another week gone...

man-o-man another week down and another week closer to D-Day..... fitness is coming along nicely but to be honest, I am starting the mental training now.

The only way I am going to get up the 'hill' and down again is if I am mentally strong... stronger and more focussed than I have had to be for some years.

I go to sleep thinking about the tough times I am going to experience throughout the trek and wake up thinking about the good times I am going to go through getting up and down the 'hill'.

I am playing mental games with myself - I feel the 3am cold, the 4am toilet run, the 5am lack of breath and the 6am rise. I dont want to sugar coat this trip and see it through rose coloured glasses. I need to appreciate that over the course of 18 days it is going to get tough and I have to be tougher. (insert Rocky music....) Bring it on- thats all I have to say.

media attention

I have to say this has been one amazing week or two.

Following the launch in Trafagar Square, the media have shown a fair amount of interest in the expedition. Interestingly, I have lived in Australia for some 20 odd years any only now that I live in the UK do I manage to get on local Aussie radio!! Being interviewed by Agro has been a lifelong ambition of mine (only an Aussie would appreciate this). I now fully appreciate that I say "um" way too much! Further, I have managed to get a half a page "spread" in my local press in Herts - golden.

Now I have to turn this press into cold hard money for charity. So far so good - have managed to get 4 substantial sponsors - with one fantastic sponsor of £1000 - time to match it up folks!