Every so often a walker or runner has to do the hardest thing... admit their most faithful friends have gone from new, through comfortable, through worn to just plain worn out...
And so my Inov8 285s are making their way to the great recycling bin in the sky, they were my first pair of inov8s... designed foe fast moving over rough terrain, they managed in their 18 months on my feet to get: boggy in the Peak District; go up, over and around the Fairfield Horseshoe; completed my first run/walk marathon; countless short walks and long hikes; and, yesterday gave me my first blister in over 1000miles...
Not a bad return on the investment, and I will be getting another pair...
But not for a month or so...
The walking has been hard but good! As well as the old standby of the Wirral Way and walking some of the running training trails, I did 13% of the Transpennine Trail http://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/template.asp?ID=0&parentID=481 also known as Bootle to Warrington... Just under 28miles in a day!
Tomorrow is another biggee - Bootle to Wigan on the Leeds - Liverpool Canal, about 25 miles:-D And then the weekends fun and games http://www.childrens-heart-fed.org.uk/news/upcoming_events/upcoming_events_listing/1_in_every_133_children_are_born_with_a_heart_condition._for_the_last_part_of_paul_willgosss_challenge_we_need_your_help._._._can_you_become_the_1_in_133_by_covering_your_own_sponsored_mile
TTFN
Paul
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Time to be sensible
The only conditions that really scare me are hot and dry... And next week's projections are for hot and dry just when I was meant to be walking a very long way...
A long way along a path I don't know and I don't know where the water stop are.
So I'm being sensible, I'm going to walk the miles, but do them locally... Tomorrow will be about 13miles along the canal path I've run so much of as marathon training, Tuesday will be along the Wirral Way and then the connecting paths to Chester, should be around 26 miles, Wednesday well I'll pick where, but it'll be a long one (c30miles) and Thursday something nice as a treat...
Then the East Midlands Outlet Village beckons, and to run down the final miles....
TTFN
Paul
A long way along a path I don't know and I don't know where the water stop are.
So I'm being sensible, I'm going to walk the miles, but do them locally... Tomorrow will be about 13miles along the canal path I've run so much of as marathon training, Tuesday will be along the Wirral Way and then the connecting paths to Chester, should be around 26 miles, Wednesday well I'll pick where, but it'll be a long one (c30miles) and Thursday something nice as a treat...
Then the East Midlands Outlet Village beckons, and to run down the final miles....
TTFN
Paul
Thursday, 24 June 2010
The last 10 days....
It's been almost a year when I started my insane quest to run or walk 1000km...
355 days... 1500km, 1 marathon, 1 walking marathon, 2 half marathons, many a hill, many a mile plodding around the streets of Bootle, I walked with friends and on my own...
So with 10 days left what is there to do?
Firstly, walk a chunk of the 133 miles... I'll be setting out from Stafford on Tuesday morning and sometime on Wednesday will have walked 70 miles along the Heart of England Way. That's a lot of miles in not a lot of time, its training for a big event I want to try next year, which is a proper endurance event,
So with the 15-20 miles I walk tomorrow, that'll take me to just over 100 miles, leaving about 25 miles to do at the last weekend of my challenge year... and what a weekend that will be - if you've ever wondered what a man running on a treadmill in an outlet village looks like then this is your chance!
I'm going to be doing the last of my miles at the McArthur Glen Outlet Village here - http://www.eastmidlandsdesigneroutlet.com/
So a huge thank you to Rachel and the team that work there who've invited me along.
Its been a hell of a year, with huge highs and very very deep lows... I'll write the year up properly at the end, so there's still time to add to those highs!
TTFN
Paul
355 days... 1500km, 1 marathon, 1 walking marathon, 2 half marathons, many a hill, many a mile plodding around the streets of Bootle, I walked with friends and on my own...
So with 10 days left what is there to do?
Firstly, walk a chunk of the 133 miles... I'll be setting out from Stafford on Tuesday morning and sometime on Wednesday will have walked 70 miles along the Heart of England Way. That's a lot of miles in not a lot of time, its training for a big event I want to try next year, which is a proper endurance event,
So with the 15-20 miles I walk tomorrow, that'll take me to just over 100 miles, leaving about 25 miles to do at the last weekend of my challenge year... and what a weekend that will be - if you've ever wondered what a man running on a treadmill in an outlet village looks like then this is your chance!
I'm going to be doing the last of my miles at the McArthur Glen Outlet Village here - http://www.eastmidlandsdesigneroutlet.com/
So a huge thank you to Rachel and the team that work there who've invited me along.
Its been a hell of a year, with huge highs and very very deep lows... I'll write the year up properly at the end, so there's still time to add to those highs!
