Sunday 16th March

We were unable to all train together this weekend! 

Chris who headed to Henley to get the miles done said 
"Weather was lovely, walked up the hill outside Henley, lovely views. After the hill cut across some fields to get to Preston Bagot. A little off putting as got barked at by dogs that farmers had kindly let run free across their yard. After a few detours to avoid animals, climbed to Preston Bagot church which is lovely and then down to the canal which was quite busy in places. Walked along for 6 miles or so and up past Lapworth locks. Half way along realised that I was meeting Katharina in twenty minutes and had 3 miles to cover. Ran most of last 3 miles in walking boots and in pain when I got to Katharina in Hockley Heath 20 minutes late! "

After a week knocked out with sickness, and missing mid week training, expectation of Sundays training session was not high!, along with Jo who equally had a workaholic week without a spare minute to train, we set off. Sunny rays spurred us on the 14 mile canal session Bromsgrove to Worcester. Plank on plank comedy moves on vacant locks kept us amused! 

Thought after training!

"On the day we would have 20 more hours to do" 

By Emma McGettrick

Click here to find out more about Emma's challenge and to sponsor her, Chris and Jo for their challenge

You may have noticed but I'll say it anyway, I love being active. So, this weekend I put my energy to good use and biked London for Bpositive. 

The capital was hosting one of it's biggest ever free-cycle events and alongside almost 50,000 other two-wheelers my friend Ingrid and I took to the capital's streets to do a little promo work. It wasn't a white-knuckle challenge but it did get off to a wobbly start. Boris Bikes are not the easiest to negotiate and after some giggling, screaming (perhaps we overreacted a little) and a few laps of a quiet square near Liverpool Street to gain some confidence, we were off!
Taking in sights such as the Tower of London, Westminster and Buckingham Palace the 8-mile loop saw people of all ages and cycling abilities come together. 

Inventive bikers who had pimped their rides with speakers provided motivational music along the way and a big thank you goes out to the Sombrero wearing Mexican band that gave us a boost with their performance on a multi-seated cycling invention along Embankment.

We had a great time riding for Bpositive but by the end of the day I have to admit I was saddle sore and looking forward to a sit down!

CV

The Bpositive team are victorious! 

Yorkshire's three highest peaks have been conquered in less than 12 hours by myself and the Bpos crew in the organisation's first ever challenge. And you know what? It feels pretty good.

It all kicked off at 6.54am yesterday in Horton-In-Ribblesdale. Conditions were dry but chilly and visibility worsened as we made our ascent to Pen-Y-Ghent. The top was windy and cloud-covered. The climb itself was fairly easy-going and swift, so despite the poor weather we all felt pretty chipper at trig point number 1. The descent took us along a chunk of the Pennine Way before we went off-piste over Horton Moor. It was here that I walked enthusiastically into a peat bog almost up to my knees. Thankfully I avoided nose diving so didn't have to reapply my mascara! The comical moment broke up the drudge of crossing wet and muddy terrain which we all came out of with soggy boots!

We lost a bit of time crossing the soggy land so really pushed ahead to Ribblehead, picking up the more established path of the Pennine Way. A tea break and some of Katie's fudge flapjacks gave us all a boost. Over four hours in and the initial adrenalin had worn off. The sun decided to make an appearance at this point which was another boost and the scenery, including the impressive viaduct near Bleamoor Sidings, was becoming more and more stunning. Giggles were had when a jet passed overhead rocking side to side in a waving motion. It felt like a good luck salute!

The climb to Whernside was tough on all of us. By now the heat was intense and our muscles were becoming tighter but once we reached the ridge towards the second trig point the views felt like a worthy reward for our hard work. It was at this moment I realised how far we had come as Pen-Y-Ghent loomed across the valley. It also hit home how far we still had to go! Panic was not far away as the clock ticked. The trig point was fairly quiet so we took a few photos then took a snack break. More of Katie's baked goods and some chocolate were consumed before pushing on.

