and glanced at my bike which I had dropped at the opening of my tent a few hours before.......
I could not believe what I was seeing. The seat had slid almost all the way down to the frame! No wonder my knee felt like it was about to fall apart. I pulled my cycling shorts back on and jumped back on the bike to re-enter the race. I could not understand a) why it had happened and b) why I had not noticed? The answer to the first question soon hit me. When I had taken the bike the service guy he has loosened the seat collar off before fixing it to his work stand.....I should of checked it after I got it back. As for why I had not noticed I can only put it down to fatigue and inexperience.
Anyway, so I got a few more laps in the morning and finished mid table out of approx 80 solo riders....bring on 2008. This time I intend to not make another dumb mistake like last year.
6.5.08
Dunwich Dynamo
What? The Dunwich Dy....what? Basically its a fun event organised by a London cycling club. It consists of riding 120 miles from London to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. There is no official start time and everyone kind of just heads off at about 8ish. That's 8PM! Oh yeah! Its a night ride on the Saturday in July closest to the full moon.Sitting here writing that now I am reminded of what a romantic notion that is. Just think......lovely summer night, gentle breeze, full moon, solitude out in the country.....bit of adventure thrown in for good measure. Sign Me up!!! Well, at 8pm on the night of the race it started raining and did not stop until about 4am. It sucked. Without a crowd of people suffering with you its the sort of thing you would quit pretty easily.
I have to say though it was a bloody great experience and one that me and some friends had been meaning to do for ages. We first found out about it when we were leaving the pub one night in my little town of Great Dunmow and we were swamped by cyclists! It was an amazing spectacle so we we were sold! Had the Dun Run's route not snaked it's way through my little town we would never have known about it.
What this also meant is that we could stop at my house and binge on Pizza chocolate-happy days! I filled my boots! however leaving the house was the hardest bit of the journey, as we cycled up the hill out town I could literally feel my shoes filling with water from the rain and road spray. It was cold and I was now thoroughly waterlogged......with at least 6 hours left till the finish.
Anyway, the computer just crashed and I just lost a load of this post (that angers me) and I cant be bothered to write it again..............
Long story short we made it to the beach and had an amazing cooked brekky at the end just before my Big Brother collected us. I will find pics of me and Nick triumphantly waterlogged asap.
I hate it when computers don't bloody work properly!
Where were we? Night&Day Ultra Marathon
Okay, so enough apologising and lets get writing. Kili was awesome and so was the stag do before hand but holy moley that was nearly a year ago and I have written next to nothing on here since then.
So a quick update is due. The two key things that I should posted about are 'Night & Day Ultra Marathon and the 'Sleepless in the Saddle' mountain bike race.
Night&Day is basically 2 marathons in 24 hours and if memory serves me it was just 2 or 3 days after I returned from Kili. It was fairly local to me, in Chelmsford and work was rather hectic that Friday of the first Marathon that evening. My map for the race never turned up which meant I had to go in to town on the way to the race (which was bloody annoying), I also had to find a shop to stock up on bottles of water (which was bloody annoying) and what with work hassles all this meant I turned up just in the nick of time for the race. However, as I was so late I had to be a pain and hassle one of the organisers to mark my map with the route (which was bloody annoying and embarrassing). Basically, I turned up under trained and under prepared for a very hard race and I paid the price because I simply ran out of steam and threw the towel in at about the 20 mile mark.
I don't want to offend any of the other competitors but frankly I found it bloody soul destroying that people were cheating during the race, it was easy enough to cut chunks out of the route and unfortunately I know that some runners did just that. However, if this was a contributory factor to me quitting then the other 99% was entirely my own shortcomings. Whether or not I was fully recovered from being unwell in Africa just a few days before hand is perhaps part of it but every time I looked down at the map I was spinning out. I basically thought 'bugger this lets go see my little girl instead.' so I went back to the main road and called a cab. Owing to Kili and the stag do I had not seen my daughter for 2 weeks so there I was waiting for a cab.
Annoyingly the driver was a military man who was about to go through 'p company' (one of the armies toughest physical training courses). In spite of this I was really not too pissed off with my self for quitting which to this day I am surprised about. Anyway, I am still looking forward to doing it again properly one of these days.
I wont go in to any more details of that evening but I do remember having a burn up with an Evo 8 on the way home. That's not really anything to do with running though is it.
