The fourteenth of my 40 donations went to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration via Nancy’s Girls and their Hot Shot Challenge.
This fundraising team was founded by the daughters of Nancy Hessey, who has been sadly missed since passing two years ago due to Frontotemporal Degeneration.
The Girl’s were raising money and awareness so other families can get more of the help they were so grateful to have had themselves.
I’ve been neglecting this blog. There are many excuses but only one solution – to reintroduce balance back into my life. The last half of 2020 was difficult for everyone and in my case, the increasing work demands with associated laptop ultra-marathons became all-consuming. Like a lot of people, I wasn’t able to take a break all year but finally been able to spend some time with my Family over the Christmas and New Year holiday period allowed me to decompress and reassess.
My fingers and back have become extremely sore for a while now (I will write about this in a future blog now I know a little more about it) and it has prevented me from wanting to spend more hours on a laptop once I have logged off from working. The neglect of this blog is frankly an electronic symptom of how my personal life has become overshadowed by and secondary to work.
I’d like to apologise to anyone who feels they have been on the wrong side of Craig’s see-saw.
I have been keeping up with the challenges as best as possible and my achievements and experiences will for the subject of imminent 40s440 blogs as I catch back up.
I’ve been trying to follow something of a process with social media. For example, I might post a single 1×1 picture update on Instagram and this would be followed by a similar but often more detailed post with widescreen pictures on Facebook. However, following up on both of these with a much more detailed blog is where I have allowed neglect to creep in. It has helped me to appreciate the effort that some bloggers must put in.
Ordinarily, I’d berate myself and sign off with ‘must try harder’ or suchlike but at age 40, I have managed to find some of my limits and should resect them.
I didn’t set any New Year’s resolutions for 2020, instead I began the 40s440 challenges. This year I resolve to complete the challenges and address imbalance.
Huge areas of Beirut were destroyed in August when a massive blast tore through the Lebanese capital. The explosion, blamed on 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the port, sent a shockwave across the city that shattered windows and collapsed roofs. Unfortunately, the death toll is in the hundreds with many thousands injured.
The disaster hit a nation already struggling with an economic downturn, rising food prices and the coronavirus pandemic.
The governor of Beirut estimated the cost of the damage as more than $3bn and said up to 300,000 people had suffered damage to their homes, leaving some uninhabitable.
The Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) provided ambulances, staff and first responders to help the most vulnerable affected by the explosion. They’ve also established triage centers across the city in mosques and centers to help the people they can’t reach in their homes.
One of the 40s 4 40 challenges I set myself was to swim 40 metres underwater. I would do this with no fins; this is defined as Dynamic No Fins (DNF) by the International Association for Development of Apnea (AIDA).
I have been able to swim 25 metres under under water since I was a child. Nonetheless, turning around and doing more remained unfathomable to me.
I found myself taking a tape measure to the pool to measure how far 40 metres was and putting a submersible marker down so that i knew when i had reached 40 metres. I soon got tired of this hassle and so decided that I would simply aim to swim 50 metres or 2 lengths of a 25 metre pool.
Here is one of my earlier attempts:
I managed to do this and subsequently replicated it to ensure it wasn’t a fluke!
I became concerned that I was completing over 40 metres by pushing off the wall twice. For example, in a 25 metre pool you can push off the side at the start and again around half-way through; in a 50 metre pool, you can only push off once.
There happens to be a large pool near where I live and so it naturally became an aspiration of mine to see if I could swim the full pool length underwater.
My friend Mike measured the length with a golf range-finder and it is actually 55 metres!
I’ve done quite a bit of scuba and free diving in the recent past and have learnt a lot. Of the greatest importance is to relax, followed by having strong but smooth actions and a hydrodynamic position that allows you to glide. These things enable you not to build up too much resistance in the water and to limit carbon dioxide build up and thus, the desire to breathe.
To that end, I must thank my talented friends who gave up their own time to help me achieve this safely, Mirka, Amr, Shohreh, Mike and Zak who helped me to learn a real appreciation of apnea and some of the techniques required to make this possible.
The twelfth of my 40 donations goes to The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.
The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was named after Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager who was murdered in 1993 at the age of 18 in an unprovoked racist attack in southeast London.
