Rangers

There are many people raising awareness for the plight of our wildlife.  Many people, just like me, doing their bit to remind everyone that our wild animals are at risk of extinction.  At risk not because of disease or old age but because of poachers.  TV campaigns, celebrity endorsements, fundraising, everything is being done to stop poachers in their tracks, but nobody is doing more than the rangers.

Rangers are the face of anti-poaching.  They are the ones on the front line, putting their lives at risk every day to protect our wildlife, to keep these beautiful animals alive and protect their future existence.

A number of organisations are helping to raise awareness of the risks these rangers take every day.  We may think there isn't much we can do to show our appreciation of their bravely, selflessness and determination but there is....and you can do it from the comfort of your living room!

United for Wildlife is a partnership of seven of the world's preeminent conservation organisations which seek to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.  They are working with the Southern African Wildlife College to send messages of support to rangers.  So go on - why not click here and leave a message of support safe in the knowledge it will get passed on to these often unsung heroes.

United for Wildlife also have an innovative 'We are the Rangers' project and have developed an interactive game for you to play and learn about conservation along the way.   Set in the African Savannah the game highlights the real threats and challenges rangers face every day, whilst also teaching you about conservation.  This is a great way to engage the younger generations before it is too late.

Another charity focusing on supporting the rangers is Veterans4Wildlife.  Veterans4Wildlife does a lot to help - from training rangers and raising funds to support volunteers through to fixing the underlying causes of poaching by working with local communities. Veterans4Wildlife use highly skilled and knowledgable veterans to train rangers.

One project Veterans4Wildlife have coming up is Project Black Mambas.  The Black Mambas is the first all-female anti-poaching unit.  Two female veterans are going to be supporting them by passing on their skills and knowledge while they are embedded in the unit.  What's not to like.....girl power, veterans, knowledge sharing and conservation in action!

Finally, Tusk have recently held their annual Conservation Awards ceremony.  The awards celebrate extraordinary contributions to conservation.  The winner of this years Wildlife Ranger Award was Manuel Sacaia.  Read Manuel's inspirational story here.   

If these stories make you want to do more join the fight.  Believe me there are PLENTY of organisations that need you!!

Weekend Wash Up - 13th Nov 16

#keepitmoving

A few months ago I added a post about 500 elephants on the move in Malawi.  African Parks is currently managing the largest elephant translocations in Human History.  They are moving 500 elephants across Malawi to a new home in an effort to protect them from poachers and ensure their survival.

This massive house move is now well underway and I wanted to share this video update with you. Click the link below for a short video showing the work done to date, with an update from Prince Harry who has been personally involved in this project.

The Journey of Giants

More information about this project can be found on 500elephants.org

Fundraising

I am still finalising details with my chosen charity and will be launching my fundraising page very soon.  There have been a few administrative hurdles to get get over to enable me to fundraise in the UK and ensure the money gets to the right charity overseas.  Nobody said this challenge was going to be easy but once the admin side of things is set I can focus on the bigger thing ahead of me...all 5895 meters of it!

I have a few fundraising events planned for next year but any suggestions for fundraisers gratefully received - wouldn't it be great if I could raise a pound for every meter I climb!  I will be updating the fundraising page of this blog as and when events are planned so stay tuned.

Please do everything you can to share my blog and encourage people to sponsor me - me and the elephants will love you for it! x

Flying v Fitness v Fitting everything in

I've had a busy few months at work so have to confess that my training has taken a back seat of late. I've recently got back from two weeks in New Jersey with work, followed by a trip to Netherlands and a week in Portugal planned in a few weeks - so my usual training routine has had to be put on hold.  That said I have purchased a set of weights so I can squeeze in 20 minutes of weight training at home when I can and have become the master of planking when I can - that is "mastering finding the odd 60 seconds here and there" NOT mastering doing them - I still shake all over after just 20 seconds!!

The Toe - past Break Point

My broken toe has now fully healed so I'm at least able to do things when I get the time - and I sorting dates for me training session with Ollie Ollerton from SAS: Who Dares Wins.  I've been thoroughly enjoying series two and cant wait to see who makes it in the last episode tomorrow...my favourite has been Moses....here's hoping he can make it all the way.

The clock is ticking....

I now have a countdown on my phone to the climb, as I type this I have 14 months, 12 days, 15 hours and 20 minutes to go until I set off (gulp).

Thats it for now - more detailed updates to follow shortly. 

