Morning All,
Well training in the snow isn't fun........
Looking out of the window at 6.30 this morning when my mobile phone alarm went off, I saw the white expanse of day old snow that hadn't disappeared. Oh, Bollocks my legs and lungs said, almost in unison- they'd hoped it would have. They'd hoped for a beach with a bar and a small Polynesian woman wearing nothing but vegetation around her waist holding a tall, icey red drink with an umbrella in it, I'll be honest. Same here actually. I haven't done a cross country run in snow since I was at school. I don't really think I did it all that properly then, either.
It was hard going this morning; a combination of unwilling legs, the cold, sniffles and apathy. Completed the run but had to have a breather half way round. I found the Nevis climb pretty tough which was disappointing as I have been working hard at my fitness - 3/4 mornings a week so far for nearly 3 months now - this knocked me back a little as I hate being defeated and it seems that I take a few steps forward and one back, "fitness-wise". My wardrobe was restrictive for Ben Nevis but I cruised round the same X-country route two weeks ago so I know I can do it. Its a case of just getting on with it and increasing the anti regularly. I have been told by my mate who is training with me that road-running is the easier option as the footfall is the same - safe and regular. At this time of year, X-country means your feet and legs have to work much harder not to slip and slide on the ice and in the mud. I can understand that; I must have looked drunk during certain sections of the run. I'll just crack on. What last weekends mission to Scotland did highlight was that there were parts on my body that are going to be worked very hard in April and so far I have neglected them from a fitness perspective. My lower back gave me some "agro" in Scotland for example, so I do need to strengthen this up my starting to train with a backpack on. It's likely the packs in Nepal will be a substantial weight and it makes sense to start getting used to carrying it.
A great morning though - sun rising with a warm orange glow, the pheasants scurrying away from what must of sounded and looked to them like a ginger haired, anaemic earth-mover coming towards them, the freshly drilled fields rolling up and up and up and my head saying to me with every footfall "you stupid twat, you stupid twat, you stupid twat".
They can put a monkey in space but they can't design a fitness pill....
Fundraising is going well considering I am about a week into it - many thanks to those who have supported so far. I am also starting to get a few ideas for an Auction at the Red Lion after Christmas to try and smash the fundraising hard. A friend of mine had a fundraising evening in my local pub for the local hospital baby unit. He sourced some great prizes - not cans of de-icer or jam but Mercedes cars for the weekend, Van Goghs, Concorde's Nose Cone, that sort of thing. It was a great evening and well supported. I hope to do the same in a few months time.
Keep reading and I will update soon.
M
- Mark
- Mark is a 35 year old, ginger-haired and now fortunately balding, village club cricket player. An opening inswing bowler that doesn't swing it any longer. He wrote a Blog two years ago when preparing for a game a cricket on the flanks of Mt Everest and was told to carry on writing it.
Thursday 30 October 2008
Sunday 26 October 2008
Hi Everyone. A few updates to catch-up with.
I have just returned from my 3 peaks challenge attempt - the idea being that Team Tenzing (or those that could make it) would take on the 3 highest peaks in the British Isles - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and they would all be climbed within 24 hours. I flew to Glasgow last Friday to meet up with a few of the Tenzing guys and to hook up with our driver for the trip. Craig our driver was a fan of dance music - which if you look at my collection of Prog-Rock dinosaur rock like Genesis, The Floyd, Zeppelin, I was delighted to hear all the way up to Glasgow International airport where the rest of the group had flown into.
On the way up we were held up by a horrendous car accident and the emergency services were cutting some poor bloke out of his upturned motor. An unfortunate hold up but it does probably go down as one of the oddest Friday nights I've ever spent. Sitting in a cramped silver mini-bus, somewhere in the Highlands stuck in traffic held up by a serious incident, eating almonds and watching "Cool Runnings" on the small "in-flight" DVD players. What the f888?!?! After about 1.5 hours we were on the move again - the rain and wind getting worse and worse.
Our eventual arrival saw us pull up at the gateway to the Nevis climb - once that gate is opened the clock starts. The wind was already lashing the windows of the van and the wind was a powerful force. Myself and Tooves, unable to change up until that point, had to put on our kit in the confines of our minibus. My idea for building up the layers proved to be the wrong decision as the more clothes I put on the less mobility I had further up the mountain. Anyway, I was decked out and ready for the challenge. My thoughts were of taking on an unknown challenge and relishing the opportunity and pretty intense anxiety. I was about to have a crack at climbing the highest mountain in the British Isles, at night. The experience that was present within the group was impressive. Several of the party had obviously done their "due-diligence" before this trip and I was relieved to see maps, gsm gadgets, etc. The size of the task in front of us was beginning to dawn on me.