The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was founded on the premise that inequality must be tackled in all its forms. This includes inequality of access, and of opportunity, wherever it occurs. It is committed to “transforming the life chances of young people and improving the world in which they live”.
You can read more about Stephen’s story on this link:
In 2018, BBC One broadcast a three-part documentary series titled Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation, exploring the story of the Stephen Lawrence case and the impact it has had on British society in the 25 years since Stephen was murdered. The series won two Grierson Awards (Best Documentary Series and Best Historical Documentary) for its opening episode, ‘The Loss of Joy’.
A range of short clips from the series are available to watch on the below link:
In advance of any 40s 4 40 related content, it’s important to recognise the origin of this phrase and why it has become a slogan associated with the Black Lives Matter movement.
I’m using it here to maintain awareness of the worldwide protest against police brutality in the United States and against the lack of police accountability due to qualified immunity.
The phrase originates from the last words of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who was killed in 2014 after being put in a chokehold by New York City Police. A number of other African-Americans, such as Javier Ambler, Manuel Ellis, Elijah McClain, and George Floyd have said the same phrase prior to dying during law-enforcement encounters.
I make a choice to hold my breath – it shouldn’t be a privilege, it’s a fundamental human right. I hope these terrible events bring about the social change we need. My next charity donation will reflect that.
Breath holding or static apnea was not one of the original 40s 4 40 challenges but I was prepared to be doing a lot of it in preparation for free diving 40 metres both deep (in the Constant Weight category) and 40 metres length (in the Dynamic No Fins category).
Breath-hold training is definitely best done on dry land unless you are with a trusted and experienced buddie or buddies.
The down side of dry training is that the mammalian dive reflex does not occur but hopefully this means that when I do finally get in the water that my performance will be even better.
When I got my AIDA 2 qualification I managed a breath hold of 3 minutes 20 seconds so naturally, I challenged myself to 3 minutes and 40 seconds.
Well, I achieved 3:40 and then, probably in some part thanks to lock down, I managed a full 4 minutes, twice.
Screenshot from the stopwatch on my mobile
I actually thought 4 minutes might not ever be possible, certainly as a dry static apnea so I’m pleased with the result; this just goes to show what can be achieved if you commit and put your mind to it.
I train either lying on the sofa or first thing in the morning when I wake up. It is essential to have a low heart rate and relax into it to achieve good results.
I made a choice to do this, I can’t imagine the terror of being forced to do so against my will – “no justice, no peace”.
The eleventh of my 40 donations went to support Mr Pepito Lopez’s family via my Residents Association’s Just Giving page.
Pepito Lopez was Accommodation Supervisor on my compound. A lovely, kind, considerate, caring, hardworking man who always thought of others and had time for everyone, a consummate professional serving all members of our community. Nothing was too much trouble, always happy and happy to help and do anything that was asked of him an incredible role model to all the staff, loved and respected by all.
Unfortunately, Mr Lopez became a victim of COVID-19.
Pepito leaves his beloved family, his wife Maricor who he always said was the love of his life, 3 sons Gregg, Neil Ian and Ronn David, 2 grandchildren, one being Timothy who sadly he didn’t get to meet. May he rest in peace and be remembered in the hearts of his loved ones and friends forever.
I’m really proud of my community for raising as much as we did and sincererly hope it helps his family in this time of uncertainty and need.
“#40s440 No Problem” was definitely what me and my ‘logo’ said… but let’s face it, 2020 itself has been a problem. COVID-19 has interrupted and upset lives, love and global economies; never mind 40s440. Unfortunately, this is true for some much more than others and my heart goes out to you.
Notwithstanding the restrictions, I’ve tried to find ways to complete the challenges I set earlier this year. I have included a table below as a summary of where I think I am in statistical and factual terms.
The simple fact is that I am behind – International Flights are still not available, Ironman 70.3 Astana has been cancelled and my entry has automatically deferred to 2021. The same looks to be true for Manchester Marathon (final update due 17/07/2020). Unfortunately, it is now not possible to achieve the 40s440 challenge how I originally planned it. Innovative ideas like Everest from Home helped me to climb over 40,000 feet despite the COVID-19 restrictions but fundamental changes to major events such as the Ironman are game changers.
