tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22490590135739810032024-03-04T23:05:20.017-08:00Dynamic DuoDynamic Duo - Jen Watson and Andrea Harrower - have taken part in / organised various activities in the past few years. They have a name for achieving the perfect mix of fun and adventure in the sporting arena as well as outside it. Together always. AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN !
Best friends and training partners, the two have proved to be a winning combination.
Through their love of adventure, sport and the great outdoors, they are fundraising for small interests.>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-75380102709522638152015-07-21T06:56:00.002-07:002015-07-21T06:56:56.507-07:00Everesting – Ain’t No Mountain?!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;">It’s 430am, the rain is pouring and the wind is howling…and that’s only at the bottom of the 5km hill I’m about to start cycling up…not just once…at least 24 times non-stop for a duration of probably 24 hours. </span><b style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;"><i>Why?</i></b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;"> To attain the 8,848 metres that is the iconic height of Everest, in one single ride, on one repeated climb. It’s called “Everesting”, a relatively new concept in endurance cycling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;">Nobody in </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;" w:st="on">Northern Ireland</st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;"> has done it, male or female. Only a handful of females have done it in </span><st1:place style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;" w:st="on">Europe</st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;">, or indeed across the world, solo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Yes, but <b><i>why?</i></b>..i
hear you ask. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Me: Well….why
not? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Urrrmmmm,
because it’s nuts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Me: Well….it
may be, but I think I can do it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">But you
hate laps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Me:
Well…this is different. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Yes, but <b><i>why</i></b>
would you want to do that? <b><i>Why?</i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Me: Well….because
it’s there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">(And if
you have to ask again, you will never understand!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">I love
hills. After all, life is all about hills and mountains – whether in sporty or
non-sporty terms. And to be honest, tackling geographical mountains is so much
easier than figurative and emotional mountains - even though the former also requires
mental “climbing” skills, on top of the physical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">I am a
hill-seeker. I always have been. Friends refer to me as “What hill? Harrower”. Why
avoid hills and seek the flat? What’s so good about flat? Flat tyres, flat
chest (yip!), flat hair, flat atmosphere……there is no life about any of
those….particularly the ultimate flat >>> flat lining ! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Life
happens in the hills. Hill climbing (be it cycling, other sports, or general
life struggles) is an opportunity to prove to yourself that you are strong, and
is a reminder that if you put in the effort and commit 100% to tackling obstacles,
then there is the thrill of a whoopy-swoopy descent and reward for the
endeavour of the ascent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">If hill
climbing is viewed as an opportunity, then nothing could throw up a greater chance of
reaching dizzying heights than tackling “Everesting” on my bike. After all - it’s
all about the climb; it’s my domain of endurance sport; it doesn’t cost
anything; it can be done right on my doorstep in a place that’s not just preciously
close to my heart, but is actually part of my heart and soul; and the unique spirit
that is alive there for me means it is do-able – Ain’t No Mountain - even though
I expect it will be my toughest thing ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Without
knowing it, I’ve actually been training for it for years. I say that in a
general sense, as there was no specific training for Everesting at all. Indeed,
it was only 12 hours before I actually started the attempt that I decided I was
doing it. That may sound even more bonkers than the whole thing already is, but
to be honest, if I’d spent months … or even weeks….or even days....planning it,
training for it and thinking about it….then I would never have done it! In
hindsight, it was always going to be one of my spur-of-the-moment decisions,
based on a burning last-minute desire and a gut instinct to just go for it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">I first
read about Everesting a few months ago, and it appealed??! from the start. Never
mind the reasons above, it also alluded to a favourite saying, “Everybody has
their own Everest”. Here was a chance to take that figurative quote literally. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">My
sensible head??! said there was no point doing it until warmer months and
longer daylight hours, so I put it on the backburner. Then in April after the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> clock change,
it jumped into my head again and on a couple of spins with Jen (my BFF), who I
regularly mountainbike the route with, we talked about logistics (in hindsight
this was us actually having “planned”??! my attempt). I also checked out fab mate
Jo’s Garmin and reccy’d the route for ascent and duration with 2 devices /
battery chargers, and a good old fashioned ordnance survey map. But daily life
and other events got in the way, so it went out of my head again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Having
missed a few weeks of biking our favourite route, Jen and I suddenly
realising during text-chat on Saturday 27th June that it would be a couple more
weeks before we’d bike it again, I got a sudden burning desire for Everesting. Ahem.
The next day! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">I had a
clear window with regard to family, friends, commitments etc on Sunday 28th
June and therefore no planning was required for me to be free, and deep down I
knew that without having trained specifically for it, I was stronger and fitter
than I had ever been and that I had the physical strength to attempt Everesting
- so I just had to go out and do it. Oh, and dash out to buy food for it !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Once the
urge took hold, that was it, I was doing it. And if I started, I would finish.
“Do. Or do not. There is no try”…a mantra I used during Ironman…courtesy of one
of my heroes. Yoda ! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Saying
that however, 6 hours into my Everesting attempt I seriously began questioning
could I do it. Of all the endurance events I have done since starting 7 years
ago, beginning with Ironman in 2008 and progressing into multiday road bike
events, marathon kayak events, multiday alpine MTB events, and multiday
non-stop Adventure Racing events, Everesting has been the only one that has
taken me to the brink of seriously doubting myself and whether I could achieve it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
mental strength required to keep going, when your body is aching and your mind
is tortured by repetition for such a long period of time, is colossal. The mind games used to keep going are
colossal. The degree to which you feel like a total nutter is colossal.
Everything about Everesting is colossal. But then it is called Everesting, not
Wycheproof ! (the smallest registered mountain in the world). In the same way
that Ironman is called Ironman, not Tinman ! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">So, off I
go at 430am to “just do it”. The mind games had already begun. I had little
hair bands as lap counters in my pocket, to place one at the top every time I
reached it, expecting a psychological boost by seeing a visible increase in the
number of hair bands at the top, and decrease in the number of hair bands in my
pocket. I had also decided that for the first 10 reps I would not use music, so
then I’d have my i-shuffle to look forward to and pick-me-up…when I envisaged
that somewhere between lap 10 and 20 I would feel absolutely horrendous and
want to quit. Unfortunately that feeling got a grip of me at lap 8 ! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">The devil
/ angel syndrome kicked in early, around 6 hours in (1030am). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">One is
sitting on one shoulder repeating:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">“What am
I doing? Why am I doing this? What is wrong with me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">The other
is sitting on the other shoulder repeating:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">“You are
doing what you love. Because you can. Nothing, I am normal, it’s everybody else
that isn’t normal !”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">My
wrists, elbows, neck and feet had started aching. Oddly, my back was fine.
