Altitude Training: Elevation Training Mask

With only 10 weeks to go until Kilimanjaro, Joe has introduced something new to our training sessions.

Meet the Elevation Training Mask 1.0.....

I train with Joe once a week where we work on my muscular and cardio endurance in the gym. I also run twice a week with the mask on, quite a sight believe me!!

The mask comes with 3 screw in valves: Yellow, Orange and Red. 

Yellow has 3 holes, Orange has 2 and yep you guessed it, Red has 1!

I have asked Joe to help me with this post with a few Q&A's , he can then explain the methods behind the madness!

Vic: So Joe, what is the purpose of the mask?

 

Joe: The Elevation Training Mask is a "Resistance Training Device" that helps condition the lungs by creating pulmonary resistance and strengthening the diaphragm.

Vic: What benefits should I be gaining by training with the mask? 

Joe: There are many benefits, including:

·                             >   Increased lung capacity

·                              >   Increased anaerobic thresholds

·                              >   Increased oxygen efficiency

·                              >   Increased energy Production

·                              >   Increased Mental and physical stamina increase

·                              >   Increased Mental Focus gets better

Vic: Can you explain to our readers what we have been working on the past few months and why? 

Joe: We have been working on Vicky’s cardio and muscular endurance using the altitude training mask, the mask uses small straw size holes for breathing through- it enables the client to become accustomed to functions with less oxygen- so the training protocol for Vicky is really quite simple, we train with a restricted oxygen availability to enable Vicky to handle the high altitudes that she will experience climbing Kilimanjaro

 

Vic: With only 10 weeks to go, what can I expect in the build up to the climb? 

Joe: Over the next 10 weeks I will be making sure Vicky’s cardio is in peak condition, sessions will focus on weight bearing exercise to increase muscular endurance and cardio vascular exercise to increase fitness and recovery

Thanks Joe! 

As you can see, the next 10 weeks is going to be pretty intense but the benefits I am getting from training with the mask are huge and I'm confident it will help me fight the altitude up Mount Kilimanjaro! 

 

The mask I have been using is the Altitude Training Mask 1.0. They have however just designed a new mask, the 2.0. For more information on the mask, follow this link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elevation-Training-Mask-2-0-70kg-120kg/dp/B008AGVCNA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1370953066&sr=8-7&keywords=altitude+training+mask 

 

Out running with the mask on

 

Training with Joe in the gym

 

 

I will update you on how the mask training is going next month and then just before I go in August.

This type of training shouldn't be under taken without a) Acclimatisation and b) Knowledge of the mask and how it should be used. If it isn't used properly, you can run into difficulties so be very careful. 

I wouldn't be able to train with the mask, without the help of Joe so a big shout out to JW Training!

 

They offer personal training, diet plans, nutritional services and  bootcamps to clients. Joe helps you reach your goals and get real results, guaranteed.

For more information visit their website http://jwtraining.net/ or contact Joe on 07716755012.

 

Speak soon :o)

 

 

Fit 400 Test: 2nd attempt, 7 months on.

Back in August last year, Joe put me through the Fit 400 test which comprised of the following exercises:

- 100 star jumps

- 50 push ups

- 50 sit ups

- 50 burpees

- 50 punches

- 50 lunges

- 50 squats

I had to complete all exercises whilst being timed. Last year I did it in 19 minutes and 2 seconds.

I have just re-done it and this time I did it in.........*drumroll please*........11 minutes and 22 seconds!

7.5 minutes off!! Woo hoo!!

As I am sure you can imagine, I was over the moon with the result. It was a great feeling as it has shown how far I have come in the past 7 months with the help of Joe. All those 6.30am bootcamps have paid off!

I want to do it again just before I go and I am determined to do it in Sub 10 minutes as that was Joe's target for me in a year. Will post on here to update you.

I have also been training with an altitude mask, more info & photo's to follow....

Vx

Planning a Charity Auction

On December 1st, the charity auction that we have been organising for several months took place and wow, what a night it was!