I designed the original schedule such that the more demanding challenges were weighted toward the back end so I had time to prepare. The logic was that I would start with Aconcagua and then do the Manchester Marathon. This would establish my base aerobic fitness. Following that, I planned to do intensive swim, cycle and run training to build my speed, in advance of the Ironman. Post the Ironman, I would complete the cycling and running time trails and some mountain climbing to finish on my 40th Birthday. The rest would fit around these critical path items. This top level logic has been mixed up entirely.
Doom and gloom aside, the current situation is not as bad as it would first appear. In simple terms, I’ve completed 25% of the original challenges and putting ‘earned value management’ to one side, by factoring in the challenges that remain ongoing throughout the period of performance, I achieve 42% of the original list. Further, by including three more challenges (I found myself practicing for future free diving by doing dry static apnea at home, learning to play 40 riffs / songs on the guitar and planking often) I could claim a 53% completion rate, as follows:
*69% of statistics are made up…
It’s hard to quantify and describe just how much effort, preparation and training goes into each one of these challenges. It really is a big ask to do all this, plan for it, prepare for it, train for it, project manage it, research, source, procure and prepare the right foods, motivate, be the multi-disciplined trainer, the analyst, the blogger – the list goes on! I work more than full-time and whilst I still think it is possible to achieve all this before I am 40, it is dependent upon good weather, a tail wind, good fortune, flexible working and supportive partners and family. Plus, the original schedule did not allow for any downtime due to COVID-19, other illness or injury (some would say the compressed nature of the original schedule, may have made the likelihood of injury greater, certainly in the later stages).
As any half-decent Commercial Manager would do, I am hereby submitting notice of force majure (otherwise know as excusable delay) and my intent to extend the original period of performance from my pre-40 period (01/01/2020 to 05/11/2020) through to the end of my own 40th year of personal performance (01/01/2020 – 05/11/2021). This effectively gives me another 12 months and aligns with Ironman Astana 70.3 2021 (mid-August 2021).
Each time I’ve posted here on 40s440.com, I followed it with a post about my next charity donation so I will maintain the discipline of donations progressing in line with my achievement rate and updates.
I still don’t think this is going to be easy, I may have nailed a few of the challenges but others are super hard and require extraordinary commitment and dedication.
Indeed, for the first time in my life I find myself close to admitting that I need a personal Programme Manager… probably a Doctor and definitely a masseuse!
Previously known as ‘Time Square’ and ‘The Mad Ferret’, The Ferret occupies a unique niche in Preston’s grassroots live music scene supporting emerging musician and artists.
This venue was my local when I lived in Preston and I’ve frequented the bar since college.
I was disappointed to read that since coronavirus hit, the venue has been struggling. It goes to show how far reaching the impact of this pandemic really is.
The Ferret adds so much to the city’s arts and culture scene, its loss would be a tragedy to the Community that love it.
You can read all about their campaign via the following link:
One of my challenges was to climb 40,000 feet this year. I planned to achieve this by climbing at least two of the World’s highest summits and having summited Aconcagua in January of this year, I had made a good start. However, the remainder appeared to be at risk, frustrated by the travel restrictions associated with COVID-19.
Like a stairway to heaven, faking me over the ‘7’, #EverestfromHome, a journey from the dome presented itself – a timely, socially-distant solution that could also be done with as little travel as possible.
Big up respect to Nelly for inventing this concept and for designing the weekly plans.
This is what the first week consisted of
Day 1 #EverestfromHome required an ascent of 139m, only climbing the ascent from Lukla to Phakding. I didn’t take a picture on the first day for some unknown reason.
Day 2 of #EverestfromHome required an ascent of 249m and at this point I started recording my progress with pictures and posting them onto social media, changing my clothing from one day to the next to keep me honest.
Second day of #everestfromhome and I’m already lagging behind; wondering why I chose mathematics over my Garmin…
Day 3 of #EverestfromHome was a climb of 539m. However, I had to catch up with the rest of the group today as I didn’t manage to cover enough altitude on day two due to time constraints.
My Garmin didn’t record the small and frequent altitude change very well so I’m back to counting sets of ascents 🙄
At this point, I began sharing photos of the same journey when I did it for real in 2017. This provided a brilliant mental vision for me that felt like i was reliving the journey.
