5 Go Mad in Langdale

September 15th 2014 - 32 Days to go 

It's the final stretch and time for all the emotions to kick in, excitement, apprehension, nerves, am I fit enough? Contact has now been made with all the group and it's fair to say we are all feeling the same but all very determined. 

I was sick of waiting for my local surgery to sort out an appointment for my vaccinations so dropped into the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and walked out half an hour later with vaccinations for Diphtheria, Polio, Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Tetanus together with a box of anti-malaria tablets. For good measure Dr Doug, our trek doctor, recommended speaking to our GP's about Diamox. He takes it on these trips and find it helps ease the symptoms of altitude sickness. I now have a prescription for that so fingers crossed it will help on the trip. My doctor did question why I was taking on Kilimanjaro and suggested I take up Taekwondo instead. I took that as a positive as last time I saw him he told me it was about time I grew up.

My mindset has changed whilst out walking now. I had a bit of a go at Tryfan at Ogwen in Snowdonia. The guide didn't really fully explain the difficulty of the path. That is, there is no path or even a discernible trail it is more or less a constant scramble up a rocky face. I would see people  working their way up in all sorts of directions so it wasn't even possible to know which was the best way. I got to about 2-300ft from the top and gave in. Not out of fatigue but because I didn't want to risk injury this close to the big one. Working my way down again by the same route, sort of, I met a small group working their way up. After a short chat one of the group informed me that if I had persevered to the top there was an easier way down the other side, perfect!!. It was a good workout though.

Last weekend was my biggest test yet. I had booked myself on to the Lakes 5 Peaks Challenge promised as a 10-12 hour trek across Crinkle Crags, Bow Fell, Esk Pike, Great End and finally Scafell Pike, the highest point in England. An even bigger test was that I would be camping the night before, a first for me.

Unfortunately due to traffic problems my 3 fellow trekkers Russell, his wife Jackie and their friend James didn't arrive until well after dark; and so introductions were tricky as we could only see each others head torches. After a prolonged period of giggling from Jackie as space was fought over in the tent she shared with Russell and James I did get a good nights sleep. I wouldn't actually say it was comfortable or that I enjoyed the experience but at least I know what to expect now. Also, that I need to prepare the poor sap who will be sharing with me for regular bouts of snoring. Tom, our guide said he though Darth Vader had arrived.

I was up at 5.30 while the rest of the group had a lie in until about 6.30. The camp site was very eerie shrouded in mist and hardly a sound. A quick breakfast, I even risked a coffee to get a caffeine boost,  some sage advice from Tom about the need to use the loo before we left, packed away the tents and we all piled into Tom's car to get to the start of the trek. Some quick introductions to each other about why we were doing it and do's and don'ts from Tom and we were ready to go. Further instructions about the loo, 'there is a leave no trace policy' so if we need to go once we are on the trek tough, hold it in. Going for a pee is okay though.

We set off in bright sunshine, but with a bit of a morning chill, on a nice flat path to get our legs warmed up. Tom warned us that the day involved some brutal climbs and a brutal descent with a sting in the tail. He had final say on whether we changed route, cut it short and if one person needed to stop for injury that was it for all of us. However, with some good advice about pacing, and his opinion that small groups were better, he was confident we would enjoy the day.  

We reached the first 'brutal climb' up to Crinkle Crags and all I could think about to start with was that despite all the training I am the oldest in the group and I have not done anything this hard before, I didn't want to be the one that let the group down. However, everyone had been training and preparing for this so we we were all in the same boat. Half way up the first climb we had to take layers off as were were already getting hot, James also had to take on some pain killers for a problem he had before we started, no suggestion of not completing the trek though. 

It became apparent that the previous nights giggling was no one off. Jackie had bouts of giggling almost from the off and this was to prove a real asset as we got longer into the day. The climb up to Crinkle Crags was achieved successfully with everyone feeling fresh. Tom was then able to describe the landscape to us and show how the whole route looked. Scafell Pike looked a long long way away.

Setting off down the trek was a good opportunity for us to get to know each other a bit more before we started the next ascent to Bow Fell. This wasn't as difficult but there were a couple of steep sections. We reached the top successfully and had a bit of rest while we took on some fuel. Jackie had developed a small blister and the first appearance of Compeed led to another fit of the giggles, it wasn't going to be the last. Here we caught up with a much larger group of people raising money for the London Air Ambulance and we would come across them several times. 2 down.

We set off to Esk Pike across some tricky terrain, by this time the descents started to impact on the knees. Tom gave some great advice on how to minimise the impact which I kept in mind all day as I studiously failed to heed it. Again the climb to Esk Pike had some steep bits but in shorter bursts, not as tough as Crinkle Crags. We arrived at Crinkle Crags with a good photo opportunity at the highest point and then headed off to find a spot to get some lunch.

With 3 down I was feeling very fresh and confident that I could do this. James had developed a couple of blisters, cue the reappearance of Compeed. Tom warned us that the climb to Scafell Pike was deceptively longer than it looked from where we were sitting so reminded us of the need to pace ourselves. Apart from a couple of blisters and some painkillers we were all feeling good about our chances. Tom was pleasantly surprised that so far none of us had uttered a single negative word about the trek, he was used to that happening before reaching the top of Crinkle Crags. He was confident we could all do it.

