Endurance races

I did my first long MTB race on Sunday April 20th, Devon Dirt, 70 km.

Loved it and will be using MTB, road bike, Endurance Races and maybe a bit of triathlon as a way of getting fitter, along with the tyre pulling.

Brian Thurston, a GP colleague and a talented organist, arranged a concert in Emmanuel Church near Mannamead, last night. Beautiful music with a fantastic Soprano, Kate, and a brilliant Clarinetist, Richard.

Raised £150 for Amber trust. Very grateful to all of them and Joan and Phil for their part in it all.

Didn't have a lot of time to publicise the event but very much hope to have another concert and will let people know in good time.

Plan to meet some of the children of the Trust who are busy choosing pieces of music they would like me to listen to on the South Pole Race. Can't wait.

Treking is so passe

Training has now increased.

I have a very busy April to get out of the way and then it'll be a run down till November and the Pole.

Hope to catch up with my team mates Hannah and Felicity, both currently helping out on a North Pole Race and should be back sometime in May.

Wanted to say high to Josh and Zac or is it Zak, two lads who I met on a recent eight mile tyre pull up the Plymbridge trail.

Zac had a go at pulling the tyres, three of them, using the harness which I will be using on the Race. Seemed to have no problems, perhaps a future Polar Racer in the making.

It was a beautiful day, couple of Sundays ago, and lots of people stopped, or rather slowed down to my pathetic two mile an hour pace to ask what I was up to.

I don't have a TV so am not aware of what's on but it would appear there has been a load of stuff about people going to one or other pole.

The question is no longer ' what are you doing?', but 'are you training to go to the Arctic/ Antarctic?' Seems like everybody's at it. it's sooo passe.

I do want to see the Clarkson bit.

Gotta go

More later

-30C in Norway

I had a fantastic week in Norway from 18th to 27th of January.

Flew out to Oslo on the Friday morning for a press conference and launch of the Race Sponsor, Amundsen Omega 3.

They are supplying sponsorship and as much fish oil as we can eat between now and the race. It's supposed to be good for you.

I'm not a taker of supplements but I'm gonna give this a go. If it helps keep me well as the training increases, then I'm all for it.

If it gives me a face like a tuna fish and a desire to consume algae, not so good.

The press conference was held in the Fram museum, and it took me a while to realise the significance of this place. It contains the Fram ship, used by Amundsen and loads of artefacts from his race and also stuff related to Nansen.

I was completely blown away by it, and, perhaps because of no sleep for 48 hours, a bit emotional.

Then off to Dombas, north of Oslo, hill country, where we were going to be training. Stopped on the way at the Fedor Hotel. Blown away again, because this was completely unexpected.

The owner had heard about the race and insisted we stop off for some dog sleding, fantastic, beautiful animals, dinner and a talk about the hotels history.

Scott based himself there to trial his motorised sledge, nearly 100 years ago, apparently it worked brilliantly for about 15 minutes, and pulled several dozen villagers up the hill, until an axle broke.

It was quite something to look at the stunning views around the Hotel and realise they were the same views as Scott had looked over. He said he loved the place and had wanted to return but died before that could happen.

Then onto training. Based in Dombas military camp we had two days of lectures and kit sorting.

I spent the first night sleeping out to test the kit.

Temp recorded as -30C but I think it was more like -20C. Bit chilly, even in a -20 sleeping bag.
Spent the next four days practicing crevasses rescue (I do not want to fall down a crevasse, I don't care how pretty the colours in the ice are) and skiing, using GPS, night skiing, pulling sleds, camping and eating my own body weight in chocolate and cheese.

The Norwegian teams, one all boy and one all girl team, were very good on skis.

They'll take some keeping up with! We had a mixture of calm weather, strong winds and white out conditions, all good interms of training. All the Norwegians we met were lovely, friendly, hospitable people.

I now have a team. An all girl Brit team including Irish dynamo Hanna Shields who among other things summited Everest last year, and Felicity Aston English Dynamo who organised a race across Greenland on skis to kite back, 1200 kilometers or something like that, and as we speak is off to ski across a Siberian Lake, 700 kilometers.

It's great to Team up with these two awesome birds.

The talk on the North Pole race a few weeks ago raised £250 for the Amber Trust, so thank you to all who came along.

Now, where did I put those tyres.

Feeling tyred

I'm on a training week in Norway in two weeks time where I will hopefully find out who my team mates are, and find out what James Cracknell and Ben Fogle are like on Ski's. The third member of their team is yet to be announced.

The week will involve two days of lectures and then a five day mini expedition pulling sleds and sleeping under canvass. We will meet the Norwegian teams as well.

As part of my training I'll be pulling tyres around Plymouth and the Plym Bridge area for The Amber Trust - a charity that supports music, instruments and scholarships for blind and disabled people.

So if anyone sees me and wants to donate then all money will be gratefully accepted, I don't mind the extra weight!

I am also hoping lots of people will come to my talk on the North Pole on the evening of Thursday, 31st January at Derriford hospital's Postgraduate Medical Centre at 7pm.

Parking and food will be available, and people will find out about polar bear defence, loo stops in minus 40, losing weight on a diet of nuts, chocolate, sweets and cheese, burning 6000 calories a day, lots of pretty pictures, skiing 320 nautical miles across the arctic wastes, navigating through ice rubble in a white out, midnight sunshine and views to die for.

Tickets are just £2, and there'll be a raffle with all proceeds going to The Amber Trust.

If necessary donations can also get to me via The Physiotherapy Department, Level 7, Derriford Hospital, PL6 8DH, or go to www.justgiving.com/rachesouthpole where people can read a bit about the North Pole and look out for updates.

www.thesouthpolerace is the site for info on the Nov 2008 race itself.