prior to March 2006

27/02/06
After the entertaining weekend, it’s back to training hard again. The team felt a tough evening run over the Clent Hills was the best way to end the day. Heavy rucksacks and steep hills make a great combination whilst running. With all the heavy rain recently, the route included thick mud to add to the challenge. No time to rest as the team all then were due for a night in the gym.

26/02/06
Last night's concert with the Sons of Erris was an excellent evening. The team would like to extend our thanks to all our friends and supporters who came along for such a entertaining night out. It was a lively gig with some guest performers joining in with the fun. Thanks especially to all those on stage and to everyone who made the event so enjoyable.

24/02/06
The polarKAT team has been increasing their food intake to prepare for life in the sub-zero temperatures. One of the harder aspects of preparation is trying to put on about a stone in weight whilst training at such a high intensity. Finding time for four meals a day as well as snacking is another issue to factor into an already busy schedule.
The freezing weather conditions are also conducive to preparing the team for exercising in a harsher climate. With the current snow fall the Clent Hills in Worcestershire are serving as a good training ground.
The team are all excited to meet many of our supporters and friends on Saturday night during the Sons of Erris gig. Please come along to join in the fun if you can.

21/02/06
With the rapid approach of spring and the lighter evenings, it's getting easier to run off-road straight after work. The Clent Hills in Worcestershire are an ideal location for a strenuous workout with fantastic views of the local countryside. The team are also making the final preparations for the Sons of Erris gig this Saturday in Bournville.

20/02/06
The team had plenty of cross-training this weekend, combining a long mountain bike ride with fell running and gym work. The fitness is now there and just needs to be combined with the technical skills of navigation, cross-country skiing, sledge hauling etc. These will be developed in our Austria training next month. We are all looking forward to further work in the snow!

19/02/06
A beautiful clear day didn't help GPS training, but being high in the Lakeland fells on a glorious day with the crunch of snow underfoot is a fantastic feeling. The Coledale fells to the west of Keswick give wonderful views of all four of Englands 3,000 feet summits. Such clear conditions encouraged many walkers and fell runners out - not a day for solitude whilst training.

17/02/06
A study just published has reported that the Greenland icecap is melting far more rapidly than is initially believed and is greatly contributing to global sea levels. If it were to melt completely then sea levels may rise by as much as 7m having catastrophic effects internationally. (source: BBC)

12/02/06
A return to the Black Mountains in South Wales yesterday for the polarKATs. A challenging fast paced 20 mile walk over 15 peaks above 2000'. Navigation was hardly challenging due to the fantastic weather; cold, crisp and clear. The ground underfoot was so hard and iced that crossing the boggy sections presented no difficulties. The only real difficulty of the day was trying to find breakfast and a coffee in the very sleepy town of Hay on Wye. Impossible!

05/02/06
More tough training for the team over the weekend, including a half-marathon distance run over the Staffordshire hills around the Roaches. This is a great place not just for walking and running, but also for rock climbing upon the hard Gritstone edges. Normally great views across the Cheshire Plain can be seen - not this weekend; thick fog obscured most of the route.

04/02/06
Ian has returned from a trip to Arctic Greenland for a short break and a bit of acclimitisation. Time was spent on the immense icecap and husky sledging over frozen fjords in temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius. It was also a great place to view the dancing of the Northern Lights in the bitter cold evening sky.

28/01/06
A week of hard training both in the gym and long road runs fortunately has come to an end. This weekend the team will not be meeting up as we are all training at different ends of the country with other friends. It's fun to train with other friends at times too for a bit of extra variety. Bill will be in the Lakes, Sharyn in Yorkshire, whilst Ian is flying out to Denmark. More running for all next week.

22/01/06
To add a bit of variety to the training the team have been tackling some off-road mountain biking. This was over part of the Ridgeway which follows an ancient trail from the North Wessex Downs to the Chilterns. With all the recent rain, the route was very muddy and sticky adding to the challenge of the cycle.

20/01/06
To help replicate the action of dragging sledges across the ice, the team has been hauling old tyres around parkland in Oxfordshire. The current muddy conditions conspire to make this even more difficult. This is usually accompanied by strange looks from walkers and passing dogs!