Setting off to Great End we were all relaxed enough to be chatting about great TV series we liked, Tom shared some stories from other treks, domestic disputes and punch-ups included. So with the pressure now on Russell and Jackie to avoid the domestic dispute trap we neared Great End. As we reached the summit there were spectacular, if a little hazy, views across great swathes of the Lake District. Personally, I found the climb to Great End the easiest part of the day.

Next stop Scafell Pike. With spirits still high Tom warned us that we had a climb and a descent before we got to Scafell Pike so there was still a need to be careful about pacing.  Off we went and as we set off up the first part of the climb we took the opportunity to fill up on energy bars and gels. Not the greatest tasting things in the world but they proved to be invaluable. The climb to Scafell Pike crossed some tricky sections where balance is everything as you ascend and descend across a boulder field. As we crossed the final descent before Scafell Pike Jackie and I were both thinking how steep that final climb looked. We took the opportunity to rest at the bottom before making the final push. As it turned out it looked worse than it actually was but we knew it was going to be tricky coming back. Reaching the summit in just about 7 hours from after we started out, handshakes all round, it was a further chance to rest and take on some fuel. I felt a couple of hot spots on my feet, fortunately no blisters but I slapped on the Compeed to be safe. This left just enough time to stuff myself into a size too small Princes Trust t-shirt and have a less than flattering picture taken. Now, to everyone who tells me I have done very well, and asks why do I want to lose another couple of stone, here is the evidence. With that lifebelt there is no chance of me going down with the ship!

By this time Tom was advising that rests should be short to avoid our muscles stiffening, better to keep moving as our bodies will think it is time to shut down. He warned us again though that the descent was long and brutal and we needed to be careful.

On the first descent Jackie's legs began to shake a little bit and as it turned out this was due to increasing fatigue. I have to say though this when you would expect someone has reached the point at which they would start complaining or talking about the struggle. However, she stayed upbeat and carried on laughing all the way down. This was the great thing about our little group, no-one complained about how hard any of it was, their blisters, pains in the legs. Everyone just checked with each other once in a while how they were feeling and stayed positive right until the end.

The descent was brutal though as had Tom warned. My knees really felt the impact of all those steep descents by the end. There was one final steep climb on the way home and it came as a bit of a relief to be going up again. That was the sneaky thing about this challenge, there may only have been 5 Peaks but there were 8 climbs. But what a day, difficult climbs, spectacular views and a small but positive group, great company and all for good causes. It was a really great day and my legs were not too stiff the next morning. We had been on our feet for almost 12 hours and the site of a thriving pub right at the very end of the trek was so uplifting it would have been rude not to have a celebratory pint. I had a shandy though as I didn't want to go completely mad.

I took on this challenge to learn about how I would cope, how fit I was and my readiness for Kilimanjaro. If I do say so myself, it was a successful trip. Tom, assured me several times that he thought that this trek was more difficult than any single days climbing on Kilimanjaro. It is now about putting together several days trekking together and fingers crossed avoiding the worst of the altitude sickness.

I will leave this latest ramble through the empty recesses of my head with a final thought, shared by Valerie, one of my co-Kilimanjaro trekkers.

"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. It's the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs and the voice inside you that yells "CAN'T", but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper "can". And you discover that the person you were is no match for the one you really are."

Please help keep me motivated by visiting Marks Just Giving Page 

or TEXT code MPTC50 £amount to 70070 e.g. MPTC £5

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For more information about the Princes Trust visit the website at www.princes-trust.org.uk

Mark

No Turning Back

August 25th 2014 - 54 Days to go 

It's all getting very real now. From that first conversation in the pub over a couple of pints, through all the doubts my life now is focused on only one thing, getting to the top of the mountain. I eat sleep and breathe Kilimanjaro, is it enough? Only time will tell

My weeks consist of going to the gym and then at weekends walking, walking a bit more and a bit of cycling. There has been some really foul weather while I have been out and about and the most notable thing to report is that the outdoor gear I have been steadily investing in has so far been money well spent. I have lapped up every last morsel of advice from anyone who has done something like this before, and from the guys and girls in Cotswold Outdoor in Liverpool, so I am confident any weak link on Kili will not be the kit. Of course that only leaves me. It is one thing testing your gear out in Wales but what will it be like at 15000 feet?

In terms of my walking there is not much to update, it is after all putting one foot in front of the other but each step is a little bit higher than the last. It is fair to say that I do still feel the strain in the old legs when I am ascending but this weekend I was noticing how quickly I can get going again after taking a breather. When I started out those breathers were 15-20 minutes or longer, now it is 2 or 3 minutes. The biggest problem I have is that I feel the impact in my knees when descending but after a nights rest I am good to go. On Sunday a mate wanted to have a go up Snowdon but on the Llanberis path, which is the most straight forward. He had done the path before so he knew it was straightforward but having had a health scare not so long ago he wanted to test how his fitness had recovered. I was able to use it as a test to how my fitness had improved compared to someone else and an earlier walk of mine on the same path. For two old farts we were pleased to get all the way up and down in just a little over 4 hours of walking with only a 10-15 minute stop to have a snack at the top. He felt a bit stiff in the legs by the time we got back but i think that I could have done it again. (Well I think I could so I am going to have to try now I have made that claim)

I have pretty much bought all the gear I need now. However, having steadfastly avoided camping all my life in favour of a few (okay a lot) of life's little luxuries when I am away the trip to the lakes in 3 weeks is going to be a first. So I thought I better have a bit of practice of unfurling my sleeping bag and mat and repacking them. If I thought trying to cover 5 peaks in 10 hours, or climbing Kili was going to be a challenge it is nothing, not even close, compared to the challenge of getting my sleeping bag back in its cover. That was a full body workout in itself. The mat was okay, the sleeping bag liner a doddle. 