In the months leading up to the event, I had been collecting items for the auction and for the raffle (tips below on how to make your event as successful as possible) and we ended up with 25 fantastic lots for the auction which included:

Mulberry Bag - Worth £925!
JW Training bootcamp and personal training sessions - Worth £470!
Nights away in luxury hotels - Worth £350!
Spa Breaks - Worth £150!
Meals out - Worth £50!

Tickets for the evening were £15 and that included a fish and chip supper. We sold 98 tickets so we were at full capacity which was a fantastic result.

Darren Morris who was our toastmaster for the evening was absolutely fantastic. He donated his time and services to the auction and waived his fee. Very generous! Darren welcomed everybody, read out the auction rules and kicked off with the first lot...

My target for the evening was £1500 but as the auction progressed I soon realised that I may have been a little modest with that target! The Mulberry handbag came around and we all sat there and watched as 2 guests bidded against each other. Bids started at £200 and they crept up until the final bid was £580!! Thank you Georgia!

The luxury raffle followed the auction. We were lucky enough to have some fantastic prizes that were kindly donated, thank you to all those who helped out.

So here was the big moment, how much had we raised? Darren added it all up and announced that we had raised.........£5450!!! Absolutely incredible, I was blown away and couldn't believe everyones generosity.

The auction did take a lot of hard work, a lot of time and lot of commitment but if you plan it in plenty of time then it will be a success.

Below are my Top 10 suggestions to make your Charity auction a success:

1) Leave yourself plenty of time to plan. I would suggest 3-4 months.

2) Write to companies and potential donators, then follow up with a phone call.

3) Look outside the box for donators. Mulberry donated a bag as they have a day centre for Dementia sufferers in their village. Research big companies with links to the charity you are raising money for.

4) Ask friends & family for help on the evening ( bar staff, catering, tickets, packing up, cleaning up etc).

5) Get a toastmaster, ideally for free! Darren was amazing and I know we wouldn't have done as well on the night had he not been there to drum everyone up!

6) Sell raffle tickets before the event. Ask those who can't attend the event so they don't miss out!

7) Write to your local press and tell them all about the event and the reasons behind it

8) Have a bar and make sure you have plenty of drink. We had to pop out during the auction as we were running low!

9) Contact local restaurants/takeaways and see if they will do you a discounted rate for a large order. Our local chippy delivered the meals boxes up separately and straight to the hall, and gave us discount. It was easier than organising the catering on site, and everyone loved it!

10) Produce a programme, give them out to guests before the event and then pop them on the table on the night. People can flick through and choose the items they want to bid on.

Below is a photo from the charity auction.














As long as the evening has been well planned and you have lots of help on the evening, you should be able to have fun and enjoy it! All the hard work you put in will be worth it :)

Good luck!!

For more info on our toastmaster, have a look at www.homecountiestoastmaster.co.uk)

Mount Kilimanjaro routes - which one to choose?

Annually, approximately 15,000 people attempt to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, of whom 40% do so.
 

There are 5 major routes up Kilimanjaro. It is important that you choose the right route for you as they differ in duration, traffic, difficulty, cost, location and altitude acclimatization.

 Marangu - Key points

The most popular tourist route is Marangu. It is also known as the "coca cola" route, this is due to the huts on the way up that you can buy coca cola in. You travel approx 72km on your journey.

 

- Easiest route (low-medium difficulty)
- Oldest Route

- Shortest Route

- Cheapest Route
- Ascent and descent on the same trail

- Beautiful scenery in the rain forest and moorlands

- Basic, but comfortable accommodation in huts

Machame Route - Key points

The Machame route is the route I am going to be travelling on. It is also called the "Whiskey Route" as it has a reputation for being a tough climb, especially compared to the "coca cola" Marangu Route. It is one of the harder routes and you travel approx 67km from gate to gate.

