Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
By coming here you are no doubt aware of the crazy event Angus and I have entered, so I think its better we simply let you know how we're getting on with the training.
SO- here's a summary of whats been going on so far...
06.04.10
So...That was pretty hard work...
I think the amount of training that we have done has served us well, as at 12.37p.m. On Sunday afternoon we limped into Westminster having completed the DW 2010- and I’m chuffed! Here’s a run-through of the longest day and night of our lives...Having spent the Friday night just outside Devizes, we arrived at the start line at about 6.30a.m. on Saturday. The process for getting onto the water was rather more arduous than we had expected, and we very nearly didn’t make it! The first marshal failed our boat for being unsuitable for the race, but with a bit of gaffer tape and fast talking we managed to get the right forms- having signed our disclaimers, and had our dog tags attached (in case we were found floating) we set off. We crossed under the start flag at 7.45 on Saturday morning...
The first few hours were fine- we stuck to our plan and didn’t push too hard, conserving energy that we know we would require later on. The girls were in support to start with and followed us through until Newbury (35 miles) sometime after lunch. The support along the way was cracking- all the barge-folk knew what we were trying to achieve so sent us on our way with a wave and a cheer so we felt great after the first 7 hours. The weather was pretty rubbish to be frank- a solid head wind with driving rain at some points, but a steady drizzle for most of the time. Unfortunately my main concern was the Sciatica that I had obtained in the last practice race, which meant that I lost feeling in my right foot at mile 6 and my whole leg by my 16- but we managed to push on. After Newbury the boys support crews took over- we had a 5 minute break at Thatcham to take on some stew and dry clothes and then pressed on towards Reading. at 5.30 p.m. or so we had a run in with a barge which caused us to have a swim- it was seriously cold, and especially bad as we had just changed into our night thermals so would suffer from then on.We reached the centre of Reading at about 9 p.m. I would guess, and going through the centre of the town was an experience I will not fondly remember. The canal passes through the centre of the Oracle Shopping centre which is no fun at all- the water is like a rapid and we very very nearly took a tumble there, but somehow rode it out. We had a compulsory stop just after Reading to check our night kit, where we had a problem. We didn’t have the right forward facing light- the support team were waiting for us some hour ahead which resulted in us having to wait for an hour for them to return. For me this was the worst moment as I was pretty touch and go on getting hypothermia- when we were moving it was ok, as we could zip ourselves into out cocoon of warmth, but when we were out we got very very cold very quickly. Finally the girls arrived and we could continue into the night.
Night kayaking isn’t for the faint hearted- you can’t only guess where you are at most points, and you have the sounds of weirs etc at lots of moments which you obviously have to avoid like the plague. The support crew really came into their own at this point. They explained what we would be facing over the next hour stretch with regards locks etc, as the portages become very complicated, and without their patience and help we wouldn’t have got anywhere. At Henley at around 1 a.m. we were held for another 20 minutes as a poor girls slipped in front of us and snapped her Femur- really nasty. We pushed on...The boys took over again at around 1 a.m. and guided us through the rest of the night- we had a fall again at 3.30 or so in the morning which wasn’t ideal, but by getting going again good and quickly we kept the cold at bay. Seeing the boys every hour or so at the portages was a huge boost for us, although I was really starting to struggle. I think the number of night hours and the fact that I had to concentrate on the steering really washed me out mentally. At around 5 a.m. just before the light came up we realised we were a little behind time and were in danger of missing the tide at Teddington so Angus called for a sprint. I really wasn’t feeling it, and as a result we had a bit of a barney and no conversation for 3-4 hours. The speed was definitely needed, and it was Angus’ mental strength that really pushed us on- we eventually arrived at the Teddington portage at 9 a.m. on the dot. A quick feed and water and we were on the Thames which was flying. We still had 17 miles to go, but pulled in after a couple for a quick rest. In doing so we managed to break the rudder which was really adding insult to injury. We then had to crawl the last 17 miles, steering with the paddles which is really tricky and even harder on the arms. However, we eventually arrived at half twelve pretty broken. What a relief.
I can safely say that we managed it as a result of a few key things- the support teams that kindly gave us their Easter breaks were utterly amazing- they had a seriously tough night, and undoubtedly had to deal with some pretty bad chat from us both a various moments. Finally Angus’s drive and determination was heroic- he was solid as a rock throughout the race, and carried me for the last for miles when my tank was empty- I really don’t know where he got it!!Many thanks to all who supported us- it’s been one hell of a 6 month journey. I’m so pleased to have raised so much for Gardening Leave which I know will make the most of all your generosity.
For now I’m resting up- trying to get some feeling back in my right leg, some soreness out of my shoulders, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to putting on the stone or so that I lost during the course of the 30 hour race!!Many thanks to you all again. Harry xx
22.03.09
After the last race of 25 miles we had a fairly relaxed weekends training over the 13/14 March. We had a couple of hours on the canal east of Newbury and covered about 16 miles so we didn’t forget what to do in preparation for the next weekend. I guess that our minds had been on Sunday for some time, as this 36 mile race was to be our first taste of long distance, and the trails that come with it.