18/01/06
The polarKAT's have been working on core strength in the gym and endurance training. This has involved completing the North Worcestershire Path, which was a great opportunity for the team to navigate in the darkness and sustain a long day carrying rucksacks. Other activities have included running over the Waseley Hills and cycling round Richmond Park. The team has been enjoying training together and becoming accustomed to camping in cold weather.

12/01/06
Plenty of gym work for all the team this week, along with some good long runs. This should stand us in good stead for completing the 27 miles of the North Worcestershire Path on Sunday. This stretches from Kinver Edge across Worcestershire to Majors Green via the Clent, Waseley and Lickey Hills.

09/01/06
A spectacular weekend in the Lake District has helped invigorate the team. We were training with some other competitors from the Challenge over the hills around Langdale. After a misty walk on Saturday, the clouds lifted to reveal hoar frosted summits on Sunday.

03/01/06
Sharyn spent Xmas in Pembrokeshire running along the beaches near Newport and Cardigan Bay. It was a bit too cold for sailing but the surfing was tempting. Other days were spent walking along the coastal path towards Solva which provided amazing scenery.
Ian was back and forth between the mountains of North and South Wales, whilst Bill was mainly running and in the gym.

18/12/05
Cold, wet weather with very strong winds across the Welsh mountains gave good conditions to test the team. It also provides greater opportunity to practice our navigational skills. By the time we had reached the road again, the light was failing - a good long trip in the hills.

16/12/05
Sharyn went karting for the first time this week and came away with the Bronze. Despite starting very nervously and blocking most of the rest of the field, she soon had the bit between her teeth and stormed past the opposition.
Congratulations to the speed demon!

14/12/05
Scientists have reported that the position of the Magnetic North Pole is shifting so rapidly that within 50 years it may lie in Siberia. One effect of this would be Alaska losing its view of the northern lights and that they would be seen more in Siberia and Europe.
Other studies have shown that the earth's magnetic field strength has diminished by around 10% over the last 150 years. (source: BBC)

11/12/05
Saturday was spent high in the Carneddau, North Wales with gorgeous weather once the mists had dissipated. Ian had gone with Stuart, who is also competing in the Polar Challenge, currently as an individual. There is a fair amount of snow on the summits, but not enough to warrant the use of axe and crampons yet. Hopefully more may fall during the week.

04/12/05
A good week spent with the whole team training hard; Sharyn and Steve running over Scottish hills whilst Ian had to content with the hills of Worcestershire. Today saw us heading underground into a cave in the Mendips near Cheddar Gorge. Caving gives an all-round different sort of workout utilising the whole body - great fun!

27/11/05
An amazing day with the polarKAT team training in the Black Mountains, South Wales. Very cold but clear skies gave us fabulous views stretching away to the Brecon Beacons and also out to Mid-Wales and across to the Midlands. Most of the walk followed the remarkably steep escarpments. The hard frozen ground was useful - otherwise it would have degenerated into a soul destroying bog trot.

25/11/05
With Steve and Sharyn stuck at work, Ian took some leave and with the forecast of snow, headed into the Lake District Mountains. From Lake Thirlmere, the route headed up Ullscarf, High Raise and then Sergeant Man. Despite the poor visibility it was a good trip out to an isolated and relatively unfrequented area of the fells. Most walkers in this area head off to the famous Langdale Pikes.

22/11/05
In order to maintain our skill with the GPS system, we are heading back to the Welsh mountains this weekend for a long trip. We don't expect the same clear weather, but hopefully there should be snow on the ground.
It was wonderful meeting so many other enthused, highly motivated people. However, it has made us want to train harder than ever - Sharyn is hardly off the rowing machine now and exercising incredibly hard.

20/11/05
Back from a very cold weekend with all the Polar Challenge teams. Emerging from the freezing tent on the Saturday morning to a fantastic view of the Black Mountains.
The event was really well organised and everyone had a great time. Thanks to the guys at Venture Challenge.

