Story for Much Better Adventures:
We are the two man team Christian Howard and Tom Dignum, individually we are a Pensions Administrator and School Residence coordinator from Cambridge but together we are the Oar Raisers. In November this year (2011)
we intend to row the Atlantic from Gran Canaria to Barbados completely unsupported and alone. This means everything we need we take with us, we are expecting the crossing to take 60 days or less.
Unlike most organised Ocean Rowing events that have a governing body or official coordinator our challenge is solely reliant on hard work, team work and our knowledge of survival and each other. Why do it?.. Many reasons but it is our objective to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s Disease, that said we are adventurers and if we can help a cause in someway whilst being that then we will. The Oar Raisers was set up last year with the idea of using not just rowing but all manner of endurance disciplines to help raise money and awareness.
It occurred to us that adventures we read about as kids, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Shackleton and Edmund Hilary etc had explored it all and that with the recent surge of celebrity expeditions something on this scale had become unachievable for an average man. Thinking that we had to prove ourselves to each other first we set about planning a training regime and pushed each others physical limits. Realising we could physically rely on each other we began to figure out ways of getting things donated from kit to costs and decided to put a corporate proposal together and approach as many people as possible, it worked and we got some of our cost paid for but more importantly we were offered the use of fully sea worthy boat.
It should never be felt that because it has already been done it shouldn’t be done again. Whilst the Atlantic has been rowed successfully in the past it has also been attempted unsuccessfully and claimed the lives of nearly a third of all those that have tried. The point we want people never to forget is that they are capable and they can achieve anything they want to with the right drive and attitude. Adventure need not be a wealthy persons playground, it’s about getting organised, making decisions and survival.
We are excited about our voyage and hope others will be inspired to do the same or similar, by cutting out middle men and organisers you can do things cheaper and more efficiently without sacrificing safety. The World is a big outdoor playground and we spend most of our lives locked in offices, chained to desks. No matter how many times something is done, no matter how much is explored or uncovered you cannot know the experience unless you do it.
The discovery of oneself and figuring out how you react under different pressures presents you in a new light, confronting your fears, embracing the emotions and going into the eye of storm is one thing but coming out unscathed is another.
The greatest adventure lies not in landscapes and horizons but in the eyes of your team mates. Trusting each other to make the right decisions, depending on each other to pull through, improvising, adapting and overcoming everything together.
Wednesday 19 October 2011
Saturday 10 September 2011
busy, busy...busy.
Well it’s been a while since our last update but as I’m sure you can all imagine we’ve been busy busy busy...
Our boat has had the electronics system fitted, the new GPS repeater mounted, ships compass placed, Desalinator is being serviced and we are almost ready to fit the runners and seat pad’s. Quite excitingly we we’ve even had some our very own sponsors logos put on which makes her even more beautiful to look at. So Deritend Industries, HeaterMEALS, Lodestar festival, Row Perfect you are all on and our others are being printed this week.
Speaking of Sponsors special thanks must go out to Karen at TEVApharma for convincing her sponsorship committee to sign up to our bronze package with a whopping £1500!!! Thank you kindly - at this stage we appreciate everything we can get so this is an enormous help.
Displaying the boat at Lode star was a great experience and very beneficial from an exposure point of view. We had a Star Radio interview pre-recorded which will go out sometime next week, then a live radio interview on the Sue Marchant show BBC Radio Cambridgeshire - very nice woman indeed, asked all the right questions and hopefully got the answers I wanted to give, mentioned some of our sponsors and talked about the potential hazards of the trip.
Abi has been working tirelessly on kit donation and has secured sun glasses, microfiber towels, hot water cannister, eating utensils and most impressively two GPS watches worth £180 a piece!... Necessary in the event we have to abandon ship or our GPS repeater fails. Well done Abi keep up the good work.
Wills written, provision made for the worst scenario.
Twelve weeks to go and we are still working hard harder than ever actually, sourcing kit, getting the donations in and still hunting the funding. We get tired but when we’re tired there’s still more to be done so perhaps in a way the busier we are the better prepared we’ll be... its certainly good practice and belief building in that we know we can rely on each other to get things done.
Tonight is our farewell ball in conjunction with Charlie Wall and Cambridge boot camps to whom we owe a great deal - thank you Wally. To all of you that couldn’t make it, you will be missed and we hope to see you soon, here’s hoping for a great night of fun, friends, and fundraising....
out - R2.
Our boat has had the electronics system fitted, the new GPS repeater mounted, ships compass placed, Desalinator is being serviced and we are almost ready to fit the runners and seat pad’s. Quite excitingly we we’ve even had some our very own sponsors logos put on which makes her even more beautiful to look at. So Deritend Industries, HeaterMEALS, Lodestar festival, Row Perfect you are all on and our others are being printed this week.
Speaking of Sponsors special thanks must go out to Karen at TEVApharma for convincing her sponsorship committee to sign up to our bronze package with a whopping £1500!!! Thank you kindly - at this stage we appreciate everything we can get so this is an enormous help.
Displaying the boat at Lode star was a great experience and very beneficial from an exposure point of view. We had a Star Radio interview pre-recorded which will go out sometime next week, then a live radio interview on the Sue Marchant show BBC Radio Cambridgeshire - very nice woman indeed, asked all the right questions and hopefully got the answers I wanted to give, mentioned some of our sponsors and talked about the potential hazards of the trip.
Abi has been working tirelessly on kit donation and has secured sun glasses, microfiber towels, hot water cannister, eating utensils and most impressively two GPS watches worth £180 a piece!... Necessary in the event we have to abandon ship or our GPS repeater fails. Well done Abi keep up the good work.
Wills written, provision made for the worst scenario.
Twelve weeks to go and we are still working hard harder than ever actually, sourcing kit, getting the donations in and still hunting the funding. We get tired but when we’re tired there’s still more to be done so perhaps in a way the busier we are the better prepared we’ll be... its certainly good practice and belief building in that we know we can rely on each other to get things done.
Tonight is our farewell ball in conjunction with Charlie Wall and Cambridge boot camps to whom we owe a great deal - thank you Wally. To all of you that couldn’t make it, you will be missed and we hope to see you soon, here’s hoping for a great night of fun, friends, and fundraising....
out - R2.
Monday 27 June 2011
Boat Brunch, benefit gig and swelling...
The last month has been incredibly busy, fraught with tension and mounting hard work in the search for corporate sponsors. Having entered talks with two potentially big sponsors based in Cambridge only to be told this week that they could not support our endeavour at this time... Our hopes had risen only to fall again, we have now become somewhat thick skinned about matters such as these and therefore try to move on fairly quickly in order to keep ourselves confident and ready to approach new companies.
The boat has now had a few former sponsor stickers removed and has plenty of space for advertising by companies willing to support and help us either financially or with products and services, this week R1 successfully managed to get some new Oarlocks (gates) donated, they're specialist gates and actually seem be a lot more efficient and practical than most standard gates. Well done R1...
Last weekend The Oar Raisers held a fathers day boat brunch aboard the river boat Georgina. Organised by Abigail Smith our Fundraising Manager. Approximately forty people endured the cruise up river & attentively listened to our presentation about the Atlantic and things we have to think about before leaving and whilst on the water. This is a presentation designed to give information about the trip and it is the exact pitch we give to other groups such as companies and schools - for this reason it is fairly flexible in it's delivery so we can tailor to each individual audience. It is always interesting to see people's reactions at certain things we mention or slides we show... sharks tending to take the lime light on every occasion.
Aside of the presentation we held a raffle which had one large hamper prize... Large in this case was actually close to enormous. We had a plethora of exciting foods from Atlantic smoked salmon and Salami's to some of the most fantastic cheeses I'd ever tried. Due to Abigail' persistence and brilliant efforts at working on donations for the event we were supplied with a veritable smorgasbord of Sausages, Jams, chutneys and croissants... a really stunning effort on her part and well worth it, the boat brunch would not have been as successful without her commitment and focus. Thank you and well done Abigail.
