After a week of at least making a start to my training, be it a little restricted due to a shoulder injury I am pleased to report that as of 12.30 yesterday my first week back on the better eating and exercise regime has seen me drop 2 lbs.
Current Weight - 16st 14lb
Sunday 31 January 2010
Saturday 30 January 2010
Funny Old Week
So my first week back at work has also seen a bit of a sudden stop in my training already. Not because I haven't had the time but because last Sunday evening I stupidly injured my shoulder playing on the Wii. After a couple of hours of what seemed like innocuous fun playing basketball and sword fighting I awoke on Monday morning to a killer sore shoulder and the result was an inability really do anything.
Thankfully though that has cleared up and it seems somewhat fortuitously as my turbo trainer also arrived yesterday. I can now get on and exercise and train without the worry of the weather stopping me from getting on the bike. Once I get it set up later today you can expect some photos in the very near future.
As already mentioned on twitter this morning the fundraising total has reached £45. While this has been a good start in the first month I realise I’ll have to nag and promote a little bit more to try and increase that figure, so if anyone would like to give, even if it’s only a £1 it would be much appreciated and you can do so here - Donations Page
I’ve also been talking with @getwokingham through twitter and they have mentioned a possibility of doing an article on my London to Windsor ride for the local paper. So I’ll be sure to keep you updated with any further developments on that front as they happen.
Finally I'd like to say thank you to the following Twitter users for the Retweets of my fundraising page. All of your help is much appreciated:
@BillyGottaJob
@TeamSky
@TweeetStreet
@thebhf
@giraffetweet
@LondonIrishNews
@getwokingham
Also a big thanks to those who have retweeted the link once it had been retweeted by the above. All of your help is much appreciated and hopefully come the 5th September I will have at least hit my target of £400.
Thankfully though that has cleared up and it seems somewhat fortuitously as my turbo trainer also arrived yesterday. I can now get on and exercise and train without the worry of the weather stopping me from getting on the bike. Once I get it set up later today you can expect some photos in the very near future.
As already mentioned on twitter this morning the fundraising total has reached £45. While this has been a good start in the first month I realise I’ll have to nag and promote a little bit more to try and increase that figure, so if anyone would like to give, even if it’s only a £1 it would be much appreciated and you can do so here - Donations Page
I’ve also been talking with @getwokingham through twitter and they have mentioned a possibility of doing an article on my London to Windsor ride for the local paper. So I’ll be sure to keep you updated with any further developments on that front as they happen.
Finally I'd like to say thank you to the following Twitter users for the Retweets of my fundraising page. All of your help is much appreciated:
@BillyGottaJob
@TeamSky
@TweeetStreet
@thebhf
@giraffetweet
@LondonIrishNews
@getwokingham
Also a big thanks to those who have retweeted the link once it had been retweeted by the above. All of your help is much appreciated and hopefully come the 5th September I will have at least hit my target of £400.
Sunday 24 January 2010
In addition to the constant annoyance on Twitter and the updates on here, the link and support group for my London to Windsor and Beyond effort has now expanded to facebook as well, where there is now a group set up to run in tandem with my twitter, this blog and also the just giving page. If anyone would like to join the group and spread the word on Facebook as well then please feel free to do so by following this link. Facebook page
I've also received a very good idea from Debbie in terms of trying to spread the word a bit more and that is by trying to get a few celebs and news groups on board to try and retweet the message and get it out into the public domain a little further. Obviously any help with fundraising is appreciated and so far there have been 3 retweets out of about 10 so that's not a bad start.
Finally I'd like to thank Lisa Stibbons for her donation via the Facebook group which now takes the grand total up to £45 and means that there is now 12% of the Fundraising total in the bank. Obviously though this is still way short of the overall goal and any help, even if it's just a pound will be a great help.
I've also received a very good idea from Debbie in terms of trying to spread the word a bit more and that is by trying to get a few celebs and news groups on board to try and retweet the message and get it out into the public domain a little further. Obviously any help with fundraising is appreciated and so far there have been 3 retweets out of about 10 so that's not a bad start.
Finally I'd like to thank Lisa Stibbons for her donation via the Facebook group which now takes the grand total up to £45 and means that there is now 12% of the Fundraising total in the bank. Obviously though this is still way short of the overall goal and any help, even if it's just a pound will be a great help.
Saturday 23 January 2010
New Target Announced
Given that next year my fundraising target has to be a minimum of £1300 I thought it best to increase my target for the British Heart Foundation from £200 and double it up to £400. That's not to say that this will be my final target but for now it feels like more of a challenge, especially with only £40 in the bag already. If anyone would like to add to that Sponsorship then you can do so here Donations Page
Many Thanks
Andy
Many Thanks
Andy
Shocking Discovery
Right so now that the snow has gone and I can get back out on my Bike I decided, by way of using the Wii Fit, that it was time to have my training weigh in. Now before Christmas I was sitting at just over the 16 stone mark and thought I might have increased a little but wasn't expecting anything drastic in terms of weight gain.