Pole, pole

Before agreeing to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro I knew nothing about it, maybe that's a good thing as otherwise I might not have agreed to it.  This does however, mean I am literally starting from scratch.  How do I book it? When shall I climb it?  Who should I book with?  Which route should I take?  What fitness training is best?  How much will it cost?  What should I wear?  Where do I wee?  So many questions.

Some people have commented on how long it is before I actually climb Kilimanjaro.  There is a Kilimanjaro mantra I have read many times -"pole, pole" (pronounced poley, poley).  In Swahili it means 'slowly, slowly' and is something the guides repeat throughout the climb.  It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to the top, its not a race.  Taking it slowly slowly not only means you get to take in some spectacular scenery but it also gives you time to adjust to the altitude, minimising the likelihood of acute mountain sickness.

I would be heartbroken to get so far and potentially not reach the summit on the last night because of altitude sickness, exhaustion or bad preparation.  So I have decided to live by the mantra from day one, start as I mean to go on.  I'm in no rush and want to make sure I have done everything I can to be prepared for this - improve my fitness, do my research, get the right equipment, practise how to squat ;)......I really do need to start with the basics.

Thankfully a quick google search (other search engines are available) pointed me in the direction of Henry Stedman.  It's fair to say Henry is the polar opposite of me.  What he doesn't know about Kilimanjaro isn't worth knowing.  Henry has climbed the mountain many times and then some, taken each route up and is so passionate about it he has written a book, set up a website and generally spreads the word on what an amazing mountain this is.

Henry's book has become one of my trusted companions, as has his website....so imagine how happy I was to see that you could contact him directly for help (which of course I did!!).  Henry gave me lots of information in addition to that available in his book, and that was more personal to me.  He was able to recommend the most suitable route, the best time of year and even a guide that fitted with what we were looking for...that in turn led to the climb being booked!

If you want to find out more about Kilimanjaro or are interested in climbing it yourself I can highly recommend Henry and his vast array of knowledge and enthusiasm.  Everything you need to know can be found on www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com - including details of his book, the ONLY book in my opinion!

Weekend Wash Up - 9th Oct 16

I couldn't quite decide what to blog about today so thought I'd include a few headlines from the past couple of weeks in the life of an unfit, ill-prepared, elephant loving, kilimanjaro climber in the making.  Enjoy!

CITES - Whose side are they really on?
Wildlife conservation experts from around the world met at a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Fauna) conference in South Africa in September.  Decisions made at the wildlife trade meeting can be decisive for the fate of some of the worlds most endangered wild species.  Apparently they work to raise awareness of the ever declining wildlife species targeted by poachers and trafficking and take action to protect these species from eventual extinction.

Amongst the topics discussed was the ridiculous idea of lifting the ban on the elephant ivory trade - to allow stock piles of ivory to be sold legally again and therefore reduce the demand for illegal ivory...and therefore somehow save the elephant from slaughter by greedy, heartless arseholes.  In fact all it would do is encourage more people to kill them....but I'm no expert.  Thankfully this proposal was rejected.

There was also a proposal put forward by Kenya to give African Elephants the maximum level of international protection.  Around one thousand African Park rangers have lost their lives over the past decade fighting against the illegal ivory trade and many African countries are doing all they can to protect elephants - uplifting the level of protection to the maximum level would send a clear message that the ivory trade must stop.  However this was also rejected.

The proposal failed to gain the two thirds majority needed, the opposition of the EU (who vote as a block) was pivotal.  Now that the global "wildlife conservation experts" have spoken elephants will continue to be slaughtered for their ivory.  Good job.

We said goodbye to Mae Thai
Mae Thai was one of the lucky elephants to be rescued from a life of street begging by Elephant Nature Park back in 2002.  She was one of the longer term and loyal nannies to the other younger elephants at the park.  I spent some time volunteering at the ENP and got to spend some time with Mae Thai - feeding her, washing her and watching just how graceful she was for something so big!  You could see just how wise she was by looking deep into her eyes.  Mae Thai sadly passed away peacefully at the Park on 25th September.  Whilst she will be a big loss to all that work at the Park, their never ending hard work and determination continues as they are still rescuing elephants, young and old and giving them the life they deserve.  I highly recommend a volunteering holiday here so check it out - www.elephantnaturepark.org

Me and Mae Thai 

Fifteen months and counting
In more positive, exciting news, I'm all booked.  The climb is a go!!!

