10k Inflatable Obstacle Run

Hi Guys

My sister Amber and myself finally got round to doing the 10k Inflatable Obstacle Run in Bicester, which we planned to do in 2019, but it was postponed due to the weather (high winds) and again in 2020 due to Covid19.
I did it for International Glaucoma Association (IGA). My JustGiving page is still active, so any donations for this great charity will be greatly appreciated.

It was a little breezy when we got there, so felt a little chilly even with the sun shining. Though our start time (wave) was for 9:45am, we managed to go at the slightly earlier time of 9:30am – plus there wasn’t really anyone else around so we kind of had the start to ourselves.

There were 13 obstacles in total and the route was 2.5k in length. 11 of the obstacles we did 4 times and 2 of them (the start and finish obstacles) we, obviously, only did once. They were quite close together, with a long stretch of no obstacles, there was also a very slight hill on one part of the route, but it wasn’t – well for me – much of a problem. It drizzled/rained a little halfway round the 3rd lap (out of 4), but otherwise it stayed dry and sunny, during the little shower the obstacles did become a little slippery, but not dangerously so.

It took us about 1.5 hours to complete, mostly down to the fact we walked a lot of it, due to my sister saying she wasn’t as fit as me, so couldn’t run it all 🙄😅

So proud of my sister 😎 for doing it and still wanting to do it after two years from saying yes to it.

After looking at my emails when got back I found out that we had been (electronically) given certificates 😁

It was a lot of fun, now I’m thinking of trying for the 15k run and will have to see if I can encourage someone to come join me in doing it. Now that will be a challenge 😅

That’s it for now
Take Care & God Bless
Vez

Powerlifting 🏋️‍

Hi Guys

Last weekend I did something I’ve never done before, I did a powerlifting competition!
The event, was in memory of Chris Delahunty, who was an avid lifter and tragically died earlier this year aged 45, and to help raise funds for a local care home minibus.

There were 3 females listed as doing the event, but Abbie Barnes – a professional powerlifter, dropped out as she was going to be competing in a more high profile competition a week or 2 after, but still came along to ref the competition. There were 12 males competing.
I decided to take on the challenge on the Friday before the event, to bring the number of females back up to 3, so no training! though I have been doing body pump for a few years, so not completely new to lifting weights, just new to this style of lifting – single rep with the heaviest weight you can lift, you get 3 attempts to lift.
On the day of the event, another female competitor dropped out due to illness, so it ended up with just two of us.

We did three different lifts – Squat; Bench Press; Deadlift.
As you might of realised, I wasn’t going to be lifting all that heavy in comparison to the others competing, due to never having done this sort of thing before and no training, but I gave it a go.

I was pretty happy with my squat weight 45kg, though I could of potentially lifted 5-10kg heavier.

I was well happy with my bench press weight of 35kg, having never really lifted more than 12.5kg in body pump!

The deadlift I was a little disappointed with, as I chickened out of starting at the 40kg weight, but I did achieve 60kg, so not too bad, but so could of been better.

I had quite a fun and enjoyable experience overall in a relaxed environment. Everyone were friendly, made me feel welcomed and were encouraging in my attempts, even if my weights were light in comparison

Thank you to everyone who were involved in putting on such a fun event, especially KA Fitness (Steve Broadley) for hosting, Frankie Dorrian for organising, Abbie Barnes and Martin Green for reffing and Harrie-Lou Charlton for encouraging me to give it a go.

I might try doing it again, to see if I could improve, but I don’t think I will be making it a regular feature.

Take Care and Blessed Be
Vez

5k Inflatable Obstacle Run

Hi Guys

I decided to do another 5k obstacle run at Newbury on Sunday – two years after the last one I did at Oxford. This time it was an inflatable obstacle run instead of a Pretty Muddy. I can’t quite believe how it got to being that long ago since doing the Pretty Muddy!

I went with my mate Anj and her son Daniel. We were running for two charities: International Glaucoma Association and Swindon Homeless. We both have Just Giving pages for the charities we were/are supporting, so if you would like to donate to either (or both) then please do.
Though we were scheduled to go out at 9:30am (the 3rd wave); we managed to go early and start with the 9:15am lot (the 2nd wave). We did a warm-up before going out on the course.

The day was cold – especially when standing still, and though there was a light shower early on in our run, it didn’t last long and became quite pleasant with the sun shining.
The obstacles were relatively simple to negotiate, but still gave a little bit of a challenge – especially at the beginning when the inflatables were a little wet and slippery.
There were about 10 obstacles in total.