On went the Wii and fired up through to the weigh in section and to my shock and horror I stepped on and off the board to find that I've gained almost a stone since the start of December. That means at the start of my training my official weight is 17 stone 1 pound. To say I was shocked by this is an understatement. I don't really feel like I'd over indulged too much over the last few months but it would seem this constant state of unemployment has really taken its toll.
Of course while initially it was a shock it has also come as a bit of a jolt and the encouragement and enthusiasm is once again back to start getting that weight off.
A big help is going to be my return to work on Monday, even though it is for an initial 2 weeks it will get me out of the house and stop the bored snacking between meals.
From now on there will be a weekly weight update just to let you all know what is going on and what training I have managed to fit into the previous week.
One last plea is to ask you all to spread the word to anyone you can. I need to start pushing the fundraising element of this challenge and anything you or anyone you can point in this direction can donate will be of great help and will be very gratefully received.
Current Weight - 17st 1lb
On went the Wii and fired up through to the weigh in section and to my shock and horror I stepped on and off the board to find that I've gained almost a stone since the start of December. That means at the start of my training my official weight is 17 stone 1 pound. To say I was shocked by this is an understatement. I don't really feel like I'd over indulged too much over the last few months but it would seem this constant state of unemployment has really taken its toll.
Of course while initially it was a shock it has also come as a bit of a jolt and the encouragement and enthusiasm is once again back to start getting that weight off.
A big help is going to be my return to work on Monday, even though it is for an initial 2 weeks it will get me out of the house and stop the bored snacking between meals.
From now on there will be a weekly weight update just to let you all know what is going on and what training I have managed to fit into the previous week.
One last plea is to ask you all to spread the word to anyone you can. I need to start pushing the fundraising element of this challenge and anything you or anyone you can point in this direction can donate will be of great help and will be very gratefully received.
Current Weight - 17st 1lb
Sunday 17 January 2010
Snow Big Deal
Finally after a day of heavy rain yesterday the snow has finally gone and the roads have returned to normal. It's a big relief as it means I can finally get out on my bike and start doing a bit of training and more importantly start to get into shape to ride further and further every time.
So my big weigh in will take place over the course of the next week so be sure to look out for the results of that. Also got a bit of maintenance to carry out on my bike after 4 months of neglect whilst I've struggled for motivation. Of course there are still some pieces of kit I need to pick up but none of it is essential and a start on the training regime can begin.
I'm still looking for suggestions of a decent fundraising target, plus any donations that anyone could make would be fantastic. I would also appreciate if everyone could spread the word on what I'm planning to do over the next few years as it's not just about this yearsBritish Heart Foundation Ride but also about the bigger picture and I'd like to make a reasonable contribution to the British Heart Foundation before moving on to support the @GeoffThomasFoun with further rides over the next few years.
If you could spread the word it would be appreciated and should you with to make a donation to my London to Windsor ride for the British Heart Foundation then you can do so here - Donations Page
So my big weigh in will take place over the course of the next week so be sure to look out for the results of that. Also got a bit of maintenance to carry out on my bike after 4 months of neglect whilst I've struggled for motivation. Of course there are still some pieces of kit I need to pick up but none of it is essential and a start on the training regime can begin.
I'm still looking for suggestions of a decent fundraising target, plus any donations that anyone could make would be fantastic. I would also appreciate if everyone could spread the word on what I'm planning to do over the next few years as it's not just about this yearsBritish Heart Foundation Ride but also about the bigger picture and I'd like to make a reasonable contribution to the British Heart Foundation before moving on to support the @GeoffThomasFoun with further rides over the next few years.
If you could spread the word it would be appreciated and should you with to make a donation to my London to Windsor ride for the British Heart Foundation then you can do so here - Donations Page
Monday 11 January 2010
Cabin Fever
With all the snow still lying around it is fair to say that any notion of training has been put well and truly on the back burner. I have been doing little bits on the Wii Fit but the opportunity to actually get out there and start riding the bike are being somewhat delayed.
On the plus side I have managed to pick myself up a pair of Cannondale cycling gloves for just £10 on eBay and the longer the start of training is delayed the more chance I have of having them when I start.
While the bad weather is allegedly set to continue for at least another 9 days I am hoping to be out on the bike next week and at least get a couple of hours under my belt, its times like these I wish I had a Turbo Trainer. Instead I have been formulating a plan to start my training and have decided that when training starts proper, hopefully on Monday, I will provide picture and a weight of the before on the blog so it can be gauged against the after come time of the ride and the progress in between.