The Day before the brunch we actually took Papa Delta on the Cam and rowed her for the first time although on slightly calmer waters than we can expect to experience later this year. Saturday 18th June the last day of the bumps and we rowed ahead of the mens division five 8's crew, mooring up outside the plough in Fen Ditton and talking to people about our trip - even managing a long overdue catch up with some of the former CCat's R1 rowed with.
The following week consisted of R1 having wisdom teeth removed and affecting a Desperate Dan style swollen face and R2 has had a popeyesque swollen arm due to some mild ligament damage... SOunding a lot more serious than I think it actually is, we are both on the road to recovery thankfully.
Friday 1st of July The Oar Raisers benefit gig at the Haymakers Cambridge in conjunction with Nein Sushi promotions -four bands and a comedian for £5!!!... talk about value for money and what a way to help a charity...come on down and bring your friends, that's all for now - keep reading guys.
R2
The boat has now had a few former sponsor stickers removed and has plenty of space for advertising by companies willing to support and help us either financially or with products and services, this week R1 successfully managed to get some new Oarlocks (gates) donated, they're specialist gates and actually seem be a lot more efficient and practical than most standard gates. Well done R1...
Last weekend The Oar Raisers held a fathers day boat brunch aboard the river boat Georgina. Organised by Abigail Smith our Fundraising Manager. Approximately forty people endured the cruise up river & attentively listened to our presentation about the Atlantic and things we have to think about before leaving and whilst on the water. This is a presentation designed to give information about the trip and it is the exact pitch we give to other groups such as companies and schools - for this reason it is fairly flexible in it's delivery so we can tailor to each individual audience. It is always interesting to see people's reactions at certain things we mention or slides we show... sharks tending to take the lime light on every occasion.
Aside of the presentation we held a raffle which had one large hamper prize... Large in this case was actually close to enormous. We had a plethora of exciting foods from Atlantic smoked salmon and Salami's to some of the most fantastic cheeses I'd ever tried. Due to Abigail' persistence and brilliant efforts at working on donations for the event we were supplied with a veritable smorgasbord of Sausages, Jams, chutneys and croissants... a really stunning effort on her part and well worth it, the boat brunch would not have been as successful without her commitment and focus. Thank you and well done Abigail.
The Day before the brunch we actually took Papa Delta on the Cam and rowed her for the first time although on slightly calmer waters than we can expect to experience later this year. Saturday 18th June the last day of the bumps and we rowed ahead of the mens division five 8's crew, mooring up outside the plough in Fen Ditton and talking to people about our trip - even managing a long overdue catch up with some of the former CCat's R1 rowed with.
The following week consisted of R1 having wisdom teeth removed and affecting a Desperate Dan style swollen face and R2 has had a popeyesque swollen arm due to some mild ligament damage... SOunding a lot more serious than I think it actually is, we are both on the road to recovery thankfully.
Friday 1st of July The Oar Raisers benefit gig at the Haymakers Cambridge in conjunction with Nein Sushi promotions -four bands and a comedian for £5!!!... talk about value for money and what a way to help a charity...come on down and bring your friends, that's all for now - keep reading guys.
R2
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Paris to Cambridge cycle post event report:
The Oar Raisers 300 mile Paris to Cambs cycle challenge took place at approximately 15:30 on the 26/05/2011.
The day before the Oar Raisers held two events in order to boost the funds raised and hopefully gain some encouragement from the attendants of a school in Bucks that had a visit from R1 and Papa Delta UK (our boat) and a school in Cambridge that sang at a concert named music on the mound at CCC where R2 works. The simultaneous events have yet to confirm the amounts raised but we are hopeful that it will be a surprising amount.
Leaving Gard du Nord Paris and heading down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées toward the Arc de Triomphe with some trepidation about cycling in the worlds most crazy driving city (description courtesy of many folk the world over) we set out and kept our wits about us only experiencing five or six near death moments. Having said that we Oar Raisers are a little insane at the best of times and we like a challenge, thankfully our three friends also participating found the whole thing utterly bonkers and therefore hilarious!.... good one guys, it was a pleasure haha
The road from Paris to Calais is undulating with some long drawn out hill rises that punish your legs and will power with every revolution. The only good thing about going up these hills is knowing eventually you will need to come down again and when you come down on a road bike as light as the ones we'd taken - well that's when you reap the rewards... clocking up speeds we couldn't believe (increasing risk of death). These speedy descents didn't just help physically but it actually provided a great moral boost.
Getting out of the built up areas and leaving behind the outskirts of Paris took longer than expected due to the amount traffic lights we had to stop at, I am reliably informed by our two support drivers (Clive & Berni - many heart felt thanks) that it took them even longer to get out than us and in fact we reached our first checkpoint before they did. Continuing on through the most picturesque countryside we gained some speed on the long straight road to the next check point some sixty miles in. We refuelled, filled our camelBak's and ate some chocolate, setting out with High Vis tops and reflective gear, lights and an extra layer. The dark set in quite quickly and the temperature dropped but to our surprise so did the wind. It was an utterly surreal experience cycling at 25mph through dark French ghost towns, deserted streets and blackened rural lanes with nothing but the collective lights of the bikes and the low whirring hum of our wheels, it was completely zonal and concentrated as if we had become one unit, a kafkaesque realisation in my mind, had I woken up from a day dream to realise I was a five man sized fire fly zipping through the French fields?!... I wasn't sure but I had begun to lose focus and drift off into a world of distraction, safety was becoming an issue.
At the next check point we had a bit of rest, my core temperature had dropped dramatically and I need hot food and energy, HeaterMeals on the go at a Macdonalds car park in the dark, coffee was brewed by the support guys in the van and we somewhere around the 100 mile in mark, one third of the way through and people were starting to feel low. However no one wanted to stop, everyone kept going and the van stopped somewhere just short of Amiens awaiting the next cyclist feed and watering. Going into morning one of our participants had the misfortune of pulling a hamstring, this left him unable to continue and emotionally let down by his own sense of failure - He failed nothing and achieved something most people could not, further more he impressed the Oar Raisers a great deal and they're very grateful to him for his efforts and his commitment to the cause, chin up old son there'll be plenty of other things we can do together in the future but for now just know that we will never forget doing this with you.
The morning stayed cold for some time, we had 82 miles to go in little under 12 hours, we were pushing it and running close to the mark, cracking on and steaming through to Doullen, then Lillers and Saint Omer everyone pushed out their best efforts and dug deep into their reserves. Monsoons like down pour lasting roughly one hour had not helped matters, fatigued, emotional and hungry we now had a serious deadline that started to look out of sight. Powering through the next 34 kilometers I came to a round about, anticipating the bus taking the roundabout first I held back slightly and then put the power down to fly straight over without losing speed and efficiency.... all had gone to plan until the bus ejected some fluids from it's rear (it could have been water, brake fluid, anything but my guess is it was piss...) whatever it was it turned the road into a sudden grease pan, I went down - sliding round the way on my left buttock and fore arm, a surprising distance actually. Knowing I was going dow my first thought was SHIT, I don't want to scuff my new bike up!... my second thought was I hope the car behind me has enough time to stop. Having studied the falling techniques of pro riders and watching you tube clips I managed to execute the perfect textbook fall and recovery, I stayed with the bike and held her up with my legs... to both mine and Tom' utter disbelief my stunning new Felt bike had not a mark on her!... but my arse and arm are still paying for it.