- Machame approaches from the South
- It is one of the best for altitude acclimatization with plenty of walk high, sleep low opportunities
- It is best suited for those who have previous climbing or backpacking experience
- You travel through 5 different eco-systems so you get fantastic views and animal spotting
- Traffic can be busy
- Sleep in tents - no huts on this route

 

 Rongai Route - Key Points

The Rongai route is the only route that approaches from the North, near the Kenyan border. It is the quietest route on the mountain, this is mainly due to the likelihood of people summiting. There are not enough features for the "climb high, sleep low" principle.

- Least scenic route
- Less traffic
- Pass through some amazing views - especially at the start when you go through the wilderness
- Moderately difficult
- Camping in tents
- 73km from start to end of route

Lemosho Route - Key Points

The Lemosho route is one of the newer routes up Kilimanjaro. It is considered the most scenic, mainly due to the small amount of traffic so it will be quieter and you also get some incredible views of the mountain from different sides.

- This route starts from the West of the mountain
-  One of the quietest routes
- First 2 days of the trek are through the rain forest
- Meets with the Machame route on day 4
- No huts - tents like the Machame Route
- One of the longest routes. A plus for those who need to acclimatize to the altitude.

Umbwe Route - Key Points

The Umbwe route is the shortest, and steepest route up Kilimanjaro. It is the most challenging route up the mountain and should only be tackled by those with a lot of climbing experience. Due to the quick ascent, Umbwe does not provide the necessary stages for altitude acclimatization.

- Umbwe starts from the South of the mountain.
- The traffic is low, but so are the chance of summiting.
- It is dangerous and should only be tackled by those confident in their climbing abilities.
- Fantastic views in the forest and on the spectacular ridge
- 53km from start to end of trek.

There is one other route which was closed in 2004, but then reopened in 2007. This is the Western Breach. It is a gap which has been formed by lava flow, it sits on the western outer rim of Kibo, Kilimanjaro's main summit.

The Western Breach offers one of the shortest routes to the summit. It ascends 2800ft in 1.25 miles and there are sectuons of the route that require rock climbing and scrambling. It is a beautiful route but it is very difficult due to the rocky, steep slope.
Sadly in January 2006, rockfall claimed the lives of 3 climbers. In response to this tragic accident,the route was closed. It was then re-opened in December 2007, however most operatrors will still not utilizie that route.

Photo: Courtesy of Ultimate Kilimanjaro

 

Scafell Pike: Done and dusted!!

Well, we did it! We climbed the highest peak in England, in 5 hours and 20 minutes ( not that we were counting!).

We set off about 9ish and after a short drive to the bottom of the mountain, we parked up and got our climbing kit out which consisted of a compass, a first aid kit, lots of maps and of course the trusty torch just in case!

Luckily we didn't need the compass as there were plenty of people milling around so we crossed over the river and started our adventure! The first part of the walk was mainly grassland, with a few animals on the way!



It was a long walk up, pretty steady and we had some gorgeous views so really enjoyable.We were very lucky with the weather, temperatures of 15c and lots of sun which probably made it a lot easier than trudging through the wet moors!

We stopped ever so often for a little leg break and a swig of water, admired the views and then went off again.We weren't really sure how long it would take so we were cautious with time as we didn't want to be lost in the dark!



About a third of the way up, the path split left and right. There were people on both paths, but the right hand path was definitely a quieter one. We asked another walker what the difference was between them, he said "left is longer but easier, right is shorter but steeper" ......being new to the mountain we took the sensible route and went right. Yes you read this correctly! We decided to join the other nutters and tackle the steep cliff side leading up to the summit. It was hard, the hardest part of the walk and it was more scrambling than walking at this point. The higher you got, the harder it was but the end was at least in sight (or so we thought)

After what felt like hours, we were near the top of the cliff and as we pulled ourselves over the top expecting to see the summit, we sadly saw that the summit was still a fair way to go. But it was a great feeling knowing we had made it so far.