18/11/05
With the sudden arrival of a cold snap over the country, this weekends Polar Challenge training weekend in the Brecon Beacons should prove a good experience. Chipping the frost off the tent in the morning will be a real pleasure!

17/11/05
WaterRower have very generously loaned us a rowing machine to assist us with our training. Currently Sharyn is using it whilst watching TV in the evenings for a good hours hard exercise. With the dark nights upon us, it is the ideal way to keep increasing the stamina.

09/11/05
As a change from running over the hills, Ian had a change of environment and disappeared under the hills. A long abseil down into Water Icicle Cavern for a muddy exploration underground. Sharyn, meanwhile has returned from a recent trip sailing and mountain biking in Turkey. All that sunshine though won't help the acclimatisation for the Arctic! Steve, not to be outdone, has been in France running and cycling to increase his endurance.

06/11/05
Steve and Sharyn have spent time in Scotland getting used to training in the cold, whilst Ian has had to make do with regular runs over the Clent and Waseley Hills. With winter rapidly approaching, this will help us adapting to the cooler weather - unfortunately though, with the shorter daylight hours, evening runs on the hills will now have to stop. Training is now going to be more concentrated indoors and long sessions at the weekends.

13/10/05
The European Space Agency had sent a new satellite up into space in order to evaluate the extent and thickness of the world's ice sheets. They were hoping to gain data to evaluate the melting of the ice caps and its effect. Unfortunately, the £90m satellite came down in the Arctic Ocean 90 minutes after its launch. (source: BBC)

10/10/05
With the nights beginning to draw in, it's getting more and more difficult to find the motivation to get out an train in an evening. The mind games are almost as difficult as the physical challenge. For Sharyn the weekend was spent studying for an exam whilst Ian and Steve were able to get out running to build up the endurance base. The advent of the colder weather should help too!

30/09/05
It seems as though time is running out to visit the arctic. An article from the BBC relates how currently the ice is at its lowest level for over a century. Research by the National Snow and Ice Data Center that within 50 years there may be no ice during the summer months.
They also suggest a speeding up of the decline of sea ice as the sea warms, then it becomes more difficult for the ice to form.
What effect this will then have on sea levels as the permafrost melts is another major concern with potential threats to many global coastal cities.

25/09/05
Steve's been busy running this weekend and Sharyn's been out pushing the training on the mountain bike. Ian spent Sunday with the team from rollerski.co.uk learning how to roller ski in Dorney Park. Despite the excellent tuition, it was a tough lesson with plenty of bruises to prove it. The Rollerski instructors were very good with plenty of patience. Additionally, they provide instruction at Hyde Park, Richmond Park and Battersea Park. Well recommended.

20/09/05
A busy week for all of us, so unfortunately we weren't able to meet up in the mountains at the weekend. Instead we've all been training hard in the gym. Next weekend there is a training session for rollerskiing in Dorney Park, so we'll see who can get to that - knee pads at the ready!

13/09/05
Steve is back from Brittany suntanned and fitter. Sharyn is currently in the mountains of Scotland walking and cycling. Ian was in back Snowdonia over the weekend. Walking over the Carnedds in dense mist and rain gaining useful navigation training.
We're all meeting up later this week for a run in the Peak District and shall be carrying mountain marathon weight rucksacks for a bit of endurance training.
This Sunday, the Polar Challenge group are holding an Introduction Day to give further information about the event - this will be another opportunity for us to realise exactly what we have got ourselves into!

05/09/05
A busy week for the team. Steve is currently on holiday in Brittany and is training by running on the war beaches. Sharyn has been testing out her new mountain bike after the last week was trashed on the hill. Ian was in Snowdonia over the weekend scrambling high in the mountains soaking up the last of the glorious weather.
We have the Karrimor Mountain Marathon coming up next month so will be in the hills over the next few weekends for long walks to fine-tune navigation skills

25/08/05
A team run over the Clent Hills for a hour left us hot and tired but with fantastic evening views of the Worcestershire hills as the sun set.

22/08/05
Ian has just returned from a fortnight walking high in the French and Swiss Alps.
Having spotted the 150km Tour de Mont Blanc race, it looks as though we may have another challenge for next year too!