Our descent was steady, by this point both Jan and Katie were finding the uneven ground a little harder to traverse but both had the grin and bear it mentality so carried on! The team was extremely strong-willed when we passed a pub at the foot of the final mountain Ingleborough. Kevin and myself were tempted to pop in for ice cold refreshments but the sight of the tough climb ahead made us stay on the path!

The climb was steep, hot and by far the toughest of the day as we battled tiredness. The team pulled it together and when we reached the summit I felt so proud at how far we had come. True grit had been shown by all - but the day was not over.

When we reached the trig point I couldn't help but let out a 'woo hoo!' and we had it all to ourselves. After a few minutes of bathing in the glory of our achievement I hugged my mum and then started the descent. At this point the team split. Myself and my mum advancing and Kevin and Katie taking a steadier pace behind but after an old lady overtook Katie she decided she wouldn't be beaten and took it up a gear. 

The final stretch pushed everyone to their limits. Jan, by this point, was in terrible pain but held back the tears and I swelled with pride as she put one foot in front of the other to ensure that she reached the finish point in 12 hours. Katie showed absolute determination to overcome the discomfort of testing ground and Kevin as ever provided the support that everyone needed. We would not have been able to achieve any of this without him.

What was most important is that we crossed the finish line together. When my mum Jan and I heard Katie and Kevin running to catch us up we were elated. I sang 'We are the Champions' at the top of my voice. We made it!

Charlie

Click here to see Charlie talking to us about the triumph at completing the challenge. 


Want to take part in an event for Bpositive? Contact us with your event details and we'll take things from there.

Congratulations to all the Bpositive trekkers on completing the first ever Bpositive event.

Charlie and her team conquered their challenge of hiking up to three of the highest peaks in Yorkshire in twelve hours. The 'BpositiveTrekkers' Charlie, Katie, Jan and Kevin were aiming to raise awareness for Bpositive and were fully representing the charity's brand with their bpositive T-shirts. Throughout the challenge, the team withstood some very hot conditions during their trek and as you can see from a somewhat pink Charlie in the video (right) sunburn played a factor too.

Stay tuned for Charlie's impending blog and photos of the experiences of charlie and the team on the three peaks challenge. 

Last weekend saw the London to Paris event for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. The event is a four day endurance ride through two iconic capital cities, covering a range of terrains and conditions, making it one of the most challenging and rewarding rides ever.

On Sunday, the cyclists reached their goal by riding through the iconic Champs Elysees to complete their journey. Each day was recorded by the guys at Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research and uploaded into a series of short videos. The videos capture the raw emotion that many of the cyclists carried with them throughout their journey, with each participant having a personal reason for taking on the challenge. The interviews from the participants  convey how rewarding the event was for all those involved.

Congratulations to everyone who participated with the London to Paris event, especially the Bpositive Secretary John Reeve who completed the event in memory of his son.

Event: Ironman Challenge, Nice, France
Details: 2.4 mile swim / 112 mile bike / 26.2 mile run

Super-fit Bpositive supporter Chris Absolom is challenging himself with the task of the Ironman challenge in Nice, France on Sunday June 23rd 2013. Chris is raising money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research - a charity that is close to both Chris and his wife Angela's hearts.

Two years ago Chris and Angela's life was turned upside down after Angela was told she had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). The news naturally came as a huge shock, especially as Angela was such a fitness fanatic, having competed in sprint and Olympic triathlons, at the age of 54, no less.

Angela, who began her treatment at Musgrove Ward hospital in Taunton, spent an initial 13 weeks of  her chemotherapy in and out of isolation.  Her treatment was aggressive and as a consequence Angela suffered many set backs. However, Angela is now in the midst of her maintenance programme of her treatment after achieving remission.

Chris explains "Angela has supported me over the years whilst I competed as a Road Racing Cyclist and more recent Triathlete competing at all distances up to and including Ironman. We both feel it is time we gave something back to help find treatments which will help find a cure for Leukaemia. These trials are crucial and this is why we have chosen Leukaemia & Lymphoma as our chosen charity."

Both Chris and Angela are active and passionate supporters of Bpositive and have travelled over the UK to take part in patient meetings.

If you wish to support Chris with his challenge then you can do so by visiting his JustGiving page here.