"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.