Unperturbed and not even phased just pleased by the lack of damage to my beast I carried on and got to the next check point. we ate and now I needed extra fuel in the form of SIS powder sachets mixed into my water, I swear by the electrolyte Lemon&Lime pack - it's brilliant.
Still racing to Calais we had little time and much ground to cover... in the last hour we pulled out some amazing cycling and got to with roughly kilometers from Calais, the Van picked us up here and drove us in as we couldn't cycle on the Motorway strip into port. Check in and passport control, everyone zombified and tired as you can get we waited in the holding area and answered questions from customs officials that were curious about our John Wayne style walks. We knew we were well on our way now and the UK leg would be a breeze in comparison. It was not. In fact From Dover to kent and then on to Cambridge was the worst part of the journey, the roads are poor and dangerous, the majority of drivers here have nothing but contempt for cyclists and often turns into violent abuse, that's if they even see you. Whereas the roads in France are smoother than marble, they have dedicated cycle lanes than don't go off at crossings where you have to dismount and walk half a mile and the drivers love all cyclists - often tooting and waving, asking questions etc even the Gendamerie were inquisitive and happy to talk to us about our trip...
So Dover to Kent by night a slightly disconcerting and mildly unamusing affair altogether. Stopping at the Frog and Toad Pub n Gillingham for a well earned rest and bowls full of Chilli, we bedded down for four hours to ensure people were rested enough to carry on to Cambridge. Early star then on to Gravesend where just like the walk event in February, we boarded the Tilbury ferry service and from there cycled straight through to Brentwood and making quite good time - I think we were all much happier about cycling the UK in the light, at night the risk was just too great. Taking roughly the same route as we had with the walk we headed to Bishops Stortford and Stanstead Mountfitchet way then the final leg was within our grasp and we stopped to refuel once more at Hatfield Heath, water and energy bars, snikers, and a banana... this was it the final push and all any of us could think about was that beautiful black pint of guinness waiting for us. (that is without doubt the only thing that kept me going at that point)
Shelford, Sawston, the back of Addenbrookes in the distance... a pleasant warm and sun glazed Cambridge sky welcomed us home, Perne Road roundabouts fell away like sweet nuggets of nothingness and suddenly turning onto Mill road the sun blinding us like the gates of heaven streaming light upon us, we rode that last two minutes sedately and calm, not through lack of energy and tiredness but because it was ending... we knew the=is was it and wanted to savour those last glorious moments as the Empress came up to us with cheers of celebration and congratulating claps...
We did it!... We'd cycled 300 miles and all for Parkinson's UK the total amount raised is to be confirmed but we had achieved something ridiculous, absurd and utterly inspiring. Well done to you all and thank you everyone who helped to raise money and support this event - thank you all.
Keep reading and come see us at Strawberry Fair on the 04/06/11 where we'll be exhibiting our boat.
Event success, special thanks to R1 for pulling off an amazing fete of organisation too, good work dude.
out, R2
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Busy, Boat, Busy...
Hello everyone, Sorry for the lack of communication this last month - the Oar Raisers have been mighty busy. Up's and downs with many things (getting used to being tossed about by 8meter waves) firstly the cycle ride on the 26th May from Paris to Cambridge is essentially fully planned and organised. Ferry, trains and support van booked. Route still being looked into and bikes almost sorted. The realisation that my bright yellow racer is not fit for purpose has come as a last minute irritation but at least we found out now as opposed to half way between Paris and Calais...
So one bike still needed, looking into loans and or cycle to work scheme... A personal cost I had not wished factor into my life at this stage, however needs must etc - it's for charity! ( I keep shouting this at myself in the hope I come to accept how much I'm spending in order to achieve our ultimate goal...) Destination arranged for late afternoon/early evening on Saturday 28th May at the Empress Pub Cambridge - BBQ and beers for our arrival so we hope to see all our friends and if possible some family too, all support is appreciated and if you haven't sponsored us yet please get involved now and contact us before it's too late.
19th June, Father Day - the Oar Raisers boat brunch on River Cam in conjunction with river boat Georgina, tickets on sale now for £25 please see the facebook events page and get you fill, there are limited places for this event so get in quick!... should be a lovely little cruise.
Our biggest and perhaps most exciting news comes in the form of Papa Delta Uniform Kilo... (confused..?) Today the Oar Raisers met face to face with Matt & Chris Cleghorn to finalise the use of our the boat. All being well and finding the storage space we pick her up on the 21st May in just two weeks. Both Tom & I are more excited than we can express and very grateful to the Cleghorn Bros for their help and support in our adventure. So PD UK is her name - as in Parkinson's Disease UK and she is soon to be seen in around Cambridge. If you have any ideas of companies that would like to use her as a temporary exhibit on their site, or any big public events such as festivals or schools that would like a visit from us then please get in touch and help raise that extra bit of cash for the charity!... It is suddenly really and far more achievable than we had realised until now.
That's all for now folks, so get in touch find out you can help us - do something amazing and climb aboard the charity boat!...
Chris.
So one bike still needed, looking into loans and or cycle to work scheme... A personal cost I had not wished factor into my life at this stage, however needs must etc - it's for charity! ( I keep shouting this at myself in the hope I come to accept how much I'm spending in order to achieve our ultimate goal...) Destination arranged for late afternoon/early evening on Saturday 28th May at the Empress Pub Cambridge - BBQ and beers for our arrival so we hope to see all our friends and if possible some family too, all support is appreciated and if you haven't sponsored us yet please get involved now and contact us before it's too late.
19th June, Father Day - the Oar Raisers boat brunch on River Cam in conjunction with river boat Georgina, tickets on sale now for £25 please see the facebook events page and get you fill, there are limited places for this event so get in quick!... should be a lovely little cruise.
Our biggest and perhaps most exciting news comes in the form of Papa Delta Uniform Kilo... (confused..?) Today the Oar Raisers met face to face with Matt & Chris Cleghorn to finalise the use of our the boat. All being well and finding the storage space we pick her up on the 21st May in just two weeks. Both Tom & I are more excited than we can express and very grateful to the Cleghorn Bros for their help and support in our adventure. So PD UK is her name - as in Parkinson's Disease UK and she is soon to be seen in around Cambridge. If you have any ideas of companies that would like to use her as a temporary exhibit on their site, or any big public events such as festivals or schools that would like a visit from us then please get in touch and help raise that extra bit of cash for the charity!... It is suddenly really and far more achievable than we had realised until now.
That's all for now folks, so get in touch find out you can help us - do something amazing and climb aboard the charity boat!...
Chris.
Tuesday 29 March 2011
Bleeding, Booting, Courses...
The blood we give as individuals is precious, despite the corny taglines of
TV adverts and poster propaganda found in hospital corridors your blood is
Amazing and very valuable to you but it's even more valuable to someone
Else. I'm not going to lecture on this because the truth is people that want
To give will give, you've had years of opportunity and now it's easier than ever.
I give blood regularly and believe it is one of the few completely altruistic acts
You can engage in today. Find out everything you need to know at -
http://www.blood.co.uk/
Go on bleed for someone.
Boot Camp with Charlie Wall and friends. A successful event with a lot of
Panting and muscle making. A stunning morning at Cherry Hinton Hall Park
With a fantastic turn out of 26 participants and one Mike Power from Optimise-
Fitness providing professional massages. Without having met the troupe before
It was difficult to guage what kind of level we were working with and to what degree
We could beast them. Turns out they were all very good, and enjoyed the pain even
Giving requests for less rest breaks and more cardio!... Well next time I personally
Will be shouting the pain into them and making sure the feel something a little more
Punishing (Charlie, Amy and Ed - I'm targeting you, so be prepared...)