So, to summarise. I turned up ill prepared for a very demanding race ballsed it up as a result. Simple. Next!
So a quick update is due. The two key things that I should posted about are 'Night & Day Ultra Marathon and the 'Sleepless in the Saddle' mountain bike race.
Night&Day is basically 2 marathons in 24 hours and if memory serves me it was just 2 or 3 days after I returned from Kili. It was fairly local to me, in Chelmsford and work was rather hectic that Friday of the first Marathon that evening. My map for the race never turned up which meant I had to go in to town on the way to the race (which was bloody annoying), I also had to find a shop to stock up on bottles of water (which was bloody annoying) and what with work hassles all this meant I turned up just in the nick of time for the race. However, as I was so late I had to be a pain and hassle one of the organisers to mark my map with the route (which was bloody annoying and embarrassing). Basically, I turned up under trained and under prepared for a very hard race and I paid the price because I simply ran out of steam and threw the towel in at about the 20 mile mark.
I don't want to offend any of the other competitors but frankly I found it bloody soul destroying that people were cheating during the race, it was easy enough to cut chunks out of the route and unfortunately I know that some runners did just that. However, if this was a contributory factor to me quitting then the other 99% was entirely my own shortcomings. Whether or not I was fully recovered from being unwell in Africa just a few days before hand is perhaps part of it but every time I looked down at the map I was spinning out. I basically thought 'bugger this lets go see my little girl instead.' so I went back to the main road and called a cab. Owing to Kili and the stag do I had not seen my daughter for 2 weeks so there I was waiting for a cab.
Annoyingly the driver was a military man who was about to go through 'p company' (one of the armies toughest physical training courses). In spite of this I was really not too pissed off with my self for quitting which to this day I am surprised about. Anyway, I am still looking forward to doing it again properly one of these days.
I wont go in to any more details of that evening but I do remember having a burn up with an Evo 8 on the way home. That's not really anything to do with running though is it.
So, to summarise. I turned up ill prepared for a very demanding race ballsed it up as a result. Simple. Next!
21.4.08
I will be right back.....
Have been completely hopeless with this blog for the best part of a year! Shame really, because I got off to such a good start!
Although everyone must of given up on this blog some time ago I am still going to get stuck in again very soon!
I need to add the story of the 'night and day ultra marathon' from last summer and the '24hr mountain bike race' from last summer..........watch this space.
Although everyone must of given up on this blog some time ago I am still going to get stuck in again very soon!
I need to add the story of the 'night and day ultra marathon' from last summer and the '24hr mountain bike race' from last summer..........watch this space.
30.8.07
Day Five
OK then the day began at midnight on day 4 and there are no pics until we are nearly at the summit.I did not make a diary entry about this day so I am writing from memory and it will likely read a little differently from the other days. So, at midnight we set off and I could see little torch twinkles up ahead from climbers who had set off in to the night before us. We had a bit of banter with the porters who would not be joining us for the summit climb charlie made it quite clear that he wanted mula to serve us breakfast on the summit 'hey no problem' was the cry from inside the porters tent! We all laughed.
So off we went and the going was much like the previous days; pole pole but the terrain was actually very different. The mountain made its origins clearer because we were now trudging through ash and it parts it was quite steep. It was also bloody cold, almost as soon as we stopped you began to feel cold. Not like after a run on a cold night in the UK where you are aware that you are cooling off but actually cold very quickly. I felt a bit odd from the altitude so whenever possible I would slip a few chunks of chocolate in to my mouth to help keep my blood sugars bolstered against the exertion and the cold. The group seemed to be coping well and I think all of us just wanted to keep moving. so we did!
This night was hard, I only really remember the good stuff now so i am a little annoyed that i did not make a diary entry at the time but I wont sugar coat things it was hard. I was actually getting angry with Edie, the guide because I did not trust him when he said 'its not far'. We would ask again how far to that marker? from there to the top? 'Not far'....."for fucks sake 'how long will it take to walk 'not far' "?
The group was OK but clearly this was not the easiest night out we had enjoyed and the double vision and headache that had troubled Jo during day 4 eventually became a deal breaker. We were gutted to see her turn back. I had secretly planned this trip with her for weeks and I was seriously gutted that she would not be at the summit. I think Charlie offered to go down with her first and I added my voice to it as well. Jo being the star she is though made it clear that she would be even more pissed off with the situation if we went down with out a pic of the summit for her.