TTFN
Paul
Monday, 21 June 2010
You're looking good for being 100...
Said the office wag when I opened the large, impressively postmarked letter...
There's something about the postmark "Buckingham Palace" that sends a thrill and a chill down your spine. The black stamp of the "Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood" means its going to be good - the last one of them was the invite to my Investiture.
What was in the buff envelope? The formal Warrant of Appointment to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - signed by the Queen and Prince Phillip themselves. The copperplate is beautiful, the wording archaic and wondrous - how many times do you get called "our trusty and well beloved Paul Willgoss", by HRH herself?
The envelope also had in the statutes of the order, when where and how to where the medals and information on the Chapel of the Order at St Paul's.
So my night is sorted, I've had a reasonably hard climb, tea is in the oven, GUCH emails sent so now time to kick back and read the statutes!
TTFN
Paul
There's something about the postmark "Buckingham Palace" that sends a thrill and a chill down your spine. The black stamp of the "Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood" means its going to be good - the last one of them was the invite to my Investiture.
What was in the buff envelope? The formal Warrant of Appointment to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - signed by the Queen and Prince Phillip themselves. The copperplate is beautiful, the wording archaic and wondrous - how many times do you get called "our trusty and well beloved Paul Willgoss", by HRH herself?
The envelope also had in the statutes of the order, when where and how to where the medals and information on the Chapel of the Order at St Paul's.
So my night is sorted, I've had a reasonably hard climb, tea is in the oven, GUCH emails sent so now time to kick back and read the statutes!
TTFN
Paul
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Getting to the point where I need a run...
Its been a week...
A full week at work, a very full week at work... However, my new person is beginning to settle in, I'm on top of most of the stuff that's going on and I'm also getting there on a couple of issues that need bottoming out.
Throw in a meeting of the Civil Service Disability Network, a telephone conference with the GUCH Walking Club Executive and a CHF Trustees meeting its no wonder I spelt 12 hours last night... Today was a stack of stuff for the GWC - reminding people of our next walks, explaining what we're doing behind the scenes and stuff like that - a meeting of the European Congenital Heart Group - finalising the documents for the Berlin conference - and working with the GUCH International Group to help the Slovenian's by answering a questionnaire...
So, not a lot of time to get out and exercise - I did manage to get climbing twice, and it seems the climbing wall has started booby trapping routes - one hold spun on its screw and another shattered.
So the plan is to go for a run on Tuesday... Hopefully, cos the little irritations of life are building up to the point where I need to run, and run hard.
However, a week more and I escape to the hills:-D
TTFN
Paul
A full week at work, a very full week at work... However, my new person is beginning to settle in, I'm on top of most of the stuff that's going on and I'm also getting there on a couple of issues that need bottoming out.
Throw in a meeting of the Civil Service Disability Network, a telephone conference with the GUCH Walking Club Executive and a CHF Trustees meeting its no wonder I spelt 12 hours last night... Today was a stack of stuff for the GWC - reminding people of our next walks, explaining what we're doing behind the scenes and stuff like that - a meeting of the European Congenital Heart Group - finalising the documents for the Berlin conference - and working with the GUCH International Group to help the Slovenian's by answering a questionnaire...
So, not a lot of time to get out and exercise - I did manage to get climbing twice, and it seems the climbing wall has started booby trapping routes - one hold spun on its screw and another shattered.
So the plan is to go for a run on Tuesday... Hopefully, cos the little irritations of life are building up to the point where I need to run, and run hard.
However, a week more and I escape to the hills:-D
TTFN
Paul
Friday, 11 June 2010
Something a little bit political...
Well the legs still don't want to run, walk and climb is fine, run makes them feel a bit leary...
Probably the two most contentious words in the congenital heart world (UK branch) are "safe and sustainable", a quick trawl of the support websites or facebook will show many a group being set up to save a hospital or a ward.
I won't be joining any of them. Not because I don't care, but because I care too much.
The origins of Safe and Sustainable go back to the Bristol Hospital Enquiry, and quite simply this is designed to ensure that the surgery that heart kids get is the the most appropriate, done by well trained and supported surgeons who are used to doing the operations and are in a surgical setting which are designed around the needs of the child going through the surgery and their family.
Is that too much to ask? I don't think so. I want every heart kid to get the best surgery available to them, I want their parents to be given the best advice, support and to have confidence that there centre is genuinely world class.
