Cupcakes and Puddles February 19, 2011

Fundraising

Another week, another step closer to my fundraising target – I have now reached 75% – (just over the £2k mark) and the desired total is starting to look a lot more achieveable!

On Monday last week I decided to sell Valentines themed cupcakes in the Talis offices to try and raise some additional funds. On Sunday, my sisters kitchen was transformed into a small bakery, with cupcakes, sugar and icing in every direction!! We made just under 40 cupcakes -  with some going into the reject pile and some being “tested” along the way, but overall I was really proud of the way they turned out! I’ve not done a great deal of baking before, and the first attempt at butter cream icing left a lot to be desired but 4 hours later, this was the result!!

Yummy!

The cakes went down really well and I managed to raise just over £40 for the British Heart Foundation, so Talisians may be in luck and a 2nd batch may be making an appearance later in the year!!!

Training

The training is also going fairly well, im now well into the running routine and really enjoying it, going running at least twice a week and sometimes three if im feeling particuarly active. Tomorrow I am going to go for the first long walk in my walking boots, aiming to do one of the training walks I did this time last year when preparing for Cancer Research’s Shine event. The walk starts in Solihull and ends in Hatton and is approximately 15 miles, with an amazing country pub at the end – got to have something to keep you going right?

 I am particuarly proud of the fact that Ive stayed fairly dedicated -this morning when waking up at 7.30 for my parkrun it was absolutely tipping it down with rain and as I drove out my road I did for a second think about turning around and crawling back into my nice warm bed!! However, I snapped out of it, got myself out there and did the very soggy 5k with about 60 other dedicated runners, jumping over puddles, avoiding muddy patches and pulling my heavily soaking trousers up at every turn!! I didnt get a personal best this week, but I did manage to get exactly the same time as last week – 30 minutes and 54 seconds, which considering the conditions I think is not a bad result!!

If you havent already sponsored me, and would like to help support me on my fundraising for Trek Iceland, you can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/lccotterill

Thanks Lucy x

A new Personal Best ;) February 12, 2011

Today I acheived a new personal best at Brueton Parkrun 
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/brueton/Results/LatestResults.aspx
 and am pretty chuffed! I definately felt faster at the time, and was really hopeful that id beaten my previous result of 32.25, but I actually shaved off a massive 1 minute 31 seconds, coming in with a result of 30 minutes and 54 seconds. I am now a very happy bunny!

Today was perfect weather for running, a really sunny morning, and quite mild – around 6 degrees, so definately felt good to be out in the sunshine and blow away the cobwebs!! I have been for 3 runs in the past week, 3 miles on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, so the extra training must really be starting to pay off.  This afternoon its time to get back out the walking boots as seems a shame to waste the nice weather when 2moro’s forecast is rubbish! I’ve been running more than walking at the moment, and need to make sure im doing a bit of both, as whilst the running might be helping build up my general fitness, the walking is what iv actually got to train for - approx 8-9 hours of it a day in fact!!

I have been logging my training on Dailymile.com here
http://www.dailymile.com/people/loosea#ref=tophd
 so please feel free to befriend me and follow my progress, having people to motivate and support me really helps my competitive streak so Im grateful for all help received!

The fundraising is going well, having now reached 70% of the target I set at the beginning of January. Tomorrow I am baking valentines cakes to sell to my friends and colleagues at Talis, hoping to raise some extra money to add to my total. Thanks again to everyone who has supported me thus far, if you havent already done so and would like to help, you can donate on my fundraising page here – www.justgiving.com/lccotterill

Lucy xxx

Trek Iceland Training – Runkeeper / Dailymile February 6, 2011

Just got back from another 5k run at Brueton Park. After beating my debut run time by 24 seconds yesterday
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/brueton/Results/LatestResults.aspx
, I really wanted to get back out there and see whether I could get faster than 32 minutes on my own. Turns out I couldnt (lol) but I gave it a bloody good shot. The winds are still terrible today, and Id like to think that impacted my performance a little but I guess the important thing is that I got out there and did it, rather than sitting on my arse watching catch up TV which is what I normally do on a Sunday!!

Today I decided to test out RunKeeper (www.runkeeper.com)- a new app that I downloaded for my iphone, which uses GPS to track your exercise, (whether it be a run, jog, cycle etc). It allowed me to record my time, my average page (minutes per km) and how many calories I burned, including a little graph to show changes in pace.

I found it very easy to use, only negative was I couldnt figure out how to get my music on at the same time, and didnt want to stop it once id pressed Go, so ended up running the whole 5k with just the sounds of people chatting and walking their dogs instead of my usual more uptempo ipod tracks!

Im sure this will be easily resolved for next time I try it. The graph was really useful, as I was able to see that my pace was fairly consistant throughout the whole 5k. If id slowed right down towards the end, id be able to assertain that id probably started off too fast, and therefore try and fix my pace accordinly on my next run. The app talks to you while you are running (as often as you set it to), therefore I had an update every 5 minutes telling me how far I had run and what my average pace was.