Having discovered Bikram yoga 8 months before, I was very conscious of spinal
compression as each Everesting lap went on, and so on every descent I was
stretching backwards as best as I could. Call it “cycling cobra” pose! I dread
to think what shape I would have been in if I hadn’t learnt so much about my
body position through Bikram, which in a short space of time had become a
“must-have” in my life. I love it. And surely yogis have an affinity for all
things Asian?! Ie Everest?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">So, I was
aching in many parts of my body, apart from my back. And my legs were ok. “As
long as my legs are ok, there’s no reason not to keep going. Some people don’t
even have legs. Some people would love to have the strength to do 1 rep of this
climb, and I’ve the strength to even contemplate attempting 24 reps. Suck it up
buttercup. Count yourself lucky”. These are the kind of thoughts running
through my mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">To be
honest, Everesting opens up a whole new world of time and place to think. Some
prolonged thoughts. Some abbreviated thoughts. Some thoughts flipping from
positive, to negative, in the blink of an eye. Like watching the Garmin’s
ascent total tick over to 4,424 metres. My knee-jerk thought was “Yay! Halfway!”….instantly
followed by “Shit! Only halfway? I can’t do this”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Good
stuff. Bad stuff. I thought it all. Some of them uplifting, some of them
depressing, some of them amusing, some of them irritating. But the downside
ones were ultimately motivating, as I forced myself to channel the negative
thoughts/feelings and use them as a positive grrrrrrrrrr factor to power??! me
up another rep. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Pedal
and don’t lose power”, that was a mantra I used often during Everesting. It had
a nice cadence rhythm to it for ascending, and was a mantra suggested to me by Jen
during the Race Around Ireland road bike endurance event in 2009. I hadn’t
thought about it for years, but all of a sudden it popped into my head about
halfway through Everesting and it stuck on and off for the rest of the attempt.
It’s her add-on to Isaiah 40:31, which ends “..run and not grow weary, walk and
not be faint”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">Faint?
No, I didn’t feel faint. I felt sick a few times from about 15 hours in (730pm)
and shivery a few times. Getting body temperature right was a nightmare. The first
4 hours of the attempt was so wet and windy. It then dried up, but the wind
remained strong and affected the actual temperatures I was feeling. I was sweating
on the long ascent, even when there was no sun, but freezing on the fast
descent. And I began feeling colder as exertion kicked in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Exertion?
I’d read for years about RPE (rate of perceived exertion) and while I had
experience of it in my early years of athletics training, Everesting gave me a
total, unmatched insight into it. My perception of how I was performing was so
flawed. I felt like I was working harder, but slowing with every lap, whereas
in fact my times were consistent per lap. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Knowing
that my perception was flawed, by registering each lap time every single lap
and seeing in black & white that I wasn’t slowing down, helped at times
when I felt I was going snail’s pace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Which
reminds me, early on in my attempt, like about the start of rep 3, I noticed a
snail on the road just about 15 metres into the start of my climb. Every time I
passed it at the start of subsequent laps, I would giggle. That snail’s Everest
(“everybody has their own Everest”!) was getting to the far side of the road. I
felt like I was moving at snail’s pace, but boy oh boy did repeatedly passing
this snail every 45-50 minutes show me how slow snails actually go! In the time
that I had been pedalling for 12 hours, the snail seemed to have moved about
10cm. Then, by the time I had been going 16 hours, it had been squished on the
road. Its very own “death zone” !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 18.6666660308838px;">I’d been going for 16 hours? Blimey. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">It was the boys bedtime, so I stop for bedtime hugs and kisses. Wishing it was my bedtime too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Then 18
hours? Blimey. It was now 1030pm and all I’d been doing was cycling up and down
this hill, and eating on the descent of every rep. I was suffering in every way,
apart from the actual cadence of my legs. Everything else hurt. And mentally I
felt fragile. Everything was irritating me. Particularly “everything is
awesome” from the Lego Movie playing on my i-shuffle! Everything is awesome? No
it’s not. Everything is gruesome! So I started making up new words from the song
in a bid to distract myself, amuse myself and drag myself up out of a very dark
place. Everest is synonymous with the “death zone” near the end. Was this my
death zone?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">I had
been going for hours, and I still had a few hours to go. It all started to feel
very surreal. I had started at 430am, which was a good few hours before anyone
I know (apart from Jo!) had got up and had breakfast. Then they had all set
about a nice relaxing Sunday morning. Then lunch. Then nice relaxing
afternoons. Then dinner. Then TV. And about now they were all going to bed
again. Compounding the surreal, what about my BFF?, who had done the getting
up, breakfast, motivational texting me, getting across to Heathrow,
motivational texting me, lunch, motivational texting me, and then mid-afternoon
had got on a flight to the other side of the world, and was just arriving in
Bermuda 1030pm - and in all that time, I was stillllllllllllll cycling. And
stillllllllll I was hours from bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">I thought
about the people I had seen during my 18 hours so far. Jo had been at “base
camp” (halfway up the ascent) for the entire time since 430am, she was the
exception to the rule that everybody else was getting about with their relaxing
Sundays! My two boys and husband had been up a few times on and off shouting
words of encouragement, bringing extra food, and writing motivational messages
up the tarmac. My sister and a Belle friend and her boyfriend had cycled a rep