The track up the mountain is a very uneven, steeply elevated rock path that I, personally, found pretty hard going. The higher we got up the path the less mobility and constriction I felt purely down to the amount of clothes I had on. Despite the dropping temperature I was starting to shed clothes - which I do know can be dangerous in such situations. My core layers were also starting to leak and therefore my base layers were beginning to get wet. Having done some pretty hardcore hikes before it was obvious my kit (some borrowed stuff admittedly) wasn't going to be up to the challenge. The higher we continued though the weather was starting to become a major concern; I think all of us in one form or another was starting to be aware of the possible issues that may arise if the weather got worse.
The rocky path gave way to rather well made gravel track and the path started to flatten out. The wind was now pushing our backs and this, to me, proved to be the easier part of the climb. The elevation had levelled slightly and the increasing wind was now directly on our backs. Within what felt like minutes, the wind was starting to knock me about a bit. I'm 6ft 3 inches and weigh in at a racing snake 15 stone. I was literally picked up on one occasion by the sheer force of the wind and placed 3 foot from where I was originally standing! This was getting very serious. G-Man brought us in for a group chat (or shout) and wanted to get the consensus of the group. A few of the guys wanted to press on but the majority, I felt, were becoming a little alarmed by the situation that was developing around us with the weather. Quite rightly in these situations opinions were quickly heard but it didn't call for democratic, open and lengthy debate. The nominated leader for the trip i.e. G-Man heard a few views but quickly layed it on the table - we were going down. The right call in my view. The hour or so we had left to get to the summit the wind speeds we were likely to face would be in excess of 100mph. I was very disappointed that my clothing had let me down and that I had got so far without being able to say I did it. I know many people who have climbed "The Ben" and have even done the 3 peaks and I wasn't one of them but sense has to prevail and accidents and more serious situations arise if it doesn't - it's that simple. In hindsight, this also cemented my faith and pride for this whole Everest venture. I was with people who are not idiots.
Going down wasn't that easy either. It was well over an hour to get down from where we were and we all knew this. We now faced the full force of the meteorological juggernaut that was straight at us. The rain felt like pins being hammered into my face but the wind was frankly unbelievable. 100 mph winds were now battering the upper layers of the Nevis range and we were up there - right in the middle of it. The whole group at one point were "crocodiled" out in a line, holding hands. We had to ensure no-one made a wrong move. The upper slopes are criss-crossed by drainage run-offs which even need to be jumped across at times so there are dangers everywhere and exaggerated by the fact you couldn't open your eyes well enough to see. The team spirit lifted the situation with a few songs being thrown about and some simple, bare-chested screaming at the weather to just f88k off. We all new that the lower we got the better and I was relieved when we finally rounded the bend and descended back onto the rock path which brought us up. It was still incredibly wet and the wind still knocked us about but that "edge" had gone. I went for a tumble a couple of times but nothing too drastic and the lights of Fort William came into twinkling view. We still had a long way to go but we had the benefit of the rising sun and visibility was much better.
We were very relieved to see our ground team and I think the feeling was mutual. That was hardcore, sh8t your pants scary and if we had gone higher the situation would have been potentially lethal for one, some or all of us. At the same time, for me there was a buzz of adrenalin-pumped excitement as this was way out of the norm of everyday life and this all along has been a part of my interest in the venture. Comfortable is fine but every so often you have to get out there and get sh8t scared - it makes you feel alive.
With a quick wash in Morrison's bogs at Fort William and a rather quickly prepared breakfast another group huddle was had. Reports and paper headlines were starting to compound the fears we had for the rest of the trip and Snowdon and Scafell Pike were reporting bad weather. The news today reports that over 1000 fell runners have gone missing on Scafell Pike. The weather is the worst experienced in the higher levels of Northern Britain for 40 years. I think we all new that the challenge wouldn't be met, this time.