All in all it was a very fun morning and we were pleased to have met such a great bunch of people, Both Tom & I are hoping to stay in touch and keep you updated with our progress on our all our challenges. Just a quick note; The Prize of an official Oar Raisers T-shirt went to the person that worked the hardest and deserved it the most - Well done Lavinia for completing the whole session in wellington boots and still smiling at the end!...
http://www.purplefitness.co.uk/
http://www.optimise-fitness.com/
This weekend The Oar Riasers were in Gosport, a small and interesting place between
Southampton and Portsmouth. Arriving on Friday evening and staying at a place called
Jim & Joan' B&B (thank you for being so friendly and accomodating). Saturday involved a full day of First aid at sea and Defibularator training. Highly intense and vey interesting, Remarkably easy to use and hugely important!... People that have an electrical heart failure have a 5% survival rate without a Defib but getting one in time can increase chances of survival
To 50%....!!!
Sunday was our VHF radio course and exam to get the license. I think we both underestimated just how hard this test would be. I for one was sweating and very anxious about the exam, something I am normally quite good at and capable of as I am - this was tough. Both Tom & I spent the day learning the theory and proceedures, having practical experience with the radio sets and going through all kinds of scenarios. This was a lot of fun and very interesting - people think as long as you know the phonetic alphabet that using Radio comms would be easy…
It's not, and there are specific proceedurs and protocals for good reason. Finally after a day's training we sat down to an exam sheet on opposite sides of the room we nervously picked up Our pens. The examiner went through our papers together a little while later and the suspense was agonising… I hadn't felt like this since my finals at uni. Torturing us that bit longer the examiner made a few disconcerting grumbles as he looked over things, finally delivering the lines -
" well, you've both passed" Extatic I felt relief that I hadn’t let Tom down and I think that feeling was returned in Tom for me…. What is weird is that we both only got one question wrong and bizarrely it was the same one!... Two courses down we were homeward bound and very pleased with ouselves, progress comes in all kinds of ways right now and this was brilliant!..
Stay tuned folks.
TV adverts and poster propaganda found in hospital corridors your blood is
Amazing and very valuable to you but it's even more valuable to someone
Else. I'm not going to lecture on this because the truth is people that want
To give will give, you've had years of opportunity and now it's easier than ever.
I give blood regularly and believe it is one of the few completely altruistic acts
You can engage in today. Find out everything you need to know at -
http://www.blood.co.uk/
Go on bleed for someone.
Boot Camp with Charlie Wall and friends. A successful event with a lot of
Panting and muscle making. A stunning morning at Cherry Hinton Hall Park
With a fantastic turn out of 26 participants and one Mike Power from Optimise-
Fitness providing professional massages. Without having met the troupe before
It was difficult to guage what kind of level we were working with and to what degree
We could beast them. Turns out they were all very good, and enjoyed the pain even
Giving requests for less rest breaks and more cardio!... Well next time I personally
Will be shouting the pain into them and making sure the feel something a little more
Punishing (Charlie, Amy and Ed - I'm targeting you, so be prepared...)
All in all it was a very fun morning and we were pleased to have met such a great bunch of people, Both Tom & I are hoping to stay in touch and keep you updated with our progress on our all our challenges. Just a quick note; The Prize of an official Oar Raisers T-shirt went to the person that worked the hardest and deserved it the most - Well done Lavinia for completing the whole session in wellington boots and still smiling at the end!...
http://www.purplefitness.co.uk/
http://www.optimise-fitness.com/
This weekend The Oar Riasers were in Gosport, a small and interesting place between
Southampton and Portsmouth. Arriving on Friday evening and staying at a place called
Jim & Joan' B&B (thank you for being so friendly and accomodating). Saturday involved a full day of First aid at sea and Defibularator training. Highly intense and vey interesting, Remarkably easy to use and hugely important!... People that have an electrical heart failure have a 5% survival rate without a Defib but getting one in time can increase chances of survival
To 50%....!!!
Sunday was our VHF radio course and exam to get the license. I think we both underestimated just how hard this test would be. I for one was sweating and very anxious about the exam, something I am normally quite good at and capable of as I am - this was tough. Both Tom & I spent the day learning the theory and proceedures, having practical experience with the radio sets and going through all kinds of scenarios. This was a lot of fun and very interesting - people think as long as you know the phonetic alphabet that using Radio comms would be easy…
It's not, and there are specific proceedurs and protocals for good reason. Finally after a day's training we sat down to an exam sheet on opposite sides of the room we nervously picked up Our pens. The examiner went through our papers together a little while later and the suspense was agonising… I hadn't felt like this since my finals at uni. Torturing us that bit longer the examiner made a few disconcerting grumbles as he looked over things, finally delivering the lines -
" well, you've both passed" Extatic I felt relief that I hadn’t let Tom down and I think that feeling was returned in Tom for me…. What is weird is that we both only got one question wrong and bizarrely it was the same one!... Two courses down we were homeward bound and very pleased with ouselves, progress comes in all kinds of ways right now and this was brilliant!..
Stay tuned folks.
Monday 14 March 2011
Cycling, fundraising and Networking...
This is a brief but important entry, whilst The Oar Raisers have been very busy the last few weeks we'd like it to be known that our current thought are with those devastated by the recent natural events in Japan. HeaterMeals our primary food sponsor has shipped an enormous quantity of aid to assist the one million or more homeless - suffice to say The Oar Raisers are truly grateful and priviledged to be working with such kind and caring people.
To business then, last week the Kent contingent from the Frog & Toad Pub Gillingham pulled in a collection from the walk of around £1200. Adding to their previous efforts this is an absolutely astounding contribution and goes a long way to aiding our cause. We' like to thank everyone of you fantastic individuals that completed the last twelve miles of the walk event and we want to express our fondest gratitudes... Thank you all.
The weekend just gone saw both rowers and Abigail up at the changing of the light for a car boot sale - something we hope to make a fairly regular money maker (so all donations of old junk or good no longer needed are appreciated, we can use anything and everything). Making over £100 pound for a mornings work is successful enough in our position as every little helps.
The cycle event is coming along and approaching faster than we thought it would, training for it is really very enjoyable as the cardio is challenging, working different muscles to those we're used to and shockingly painful at points - endurance is king and we beast the bikes!... bring on Paris, if you want to get involved their is still time please get in touch for full details.
Extending our network and sharing it with other causes we have a soft spot for, we have agreed to help in any way we can with a project called 'Save The Falcon', for those of you that know us well enough you'll probably have assumed that The Falcon in question is actually a Pub not the Great British bird of prey.... This grade II listed building is in need of serious restoration - a public interest and a decent campaign to bring the world of Cromwellian era debauchery back to live. The guys working on this project are very passionate and need all the help we can give them so anyone that wants the chance to do a little restoration of a very old building should get in touch with me in the usual fashion - Let's not see another pub fall victim to our financial climate and negligence, we all have the power to stand up for the things we want to see thrive so come stand with us.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SAVE-the-Falcon-Huntingdon/183647998342774
finally this coming Saturday is the Oar raisers bootcamp session at Cherry Hinton Hall Park - 10:00 AM £10 minimum donation in conjunction with Charlie Wall and Cambridge Boot Camps.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambridge-Boot-Camps/103641436378297
http://www.purplefitness.co.uk
http://www.cambridgebootcamps.co.uk
ok that's all folk, be well and keep those chins up.
R2.
To business then, last week the Kent contingent from the Frog & Toad Pub Gillingham pulled in a collection from the walk of around £1200. Adding to their previous efforts this is an absolutely astounding contribution and goes a long way to aiding our cause. We' like to thank everyone of you fantastic individuals that completed the last twelve miles of the walk event and we want to express our fondest gratitudes... Thank you all.
The weekend just gone saw both rowers and Abigail up at the changing of the light for a car boot sale - something we hope to make a fairly regular money maker (so all donations of old junk or good no longer needed are appreciated, we can use anything and everything). Making over £100 pound for a mornings work is successful enough in our position as every little helps.