The obstacles could of been better spaced out along the route, but we still had fun doing it.

At the end I still felt like I had a fair amount of energy left, and was thinking I could of done the 10k route (which I believe was just doing the same course twice) maybe next time.

I would like to thank Duncan (Anj’s other half) for driving us to and from the event and for taking some of the photos of us.

I don’t know what my next little sporting event will be, but I will definitely do something.

After doing the 5k and having a shower, I finally got round to baking the chocolate banana cake I was planning on making on Friday evening. It was very tasty.

That’s all for now.
Take Care and God Bless
Vez

Test Session at Llandow Part 2

Hi Guys

I went testing again at Llandow on Thursday in my Ford Focus.

Well that was an interesting test session.
I’m getting more confident in the car now, the handling, balance and the power out of the car still is good, but my session was cut short due to the clutch/driveshaft breaking .
These things happen, and yes I know it seems to of happened a lot to me in recent times, but being on such a tight budget and prepping a new car can have an effect on what can be done at any one time and take longer to rectify problems.
I hope I can get these niggly little problems sorted out during testing, so by the time I make it to a race meeting all will be good to go.

The next time I’m out in a race car will be at Donington Park on the 29th in the Peugeot 106 that I’m hiring out from Tyrone.

In other news:
I passed my Taekwondo grading today  I’m now a red belt!  I was so nervous beforehand.
Though I have sustained a slight injury to one of my toes on my left foot – I bruised it during some one-step sparring. I’m just hoping it calms down enough for me to go racing next weekend.
I would also like to say well done to the others grader for passing their grades.

I think that’s it for now, and I will post again after my race meeting.

Take Care and God Bless
Vez

Frustration 😠

Hi guys

Well what can I say, another failure to my car to end my chances of racing again this weekend. This time one of the brake lines split as it was being tied down on to the trailer 😡.

I’m gettin pretty pissed off about this now 😠, I’m beginning to think I’m not going to get out racing this year, and if it doesn’t improve then maybe I just need to take time out and stop racing for a bit, without having to pay for a car I’m not going to race.

Now I won’t say no if an opportunity comes up to race with someone else, who can give me the chance to race and race competitively. My problem lies in the fact I’m on such a tight budget, but I’m willing to pay just a little more if it means I get out to race.

So instead of racing this weekend I spent time with my best mate @elzrocks – even though she was going to be coming with me to the race meeting anyway, and watch me race for the first time.
We went out on the bike, not on the road bike, but on a mountain/cyclocross bike and riding around on the Ridgeway; we did some baking, tidying up and a couple of pub visits 😊.

We went to have a drink at the Fox and Hounds – our local – on the Saturday after I was told about my race car.

I had fun being on a mountain bike again 🚵‍♀️ – even with the handle bars being extra wide! plus it is a borrowed bike, so not quite the right fit for me. Learning a new skill is always fun, if a little scary at times, but I enjoyed myself, and just being out and about in the countryside with my best mate and is the best therapy one can have.

We tidied up her parents’ house and shed – from what I can tell they were quite happy with what was done. I was tidying up my parents garage, we got somewhere, not quite as far as I would of liked, but it’s a start.

We did a bit a baking, Elz and I both enjoy baking 🍌🍞🍪, though Elz doesn’t get much chance to bake herself, so baking together at mine was a lot of fun. We made a chocolate banana cake and a rocky road cookie slab. Both were very tasty 😋.

This isn’t the whole of what we made, by the time I got a chance to take a photo, we had eaten some, plus Elz had cut up some to take back to her parents.

We went to The Swan in Radcot to have dinner on the Sunday, the food was really good, and the atmosphere was chilled, relaxed and very pleasant 😊.

So not the weekend I was planning on, but I still managed to enjoy myself.

Onwards and upwards, and lets see what next month will bring in terms of racing.

Take care and God Bless
Vez

5k Pretty Muddy

Hi guys

Well I’ve done another first time event. This time it was a 5k Pretty Muddy for Race for Life.

All tattooed up ready for action 💪

I was feeling quite nervous about doing it as I’ve never done anything like this before, the closest was a cross-country run when I was at school – that was a while ago 😕 – but I was also feeling quite excited about it, as I’ve been looking at doing an obstacle race for a while.
I arrive at 9:10am way in advance of my time slot which was 10:45am – though we were told to arrive 45 minutes before our time slot.

