Paparazzi...

Progress....

Fantastic news today from Autism Concern.  They're featuring my Kilimanjaro event on the front page of their website, and will be sending out 1500 flyer's to the registered members.

Then I get confirmation that there will be a feature in Parcelforce News in October, and finally the Snix magazine (Special Needs Index), which is a free magazine sent out across the Northants area for families with registered disabled children, have also confirmed that they will be featuring me in their October edition.  

Maybe now is the time to engage the services of a security expert...don't want snoopy paparazzi snappers chasing me down the street, ha ha.....

I was looking at some of my "Stats"?    God this computer thing is amazing, but apparently my blog has been looked at by 429 people now, including 60 in America, 12 in Canada 1 in Russia & 1 in Singapore?  

I'm not sure how they know these things, but with all these people looking at it, maybe now is a good time to remind you all just why I gave up chocolate, and Guinness and embarked on this event.  

Well most obviously, I'm trying to raise money www.justgiving.com/graham-kennedy1  Please share my link, and please support me towards my goal.  March is a long time away, but I need to have 80% of my target raised before January, so if you're thinking of donating, fantastic, but please don't put it off.....click the link.

• Autism is a lifelong disability which can have profound and sometimes devastating affects on individuals, and families.
• Over 40% of children with autism have been bullied at school.
• One in five children with autism has been excluded from school, many more than once.
• Nearly two-thirds of adults with autism in England do not have enough support to meet their needs.
• Only 15% of adults with autism in the UK are in full-time paid employment.
• Autism is much more common than many people think. There are over half a million people in the UK with autism.

Autism Concern are a local Northamptonshire charity, dedicated to supporting families, and individuals with Autism.  Autism is a 365days 24/7 condition, with many sufferers requiring full time support.  There are many associated conditions with Autism, such as Dyspraxia, Epilepsy, Fragile X Syndrome, or Severe learning difficulties.  Many people with autism struggle to integrate in a community which may appear alien to them. 

The support that charities like Autism Concern can provide for families, individuals, Schools, and Community workers is invaluable.  In addition they provide resources, and respite assistance, giving families an opportunity to take some time out as children are entertained by specialist helpers. 

phew....enough preaching....I'm under 13stone!!  Hooray, I've lost a stone now....

Don't forget, I'm climbing Ben Nevis on October 9th, so if you've nothing better to be doing, please come along.

Charlie does the Malvern Hills....

Fantastic walk today, 9 miles (at least) round the Malvern Hills.  Its not quite Kilimanjaro, but it was great exercise, and good to be walking up hills.  Never been here before, but for sure I will be back, even if it's not quite on the doorstep.

Charlie's tail was going ten to the dozen for most of the day, something that seemed to be noticed by everyone who saw him!!  And apart from his usual decision to take a stone with him to the summit of Worcestershire's highest peak, he also showed great composure when staring at...erm...dinner!! 

He's not chased a sheep in a while....and I'm sure I saw him licking his lips.

The summit at Worcester Beacon is only 1395ft, so just a small matter of 18,400ft less than I'll be doing in March next year, but hey...there's no substitute for getting some hills in your legs, so I had a few more to walk over too.  Fabulous weather today too, funny how the British Summer has changed...it used to be that August was great, but the sun has waited 30 days before showing it's face in August this year, and very welcome it was too.  Sunburn on my nose, and head when I arrived back home :-)

Charlie found a good way to cool down.....although he did give me kittens every time we passed someone after his "cool down" just in case he decided to say hello??  

He's great company on these walks, everyone seems to like Charlie.  His single claim to fame in life is winning the waggiest tail competition in the Woodford Halse dog show, and I'm sure it's his secret propeller.  

Anyway, my walk took me from the car park at St Annes Well up quite a good climb to the top of End Hill, then over the top of the "Sugarloaf", (great name for a hill, don't you think?), and up to Worcester Beacon.  After that, there is about another 5 peaks to get over before the walk starts to decend back through the woods on the Eastern slopes overlooking Malvern itself.  Whole thing took about 5 hours, but it's well worth it.  Lots of falcons flying about overhead, although I didn't get any pictures of them, just too far away to make it worthwhile, but there were some great flowers, and an odd looking mushroom? 