The cycle event is coming along and approaching faster than we thought it would, training for it is really very enjoyable as the cardio is challenging, working different muscles to those we're used to and shockingly painful at points - endurance is king and we beast the bikes!... bring on Paris, if you want to get involved their is still time please get in touch for full details.
Extending our network and sharing it with other causes we have a soft spot for, we have agreed to help in any way we can with a project called 'Save The Falcon', for those of you that know us well enough you'll probably have assumed that The Falcon in question is actually a Pub not the Great British bird of prey.... This grade II listed building is in need of serious restoration - a public interest and a decent campaign to bring the world of Cromwellian era debauchery back to live. The guys working on this project are very passionate and need all the help we can give them so anyone that wants the chance to do a little restoration of a very old building should get in touch with me in the usual fashion - Let's not see another pub fall victim to our financial climate and negligence, we all have the power to stand up for the things we want to see thrive so come stand with us.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SAVE-the-Falcon-Huntingdon/183647998342774
finally this coming Saturday is the Oar raisers bootcamp session at Cherry Hinton Hall Park - 10:00 AM £10 minimum donation in conjunction with Charlie Wall and Cambridge Boot Camps.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambridge-Boot-Camps/103641436378297
http://www.purplefitness.co.uk
http://www.cambridgebootcamps.co.uk
ok that's all folk, be well and keep those chins up.
R2.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Washing Cars, Boat Show and cycling...
The last week has been a tough one with a little fundraising and a lot of hard work...
Recently funds have been coming in dribble and we are putting in a lot of effort and work for what seems like very little pay off, however each £100 pound raised counts for an awful lot when you consider the total fund we have to raise. Now into March we are looking at new ways of raising larger sums with events and still pursuing the corporate sponsor route - we need help, as much as ever. So new strategies have been drawn up and ideas formulated for potential sponsors, although the existing packages are still in place, our negotiations and presentations have taken a new twist. to be revealed in good time.
On Friday 25th Feb myself and one very special volunteer ran a car wash day at Cambridgeshire County Council... I never realised just how big and dirty some cars could be. By the end of the day a total of 22 cars were washed at a minimum donation of £4.50 I actually had to turn cars away at one point, a situation I did not want to be in but had the extra volunteers perhaps we could have accommodated more vehicles. Despite this failing I was pleased with the funds raised and must make my very sincere thanks known to Berni who helped on this event tirelessly from start to finish.
On Saturday 26th February Tom & I attended the Birmingham NEC Boat show, winning free tickets from Star radio Cambridge we took advantage of the day parading the halls in our Oar Raisers T-shirts and buttering up potential sponsors and suppliers. We made some very positive connections and hopefully a few good working relationships may come of it.
Having posted the next big event on Face book, we've been training a more sport specific regime for an endurance cycle ride. The Oar Raisers Paris to Cambridge cycle challenge is open to all and will take place at the end of May, details are on Face book and various posters but are also available by email on request. This is a really tough event requiring massive amounts of organising where logistics are concerned so any help is appreciated and greatly needed...
That's all for now gang, keep following and hopefully March will bring some good news for all of us!...
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193009884052405
Recently funds have been coming in dribble and we are putting in a lot of effort and work for what seems like very little pay off, however each £100 pound raised counts for an awful lot when you consider the total fund we have to raise. Now into March we are looking at new ways of raising larger sums with events and still pursuing the corporate sponsor route - we need help, as much as ever. So new strategies have been drawn up and ideas formulated for potential sponsors, although the existing packages are still in place, our negotiations and presentations have taken a new twist. to be revealed in good time.
On Friday 25th Feb myself and one very special volunteer ran a car wash day at Cambridgeshire County Council... I never realised just how big and dirty some cars could be. By the end of the day a total of 22 cars were washed at a minimum donation of £4.50 I actually had to turn cars away at one point, a situation I did not want to be in but had the extra volunteers perhaps we could have accommodated more vehicles. Despite this failing I was pleased with the funds raised and must make my very sincere thanks known to Berni who helped on this event tirelessly from start to finish.
On Saturday 26th February Tom & I attended the Birmingham NEC Boat show, winning free tickets from Star radio Cambridge we took advantage of the day parading the halls in our Oar Raisers T-shirts and buttering up potential sponsors and suppliers. We made some very positive connections and hopefully a few good working relationships may come of it.
Having posted the next big event on Face book, we've been training a more sport specific regime for an endurance cycle ride. The Oar Raisers Paris to Cambridge cycle challenge is open to all and will take place at the end of May, details are on Face book and various posters but are also available by email on request. This is a really tough event requiring massive amounts of organising where logistics are concerned so any help is appreciated and greatly needed...
That's all for now gang, keep following and hopefully March will bring some good news for all of us!...
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193009884052405
Sunday 20 February 2011
Tuesday 8 February 2011
The Oar Raisers Cambridge to Kent post walk report:
Post Even Report:
The Oar Raiser Cambridge to Kent walk
As you’re all no doubt aware, last weekend saw the Oar Raisers and some dedicated friends went for an 80 mile stroll down to Gillingham Kent. For Tom & I this was both a fundraiser and training exercise, it was intended to test our physical and mental endurance at this stage in our Atlantic campaign.
At 07:00 Friday morning we left Cambridge City centre waved off by the Mayor, ten participant in total. We set off with the route heading to Saffron Walden intending to make this our first big rest stop. This first leg of the journey felt upbeat, exciting and quite swift. It took around six hours even though we stopped a few times to grap supplies and speak to local press. It was really important that we motivated everyone on this leg as it was the first and completing it with ease would make the rest seem much more achievable. Finding a nice Cafe we took just over 30 minutes rest to change our socks, eat and get ready to move out.
Next leg was on to Stanstead Mountfitchet, we were less three people. Our two female companions had only intended to do the first leg as they had prior engagements later that day - nonetheless both Maria and Lisa walked their part with ease and kept following our progress throughout the weekend, well done gals you were great!... James unfortunately damaged his foot and made the decision to stop before exacerbating - I’m certain he could have gone all the way if not for the foot. The problem was it could have been ligament damage and not worth the risk - so well done James for getting as far as our first checkpoint, it was the right decision to stop. Seven lads set out to stop through to checkpoint two.
High spirits helped us really pound the pavement and make really good ground, arriving in Stanstead Mountfitchet early evening we bunked down between the support car and oddly high pavement. Tom & I went in for the tasty HeaterMeals we were using, Lamb Curry and Chunky Chili Chicken, they provided a welcome source of energy and warmth, Tom Amor cooked up some rations in his Hexamine army stove which must have been quite a sight for onlooking high street lingerers. At this point pretty much everyone had to participate in what was soon to become a frequent foot care ritual, airing our feet for a few minutes, talc and zinc tape where necessary, fresh dry socks, boots back on and some light stretching to warm the legs back up. It seemed that as the dark set in so did the cold, sitting still for forty minutes to rest meant our legs were starting to stiffen - this was the first sign of any physical problems but unperturbed by situation we got out the hats and gloves put on Hi-vis tops and pushed on.
Rather than stop at Bishop’s Stortford we decided to push straight through to a Petrol Station near Sawbridgeworth, it had seemed to make sense that we keep making the progress we had been. However by the time we got to the support car waiting at a petrol station just outside a small town full of curry houses we were exhausted and beginning to realise the scale of our challenge.