Jo had been walking with double vision under the full moon, in the bitter cold for several hours and I will honestly say that I would not of endured what she did that night. I am a soft anxious worrier of a person compared to her. I would of gone rapidly in to hypochondriac mode if I was many hours from medical help and I had been suffering from double vision for hours on end. I would been totally convinced I was dying from a brain tumour or something! Jo, I salute you!
Anyway, with very heavy hearts we said goodbye to Jo and pushed on.
I forget the name of the place we went to that is about an hour from the summit where we crouched down out of the wind for a few minutes. This was an important landmark as many people are satisfied with this as a kind of secondary summit and many people get here and turn back. We however were not going down just yet. I was personally begging Mr Sunshine to make an appearance at this stage, I just wanted the pick-me-up it normally gives me. But today, this morning, at this point in time, after 7hours of ascending in the bitter cold I was pleading with it to pop up.....I could see the night was lessening and the curvature of the earth would soon give up its hold on the sunshine but it could not come soon enough. Its funny how when your up high on a mountain you think about the curvature of the earth and how it effects the sunrise.....but right now I just wanted to see that old friend Mr Sunshine putting his hat on!
The next memory I have is knowing that the last walk to summit was in front of me and the Sun was now lighting up the world behind me, I cant remember the view exactly but I do remember looking back over my shoulder and nearly crying. It was achingly beautiful and not a moment too soon.
We walked the last bit quickly, maybe too quickly and I actually timed this section on my GPS device. we did it quicker than is advised at this altitude but we wanted to get it done. We got to the sign marking the summit and I threw my bag on the floor to get the sticker out I wanted to put on the sign....did that....got some pics.....holy cow done it......do I actually have the warmth in my hands to do a video message for my daughter? Yes! (will add it soon!). More hugs, emotional situation, Charlie obviously gutted his sister was not there, I tried to say 'mate lets tag this and get our arses back down'. It was spectacularly beautiful. I remember Rich asking me to take pics and thinking what a pain in the arse he was because he had this big bloody camera that needing focusing. My hands were in no mood to be out in the cold any longer than needed!
After several hours of making our way down, and removing several layers of clothes to deal with the now hot sun we made it to camp. Charlie had gotten down incredibly quickly to see Jo and I was kind of in awe of the leg strength he must possess to of descended so much quicker than me. Anyway the main thing was he was now with his sister.
The next memory I have is knowing that the last walk to summit was in front of me and the Sun was now lighting up the world behind me, I cant remember the view exactly but I do remember looking back over my shoulder and nearly crying. It was achingly beautiful and not a moment too soon.
We walked the last bit quickly, maybe too quickly and I actually timed this section on my GPS device. we did it quicker than is advised at this altitude but we wanted to get it done. We got to the sign marking the summit and I threw my bag on the floor to get the sticker out I wanted to put on the sign....did that....got some pics.....holy cow done it......do I actually have the warmth in my hands to do a video message for my daughter? Yes! (will add it soon!). More hugs, emotional situation, Charlie obviously gutted his sister was not there, I tried to say 'mate lets tag this and get our arses back down'. It was spectacularly beautiful. I remember Rich asking me to take pics and thinking what a pain in the arse he was because he had this big bloody camera that needing focusing. My hands were in no mood to be out in the cold any longer than needed!
Soon Edie reminded us that its not a good idea to hang around at this altitude for too long so we turned on our heels and made for camp. I think we were all keen to get down and see Jo.
The journey down in terms of the sheer physicality of it was more difficult. It was incredibly steep and the ash sent you flying down at ever greater speeds. It really pummelled your legs - kind of fun in parts but easy to see how you could get injured.
The journey down in terms of the sheer physicality of it was more difficult. It was incredibly steep and the ash sent you flying down at ever greater speeds. It really pummelled your legs - kind of fun in parts but easy to see how you could get injured.
After several hours of making our way down, and removing several layers of clothes to deal with the now hot sun we made it to camp. Charlie had gotten down incredibly quickly to see Jo and I was kind of in awe of the leg strength he must possess to of descended so much quicker than me. Anyway the main thing was he was now with his sister.