The terrain was mainly big rocks and stones at this point which was pretty hard work, much preferred the grass at the bottom. It's funny, when you are walking up there you sometimes feel so isolated as you don't see anyone for ages but the closer you get to the summit, people seem to pop up from everywhere! We made it to the summit in just over 3 hours and the view from the top was incredible. It made all the hard work worthwhile and the sense of achievement was awesome!






So, one peak down, 2 to go so the next one will either be Snowdon in March or Ben Nevis before that. I want to get all 3 done as it is a fantastic achievement and more importantly excellent training for Kilimanjaro.

My top 5 bits of advice before climbing Scafell Pike are:

1 - Train for it! Do lots of walking, preferably hill walking before you go. Joe put me through a lot of squats and lunges at bootcamp, tough at the time but very beneficial on the mountain!

2 - Get some suitable footwear and clothing. I have invested in some fancy walking shoes but that is because I will be using them in Tanzania. You can get some very good shoes for under £100. Good grip, ankle support and waterproof are the key things to look out for.

3 - Pack the necessities, but don't pack the kitchen sink! The key things you need on the mountain include a compass, a map, a torch, a whistle and a fully charged mobile phone. You may not need all of it but it's better to be safe than sorry. But remember, you are carrying it on your back for a long time so don't overdo it! Get a good bag, with back support and it will make the journey a lot more comfortable.

4 - Check the weather. The weather can change rapidly on the mountain and can either make your climb enjoyable, or dangerous and utterly miserable! We noticed a sudden change in the temperature around 3/4 of the way up, it gets chilly so make sure you pack a fleece. If the weather looks a bit iffy, I would advise you not to risk it as you don't want to be 1000m up and get stranded.

5 - Take plenty of water. We both packed a litre bottle each but we could have easily of drunk 2 litres each. It was hard work and very warm so you do sweat, and therefor will lose water. This needs replacing. We did actually fill our bottles up with water from the running river on the way down. Not sure if this is advisable but hasn't done us any harm!

Five top training walks to do before Mount Kilimanjaro

So it is now less than a year before I board the plane to Tanzania ready to climb the impressive Mount Kilimanjaro.

When August 16th came round this year, I thought I would be nervous and start to wonder why I had signed that form but I didn't, honestly! I was weirdly excited and wished it was a year down the line so I could go right there and then! Probably just as well it wasn't really, my boots are not worn in yet!

So with less than a year to go, my thoughts drifted to my training walks that I want to complete before I go. So below are my top five walks that I am aiming to do before August 16th 2013....

1 - Scafell Pike, Lake District



We are climbing Scafell Pike next Friday and will travel the 6-7 hours up to the Lake District and then stay overnight before we head out early Saturday morning.

> Scafell Pike is the highest peak in England
> It is 978m / 3209ft above sea level
> Kilimanjaro is 6.5 times taller than Scafell Pike......yikes!
> 4 main routes, vary in difficulty and distance. One route will take you 7 miles, while another will take 15 so choose wisely.
> It's part of the "Three Peaks" challenge, which is where you compete to climb the highest mountain in England,Wales and Scotland in 24 hours. It is do-able, amazingly!

As we are doing this next weekend, i'll let you know how we get on and put some pics up!

2 - Ben Nevis, Near Fort William in Scotland.



Locals affectionately call it 'The Ben' and it is the highest peak in the British Isles. It's popular with the locals and tourists and attracts 250,000 people a year. As this is the tallest of the 3 peaks, I will probably be leaving this one till last!

> Highest peak in the British Isles
> It is 1344m / 4408 ft above sea level
> Kilimanjaro is 4.5 times taller than Ben Nevis
> The simplest and most popular route up Ben Nevis is the Tourist Path , also known as the Mountain Route.
> The three peaks challenge normally starts at Ben Nevis and then heads south

3 - Snowdon, Gwynedd, Snowdonia, Wales

I am going to be climbing Snowdon in March 2013 as part of a training weekend with Discover Adventure who I am travelling to Tanzania with.