Never been much of a botanist, so if you can tell me what these are it would be good :-)  I have a feeling that Mr Wii will have appreciated my efforts too...13st beckons, for the first time since the millennium.

A Break from it all....

Two Sams on the Indoor Climbing Wall

So, a week off with the kids at Centerparcs, and I was feeling a little guilty that I'd been eating like a pig, and wine & chocolate were back on the menu.   However, fear not, the net result of all this ...... is "nil, nothing, zip".  Despite all the bad behavior Mr Wii has reported today that my weight is unchanged :-).

I shouldn't have been surprised, after all this holiday included climbing, abseiling, aeriel adventures, kayaking, and wind surfing, as well as just a little swimming, and cycling....it's hard work watching all that activity!!

Sam meets Snowy the Owl

We've had a fabulous week, but I've been missing my early morning appointments in the gym.  An hour's spinning with a virtual video to watch didn't do the trick...funny thing spinning, I thought it would be great exercise, but actually the problem with spinning is stopping spinning, not getting it going.  These machines have a life of their own, you kick start, get up some speed, then relax...the wheel keeps going with it's momentum, and your legs kind of follow without you doing anything?  Great to be back on my bike though around the park, and I'm planning doing a lot more of it to keep my fitness up, and as a change from the gallery that is...the gym.  I may even fit in a Coast to Coast between now and March.

Overcoming fear on the zip wire

He'll find his own direction :-)

Sam had great fun on the Zip Wire, after a little encouragement from his Mum he dived off....what a smile on his face.  He wanted to go straight back up.  He was a little less co-ordinated when it came to kayaking.....I don't think team playing is in his gift? 

Thank goodness for those full face helmets!

So it's back to the routine from today....chocolate & wine are back on the prohibited list, and the Gym will become my friend once more.  A diet of chicken & peppers, and a daily visit to Mr Wii.   Hopefully slightly more nutiritious than the diet of mud we had from the dirt-buggies!!  

Anyway, while I was away I had some time to brush up on Henry Steadman. Fantastic book and website for advice about climbing Kilimanjaro, and some great facts & figures.

1: The fastest ever ascent of Kilimanjaro was made in 2007 by Frenchman, Gerard Bavato - who ran up the 36.5km from the Marangu Gates, in just 5 hours, 26 Minutes & 40 seconds.  Lunatic!!

2: Douglas Adams, (Author of Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy) climbed it wearing an 8ft rubber Rhinoceros costume??

3: Two English brothers cycled up it!!

hmmm...sounds easy now?   Don't forget to share my Blog, and sponsor me at www.justgiving.com/graham-kennedy1

Mr Wii & Chinese Lyn...

Mr Wii is now extremely happy with me.  There is a certain excitement in standing on and waiting to see just how much he balloons up.  It's a very visual, so there is no escaping it, one second your pencil thin, then next, whoosh, suddenly you're an angry puffer fish!!

I'm enjoying step aerobics, jogging on the spot, watching mini me scramble around the countryside chasing other mini replicas of the family and the odd dog.  I'm over the embarrassment of hula hooping thin air, and my tennis is definitely improving!!...and I'm now 10lbs lighter than I was :-) 

Probably a good time to throw in another "Sam" anecdote...Sam, is also a big fan of Mr Wii...however, anger management is not something Sam does easily, so imagine it....he's a penguin, standing on an iceberg trying to catch fish as they jump out of the ocean.  Everything is going well, until the phone rings, and Liz leaves the room......the game involves standing on the Wii board, and transferring your weight either left or right to make the iceberg tip, and off Mr Penguin slides to the edge, just enough, and he catches the fish, too much and he takes a swim....

Needless to say, in just a few seconds Sam is dripping wet, and fishless!!   So SMASH!!  Sam is now battering his penguin with the Wii control.  Actually, Sam is battering the television with the Wii control.  One 32inch flat screen Samsung is now blue...not all of it...just the screen...oh, except for the big crack down the middle of it.

However......Chinese Lyn

Arrghh, tonight I came off the wagon...and we had a take-away!!  Actually, the guilt only lasted the first mouthful or so.  We had planned some pork loin & green beans, but made a schoolboy error of leaving it on the worktop for 2 minutes....time enough for Murphy to help himself to the lot!!