Zipping up the sleeping bag from the inside, pulling the cords tight to pull in the bag around me without getting knotted up in the liner was a nightmare. I now know what Harry Houdini felt like trying to get out of a straight jacket. Then trying to to roll up the sleeping bag to get all the air out and flat enough to get back in it's bag...! All I can say is that it was a good job nobody could see me as they would have thought I was trying to have sex with it like a scene from one of those awful teen comedies. I have a few weeks yet to perfect my technique as otherwise it won't be fitness, or altitude sickness that stops me from doing this. The rest of the group could well have managed to get all the way up and down while I am still grappling with packing myself up at the first camp.

First contact has been made with 5 of the group undertaking this challenge. I don't know anything about anybody yet other than names. It appears though that we are all doing this on our own, that is to say not with anybody we already know. In some respects that puts us all in the same boat in terms of having to get to know each other and support each other on this challenge. I am positive that will be a good thing and a bit of an advantage to us. Hopefully there will be a range of experience too. I am looking forward to learn more about our group as we get nearer the big day.

My remaining concern now is getting my injections sorted, my local surgery keep promising me an appointment but I have to keep ringing to nag them. As all my previous injections are well past the expiry date I may have to have a few all in one go. I did that before and I felt awful for a few days so I had been hoping to stagger them. That option has really gone now.

Fingers crossed I will have that all sorted before I go to the lakes in three weeks. I want to be fit and well to get through that day as fresh as possible.

"Lookin' for the right track, always on the wrong track
But are you catchin' all these tracks that I'm layin' down for you?"

Please help keep me motivated by visiting Marks Just Giving Page 

or TEXT code MPTC50 £amount to 70070 e.g. MPTC £5

You can also follow me on Facebook

For more information about the Princes Trust visit the website at www.princes-trust.org.uk

Mark

T -75 Days

August 4th 2014 - 75 Days to go 

4 weeks have now passed since my last blog, whats been happening? Has he given up? Where are are his weight and fitness updates? These are all questions nobody is asking.

Well on the weight front I am eating so much to keep my energy up that my weight has stabilised. I am now more concerned with getting miles and height into my legs. On the whole it hovers at around 35-37 pounds lost since I started. 

Exercise on the other hand continues apace. After seeing off the horrendous blisters I took a few tentative steps back into the gym. Regular readers will recall how cheesed off I was at Britain's Next Top Model putting me to shame while at the same time managing to text while on the treadmill. I thought that was bad but a new phenomenon has raised it's head in the gym. Now it's well known that women are much better at multitasking then men, I mean I can't even think and walk at the same time let alone do anything else. So there I was minding my own business pushing myself a bit harder than usual on the cross-trainer, trying to make up for a few missed days. In the mirror I see a women walk in, dressed for work rather than a workout, walk to the cross trainer next to me and put her bag down. She took off her work clothes right there to reveal her workout gear underneath. Apart from the fact that she had done the full Supergirl reveal it was a blinding hot day and she had been wearing 2 sets of clothes. She dipped into her bag and pulled out her iPad before getting on to the cross-trainer and started off serenely on her way. After about five minutes, without stopping, I glanced across in the mirror and there she was with her iPad in one hand and and her iPhone in the other. As far as I could see she hadn't stopped so apart from the fact that she apparently pulled the iPhone out from who knows where I am thinking WTF? Are these women sent in deliberately to make me look weak? Is there someone out there plotting some debilitating fitness joke on me? If that wasn't bad enough I was back the next day and there she was again doing the same thing. I did the only thing any super fit guy would do in those circumstances and sidled off to the other side of the gym to do something else until she'd gone. After all you have to try and retain some dignity.

I now plan my weekends around the weather forecast trying to best guess where and when I can get in a long walk or a bike ride. I have temporarily condensed my working hours into 4 days so I can get a good full 2 days exercise in at the weekends. Sadly, I have committed to to go back to 5 days once this is done and I already know I am preferring the current arrangement. So off I go on a bike ride in the rain deciding to cycle to Wigan Pier and back, It was mostly along the canal towpath and therefore mostly flat but it was 65 miles there and back so worth the effort. Don't let anyone tell you to is an easy ride on a bike. Once you get past Lydiate there is plenty of canal but not a great deal of path. In the wind and rain I ended up a bit muddy. Well actually I was so filthy when I got home I went into the back garden stripped off and hosed myself down, in the rain. I was so caked in mud it looked like I was wearing leggings, my bright yellow hi-vis jacket had no vis left. I put the jacket through the wash five times, including 3 with stain removal and you can still see the mud stains. My teeth had mud stuck to them. Despite all this I really enjoyed the ride. 

Fortunately we have had some really great weather which means that on the many bike rides and walks I am building up quite a tan for the first time in years. Unfortunately it is a perfect example of a tennis players tan. I have a perfect white t-shirt and very brown knees and excellent sock marks just above the ankle. I know I am making myself sound irresistible but you will just have to contain yourselves.

I had some disappointing news when my booking for the national 3 Peaks Challenge had to be cancelled as not enough people had booked. Undeterred, instead of trying to do the 3 peaks in two days I am now going to do 5 in one day in the Lake District. Booked paid for, just have to do it now.