Set off: 26th January 2018 to reach the summit on 31st January 2018.
Route: 7 Day Lemosho Route
Followed by: A Safari to Lake Mantra and some volunteering...watch this space.
Charity: Still TBC - who knew it would be so hard!

Now the serious training begins....eek!

The toe reached Break Point
After my little mis-hap my broken big toe is now on the mend so training can start again at last.  Unfortunately it meant I had to miss a half days training with Ollie Ollerton, star of SAS: Who Dares Wins.  Ollie and Laura from Break-Point were so lovely about it and we agreed to reschedule so I didn't miss out.  I will no doubt update you all on how well I survived this after the event - and promise to include a few action shots as well as a selfie with the man himself.

The new Break-Point Fitness portal will be launching soon and I can't wait.  I'm all registered to get the exclusive insight into Special Forces fitness, mindset and performance.  I'm sure its going to help me get the top of Kilimanjaro, helping both mentally and physically.  Register online by visiting the Break-Point website now.

SAS: Who Dares Wins returns this week with Series Two - in the Jungle.  Having grown up living in the depths of the rainforest in Papua New Guinea I can't wait to watch and see what they get up to.  Whilst I am fine with spiders and snakes...and the occasion scorpion in my bedroom, I'm not sure my childhood in any way prepared me for what these brave boys are going to be put through.  Set the never miss now - its going to be epic!!

"Not all who wander are lost" J.R.R.Tolkien

As a child I was fortunate enough not just to travel but to live overseas, growing up in a number of amazing environments, learning with a rich cocktail of people and experiencing some of the most beautiful, diverse cultures this planet has to offer.  Leaving the UK on my first birthday, my family moved to Indonesia, then Mozambique, then Nigeria.....then Papua New Guinea.  Its true that travelling broadens the mind - you may be thinking that these experiences are lost on a child, but actually these early childhood experiences and memories have shaped who I am today.
We didn't live in a compound, we didn't go to a British school - me and my sister Vikki lived as locals, in the local communities and were educated in straw huts surrounded by spiders.  We were the minority yet treated no differently.

Me and my big sister Vikki in Indonesia

Walking the streets with mum in Indonesia

This blog post title is taken from a J.R.R. Tolkien poem "All that is gold does not glitter' written for the Lord of the Rings trilogy (for the Geeks out there it features twice in Fellowship of the Rings).  It is one of my favourite quotes as it describes me perfectly.  I grew up wandering and will probably never settle - but that doesn't mean I'm lost, travelling is home to me.

Going for a swim in the local swimming pool 'yuk creek' in Papua New Guinea

The older I get and the more the world changes - the bigger the pull I have to give back, and to do something for the animals, people & environments that are fading away as the gulf between the developing and developed world grows.  I'm all for change, in fact I thrive on it, but wouldn't it be great if everyone could benefit as the world advances - without the loss of the diverse cultures and environments that exist across the world.

Big sister Vikki, me, yellow ted and the house boy in Nigeria 

Me, Vikki, Ngozi & her daughter in Nigeria

I can't wait to get back to the more rural parts of Africa to see the landscape again, feel the dry soaring heat and see the wildlife running free as it should. I'm hoping for some great views as I make my way up Kilimanjaro.  Whilst climbing this mountain is going to be a great challenge for me I am hoping to raise a shed load of money to help the local communities thrive and the wildlife survive.  My fundraising page will be up soon so please do what you can to spread the word and get people following me - I will not only be updating you on my training and planning but will be highlighting some of the vital work being done by my chosen charity along the way.

Living in the wild often meant visits from the local residents!

I now have the dates confirmed and deposit paid for my climb, its all getting real now.  The toe is on the mend so I'm hoping to get back to training soon.....but first a week of treats as my school friend Jo from Papua New Guinea is visiting from Australia.  Last time I saw her was a year ago as we celebrated our 40th birthday's together with our friends and family from PNG in Bali.  The world is such a small place, and life is too short.  Get those walking boots on and get travelling, there are many overseas volunteering opportunities available if you wanted to give back as you go!

Kilimanjartoe

Well it's been a while since my last post.  I had hoped to be updating you on my exercise, walks in the woods, plans for my trip and passing on some words of wisdom about nature, belief and focus.  Instead I'm sitting here with my feet up getting slightly worried that all my hard work to date may have been for nothing.  I'm sure I can find something positive to say though....