So, take-away it was...I didn't inhale, and in fact it was a worthwhile trip up the road.  Lynn now has a bright flyer poster on her wall, supporting my trip :-)   Happy to help, she greeted me like a long lost friend....at least I think she did...my Chinese is not too great, but she looked happy enough.

Two more in the Doctor's surgery, and one in the sports centre...it'd be nice if they do the trick, and some more sponsors chip in....Did I mention our doctor's name?  Dr Bones!!   

He could only really do one job....anyway, if you're still with me...encourage your friends to take a dip.  

Snowdon & a few other interludes

Its been an interesting week, Mr Wii is very happy with my progress, telling me "your approaching your target at a nice rate"    9lbs down since I started on this obsession....Yes...a carefully chosen word.  Quite quickly, a dream becomes a  goal, and soon a goal becomes reality. On the way, it becomes an obsession!! 

I can't think why else I'd be up at six in the morning and heading to the gym, and spend an hour spinning the pedals, on the road to nowhere? 

Of course, I'm actually on the road to somewhere...and this week it all came a bit closer when my joining instructions arrived from Action Challenge, with details of the itinerary. 

This weekend, despite a pretty horrible weather forecast, Liz, Charlie & I headed off on the first of my practice hikes, this time to Wales for a swift jog up Snowdon.  (As if??)   Fortunately, the Weather Forecaster is hanging his head in shame, as the waterproofs never saw the daylight.  In fact it was a perfect day, just cool enough not to be uncomfortable, not much of a wind, and dry!!

"You'll be fine, says Liz....practice doing this for 6 days in a row and you'll have done Kilimanjaro"  

Charlie enjoyed himself dashing off in every direction. He picked up a small rock at the bottom, and carried it all the way to the summit, just occasionally dropping it, to go dashing into the water, or barking for us to throw it for him??  Mad dog!!  We're standing on a ridge with 300 meters of fresh air below, and he wants to play "fetch".

There is no substitute for getting your legs to burn on a hill, and the last hour of our climb was certainly tough enough.  In all, it took just over 3 hours to get up, and about 2.5 to come back down.  Just beautiful though...at least until about 900meters when the clouds engulfed us. 

It's certainly easy to fall in love with the Welsh mountains, and it was great to be pulling on our boots.  Seems they need a few more visitors though, as the owner of the B&B we stayed in is selling up and moving to Turkey, and the landlord of the pub we had dinner is giving it up to become a debt collector?? 

Feeling smug is not a crime, and when we caught sight of the train arriving at the top, we did have a giggle.  Imagine, handing over your £25 at the bottom, thinking..."lovely day", then heading off to the top to get their view of.....well?  Clouds!!  haha.

So, one down...plenty more hills to follow....We had a fantastic day, and I'm already looking forward to Ben Nevis.   Come join me if you like :-)

www.justgiving.com/graham-kennedy1

 

Strategy.....

Oh God?? 

I spoke with a good friend today, and he mentioned this word twice, which means it must be important!!  Of course I've given lots of thought about how to prepare myself for this escapade, but a strategy?

Well, it's only fair I guess to have a strategy.  My goal here, apart from climbing to the top of Africa for fun is to raise a boat load of money for Autism Concern, and that involves strategy;  so here's mine....

Sacrifice; (or giving up on all the things that you like that don't help with your preparation)...Chocolate...Wine...Guinness...Take Aways?   Yep, all done away with.  Its quite fun to watch how Liz helps with this....she now hides her chocolate in a tin, and drinks wine from a mug while I have coffee, thinking that I won't know what shes up to...  What a girl?

Training; well, the training is going OK so far.  I'm actually no longer obese.  In the course of just 2 short weeks Mr Wii now reports I'm just overweight...still significantly so, but 7lbs less than before.  I'm getting used to the early mornings staring at the cars that pass by the window beneath the cycle machine in the gym.  My goal is to lose another 19lbs before Christmas, which will leave me just....overweight?? 

Rehearse; Well this one is easy...walking is cheap, and with seven kids and 2 dogs to entertain cheap is good.  Trouble is, it's hard to find a flattering picture of them all in one go??   This is us at the top of Helvellyn.

Account; Open a Just Giving Account....ticked that box early...now I just need some donations :-)
www.justgiving.com/graham-kennedy1

Timetable; hmm....this one took some thought.  But tonight I sorted my timetable out, courtesy of a few friends, and the Runners World magazine....