I also had another mishap with my bike when the rear wheel collapsed, so for a second time in a matter of weeks I had to send it in for some TLC. I felt a part of me was missing when I didn't have it and have been contemplating buying a spare. The only reason I haven't is I wouldn't be able to resist buying one that was too expensive. There are are reasons why I am always strapped for ready cash.

Kilimanjaro is now very real. I have paid the full cost of the trip, I have sent off my application for my entry visa to Tanzania, Storm Jacket, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and thermal liner all purchased. I have a huge stock of Jelly Beans too as I was told they are a good quick energy boost. The temptation of having half a tonne of Jelly Beans in the house is proving almost impossible to resist, good job I am out training most of the time. I now know that there will be 8 intrepid trekkers, I have the names and contact details of 5 of them and the charities they are doing it for but as yet I have not been in tough with them so don;t know anything else. I know there is three men and three women and one of them is also from Liverpool. 

The clock is ticking and it's moving very fast. 

I have reached a point now where I have started to feel concerned about my motivation come November when Kili is done and dusted. No matter what happens on the trip, whether I make it to the top or not, I don't want to undo all the good work I have put in. But I know me, it will be winter, I will be back working 5 days a week, the excuses are already building up so I need to have something beyond to focus on, I just don't know what. 

"So tell me what is your favourite new excuse?
Think you're shipwrecked in suburbia
But is there concrete in your shoes?
No!

Clearly I'm uncomfortable in this mold they call routine
Don't forget all dreams are portable
and on instincts you should lean

So if this city really makes you feel the way you swear it does
Show just a little more faith in the legs your standing on
Can't take for granted
The privilege you've been handed
You're hearts still beating, hearts still beating
Just keep it going. Never stop."

Please help keep me motivated by visiting Marks Just Giving Page 

or TEXT code MPTC50 £amount to 70070 e.g. MPTC £5

You can also follow me on Facebook

For more information about the Princes Trust visit the website at www.princes-trust.org.uk

Mark

Painful Lessons

July 6th 2014 – Day 147

Day 1 Weight:      256lbs                                Day 1 Fitness:     Nil 
Day 147 Weight:  222lbs                                    Day 147 Fitness: Very Good

Weeks 19-20

On the whole I consider myself to be a glass half full kind of person. The contradictory sides of my personality are that when I am in work I am focused, organised and confident in my ability. Outside of work I focus only on what's coming up in the next 5 minutes, plan nothing unless it is absolutely essential and, as I have said before, demonstrate a 'can't be arsed' attitude far too often. Is that due to lack of confidence? I don't know you tell me!

However, I often look for things that inspire me, whether it be quotations, songs, stories from the news or history, something that reinforces the optimistic part of my personality. I have a very simple app on my iPad that displays a positive message and changes every day. It doesn't do anything else. I got up this morning and after the last week that I have had the message of the day was very apt.

The last fortnight started well. For the second Saturday running I hiked up Snowdon using the Rhyd Ddu path. This is nowhere near as difficult as the route I took the week before but does have some steep tricky bits. The weather was glorious and the views spectacular, probably the clearest I have ever seen it.

I managed the whole trek up and down in about 5 hours including stopping to eat my lunch at the top. It did teach me one or two things about how far I have progressed. Firstly, I was overtaking some younger people on the way up and passing them again when I was on the way down and they were still going up. Some people more or less ran past me but I ended up overtaking them, going at your own pace is a good thing. Even though it was a gloriously sunny day it can still be bloody cold on the mountain. Best of all though, I was still relatively fresh when I got back to my car. The bonus when I got back was this coming in to the railway station just as I got there.

The following day I got up early and went out for a bike ride, just a quick 45 miles. This despite somehow having managed to knacker the gears so that I could only either pedal furiously, without getting very far, or struggle over the slightest incline as though I was tackling Alp D'Huez in the Tour de France. Not to be too disheartened I dropped my bike in for some TLC the next day and went to the gym before having my hair cut very very short. I was going to shave it almost all off but bottled it at the last minute. It may have had something to do with the fact that the girl cutting it was gorgeous so I wanted to prolong the experience. Sorry but I can't help being very shallow.

Now the question I get asked the most since I started this whole shenanigans is who am I doing this with and the answer is that I am doing this on my own. All the training, walks, bike rides I am doing on my own. This not because I am antisocial, okay it partially is, but because my innate laziness has to be overcome if I am to stand any chance of getting to the  peak of Kilimanjaro. That means that I can't have anyone to blame for dragging me an extra five miles on the bike, or pushing me up Snowdon faster than I want to go. The Kilimanjaro challenge is, I am to understand, as much about pushing yourself mentally as the physical effort needed to get there. I need to find my own limits and push beyond them without help. My thinking being that when I get to Tanzania I will need the help of the others in the group when it is really needed not when I am climbing the steps to the plane at Heathrow. 

So after all this positive progress I was about to find out the hard way what I was or wasn't capable of. The weekend after the 2nd attempt at Snowdon I went to the gym on the Saturday morning; mainly due to the weather being miserable I thought I would stay indoors. Before doing my workout I decided to retry the fit test on the exercise bike to see if it recorded my improvement. I set the test at level 12, as I had every other time, and pedalled along for 5 minutes keeping at the pace dictated by the machine. At the end of the 5 minutes it reported that my heart rate hadn't reached the required level so I should increase the difficulty. So, I moved the setting to level 13 and set off pedalling. After the 5 minutes was up I received the same message as before. Did this mean the machine was broken? Did it mean I was now dead and that's why it couldn't find a pulse? Anyway, not to be beaten I upped the level to 14 and had another go. This time it came back with a score and recorded my fitness as excellent. I wouldn't go that far but a real boost.