This was really useful, until it got to 30 minutes and I knew I wasnt going to beat my score from Saturdays Parkrun and then I got a bit disheartened and just wanted to finish and get home! lol

There are various different running apps, so I may review a few over the next coming weeks but for now RunKeeper seems to have done the job I asked it to. The distance measured is accurate, as I ran exactly the same route as the park run on Saturday.

I have also logged back on to www.dailymile.com – which I was a regular member of a few years ago when I did a lot more running than Im doing now. Daily mile is effectively an online community for joggers, runners and cyclists, and allows you to create a network of friends who help keep you motivated and share their activities. Its really great to have someone comment on your hard work, particuarly when that someone might be on the other side of the world, but going through exactly the challenges in their attempts to get fit and healthy!

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me so far in my training and fundraising for Trek Iceland, I really appreciate your support. If you havent already done so, and would like to sponsor me, please see my justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/lccotterill

Lucy x

Trek Iceland – Support me for FREE!!!! :) February 5, 2011

A couple of days ago, I was lucky enough to be introduced to the website www.easyfundraising.org.uk – a website that allows people to support various different causes of their choice, whilst doing their normal shopping online.

The site is a completely free service and allows you to shop with your favourite online stores and at no extra cost to you, raising money for any charity, good cause, or group you choose to support. Simply by clicking on the links on the easy fundraising website first, you then continue to shop as you normally would, and a percentage is given by the retailer to the cause you nominate. 

For example, fellow Talisians that buy a lot of books, if you make any purchase from Amazon – 2.5% of your purchase price can be added to my fundraising total completely free of charge. This will help my totaliser ramp up in no time!

I have set up a cause at Easy Fundraising called British Heart Foundation Trek Iceland – Lucy Cotterill -  
http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/bhflucycotterill
and urge all my friends to please use easyfundraising.org.uk when making their online purchases as every penny helps me to reach my fundraising total! Simply register, select my cause as the cause you would like to support, and then start shopping!!

There are MANY MANY retailers on the site, so to name but a few that I think would appeal to my friends-  

Amazon, Accessorize, All Saints, Apple Store, Argos, Asda, Benefit Cosmetics, Blacks, Boots, Buyagift.com, Clothing at Tesco, Coast, Comet, Cotswold Outdoor, Currys, Debenhams, Dixons, Dominos Pizza, eBay, First Choice,  French Connection, Game, Getting Personal.co.uk, Graze, Halfords, Hallmark Cards, HMV, Homebase, House of Fraser, Interflora, Itunes, IWOOT, JD Sports, John Lewis, Kurt Geiger, La Senza, Lastminute.com, Laura Ashley, Littlewoods, Marks and Spencer, Oasis, PC World, Photobox, Play.com, rBooks, Sainsburys, Staples, Superdrug, Tesco, Thomsons, Ticketmaster, Waterstones, WHSmiths. Phew – what a list!!

Please register, and then check the site before making any purchases on line!

Thanks for your help all!!

Lucy

PS – Just got back from my 2nd Brueton Park run – have no idea of the results yet, but as opposed to -1 temperatures, this week was running against what felt like gale force winds!! Feel fab for doing it though so fingers crossed my time reflects that! x

Trek Iceland – The Training / Fundraising Continues… February 4, 2011

Well my results came through from last weeks Brueton Parkrun
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/brueton/
  The results were emailed to me later that same afternoon and I actually did a lot better than I thought!! My time was just under 33 minutes, which although still a fairly slow pace, I felt fairly chuffed after slowing to a walk a couple of times during the 5k. I plan to brave the elements again (and the heavy rain and winds forecast) to get back out in the park again this Saturday, and who knows I could even get a personal best! lol

This week the training has gone well, I made my maiden voyage in my Brasher walking boots, walking 3 miles round the block during my lunch break at work. I am pleased to say that the boots were very comfortable (I was worried as had been warned about needing to wear your boots in). My toes had plenty of room, my ankles felt supported, and although I originally paniced about getting them dirty (such a girl lol), I soon got over that and just kept walking!

They are these boots
http://www.brasher.co.uk/catalogue/products/kanaga-gtx-r-kanagawn
 and are Gortex lined, meaning that they are great for braving the British weather. I chose them because they had high ankle support (I have VERY skinny and weak ankles!) and they are designed to be a all round boot for mountains, trekking and scrambling, all of which will be involved in Trek Iceland so I hear!!

Walking with my boots clearly worked different muscle groups to my runs, as my shins ached a little bit. I think perhaps that this is just the angle at which my feet were sat in comparison to my old and slouchy trainers. We did a 2nd 3mile walk the following day, and I am getting used to them very quickly, will just need to continue walking in them as much as possible. Weather permitting I may go for a longer walk this sunday and see how I get on.