The Welsh name for Snowdonia is Yr Eryri which translates to Eagle's Nest.On a very clear day at the peak, you can often see Ireland, Scotland, England and the Isle of Man.

> Highest mountain in Wales
> It is 1085m/3560ft above sea level
> The summit can be reached by foot or by jumping on the Snowdon mountain railway
> It was first climbed by botanist Thomas Johnson in 1639
> The easiest, but longest route up Snowdon is the Llanberis Path. It is also the route used in the annual Snowdon Race. The most demanding route is the Watkin Route, this route has also been used in many films including Carry on...up the Khyber.

4 - Exmoor/Dartmoor, Devon - England



We visited Dartmoor and Exmoor this summer. Although the summits aren't necessarily high, the terrain's are vast and we encountered everything from woodland to cliff walks to coastal areas.
Our top places to visit were:
> Tarr Steps - A bridge made of stone slabs, which you walk over to get to the woodland. It dates back to the tudor times and is the longest of it's kind in Britain.
> Lydford Gorge - Deepest gorge in the South West. It's a national trust property, in fact most of the walks in Exmoor and Dartmoor are so it might be worth taking out a membership. Visit the Devil's cauldron, a little on the scary side as it's a narrow ledge at the end but definitely worth visiting it.
> Clovelly - A historic fishing village which is famous for it's steep, cobbled high street. No public transport is allowed on the high street so the only way up and down is to walk, and believe me it's a long way up! Fantastic view from the top and it was a great workout on the legs! If you really can't face walking, you can pay a small fee and the village land rover will take you up and down.

5 - Old Man of Coniston - Lake District



The Old Man of Coniston is a fell in the furness fells in the Lake District.
>  It is 2634ft/803m above sea level
>  It is the 12th most prominent mountain in England
>  On a clear day, you can see the Isle of Man, Morecambe Bay and Blackpool tower from the summit
>  Routes can vary, but you can do it at an easy pace in about 5-6 hours
>  Lots to see on the way up, including copper mines and waterfalls

So that's it, these are my 5 top walks that should hopefully break me into hiking, and prepare me for Mount Kilimanjaro.

I will update after Scafell Pike next weekend!

JW Training fun run!



JW Training Fun Run - Sunday 19th August

Today was the day, I had my fancy dress sorted (nice and easy, or so I thought - hospital scrubs!), my sun cream on and my BIG bottle water of water ready. Now to just run the 3 miles!

I met Dave at Lily Hill car park and I watched as he transformed into a fruit machine. Yes, that's right.....a fruit machine.! He insisted it was a good idea so off we went with our families to meet the others. We met the team down at the start line and were registered and given our running numbers, unlucky for some I got number 13 but hey, someones got to have it!!

Joe wore his weekend dress for the run, combined with glasses and wig and he transformed into Lady gaga nicely. Joe led the warm up and we were the first session to go so we lined up and waited, then it was GO GO GO!!!

The first leg of the run was up a hill and then when you think you are getting close, it gets steeper again! But with every up hill is a down hill and I thoroughly enjoyed flying down it, the poor marshall at the bottom probably thought she was going to get flattened!

The race was hard, mainly down to the hills, the heat and the fact that scrubs are NOT suitable running clothes which I discovered pretty early on! I was worried about how my legs would cope after suffering with DOMS after my FIT 400 test with Joe but I didn't feel like it was hampering my running and they actually felt pretty good afterwards! I crossed the line in about 28 minutes (time tbc!) and it felt so good :)

Dave finished in about 35 minutes - a great time and he also shaved 2 minutes off his PB so he is chuffed!



  

 The JW Training runners post run! 

 

 

Me and Dave before the run started

 

 

 Me and Joe. JW Training owner and my Personal trainer

 

 Finished :)

A great day out so a big well done to Joe and the JW training team who organised a fantastic event and raised lots of money for a worthwhile cause - Youthline.

For more information on upcoming events and what JW training can do for you, visit their website on http://jwtraining.net/