Gym + and looming deadlines

Off to the gym today for some cardio. I have kept up my weekly Pilates classes as well to help my core strength.

My first fundrasing deadline is looming, by April 16th, I need to have £580 raised , I'm on around £300 currently. I cant deny I'm strating to get a bit worried! this is the first time i've tried to do this sort of fundrasing activitiy and I must admit: Its harder than I thought! but the £2,450 is an awful lot on money, especially in these hard financial times.

I will continue to write to companies, and will be raffling off the swag we have recieved so far. Lets hope I can make the deadline!

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Diet + Fitness: New fronteer

My girlfriend talked me into attending her lunchtime Pilates class, with the argument that improving my core strength will help improve my overall fitness. I was, as I predicted the only guy there, and I was quite dubious about whether the class would actually DO anything, however I followed instructions dutifully and we worked on stabilising our core area (the abdomen, back and pelvic region) and some interesting shoulder exercises that I think might help improve my weight work, and finished up with some twisty stretches. Now I'm sat back at my desk, I can feel that I've worked these areas.

While I didn't LOVE the class it was a pleasant enough way to pass an hour and I feel I've picked up a few good pointers for strenghtening my core muscles. So moderate success I'd say!

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Incoming Swag

Good News,
I've had two phonecalls today The Salcombe Trading Company and The Roman Baths are both happy to donate to our auction: the Roman Baths are sending a family ticket to the Baths museum and Costume museum and I will find out what Salcombe are donating when I go down there on Saturday to pick it up :)

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Sweet Success!

Our bake sale raised £125!! I'm delighted, according to my fundraiser schedule set our by Childreach
I need to have £800 by April, and then the full amount by June 2012 So this £125 will get us on our way to that first marker of £800.

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Bake Sale in full flow

I'm delighted with the number of cakes made by the kind people of the faculty for the cake sale. There's chocolate brownies, lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake, cupcakes, chocolate cake....

Yummy! letS hope staff and students are feeling hungry and generous!

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Success!

Two exciting developments in one day! just when I was starting to worry!

My local paper, the Bath Chronicle has agreed to run a story about my expedition - I'll post a pic of the article as soon as its out! this is going to be a great way of getting more exposure on my plight, and hopefully inspire a few people to donate to the cause.

Secondly, Boots have donated a baskets of cosmetic goodies for our raffle, a bit girly for me of course but I'm sure the girls in the office will be every interested!

This is the first time I have ever seriously fund-raised for a charity so its all quite daunting, I'm still learning how you go about it! But I am enjoying this feeling, its a huge boost when people are willing to help :)

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Diet + Fitness

As its Friday...
My girlfriend said the omelette she'd made for lunch was making her depressed, so instead we headed to the campus bar for a diet coke and a pizza!

So I will have a sensible dinner to make up for this sinful lunch! and I'm off to the gym after work for a workout


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More Swag ?!

I was panicking a bit this morning as I hadn't heard from any of these stores I'd written to (except Itchy Feet), so I sent out letters to all the remaining stores in Bath! Seriously, I think I've written to every single one now! a grand total of 83 letters to 83 stores. I really hope they are feeling charitable, I don't want them to these stores to think I'm scrounging for goodies, but I can't continue just asking people for donations, at least they'll be getting something in return if they are bidding on nice things: like ebay with good Karma thrown in!

I hope it works!

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Diet + Fitness

Breakfast: Natural Yoghurt
Mid Morning: Banana
Lunch: Apple Juice and Prawn sandwich on wholemeal bread
Afternoon: Tea and pinapple chunks
Dinner: Chicken Pie with sweetcorn and broccoli
Dessert: Pineapple

I'm trying to up my fruit and veg, luckily there is a store on campus at the university so I am going to get my bananas and pineapple from there

I didn't go to the gym today, I've been twice this week so far so, I shall go on friday and thats my 3 visits for this week.

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Swag requests

Phew! I just sent out a load more requests for swag donations from local stores, that's 51 stores I've written to in the last few days!

I'm hoping a few can oblige with some auctionable goodies. Fingers Crossed!

