Training diary - 3

I am a very lucky man. Or so I am told by numerous friends when discussing my participation in the polar challenge. Especially lucky to have found two likeminded colleagues foolish enough to accompany me on such a trip. I frequently find myself recounting my good fortune during the ten and a half mile runs, the 20 mile hikes and the endless weighted abdominal crunches in the gym (don’t ask).

And so it was on Saturday morning out running in the park, looking forward to another weekend in the company of my fellow explorers and considering the bare fact that in less than 7 weeks we would be preparing to begin our adventure.

Having been introduced to the Winchester 5-shot pump-action in Austria the team felt some more time learning gun sense was in order. Particularly since it would be down to us to defend ourselves should we be attacked by a polar bear. Fortunately for us an opportunity presented itself this weekend in the shape of my old man and his clay pigeon shooting gear.

In jovial mood and looking resplendent in his John McCrick dear stalker hat, Dad had prepared the guns for our arrival at my folks place in Hertfordshire. Having familiarised ourselves with the weapon we were shown the finer points of shotgun etiquette. "Practice firing a few from the hip in case you don’t have time to get one away from the shoulder" was his advice…. Bloody hell dad, we’re going to the Arctic, not to rob the Post Office I thought, but did as instructed, destroying an oil barrel placed strategically at the top of a pole in the field.

Clay pigeons were next and to the consternation of the so called experts, Tav Kelly was easily the most accurate hitting nearly all of the most difficult birds- the ones travelling away from us at about 90 miles an hour sideways on. We were filled with confidence. Particularly since in the event of a polar bear attack the beast is likely to be 20 feet away and about 10ft high standing on hind legs.

Saturday afternoon was spent training individually in the gym following our tailored fitness programs designed to develop something called our core stability. This involves as many of the most difficult exercises as possible, press-ups, pull ups, tricep dips and the like and time on the bike and treadmill.

On Sunday we were once again reunited with our fellow competitors at a conference centre in Reading to undergo a medical by the Polar Challenge doctor (and former race competitor) who will be travelling to the High Arctic with us.

Having reassured us by noting that in the event of being shot by one of our team members we are likely to be completely beyond help the medical got underway.

We discussed the team’s various medical conditions (nothing very exciting, mostly knee and back problems for the record) the Doc seemed to be satisfied that we were fit to compete.

He ran through the contents of the medical pack we are to be issued with and the safe use of the drugs it contains. Immediately after which he disclosed that when competing last year he and his team mate (a Dentist) took the maximum dose of everything in the pack every day before breakfast just to be on the safe side. Excellent.

Sunday afternoon entailed more work in the gym (session number 2, my favourite) and a return home to attempt to rectify the domestic pressures resulting from another weekend spend away in the company of my new best friends.