Great boost in Sponsorship

I've just come back into work today and I've received a mail from one of the Virgin Media Community Fund panel, this fund is basically helping to fund charitable and community projects, which staff are actively involved with, across a wide range of arts, sports, heritage, charitable and other community activities and events.
Put simply, if you're raising money for a charity or community project, they'll match what you raise - penny for penny, up to £250.
Here's the letter that I was sent;

Ben Appleton
Virgin Media
Consumer
Atlantic Pavilion

21 December 2007

Dear Ben

I’m delighted to tell you that your application for a Virgin Media community fund award has been successful.

I’m a firm believer in supporting associates who are giving something back to their local community or charitable causes. I think it’s crucial to our longer-term success that we get closer to our local communities to build our reputation as a company.
So I’d like to thank you personally for what you have done to date in support of
Help for Heroes.

Payment of a maximum £250.00 (matched to what you raise) will be made upon receipt of a donation request from your charity or organisation once you have completed the Big Battlefield Bike Ride. You should also ensure you supply the address the cheque should be sent to. Please send this information directly to Lucy Otter in Bradford who can be contacted by email.

Thank you again, and my very best wishes for your ongoing endeavours.

Regards

Virginia Budd
On behalf of the Community Fund Panel

This is a great boost to my target, I just hope I can get the rest of it as easily.

I love it when a plan comes together

I went to the gym today and had my fitness review with Mark one of the personal trainers. We sat down and looked at what I wanted to gain and how I was going to go about it. We decided that for the 1st few weeks (I really mean over Christmas) I'm going to concentrate on getting my general fitness back up there while improving my stamina.

Plan 1 - Week 1
20 Minutes Interval training - Treadmill - *1min walk*~*1min run*~*30sec sprint*
*level 5*~*level 10*~*level 15*
12 Minutes Interval training - Cycle - *2 min steady*~*1min sprint*
*k/watt 130*~*k/watt 190*
30 Minutes Weight training - General all round

That's the plan so far, I'll update it in a couple of weeks to see if it's any better.

Bit of a bonus as well today, I got to work thinking I had a couple more days in the 5 days off only to find out that I'm off for 5 days now...great! I'm going to try to get out on a good ride at some point and see how far I can get without pushing myself too hard.

How unfit was I?

Over the past few months I knew that I'd been a bit lazy when it came to working out, the only exercise I did was what I needed to do with the T.A. or an occasional game of 5-a-side. After finding out that I'd got my place on the BBBR I thought that I'd better do something about it...I didn't. I then did the Santa Dash in Liverpool, this is a 5 km circuit round the city centre in a Santa suit. Essentially it's just a good old fashioned fun run, not on this wet Sunday morning though. I got up feeling pretty good and headed into town to meet the other lads from the T.A. when I got there I could only see two of them........the PTI's (Physical Training Instructors). I knew this wasn't going to be fun.
I think the first half of the course was a OK, I felt fine and had a good pace about me and I was keeping up with the PTI's sometimes pushing them. Then all of a sudden, I'm guessing around the 3 km point I started to feel it...the wall, I thought this can't be it I've run further for a shite and been OK. I struggled on, then during the last 500 m I knew I was dying. I just about made it to the finish line while the PTI's skipped and jumped for the cameras. It was at this point that I thought...350 miles, 5 days, 1 bike seat! I'm gonna need to sort this out.
I'm getting back into the swing of it, I've got my bike back on the road and I'm giving up the car, I've got an appointment in the gym tomorrow to get a fitness review and get a plan together to try and get fighting fit. I need a plan cos I'm crap at motivating myself to start with, once I'm on the tracks I'm good but it's just the first few steps I need help with. So it's just a case of watch this space. On my last PFT (Personal Fitness Test) I got 48 Sit Ups, 60 Push Ups and Level 9 on the Bleep Test (I think, I'll check on that). I'm going to do it once a month starting in January and post my results, lets see how much I improve.

Big Battlefield Bike ride

Well I've been accepted for a place on the Big Battle Field Bike ride, essentially it's a ride from Portsmouth, over on the ferry to France then we cycle towards Calais visiting various WW1 & WW2 battlefields along the way for around 350 mile then get the ferry back to Dover then do a big ride round London.
I'm really looking forward to it as it's something I would never normally do and it's an amazing opportunity. I've got to raise £2000 for it which is probably going to be the hardest part.
http://helpforheroes.org.uk
http://www.justgiving.com/ben_appleton-BBBR

The New Website

We're all official now!

Well almost, we're just waiting on confirmation but www.countryart.org.uk is on it's way into business.

I've also just come back from a few days in Budapest, Hungary. It wasn't the best holiday but it was nice. Everything was closed due to the closed season and the weather wasn't great and I'd really hoped to get a few good pictures with my new camera (I'll come to that). In the end it pretty much ended up being a lost booze cruise.

Anyway about the camera. I'd ordered a new Sony A100K Digital SLR from John Lewis on the Friday and paid the extra for Saturday delivery so I would have it in time for the flight on Sunday. I waited in all Saturday and nothing came so I called John Lewis who basically said that they don't have a number to call Home Delivery Network, and that they couldn't do a thing so I was screwed but they would call me the next day to tell me more about being screwed. The next day I didn't get a call so I phoned them back to see if I could collect on from the Liverpool store and they could call ahead for me. No as they're different groups. Brilliant now I have no camera.
I told the agent that I wanted it delivered on Thursday when I was back and I wanted a 1GB memory card for the problems. So I waited in again all day and nothing so I called them and apparently it was delivered on the 19Th but obviously not to me so I'm currently £400 down and camera less.

Watch this space......

Country Art (click here)

After talking with a couple of mates that I go walking with we've decided to set up a site together to sell our pictures therefore offering people a wider choice. The sites starting to look really good at the minute so go and check it out.

Yeah!!!! We got our first order today, we're on our way to millions now. Whose next on the order list I just don't know.

I'm selling my soul

It's been a busy day today, I got up a little early cos stupidly I forgot to put the clocks back so I missed out on an extra hour in bed which I could have done with.
I'd arranged to go to the shop 'GO Outdoors' with the missus and her step dad today but he couldn't make it I took my mum instead. Last time we went there they had some fantastic deals, if you can get to one I would recommend it, anyway it was a little disapointing as I didn't get anything (this time).
We then went to a pub in Rainford called the 'Bottle & Glass Inn', the food was really nice and I will be taking a trip back someday.

I've just set up an online site to sell some of the pictures that I've been taking whilst out and about in the hills. Please feel free to take a look, it's in the very early stages so far but I will be adding a lot more pictures in the near future.

It's started...

I'm currently taking courses in all aspects of mountain leadership. I am looking to start taking groups of people out onto the moors and hills to experience the great outdoors, I would also like to start selling pictures that I have taken whilst out and about.
If anyone has any advice or tips on this I would be grateful to hear from you.