and a half with me late afternoon, distracting me with chat, and telling me I
could do it. One of my boys’ school teachers, who lives beyond the top of the
climb, had driven past me around lunchtime, then again tea-time, and shouted
out her car window, “What on earth are you doing?”. And a group of family
friends had spent a couple of hours mucking about “base camp”, adding to the
motivational tarmac graffiti…and enjoying seeing me suffer for the first time
in their lives!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">Then
there were the people out on the hill for a Sunday afternoon stroll. I was
amazed at the number of people. I’m usually up there very early Sunday morning,
or on week days, when nobody is around at all. On Sunday afternoon it was
heaving, relatively speaking! They were a good distraction, and provided mild amusement,
given comments like “I can’t believe you’re cycling up this. You must be a
glutton for punishment”…and that was when they thought I was cycling up it just
the once! The third such comment I felt like replying that I was to cycle up it
at least 24 times, but I thought better of it. How do you explain that? How would
anybody understand? And anyway, time taken to explain it would be time on my
lap!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Time. How
long had it been now? Just over 20 hours. It was pitch black and I was at the
top for the 24<sup>th</sup> time. The ascent total was at 8,867 metres. I HAD
EVERESTED! What was I feeling? Nothing. I knew I had to do at least another ½
lap, just to make sure. The warnings about incorrect data readings are stressed
in the Everesting guidelines on its website.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">So….against
everything that my body and mind, particularly my mind, wanted to do….off I
went again to the bottom of the hill. It was now just after 01:00am Monday
morning. The bottom of the hill, up to “base camp” at halfway would be another
80 metres ascent or so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">That
final half lap felt like forever. I was all over the place. I couldn’t keep the
bike straight. I felt like things were jumping out of hedges at me. I just
wanted to stop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">And then
I did. And fell off my bike. Back at “base camp” for the last time. Ever ! I
had climbed 9,053 metres, in 20 hours 50 minutes, covering almost 248 km on a
mountain bike, over poor surfacing and in inclement weather.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ain’t No
Mountain?! You better believe it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-53069110136700099012015-07-21T03:18:00.001-07:002015-07-21T03:18:23.649-07:00Zzzzzzzzzz - been in hibernation How can it have been 4 years since an update? You may think we've been hibernating....but no! Maybe on the events front, but not in our activity levels! Fitter, stronger and faster?? than ever before! Long hours in the mountains on foot and bike, long hours in the water...5km endurance swim events in 2013, 2014 and 2015. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And in 2014 we did the Great Glen Paddle in Scotland. What an experience! End of March threw up adverse weather conditions...never mind the challenge of a 5am start for a looooong 100km paddle from Fortwilliam to Inverness in a tippy K2 .....but overnight snow to contend with! </div>
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Never mind tricky portages...</div>
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A rough Loch Lochy and even rougher Loch Ness...</div>
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...where we met our "monster" !!</div>
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Following the "monster" of Nessie....treated ourselves to land sport and luxury pampering. </div>
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Roll on the return to extreme adventure events in 2015 !</div>
>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-9735727624970975242011-05-22T07:30:00.000-07:002011-09-05T02:54:36.065-07:00Up The Creek With(out) A Paddle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkdkZW3aMc4RInyKNbPLxckB4AhjIakM0MXKnPHjW77RZeXhSuGUSb1WyBOjfP9ERCbFMVsFOZaoxP55yMJomdHCq_Dwy7Kzcs7WsPHfsrcKU0T9P82aXfSZWSMoJpPPyNqJKKjgLLDQ/s1600/P1050248.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 326px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 221px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647693078356208402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkdkZW3aMc4RInyKNbPLxckB4AhjIakM0MXKnPHjW77RZeXhSuGUSb1WyBOjfP9ERCbFMVsFOZaoxP55yMJomdHCq_Dwy7Kzcs7WsPHfsrcKU0T9P82aXfSZWSMoJpPPyNqJKKjgLLDQ/s320/P1050248.JPG" /></a>
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<br />The Dynamic Duo nearly found themselves up the creek without a kayak...never mind without a paddle....when 3 days ago they undertook a non-stop 60km challenge the length of the Lower Bann on 19 May. The challenge was a fundraiser for a Ukranian orphanage.
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<br />Too intent on taking photos at one of the portages, they forgot to hold onto the boat, which began to drift away - and resulted in one of them doing a spontaneous jump into the icy waters to perform a rescue mission, while the other concentrated on a very different watery flow !
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyiWal86AaBHDK6Pe08xSnNSmKoMUuW13s7a6HQeGAsfF84lZhmewxWQNZfjQ-iCOuCu_j6wo5j4Qa0xcYEJ_6ruZaQs3mr4q-tfWLWp-BT8VxBrV9JTF0-eep71DCG7_6RZD3SpPXaM/s1600/P1050252.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647693711147191506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyiWal86AaBHDK6Pe08xSnNSmKoMUuW13s7a6HQeGAsfF84lZhmewxWQNZfjQ-iCOuCu_j6wo5j4Qa0xcYEJ_6ruZaQs3mr4q-tfWLWp-BT8VxBrV9JTF0-eep71DCG7_6RZD3SpPXaM/s320/P1050252.JPG" /></a>
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<br />The Duo had a fab day, beginning with the success of staying upright in their tippy K2 at the very start in the challenging and choppy Lough Beg (literally, say your prayers!) and ending with avoiding the treacherous Barmouth at the end of the trail before the Atlantic!
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<br />A day full of fun, chat and laughter as is always guaranteed together. Even without racing it (particularly the portages!), the Duo had a very respectable paddle-time. Compatability on all levels is the key. And who wants to race it ?......the day doesnt last as long then !