In the mean time after my previous blog update I'm still looking for suggestions on a fundraising target, ways and means of getting there and how I can increase the readership of this blog and my following on twitter. Any suggestions will be gratefully received.
Also if anyone would like to donate you can do so here - Donations Page
On the plus side I have managed to pick myself up a pair of Cannondale cycling gloves for just £10 on eBay and the longer the start of training is delayed the more chance I have of having them when I start.
While the bad weather is allegedly set to continue for at least another 9 days I am hoping to be out on the bike next week and at least get a couple of hours under my belt, its times like these I wish I had a Turbo Trainer. Instead I have been formulating a plan to start my training and have decided that when training starts proper, hopefully on Monday, I will provide picture and a weight of the before on the blog so it can be gauged against the after come time of the ride and the progress in between.
In the mean time after my previous blog update I'm still looking for suggestions on a fundraising target, ways and means of getting there and how I can increase the readership of this blog and my following on twitter. Any suggestions will be gratefully received.
Also if anyone would like to donate you can do so here - Donations Page
Friday 8 January 2010
Fundraising, Readership and Followers
Ok so now that I’m under way with the fundraising and preparation for not only the London to Windsor but the longer term goals as well it started me thinking. In order to achieve the goal of London to Paris and Paris to Geneva I need to meet a minimum sponsorship target to confirm my place. Obviously this will take some working towards and so I thought perhaps it was time to set a more ambitious total for the forthcoming London to Windsor.
At the moment I've set a target of just £200 and thanks to an incredibly generous Donation from @BillyGottaJob (Thank you again, much appreciated) we are now under way and adding in an offline donation I'm almost up to 25% of my target in the first week. Obviously I know that not every week will increase the Donations by that much but every little helps. It's for that reason that I've decided to open the question up to anyone who happens to read this blog.
My question to all of you who might happen to be reading, what do you think my Fundraising total should be? Any serious suggestions will be considered and the amount will be adjusted to take it into account. In addition I'd also be very grateful for any fundraising suggestions anybody might have.
Finally I also need to try and attract more people to reading this blog and also following me on Twitter if I am to reach the minimum levels set out for the London to Paris and Paris to Geneva and that is where you come in, If you can tell even one person or know of any way I can reach a wider audience to promote what I'm trying to achieve it would be very much appreciated and will certainly help with reaching the end goals.
At the moment I've set a target of just £200 and thanks to an incredibly generous Donation from @BillyGottaJob (Thank you again, much appreciated) we are now under way and adding in an offline donation I'm almost up to 25% of my target in the first week. Obviously I know that not every week will increase the Donations by that much but every little helps. It's for that reason that I've decided to open the question up to anyone who happens to read this blog.
My question to all of you who might happen to be reading, what do you think my Fundraising total should be? Any serious suggestions will be considered and the amount will be adjusted to take it into account. In addition I'd also be very grateful for any fundraising suggestions anybody might have.
Finally I also need to try and attract more people to reading this blog and also following me on Twitter if I am to reach the minimum levels set out for the London to Paris and Paris to Geneva and that is where you come in, If you can tell even one person or know of any way I can reach a wider audience to promote what I'm trying to achieve it would be very much appreciated and will certainly help with reaching the end goals.
Wednesday 6 January 2010
It's Official
So it is now official and I've paid my £17 to register for the London to Windsor ride. It means that I now have 242 days until the start of the ride in association with the British Heart Foundation.
I shall be receiving my official event participant number in March so will let you know what it's going to be as soon as I get it. For now though it seems an ideal opportunity to show off the gear I've got at my disposal for this event and the others planned within my earlier Blog post.
Firstly there is my bike, obtained for the princely sum of £600 a couple of years ago from Pedal On cycles in Tadley.
Then we have my Helmet also purchased from the same shop in Tadley
Still to come of course is my training gear but that is going to be ordered from eBay very shortly and as Team Sky haven't got the official kit out as yet I will probably be opting for HTC Columbia kit for my training and event riding too no doubt.
The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed the addition of the fundraising Widget at the side of the page. For this event I've set myself a rather modest £200 target for the Heart foundation and hope I'll be able to raise that before next year’s events which require a far greater level of sponsorship. If anyone would like to make a donation then you can either use the Widget on the left here or visit my Just giving page on this link - http://bit.ly/8FCmuE.
Any donations will be gratefully received. Any support you can give would be fantastic and if you can spread the word about my blog and efforts a little further then I will be even more grateful.
I shall be receiving my official event participant number in March so will let you know what it's going to be as soon as I get it. For now though it seems an ideal opportunity to show off the gear I've got at my disposal for this event and the others planned within my earlier Blog post.