There’s something quite interesting about sitting in a brightly lit petrol station in the dead of night with six other guys all looking as though we’d just clambered from the grave. Our newly arrived second support car provided tea, coffee and much to my delight Peanut butter cream cakes - Debs, I love you for this...Thank you, you most brilliant woman. Foot ritual, food and this time pain killers, I was on particularly low psychological ground by this point. Ordinarily I am not just a strong motivator for myself but for others around me, I had had a steady decline in my belief that what we were doing was actually worthwhile. Over the last few hours I began to have some really quite depressing thoughts and unusually for me I could find a way of getting myself out of that mindset, I spiraled down further and further until my head hung limp on my shoulders as I dragged my feet. Knowing I had to do something about the situation I rang Abigail for some semblance of familiarity... I was tired, drained physically and mentally, in need of food and desperate not to give up. Abigail assured me that everyone was following our progress on the web tracker we’d set up, she told me how well we were all doing, I found it hard to respond but hearing that comforting voice lifted me just high enough to think about what we were doing. Suddenly I realised that if Tom or I could not complete this walk then we did not deserve the privilege of Rowing across the Atlantic. I guzzled an energy sachet, took two pain killers, ate a banana, rubbed deep heat into my tightening leg muscles, swigged a large swig of whiskey and told myself to move.
Shortly after moving off it became obvious that one of the group (one of my oldest friends) was starting to suffer, his long strong stride had beed reduced to a step and hop then limp and a wince and finally a hobble. I had to call it and tell him enough was enough, there was no shame in stopping - though disappointed I think he knew it was the right thing to do. Some two hours later we’d made little progress but many people in pub windows began to look out at us in disbelief as the 60mph winds battered us along the unlit B roads, head torches were our only source of light. Meeting the support car and a fresh face that intended to finish the walk with us from Harlow, we rested for a few minutes refilling our Camelbaks and snacking on chocolate. A bit of friendly laddish and often rude banter goes a long way at point like this, Our newby was most welcome and my injured friend had taken care of his feet, strapped them up and felt worlds better - he got out of the car and said “I’m finishing this walk”.
The twelve hours of darkness had left us demotivated and fed up, walking was no longer a friendly adventure but a bitterly twisted torture. There was no time to take in the villages and no light for us to see the natural beauty of this landscape, this trip had slowly become bereft of anything that felt even remotely good. We’d Pushed through a ford and chanced a way through instead of going around and taking more time going back on ourselves, the support car behind us crawled along to light the way which was precarious to say the least. Once through like a madman possessed I marched on dangerously without a head torch, hoping to just get to the next checkpoint and not think about what was behind, angry at the road I was pounding, angry at everything I dug deep and sped through the last mile to a point just eighteen miles from Tilbury and the Ferry.
It seemed the end was in sight but we actually fifteen miles to the ferry and then twelve from there to the pub in Gillingham. We were all suffering to varying degrees, Blisters, strains and lack of sleep were all taking their toll. As the dawn broke and we began walking into daylight our task appeared to reveal itself in easier sections, roads were better, there were footpaths and long stretches of straight asphalt - making small goals easy to achieve. Our speed in the night had dropped dramatically to a mere one mile an hour, now we were gaining momentum again and kicking out three, four and sometimes more as if quite metaphorically the sun reinvigorated us. Then before we had time to think about it Tilbury was in sight and we were on course to meet the time frame we’d previously estimated.
Saturday midday all aboard and Kent bound, the water was choppy and the winds were still gale force all down the line. The whole unit was happy and relieved to have got this far and in the time we had especially when everything had looked so bleak only six hours before. As we crossed the river and the Gravesend dock came into sight we saw and heard the cheers of about thirty people in Oar Raisers T-shirts and Parkinson’s charity boxes. This was a moving and incredibly welcome moment as we had arrived at our final furlong, stepping off the boat and into the crowd it was hard to reciprocate the joy and emotion that everyone was demonstrating. I hope These kind and wonderful people appreciate just how much that meant to us all even if we had no energy to show them.
The final twelve came in long and lasting inclines, each step shot a pain through your legs like you were walking on crucifixion nails, I’m not exaggerating here - this was the hardest and most challenging end to an intensely difficult journey. After a while the sign came “Welcome to Medway” I knew the first pint and end point was in sight, everything felt achievable now and we really dug in, finding energy reserves depleted but still pushing and pushing only four miles to go. ROchester fell beneath our feet with ease and Tom and I decided to take some pressure off our feet by jogging half a mile or so through Chatham. These old familiar towns held memories for me but I’d never felt like this coming home before. Gillingham and ten minutes from the pub, everything fell quiet as the blue light of early night crept over us. We’d lost three walkers, been through four county’s, spent twelve hours in isolated dark, nursed each others blistered feet, walked for thirty five hours without sleep, crossed the estuary on ferry and arrived at our final destination. The Frog & Toad Pub held throngs of supporters clapping and cheering directing us to cross a ribboned line. The smell of hot food and the sight of freshly poured Guinness twinkled in all our eyes, every small detail was lapped up by the senses as we rolled in and found ourselves elated. We had completed the eighty mile Oar Raisers Cambridge to Kent walk and now we had to party...
The Oar Raiser Cambridge to Kent walk
As you’re all no doubt aware, last weekend saw the Oar Raisers and some dedicated friends went for an 80 mile stroll down to Gillingham Kent. For Tom & I this was both a fundraiser and training exercise, it was intended to test our physical and mental endurance at this stage in our Atlantic campaign.
At 07:00 Friday morning we left Cambridge City centre waved off by the Mayor, ten participant in total. We set off with the route heading to Saffron Walden intending to make this our first big rest stop. This first leg of the journey felt upbeat, exciting and quite swift. It took around six hours even though we stopped a few times to grap supplies and speak to local press. It was really important that we motivated everyone on this leg as it was the first and completing it with ease would make the rest seem much more achievable. Finding a nice Cafe we took just over 30 minutes rest to change our socks, eat and get ready to move out.
Next leg was on to Stanstead Mountfitchet, we were less three people. Our two female companions had only intended to do the first leg as they had prior engagements later that day - nonetheless both Maria and Lisa walked their part with ease and kept following our progress throughout the weekend, well done gals you were great!... James unfortunately damaged his foot and made the decision to stop before exacerbating - I’m certain he could have gone all the way if not for the foot. The problem was it could have been ligament damage and not worth the risk - so well done James for getting as far as our first checkpoint, it was the right decision to stop. Seven lads set out to stop through to checkpoint two.
High spirits helped us really pound the pavement and make really good ground, arriving in Stanstead Mountfitchet early evening we bunked down between the support car and oddly high pavement. Tom & I went in for the tasty HeaterMeals we were using, Lamb Curry and Chunky Chili Chicken, they provided a welcome source of energy and warmth, Tom Amor cooked up some rations in his Hexamine army stove which must have been quite a sight for onlooking high street lingerers. At this point pretty much everyone had to participate in what was soon to become a frequent foot care ritual, airing our feet for a few minutes, talc and zinc tape where necessary, fresh dry socks, boots back on and some light stretching to warm the legs back up. It seemed that as the dark set in so did the cold, sitting still for forty minutes to rest meant our legs were starting to stiffen - this was the first sign of any physical problems but unperturbed by situation we got out the hats and gloves put on Hi-vis tops and pushed on.
Rather than stop at Bishop’s Stortford we decided to push straight through to a Petrol Station near Sawbridgeworth, it had seemed to make sense that we keep making the progress we had been. However by the time we got to the support car waiting at a petrol station just outside a small town full of curry houses we were exhausted and beginning to realise the scale of our challenge.