This was pretty much where my trip started to go downhill. I felt rough and the long walk down to the final camp was made even longer by frequent stops to vomit up the precious fluid I had drunk and to drop my trousers in the bushes to expel wretchedly. It was not fun and I was bloody pissed off with my body for letting me down. Everyone said it must be altitude sickness but I did not think it was. We will never know. They were prob right but either way it was bloody annoying.
We eventually made camp and that was it, I got some rehydrate powders down me and spent the rest of the evening drinking this bottle of nectar and making frequent trips to the toilet. The next day was the walk back to civilisation......
Day Four
Brilliant felt great today, tonight we are sleeping higher than lava tower (4550m) and still feel great. Met a guide who took a 9 year old up to the summit today! The start of today (breakfast climb) amazing and exhilerating-wish i had got some pictures. In parts we were climbing instead of walking.
Everytime I turned around today and saw clouds beneath me I was surprised-just beautiful. We stopped for food at a camp (4000m i think) and it was unreal! We could not believe it when Mula brought out a big plate of chicken and chips! it was delicious! Unreal!
Its 8pm nearly and at 12 we leave for the final push! Ring sticker at the ready! about to change batteries in headtorch then try to rest.
Writing from memory some months later I can say that I dont remember actually sleeping much!
The main thing I remember about this day and i remember saying it at the time was that this is what I was expectiung from the trip. Incredible views, sunshine, that feeling of walking in another world. Totally beautiful, the best day so far, easily!
Day Three
I remember the ice on the tents when we woke and sitting eating breakfast outside (see pic). There porridge rocked!
Diary time....
'8pm. Today has been an eye opener. very hard, we finished at 5pm after leaving at 08.15. Felt altitude today and felt rougher when ever I stopped, but no headache like the others. That is until we started our descent from Lava Tower. Filled bottle at stream near bottom so I had a supply ready for camp. On arrival I washed feet and hand the put thermal leggings on and long sleeve top and done. That is, I got in bed to let body rest before dinner-Headache until warmed up and sat in guides tent later on.
Tomorrow is easier but just as much ascent I think-lets just hope its more manageable than today. Old anxieties main problem. Richard was slower on way down and I have to say that descent is noticeable harder on the legs.
Dinner was nice soup and then mash with veg and chicken. Followed by tablets-is the Diamox even working? Today made the summit a pretty daunting prospect. seriously had thoughts about quitting which is bloody alien to me. Over dinner we realised that we make the final attempt at summit tomorrow night. Holy Shit.
Really looking forward to seeing Milly, she feels so far away that writing this makes a bit of salt water build in the corners of my eyes. Change the subject Bruce.
Just remembered that the toilets at this site are the worst yet-can smell them from 15 feet away. The shit on the floor prob does not help. Its 8.21 now and Richard is writing his journal next to me and both of us are complaining about our arm aching.
Sun was out for first few hours of today and piled on the cream but dam it got cold as we ascended. Descent hurt legs more.
I am so going to see Milly as soon as I get back. Stop it.
Tonight we are sleeping right under Kili, it looks unreal in the clear night-like a cheap special effect. Have been above at least layer of cloud all day......but really covered some ground. Yesterday Kili was so far away but now we are looking up at it as opposed to over to it. I am feeling better now I think its just anxiety in my belly. Proper frost when we spoke this morning. Today's climb went on and on and I hope that my body has read the script and is acclimatising while I sleep low after walking high. Olaf the the second guide was quicker than Edie (Idrisa) perhaps this was part of the problem?
I now have so much respect for anyone who climbs Everest. Don't ever do it Bruce'.............
I remember sitting in my tent and writing this. For one of the first times in my life I felt like I was in a remote part of the world. Remote enough for it to have an effect on an emergency. I think this is why my Daughter felt so far away. Other symptoms suffered by the group were terrible headaches and one member even had a prolonged spell of double vision. I would not of liked that! Physically I got off very lightly but I would of preferred to have the physical symptoms to deal with.
Even after this day- a prolonged trek, the body is not sore, feet ankles and lower legs are all fine it really was the altitude that made it difficult. Please have a special look at the last picture-its the view from the tent at the end of the day. Looking down on the clouds - YEAH BABY!
