Thursday, October 26, 2006

Started a new, very challenging job on Tuesday and my feet have not touched the ground since. I have also lost the benefit of having a company gym two floors below me. My new employer does have a subsidised gym membership scheme, but predictably its full right now.
Which means I am about to sign up to a very expensive unsubsidised membership at the Holmes Places down the road.
At £107 per month, I fully expect somebody to do the working out for me! But I guess it will be worth it in the long run.
The trek team has now raised about £30,000 for the expedition through a mixture of corporate sponsorship and some donations from some seriously generous people.
Getting kitted out on Monday with all my Arctic gear, and I can't wait.
Tried to go for a run yesterday, but discovered it was cold outdoors...

Saturday, October 21, 2006

I have a cold. Proper, full blown man flu. Runny nose, aches etc etc. Going to bed tonight and not waking up till Monday. I think it is a direct result of salad overdose. Sniff.
On a brighter note, I did meet all my fellow trekkers on Thursday night. They seem a very good bunch and I think we will all get on.
Meeting everybody has made it all a lot more real. The reality of what we are proposing to do has kicked in and its all quiet scary.
But most of the effort at the moment is still focused on raising money (see link on right!!)
Getting kitted out with the proper Arctic survival gear on Monday week.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

I NEED DONATIONS!!!!
Hi guys,
You may have noticed the link on the right hand side of this page which directs you to the fundraising page. I have checked the link, and it is working. Please use the link to add your kind donation to the cause. I have no idea which posting on this blog gave you the impression that I was doing this ludicrous trek for fun?! So please please help out if you can.
Did I mention that Sophie Anderton is taking part in this trek as well? The largest donation gets a picture of Sophie being eaten by a polar bear. Probably. I have linked a lovely photo of her here. She does seem to be quite popular on the internet.
And no, I didn't watch Love Island, but I am sure it was edited to make her look like a bunny boiler and that she is actually a very nice person.
And if you were wondering, I have not updated my latest weight for a good reason. So there!

On the ever-so-dull exercise front, I am still going to the gym, but need to do more over the weekend, which I regard as time off from all arduous activities, such as work and exercise. This needs to change.
Thanks for reading, good night and good luck.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Dear generous friends,
I am deeply in need of sponsorship for this little jaunt. Each of the 12 people on this trip have been asked to raise £6,000 and the fundraising starts here!
Think about it, you don't really need that new car or that nice new Ikea kitchen. Give your money to me instead! Click here to go to the secure website that makes donating your cash really easy.

Monday, October 09, 2006


Hi guys,


The last week has been quite difficult. I took a week off work and went back to parents for a few days. Then I trekked over to Copenhagen for a few days for a media award ceremony. I met up with some mad Slovenians, and went partying with them, which mean alcohol intake was somewhat higher than normal. Well done me!

Anyway, the point I am making, is that it is very difficult to stick to a training regime when your normal routine is disrupted. Its straightforward to go to the gym when at work and buy a salad rather than a fat sandwich at lunchtime. But it's harder when an established framework gets disrupted.
Which got me thinking about habits and how habits are formed. We all have habits - most of them bad - which provide a structure to the day. Most of them are not addictive in themselves, but rather are comforting in their familiarity.
Which brings me back to training and forming new habits and the best environment for changing habits. It seems to me one of the hardest parts about training is that it disrupts old habits. Going for a run means not watching TV or somesuch. It's not so much a question of whether I would prefer to go for a run rather than slump on the sofa, its more an issue of leaving behind one established pattern of behaviour in favour of another.
I was told yesterday by a friend on the trek that sweating in the Arctic is BAD. Apparantly, sweat never evaporates. Rather it freezes. And stays frozen until the end of the 140 miles. So those that sweat like a pig in heat will have a layer of ice on the inside of their clothes. Lovely.
Went for a run this morning. It was the normal route to the park and back. This time I made it to the park and most of the way back. Progress!
Another thrilling instalment tomorrow.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Huge apologies guys, I have this week off work, which means that I am running around doing things and seeing people and not blogging!
Just about to run to the airport to go to Copenhagen. Long post when I get back on Saturday.
Until then,
AMW