<br />>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-11524193140141387182011-03-07T02:02:00.000-08:002011-09-02T02:30:27.034-07:00The Comeback : CCAR Castleward AR
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<br /><div>The Dynamic Duo made a long awaited comeback to Adventure Racing on 5 March, competing in the CCAR Castleward event and ranking 2nd Female Pair. </div>
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<br /><div>With new armwarmers, the pair gave the impression of having all the gear and no idea-r....but that was just to lull the others into a false sense of security. At about the 4 hour mark however, uno of the duo did have no idea-r....about anything....as delirium set in due to a lack of ..... ??!!</div>
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<br /><div>Safely back at the finish, the Dynamic Duo relished the buzz of their comeback and maintaining their reputation of causing noise pollution ! Great craic, satisfaction and yummy grub...both feeling at home and not wanting to leave!</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6LlqacN4c9Bb7l_mGHqTO116OiF006UGWNrDnJD3H9oQ7ox8ZVtkMnewnH9DkyjqQgZHPMePJ20vYRUQuXJ6kXyTKbiQsZkoJJnNyaiLgDHC3gYuigjq_UIPcfZk2QW_O-m7BNenh5E/s1600/P1040279.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647691256986029938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6LlqacN4c9Bb7l_mGHqTO116OiF006UGWNrDnJD3H9oQ7ox8ZVtkMnewnH9DkyjqQgZHPMePJ20vYRUQuXJ6kXyTKbiQsZkoJJnNyaiLgDHC3gYuigjq_UIPcfZk2QW_O-m7BNenh5E/s320/P1040279.JPG" /></a>
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<br />>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-79323776229989044092010-06-04T10:15:00.000-07:002010-06-04T23:10:44.809-07:003-Legged : Beats Your Own 2 Feet !The Dyamic Duo came out of a very long hibernation this morning to face the most competitive and political of environments. The stakes were high, reputations were hanging very much in a balance and pre-race heart rates were of immeasurable levels. There is simply nowhere as threatening as the local village primary school sports day!<br /><br />Of course, it's all about our kids....well, almost all! Having made sure the kids understood it was all about enjoying the experience and the taking part, not the winning.....the adults turned their attention to the parents races. And quickly forgot their own advice!<br /><br />Tensions were high from very early in the morning, as news spread that the sprint champion in the mummys category in recent years had been out training for 6 weeks - but when she found out that Uno of the Dynamic Duo was going to challenge her, she was so scared of losing her title that she decided she wasn't going to race. So in a bid to inject some fun back into sports day for the mummys, somebody (ahem!) put in a special request for a 3-legged race.<br /><br />A total of 7 brave pairs stood at the start line, bound together at the ankles by the ubiquitous school tie, and awaited the whistle. Completely in synch from the off, seemingly better on 3 legs than their own 2 feet, the Duo lead the field all the way and took the title. The noise levels soared as the crowd went wild (well, the kids had been wild all morning anyway!), and as the Duo woo-hoo'ed at their victory, and as the other 6 pairs laughter reverberated around the pitch on crossing the line. Goal achieved - a fun race! (ohhh ok then, yes, and the gold medals too!).<br /><br />In post race interviews the Duo were quizzed as to how much secret training they had done, with well-known local runners saying there was no way that we could be so smooth and at-one without practicing and a strategy. Believe us, there had been absolutely no training at all. Believe us, there was no method. In stark contrast to the other pairs, who were extremely vocal in their instructions to each other during the entire race and will be chanting "up-down-up-down-up-down" in their sleep tonight, the Duo just fell into silent stride and ran on an inherent harmony. What a team. Simply dynamic!<br /><br />Ahhhhh the sweet taste of victory! Sorry...of taking part!>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-27967844234746815562009-11-11T08:18:00.000-08:002009-11-11T08:28:27.008-08:00Dynamic Duo Take Up A New Sport - Dancing!Who said endurance athletes couldn't be agile dancers and use their abilities in such a sport to fundraise?! Hmmmmm, well you'd be right. Dancing Queens we are not, but we felt quite motivated by the challenge of doing "the lift" and therefore organised a private showing of Dirty Dancing at a local cinema to help raise money for Anahilt Scout Group.<br /><br />Billed as an evening for girls to come have the "time of their lives", the movie was preceded in the lobby by a drinks reception and popcorn donated by Golden Popcorn was carried through to the theatre – all film-goers were reported to have "hungry eyes".<br /><br />A great night was had by all - some had too great a night! - and the fun more than made up for the the subsequent sore muscles experienced by Andrea and Jen after trying to re-enact some of the moves!<br /><br />Golden Popcorn have posted the snippet about the fundraiser on the following facebook and blog pages -<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Golden-Popcorn/70752709887">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Golden-Popcorn/70752709887</a><br /><br /><a href="http://goldenpopcorn-official.blogspot.com/">http://goldenpopcorn-official.blogspot.com/</a>>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-68861376452750061302009-09-04T06:01:00.000-07:002009-09-04T08:37:36.535-07:00Dynamic Duo Lap Up "Lap The Lough"Three weeks on from Rat Race victory, the Dynamic Duo took to their saddles again on 30 August 2009 to bike in the 4th annual "Lap The Lough" event – 140km around the circumference of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in Ireland and Britain and the 3rd largest in Western Europe. At over 35km long and 20km wide, it's quite a water feature. . . .and featured quite a lot of water on the day!<br /><br />The Duo are no strangers to the area but have previously been on the Lough, battling 10 foot waves (we kid you not!) for 3 hours in a kayak to find Phoney - sorry Coney - Island. That day, which was a complete blast, seemed like 3 minutes instead of 3 hours, and was full of our usual hilarity despite the hostile conditions, we decided that together the immense DW ultra marathon kayak would be a piece of cake! Ahem, watch this space!<br /><br />Anyway, miserable conditions that day (of paddling rather than pedaling) boded well for miserable conditions in the second half of Lap The Lough – but in contrast to everybody else, we were far from miserable! Again we just kept smiling, chatting and laughing . . . much to the annoyance of everybody else, particularly to one guy who was clearly intent on being as miserable as possible.<br /><br />The event started at Kinnego marina, Oxford Island, and on arrival it was clear that word had spread since last year and the cycle was set for record numbers. In the end over 1300 fools, who had nothing better to do on a Sunday morning, started the challenge. The queue for car parking and registration was massive but moved quickly with everyone eager to grab a goodie bag that included a "designer" t-shirt, which featured a very bizarre moustache reference. In keeping with the theme, each cyclist was also being handed a false moustache – unfortunately electrolysis hasn't worked on Jen and she was told she didn't need one!