On Saturday I was home alone, looking forward to a lazy evening in - I had done my chores, fed the cats, changed in to my comfy clothes and was getting settled on the sofa for a quiet night in when someone knocked on the door, I jumped up off the sofa and as I walked away my big toe got hooked in the turn up on my other trouser leg (baggy lounge pants!).  I had stepped forward before I realised.... And snap!  One broken big toe.

Okay, okay, not a massive injury but as its my big toe I have been told to stay off it for 5-7 weeks. No yoga, not PT and no Fight Klub 😰😰

Since breaking my toe I have heard lots of stories of people breaking their fingers or toes in clothes related accidents so I know I'm not alone.  To respect their confidentiality I won't share any here, but let's just say I didn't know knickers could be such a hazard!! 😂😂😂😂 you know who you are! 😉 Thank you to my friend Kate for helping me out in the immediate aftermath.

So now for the words of wisdom, don't wear baggy clothes, watch where you step, slow down and be careful!  Also, everything in moderation, take a break, treat yourself, enjoy life...and a spot of rose gardening!!

#500Elephants

Happy Monday!

Now the Olympics are over I'm sure we'll miss the personal stories.  Inspiring stories of passion, determination, teamwork, commitment and dreams.  These stories don't begin and end at the Olympics, these stories are happening everywhere, everyday and I want to share an extraordinary one with you now - this one has an added trunkful of hope, possibility and survival as #500Elephants are on the move in Malawi.

Africa Parks in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife is undertaking one of the largest elephant translocations in human history.  Up to 500 elephants will be moved over this year and next from Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve, to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.  All three parks are managed by African Parks, who is responsible for the protection of 90% of Malawi's elephants.

The 500 elephants are moving as African Parks is building a 16,000 ha sanctuary in Nkhotakota for the elephants and other reintroduced game species.  This is an extremely hopeful story for conservation, elephants, Malawi and the people involved.  It will relieve two parks of human-elephant conflict situations and better protect their habitats while simultaneously restoring wildlife to a park that has been depleted due to poaching.  The new arrivals to Nkhotakota will help with tourism, park development and local employment whilst fueling a conservation led economy.

Whilst I'm loving the image of a line of 500 elephants, trunk holding the tail in-front, walking the 500km journey to their new home - its actually a lot more complicated than that and has taken the efforts of many experts to ensure this specialised operation is a success.  Here is how you move 500 elephants:

1. Elephants will be darted by helicopter
2. Retrieved from the field by crane and recovery trucks
3. Awoken in purpose-built 'wake-up' crates (wish I could have one of them in the mornings)
4. Loaded on to 30-ton low-bed trucks for their journey
5. On arrival, the elephants are released into a holding facility with food and water
6. Following a period of 12-24 hours they will be released in to the wilds of the larger sanctuary to roam freely, roll in the mud, stay safe....and multiply!

If you want to follow their progress and share your support find out more at www.500elephants.org.

You can download banners for facebook & twitter, hashtag your posts with #500Elephants & #KeepItMoving or make a donation towards this epic house move.  I'm sure I can hear 500 rumbles and trumpets to that!

World Elephant Day

Well I couldn't let today pass without a post!  August 12th is World Elephant Day - created to bring the world together to help elephants.  It is a day to honor elephants, to spread awareness about the critical threats they are facing, and to support positive solutions that will help ensure their survival.

A small act from you could make a big difference for these beauties, Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is the largest game reserve in Africa - at 54.600km2, it is bigger than Switzerland.

In less than 40 years it has lost 90% of its elephant herds.  Between 2010 and 2013 six elephants were killed every single day.

Please take two minutes to join the WWF's fight to save Tanzania's largest wilderness.  It really just takes two minutes of your time but will mean a lot to elephants everywhere.

https://makeyourmark.panda.org/selous

Thanks for doing your bit to celebrate World Elephant Day - now crack open the wine and have a good weekend!

The Riddall Effect

I mentioned The Riddall Effect in my last blog and wanted to talk a bit more about it in this post.  Caroline Riddall is my personal trainer and the lady behind The Riddall Effect.  Only a few weeks before I embarked on this adventure Caroline was recommended to me by my Yoga teacher as I was looking for a personal trainer.  Caroline had done training with Jo before and she couldn't speak highly enough of her, so that, along with the fact she worked out of my gym, was enough for me!
I initially started PT as I needed to make a change, I needed to do something to get fit & strong and get some confidence back along the way.  I'm 41 and was determined not to let the mid-life spread set in too soon.  I have had health issues in the past that have caused some issues for my joints and bones, so my exercise options have been limited.
Starting Yoga a couple of years ago has really helped me get some flexibility and strength back - it may seem like a simple thing but six weeks after starting yoga I was able to sit crossed legged on the floor for the first time in 14 years - and now I'm bending in to positions I never knew were possible.  Yoga has been a great help getting me where I am now.  More on Yoga in a later post.