Full of confidence I got up early Sunday morning, saw the sun was shining, checked the forecast which said it was going to be dry all day and decided to go for a walk. I focused on a route in mind that would be 20 something miles and was away from public transport for the most part. Therefore, I would have to keep walking no matter what if I wanted to get home. Mistake number 1 was to put on a pair of old trainers. Mistake number 2 was to put on trainer socks rather than hiking socks. I made these wrong decisions on the basis that the chosen route was almost entirely flat.

Everything was going well for about 6-7 miles when my feet started to hurt. Unusual I thought to myself as I have walked much further than this with no problem. Carrying on, as I had to I reached about 14 miles when I stopped to have some lunch, By this time my heels and toes were hurting and I thought taking my shoes off for 20 minutes or so would help. I set off again eventually reaching the train station at Freshfield. Now any sensible person at this point would have hopped on to the train. Nobody ever accuses me of being sensible and gets away with it. Onwards I went down to the Squirrel reserve, treating myself to an ice cream at the car park before walking on towards Formby. Eventually I reached a point where I was about 500 yards from Formby train station. I made the only sensible choice and took the path to Hightown. By the time I got to the end of the path just by Hightown Station any last vestiges of common sense had now been completely discarded. 'I have got this far' , I thought to myself, 'so I may as well carry on', to the Coastguard Station at Hall Road. As I set off I was thinking should I carry on beyond Hall Road to the Swimming Pool at Crosby as it would only add another 2 or 3 miles on to the route. Even though my feet had been troubling me for the previous 4-5 hours I was still think of going further. The final decision to make the last mile home came when I got to the Coastguard Station and could not justify walking like a Neanderthal anymore with my knuckles scraping the floor. I arrived at my front door and checked my phone app which had recorded I had walked 25.5 miles in just under 8 hours. 

Whilst having a long soak in the bath I was feeling very proud  of myself for keeping going no matter how much my feet were hurting. I was also realising that on Kilimanjaro after a day's trekking there would be no hot bath, no comfy sofa and no cold beer in the fridge waiting for me. My toes were recovering but my heels were tingling, like really bad pins and needles, but I just thought it was down to the fact that I had been walking for 8 hours. It was when drying off I saw the real damage. Imagine a hard boiled egg, Slice it evenly down the middle and put the two halves on the back of your heels. That was pretty much the size of the blisters. I have had blisters before but nothing like these. 

The next morning I could not get any shoes on, no footwear of any kind. Even flip flops were painful because of where the blisters had formed. I managed to hobble round to the pharmacy were one of the assistants took pity and gave me a seat whilst she went round as my personal shopper. So there I was sat with the pensioners getting there prescriptions just to add a layer of embarrassment to the pain. 

Just to compound the problem the blisters were so sore I didn't do any training for 5 days. It is amazing after just a few days how hard that first training session is but I am back on it now. 

There is a positive to take from this. I know now that I can keep on walking for many miles even when my body is telling me to stop, something I am probably going to have to do. I found a way of focusing on little targets to keep on walking, something I would never have done before. Which brings me neatly round to the positive message displayed on my iPad this morning.

'Sometimes you must fight and win, just because all the pain and suffering you experienced up to this point on your quest would be rendered futile if you were to surrender now.'

You see, sometimes there a point to this drivel.

Please help keep me motivated by visiting Marks Just Giving Page 

or TEXT code MPTC50 £amount to 70070 e.g. MPTC £5

You can also follow me on Facebook

For more information about the Princes Trust visit the website at www.princes-trust.org.uk

Mark

The Only Way is Up - Apart from the Detours

June 21st 2014 – Day 133

Day 1 Weight:      256lbs                                Day 1 Fitness:     Nil 
Day 133 Weight:  226lbs                                    Day 133 Fitness: Above Average

Weeks 17-18

When I get up in the morning and before I go to bed I take a look in the mirror and try to figure out who the imposter is. I don't remember anyone sneaking in to my house and placing a large pod next to me while I sleep but the bodysnatchers have definitely been up to no good.

I don't claim to be supremely fit but I now do things I could not have dreamt of a few months ago. The confidence that I may be able to do this is growing but work gets in the way. I would be going on long walks and bike rides every day if I could. Instead I manage an hour to an hour and half in the gym most days but it isn't enough. Yes this really is me talking.

Getting on my bike after work and going for a 20 mile ride before getting home and cooking myself something to eat is frustrating. Frustrating because I want to ride for longer but hunger and the need to get up for work the next day takes over.

The need to lose more weight continues but I am putting so much exercise time in that my appetite has gone through the roof. I now struggle to get the balance right but at least in the sense that I am not putting weight on. Even so, I have now reached the half way point towards my ultimate target of 60lbs. Strangely, once I had hit that point, in the space of about 24 hours well over 20 people commented on how much they could see the difference. These are people I see almost every day but it was almost as though I had hit a switch and my body shape changed. I always knew wearing a bigger shirt was the answer. Actually it isn't I am lying. When I started on this ludicrous adventure I could just about cram myself into XXL shirts and T-shirts, I had to breath in and pull my stomach in to button my waist size 42 trousers. I am not even joking either. I started to struggle to actually be able to buy clothes that fitted. A couple of days ago I got up for work and didn't have a clean ironed shirt, no time for ironing. I delved into the darkest recesses of my wardrobe for a shirt I could get away with and there was one that looked half decent. I put it on, buttoned it up and then realised if I tried to move I would rip it apart at the seems. I took it off looked at the label and it was a medium. Medium! Medium! I must have bought that before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Still, medium! Also bought a pair of trek pants for when I get into the mountains with a 36 waist so everything is moving in the right direction.