There’s something quite interesting about sitting in a brightly lit petrol station in the dead of night with six other guys all looking as though we’d just clambered from the grave. Our newly arrived second support car provided tea, coffee and much to my delight Peanut butter cream cakes - Debs, I love you for this...Thank you, you most brilliant woman. Foot ritual, food and this time pain killers, I was on particularly low psychological ground by this point. Ordinarily I am not just a strong motivator for myself but for others around me, I had had a steady decline in my belief that what we were doing was actually worthwhile. Over the last few hours I began to have some really quite depressing thoughts and unusually for me I could find a way of getting myself out of that mindset, I spiraled down further and further until my head hung limp on my shoulders as I dragged my feet. Knowing I had to do something about the situation I rang Abigail for some semblance of familiarity... I was tired, drained physically and mentally, in need of food and desperate not to give up. Abigail assured me that everyone was following our progress on the web tracker we’d set up, she told me how well we were all doing, I found it hard to respond but hearing that comforting voice lifted me just high enough to think about what we were doing. Suddenly I realised that if Tom or I could not complete this walk then we did not deserve the privilege of Rowing across the Atlantic. I guzzled an energy sachet, took two pain killers, ate a banana, rubbed deep heat into my tightening leg muscles, swigged a large swig of whiskey and told myself to move.
Shortly after moving off it became obvious that one of the group (one of my oldest friends) was starting to suffer, his long strong stride had beed reduced to a step and hop then limp and a wince and finally a hobble. I had to call it and tell him enough was enough, there was no shame in stopping - though disappointed I think he knew it was the right thing to do. Some two hours later we’d made little progress but many people in pub windows began to look out at us in disbelief as the 60mph winds battered us along the unlit B roads, head torches were our only source of light. Meeting the support car and a fresh face that intended to finish the walk with us from Harlow, we rested for a few minutes refilling our Camelbaks and snacking on chocolate. A bit of friendly laddish and often rude banter goes a long way at point like this, Our newby was most welcome and my injured friend had taken care of his feet, strapped them up and felt worlds better - he got out of the car and said “I’m finishing this walk”.
The twelve hours of darkness had left us demotivated and fed up, walking was no longer a friendly adventure but a bitterly twisted torture. There was no time to take in the villages and no light for us to see the natural beauty of this landscape, this trip had slowly become bereft of anything that felt even remotely good. We’d Pushed through a ford and chanced a way through instead of going around and taking more time going back on ourselves, the support car behind us crawled along to light the way which was precarious to say the least. Once through like a madman possessed I marched on dangerously without a head torch, hoping to just get to the next checkpoint and not think about what was behind, angry at the road I was pounding, angry at everything I dug deep and sped through the last mile to a point just eighteen miles from Tilbury and the Ferry.
It seemed the end was in sight but we actually fifteen miles to the ferry and then twelve from there to the pub in Gillingham. We were all suffering to varying degrees, Blisters, strains and lack of sleep were all taking their toll. As the dawn broke and we began walking into daylight our task appeared to reveal itself in easier sections, roads were better, there were footpaths and long stretches of straight asphalt - making small goals easy to achieve. Our speed in the night had dropped dramatically to a mere one mile an hour, now we were gaining momentum again and kicking out three, four and sometimes more as if quite metaphorically the sun reinvigorated us. Then before we had time to think about it Tilbury was in sight and we were on course to meet the time frame we’d previously estimated.
Saturday midday all aboard and Kent bound, the water was choppy and the winds were still gale force all down the line. The whole unit was happy and relieved to have got this far and in the time we had especially when everything had looked so bleak only six hours before. As we crossed the river and the Gravesend dock came into sight we saw and heard the cheers of about thirty people in Oar Raisers T-shirts and Parkinson’s charity boxes. This was a moving and incredibly welcome moment as we had arrived at our final furlong, stepping off the boat and into the crowd it was hard to reciprocate the joy and emotion that everyone was demonstrating. I hope These kind and wonderful people appreciate just how much that meant to us all even if we had no energy to show them.
The final twelve came in long and lasting inclines, each step shot a pain through your legs like you were walking on crucifixion nails, I’m not exaggerating here - this was the hardest and most challenging end to an intensely difficult journey. After a while the sign came “Welcome to Medway” I knew the first pint and end point was in sight, everything felt achievable now and we really dug in, finding energy reserves depleted but still pushing and pushing only four miles to go. ROchester fell beneath our feet with ease and Tom and I decided to take some pressure off our feet by jogging half a mile or so through Chatham. These old familiar towns held memories for me but I’d never felt like this coming home before. Gillingham and ten minutes from the pub, everything fell quiet as the blue light of early night crept over us. We’d lost three walkers, been through four county’s, spent twelve hours in isolated dark, nursed each others blistered feet, walked for thirty five hours without sleep, crossed the estuary on ferry and arrived at our final destination. The Frog & Toad Pub held throngs of supporters clapping and cheering directing us to cross a ribboned line. The smell of hot food and the sight of freshly poured Guinness twinkled in all our eyes, every small detail was lapped up by the senses as we rolled in and found ourselves elated. We had completed the eighty mile Oar Raisers Cambridge to Kent walk and now we had to party...
Sunday 30 January 2011
Certified, Preparation and exhaustion...
This week the Oar Raisers have been raising sponsorship for the 80 mile walk to Kent on the 4th of Feb.
So far so good, we have raised well over £100 each and expect to receive a healthy whack from our courages
friends also participating, Anyone taking on this challenge should know how truly grateful and inspired we are
by your efforts. Completing even a small part of this walk will be a big achievement, so we hope you're all ready
and as excited/nervous as we are...
With only four days to event day we should almost certainly be ready, however a few snags have exploded onto
the stage and in typical Oar Raiser form we are seeking out ways (kind friends) to resolve the problems. The official
red Oar Raisers fiesta that was to provide support and back up on this event has sadly passed away to the great
scrapheap in the sky to the sound of a blown catalytic converter and eroded manifold. I share the sorrow and loss
of my first car with Colin John Bowles, a man decent enough to have been my car sharing buddy...
I'd just like to say a few words in memory of Trouble (our cars nickname) -
Carry we who die in battle
Over land and sea
Across the rainbow bridge
To Valhalla
Odin's waiting for me
the loss of Trouble actually might make life quite difficult for us in the near future - so if anyone would like to donate a car of working order, it would be gratefully received haha
Ok to Tom then, Congratulations brother... Tom passed his trailer test this week which means he can now pull a boat behind his car, a massive benefit for us obviously, although nervous and with only half the generally required training R1 passed the test with flying colours and we wish to thank Peter Sutton of the Norwich trailer training company for his donation of the training sessions and all his help. Well done Tom.
All final preparations in place for the walk the Mayor of Cambridge will be waving us off at 07:00 am on Friday morning from the Guildhall, I am hopeful we will find another vehicle in time to provide support along the way. All those taking part, please don't forget your contact sheets on the day and don't be late, although we're not expecting a marching pace we do have a vague schedule to stick to.
As with most Sunday evenings, I am tired and almost unable to move my legs due to another weeks exhausting training and running around organising things, the sensation is less like pain but more like the warmth and satisfaction of knowing the hard work you've put in. It's hard to express in words without it sounding horrible but I have grown to quite like the feeling of my pulverised muscle meat clinging to my bones. The body is a remarkable thing and capable of enduring incredible punishment, I just hope our minds are as fortified.
For now, enjoy your first week of February and look out for us on Friday, any offers of support or services are still welcome,
keep reading,
Chris.
So far so good, we have raised well over £100 each and expect to receive a healthy whack from our courages
friends also participating, Anyone taking on this challenge should know how truly grateful and inspired we are
by your efforts. Completing even a small part of this walk will be a big achievement, so we hope you're all ready
and as excited/nervous as we are...
With only four days to event day we should almost certainly be ready, however a few snags have exploded onto
the stage and in typical Oar Raiser form we are seeking out ways (kind friends) to resolve the problems. The official
red Oar Raisers fiesta that was to provide support and back up on this event has sadly passed away to the great
scrapheap in the sky to the sound of a blown catalytic converter and eroded manifold. I share the sorrow and loss
of my first car with Colin John Bowles, a man decent enough to have been my car sharing buddy...