Me and my elephant top hard at it on a PT session

My body is no different to many women, and as I'm getting older it's sagging in all the wrong places!  As Caroline calls them, my "wobbly bits" are expert wobblers!  Bulging belly, bingo wings and saggy boobs are just some of the joys of getting older.  I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that they also lead to a lack of body confidence and a wardrobe full of floaty tops.
Caroline was recommended to me not just because she is a personal trainer but because she works with women of all different shapes and sizes, helping them with fitness, confidence, mental and physical strength....she even throws in a few laughs along the way!

Caroline has done wonders for me already in the 2 months I have been seeing her.  I am getting stronger, more flexible, toned....and with it more confident.   My loose fitting tops at the gym have slowing been replaced with more fitted fitness clothes as I lose weight, tone up and make sure I show my wobbly bits that the best thing they can do is wobble off!
I wouldn't normally post photos like this, but my blog is about my preparations to climb a massive mountain - figuratively as well as literally - so Im embracing the wobble and sharing in the hope that others can see whats possible....and watch my wobble turn to a wobbl, and then a wobb, wob....me and The Riddall Effect are going to nail this.

My poor booty...

....yes thats right, this post is all about my bum.
I should be more specific, my gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and of course my poor piriformis.  Don't get me wrong, I knew I wouldn't be getting to the top of the mountain without any pain, but I wasn't expecting pain so early...and certainly not in my bum!
It all started a few PT sessions ago when The Riddall Effect started a chain of events leading to tonight.  Caroline my personal trainer was putting me through my paces and gave me some exercises for my glutes, she said that my glutes were essential muscles to get me up Kilimanjaro.  As she is a professional, an expert and my friend (but not my bums friends at this point!) I took her advice and imagined how I would feel at the summit of Kilimanjaro with a booty to rival Beyonce's.
On Saturday I went to see another friend, Sarah, who had recently started an "advanced clinical massage" course - sounds lovely right.  Sarah is currently thinking of joining me on the climb so as we were talking about training I was telling her about how my bum was in training, and she suggested she tried out her new skills on said bum muscles to make sure they were loose and flexible.  Oh. My. Actual. Goodness.
Don't get me wrong, it was a lovely massage, but boy did I need it!  I had the tightest bum in Berkshire.  The trigger points were the only sort bits, and whilst I clearly needed it - I now have little fingerprint shaped bruises all over both cheeks.  Ow.  Thank goodness for foam rollers, although even that made me weep a little for a few days after.

This is me volunteering at the Elephant Nature park in Thailand - the elephant had just 'let one off' in my face, it was so powerful it actually blew my hair off my face!  But my bum will never be as big (or windy) as hers.

Wednesday was the return of PT - I dutifully told Caroline about my bruised bottom and how my glutes were 'a little tight & tender' after my massage.  So she kindly proceeded to spend 20 minutes working on my bum, my poor poor bum.  Now it was bruised and stiff and was today still recovering from the traumas of the week - the stretching and rolling is helping a little.
Tonight was Fight Klub and I was quite relaxed about it as it involves little effort for the bum and is mainly upper body work.
Oh. My. Flipping. Goodness.
Duane & Darren decided that plain old boxing wasn't enough...we were going to do some kick boxing.  Front kicks, side kicks, back kicks, high kicks, low kicks....you get the idea....any leg movement that is done by using your glutes. I was managing to kick about one meter off the floor and Duane (bless his little cottons) kept coming up and shouting "higher!" at me.  I tried, I really tried.
I would like to say thank you very much to Caroline, Sarah, Duane & Darren as they help me get in shape. Joking aside I do appreciate their support and I know that "no pain, no gain".  But right now I just needed to let people know that I HAVE A MASSIVE PAIN IN MY ARSE!!
I'm off to cry on the foam roller......