Firstly there is my bike, obtained for the princely sum of £600 a couple of years ago from Pedal On cycles in Tadley.
Then we have my Helmet also purchased from the same shop in Tadley
Still to come of course is my training gear but that is going to be ordered from eBay very shortly and as Team Sky haven't got the official kit out as yet I will probably be opting for HTC Columbia kit for my training and event riding too no doubt.
The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed the addition of the fundraising Widget at the side of the page. For this event I've set myself a rather modest £200 target for the Heart foundation and hope I'll be able to raise that before next year’s events which require a far greater level of sponsorship. If anyone would like to make a donation then you can either use the Widget on the left here or visit my Just giving page on this link - http://bit.ly/8FCmuE.
Any donations will be gratefully received. Any support you can give would be fantastic and if you can spread the word about my blog and efforts a little further then I will be even more grateful.
To Windsor And Beyond
So on New Year's eve I said I was going to do 2 Blog posts one reviewing last year and one stating some aims for this year. Well the more observant of you will have noticed that I failed to find the motivation for the second of those posts, which is exactly what this one is going to be.
For the last 2 years I've spoken to a few people about doing various cycling events such as London to Brighton or London to Southend and the response and subsequent result has always been the same. Initially everyone is really keen and oh yeah we'll do that sounds great and as the weeks go by an excuse comes from one and then another and we end up not doing it.
I've now decided however that I am fed up of relying on other people and whilst it would be nice to actually do these events with someone I've decided I might as well get on and do it myself, not worrying about whether anyone else is doing it or not.
Initially I planned to do the London Bikeathon (http://bit.ly/5NJZi9) for Leukaemia Research and even managed to convince myself that it was July 27th. That was until Saturday when browsing the Website I noticed it was in fact June 27th which put a rather large spoke in my wheels so to speak. You see the weekend before, Saturday 19th June, I am getting married and we fly off to Spain on a two week Honeymoon on June 20th.
So this left me with a bit of a problem at the first hurdle of my three year plan. you see during that period between Christmas and new year I stumbled upon a website that organises charity bike rides and they offer the chance to do London to Paris for the Geoff Thomas Foundation (http://bit.ly/8AppYY) and so I formulated the following plan:
2010 - London Bikeathon (Leukaemia Research)
2011 - London to Paris (Geoff Thomas Foundation)
2012 - Paris to Geneva (Geoff Thomas Foundation)
2013 - To Be Decided
I had to find an alternative for 2010 and thankfully I remembered the multitude of rides offered by the British Heart Foundation (http://bit.ly/7LeICe) and after looking on their website I have decided to take on the challenge for 2010 of the London to Windsor ride.
The ride itself takes in 37 miles from Richmond to Windsor and should provide me with a good goal for my first phase of training for the London to Paris challenge next year.
So from now on this blog is also going to incorporate my efforts to get fit and work towards these goals. I will be signing up for the ride today so look out for another Blog update in the next 2 days.
For the last 2 years I've spoken to a few people about doing various cycling events such as London to Brighton or London to Southend and the response and subsequent result has always been the same. Initially everyone is really keen and oh yeah we'll do that sounds great and as the weeks go by an excuse comes from one and then another and we end up not doing it.
I've now decided however that I am fed up of relying on other people and whilst it would be nice to actually do these events with someone I've decided I might as well get on and do it myself, not worrying about whether anyone else is doing it or not.
Initially I planned to do the London Bikeathon (http://bit.ly/5NJZi9) for Leukaemia Research and even managed to convince myself that it was July 27th. That was until Saturday when browsing the Website I noticed it was in fact June 27th which put a rather large spoke in my wheels so to speak. You see the weekend before, Saturday 19th June, I am getting married and we fly off to Spain on a two week Honeymoon on June 20th.
So this left me with a bit of a problem at the first hurdle of my three year plan. you see during that period between Christmas and new year I stumbled upon a website that organises charity bike rides and they offer the chance to do London to Paris for the Geoff Thomas Foundation (http://bit.ly/8AppYY) and so I formulated the following plan:
2010 - London Bikeathon (Leukaemia Research)
2011 - London to Paris (Geoff Thomas Foundation)
2012 - Paris to Geneva (Geoff Thomas Foundation)
2013 - To Be Decided
I had to find an alternative for 2010 and thankfully I remembered the multitude of rides offered by the British Heart Foundation (http://bit.ly/7LeICe) and after looking on their website I have decided to take on the challenge for 2010 of the London to Windsor ride.
The ride itself takes in 37 miles from Richmond to Windsor and should provide me with a good goal for my first phase of training for the London to Paris challenge next year.
So from now on this blog is also going to incorporate my efforts to get fit and work towards these goals. I will be signing up for the ride today so look out for another Blog update in the next 2 days.
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