So what's the problem? I'm fairly sure that no-one would argue for unsafe and non-sustainable services... and as mentioned in the blog previously when problems arise there is a clear audit process that should swing into action as is going on at Oxford right now (http://walkingforheartkids.blogspot.com/2010/03/publicity-for-congenital-heart-disease.html)
The problem is we're a fairly rare bunch. That means there's not a huge number of us to share around, and the maths work out that quite simply there's too many surgical centres in England for the number of kids. Too many of the centres don't meet the full standards as set out by the profession, don't have the minimum number of surgeons to provide the 24/7 service, and that's the second problem. And its not me saying this, its the people in charge of the surgeons and nurses providing the care... http://www.specialisedcommissioning.nhs.uk/?dl_id=363 has some of the biggest names in the field, and parents, explaining why they think there's a need for change.
All of the centres which currently do surgery have saved the lives of the kids of people I know, and this is where it gets very very difficult.
I do not know what its like to see your child go through the trauma of open heart surgery, I do not know what its like to have to trust someone else with your child's life, and I can only imagine what its like to feel that the place which has saved your child is being closed, that the team you've made that leap of faith with may not be there because of some government review.
And that means that tears will be shed, because to provide a world class service for all children needing heart surgery means that some surgical centres will need to merge into others. As a trustee of the Children's Heart Federation my job is make sure that the CHF makes sure that your voice is heard on the issues that will affect you, what will the impact of extra travel be (not forgetting that the majority of parents travel for surgery as there are only 11 centres currently), how should the surgical centres and the cardiac clinics be structured to give you the confidence you need.
In my heart and my head I know that this is going to be very hard, but please please make your opinion known... No decisions have been made yet, the safe and sustainable team are touring the country to hear your issues, and having met them they are focused on one thing - ensuring that there are world class services for all heart kids. The list of events are here http://www.specialisedcommissioning.nhs.uk/index.php/safe-and-sustainable-programmes/#cardiac_surgery_services_programme
Just saying your centre is the best isn't the game now, explaining how the services you get currently make you feel is, and why. And its the why which is critical, if your surgical centre changes then those "why" things will need to move, if it grows in size then ensuring those "why" things expand outwards will be critical for the new parents.
So my plea - remember that the fundamental reason behind this review is ensuring that every heart kid has access to the best possible surgery.
I hope I don't lose any friends for this post... But I thought it was an important one to write
TTFN
Paul
Probably the two most contentious words in the congenital heart world (UK branch) are "safe and sustainable", a quick trawl of the support websites or facebook will show many a group being set up to save a hospital or a ward.
I won't be joining any of them. Not because I don't care, but because I care too much.
The origins of Safe and Sustainable go back to the Bristol Hospital Enquiry, and quite simply this is designed to ensure that the surgery that heart kids get is the the most appropriate, done by well trained and supported surgeons who are used to doing the operations and are in a surgical setting which are designed around the needs of the child going through the surgery and their family.
Is that too much to ask? I don't think so. I want every heart kid to get the best surgery available to them, I want their parents to be given the best advice, support and to have confidence that there centre is genuinely world class.
So what's the problem? I'm fairly sure that no-one would argue for unsafe and non-sustainable services... and as mentioned in the blog previously when problems arise there is a clear audit process that should swing into action as is going on at Oxford right now (http://walkingforheartkids.blogspot.com/2010/03/publicity-for-congenital-heart-disease.html)
The problem is we're a fairly rare bunch. That means there's not a huge number of us to share around, and the maths work out that quite simply there's too many surgical centres in England for the number of kids. Too many of the centres don't meet the full standards as set out by the profession, don't have the minimum number of surgeons to provide the 24/7 service, and that's the second problem. And its not me saying this, its the people in charge of the surgeons and nurses providing the care... http://www.specialisedcommissioning.nhs.uk/?dl_id=363 has some of the biggest names in the field, and parents, explaining why they think there's a need for change.
All of the centres which currently do surgery have saved the lives of the kids of people I know, and this is where it gets very very difficult.
I do not know what its like to see your child go through the trauma of open heart surgery, I do not know what its like to have to trust someone else with your child's life, and I can only imagine what its like to feel that the place which has saved your child is being closed, that the team you've made that leap of faith with may not be there because of some government review.
And that means that tears will be shed, because to provide a world class service for all children needing heart surgery means that some surgical centres will need to merge into others. As a trustee of the Children's Heart Federation my job is make sure that the CHF makes sure that your voice is heard on the issues that will affect you, what will the impact of extra travel be (not forgetting that the majority of parents travel for surgery as there are only 11 centres currently), how should the surgical centres and the cardiac clinics be structured to give you the confidence you need.