29.8.07
Day Two
'Up and packed sleeping bag away. Too hot in sleeping bag last night god knows why I put my thermal leggings on to sleep in. Took them off in the night. Its 8.6 degrees out here and my hands are cold but I am loving it. Remembered Malaria tablet at 11pm last night. Rich (my tent mate) woke up ill in the night-allergic reaction or something. It is now 6.55am.
Now 4.43pm and we arrived at camp at 2.15pm, exactly 6 hours after we left. Some talk of getting a bit more distance covered and sleeping at shira 2 instead of shira 1 but porters were understandably reluctant to take tents down etc. We understood but Edie (our Guide) said we had done well and finished really early. I loved today, could not wait to get walking and loved it all. Lunch was a strange sandwich, chicken breast, boiled egg, orange, biscuits, banana and fair whack of dairy milk chocolate. Might of felt a bit of altitude today and was pleased to come down a little to the campsite. On approach to the campsite we saw Kili and we all admitted to being a little scared because we had barely scratched the surface. So big.
When we were at the campsite we splashed 
around in the water-glorious. Hot peanuts and popcorn before dinner, deleted some pictures from camera and now writing this-its 4.55pm. Feet are fine, not had a dump yet though. Just took a Diamox pill as daunted by the size of that thing. When you see it through the clouds-we are not really even on its slopes. Lunch was eaten n the clouds and campsite is often enveloped by clouds. Evidently we are quite high. 
Just gave the cook some paracetamol to the chef as his tooth is fucked, his whole jaw line is swollen-his name is Mula.
Idrisa, our guide gave us all names today: Charlie is Caca, Jo is Dadda, Rich is Cacca billy and i am Babba (Daddy!).
Milly felt a long way away last night.
8.10pm eaten and had a shit. Great.
Dinner was a Beautiful cucumber soup followed by beef stew and rice.
Temp now is 2.2deg C. Will check again soon I think the wind is the bad thing though as laying in the tent and using the toilet was fine.
Just checked temp again and its 1.0Deg C-its 9.25pm.
Chaz suffered with a headaches today.
Kili is a big beautiful ghost in the moonlight-its stunning.'
Thats the diary done but wanted to add that the river thing was awesome, just love that kind of shit. Perfect clear water, perfect scenery, great friends.
Now 4.43pm and we arrived at camp at 2.15pm, exactly 6 hours after we left. Some talk of getting a bit more distance covered and sleeping at shira 2 instead of shira 1 but porters were understandably reluctant to take tents down etc. We understood but Edie (our Guide) said we had done well and finished really early. I loved today, could not wait to get walking and loved it all. Lunch was a strange sandwich, chicken breast, boiled egg, orange, biscuits, banana and fair whack of dairy milk chocolate. Might of felt a bit of altitude today and was pleased to come down a little to the campsite. On approach to the campsite we saw Kili and we all admitted to being a little scared because we had barely scratched the surface. So big.
When we were at the campsite we splashed 
around in the water-glorious. Hot peanuts and popcorn before dinner, deleted some pictures from camera and now writing this-its 4.55pm. Feet are fine, not had a dump yet though. Just took a Diamox pill as daunted by the size of that thing. When you see it through the clouds-we are not really even on its slopes. Lunch was eaten n the clouds and campsite is often enveloped by clouds. Evidently we are quite high. 
Just gave the cook some paracetamol to the chef as his tooth is fucked, his whole jaw line is swollen-his name is Mula.
Idrisa, our guide gave us all names today: Charlie is Caca, Jo is Dadda, Rich is Cacca billy and i am Babba (Daddy!).
Milly felt a long way away last night.
8.10pm eaten and had a shit. Great.
Dinner was a Beautiful cucumber soup followed by beef stew and rice.
Temp now is 2.2deg C. Will check again soon I think the wind is the bad thing though as laying in the tent and using the toilet was fine.
Just checked temp again and its 1.0Deg C-its 9.25pm.
Chaz suffered with a headaches today.
Kili is a big beautiful ghost in the moonlight-its stunning.'
Thats the diary done but wanted to add that the river thing was awesome, just love that kind of shit. Perfect clear water, perfect scenery, great friends.
27.8.07
Day One, Lemosho Route
Enjoying the bank holiday? Gooood, I am. Apart from the NSDI (non specific drinking injury), somehow I managed to break my shoulder on Saturday night. Well, it feels like that anyway.