I climbed the 2.9 metre fire escape stairs 201 times to reach a cumulative total of 582.9 metres. Add that to the 248.6 metres I climbed the day before and I had covered 831.5 metres. This meant I had ‘reached’ the virtual equivalent of Namche Bazaar @ 3,440m (one of the world’s highest villages) from Phakding @ 2,610m.
A dream came true when I flew into Lukla, we crossed amazing suspension bridges and celebrated my 37th Birthday at Namche – I shall never forget the hospitality and friendship I experienced 🥰
Day 4 of #EverestfromHome represented an acclimatisation hike from Namche @ 3,440m to Everest View Point @ 3,900m so an ascent of 460 metres. I did 143 reps. of the (20 x 15cm) stair well that goes into the cellar of the administration building, so that’s 430 metres (I carried the extra 30 the next day).
From Everest View Pointyou can see Everest and a statue of the great Nepalese Hero Tenzing Norgay. The Mother Mountain not revealing her summit from behind that thin veil of cloud was tantalizing….
Day 5 of #EverestfromHome – Following the route I trekked to Everest Base Camp in November 2017 means I chose a different track than the rest of the 2020 team – I elected to join back up with them again in a few days at Dingboche.
The Holy Mother Mountain’s gift for my Birthday was to let me see her summit for the first time; I was immediately smitten 😍
Namche Bazaar @ 3,440m to Tengboche @ 3,860 means 420m climb, plus 30m from yesterday equals 450m.
Day 5’s stairs total (16cm x 20) 3.2m so that equates to 141 reps. – done!
Day 6 of #EverestfromHome – Over the next two days I journeyed in my mind from Tengboche @ 3,860 to Dengboche @ 4,350 climbing 490 metres in the process. The journey from Tengboche to Dengboche takes you through deep valleys and on winding tracks, through incredible forests filled with mythical creatures and rich cultural history.
I split it evenly over both days so that was 245m per day.
The stairwell in my apartment block has 18 steps @ 16cm each so a total of 2.9m and therefore 85 reps. – I knocked out 100 to be sure 😉
Day 7 of #EverestfromHome After today’s effort I’ve arrived at Dengboche @ 4,350 metres and have joined back up with the wider team.
The uniquely talented, leader and motivator @nellyattar established a remote, international and individually-isolated climbing movement and modern technology allowed us to climb together (thanks @zoom_video_communications).
Resilience, ingenuity and adaptability at it’s best!
I had to complete another 85 reps. today but was enjoying the party so much I stopped counting at 100 reps. and danced up and down my stairs for another 15 minutes..!
By this point in 2017 it was getting cold and some people were feeling the effects of altitude sickness; personally, I couldn’t get enough of the landscape, the people and the thrill of being on my way to Base Camp!
I gave the tea house owner five Saudi Riyals to add to his collection of notes from around the world – he was made up!
Day 8 was a rest day and the first week was complete!!
This is what the second week consisted of
Day 9 of #EverestfromHome Big day today despite only being an acclimatisation hike starting from Dengboche @ 4,400m to ‘Little Summit’ @ 4,990
590m climb so that meant 204 reps. of the 2.9m fire escape.
I’m aware of some similar and equally impressive attempts being made but note at least four distinct differences that make this particular challenge unique:
1). I’m part of a collaborative yet remote and socially-isolated, international group 2). I work full-time, now more so than ever 3). Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth 4). I refer to and share pictures from my previous trip to to the Himalayas
Well done and good luck to everyone achieving their individual challenges – I appreciate that sometimes it’s a challenge just getting out of bed in the morning… Stay safe, be kind, one love x
Day 10 of #EverestfromHome and in my mind today I climbed 490m from Dengboche @ 4,400m to Lobuche @ 4,890m
This stairway is 3m so that equated to 163 reps. It was getting a bit close to the local curfew when I started today so to make it on time I had to ‘step it up a level’ 😅
Waking up in Lobuche @ 4,890m in 2017 made me appreciate the simple things in life… like oxygen and sunlight.
Day 11 was a rest day
Day 12 of #EverestfromHome – a relatively small ascent of 200m today from Lobuche @ 4,890m to one of my least favourite places in the world, Gorak Shep @ 5,090.