Big thanks to G-Man for organising the trip and well done for my fellow mad-men who took this on. No-one can say we didn't give it a go and I think that the decision to come down illustrated to me that I am with a very sensible and motivated group of lads. It also served as a great team bonding exercise in preparation for April and it gave me the chance to get to know some of the other guys a little better. This is very important for me as I am one of the few guys that doesn't know anyone else going on the trip and I am not based in London so my contact is less frequent. Another aspect of the trip that made me want to be a part of it was that I would be meeting new people outside of my usual circle. Small and inadequate mini-buses are intimate places and having cricket toured for years, can be rather unpleasant places to be too if you know what I mean. So, in these respects, for me, mission accomplished.
Looking forward to Snowdon in March??
Catch up soon.
M
I have just returned from my 3 peaks challenge attempt - the idea being that Team Tenzing (or those that could make it) would take on the 3 highest peaks in the British Isles - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and they would all be climbed within 24 hours. I flew to Glasgow last Friday to meet up with a few of the Tenzing guys and to hook up with our driver for the trip. Craig our driver was a fan of dance music - which if you look at my collection of Prog-Rock dinosaur rock like Genesis, The Floyd, Zeppelin, I was delighted to hear all the way up to Glasgow International airport where the rest of the group had flown into.
On the way up we were held up by a horrendous car accident and the emergency services were cutting some poor bloke out of his upturned motor. An unfortunate hold up but it does probably go down as one of the oddest Friday nights I've ever spent. Sitting in a cramped silver mini-bus, somewhere in the Highlands stuck in traffic held up by a serious incident, eating almonds and watching "Cool Runnings" on the small "in-flight" DVD players. What the f888?!?! After about 1.5 hours we were on the move again - the rain and wind getting worse and worse.
Our eventual arrival saw us pull up at the gateway to the Nevis climb - once that gate is opened the clock starts. The wind was already lashing the windows of the van and the wind was a powerful force. Myself and Tooves, unable to change up until that point, had to put on our kit in the confines of our minibus. My idea for building up the layers proved to be the wrong decision as the more clothes I put on the less mobility I had further up the mountain. Anyway, I was decked out and ready for the challenge. My thoughts were of taking on an unknown challenge and relishing the opportunity and pretty intense anxiety. I was about to have a crack at climbing the highest mountain in the British Isles, at night. The experience that was present within the group was impressive. Several of the party had obviously done their "due-diligence" before this trip and I was relieved to see maps, gsm gadgets, etc. The size of the task in front of us was beginning to dawn on me.
The track up the mountain is a very uneven, steeply elevated rock path that I, personally, found pretty hard going. The higher we got up the path the less mobility and constriction I felt purely down to the amount of clothes I had on. Despite the dropping temperature I was starting to shed clothes - which I do know can be dangerous in such situations. My core layers were also starting to leak and therefore my base layers were beginning to get wet. Having done some pretty hardcore hikes before it was obvious my kit (some borrowed stuff admittedly) wasn't going to be up to the challenge. The higher we continued though the weather was starting to become a major concern; I think all of us in one form or another was starting to be aware of the possible issues that may arise if the weather got worse.
The rocky path gave way to rather well made gravel track and the path started to flatten out. The wind was now pushing our backs and this, to me, proved to be the easier part of the climb. The elevation had levelled slightly and the increasing wind was now directly on our backs. Within what felt like minutes, the wind was starting to knock me about a bit. I'm 6ft 3 inches and weigh in at a racing snake 15 stone. I was literally picked up on one occasion by the sheer force of the wind and placed 3 foot from where I was originally standing! This was getting very serious. G-Man brought us in for a group chat (or shout) and wanted to get the consensus of the group. A few of the guys wanted to press on but the majority, I felt, were becoming a little alarmed by the situation that was developing around us with the weather. Quite rightly in these situations opinions were quickly heard but it didn't call for democratic, open and lengthy debate. The nominated leader for the trip i.e. G-Man heard a few views but quickly layed it on the table - we were going down. The right call in my view. The hour or so we had left to get to the summit the wind speeds we were likely to face would be in excess of 100mph. I was very disappointed that my clothing had let me down and that I had got so far without being able to say I did it. I know many people who have climbed "The Ben" and have even done the 3 peaks and I wasn't one of them but sense has to prevail and accidents and more serious situations arise if it doesn't - it's that simple. In hindsight, this also cemented my faith and pride for this whole Everest venture. I was with people who are not idiots.
