First Team Training

Actually, it was more like a team hang-out.

It struck me that, until today, we hadn't once all been together in the same place! At best four of us had met, but never all five of us, until around 11pm this morning at my flat in Glasgow. Within half an hour we'd sorted all our new kit, and were in Dominic's car heading for The Whangie.

We'd all agreed that today was about having fun, not hard training. The weather was cold, but bright and sunny so it was a perfect opportunity to get some photos of everyone in the new kit. John Manning, the deputy editor of TGO-The Great Outdoors (the magazine from which we take our name and which Robyn designs) kindly agreed to come out with us and take the photos.

It was all a bit odd, posing in group shots wearing diferent configurations of kit; Bergaus fleeces, Bergaus fleeces & packs, Smartwool base layers, TGO caps.... it took ages. We also staged a few shots of us running around the top of the crags. Eventually we managed to get a one hour run. It wasn't really long enough to get the legs working hard, but it was good to stretch them.

I also saw how phenominally fit Dominic and Neil really are. It was like being overtaken by an Audi Quatro while struggling up a hill in a Morris Oxford. Boy are they fast.

Liz had cooked an excellent cheesy, pasta bake which I only had to heat up in the oven when we returned. Everyone showered, ate, then spent an hour talking about all sorts of stuff. Should we attempt to raise money for charity? Probably not as a team, we decided, because all our efforts are directed to training, although individuals could. Should we try to find more sponsors? Again, probably not - why should people give us stuff so we can go enjoy ourselves?

Around 6pm we made our way up to a friend's house. Eric is president of Glasgow Kayak Club (I'm Secretary) and he and Robin (a male one this time) have done the Hebridean Challenge several times before. We watched a video of a TV programme made during the 1995 event, and then picked their brains for ideas. What came across more than anything was what a great time they'd had - if totally, utterly knackering. And both of them are fit. I also realised I'm going to have to get some more serious time in the kayak, because the sea out there can be rough.

I've spent what was left of the evening updating the website, sending photos to sponsors and just taking care of business.

It has been a good, exciting day - and the main event is still five months away.

Sponsors say "Yes"!

I'm delighted to say Team TGO has it's first two sponsors.

BERGHAUS has kindly agreed to provide some of their excellent Extrem Light range for training and during the race. We're getting the team logo on the kit too. http://www.Berghaus.com

SMARTWOOL is providing socks and warm base layer gear for winter training. http://www.Anatom.co.uk

I'll be writing about this in TGO magazine and The Herald (Scottish newspaper) in coming weeks.

I'm pleased these were the first two companies to offer support because I have a long association with each. In the dim distant past (1983) I made a ski-ing film Gordon Fraser in Les Arcs. He now runs the company which imports the superb SMARTWOOL products to the UK. He kept Liz & I well supplied with SMARTWOOL socks when we hiked the 2,568 mile wilderness Pacific Crest Trail, from Mexico to Canada, in 2002. In the snow of the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades, to the heat of the Mojave - they performed very well.

I first filmed the two original directors of Berghaus, Peter and Gordon, when they won the "Golden Boot Award" at the Harrogate outdoors show for their revolutionary Yeti Gaiter. For a report on Look North, we had them wading through a particularly muddy part of the Washington Wildfowl park. I kept close relations with the company, even after Pentland took over, but lost touch when I was preparing for the PCT. At the time Berghaus didn't make much ultra-light gear and that was what we needed for the PCT. Now their range is comprehensive so I'm pleased to renew my connections.

Check the main web-site for photo updates. http://www.SimonWillis.co.uk

"Team TGO" takes shape

So much has been happening I've hardly had time to think, let alone train AND keep writing. So this is a belated update.

We are now "Team TGO". The UK's leading hill-walking magazine TGO-The Great Outdoors wants to follow our progress over the coming months. So now we have a name and our team leader Robyn, who designs that magazine, is creating a logo.

It all seems very professional, which is slightly awkward as we are not! I sometimes wonder if we're going to be dressed swanky, with nice logos and all... but left panting in the mud.

We're booked on a course in March with a chap called Joe Faulkner who trains Adventure Racers. Joe has managed Team Lowe Alpine and came third in the solo section of the race we're attempting, the Hebridean Challenge. Joe has taken a special interest in us, and wants to get involved in making us into a team, which is all rather exciting. We hope to meet Joe at our first full training weekend on 19th Feburary.

I still have to pass my 4-star kayak award before the race, so my partner and I have a day session booked with Gordon Brown of Skyak Adventures on 22nd January, including time in the pool at Kyle of Lochalsh to work on our rolls. I'm not sure when we'll actually do the assessment, but I hope the weather off the Scotland's West Coast improves before then!

As for the rest of the training - I'm running as often as I can, although I've yet to run for more than an hour. I'm in the gym with a personal trainer, Scott Masterton, once a week, and exercising at home with one of those fitness balls 2-3 times a week. Scott has also helped me improve my diet, which was always pretty good, but is now that much better.

Am I getting fitter? Yes, I can actually feel a different. Am I doing enough? It'll be a while before I know the answer to that.