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4FO00SQOBSbvl96bWQHM6pXjLa2ikU6rc6CEvUHeUSnkozNoCCBOCLNVnmKd5FL6nykPncLiWDtJZXtdFHqkqpCVn0bJDeBjz3ZHAaB5McK-5py4faxldmNmkNMdY1w_03gWa_2kagI/s1600-h/tache.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377636397293979042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4FO00SQOBSbvl96bWQHM6pXjLa2ikU6rc6CEvUHeUSnkozNoCCBOCLNVnmKd5FL6nykPncLiWDtJZXtdFHqkqpCVn0bJDeBjz3ZHAaB5McK-5py4faxldmNmkNMdY1w_03gWa_2kagI/s320/tache.bmp" border="0" /></a> Thankfully her legs had been waxed since the Rat Race barber comment (see previous report), as she wanted to be as aerodynamic as possible on her new speed machine and impressively co-ordinated and classy kit that included white shoes, white/black/pink top and the cutest wee white cycle computer. Apparently she has a great personal shopper. Lucky girl. She is also lucky enough to have the other half of the Duo still pedaling a heap of junk and wearing very old kit, so making herself look even better! <div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHs2pXGG2RVxQB0XUxjFDQMC3TkizigDqEXwPXKDeGfPcSrPGooUSQGcB6F3v3CXwRZo-mFxiEbYZ1Fx5en-vMcirzo1EtulbHP7BpxDqFdbb856nz22jwr_nkSj6va2X5m_KC14Vhz0/s1600-h/pbk2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377635542581215970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHs2pXGG2RVxQB0XUxjFDQMC3TkizigDqEXwPXKDeGfPcSrPGooUSQGcB6F3v3CXwRZo-mFxiEbYZ1Fx5en-vMcirzo1EtulbHP7BpxDqFdbb856nz22jwr_nkSj6va2X5m_KC14Vhz0/s320/pbk2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic29a59r0eKVLmFloTTILD5dxjd2d2GQ6vlRHqhsOOCRWluqX2JLKjjI5Abp5bxdoug5yHI6JjY1Ux0qoEhpVCRnicgIhPgfWry9MJtVUyKZHffy9SpnsseYay6DVwQYR9Y826Qw58HSQ/s1600-h/pbk1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377635533960449074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 283px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic29a59r0eKVLmFloTTILD5dxjd2d2GQ6vlRHqhsOOCRWluqX2JLKjjI5Abp5bxdoug5yHI6JjY1Ux0qoEhpVCRnicgIhPgfWry9MJtVUyKZHffy9SpnsseYay6DVwQYR9Y826Qw58HSQ/s320/pbk1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u2teRF9p8HhbuzJkWL3xFMHCjUjY3T9GTBy8Ca__7Y1Yc3fDoy49ABTEWgHoNc6AKs6Ug7qB37F8gq7iPlIdSOunxWZ5SPSwvarka3vOlqF2d00U59nputAHUGyIM0jlCgGf4G565Ho/s1600-h/pbk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377635528822404354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 172px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 208px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u2teRF9p8HhbuzJkWL3xFMHCjUjY3T9GTBy8Ca__7Y1Yc3fDoy49ABTEWgHoNc6AKs6Ug7qB37F8gq7iPlIdSOunxWZ5SPSwvarka3vOlqF2d00U59nputAHUGyIM0jlCgGf4G565Ho/s320/pbk.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div>Well, we set off from Kinnego at 09:00 on a clockwise route around the Lough. Our chat was animated as usual from the start, with lots of riders clearly loving our conversations and keen to join in and find out more about our personal lives! Obviously we toned it down a bit! Our chatter kept apace with our cadence and the miles clocked up effortlessly. Before we knew it, we were over halfway and at the lunch stop at Shane's Castle, where coffee, sandwiches and biscuits were accompanied by a string quartet – some people were struggling and fairly unhappy by this stage, so we approached the foursome with a request to "take a sad song and make it better"! </div><br /><div></div><div>A 15-minute lunch stop was long enough for the Duo and as we started cycling again, Jen's confidence in her ability and performance rose as some struggling participants were pointed out to her, particularly those requiring oxygen before they set off again! No doubt some people thought we'd had an injection of it, with one guy asking us how we had enough oxygen to chat and cycle at the same time!<br /></div><p></p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliHF0D_Fe27-fgVFOdBGbsrlqHPtNQorRt5VD_YLqMxdEr1srOBqWgde-NwMaTtSZOon8buXRpc3ZV1673tAcgOUG7mobd-nGz3eyMz5C1mW2hpHNDTz68VzbLkotZADTV4F7j4WtXfQ/s1600-h/SDC10271.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377600547482961842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliHF0D_Fe27-fgVFOdBGbsrlqHPtNQorRt5VD_YLqMxdEr1srOBqWgde-NwMaTtSZOon8buXRpc3ZV1673tAcgOUG7mobd-nGz3eyMz5C1mW2hpHNDTz68VzbLkotZADTV4F7j4WtXfQ/s320/SDC10271.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXpC9NxpYEi4TsZM7QYhHqXo7ZS25wfKPXoJNX1vmFgziHfWmAk-KPjFF4qJG44OnRiKMh-hTVXarU9h60a3RnDeRhA9lPIpOkQp4npHKPS-JZ4BvGapLVpGYMueztYBbB9dvAQ1d72Q/s1600-h/0236_06493.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377599812857720018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXpC9NxpYEi4TsZM7QYhHqXo7ZS25wfKPXoJNX1vmFgziHfWmAk-KPjFF4qJG44OnRiKMh-hTVXarU9h60a3RnDeRhA9lPIpOkQp4npHKPS-JZ4BvGapLVpGYMueztYBbB9dvAQ1d72Q/s320/0236_06493.jpg" border="0" /></a>Just as we left Shane's Castle the weather took a turn for the worse. Those unhappy campers became even more unhappy, putting their heads down to shield themselves from the rain (oh, was it raining?!), the strong headwind and focus on getting to the finish line as quickly as possible.<br /><br />We on the other hand didn't want it to end. Too chirpy for our own goods, was one comment! At one stage however, uno of the duo became extremely concerned about the content of the conversation and began wondering just how to get through the last hour of the challenge while listening to chat about the pros and cons of granulated and demerara sugar! Funnily enough nobody joined in this thread of conversation!<br /><br />It took about 2 hours in the wind and rain from Shane's Castle to the finish line at Kinnego marina, including a good Samaritans stop to help a fellow-female (very much in the minority) who had a puncture. We obviously looked so accomplished at the task that none of the guys asked did we need a hand. Guess that puncture repair task in the Rat Race paid off!<br /><br />Drowned rats we were as we arrived back at the marina, but prize rats again – full of the warm glow of self satisfaction and another perfect day out.<br /><br />The Rat Race report ended with "had it all. You know that saying, "Blood, sweat and.." ? Well, two out of three ain't bad!". The same applies for Lap The Lough! But thankfully it didn't ruin the new kit!<br /><br />Lap The Lough took us 5 and ½ hours and we averaged 15.2 mph for the day. Neagh problem!<br /><br />An epic day, great performance and the poor weather from halfway made absolutely no difference. Oh boy, white lightning can't be matched!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-43305427512621218702009-08-10T06:48:00.000-07:002009-08-11T02:35:15.923-07:00Dynamic Duo Scurry To VictoryWell, the alternative training regimes paid off at the weekend and the Dynamic Duo scurried to victory, retaining their title of Winning Female Pair at the 2nd annual Belfast Rat Race. The event lived up to expectations, successfully combining physical exertion and immense fun. We had a blast and would have said that the sheer enjoyment meant that results didn't matter – but that would be a lie. Yes, before the event started it didn't matter. But once we got underway, had a great start to the first of the weekend's activity loops and had checked out the competition – losing was not an option!