Going down wasn't that easy either. It was well over an hour to get down from where we were and we all knew this. We now faced the full force of the meteorological juggernaut that was straight at us. The rain felt like pins being hammered into my face but the wind was frankly unbelievable. 100 mph winds were now battering the upper layers of the Nevis range and we were up there - right in the middle of it. The whole group at one point were "crocodiled" out in a line, holding hands. We had to ensure no-one made a wrong move. The upper slopes are criss-crossed by drainage run-offs which even need to be jumped across at times so there are dangers everywhere and exaggerated by the fact you couldn't open your eyes well enough to see. The team spirit lifted the situation with a few songs being thrown about and some simple, bare-chested screaming at the weather to just f88k off. We all new that the lower we got the better and I was relieved when we finally rounded the bend and descended back onto the rock path which brought us up. It was still incredibly wet and the wind still knocked us about but that "edge" had gone. I went for a tumble a couple of times but nothing too drastic and the lights of Fort William came into twinkling view. We still had a long way to go but we had the benefit of the rising sun and visibility was much better.
We were very relieved to see our ground team and I think the feeling was mutual. That was hardcore, sh8t your pants scary and if we had gone higher the situation would have been potentially lethal for one, some or all of us. At the same time, for me there was a buzz of adrenalin-pumped excitement as this was way out of the norm of everyday life and this all along has been a part of my interest in the venture. Comfortable is fine but every so often you have to get out there and get sh8t scared - it makes you feel alive.
With a quick wash in Morrison's bogs at Fort William and a rather quickly prepared breakfast another group huddle was had. Reports and paper headlines were starting to compound the fears we had for the rest of the trip and Snowdon and Scafell Pike were reporting bad weather. The news today reports that over 1000 fell runners have gone missing on Scafell Pike. The weather is the worst experienced in the higher levels of Northern Britain for 40 years. I think we all new that the challenge wouldn't be met, this time.
Big thanks to G-Man for organising the trip and well done for my fellow mad-men who took this on. No-one can say we didn't give it a go and I think that the decision to come down illustrated to me that I am with a very sensible and motivated group of lads. It also served as a great team bonding exercise in preparation for April and it gave me the chance to get to know some of the other guys a little better. This is very important for me as I am one of the few guys that doesn't know anyone else going on the trip and I am not based in London so my contact is less frequent. Another aspect of the trip that made me want to be a part of it was that I would be meeting new people outside of my usual circle. Small and inadequate mini-buses are intimate places and having cricket toured for years, can be rather unpleasant places to be too if you know what I mean. So, in these respects, for me, mission accomplished.
Looking forward to Snowdon in March??
Catch up soon.
M
Saturday 11 October 2008
The Fun Starts Here.....
Indeed. Haydn (Captain, my Captain) has given us the Tenzing "green light" to go forth and raise cash. I will be in contact with everyone I know. This is where the hard work starts and I would be open to any fundraising ideas that anyone might have - let me know.
Got to go and make the kids cheese on toast now. Catch up soon.
Thursday 9 October 2008
Great Night and Sore Head
Last night saw the Trektators Party at The Collection in Knightsbridge. Thanks to Colesy, Richy G, Barnesy and Nicole for coming along too at short notice. It was a great night with mucho grogo and now I have a slightly thick head this morning. Huge thanks to the Trektator team for obviously pulling out all the stops to get last night organised and it seemed a suitably fitting launch for this project.
Got back home at about 1.15am and managed not to wake any kids in the process - a remarkable achievement. I hope that girl who Colesy was boring to death on the train finally got to where she was going to. My call is she fell asleep and ended up in Peterborough...we've all done it.
Got back home at about 1.15am and managed not to wake any kids in the process - a remarkable achievement. I hope that girl who Colesy was boring to death on the train finally got to where she was going to. My call is she fell asleep and ended up in Peterborough...we've all done it.
An eventful few weeks.............
Phew. It has been an eventful few weeks and no mistake. Apologies for the delay in writing my Blog up for a while but I have been out of action for a while.