I'd just like to say a few words in memory of Trouble (our cars nickname) -
Carry we who die in battle
Over land and sea
Across the rainbow bridge
To Valhalla
Odin's waiting for me
the loss of Trouble actually might make life quite difficult for us in the near future - so if anyone would like to donate a car of working order, it would be gratefully received haha
Ok to Tom then, Congratulations brother... Tom passed his trailer test this week which means he can now pull a boat behind his car, a massive benefit for us obviously, although nervous and with only half the generally required training R1 passed the test with flying colours and we wish to thank Peter Sutton of the Norwich trailer training company for his donation of the training sessions and all his help. Well done Tom.
All final preparations in place for the walk the Mayor of Cambridge will be waving us off at 07:00 am on Friday morning from the Guildhall, I am hopeful we will find another vehicle in time to provide support along the way. All those taking part, please don't forget your contact sheets on the day and don't be late, although we're not expecting a marching pace we do have a vague schedule to stick to.
As with most Sunday evenings, I am tired and almost unable to move my legs due to another weeks exhausting training and running around organising things, the sensation is less like pain but more like the warmth and satisfaction of knowing the hard work you've put in. It's hard to express in words without it sounding horrible but I have grown to quite like the feeling of my pulverised muscle meat clinging to my bones. The body is a remarkable thing and capable of enduring incredible punishment, I just hope our minds are as fortified.
For now, enjoy your first week of February and look out for us on Friday, any offers of support or services are still welcome,
keep reading,
Chris.
Sunday 16 January 2011
Walking, Pictures and Dog...ing (not the sexy kind)
Firstly hello everyone, hope you're all well and have had a perfectly acceptable start to the NY...
As you are all no doubt aware on the 4th of Feb we intend to walk approximately 80 miles from Cambridge to Kent,
plans for said walk are well under way and shaping up to be fairly interesting, with 14 people confirmed to do part of
or the entire stretch we are hoping to raise a tidy sum for our cause and chosen charity... participants you know who
you are so do us proud as land crew and pull in that sponsorship!...
On Saturday myself and work colleague walked 11 miles as a trial run on the beginning route of the actual walk, Joseph
Anderton had never walked that far in one hit and completed with a good time of just over 3 hours, this is the pace I intend
to keep en route to Kent... Well done Joseph a real solid effort mate, little Abington is lovely!
Sunday saw 5 of the Kent walkers set off to Clayhithe near Water beach, There and back is almost 10 miles so well done everyone, I for one had a lot of fun and the pit/pint stop at the bridge was a particularly nice highlight. I (Rower 2) felt quite vulnerable to the wind and lack of heat around my ears and head, mainly due to the fact that I have decided to go very short up top and the once lustrous locks I had no longer provide the comfort and protection against the elements I am used to... However it has made training considerably easier!... This last week has seen both of push our lifting capacity on the decline Bench press to 6 sets of 8 reps 80 kilos, an incredible amount of weight and muscular endurance - it is just a shame we cannot walk to Kent on our hands...
So then, to the intrigue of 'Dog...ing' Today our friend Sophie is off to see her husband for the first time in ages, so we are taking Elvis (The King) quadruped until she returns, it's funny - Elvis has stayed with us before and is a pleasure to have, he looks at me sometimes as if to say 'don't worry mate, I don't think ya an idiot' This is affirmed by his sympathetic cocking of his head and friendly attentive stare... Black as night and strong as a horse it's easy to see why people think these guys are man's best friends, I don't think he could row the Atlantic but I think he'd give a good attempt at eating it.
for now, Over and out.
As you are all no doubt aware on the 4th of Feb we intend to walk approximately 80 miles from Cambridge to Kent,
plans for said walk are well under way and shaping up to be fairly interesting, with 14 people confirmed to do part of
or the entire stretch we are hoping to raise a tidy sum for our cause and chosen charity... participants you know who
you are so do us proud as land crew and pull in that sponsorship!...
On Saturday myself and work colleague walked 11 miles as a trial run on the beginning route of the actual walk, Joseph
Anderton had never walked that far in one hit and completed with a good time of just over 3 hours, this is the pace I intend
to keep en route to Kent... Well done Joseph a real solid effort mate, little Abington is lovely!
Sunday saw 5 of the Kent walkers set off to Clayhithe near Water beach, There and back is almost 10 miles so well done everyone, I for one had a lot of fun and the pit/pint stop at the bridge was a particularly nice highlight. I (Rower 2) felt quite vulnerable to the wind and lack of heat around my ears and head, mainly due to the fact that I have decided to go very short up top and the once lustrous locks I had no longer provide the comfort and protection against the elements I am used to... However it has made training considerably easier!... This last week has seen both of push our lifting capacity on the decline Bench press to 6 sets of 8 reps 80 kilos, an incredible amount of weight and muscular endurance - it is just a shame we cannot walk to Kent on our hands...
So then, to the intrigue of 'Dog...ing' Today our friend Sophie is off to see her husband for the first time in ages, so we are taking Elvis (The King) quadruped until she returns, it's funny - Elvis has stayed with us before and is a pleasure to have, he looks at me sometimes as if to say 'don't worry mate, I don't think ya an idiot' This is affirmed by his sympathetic cocking of his head and friendly attentive stare... Black as night and strong as a horse it's easy to see why people think these guys are man's best friends, I don't think he could row the Atlantic but I think he'd give a good attempt at eating it.
for now, Over and out.
Tuesday 4 January 2011
Cambridge to Kent:
One month from today we embark on an 80 mile walk from Cambridge to Kent, This is a mini challenge in the lead up to the epic adventure, this will be challenging for us and give us both an idea of where we are physically and mentally...
People are welcome to attempt the journey with getting sponsored as individuals, so far we have around 8 people confirmed to participate so thank you guys I'm sure you'll enjoy it and get a great sense of achievement on completion of your chosen distance.
You can do it in teams as a relay, or with a friend, partner, dog or hamster it's entirely up to you but if you do want to be involved please contact us and let us know as soon as possible so we can send you a kit list, contact sheet and sponsor form - you'll also get T-shirts for your trouble!...
As a training run you could be walking a few long distance weekend walk such as Cambridge to Ely along the river or perhaps to Fordham...it's down to you to train and down to you do something amazing so why not join us and burn of some of those festive pounds?!... this is a great opportunity for you to contribute directly to a charity and achieve a personal goal, go on give it a go.
People are welcome to attempt the journey with getting sponsored as individuals, so far we have around 8 people confirmed to participate so thank you guys I'm sure you'll enjoy it and get a great sense of achievement on completion of your chosen distance.
You can do it in teams as a relay, or with a friend, partner, dog or hamster it's entirely up to you but if you do want to be involved please contact us and let us know as soon as possible so we can send you a kit list, contact sheet and sponsor form - you'll also get T-shirts for your trouble!...
As a training run you could be walking a few long distance weekend walk such as Cambridge to Ely along the river or perhaps to Fordham...it's down to you to train and down to you do something amazing so why not join us and burn of some of those festive pounds?!... this is a great opportunity for you to contribute directly to a charity and achieve a personal goal, go on give it a go.
Festivities over, a long break and now for the torture:
It's been a long festive season for the Oar Raisers what with travelling to various places visiting friends and family between training and fundraising etc but now the new year has begun and we intend to rise with new vigour, taking the world by storm with our fundraising schemes and hellish training challenges...
Firstly we hope everyone has had a great Christmas and New year - we've been luck enough not only to see our families but to spend real quality time with our friends - Men, Women, and Elvis the quadriped
Firstly we hope everyone has had a great Christmas and New year - we've been luck enough not only to see our families but to spend real quality time with our friends - Men, Women, and Elvis the quadriped
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