I have started walking into work a bit more regularly or taking my bike. Rather than take a direct route I zigzag my way so that it takes me an hour and a half each way walking. If I get away early enough, and I am not too hungry, I extend that to a couple of hours on the way home.

I have also become obsessed with the weather forecasts, I am British after all. The point is I am constantly trying to assess what the weather is going to be like to plan indoor or outdoor exercise. At the moment I still have not risked investing in quality wet weather gear as it would probably be a waste of money so fair weather is still a must. 

With this new found obsession in place, my dad would be proud, I set off to have my first attempt at Snowdon. I decided on the Miners Path, a gentle start with a steep climb in the middle before a relatively easy final bit to the summit. I set off at a brisk pace reaching the lake in no time. As I looked up towards the summit and the saw the clouds really high and all set for a fine day the ridges at Y Lliwedd looked quite inviting so I decided to go that way.

I had not climbed Snowdon this way before and after about 40 minutes it was obvious why. It is a lot steeper than the picture suggests and there isn't anything that could even loosely be called a path. After about another 30 minutes of picking my way through and up the rocky 'trail' I was no nearer the top and for the first time since I started this whole hoopla thought to myself no, stop, go back it's easier. I didn't stop, I persevered and eventually reached the top only to be faced with the next ridge being even higher and even more precarious. I carried on and reached the top. Except the next summit was higher again. By this stage it was as hard to carry on as to go back. So i thought to myself at least I can get the train down and it won't be so bad for a first go. However, my conscience was screaming Kilimanjaro will be harder, don't give in! I persevered and what a reward at the top, the view across the cauldron was just spectacular.  

I set off down looking for the respite of a relatively easy trail on the way to the summit of Snowdon. My a..e took a bit of a battering sliding and scrambling across rocks and finally meeting another hardy soul going the other way. After swapping notes I carried on readying myself for the final scramble up to the top of Snowdon. I looked back to see what I had crossed. 

If it had looked like that going up I would have stuck to my original plan to ascend all the way up via the Miners track. What a reward though.

By now the clouds were closing in on the summit and visibility was down to about 30 yards as I entered the clouds. Remarkably it was still warm enough to stay in a T-Shirt and it didn't rain so it was comfortable despite the poor visibility. Not being able to see the summit though meant that the fatigue in my legs was all I could focus on as I could not tell how close I was to finishing the climb, even though I knew it couldn't be very far. As I finally reached the last 150 feet it was like Piccadilly Circus. I had only seen maybe 4 people in 3.5 hours and now the final assault was hampered by so many people at the top. I was 50 feet from the top when I had to stop and sit down but my head was screaming no, no, no don't stop now it doesn't matter how tired you are. On I went to the very top, and as I did the clouds dispersed and the sun came out.

Now the Snowdon Railway is a wonderful thing. But it really is galling  when you get to the top and can't move for people who have come up on the train. No problem with that if you're old or infirm but when you're young(ish) and relatively fit(ish) don't put walking boots on to get on a train. And if you're wearing high heels I might just tell you to f... .ff! Especially if you're a bloke.

I sat close to the summit for 45 minutes taking in some food and drink and set off down the Pyg Track. All the way down my knees were taking a pounding and I thought 'I am going to suffer for this tomorrow'.

About 6.5 hours after setting off I finally reached the end of the trail and although feeling the effects a little bit I was relatively fresh. Feeling very proud of myself I set off on the drive home.

Sunday morning came and valuable lesson no. 5 came along. I can train as much as I like in the gym, go for 20 mile walks or 40 mile bike rides but nothing prepares you for descending down a mountain until you descend down a mountain. All those muscles I haven't used before were now stiff and strained. My knees though were fine. So the training is paying off because I was able to persevere on a difficult ascent. I just need to do it more often now so that I can prepare for the descents.

"I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held highAin't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb"


Please help keep me motivated by visiting Marks Just Giving Page 

or TEXT code MPTC50 £amount to 70070 e.g. MPTC £5

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For more information about the Princes Trust visit the website at www.princes-trust.org.uk

Mark

The Proclaimers and Minor Triumphs

June 1st 2014 – Day 112

Day 1 Weight:      256lbs                                Day 1 Fitness:     Nil 
Day 112 Weight:  227lbs                                    Day 112 Fitness: Above Average

Weeks 15-16

After a couple of stop start weeks my progress in losing weight stalled a little bit and moved down by a whole 1lb in 4 weeks. This is usually the bit where frustration and an attitude of 'what is the point' will kick in. I will start eating rubbish, stuff my face with chocolate and put all the weight back on again. It is not that I hadn't been doing any exercise, I had been going to the gym regularly.

A lengthy night out in town drinking plenty of beer, red wine, vodka and Jack Daniels, a great meal, some fantastic live music and leaving the last bar at 4.30 in the morning, led to a monumental hangover, my first in months. That inevitably led to writing off a day and a big attack of the munchies. I arose invigorated by a good sleep and a weigh in showing my weight had stayed the same. I took that as a very positive sign so after a light breakfast I set off on my bike to cycle to Southport and back with the Pier as my goal. I got to the Pier and felt fresh so I carried on towards Preston, stopping to turn round when I realised I had no idea where I was so thought it safer to retrace my route. By the time I got home I had ridden just over 40 miles in about 3.5 hours. The padded cycling shorts really did the business as remarkably I could still sit down afterwards.