<br /><br />The run-up to the event was filled with last minute preparation, by which we mean accessorising our kit rather than training! If we hadn't won for our physical ability, we would have surely got a prize for our gear and getting into the spirit of Rat Race. This took the form of cuddly rats attached to the top of our helmets (which after an intense testing session in a wind tunnel on the bikes showed little drag and impact on our aerodynamics!) and on top of our handlebars (leading us on our way, these fondly became known as "Rat Nav").<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368332483535184626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfB_qE0VGQqW7HVHHD_A30Uhv_ChdCwKbqoKP0jP5jPbE-9S1MIb4v9NQKqUhsUoUA3JP5O_pBt6VIrZ7xXx9gPYW7WNUo9WNF3Uj_HOQ-7dMKRb4EocTwP5D61W7yQiKly_k2doihT8/s320/SDC10728.JPG" border="0" />Rat Race started on Saturday evening with the Mean Streets, which challenged competitors to run/scurry/walk/crawl around Belfast city centre to find 24 Check Points (CPs) within a timeframe of 2hr 30mins. Locations of the CPs were issued to competitors 1 hour before the start time, with each team having to mark them on a map and decide the best route to try and collect all CPs. Different points were awarded for each CP and this list was only issued just after the official start, which meant some teams changed their route choices at the last minute to ensure they collected the highest scoring CPs.<br /><br />However high scores come at a price and in true Rat Race style, they come at a personal cost! The highest valued CP was 50 points, which was located at a barber shop and was the 4th CP that we visited. In order to get the 50 points one of the team had to have a handful of hair cut off (females) or a strip of hair shaved off (males). While Jen was well overdue a leg wax and tried to talk the barber into taking a strip off there, he was having none of it. Jen said to Andrea, "win or lose – on your head be it" …..so, in the name of victory (yes, even at that early stage!), Andrea offered her coiffed head and came out with one handful of hair less to carry around the rest of the course. A visit to the hairdresser is long overdue anyway!<br /><br />The next highest valued CP was worth 30 points and was in a tattoo parlour, with one of the team having to decide if they were brave enough to get one done, then sign a medical form and then be ushered into a sterile back room where the tattooist was ready with electronic needles whirring and the designs laid out ready to choose. Only at the very last minute, as the needles came to within 2mm of Jen's arm, did the tattooist say that it was all a set-up. This CP was carried out to perfection, with not even the marshals knowing that it was a gag and nobody that had been brave enough to put themselves forward telling other competitors that it was a set-up. Secrecy at its best!<br /><br />Obviously Andrea was keen to know what Jen had asked the tattooist to put on her arm. She said she had thought of a couple of options before deciding on "Dynamic Duo", but the guy had said that it was too long for her arm (yes, even her biceps!) and he suggested simply DD, which was what Jen went for. Bless. At the same time though, Andrea found it hilarious that Jen should be so boastful about her chest size!<br /><br />Anyway, by this stage, which was about halfway through the Mean Streets, we realised that we were sweeping up the CPs at a great rate and that there would be no challenge that we would not undertake to get points. Others tasks included having to go into the Empire (about 6pm) and stand up on stage to tell a joke to the patrons; pitching a tent outside Tiso's; wolfing down a bowl of noodles at Foo kin Express; going into the Ulster Hall and drawing a picture; climbing into a high-sided inflatable box full of fairy liquid and getting back out; doing press ups; running through the water fountains at Custom House Sq; leapfrogging over bollards; and doing "keepie-uppies" at a George Best mural.<br /><br />All this, while running 12-15km around the city centre. The Dynamic Duo managed to collect all the CPs, scoring the maximum 400 points and clearing the course in 1hr 40mins – well within the 2hr 30mins cut off.<br /><br />So, we got home 830pm Saturday night, sorted out our gear from the Mean Streets, packed new gear for the Nine2Five on Sunday, and were back at the City Hall at 7am Sunday for the most challenging day of the event.<br /><br />Again we were issued with CP references to mark on a map and a route book of the different activities we would undertake that day. Most of the day would be spent on the bikes, covering the surrounding areas of Belfast and again facing up to different challenges in a bid to collect as many points as possible. Having asked about the nature of the biking, we decided not to use the tandem this year (kindly provided by Dromara Cycling Club) and stuck with our mountain bikes.<br /><br />The race started at 9am and the cut off time was 5pm (which is why it's called Nine2Five!). The first section took us out on the bikes to the Ormeau Embankment, where we got into a kayak and paddled 2km towards Stranmillis, collected a CP, and paddled the 2km back. We truly are dynamic in a kayak, or so we're told, and overtook a few teams that had got in ahead of us. Or maybe they were just distracted trying to work out did we have head-cams underneath the rats on our helmets!<br /><br />From here we cycled down to Belvoir Park, where there was a memory orienteering course on foot. A navigation error at the beginning meant we had a 10min warm-up before we started! But hey, other than that the navigation was perfect all weekend!<br /><br />After completing the foot course we were back on the bikes and down to Shawsbridge, where we had to canoe out on the Lagan and throw a ball into a net, and then sit in an inflatable tyre and tube down one of the fast-flowing shoots. Nicely soaked, but not looking too much like drowned rats, it was back on the bikes and on to Mary Peter's track where we had to gain maximum points we had to do a 100m sprint, jump over 3m50 in the long jump and throw over 7m50 in the shot putt. Which we did in a manner that Mary herself would have been proud!<br /><br />Back on the bikes again, we were off to Lady Dixon park where there was an off-road technical biking section (not tandem-friendly!). This was the last location in the first loop and so after this we headed back to the City Hall to drop our bikes for a short while and undertake two challenges.<br /><br />The first was an abseil down the inside of Victoria Square, which Jen had been looking forward to all day with her fear of heights! The fact that she struggled to get to the top of the first flight of stairs without feeling dizzy was a sure sign that this was a huge challenge, but by trusting my words to her and my confidence in her, as well as the guys at the top, she faced her fears and did the descent in style. That's my girl!<br /><br />The second challenge was back at the City Hall and saw us having to change a puncture, a task that was kindly (?!) hosted by Bike Dock.