In my heart and my head I know that this is going to be very hard, but please please make your opinion known... No decisions have been made yet, the safe and sustainable team are touring the country to hear your issues, and having met them they are focused on one thing - ensuring that there are world class services for all heart kids. The list of events are here http://www.specialisedcommissioning.nhs.uk/index.php/safe-and-sustainable-programmes/#cardiac_surgery_services_programme
Just saying your centre is the best isn't the game now, explaining how the services you get currently make you feel is, and why. And its the why which is critical, if your surgical centre changes then those "why" things will need to move, if it grows in size then ensuring those "why" things expand outwards will be critical for the new parents.
So my plea - remember that the fundamental reason behind this review is ensuring that every heart kid has access to the best possible surgery.
I hope I don't lose any friends for this post... But I thought it was an important one to write
TTFN
Paul
Saturday, 5 June 2010
By Royal Command?
Ok,
so what's going to the Palace like??? Absolutely fantastic...
The slightly longer version...
Travelling down with my gang the day before, drinking Champagne and eating select of cheese on the train started the couple of days as it was going to carry on, new and novel experiences...
The planned trip to the zoo was curtailed by the weather so we wandered to the Imperial War Museum instead and pottered. Decent Italian and then back to the hotel for another bottle of Champers and an early night.
Not much sleep, I was far too excited for that! A stroll along the embankment at 5:30 started clearing the head, followed by coffee and a rather unhealthy fry up in the hotel.
Then it was getting the morning suit on, with a little help with the ruchet... I'm not double jointed or have eyes in the back of my head!!!
Hailing a cab for Buckingham Palace was the 1st magical parts of the day... Rolling up to the gates and seeing the Royal Standard flying was the 2nd. That meant Her Majesty was in the house... And ready to receive guests...
Wandering pass the 1st security check, we saw plenty of tourists taking shots of us... We were inside the gates and so had to be famous ;-)
When in, all electronic and cameras were safely deposited (how many cloak rooms have a cavalry man outside with a drawn sabre??) and I was separated off for my briefing and apple juice in the Picture Room... In the half I was in, the other half was for those being Knighted, there were 4 Rembrandt's, 5 or 6 Canaletto's a host of other old masters...
As the room filled I began to recognise people... Jensen Button, Simon King, Patrick Stewart getting ready for his dubbing as a knight...The briefing was light and fresh, they do this 20 times a year but still managed to make this special for everyone there.
Then they start batching you off, for the walk to the main room, an operation so slick that you feel your nerves slowly ease as you're passed off from each link in the chain in a way that reminds you that countless of your heroes have walked this way before.
Then you're in the final line, you can see her, The Queen, on her Dias, giving the medals to the few people in front of you and 2 thoughts ran through my head... Were my trousers done up tight enough? Running a marathon a fortnight before lost me an inch or so... and what was I going to say to Her Majesty?
The good news was that my trousers stayed up... and all the lines I'd rehearsed came in useful... I can't remember exactly what was said, bit she smiled and told me to carry on, and pinned my medal on me before shaking my hand (the cue for me to leave).
Moving off for the casing and then feeding into the back to watch the rest of the ceremony, the military awards... the DSOs, DFCs and the George Medal, and I can safely say I watched with supreme pride.
After the Queen had walked off, followed by her Yeomen and Gurkha guards, we went into the courtyard for the formal photos.
By then I was slightly gibbering and needed a pint, so a swift google and to a pub called The Colonies (decent cider on tap). Then off to Fortnum and Masons, for what can only be described as the best tea I have ever had!
It was a magical day, and for once I can safely say that the Head of State of any country has heard of congenital heart defects. She probably says the same thing to everyone, but being asked to keep up the good work by The Queen does give you a buzz. I'm not sure but it may even constitute a Royal Command...
The photos are here on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213805&id=634670959&l=cff2ed539d
As a taster though...
TTFN
Paul Willgoss MBE
so what's going to the Palace like??? Absolutely fantastic...
The slightly longer version...
Travelling down with my gang the day before, drinking Champagne and eating select of cheese on the train started the couple of days as it was going to carry on, new and novel experiences...
The planned trip to the zoo was curtailed by the weather so we wandered to the Imperial War Museum instead and pottered. Decent Italian and then back to the hotel for another bottle of Champers and an early night.
Not much sleep, I was far too excited for that! A stroll along the embankment at 5:30 started clearing the head, followed by coffee and a rather unhealthy fry up in the hotel.
Then it was getting the morning suit on, with a little help with the ruchet... I'm not double jointed or have eyes in the back of my head!!!
Hailing a cab for Buckingham Palace was the 1st magical parts of the day... Rolling up to the gates and seeing the Royal Standard flying was the 2nd. That meant Her Majesty was in the house... And ready to receive guests...