Start as you mean to go on

I went on a walk on Sunday, the first of many I'm sure.  I'm not a great walker, I walk to work and back each day (weather permitting) but that's a leisurely stroll along the Thames, feeding the ducks and passing the time of day with dog walkers.  Two and a half kilometers each way so I guess 5k walking is a good start for someone that "doesn't walk".
Sunday was a rare day in the UK as the sun came out - and its true what they say "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid day sun."  My husband suggested we went for a walk as I need to start getting used to walking for hours at a time on rough terrain....and uphill!  He was being kind and suggested a short 4k walk along the Thames to Sonning.  An easy walk, passing George Clooney's house and ending in a quite little village pub that's great for Z list celebrity spotting.  But where's the fun in that??
So out came the book of walks in Berkshire and instead I suggested a slightly more challenging 10k walk around the village or Wargrave.  This walk was listed as 2 out of 3 difficulty and 2 out of 3 gradient, reaching 248ft.  The walk was meant to take a minimum of 2 hours 15 minutes, so perfect in the midday sun!
Ten minutes in and already I was thinking "What am I doing? Why didn't I agree to Sonning?".  But I kept quiet, smiled sweetly and secretly felt a little smug that I had thought to put my elephant trousers on whilst Grahams bare legs were getting attacked by thistles over every stile.

After a short break to play with some horses we crossed a bridleway that took us out of the fields and into a dense forest. I have to admit I got a bit spooked at this point, we really were out in the middle of nowhere, hot and running out of water.  But then I started to look around, what a beautiful place. Dense tall trees with the sun beaming through onto the ground below that was covered in wild flowers.  Perfect.  All I needed was for Legolas to come galloping through on his white horse and look deep in to my eyes and I would be in heaven.  It would have been wrong not to stop and get at one with nature so a less than elegant tree pose, on a slope, in chunky walking boots and we were on the home straight.
I survived with no cuts, no blisters, no sunburn....and still 18 months to go.  I think I'm going to enjoy this training (still waiting for Legolas).

Motivation

Its been a while since my last post, I guess I'm still getting used to what I should post and what people might be interested in.  This blog is all about my journey to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.  Im not actually climbing it for 18 months but I wanted to share why, what, how etc.
As I sit here watching the British F1 Grand Prix I thought I would talk a bit about motivation.  It's no secret that Lewis Hamilton is my hero.  Lewis was just an ordinary boy from Stevenage with a passion for racing.  Lewis started go-karting as a young boy, had a cheeky chat with Ron Dennis and here he is, a three times F1 World Champion with many more to come I'm sure.

I'm not at all comparing my challenge with what Lewis has to do day in day out, my point is that with hard work, commitment and belief you can do anything.  Lewis has not let anything, or anyone, stand in his way as he has followed his dream with sheer determination.  He has had many challenges to face along the way, but as they say "you never lose, you win or you learn".  Lewis is always putting that learning to good use - and I intend to learn a lot from his drive and positivity as I take on a massive challenge of my own.

So whats motivating me?  I wouldn't say climbing mountains is something I do.  I'm not big on exercise, trekking or anything some might class as 'extreme'.  I just needed to do something, have something to focus on, to work towards, to challenge me, to scare me.  I'm 40 years old and not getting any younger......I want to look back on my life and feel proud, feel that I have lived life to the full.   Don't get me wrong, I have a very good life - but like many people my age I am starting to question what it's all about, why am I here and what can I do to feel that its not all over just yet!!

I will be climbing Kilimanjaro to raise money for charity, but my motivation is more than that.  I'm climbing it to get myself physically stronger, mentally stronger and emotionally stronger.  I want to look back and say "I did that".  I have nothing to prove to anyone, this is for me, to give me something to be proud of.  Lewis just won the race, another achievement, another success - I will most certainly being following his ethos.  Well done Lewis, Africa here I come.

Cuddles, laughing, fighting and dancing

My training is already underway for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. This weekend sees the return of 3ness to Reading for another fitness weekend.  I came to my first one back in February and had such a good time I'm back for another round.  These weekends have a full programme of fitness classes to choose from, all a little different from what you would normally get offered at the gym - and all delivered by the most professional, warm, fun loving people.

The thing I love about these weekends is just how welcome you are made to feel by everyone involved, its basically one big love in of people from all backgrounds and all fitness levels.  My day started as I was welcomed by a big hug from Paul Francis (the man behind 3ness) luckily this was before classes had started and I was still smelling of roses! I've never met him before but thats what 3ness is like - everyone is treated like family.