On Wednesday evening I went round to my cousins for our weekly “fat fighters club” (her name not mine!) and did a 3.6 mile jog/run around her block. I still find running in the cold and dark quite difficult, so we did a very slow pace of (43 minutes) but I definately feel better for getting out there and doing it. There were also two not so pleasant hills involved in this particular route, so all in all, I didnt think we did a bad job!

Overall I do feel like im slowly getting a little bit fitter, the diet coke is still completely off the radar, havent had a single caffienated drink since 4th January now, and water is a big part of the diet instead. Feel so much better for it and even my nails have started to grow – who knew?! The Talis tuckshop have even had to reduce the order of Diet coke after me and Dom both decided to go cold turkey at the same time. We worked out that between us we probably drank about 30-40 cans a week, or as much as a kitchen pedal bin!!! Quite shocking really!

In terms of fundraising, I have now reached 64% of my fundraising target including my £1000 which I used to self fund the cost of the trip. I am overwhelmed with the level of support I received so far, particuarly from my colleagues at Talis, and old friends via facebook. I am not sure I will reach the full amount via sponsorship alone, so have started looking at fundraising alternatives to try and boost the total.

Brasher www.brasher.co.uk very kindly agreed to help support me in my fundraising by supplying a pair of boots and socks (of the winners choice) to raffle off. Brasher are the UK’s leading outdoor performance footwear brand, specialising in all types of walking footwear from trekking and walking boots to multi activity shoes, sandals and socks,

 This generous offer went down really well amongst my friends and colleagues, many of whom are also keen walkers and fans of the great outdoors! I was able to make an additional £212 in donations by doing the raffle, and plan to do more fundraising activities in the future to try and add to my total. I have recently applied for a street collection license with Solihull Council, so if you see me stood with a bucket outside the local shops, please do pop and say hi, all that loose change will only weigh you down anyway

If you would like to support me and the British Heart Foundation you can do so by sponsoring me here www.justgiving.com/lccotterill

Lucy xxx

Brueton Parkrun – 5k January 29, 2011

Good morning!!! Just got back from my first ever Brueton Parkrun and I’m shattered!!!

The Brueton Park run is a timed 5km run around Brueton Park in Solihull. It takes place every Saturday morning at 9am (Yes 9AM!!!) and is completely free to join. It is entirely run by volunteers, yet looks and feels exactly like any other professional 5k run. You register once, in advance at www.parkrun.org.uk , print of your personalised barcode, and then you can simply turn up at any park run around the country (they take place all over the UK) and get involved!!!

I heard about the parkrun at the BHF Santa Jog at the beginning of the year, a board was advertising the run and I thought it sounded a great way of getting fit and doing some of my training for Trek Iceland. I find that when I run on my own I get bored very easily, as I only have myself to egg me on and not all the other runners around me. To run as a group really appealed to me, as well as having my time recorded. The website also advises that the group celebrate personal bests, regardless of your speed, which I felt was a really positive approach. I have never been a fast runner, but the fact that I can track my progress and see if I’m improving is definately something that appeals! A 5k in under 30 minutes is one of the items on my bucketlist – www.bucketlist.org/loosea (among many others!) so hopefully if I do this reguarly I’ll be able to tick that one off soon!

When my alarm went off at half 7 to “Baby You’re a Firework” by Katy Perry I was like “Urgh what am I doing!!” – the temperature was -1, hardly what I would call perfect running conditions. Even so, I got dressed, attempted to wrap up warm and got my self out there. There were about 80 runners there, some of whom were obviously regular runners, aiming to complete the course in under 20 minutes. Others decided to walk the route, and I was probably one of the slowest runners in the group, but wasnt made to feel at all inadequate – everyone was very supportive.

I found the first half of the course particuarly hard, my fingers were cold, my ears were cold, and the freezing wind sent my breathing all to pot, so felt like I wasnt doing very well at all! I bailed a bit in parts and had to slow to down to a fast walk, but I kept moving, and as a parkrun virgin, Im allowing myself a slow first attempt; at least it gives me something to improve upon eh!

At the finish line I was given a small token, recording my place (No.71 – told you id be near the back!) and took this to the registration desk where they noted my position and scanned my barcode. Times are recorded at the finish line and are emailed out to all participants later on the same day. I have no real idea what my time was, although id imagine it would be somewhere between 35- 40 minutes as I did walk a few times. I’ll let you know what the results say later! There was also a photographer, not looking forward toseeing those quite so much!!!!

Overall I really enjoyed the run, and hope to become a bit of a regular! Big thanks to all the volunteers who helped with registration, marshalling and time recording today, you ran a great event!!   If you are interested in doing a parkrun event near you, please check out the website www.parkrun.org.uk for a full list of events around the country. If local, why not sign up to the Solihull one, and I may see you there!

Lucy x