 |
| When it doesn't rain - Hiking is great fun ! |
With the weather cracking itself slowly back into summer just a quick update on the last two weekends of hot race action !
With all the Macmillan Mighty Hike images delivered on the day via pic2go technology, it's not a big "galleries are now live" announcement on here - but all the same - we have put them online for the free downloads and if anyone would like a higher resolution memory or indeed permanent print to remember their epic achievements by - then that is the place to go:
Both the Macmillan Yorkshire Dales and Gower Peninsula Mighty Hikes are live here on our July Gallery page:
http://sspimg.com/2021-07-gallery
And you can also see there what we're covering for the rest of the month... I'll be honest - without this work it would have been a very close call between Covid restrictions and closing the business, so we are as grateful as anyone to be back out working at these events and doing our best to help everyone with their fundraising efforts. We do and will continue to wear masks when outside near anyone, and also we can't take photos on peoples phones for them - it would just make us a covid spreader if the first phone had Covid fomites on it and then if we touched everyone else's phones too... not a good idea.
As with most events I usually am trying to get photos of people doing exciting fast things and looking cool - as they tend to be running and getting distracted or otherwise - but with walking - it's a much gentler affair... but they seem to have just as much fun on the way round ! Certainly more time for a wave and a smile !
The Yorkshire and Gower hikes are quite hilly affairs - compared to the near flat Thames and Northumberland hikes this next weekend - and that does tend to put the pain into the legs.
 |
| Done it together |
 |
| teamwork makes the dreamwork |
 |
| all things are achievable - one mile to go |
 |
| flying down past a famous Scar in the background |
 |
| optimistic start |
 |
| looking forwards to it from the go |
 |
| prepared for the weather |
 |
| they were exhausted after 50 meters |
 |
| brilliant to finish the half |
 |
| good wooly hattage |
 |
| Nobody was expecting the stunt gymnastics pyramid troup |
 |
| well deserved victory flowers |
 |
| for the record - that is a real captain america not a cardboard cut-out |
 |
| numberwang |
 |
| three green pixies |
 |
| quadruple double thumbs means things are ok |
 |
| They made him finish. That's the teamwork... |
At Gower between the start and middle of the day I had to just hike up from the beach (sea level!) to the finish - a 2 mile long 100M elevation walk. We (my eldest youth and myself) did it in 38 minutes - including wearing all the thick coat and waterproof layers we had for the 12degree rain start, chairs, food, water, and laptops for the rest of the day - not to mention by then the temperature was up to 23 degrees !! To say I was a "bit flustered" getting set up at the finish to get everything operationally ready before the first walker finished would be to understate the physical stress leaking over into mental stress to be ready in time ! - but we made it ok.
Getting the upload going is always an interesting moment as the 4G signal washes in and out - although at Malam in Yorkshire the 4G was better then our combined two fixed fibre (FTTC) internet lines into the office that we have here - so no complaints there ! Both events had over 35000 images fully processed and uploaded before we left on the day giving everyone... and subsequently some awesome share statistics helping drive sponsorships and donations for the charity.
 |
| numberwang |
 |
| This is almost a scene from the inbetweeners |
 |
| all good on the beach |
 |
| different numberwang problems |
 |
| semaphore for she's hidden her number |
 |
| multiple numberwang |
 |
| he walked backwards the whole way |
 |
| Jeff didn't really go to space, he went to Gower |
 |
| At times this can be quite overwhelming as a job |
 |
| hulk happy |
 |
| new version of swing the kids almost worked |
 |
| hulk hogan happy |
 |
| have you seen a fish, it's this big ? |
 |
| she had a bigger fish |
 |
| mind the jellyfish |
 |
| all good ! |
 |
| 9.72 was one of Bolts world record times as he lowered it |
 |
| all niiice ! |
 |
| victory |
 |
| sand sking doesn't need skis |
 |
| marshals marshalling |
 |
| chaaaaarge ! |
 |
| this kites not broken |
 |
| mind the jellyfish |
 |
| take a closer look, whilst the people behind point it out (she was alright afterwards!) |
 |
| here's my friend ! |
 |
| This photo is level. The ground was not. Last hill to finish... |
 |
| da bling |
 |
| welsh winning |
 |
| how to wear a number clearly and have a broken collar bone |
 |
| top medalage and cheers |
 |
| walkies she said. nobody mentioned a marathon. |
 |
| clingfilm dry wrapped |
 |
| sandski |
 |
| correct and incorrect numberwang |
 |
| ready for the finale |
 |
| its a big sky |
 |
| she's doing them all ! big respect ! |
 |
| top medal winners - big congratulations to you all ! |
Someone asked what the point of this sort of walking self imposed hardship was all about (apart from fundraising) - but for your own personal benefit - what's the point ?
It turns out it's all about building resilience, and being able to cope. Here's a blog I follow on all sorts of things behavioural - and it's followed through with some great scientific psychology research and facts, but also well written to keep it entertaining -
How to be Resilient - barking up the wrong tree - Click here
I personally don't subscribe to the near-death levels of experience in order to appreciate life a little bit more, but taking on a challenge (17hr work days and keeping cheerful all the way through even with my back pain, dehydration and a lack of food) does enable you to expand your horizons and make you mentally able to say "yes, I can do this" when the going gets tough. Otherwise we're all going to sink into a life of blandness blamangé and not doing anything because it's not what we usually do. (Please note - I'm not saying we should all just abandon common sense and run around licking covid infected door handles and petrol pumps because we fancy the challenge of beating a life threatening virus to "feel so alive") - personally a 5k run when I'm not in the mood or a little bit niggly in my achillies and the weather is a bit rubbish - will suffice as enough of a challenge for me - I'm not yet in the mindset that a 100km in a day challenge seems like an inspirational self affirming idea.
I did once have a conversation with a friend at work (when I was in big FTSE company world) who was "trying to find their limit" (they were hyper busy with part time degree study, work, fixtures and team manager for their netball team, and were thinking about taking something else on too and trying to fit in their regular exercise). I asked them how would they know (when they found their limit)? What would be the indicators ? They didn't know. I wondered if it might be a nervous breakdown, or more obvious - a heart attack - and suggested laying off the extra stuff and focus on finishing the Masters degree before finding "another challenge". Fortunately they agreed and I never had to put them into an ambulance...
So, tomorrow Saturday is the Thames Path and Northumberland mighty hikes - it's going to be a fab Saturday - the weather forecast is possibly a bit hot now down south - so probably the cricket whites going on to keep cool !
Until next time - train well and stay safe, and please get vaccinated.
Anthony
No comments:
Post a Comment