12 Days to go!

Oh gosh - just writing "12 days to go" has got my tummy doing summersalts! I am very nervous about this trip. It's not the travelling to Africa that I'm worried about - in fact I'm really looking forward to going back - it's the "am I going to cope with the altitude" and "am I fit enough" dilemma. To make matters worse - it's also the fact that I've been talked into letting people sponsor me too that worries me. What if I don't make it?

I'm not a defeatest individual - I'm just very competitive and the thought of failure fills me with dread. Most people that know me, know that I was in the Army - and therefore the assumption is that I'm definitely going to make it. What they don't know is that for at least 5 years I've been extremely lazy and done hardly any exercise at all - and I'm nearly 40! Whilst I've built up my fitness over the last 6 to 8 months, there was always so much more that I could have done. Although, I do remember someone who has done it telling me about a friend who did it with them; he was a marathon runner and that they struggled terribly. Actually - is that a good thing or a bad thing to know..?

All the other preparation is going well - all my jabs are done and I've got more than enough kit to see me through. I got out my sleeping bag this weekend - pleased to see that it does go down to -20 deg C!! I've got a fleece liner too, just to be sure I'm warm enough at night. I'm also delighted that I found my army issue gortex sleeping bag - nothing worse than a wet sleeping bag. I didn't steal it - it was a "surplus" one given to me by someone else. I did return everything when I left, apart from my boots which I was allowed to keep (and have never worn again!). I also got out my large kit bag and had an initial "practice pack." Yes - not only do I have a fear of failure -but I'm totally OCD when it comes to packing! (Prior preparation and planning....and all that!). I just need to get my individual dry bags sorted along with organising camera's, batteries, emergency snacks etc - and I'm good to go!

Off to the gym again tonight. I'm not running at the moment - 30 mins walking on a severe incline, followed by 20 mins on the stepper and 20 mins on the X-trainer really gets the heart rate going and the legs burning - all the things I'm expecting to happen whilst I am away. I'm not going too mad now, as with just days to go, I don't want to pick up an injury - and let's face it - are the next 12 days going to make any difference? Too late now - just need to keep the fitness ticking over....

Speak soon!