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Baking -Cakes for A Cause

I've organised a faculty wide bake sale to raise funds for January 30th, as we all have a sweet tooth here!
So me and the Girl are busy collecting things in preparation: pretty cake cases, biscuit tins, edible sparklys

She's making: Gluten free Strawberry Cupcakes + Gluten free cheese biscuits
I'm making: Chocolate Tiffin + Fruit Tarts

The pressure's on for these offerings to be delicious! I trained at catering school once upon a time, so am a qualified Chef. I don't tell many people that nowadays, I hope my sweet treats pass muster with the girls in the office!

We've roped in various other staff members to bake for the cause as well, we are charging £1 an item, so I'm hoping for £100 at least.

I'll let you know how we do!

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More Swag

I sent 10 more letters out today to stores in Bath to request donations of goods to raffle off:
Those local to Bath will recognise a few of these great shops!

http://www.teahouseemporium.co.uk/
http://www.kitchenscookshop.co.uk/our-stores/bath-store/
http://www.sixesandsevens-fancy-dress-bath.co.uk/

Got my first reply as well, from Itchy Feet who said "unfortunatly we are not in a position to donate goods but we do offer 10% discount for people involved in charitable work" so not the best news but a discount is something!

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Diet + Fitness

Not only is Machu Picchu quite a long walk (!) there is also the challenge of the altituded, that will, as I understand it make breathing harder.

So I am trying to make sure I am in peak physical fitness to fully enjoy this adventure: after all, the kind people who have donated money to my fundraising cause are donating to see me reach Machu Picchu, not to collapse half way there!

Today's menu:
Breakfast: oatmeal with SS milk
Mid morning snack: Banana and cup of Tea
Lunch: Baked potato with Beans
Mid afternoon: 3 Jaffa cakes
Dinner: Turkey Chilli with Brown Rice
Dessert: Cadburys Mousse

Total Calories: 2,000

Gym workout:
Rowing machine: 40 minutes
Treadmill: 20 minutes running
Stretch to warm down

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Swag

I live in Bath, which is blessed with many lovely shops. So in an attempt to collect some swag which we can raffle off, I have contacted 20 of these lovely stores in hope of getting a few great items that people will be willing to bid on!

Here are a few of the stores I've asked, I'm hoping for a few donations of smellys, books and hopefully some cinema tickets as everyone like those!

http://www.mallory-jewellers.com/
http://www.spacenk.co.uk/
http://waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/
http://www.moltonbrown.co.uk/store/index.jsp
http://www.odeon.co.uk/

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Childreach International

http://www.childreach.org.uk/who-we-are/about-us

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Here we are, a nice photo to illustrate where I'm off!

Perched on a small hilltop between the Andean Mountain Range, Machu Picchu soars above the Urabamba Valley below. The Incan built structure has been deemed the “Lost Cities”, unknown until its relatively recent discovery in 1911. Archaeologists estimate that approximately 1200 people could have lived in the area, though many theorize it was most likely a retreat for Incan rulers. Due to it’s isolation from the rest of Peru, living in the area full time would require traveling great distances just to reach the nearest village.


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The Beginning....

Hello Everyone,

My Name is Liam. Let me tell you about something:
I work in an office, its a nice office with women who make me tea, and its at a university that is always busy and pretty interesting. I live in a nice flat with my messy but kind-hearted girlfriend.
Which is all just fine and dandy, but I wanted something more, I wanted an adventure, a challenge, to do good, a story to tell in my old age:

So..........I am taking part in a 9 day trek to Machu Picchu for Childrens Charity: Childreach International

Yep, Machu Picchu, the 'lost city of the Incas', one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, in Peru, South America. I'll be trekking to an altitude of 3,400m,  in August 2012

Childreach International is a UK registered grass roots charity who work in partnership with local communities in the developing world to help improve children's access to healthcare, education, and child rights and protection in order to help them unlock their full potential in life. I like the sound of that, I may still be unlocking my potential in life, and any charity helping children find their way in life is a great thing by me.

So here is a diary, an account of not just the trials and tribulations of the trip intself but the challenges facing me to prepare, raising the money for Childreach which is really what its all about and also the training I'll be doing to make sure I am fit for the task, buying equipment, getting vaccinations, its going to be an adventure getting ready for this adventure!

I hope you enjoy reading about the journey!


https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/liampenny1

(My girlfriend is responsible for the Liam/Lama hybrid, such are her photoshop skills!)

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