I started with an hour of laughing yoga which was basically an hour of giggles so whats not to like?  Then I stepped it up a bit (a lot!) with Fit2Fight before embarking on a 90 minute Fight Klub - see my last post to find out more.  Having already been at it for 2 hours all I really wanted was another cuddle but I dug deep and thought of this small(ish) hill thingy in Africa I was going to be conquering and somehow got through the whole session without passing out.  Troy Dureh (Fight Klub founder) led the class and handed over to Dean Heitman for a 'Totally Shredded' session straight after.  Its no secret I love FK but wow - Dean was mental!  Photo below of me with Troy & Dean afterwards - not sure if I was smiling because of the company or because it was all over! Muscles rock.. 😉

Lovely lunch and off we went again - Kangoo Karnival with the two Jasons.  You have to google this, so much fun once you are brave enough to let go of the wall and let your boots do the bouncing.  Final class was the Michael Jackson experience with Troy (I did say in my last post I would talk about him again!).  This time we learned the routine to 'remember the time'.  I was hoping for Earth Song or Heal the World just to give me a little rest, but maybe my arms couldn't have coped with all that swaying following Fight Klub and Totally Shredded.

Thats it for today - home for a long bath and a catch up on the F1 qualifying - Lewis on pole I hear!! 😀

I would like to close by thanking everyone involved in this event yet again for a fantastic, professional, fun day.  Im going home broken but with my timetable for tomorrow all sorted - see you tomorrow 3ness for some pure relaxation.  Kilimanjaro training has begun.

Links to websites etc will be posted shortly! 

The first rule of Fight Klub®....

.....is to ALWAYS talk about it!  So I am.  Fight Klub® is highly addictive as many of my friends will tell you, not because they are addicted too but because it is all I talk about.  Tonight was the first time I'd been for ages, and don't my arms know it.
For those of you that haven't heard of it - check out the link to the left (or just click here).  I highly recommend it as something a little different, high intensity, good fun, high energy...and great after a bad day in the office!!  I first discovered FK when I went along to a 3ness Fitness Weekend (more about that to follow as I'm off to another one on Saturday).  It was set up by a man called Troy Dureh (his Michael Jackson classes are just as much fun) and the name comes from 'Fighting' as it's a martial arts based class and 'Klubbing' as the music is booming - and makes me feel very old(!) Its a mix of boxing, kick boxing & thai boxing and gives your whole body a workout.
I was desperate for classes to be set up nearer home so I could go regularly...and enter Duane & Darren, my saviours.  I'm sure it wasn't designed to help people train to climb a mahoosive mountain but I'm planning to keep it as a regular part of my training - I'll need very strong arms to cling on.... right?  Despite the fact there a lots of different moves I actually find the hardest thing is 'bouncing'.  I just can't do it, even though I'm sure I was bouncing before I was walking I just end up doing some embarrassing jiggy thing...any tips on how to bounce from babies gratefully received!  
Anyway, online booking is now open for July classes so I'm off to make sure I get my spot.  Bye for now.

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I'm still getting into this blogging business but excited to have joined the fun on bloglovin.

Welcome to the elephant diaries

"I'lllll doooooo iiiiiiit" - seven letters in all yet the longest three words ever to leave my mouth.  It was like the world went in to slow motion, I had no control over any of my bodily functions and all I could hear was the sound of my own voice agreeing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.  Yes. That Kilimanjaro.  The highest peak in Africa.  The tallest free standing mountain in the world.  That Kilimanjaro.

Once the hot sweats had died down, the world had started to move at normal speed again and feeling came back to my limbs I spent the next few hours downing caffeine like it was going out of fashion and coming up with as many excuses as I could to get out of it.  Whilst I am not the worlds un-fittest person I am certainly not the fittest.  I have managed to do the odd 5k here and there and to be fair have been working on improving my fitness levels for a few years now.  So the more I let it sink in, the more I thought "why not?".  Thousands of people have climbed it so why not me?

So here I am, about to embark on an epic adventure.  About to shock my body into getting itself fit and strong.  About to challenge my brain to stay positive and overcome fear.  About to subject my heart to every emotion under the sun and about to treat my soul to the most amazing roller coaster of my life.

I have been thinking about blogging for a while now but just didn't know what on earth I had to talk about that people may be interested in.  I've set up the elephant diaries to document my training, fear, diet, panic, planning, shopping, blisters etc etc with you.  I hope you enjoy following my progress and learning more about what it takes to get from your couch to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.