First race

It's the first race of the year tomorrow. So I'll be running 7.5km down at Ockenden at Stubbers Adventure Park. It's going to be full of hills, mud and lake/pond swims. Bearing in mind it's due to snow and the water is likely to be icey it's going to be an interesting run.

I'll let you know how I get on once I stop shaking.

Thanks to everyone who's sponsored me so far. I've just topped £600 and am really chuffed and a touch overwhelmed.

Marathon baking session

For the bake sale tomorrow I've just finished a marathon bake session. So that's cheese scones, shortbread biscuits and duck sinkers do e and ready. My wife also made gingerbread men and peanut butter cookies. With any luck it'll raise plenty of sponsorship tomorrow.

Bring on the weight gain.

http://www.bmycharity.com/5PeaksChallenge

First slave day done

That's my first slave day all done. A big thank you to Susan for the warm welcome. No sooner was I there that I got a lick in the face and an offer of a tummy tickle. It was great to meet Susan's dogs too. Hahaha.

It was a tough 4 hours of digging and weeding. Very rewarding to see all that fresh turned earth at the end though. The old back is protesting a smidge now.

Susan supplied me with lovely coffees, some home made soup for lunch and even sent me home with home made burgers and chips with salad and a cracking cheesecake for pud. I think I ought to move in.

So it's the first of many slave days trying to raise my £1300.

Tomorrow will be cleaning out the chickens and then the afternoon will be baking ready for a bake sale at work, again raising money for my Challenge.

http://www.bmycharity.com/5PeaksChallenge

The quiz and the slave

Hoorah my cold has almost gone. At the moment its just a lingering cough. So no more excuses. Its time to get back out training. Freddie the dog will be very pleased.

On the 16th of Feb I will be running a pub quiz at The Queens Head pub on Lower Anchor Street, Chelmsford. It's a get there for 6:30 for a 7pm start.

The quiz is to raise as much sponsorship for my 5 Peaks Challenge. If you are interested then please ring 01245 265181 to book a table.  It is £10 per team - maximum four people per team.  The winning team will get £20 back.  There will also be a small raffle running during the evening too.

Oh and my lovely wife will be my 'sparkly' assistant - so who can resist a treat like that?!!

I've just hit the £300 mark in sponsorship so thanks so much to everyone who's given so far.  Only £1000 to go, eeeek.  So go on you know you want to.  Keep on giving to help our heroes at www.bmycharity.com/5PeaksChallenge.

As a reminder to some.  During now and the end of June I am offering my back and hard work as a garden slave-for-a-day.  If you are interested and have a veg patch that needs digging, trees to prune or borders to weed then please contact me via here.  I am suggesting a donation of at least £50 and I'll work from around 10am till 4pm weather depending.  So come.  Hard work never hurt anyone but why take the risk.  Book the old Mr B now!

Great article

A great article in the Essex Chronicle this week. Myself and Freddie were on page 12 covering our challenge. Hopefully it's raised some awareness. Unfortunately it hasn't translated into any sponsorship. If each reader had given a £1 I'd have met my limit. Disappointing.

Anyway it's a beautiful day out there; perfect for training but I'm stuck in doors shivering and sweating with a cold. Not a happy bunny.

If anyone has any ideas for raising sponsorship or would like to help please let me know.

Essex Chronicle article

I've had a few texts so far to say there's an article about my challenge in today's Essex Chronicle. I haven't seen it yet and have no idea which photo they've gone for.

Fingers crossed that it'll get some more sponsorship for Help for Heroes.

My ME is very bad at the moment being in a lot of joint pain and high fatigue. However I'm still getting to the gym to do the step up machine so slowly slowly catch a monkey as they say.

Started the step up machine build up

Hi all. I've started the time on the step up machine in the gym to get these floppy old thighs built up.

Freddie and I also did a decent 6 mile run today which went well.

We are now up to £174 in sponsorship which is exciting. Still £1126 to go.