Wandering pass the 1st security check, we saw plenty of tourists taking shots of us... We were inside the gates and so had to be famous ;-)
When in, all electronic and cameras were safely deposited (how many cloak rooms have a cavalry man outside with a drawn sabre??) and I was separated off for my briefing and apple juice in the Picture Room... In the half I was in, the other half was for those being Knighted, there were 4 Rembrandt's, 5 or 6 Canaletto's a host of other old masters...
As the room filled I began to recognise people... Jensen Button, Simon King, Patrick Stewart getting ready for his dubbing as a knight...The briefing was light and fresh, they do this 20 times a year but still managed to make this special for everyone there.
Then they start batching you off, for the walk to the main room, an operation so slick that you feel your nerves slowly ease as you're passed off from each link in the chain in a way that reminds you that countless of your heroes have walked this way before.
Then you're in the final line, you can see her, The Queen, on her Dias, giving the medals to the few people in front of you and 2 thoughts ran through my head... Were my trousers done up tight enough? Running a marathon a fortnight before lost me an inch or so... and what was I going to say to Her Majesty?
The good news was that my trousers stayed up... and all the lines I'd rehearsed came in useful... I can't remember exactly what was said, bit she smiled and told me to carry on, and pinned my medal on me before shaking my hand (the cue for me to leave).
Moving off for the casing and then feeding into the back to watch the rest of the ceremony, the military awards... the DSOs, DFCs and the George Medal, and I can safely say I watched with supreme pride.
After the Queen had walked off, followed by her Yeomen and Gurkha guards, we went into the courtyard for the formal photos.
By then I was slightly gibbering and needed a pint, so a swift google and to a pub called The Colonies (decent cider on tap). Then off to Fortnum and Masons, for what can only be described as the best tea I have ever had!
It was a magical day, and for once I can safely say that the Head of State of any country has heard of congenital heart defects. She probably says the same thing to everyone, but being asked to keep up the good work by The Queen does give you a buzz. I'm not sure but it may even constitute a Royal Command...
The photos are here on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213805&id=634670959&l=cff2ed539d
As a taster though...
TTFN
Paul Willgoss MBE
Friday, 4 June 2010
Are you ready to become the 1 in 133?
So this is it, the final month...
30 days...
What am I going to do?
I could sit back and relax... But that's not really my style... ;-)
So I'm going to have some fun, and hope that some of you will try and join me and possibly raise some cash for the Children's Heart Federation in the process.
I'm going to ask you to become the 1 in 133. One in every 133 babies born in the UK has a congenital heart defect and for the last month I will do 133 miles.
All I would like you to do is be the 1... Do a mile... Do it fast, do it slow, do it playing tiddlywinks, on a spacehopper but do it with a smile on your face.... If you can raise money for CHF then that's just great. If you can get in your local paper for becoming the 1 in 133 then that's as good. This is about showing that the 1 is as wonderful as the 133, is as much fun and worthy of as much love and attention.
So while you're all doing a mile - I'll be doing 133.
The bulk will done when I walk the Heart of England way, officially that's a 100 miles long - but lack of public transport might mean I have to play with the distances.
The big finale will be at the East Midlands Designer Outlet, http://www.eastmidlandsdesigneroutlet.com/ on the 3rd and 4th July where I'll be finishing off however many miles I have left on a treadmill in the middle of the Outlet Village.
So you up for the challenge?
TTFN
Paul
30 days...
What am I going to do?
I could sit back and relax... But that's not really my style... ;-)
So I'm going to have some fun, and hope that some of you will try and join me and possibly raise some cash for the Children's Heart Federation in the process.
I'm going to ask you to become the 1 in 133. One in every 133 babies born in the UK has a congenital heart defect and for the last month I will do 133 miles.
All I would like you to do is be the 1... Do a mile... Do it fast, do it slow, do it playing tiddlywinks, on a spacehopper but do it with a smile on your face.... If you can raise money for CHF then that's just great. If you can get in your local paper for becoming the 1 in 133 then that's as good. This is about showing that the 1 is as wonderful as the 133, is as much fun and worthy of as much love and attention.
So while you're all doing a mile - I'll be doing 133.
The bulk will done when I walk the Heart of England way, officially that's a 100 miles long - but lack of public transport might mean I have to play with the distances.
The big finale will be at the East Midlands Designer Outlet, http://www.eastmidlandsdesigneroutlet.com/ on the 3rd and 4th July where I'll be finishing off however many miles I have left on a treadmill in the middle of the Outlet Village.
So you up for the challenge?
TTFN
Paul
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