There was 10 of us in the group I was with – the Konga Lovelies – the weather started out with sunshine, but that quickly disappeared and we were left with an overcast and cold day.

The warm-up before the race

 The Start Line

We went out in the 4^th wave and it started to drizzle ☔ just before our warm-up session. I managed to jog most of the way round, so I’m pretty happy with that, as I’m not a runner.
The course was pretty easy to negotiate – well for me anyway – not too much slippery mud when we went round, but enough to make you pretty muddy 😉. The course went up and down hill, though gentle inclines and declines and there were about 13-14 obstacles to negotiate.
Below are some of the obstacles, there were also some obstacles which you had to climb over, jump over and walk over.

The space hopper section was probably the most difficult part, after getting off my legs were like jelly and I struggled to get my legs to move up the hill 😁, so I ended up walking the short distance to the top, and started to jog again when I got there and to the next challenge 😊. I’m not in the photos for the obstacles unfortunately, as I was too far ahead with one of the other team members.

Before the big slide

After the big slide

I generally felt good at the end and still had a fair amount of energy, shame it was so cold though, at least the rain had stopped – not that it really matter by then. After going down the big slide, that was when I really felt the cold and got chilled very quickly, plus feeling like I had a soiled nappy on 😂 that wasn’t fun. The drive home was interesting to say the least, with being so wet and muddy. Before getting in the car my dad wrapped me up in an old curtain – yes you read that right a curtain! – and then drove the hour home.

I had a great time doing it, it was lots of fun and I would so do it again 😊. The Konga Lovelies are great bunch of girls, who all nailed it and had smiles on their faces, even at the end 💪😊. Thanks to Jan who organised this group to do this event 😊.

All the photos (except the first 4) are taken by Jan’s other half Oliver.

That’s all for now.
Take Care, Smile and God Bless
Vez

Things I’ve Been Up To

Hi guys

Where has the time gone, I can’t believe it has been 6 months since I lasted blogged!

What have I done in that time, well going back to last year a couple of things;

November 2015
I went with my mate Elz to see the Rapha Supercross at Kings Cross – which in the end was cancelled due to bad weather – but I did take these photos of the outside part of the circuit

and the Revolution Series at the Lee Valley Velo Park, I have never been to a velodrome before, it was great fun, and I enjoyed myself a lot, the atmosphere was buzzing! 😊

I went to see a Lost Innocence gig at The White Swan in Aylesbury, and I have to say these guys are amazing! – and I’m not just saying that because my brother-in-law plays the keyboard for them – I would definitely recommend going to see them if you get the chance. They are a covers band, and they do covers of Within Temptation, Nightwish, We Are The Fallen, Evanescence etc

December 2015
I did a Taekwondo grading for my green belt, which I managed to pass and gain yay J I was pretty nervous, the higher up I go the more nervous I seem to get, I think it’s due to having to remember more stuff and each pattern/form gets just that little bit more complex.

January 2016
Went to watch my mate Elz at Dalton Barracks for a CX race. Well impressed with her performance, especially as she was suffering with a cold. Met a couple of her riding buddies too, Toria and Caroline – great guys! ‪#‎amazingride ‪#‎soproud 😊

At her next CX race I actually helped out in the pits for her – very muddy, but a lot of fun. I’m so proud of her, she is doing great! 😊

February 2016
Panto time – Beauty and the Beast 🎭
We performed three shows, all three went well, with the obligatory minor hiccups of course, though very funny ones 😄 The cast were all amazing and the backstage crew did a great job too!
The audience, on all the nights, were great with all the interactions of the show as well. The whole production just seemed to flow and – though a lot of hard work was put into it – be quite relaxed.
Well done to all the cast and crew for an awesome show, you guys are amazing!

Now that I’ve got up to date with what has been going on in the last 6 months. It’s almost time for my race season to start. I’m racing in the Welsh Sports and Saloon Car Championship again this year, as it’s such a relaxed, fun and friendly group to be with 😊

I’ve got a test session next Thursday (21^st) at Llandow, which is leaving it a bit late I know, as my first race of the season is on the 24^th April at Pembrey. Hopefully all goes well, and I can ease myself back in to the car before the race, instead of going in cold.
I will keep you posted on how the test session goes and the first race.

Take Care and God Bless
Vez

Entertainment :)

Hi Guys

A couple of big things happened since I last wrote.