We checked in at Devizes at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning and were on the water in good time at 7.15. One of the things about starting at Devizes is that it is a fair old slog to the first portage, some 14 miles along at Wooton. We had a good start, and made up at least 20 mins on our schedule before pausing at Cannings Bridge (6 miles) for a drink and a banana with Jamie and Tom, our support for the race. Again we paused at Pewsey (11 miles) for a strip of clothes and another drink. It was a fantastic morning with great sunshine and a gentle wind from the west- pushing us along! Having hit Pewsey with had the same race to do as last time- 25 miles and 35 portages. We started well, and thankfully this time didn’t have to run quite as far. We met the support 13 times in total for drinks/sweets and energy bars and plodded on. Our speed across the water was good, but unfortunately the portages were not- for some reason I lost all feeling in my right leg, and consequently couldn’t run, and was pretty much hopping around the locks- this probably added an hour to our overall time which isn’t helpful, and something we really need to address. We had no falls which was great and felt really good when on the water- i unfortunately took a tumble and ended up in the canal as my leg gave way as i got out of the boat- very embarrassing! Angus was solid as a rock and kept us going until we finally reached Newbury just before three p.m. This fits with our overall times, but i really hope that we can sort the legs issues out and speed up our portages by a minute or two each. With 77 to do this will help our time dramatically!
In all however we went well- we weren’t especially tired at Newbury, but it’s very daunting to think we’ll still have that distance to do three times again! We’re obviously getting a little pretty nervous, but have decided that we’re going to stay away from King Knut this weekend coming and have a weekend of rest and food before the off!
Plans are being finalised, but we’ll be leaving in the region of 7 a.m. on Saturday the 3 with a view to finishing at about 10 a.m. the next day in London. We’ll put a timetable of times that we pass each area, so if you’re passing come and give us a wave- we may not be able to wave back, but it really is a great thing to see friendly faces urging us on.
Finally, I have said it before but a huge thank you to all those who have given so very generously to Gardening Leave- I met with Anna BC, founder of the charity, and she has such great plans for expansion that all money raised is going to a great cause. Thanks also to Tom and Jamie who were great yesterday, and all those who have given up their Easter Weekends to help us out- it’s hugely appreciated!
Harry
08.03.2010
After a slightly disappointing entry last time after a rather slow, wet and cold race, I can thankfully report that we are rather more back on track...
The weekend before last we had plans for another training run, around 18 miles to get over the problems of the week before, but the weather gods had another thing to say. Sunday was a miserable day, and as such no Kayaking took place. That meant that yesterday was our first outing for a fortnight and we were somewhat apprehensive to say the least.
We arrived in Pewsey, Wiltshire at 8 in the morning having left London at 5, and we started a little after 9. Although we had planned to go for a ten minute warm up paddle before the race began this couldn’t happen as the canal had completely frozen over! The start was clear water, but after about 300 meters we hit the first bit of solid ice, and so began the run. We ran for about 6/7 miles with the Kayak on the shoulder. Every so often we managed about 100/200 meters on the water when we thought it was clearing, but actually it wasn’t totally clear for some way.
Eventually we had a break as we got back into the boat and began paddling. Our portaging was much improved on last time- we were up and out of the boat in sync and were much quicker in all. I think it may have had something to do with it being so cold that we needed to keep going! We had one slight dunking around the 15 mile mark which we don’t really know why- we were right outside a pub, so i can only guess that we both leant towards it a fraction as we passed! We also managed to get a bit wet at a portage when the kayak got stuck under the pontoon at around 22 miles. Another learning step at least.
We finished the 25 miles in 5 hours and 20 mins. It may seem like a long time, but factoring in the running at the beginning we were pretty happy. We also learnt a lot about the racing lark- about how useful a support crew will be (we were still by ourselves) and how the portage and especially the first 100 meter drive away from the lock. Angus has got over the numbness in his legs and all in all we are happy. Fairly sore today, but not too tired, so I hope that bodes well for the next stage!
I have added some photos that were taken as we finished in Newbury, and will update soon with the next developments.
22.02.10
Well- a few developments over the past few days...
The week started well- training has been cracking along, and Angus has been even running the 7.5 miles to work (!) so on that front all is fairly positive.
This weekend was our first of the all important Waterside Practice races. On arrival in Newbury, a few things were fairly clear- firstly, we looked fairly amateur. Our boat is definitely one of the worst on the river, but a bad workman cannot blame his tools and all that. There were a LOT of boats on the line- far more than we were expecting. Having checked in we got straight on the line and got going- our first mistake- from our past experience, we know we need time to get going, when we first get into the boat we are seriously wobbly, and it takes time to feel comfy and stable. As it was we were all over the place to start with. Thankfully we stayed upright for the start and got going. The first few miles were not good- nerves made us very slow, not helped by being overtaken by everyone, and their wakes etc rocking the boat. We crossed the first of the 19 portages fairly well, but our competitive spirit probably then did us a disservice when we tried to copy the best crews and sprint around the locks. Soon we realised that steady getting out and in of the boat was the best option.
