… and that is just the dog!
Charlie Dog
Charlie Dog had his annual check-up at the vets this weekend. Our regular walking round Hampshire is obviously as beneficial for Charlie as it is for me! The vet commented on his toned muscular physique (I am still working on mine) and his long slow healthy heart beat. Charlie is my training partner on most of my walks (up to 15 miles), sometimes we let other people join us! I bought a new pedometer in January; since the end of January 2010 we have walked 270 miles, that is further than from London to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne! At the moment our monthly average is circa 120 miles; that will increase by about 50% from next month with the lighter mornings and evenings.
I have also got to start fitting in some gym work to build up strength in my shoulders. The harness for the pulk (Sledge) is a shoulder harness fitted on the waist or hips (depending on personal preference!) “Friends” keep asking when I will start training with tyres … if that happens, I am sure you will see the pictures here first.
There are a number of long walks (26 miles) pencilled into the diary over the next few months:
If you know of any other ‘organised’ walks through our beautiful countryside (or cities), please do let me know. Have a good week!
Tent Inner
Last weekend we spent a lot of time putting the tent up and taking it down. It was all reasonably straight forward until you tried to do it with gloves on, then things became a bit trickier, and that was in a warm conference room with no wind, on a good nights sleep!
The tent has a square inner, which is the main living compartment. This has to be held onto at all times when the tent is being put up; if you accidentally let go of it, it will fly off like a kite in the lightest of winds …. not very clever to be homeless in the arctic!
Complete Tent
The inner is covered by a protective outer, which also provides essential cooking and logistical space.The outer is attached to the inner at the corners and in the middle. The whole tent is then ‘pegged’ into the snow with our skis.
We are given all our equipment in October. This in theory gives us enough time, as teams, to get efficient at putting the tents up and down, using the stoves and refilling the fuel bottles.
Good tent management is essential!
The ‘cook’ is responsible for providing all meals and filling the flasks. As soon as the tent is erected, they start getting the tent organised and the stoves lit. The rest of the team, secure the tent by piling snow on the black tent flaps and fastening down the pulks (sledges). A trench is dug out in the entrance to ease boot usage. Once inside the tent the wind suit and middle layers are removed and hung up to dry. I am assured that once both stoves have been lit it doesn’t take long to make the tent all warm, it is certainly very cosy! Each trekker is allocated a storage net to keep all their belongings organised, and within easy reach. It will be good to bring these organisational and regimental skills back into the office; I am sure I have more clutter and filing places than I really need to run the business as efficiently as I could!
I have upped the training this week. The blue skies and sunshine have been a big motivator! I walked 12 miles on Thursday, had a very intense Pilate’s class on Friday and walked 26 miles on Saturday. The long walk with Lucy and Rosie was part of our training for the Moonwalk in May. We found the walk much easier than the 18 miles we did in January, which is good news, but we were all very tired and took things relatively easy today. I am a little worried about completing the Nijmegen Marches in July, which is 4 days of 26 miles…..
I have just spent a brilliant weekend in Yatton, Somerset with other Polar Racers learning all about the clothing system we will be using next year. I am reliably informed that it is not unusual for temperatures to be minus 52°C . That’s before wind chill!
We will be using a simple layered system. The base layer has to be nice and soft; for us girls that’s merino wool, 
apparently our legs are more sensitive to the cold than the boys – they get synthetic (but just as soft) Helly Hanson. These garments will only be worn to race in on the very coldest days …. just how cold is coldest ? A comfortable mid-layer, is our core walking gear, most likely to be worn everyday of the race (very smelly after 4 weeks!)
Over the mid layer we will wear a multi pocketed fleece jacket. The pockets are for items that will be needed regularly, sun cream, lighter, multi tool etc. We also get fleece lined pants, but these, along with tent boots (posh slippers) are for leisure wear in the tents. Not sure we get much leisure time ….
A lightweight one piece wind suit is worn over the warm layers. It has many zips, which are useful for venting. When we are walking / skiing, the ideal scenario is to try and keep warm without getting hot and to produce as little sweat as possible, as this freezes as soon as you stop. The suits have further storage pockets for gloves, hats etc. Organisational and locational management of items is key and must be learnt quickly for efficient daily routines . This will be a major challenge, as I struggle to keep my large desk orderly on a daily basis. At least I won’t be multi tasking as well! The suit also has a bum-flap, this along with the ’she-wee’ will take a bit of getting used to.
We get various types and combinations of gloves, hats, goggles, sunglasses, balaclavas etc to use as required in various weathers. Different people prefer different set ups and it comes down to personal choice! Our feet are kept toasty in Baffin Boots, which have a removable liner. These are extremely cozy and comfortable, and if I have not been too heavy on my feet will be ideal for any supporting duties on the rugby or hockey pitch on my return. The final piece of kit is a light weight, heavy duty down jacket. We wear these when stopping for our hourly, refuel breaks (5 mins max), setting up and breaking camp. It is not intended to be used for racing when we are pulling the sledges, as it would increase the rate of perspiration significantly!
It was great to spend some time with all the racers, develop the bonding process and talk to potentail team mates!
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