Anyway, back to Africa! The ambush on Charlie was orchestrated brilliantly by His sister and I. However by the time they arrived at about 10.30pm I had been sitting around the hotel bored out of my brain all day so as soon as the door opened I literally rugby tackled the poor chap! Kind of killed the moment a little but not to worry!
After the shock reunion, beers were in order so we went to the bar for a quick one and this gave me a chance to meet the fourth and final member of the group, Richard. South African guy who reminded me of an old friend in blighty, so all in all things were looking rosey.
Diary time:
........'Charlie woke up and peed loudly, then at 6.30 Charlie jumped around! Brekky in the hotel, bit worried about the raw egg but tummy fine so far. Guides changed from the ones that Charlie and Jo had met last night. Big road accident involving Brother of original guide which prevented him from continuing (we were to find out later that it had been a fatal accident). Our guides gave us a big bottle of water at the hotel and told us to drink it all asap. From there we headed into town to collect something and then on to a garage/supermarket to get the prop shaft removed (whatever that is). apparently it was making a funny noise and needed to come off even though this also did away with the 4WD.
Anyway, back to Africa! The ambush on Charlie was orchestrated brilliantly by His sister and I. However by the time they arrived at about 10.30pm I had been sitting around the hotel bored out of my brain all day so as soon as the door opened I literally rugby tackled the poor chap! Kind of killed the moment a little but not to worry!
After the shock reunion, beers were in order so we went to the bar for a quick one and this gave me a chance to meet the fourth and final member of the group, Richard. South African guy who reminded me of an old friend in blighty, so all in all things were looking rosey.
Diary time:
........'Charlie woke up and peed loudly, then at 6.30 Charlie jumped around! Brekky in the hotel, bit worried about the raw egg but tummy fine so far. Guides changed from the ones that Charlie and Jo had met last night. Big road accident involving Brother of original guide which prevented him from continuing (we were to find out later that it had been a fatal accident). Our guides gave us a big bottle of water at the hotel and told us to drink it all asap. From there we headed into town to collect something and then on to a garage/supermarket to get the prop shaft removed (whatever that is). apparently it was making a funny noise and needed to come off even though this also did away with the 4WD.
After a long wait while the Land Rover was worked on and buying a little bottle of whiskey for the summit we were off. Soon we were off into some hardcore off-roading. Followed by some more dicking around at a base camp where we had to sign paperwork and give our passport numbers. More off roading before Lunch and then walking began at about 2pm after eating in a forest clearing at the end of the road/trail. Saw some monkeys which looked like big skunks. Walked until 5.
We are now at 2600m and I am sitting in the dark writing this and waiting for dinner. It is 7pm. Last 2 hours been spent washing and sorting stuff out. Almost forgot to mention that when they dished the kit out, my cold weather coat did not show up.....big problem. Then Charlie unpacked his sleeping bag to reveal my jacket! Good for me but not so good for Charlie! Soon sorted though as the guides had spares...... Guess they like carrying extra weight for the hell of it!
I have a slight headache which is unusual for me and we have a 6 hour walk tomorrow....I cant wait to get stuck in'.
Just remembered that we had spaghetti bolognese that night. Perfect.
We are now at 2600m and I am sitting in the dark writing this and waiting for dinner. It is 7pm. Last 2 hours been spent washing and sorting stuff out. Almost forgot to mention that when they dished the kit out, my cold weather coat did not show up.....big problem. Then Charlie unpacked his sleeping bag to reveal my jacket! Good for me but not so good for Charlie! Soon sorted though as the guides had spares...... Guess they like carrying extra weight for the hell of it!
I have a slight headache which is unusual for me and we have a 6 hour walk tomorrow....I cant wait to get stuck in'.
Just remembered that we had spaghetti bolognese that night. Perfect.
To give some idea of the walking, it was through rainforest and we walked for almost exactly 2 hours. Initially it felt like painfully slow progress but after an hour or so we settled in to the 'Pole, pole' (pron; Poley) routine. Which you can prob guess is 'slowly, slowly' in Swahili. To indicate how slow this is Charlie and I both agreed that had we been left to our own devices we would of taken around 45minutes.
24.8.07
Lets do this!