<br /><br />Over halfway there now and it was back on the bikes and off to Orangefield for a 3-lap blast around the velodrome. Chris Hoy eat your heart out! The route then took us down Beersbridge Nature Reserve and Comber Greenway to Dundonald Ice Bowl, where we had 6 balls to score a strike in 10-pin bowling (turned out to be our only failed CP all weekend!) and then had 6 pistol shots each to hit the bulls-eye (well, the duckling!) 3 times each for maximum point. We don't quite know what it says about us that we each hit the target in our first 3 shots. But you would be best not getting on the wrong side of us!<br /><br />The bike route then took us to the Civil Service sports pavilion in the grounds of Stormont, up the hill to Stormont building itself, down the Belmont Road to a gym where we had circuit training to do and then to the finish at City Hall. We dropped our bikes and before crossing the finish line we had to help each other climb up an inflatable, down into shin-high water, and out the other side. From there we had a 20m sprint to the finish – where we knew victory was ours in the Female Pair category. We did the Nine2Five course in 5hr 18min and scored 990 out of 1,000 points.<br /><br />Rat Race had it all. You know that saying, "Blood, sweat and.." ? Well, two out of three ain't bad!<br /><br />Perfect race, perfect venue, perfect team, perfect weather, perfect kit, perfect accessories, perfect friendship. You can't get better than that!<br /><br />Rat's all folks!>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-16615783949968420762009-07-21T02:32:00.000-07:002009-08-11T02:36:25.526-07:00Rat Race - A Rat Whether You Win Or LoseWith under 3 weeks to go until the 2nd annual Belfast Rat Race on 08/09 August, the Dynamic Duo are fresh (?!) from some alternative training regimes and finally gearing up for the event. One of the pair has just returned from checking out "all things rodent" across the Atlantic (Disney, Florida, to be precise! Taking the Mickey?! In her training!) and the other has been rubbing shoulders with champion mountain bikers and seeing how it's really done in Cave Hill – one of the locations visited in the Rat Race in 2008. If only know-how translated into practice! But let's hope some of it rubs off on the team as they start some late training and hope to defend their title of Winning Female Pair in the inaugural Belfast Rat Race last year.<br /><br />The Rat Race is a physical and mental adventure challenge that uses the cityscape as its playground starting at the City Hall. In Belfast 2008 the event lasted for 8 hours on the Saturday, but in 2009 there is a new format for Belfast with participants able to choose whether to do 3 hours on Saturday evening before the 8 hours on Sunday. The Dynamic Duo have chosen the longer "weekender" option. It is a team event in which participants run, hike, bike, abseil, climb and kayak the streets, structures, waterways and urban landscape, whilst navigating their way around a course that's only revealed to them just before they begin.<br /><br />The course is designed in different sections and loops that do not all have to be completed, so that people of various fitness levels can participate and get a feel for adventure. The elite teams will clear up the whole course, others will manage only a couple of sections, but everybody gets the same amazing level of fun that the Rat Race promises. Particularly with the special tasks, which last year involved potato peeling (which Andrea still has to practice, but Jen doesn't as she is the domestic goddess in the team), an inflatable bungee run, towing a 4X4 jeep, river tubing down the Lagan and climbing up a margarine-greased ramp. Who knows what 2009 has in store?<br /><br />If juggling is one of the special tasks in this year's Ratrace, then the Dynamic Duo are set for the podium. Being mothers of two young children (Jen has Charlie 9yrs, Olivia 7yrs; Andrea has Fraser 6yrs and Alex 2yrs) and both working mothers too, it is a task itself to fit in training and events with home and work life. However the two have mastered the juggling act and are keen to show other women that it is all do-able, that the fun and adventure is out there to be had, and that the kids benefit from it all too. Kids love that their mum is racing, not to mention loving to get to call you a Rat! The enthusiasm they see in you, will naturally translate to them and before you know it they just love being in the great outdoors doing sport and seeking adventure too. It's not easy fitting it all in, but it's do-able. Can't get out for a run because the kids are at home? Get them on their bikes and they can cycle along while you run. And a three-wheeler buggy and a kids bike seat means you can always run or cycle with a toddler.<br /><br />Speaking of bikes, one of the decisions for the team ahead of 08/09 August is whether to go solo or tandem. In 2008 the Dynamic Duo won the event on a tandem bike (kindly provided by Dromara Cyling Club and the only one in the race – but seemingly a trendsetting idea!), which was enforced because one of the pair had only one functioning leg due to injury. Given the choice to be "normal" this year, do we go for it?! Will have a tandem makes us "different" this year if others decide to follow our trend from last year?! Hmmmm, wonder what other human-powered wheeled vehicles we could come up with to use?!<br /><br />Anyway, whatever the event has store, whatever the weekend brings, come rain, hail, sun or shine, the Dynamic Duo can not wait to join the Rat Race and do what they do best – having immense fun while doing a little physical activity! Winning would just be the icing on the cake….and it's always worth remembering that "The trouble with the Rat Race is that even if you win, you're still a Rat".>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-64831415186130844212009-05-24T10:34:00.000-07:002009-05-24T10:39:40.822-07:00Mournes 2009 – What Mountain?A group of 10 intrepid explorers (blindly following 2 leaders) set off from the Carrick Little on 23 May in good cheer, despite the dismal weather, helped by a hearty serving of great coffee/tea and home baking (1 of the leaders is a domestic goddess!) in the car park. The conditions were surely the worst in the history of rambling (according to one source) and with visibility down to 20 metres, the question being asked was "What mountain?".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEZCB78ZrE72yp-NOhUpAKnyo-zDhzAVhSjeWGR5UOS4Z-zu8jGFcnan7JiVN81uLyVlrF4R7nx_kSB1OIgvZgZ5yY8uwaY4FZwFN7AEi7DKKiol0DABkrnysKQBBYosohBvZtFX4gBU/s1600-h/SDC10178.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339445649888159890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEZCB78ZrE72yp-NOhUpAKnyo-zDhzAVhSjeWGR5UOS4Z-zu8jGFcnan7JiVN81uLyVlrF4R7nx_kSB1OIgvZgZ5yY8uwaY4FZwFN7AEi7DKKiol0DABkrnysKQBBYosohBvZtFX4gBU/s320/SDC10178.JPG" border="0" /></a>This was followed by "are we nearly there yet?". Having only made it 1 mile up the track to the beginning of the off-road section, the answer was a resounding no.<br /><br />The girls veered off to begin the climb up the Mourne Wall towards the summit of Slieve Binnian (3rd highest peak in the Mournes at 747 metres), with conditions deteriorating. About a third of the way into the ascent, two men passing on their descent advised the group to turn back and head for home because of howling gales and 10 metre visibility.