1. My birthday – 30th
2. Winning BTCC Tickets – Silverstone
3. Theatre Trip – Jesus Christ Superstar

My 30^th Birthday
My birthday was a little uneventfully as birthdays go, didn’t really do anything on the day, and I got quite bored and irritated at the lack of interesting stuff. The two days after were filled by helping my sister move house. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later when I got tickets to see the BTCC at Silverstone and a theatre trip that my birthday became something special.

BTCC – Silverstone 26-27 September
I won some tickets to Round 9 of the BTCC (British Touring Car Championship), which was so unexpected. I entered this competition, not believing for one second I was actually going to win – I never seem to win anything – and when they arrived in the post I was amazed and well excited :). I could only go on the Sunday, which was a shame, but hey. I went with my dad, as I couldn’t find anyone else to go with – don’t get me wrong I love my dad, but I would of like to of gone with someone else who I could have a laugh with.

The weather was gorgeous, if a little chilly. I spent some time wandering round the circuit watching the action, and spent some time in the paddock area – which I haven’t been in since I last raced there in 2010 – and met some of the drivers.

   
Mike Bushell                          Jeff Smith                             Hunter Abbott

Andy Priaulx

Theatre Trip – Jesus Christ Superstar 2 October
I went to the New Theatre in Oxford to see Jesus Christ Superstar for my birthday treat with my family and some friends, there were 9 of us in total. It was well worth going to see, the stage set was stunning, it was (or at least looked) quite simple but it was very effective. The acting was amazing and so was the music, which was being played by a live band. Loved the King Herod part with his nipple tassels and towel clan minions 😀 some light entertainment in a otherwise quite intense show. It was all great, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Other Things
I’m still doing my exercise sessions, body pump, Taekwondo and Konga. I did my own special version of a reverse triathlon a couple of weeks ago – it consisted of a 4 mile run, then a 12 mile bike ride and finished off with a shower to freshen myself up :).

This coming weekend is the season finale of the Welsh Sports and Saloon Car Championship at Pembrey. Fingers crossed that my little black number will decide it wants to go out and play.

Take Care and God Bless
Vez

Race Season Just Round The Corner

Hi

Today I went out testing my little MG at Llandow. It was a lovely sunny and dry day – a little chilly, but shouldn’t complain really – and with a few other cars on track to have fun with.
The car handled well down the straights, around corners, and during braking, and the revs were smooth throughout the different transitions.
First race of the season isn’t far away now, being on Easter Monday at Castle Combe. So with a good test session under my belt lets ‘roll on Castle Combe’ to see how my little car goes up against the competition 🙂

In other news:
The Uffington Players did a Pantomime in Feb of The Piped Piper – Sorry for not mentioning this at the time, but was so busy at the time helping out with the production.
In addition to my body pump and Taekwondo, I’ve started doing Konga – which is one of The Jungle Body workouts.
The description of it is:
KONGA is a wild mash-up of Boxing, Kickboxing, Cardio, Afro, Pop, Rock, Pilates, Disco & everything in between. Konga is so addictive because it is the perfect concoction of easy-to-do moves, insane music & routines that are specifically designed to shape, sculpt & redefine your physique. You will go from striking your imaginary opponent, to sexy hip shaking to Beyonce, to a wild Ab Crunching routine. It’s the one class that really does have it all!

I’ve done a couple of cycle rides so far this year, they have proved that I’m still pretty unfit, so that means working out a little more on my endurance. This doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying being out and about, especially when out with mates 🙂

Think that’s all for now folks.
Hope you are all ok
Take Care and God Bless
Vez

New Year Time

Hi Guys

HAPPY 2015!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, I know I’m a little late in saying this, but hey, I’ve done it now!

I had a relatively quiet and relaxed holiday period. I’m now back at work and feel I haven’t even been away – not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

Well I’m getting back into my exercise routine again, body pump on Tuesday and TKD on Wednesday 🙂 Body pump went well yesterday and I feel not too bad after a 2 week break, I’m hoping I feel ok after my first TKD session of the year tonight.
I’m also looking into doing some different types of exercise, which will hopefully look into more core muscle strength, which will also be fun to do, I’ve thought of pole exercise and using a exercise ball and pull up bar. Any ideas and help in the matter will be very appreciated.

The Uffington Players will be putting on a Pantomime in February. I’ll keep you posted on when and everything that you’ll need to know when I know more 🙂

Can’t think of anything else at the moment.

So I’ll sign off now
Take Care and God Bless