MOUNT KILIMANJARO A JOURNEY OF 1000 MILES MUST BEGIN WITH A SINGLE STEP

A JOURNEY OF 1000 MILES MUST BEGIN WITH A SINGLE STEP

As you can see from the picture below I made it to the top!!!
Started the climb at midnight on the 4th/5th and finished the climb at 7.45am on the 5th September.

Richard all the hard work and torture you put me through for all those weeks paid off throughout the whole 6 days, thank you mate.

I have now been affectionately nick named TONKA after the compact and unbreakable toys!!!Lol

I think it's quite a compliment , it goes well with Lara Croft as I have been also named.

Got to plan for the next venture now. "Always got to have a plan, haven't you" as friend use to say to me.

I have raised well over £1000 for the foundation thanks to all my family friends and work colleagues.

I did have a rest now and then as you can see albeit short like me.
Unfortunatley my friend Pam didn't make it , she was ill from day 2 and day 3 she had to go back she had altitude sickness. Never mind she took up the challenge but the mountain didn't want her.

Only 4 sleeps before I climb "the big hill". With all the training i am afraid the blog has been the last thing on the list of priorities.Bad news though ,how is a girl to survive with only being able to take 15 kilo weight!!! Had to cut down on the undies , good job I'm not into taking shoes by the dozens:).We are going to stink a bit.15 kilo is the price we pay for comfort travel by air rather than truck across Kenya to our destination Kilimanjaro. The domestic flights are strict on the weight this 15k includes hand luggage too. Oh how will I survive without my hair dryer.Last days of training saw me with the weight vest at 10kg of lead, on the treadmill incline level 11 walking in short bursts and doing walking lunges in between each. Thanks Richard I have calves like Arnie Schwatshisname. The boxing has paid of strong arms too.We done some walks , got chased by cows last Saturday as we crossed a field , we where up to our ankles in cow dung and they where gaining on us . I said to Pam F*** opening the gate climb over. it was great way to see fantastic scenery of Rugely and Cannock Chase.Pam and I have a great treat in store on our first day in Kenya we are going to a snake farm. This where the venomous snakes are milked for their anti serum should be fantastic . Rumour has it we are invited for dinner too, hope it's not snake on the menu.It's doubtfull I can get access to a PC while away so this may be the last entry before we ascend to see the sunrise over the Serengeti and have 360 degree view of Africa. I just can't wait.

Personal Training

Well now this training has become a little obsessional. Work is getting in the way Lol!!.

Bank holiday saw us on an 18 mile walk from Mow Cop near Stoke ,to the Cloud and back. Oh boy was it windy at the top, had sit behind a rock to eat our bananas .

I have been on the Wrekin several evening (when not at the gym ) and going off track up steep hillsides

I am at the gym 3 times a week and I have started my personal training sessions with Richard at Fitness First in Wolverhampton 5 weeks ago.

Richards main goal is to ensure my endurance level is at it's peak 2 weeks before we leave on the 28th August. With this in mind, he has be pulling a sledge attached to my waist by a rope with 15 kg weight in it for 10 paces and then sparing either straight punches or hooks.

You can see in the photo I am wearing a weight vest that Richard is loading lead into, at the moment it is up to 5.5kg, I wear this while training, this includes endurance level on the treadmill, followed by walking lunges and climbing 2 flights of stairs with 10 squats between each flight repeated 4 times. He throws down the gauntlet and I pick it up. Thanks Rich your a star will keep training while your on holiday!!. This Lara Croft signing off :)

Well ,now I am back and fighting fit I have been hitting the gym with conviction last week.

Saturday 3rd May saw me embarking on a 20 mile challenge walk across the Pennine way, I tagged onto an organised walk my friend Bev ( who lives in York) was doing for St Leonard's Hospice.

A fine day dawn, we where up at 6 am, and left at 8am for the 90 min drive to Haworth ( Bronte country).

Setting off at 9am it was up hills, down dales, through muddy boggs across reservoir's and over the moors.

The going was good at respectable speed of 3 miles an hour, with 4 x 15 min check- in points along the way we hoped to make back to Howarth by 5pm.

13 miles into the walk we met a lone walker -Julie, who need some morale support to get her to the finish , we slowed the pace in order for her to join us.

Finishing an hour later than hoped, tired and aching, but feeling great that I had completed it . Needless to say, I crawled into bed at 10 pm after a lovely hot soak.

I was overjoyed this morning at finding the only achy part of me was my left tricep from using my walking poles. Wooo Hooo, testimony to my improving fitness.

Thanks Bev and Mike for your most generous hospitality.

Update

Well now that I am fit and well back into the training.

I have been to Hyde Park this weekend and had some tuition for inline skating from Matt who is a qualified instuctor and works for skatefresh his wbsite is http://skatefresh.com/inline-skate-instructors/matt/ Photo to follow.

This will add another dimension to my training as it will help to strengthen my guads, glutes ( heaven knows they need it ) and build on core stability.

I have now discussed my training plan with Richard at Fitness First in Wolverhampton and I am sure he will be craking the whip for me to keep on track.

Doing a 2o mile walk across the Penines this coming weekend.

Snowdonia on the list and the Black mountains too very soon

Only 127 sleeps until the climb begins on the 31st August.

Hi All

Well not much training done over the weekend or this week as I have been struck down with the dreaded Septic tonsilitis.

Better now than in August though.

I will be back training twice as hard as soon as I get over this, I'm a fighter!.

We will be sleeping under canvas soon to get use to the great outdoors ( hope we see some wild critters) not sure if that will be possible on Snowdonia :).

Watch this space for the fight back to "peak" , no pune intended fittness.

Only 136 sleeps until the climb

Cheers for now

Well never the faint hearted ones we set off for a 2 hour trek in the snow over Cannock Chase today.

Plenty of mud as well as snow, not quite Kilimanjaro conditions yet as it may be -40 when we get to the top.

This week has seen me at the gym pumping iron and on the treadmill and cross trainer too.

The practice with my inline skates is coming on . My cat Casper has become expert at dodging me.Things will get better after my coach has given me some lessons . He is roller bladding the London Marathon this coming weekend. Good luck Matt, he works at Gibson Musical with my wonderful son in law Spencer.

Well it's hitting the gym again this week 3 times and getting some yoga in too :)

Today I bought my first pair of inline skates, see the photo, from Decathlon at the Lakeside retail park in Thurrock, and in 2 weeks time I have the first of my lessons . This will add a new dimension to my training regime. I will attempt to roller blade 3 miles a day to begin with.

I did quite well today, Cedric the manger was brilliant and helped with the skates and gave me a quick lesson and a few tips on techique etc.

Thank you Cedric , Cedric has run the Sahara!!! how fantastic.
Only153 sleeps until we climb...Woooo Hoooo

Hi Everyone

I'm new to blogging and so I will having a Perpendicular learning curve in the next few days getting to know my way around the blogging world . Lol.

I will climbing Kilimanjaro in August with my friend Pam. We are both nurses and so up for a challenge .

The ascent starts on the 31st, 4 days up and 2 days down and we can't wait to stand on the roof of Africa and look out across the Serengeti as the sun rises.

We are fortunate that we have the health and strength to achieve this ambition but are aware that there are many who through ill health cannot so we are doing this for charity.

You can visit my donation site on www.justgiving/juliaevans1

This blogg will let my sponsors keep a track of our training.
Anyone reading this who is intraining or has done Kili any tips very welcome.