This basement access stairway is 3.2m so that equated to 63 reps. – I did 65 to be sure….
Last time I was in Gorak Shep I pushed a fart in my sleeping bag with unmentionable consequences – I don’t have fond memories of it TBH but it is the last place you can buy a beer before base camp!
From this ridge in the below right picture, you can see Everest Base Camp and the Khumbu ice fall and glacier in the right of the photo. On the left, you can see the trail leading to the summit of Kala Patthar.
Day 13 of #EverestfromHome took me from Gorak Shep @ 5,090 to the summit of Kala Patthar @ 5,640 – an ascent of 550m.
That equated to 190 reps. of this 2.9m stairway.
Kala Patthar is as high as most people will ever get in the Himalayas without a climbing permit and in 2017 I went to extraordinary lengths to reach the summit before sunset.
I’m glad I did as my efforts faciltated a rare and powerful opportunity for mindfulness and photography that could not have been achieved elsewhere and/or at any other time. That moment will stay with me until I die, as will the awesome and humbling vista 🤩
On day 14 of #EverestfromHome I made it to Everest Base Camp @ 5,364m! One of the best days of my life back in 2017.
EBC is only a 274m climb from Gorak Shep. I should have done 95 reps. of this 2.9m staircase but did a round 100 to be sure…
Day 15 was a rest day.
This is what the third week consisted of
On day 16 of #EverestfromHome we ascended above Everest Base Camp to ‘Flag Point’ a mere 200m climb, equating to 69 reps. of the 2.9m staircase in my apartment. Each day I shared a picture that corresponded with my virtual climb up to Base Camp; this picture of the Kumbu Ice Fall was about as close as I could get to the Mother Mountain’s illusive summit, back in 2017. I felt at odds with turning back…. From this point on, I was on new ground as we climbed upward to four successive camps, followed by the summit attempt.
Day 17 of #EverestfromHome – Into the final week and looking forward to not having to climb down from the summit!
Day 17 of #EverestfromHome required a climb of 758m from EBC to Camp 1 – that was 261 reps. of this 2.9m staircase Day 18 of #EverestfromHome Camp 1 to Camp 2 is 448m so that required 140 reps. of this 3.2m staircase
Day 19 of #EverestfromHome was a rest day. I really needed it, as I was fatigued, both physically and mentally…. only three big days left to push and we should reach the ‘summit’!
Day 20
Day 20 of #EverestfromHome takes me from Camp 2 to Camp 3 Just over 1.6km from the summit and the glacier has shrunk to a fraction of it’s original size… #globalwarming
743m climbed today, equating to 256 reps. of this staircase – only two days to go!
Day 21 of #EverestfromHome Needed to climb 695m from Camp 3 to Camp 4 today.
In celebration of day 21 being the the penultimate day, I did a tour of the four staircases I’ve frequented as of late. 60 reps. at each gave me a total ascent of (60×3.2)+((3×60)x2.9) = 714m. Completing it seemed much easier when broken up this way.
Can’t say I was sorry to not be going back to some of these staircases but I do think stairs are good for training, especially when wanting to access and maintain specific heart rate zones.
Day 22 of #EverestfromHome and finally, I’ve reached the summit!! Climbed 928m today – a total of 320 ascents of this staircase! What a wonderful feeling and no better way to go the final distance than in my @tripreston tri suit!
The cumulative total of the above daily climbs is 8,338m so if I multiply that by 3.28 to convert to metres to feet I get 27,348 feet.
My Aconcagua climb was to the summit at 6,962m but we started at the Park entrance near Penetentes @ 2,580m. That meant that the actual on-foot ascent was 4,382m. If I multiply that by 3.28 I get 14,373 feet.
27,348 feet + 14,373 feet = 41,721 feet!
By my reckoning I have managed to climb over 40,000 feet this year despite the limitations of COVID-19. As they say, it is not the strongest that survive, it is the most adaptable to change!
I appreciate that climbing stairs at the altitude you are pre-acclimatised to, sleeping in your bed, not on a cold mountain and in a solid shelter with supermarket catering within walking distance is in no way comparable to the incredible experience of being on a true expedition up a mountain but it was the next best thing available. I also managed to keep fit so I was prepared to try and achieve the rest of this challenges I have set myself #40s440!