The Preston CC cricket season has finally had the stumps pulled and the season has been a great success from a club perspective. From a personal angle I think I should try and get better at golf. The brown hints of Autumn have been creeping into the Hertfordshire countryside and the conkers have been ripening. The beers at the Red Lion have been taking on a "wintery" feel..............................oh and I had another daughter. Yes, we finally (8 days late) gave birth to Lexie Bo Waters - LBW (an apt choice I think). She weighed in at an eye-watering 7lb 13 ounces. Lexie is doing fine and my other daughter, Beth, is certainly taking a shine to her new toy.
The Everest machine has also been hard at work and huge thanks to the guys behind the scenes for the continued effort to get the venture of the ground. The update meeting at The Plough in Sheen was brilliant as it enabled everyone to meet again (for someone that doesn't live in London, this is very important I think) and see where the "corporate" side of the project has got too. The new look website is up and running now too - please take a look at http://www.theeveresttest.com/. You will be able to see who's who, what's going on and get regular updates from here on in. It also gives you the easiest way to donate money to the venture, which is now aimed at Sport Relief and The Himalayan Trust. Many companies are in negotiation with our lead organisers; momentum is quickening and interest is definitely growing. We then wandered over to Sheen Common where the mighty Team Tenzing took on Team Hillary in a game of 20/20. It was good to see everyone in battle colours. Needless to say, Tenzing royally screwed Hillary with their trousers on and won a convincing win. The bowling attack of Tenzing was simply too hostile for Hillary's best. The pitch "talked" a little and enabled seam-up to pin the Oppo back in the crease. A little bit of "chin-symphony" and a smattering of lofted "F&G" spin proved too much of a lethal cocktail. The crowd, I think, were suitably impressed before they pulled their trousers up, threw their Special Brew cans in the hedge and started to have a heated argument with the dustbin.
The 3 peaks is now officially "on" and a crack squad is in training at the moment to take the challenge on and come end of October, we will be making our way up to Glasgow International to start. I will let you know how that goes. The training continues and my weekly appearances at Circuit Training is starting to pay off, I think. The runs are getting longer but they are being managed and slowly the distance is increasing. I have also signed up for 3 5k runs next month and probably looking at a half marathon before Christmas. Obviously, with time slipping away the anti needs to be upped. It is in hand. See you later.
The Preston CC cricket season has finally had the stumps pulled and the season has been a great success from a club perspective. From a personal angle I think I should try and get better at golf. The brown hints of Autumn have been creeping into the Hertfordshire countryside and the conkers have been ripening. The beers at the Red Lion have been taking on a "wintery" feel..............................oh and I had another daughter. Yes, we finally (8 days late) gave birth to Lexie Bo Waters - LBW (an apt choice I think). She weighed in at an eye-watering 7lb 13 ounces. Lexie is doing fine and my other daughter, Beth, is certainly taking a shine to her new toy.
The Everest machine has also been hard at work and huge thanks to the guys behind the scenes for the continued effort to get the venture of the ground. The update meeting at The Plough in Sheen was brilliant as it enabled everyone to meet again (for someone that doesn't live in London, this is very important I think) and see where the "corporate" side of the project has got too. The new look website is up and running now too - please take a look at http://www.theeveresttest.com/. You will be able to see who's who, what's going on and get regular updates from here on in. It also gives you the easiest way to donate money to the venture, which is now aimed at Sport Relief and The Himalayan Trust. Many companies are in negotiation with our lead organisers; momentum is quickening and interest is definitely growing. We then wandered over to Sheen Common where the mighty Team Tenzing took on Team Hillary in a game of 20/20. It was good to see everyone in battle colours. Needless to say, Tenzing royally screwed Hillary with their trousers on and won a convincing win. The bowling attack of Tenzing was simply too hostile for Hillary's best. The pitch "talked" a little and enabled seam-up to pin the Oppo back in the crease. A little bit of "chin-symphony" and a smattering of lofted "F&G" spin proved too much of a lethal cocktail. The crowd, I think, were suitably impressed before they pulled their trousers up, threw their Special Brew cans in the hedge and started to have a heated argument with the dustbin.
The 3 peaks is now officially "on" and a crack squad is in training at the moment to take the challenge on and come end of October, we will be making our way up to Glasgow International to start. I will let you know how that goes. The training continues and my weekly appearances at Circuit Training is starting to pay off, I think. The runs are getting longer but they are being managed and slowly the distance is increasing. I have also signed up for 3 5k runs next month and probably looking at a half marathon before Christmas. Obviously, with time slipping away the anti needs to be upped. It is in hand. See you later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)