For most of the following week I put in some long sessions in the gym and on one day walked to work and back in a bit of a roundabout way so it was not too easy, about 1.5 hours each way.

It was during this time I started to realise the progress I was making, 40 mile bike ride in one go? Not me? To think back to the middle of February when after 15 mins in the gym, on very gentle settings, I was slumped in a chair trying not to throw up with the gym instructor getting me to breathe deeply and take in water.

A few things happened that really started to boost the confidence and realisation that maybe, just maybe, I can do this if I keep focusing. I was doing some bench presses with dumbbells. Now, although I have increased the weights by 40% I was not approaching anything you could call a tough exercise. However, as I was working through my sets I was conscious of another guy coming to use the bench next to me. I could then here the grunts and groans as he started to push his weights. I swear, I could hear the sweat oozing from his pores due to the effort. When I had finished and sat up I looked across and saw that this guy was less than half my age and his weights were 4 kilo's lower than mine. In my head a did a lap of honour shouting yes, yes, yes! I had the urge to kiss someone but unfortunately Britain's Next Top Model hasn't been in for a while.

The day after I was running through some cardio exercises. I did a warm up of 2k on the rower in a little over 9 minutes at maximum resistance, I couldn't do 300m at setting 5/10 without stopping at the beginning of March. I immediately got on to the exercise bike and tried a new exercise. I chose the fat burn session which required me to get my heart rate up to 80% of its max, slow down and then bring it back up, the machine determining the resistance level as it measures your rate. I set off thinking this was too easy as the machine gradually increased the resistance. After ten minutes I was thinking the machine was broke as I was no where near the heart rate. I persevered and eventually the machine reached the maximum level of 20 and despite the burning in my legs and the sweat pouring out of me like water out of a kettle it took close to 20 minutes to reach the maximum heart rate. Again thinking back to March I could just about manage 10 minutes on level six. I finished that exercise and then did a quick 30 minute session on the treadmill and then 30 minutes on the cross-trainer both at Level 13. Despite all that I got up the next day without any aches or pains. It was then the penny started to drop that this really is working.

Flushed with success I went off into Snowdonia and had a walk up Moel Hebog that lies behind Beddgelert. It is not massively high but is fairly steep on the way up and almost vertical coming down the other side. It was a good exercise in seeing how my knees and toes coped on the way down and the answer is very well. It was a beautiful day and some of the views across Snowdonia were spectacular. The Ice Cream parlour in Beddgelert is worth a visit too.

The following day I got on my bike and rode from home to Otterspool Park via the Pier Head and Albert Dock, about 34 miles in total. Despite a mountain hike the day before a bike ride of that length was no problem. Okay it may not be very strenuous but this is me, lazy b.....d, we're talking about here. This is real progress.

The long walks and bike rides over the last couple of weeks have been solo efforts without music or podcasts for company. I need to test myself against the urges to stop, give in and go home. I only have what is in my head for company. The reason for doing this is that I need to know, when the time comes, if I will be mentally strong enough to continue when my feet hurt or I need a good sleep. The good news is I am now starting to think that it really is possible for a completely unfit, overweight lazy git to do this. The bad news is when left alone with only my own thoughts not a lot goes on in my head. 

Where do the Proclaimers come in I here you ask? Well I don't I am just surmising you want to know why the Proclaimers are in the title of this latest ramble. You see, when I started on this programme I bought something called a Fitbit Tracker, a wrist band that measures the number of steps I take daily, amongst other things. Today it reported that I have walked 500 miles since I started and I am going to walk 500 more. (audience groans!) 

However, here is a little pic that shows progress. A way to go but you have to start somewhere, 2 stone down, 2 to go.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement.

"Now if I was in your shoes
I might look at me and think
There's a fool
But I'm not in your shoes
And I don't have to play"


Please help keep me motivated by visiting Marks Just Giving Page 

or TEXT code MPTC50 £amount to 70070 e.g. MPTC £5

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For more information about the Princes Trust visit the website at www.princes-trust.org.uk

Mark

The Lonely Antler

May 18th 2014 – Day 98

Day 1 Weight:    256lbs                                Day 1 Fitness:   Nil 
Day 70 Weight:  230lbs                                    Day 98 Fitness: Above Average

Weeks 11-14

The last few weeks have been a bit stop start and also frustrating. On the one hand I haven't been getting to the gym as often as I need to yet on the other I have done some things that 10 weeks ago I wouldn't have dreamt of doing. Anyone who suggested them would have thought I had tourette's such would have been the response. The weight loss has slowed considerably but I am still in line with the target I set myself. I need to focus more than ever now.

I have been to the gym a few times but machines haven't been working or I haven't been able to get on them meaning my gym workouts have been shorter. Also my first hill walk over Easter culminated in a jarred knee on the descent which meant I couldn't train for 4 or 5 days. Even now I can still feel the odd twinge but it doesn't stop me.

I intended to get out into Snowdonia over the first May Bank Holiday but the weather forecast was far worse than it turned out to be. Having done some hill walking many years ago I am well aware of how the weather can change and without the proper gear you can get into a bit of bother. So it is frustrating the the forecasts turned out nothing like the reality.  