Heading downstream was fine, especially after lots of the field had passed us as we had some clear water. The canal was so much narrower than we expected when was ok until, having rounded the final lock- the couple of hundred boats came sprinting back passed us- it was like going the wrong way down a motorway- hectic to say the least!
Unfortunately we had a couple of tumbles (we weren’t the only ones by the way!) which were annoying, but we stuck at it and got through. The return leg was rather more peaceful, but against the wind and current was pretty tough on the arms etc. We got into a much better routine and pace, and I think had we managed that stroke speed etc for the whole race we could have knocked nearly an hour off our time. Likewise we were rather leisurely at the portages, and I think could have been a minute or two quicker at each one- considering there are 19 of them, that would have made up nearly an hour!
In hindsight, the first of our races was to be honest a mixed bag. We are pleased to have finished, and have taken account the fact that we were racing at a good pace for us- a pace that we could maintain for a long time. The other racers were racing to sprint the distance, so it’s a bit disheartening to come so near the bottom but such is life. We learnt a lot about the boat, and about how necessary support crews are- even on that small distance. We’re going to do the course again next weekend with our new knowledge and hope to have a better run, and then we have another longer race the following weekend.
On the positive side, we’re both feeling physically fine, although as we got out of the boat at the finish we both mentioned the same thing- this race is going to be harder than we ever imagined...
Thanks so much to all those who have supported me so far- if you haven’t had a chance to have a look at the Gardening Leave website (www.gardeningleave.org) please do so as it’s such a great Charity, and Anna BC, the founder, has worked so hard for it over the past few years that making people aware of it is a great initial step...
Feel free to email me with any questions or tips! Either harry.franks@wheelfreedom.com or harry_franks@hotmail.com
15.02.10
Another weekend passes and the dreaded day gets a little closer still!
Angus and I had a good but very cold training run on Saturday. We started in Teddington as usual, and headed down past Hampton Wick, and Hampton Court Palace. Going against the tide we were really flying, and covered the 4-5 miles in no time. On the return leg we felt the full force of the wind in our face- although only 14 mph or so, it makes a huge difference to your speed. All the steering that I have to do with my toes becomes extremely exagerated, so we often find ourselves zig zagging up the river...
It started snowing as we got back to the car, and out feet really were chilly- I'm really hoping that we have a warmer 48 hours around race day or it could be totally horrid! We have new paddles with bigger blades and our spray decks ready now, and King Knut is resting down in Newbury ready for our first test next Sunday. Newbury to Aldermarston and back- 17.5 miles.
Another week of training in the meantime...
08.02.10
We had a good day yesterday. Having been lost for some time trying to find Teddington, we managed to get onto the Thames just by the Royal Canoe Club. It was rather nerve racking to start with- our first outing on the Thames, and we decided to go the long way around the club so as not to be spotted by the club members!
The training run went fairly well though- we started against the current and worked our way for about 4 and a bit miles down to a nice beach spot just past Hampton Court Palace. The current was fairly fast so we didn't get too much speed up, but we thankfully made it eventually without any falls. Angus is having a few issues with his legs in that he gets terrible numbness followed by pins and needles that we need to address- we think the length of his footrest is to do with it. On the return leg with the current we were really flying. I would estimate that we did the 4 and a bit miles in around 40 mins, so thats a good cruising pace for the current part of the thames. We had a tumble just before coming in to stop which was a shame, but perhaps stopped just getting a little over confident! We're not sure why it happened, but its probably that we were both not concentrating for about 2 seconds- it seems thats all it takes!
Physically the first "distance" wasn't bad at all, so all positive in that area, but we're in no doubt of the amount of work required over the next couple of weeks.
03.02.2010
We have been training in earnest since the beginning of October. Evenings in the pub have rather switched to evenings in the gym- a sentence that I never (nor my family) would believe that I would be writing! However it’s been a steady progression. I think Angus would agree that this race is a very tough thing to train for- it’s all upper body work, but at the same time one mustn’t forget the 77 locks to run around... Christmas didn’t really do the training much good, but since then I’ve been working hard, but it all seems rather close now.
I had a slight set back a couple of weeks ago that nearly put the whole event in jeopardy. I managed to come off the bike on the way to work and dislocate my knee. The Doc suggested 3 months rest before a 3 month recovery, but it seems 3 weeks is even too long. I think I’m getting back into the swing of it already.
Kayak practice has taken a turn for the better- Angus and I had a great trip up the Deben in some fairly foul weather and cold the likes of which i have never felt. King Knut is now in London, and we are planned to kayak various distances every weekend for the next two months. Throw in some night training in a couple of weeks down at Teddington and we’ll fingers crossed be reasonably prepared...
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