• August 14th - Get up, drive to Wales, walk up to the top of Snowdon.  Anyone wishing to join me?  (Thats you Liz by the way!!)  and of course, anyone else that wishes a nice day out.
• October 9th - Charlie & I are heading north & meeting up with a friend to do Ben Nevis
• November 21st - I'm doing a 10k run in the Castle Coombe Chilly 10K race
• January 1st (Hangover or not)....I'm doing the Wicksteed Recovery Half Marathon.

Engage; Newspapers, Sports Organisations, Businesses.....oh?  Never dealt with any of them, so at this point, engage the help of a couple of friends that CAN. 

Grit; yep....not quite of the John Wayne sort but determination, and a need to lose 2 stone should do it.

You;  So, if you made it this far, thank you....if you have a few £'s to spare then please sponsor me. 

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.  The highest free standing mountain in the world, and at 19,341ft is almost 3.7 miles high.  I'm climbing it because I want to have the pleasure of ticking off another of the "100 things to do before you die from my list".  I'm also doing it for Sam, and for Liz.  

So...updates??  I've vexed (I think thats the word) about how often I should update?   Don't worry..I decided against daily...In fact, I figure I'll update only when I have some positive news for you all about how all this is going.  So perhaps the next one will be from the top of Snowdon in a week or so.

Until then?  Spread the word..... :-)

My first Post.....

Wow, this is quite exciting...suddenly at 43 I'm a virgin again.  It's been an exciting few weeks since that little pop up appeared on my Facebook ads...."Kilimanjaro in 2011"  Harmless enough maybe, but it was like a candle, and I was a moth. 

I know it makes no sense at all, but I was drawn to it, inexplicably the more I looked, the more I liked....damn that lightbulb!!

Well, that was July 18th and now here we are just 3 weeks later, and my name is on the list, my money is down.  The Wii-fit is back out of the cupboard, I'm a fully paid up member of my local gym, and I'm shopping for books on how to avoid altitude sickness?? 

It's an odd thing.  I'm 43 years old,  overweight...(well, actually obese...at least according to Mr Wii)...and have a fear of heights.  That is to say, I don't mind being up high provided its to jump out of something.  I wasn't one of those kids that got stuck up the top of a tree, waiting for someone to send a cat up, that in turn would attract the attention of the local Fire Service.  Anything above 10ft on a tree, and I was like Marilyn Monroe's backside...."jello on springs"   ....  I thought I would add a link in here, just in case you needed some clarification on my "Jello" comment.....

Anyway, so I'm 43...but I don't own a sports car, and I've never used hair dye, and only rarely dabbled in hair gel??  All that preening seems like hard work, and a waste of time to me.  I figure that if you polish a rock, it doesn't make it a diamond, so I'm happy just being a rock. I think this means that this is not a mid life crisis moment.  I've done crisis!!   Just not Mid-Life.

So..the point of this blogg is??  Well...actually, I've not worked that out really.  I thought maybe I would just jot down some bit & pieces of my life here over the next 7 months while I prepare to take a little hike up to the top of Africa.    I'll try & keep it fun, I guess...maybe some half decent links every now & then, and I guess it gives anyone that wants the opportunity to have some fun with me, and to follow my progress. 

I'm doing this little adventure as someone who's only experience of Autism was Rain Man, that is until I met Sam.  He quite often makes me laugh, and I love him....I'm still not sure I'm any expert in Autism....I guess it's something which, when you tie a washing line to the belt of a 6 year old, and fix him to the handle of your car when you go camping to stop him wandering off and getting lost, suddenly becomes a huge game..."I'm a fireman Graham, and this is my fireman's harness." "Your car is on fire Graham!!  Don't worry, Fireman Sam will put it out"  (I'm not sure he ever pee'd on my car...but I didn't see any flames). 

Sam is my inspiration, and his Mum is my rock.  "Just go do it Graham" she said...as though I was simply about to walk to the shop.  It shouldn't have been a huge surprise....a few months earlier she had me jumping out a plane at 12,000ft. 

I've checked?  My insurance value is really not that much....so I guess that maybe Liz sees me as this stupid kinda fella that likes a bit of excitement in his life.  Whatever...the outcome is what you read above here.  I'm on the list, and Kilimanjaro waits.   I'm just a little bit excited about it too. :-)