Time to fill in the blanks. I last properly wrote to you just before I was about to head off on Big Brothers Stag do. It was great and great stories to tell but perhaps not in a blog that is meant to be about running/fitness stuff.
We ended up looking through this very wide, panoramic window into the terminal where we could see the cases going round. Baggage handlers worked next to us processing cases and two security guards stood in front of us shouting! This poor girl, was clearly scared for her job and actually told me this. I did not really help matters buy interrupting them to keep saying, 'I appreciate what you are saying but I can see my case, look! Its there!' By the time I had grabbed it and run back to my plane the propellers were turning and I had assumed I had missed it. But amazingly the captain stopped the engines and let me get on!! I was chuffed to bits!
After a few delays got home from Hamburg at about 10pm. I promptly made a start on packing as I did not want to leave everything to Monday-even though I was not flying out until Monday evening. Annoyingly my camera broke in Hamburg so I had to waste precious time getting that replaced as well.
Got to the airport in plenty of time, as ever it was a case of hurry and wait until my gate was called.........
Once in Africa I kept a bit of a diary so I will simply add that now.........
'Africa, pretty wild in some ways! flight to Nairobi, Kenya was cool. I was sat next to a lovely old Canadian lady and she was brilliant company, we decided that she could take the vacancy of being my new gran! She had dreamed of going on Safari her whole life and finally she was doing it. I was thrilled for her and it was a delight hearing her story about the safari themed party she had thrown for her Children and Grandchildren before she left.
Nairobi airport was a nightmare, no on could tell me what gate to go to and when I finally found myself on the tarmac of the runway to board our little prop plane to Kilimanjaro Airport, I had this sinking feeling that my case was not going to arrive. They kept bringing a few cases at a time....sadly i was right. Mine was no where to be seen. I hassled the ground crew endlessly to go and see if it was going around one of the carousels in the terminal but no one helped. Finally my saviour appeared. A young lady took pity on me and ran in to the back of the airport through this big tunnel-clearly we should not of been doing this but frankly I did not care.
We ended up looking through this very wide, panoramic window into the terminal where we could see the cases going round. Baggage handlers worked next to us processing cases and two security guards stood in front of us shouting! This poor girl, was clearly scared for her job and actually told me this. I did not really help matters buy interrupting them to keep saying, 'I appreciate what you are saying but I can see my case, look! Its there!' By the time I had grabbed it and run back to my plane the propellers were turning and I had assumed I had missed it. But amazingly the captain stopped the engines and let me get on!! I was chuffed to bits!Saw Kili from the plane and I felt very Indiana Jones being on a old fashioned prop plane. I took a pic of the mountain from the plane.....my god it looked big and it really woke me up to what i was doing! It was literally towering above the clouds-I had never seen anything like it before.
After we landed (sideways! Not joking) I waited by the plane to thank the captain for waiting for me and he was very nice about the whole thing. Getting visa was a very simple affair and I even managed to help a couple of honeymooners get there documents organised. Nothing serious just changed a few dollars up for them and wished them congratulations.
I had a driver waiting for me which felt good, I had my bags with me (nice feeling!) and everything was looking simple. The 40 minute car ride turned out to be quite an experience! All I will say is that their method of overtaking differs slightly to ours. The key difference being that they don't seem to mind if something is coming in the other direction. This was my first time on the great continent of Africa and I have to say it was almost as I expected it. People on old bikes, dusty children, groups of young men, lonely looking women walking to god knows where, carts being pushed and firewood being chopped and carried.
The driver asked me about the two other people he was picking up tonight and I said they are lovely people but DON'T TELL THEM MY NAME! I think he understood. At the hotel reception I went through the same routine about my arrival being a surprise....I am pretty sure they understood.
Then I had a sleep for an hour or so (first time under mosquito nets! Exciting stuff!), got up, had some food in hotel (pretty good) and attempted to wander in to town. I promptly gave up after being hassled and hassled and hassled by locals. Some of them aggressive, some of them drunk, some of them simply wanting my custom. I have never been anywhere where I am so obviously the foreigner. For the first time in my life having white skin was odd. interesting stuff.
Anyway. its 2.45 pm local time and I am sitting here writing this diary. Will have a shower and sort stuff out and wait to spring the ambush on Charlie! happy days!'
Will try and add another day from the diary tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