<br /><br />A few momentarily considered the option of return but at the threat of a splinter group, one of the girls rigged herself up in balaclava and peaked cap to assume the guise of a paramilitary and coerce them into continuing. It was later pointed out that the guise faltered given the balaclava was pink and flowery, and that the girls kept going in the name of being "iron". As the British politican Ironlady famously said, "U-turn if you want to, this lady's not for turning".<br /><br />So the whole group stayed together and followed the leader up into the mist, making the summit after 1 hour 50 minutes. Given the girls' inexperience (clearly shown when, on seeing somebody on the slope with walking poles the comment was made "my, he's brave coming up on crutches"), everybody made the top with impressive ease and so begged the question again, "What mountain?". (?!)<br /><br />After a 30 minute break for packed lunch, it was decision time. Call it quits and head back the way we came, or continue on across the top to descend North Tor and loop back to the car park. It was a case of follow the leader (1 of the leaders is an Ironwoman!).<br /><br />Across the top to North Tor the visibility was atrocious, the mountain mist turned to proper rain and hail, and the wind was howling. The adverse elements did not deter the girls however, with the chat and laughter reverberating around the mountainside and spirits remaining extremely high. They finally emerged from the clouds around North Tor for a comedy descent in the mucky, rocky terrain to the path homeward bound - a gently, descending track of 3 miles to the car park.<br /><br />The weather started to lift before the descent to the track, allowing everybody to take in the beauty of the Kingdom of Mourne and to end the day with the sun on their faces and the wind at their backs. The 3-mile amble back to the car park also boosted the group's feeling of self satisfaction because with the mountains now clear, the summit route that had just been achieved above could be clearly seen from the track below. "Oh, that mountain" were the concluding remarks.<br /><br /><strong><em>Group: Alison, Dianne, Fiona, Gillian, Gillian, Grace, Joanne, Karen, Linda, Wendy.</em></strong><br /><br />Many thanks to the group for helping us raise funds for a small local maternity unit to buy an underwater sonicaid, and also start providing basic items for underprivileged mums and their newborns.<br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-67176921273294619652009-05-18T06:35:00.000-07:002009-05-18T06:39:38.728-07:00Info for 23 May Mournes Trip<strong>Directions:</strong><br /><br />Carrick Little car park is 8.6 miles (approx 15mins) from the traffic lights at the far end of the Newcastle promenade, to be exact!<br /><br />At the end of the promenade, veer left along the A2, signposted Annalong. After 5.2 miles you will enter a 40mph zone and 1.1 mile further on you will see Quarter Road Filling Station on your right. Immediately after/at the filling station turn right into Quarter Road (signposted Silent Valley 5 miles). Continue along this road for 2.3 miles (sharp bend to left after 1.2 miles) and come to a small walled car park (Carrick Little) on your right, opposite Oldtown Road.<br /><br />Aim for 10:00am (those that are always late, aim for 09:30am!) – we will start walking about 10:30am.<br /><br /><strong>We will provide:</strong><br /><br />Coffee/tea/sweet treats at the beginning<br /><br />Lunch on the mountain – filled rolls (please advise your preference BY TEXT spicy chicken/brie and grape/ham and cheese), cereal bars, chocolate bars<br /><br />Mountain experience?!<br /><br />Good craic?!<br /><br /><strong>You bring:<br /></strong><br />A desire for fun <br /><br />Mug (for car park use at beginning, not being carried!)<br /><br />Small rucksack or bumbag<br /><br />Water/juice for 4-5 hours walking (approx 1.5 litres each UNLESS there's a heat wave and you'll need more. Dream on!)<br /><br />Desired extra snacks such as jelly babies, bananas, whatever!<br /><br />Waterproof jackets (and bottoms if you have)<br /><br />Sunscreen (Dream on!)<br /><br />Change of socks/shoes for driving home (full change of clothes maybe!)>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-59520785441947145892009-04-29T09:53:00.000-07:002009-05-23T11:06:59.580-07:00Mournes 2009The Dynamic Duo are planning a girls-only, fun-filled and exhilarating guided walk in the Mournes on 23 May 2009 to raise funds for a small unofficial charity.<br /><br />The money will help equip a local maternity unit with small essential equipment, the first being an underwater sonicaid, and also start providing underprivileged mums with basic items for their newborns and themselves.<br /><br />Itinerary:<br /><br />10:00 Coffee and cakes (provided by us)<br />11:00 Hike<br />13:00 Lunch up the mountains (provided & carried by us!)<br /><br />NB aiming to return to car park 16:00 , but depends on how leisurely we decide to be!<br /><br />A fabulous, sociable trip to the Majestic Mournes - our own outdoor playground, right on our doorstep!>>>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12563569328492726436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2249059013573981003.post-65126564361983745822009-03-03T04:13:00.000-08:002011-09-02T04:29:34.950-07:00Winning G.I. Jane (S) !<div>
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<br />The Dynamic Duo were the winning team at GI Jane on 28 February - proving their dynamism once more ! Not under too much duress to ditch their lipstick (although there was no way they were ditching their lycra! . . .that was safely hidden underneath the fatigues!), the Duo eagerly turned up to the Meningitis Research Foundation's first ever Northern Ireland GI Jane event in Castlewellan Forest Park. </div></div>
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<br /><div>The "ladies only" sponsored challenge event involved a special military style "warm up" (during which Andrea was literally floored by Jen's aggressive streak!!) and then participants had to rotate around 6 physical and mental challenge zones! Now, mental we don't have a problem with! LOL. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiZziBAKIOyg6qj32PsOb1h4ghPoRnE6pMAoAlA_zOybFUGFnTBqfumKExlJwPTN60NRZxykWyaud2V1IEUVvJbDRSOxW4sEAbtgwOdL2a9QQ2ylNkH1eGCtGEjHz-EVqF5SFR5bA4Bc/s1600/DSCF2165.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647722068541527730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiZziBAKIOyg6qj32PsOb1h4ghPoRnE6pMAoAlA_zOybFUGFnTBqfumKExlJwPTN60NRZxykWyaud2V1IEUVvJbDRSOxW4sEAbtgwOdL2a9QQ2ylNkH1eGCtGEjHz-EVqF5SFR5bA4Bc/s320/DSCF2165.JPG" /></a>
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<br /><div>Such a fantastic event - allowing girls to take part at a totally pedestrian pace (which was the majority), stopping numerous times for food and drink, and only a handful of girls racing it (yip, that was the Duo!). Give us war paint rather than lipstick any day! Fighting talk! And boy, did we talk throughout the whole thing...even at race pace!</div>
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