1 Day to Departure

Thursday 9th Septemer 2010

This week has flown by and departure date will soon be upon us. The week however has been good from a training perspective. On Sunday 5th I managed my furthest run todate of 15 miles, the previous week I managed 4 miles on the Monday as a cool down, 4 mile sprints on the Wednesday and a 6 mile run on Friday.

This week I completely rested to ensure I get in one last run before departure. I scheduled this for Wednesday 8th, and covered 14.5 miles. The upside is I feel my marathon training is on track, the downside was i have a small niggle developing in my right hamstring and inside my right knee, also managed to get the start of a blister, my fault for wearing the wrong socks.

We paid one last visit to cotswold outdoors for final kit collection (I think both myself and Simon could quite easily get a job there as we know that store inside out and can now quite easily advise people on what equipment to get!), We bought mainly sleeping bags and mats with minor bits and bobs. We chose a Mountain Equipment Snowline sleeping bag good for temperatures between 10 and - 20c, with a max of -37, Simon and I both felt we didn't want to be on the mountain shivering in our bags wishing we'd spent just an extra £50.

Amazingly once again we leave the store having spent another £1k, but you know what, I don't mind, I'd rather have the best and be comfortable than suffer discomfort , especially as its hard to descibe how isolated it is going to be at that altitude. Plus the plan is to do another mountain next year, much to Rachel's disdain. Her nose turns up at the shear mention of this! We're looking at climbing Elbrus with our friend Phillipe from Norway. The only trouble is it clashes with Easter half term for the kids (another reason why Rachel is not happy!), so would have to do a different time if that is possible.

Rachel thinks this is my midlife crises and it probably is in a way. It's definately cheaper than a Porsche and well at least I am have not got a mistress!

I am concerned with one thing at the moment, and that is Ethan. He is very quiet and concerned about this next climb. He is aware of the events that took place on Mont Blanc and is worried that Kilimanjaro is bigger and therefore harder. Its hard to explain to a 7 year old the differnt technicalities of both mountains. He has asked Rachel several times 'Daddy won't run out of oxygen will he?' which makes me think should I be doing this?

What I have asssured him is that his daddy has done everything to make this trip easier and that we will not be ascending 3800m in one day again. Although these numbers don't mean anything to him! I have also promised him that I will try and keep safe and not attempt anything if I do not feel right.

What I have not mentioned in my previous blogs is that because of the events on Mont Blanc the company hired a Hypoixco Altitude training system (mainly to ensure my life insurance covers me), to assist with the acclimatisation for this trip. Effectively the machine simulates Air Pressure at various altitudes and you spend 5 minutes on it breathing through a mask whilst monitoring SPO2 levels and heart beats, then 5 minutes off recovering.

Standard SPO2 levels at sea level should be between 95 and 100%, this then drops the higher you climb, at 3724m your SPO2 should be between 84 and 86% mine went to 73% this explains the AMS on Mont Blanc (everybody is genetically different and it doesn't matter how fit you are, Simon's levels were 20% better than mine from the start for instance), regular training on the machine slowly increases your altitude and helps thicken your blood and the production of red blood cells. Now on the last day at 6495m my SPO2 drops to 94% against a recommended percent of between 76 and 80% and with all the training my resting pulse has dropped to 48bpm. I have therefore never felt more ready and prepared for this mountain (but then again I felt great on Mont Blanc and look what happened there!) I must not become complacent!

The donations have been coming in thick and fast a special thankyou to Pat Walls of Arqiva Ireland with their kind donation of 500 Euros and Emma Jones of SFL for their donation of £500, any amount small or large is greatly appreciated and will go to 3 great causes.