There has been no sign of Britain's Next Top Model in the gym for a few weeks. However, I was informed by a fellow member in a state of high excitement that 8 lap dancers had joined  all at the same time. Despite hanging around the gym for 15 hours a day there has not been any sign of them so I think he was making it up to get me to go in.

For the 2nd weekend in May I headed over to Jersey for a few days to visit my brother. Full of good intentions to stay healthy I walked from the airport to St. Helier, went out to buy a mountain of fruit and then went to the pub until 2 in the morning. The landlord kept supplying various shots until the early hours having insisted on a stay behind, it would have been churlish to say no. Whoever thought liquorice Sambuca was a good idea for a drink needs serous help, as did my head the next morning. However, on Saturday afternoon I went for a 7 mile walk from St. Helier to Gorey to blow away the cobwebs and then got the bus back so we could go out to the pub again.

Sunday was spent in the pub as it was the last day of the football season, it has to be done. On Monday I went for another 6-7 mile walk from St. Aubin to St. Ouens for a pub lunch. Then out in the evening for a final few beers. So all in all a healthy weekend.

I weighed myself when I got home to find I had gained 1lb in weight which I thought was a good result.

I have purchased some padded cycling shorts so that I can have the odd bike ride, weather permitting. I set off on my bike to find a nice walking route into work that would avoid most of the traffic fumes. Having found a good 5.5 mile route I set off back home and on a whim just decided to keep going. After about 26-27 miles I was really hungry so set off back home managing 32 miles in total. The padded shorts did help for the most part but I am still full of admiration for professional cyclists, how they can sit on a bike for hours a day everyday is beyond me. Even so, me on a bike for over 30 miles in one go is a bit of a miracle. The good news is that it was hunger that stopped me going further so I am not sure how far I could have gone. 

I have plotted a good 5.5 mile route into work that takes me approx 1.5 hours to walk carrying a full rucksack. I have tried it once but will be doing this regularly from now on.

I thought I would try a long walk just to see how my feet would cope in the boots, and how I would cope carrying a big rucksack. I decided to walk to Southport Pier from home having estimated the distance as 17-18 miles, depending upon the route I took. Saturday came, and I rose from bed at 7 am to be greeted with glorious sunshine. I filled my rucksack full of food, drinks and superfluous other stuff just to fill it. I made a decision to risk shocking the public by putting on a pair of shorts. My legs haven't seen sunlight in years so to describe them as white doesn't really do them justice. 

I took full precautions and slapped on some SPF30 having learnt from my excursion to Moel Famau. I set off to the Sefton Coastal path and everything was beautifully serene with only the sound of birdsong and me swearing as I forced my way through some stinging nettles. Having filled a 40l rucksack, I am sure I could have found space for some Savlon but decided it would be best if I left it in the bathroom cabinet at home. After all I have to get used to a bit of mental suffering.

I surprised myself by getting as far as Formby Point before I felt like I needed a drink, of water that is not beer!. The first time I went out in my boots I got to the end of my road so this bodes well. I ploughed on through the Pinewoods and then decided to divert to Freshfield and pick up the Fisherman's path. Following the path through to the Coast road I first navigated the notorious rail crossing and a few golf balls. I am certain the golfers wait for a walker or cyclist and treat the crossing as a duck shoot. 

I left the path at the coast road into Southport. I decided to stop and have some lunch when I got to the beach at Ainsdale. I haven't been to that part of the beach since family trips out out there as kids and it was great to see so many people enjoying what was a glorious day, it was like revisiting a really good childhood memory.

Having stopped and found a nice place to have my lunch in the dunes I set back off to join the cycle path on the coast road. When I set off my legs, knees and feet screamed at me to stop, it seems my body shuts down when I stop and it takes me 10 minutes or so to wake it up again. Having got back into a rhythm I focused on getting to the Pier. I was amazed at the amount of junk at the side of the road. The usual odd trainer, a couple of t-shirts and empty beer cans. One thing stood out and for whatever reason I found it quite sad. Lying there on the side of the road was a single stuffed antler. What happened to the other one? Is there a child somewhere with their reindeer hat and only one antler? I think the sun beating down on me was starting to have an affect.

I finally reached the Pier after a little over 5 hours and 17 miles. I treated myself to a 99 with a flake and raspberry sauce before walking to the station to get the train home. I have to say I wasn't pleasant to sit next to on the train having spent five hours in the sunshine carrying a full rucksack. If I wasn't me I wouldn't have sat next to me! On the plus side my feet were aching a bit and they did feel like they were now about 3 sizes too big for the boots but I think I could have walked a bit longer.

I got home and the first job was to have a shower. The hot water on the back of my legs was very painful. It was then I realised that I had forgotten to put the SPF30 on my legs. As the sun was behind me almost all the way I didn't really need any on my face but the back of my legs were now bright red, the front still being milky white. Just to add insult to injury I also have tennis players sock marks so my legs look utterly ridiculous. This picture isn't me but it is very close to what I look like.

So all in all my weight hasn't reduced much in the last few weeks but I know my ability to walk for long periods is getting there. To make sure I am ready I have set myself another target by booking myself on to the 3 Peaks challenge, Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden in 48 hrs. I will be doing that approximately 4 weeks before the big one.

Bring it on!

Please help keep me motivated by visiting Marks Just Giving Page 

or TEXT code MPTC50 £amount to 70070 e.g. MPTC £5

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For more information about the Princes Trust visit the website at www.princes-trust.org.uk

Mark