All Fundraising, No Fitness - lollipop versus kilimanjaro diary #2

They've demanded a pic, so from now on I get my ugly mug in the paper too! As you'll read below, fitness has taken a back seat this week (but I have an excuse!). I have been for a slow short jog both today and yesterday though, and plan for a long one on Thursday, so things are still ticking over. Anyway, week two below - enjoy!

Former Offaly Independent reporter Laura (Lollipop) Ryder is waving goodbye to her couch. She’s giving up the sedentary lifestyle for one big reason – to climb the world’s highest free standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, this August. As well as pushing herself to her physical limits, she’s also pushing to fundraise for two very good causes. You can keep up with both journeys in this column every week.

Fitness has taken a back seat this week; it’s all been about fundraising. A work trip to London with only hand luggage and no room for runners no matter how I arranged and re-arranged my bag put paid to any strides in the fitness department. And though I gave myself a shock when I thought this first, I really missed jogging! Coming from a high of finally running 10km last week to nothing this week left me strangely drained of energy.
Or perhaps my tiredness is down to the organisation skills I’m having to get to grips with as I put together my first fundraising gig.
When I decided to raise money for charity in tandem with getting fit to climb Kilimanjaro I also decided my fundraisers would be events people would gladly pay money to go to, aside from the charity aspect. While I’m still totally behind that idea, it’s hard work! At the moment I’m putting together a 90s night in Dublin, finalising dates for a party in Tullamore, starting to think about a gig with a few different bands (if any bands reading are interested in taking part give me a shout!), and even debating trying to put on a roller disco as well as the inevitable table quiz and raffle! Putting my own money down to confirm these gigs when I can scarce afford it what with having plane tickets and climb packages to pay for definitely feels like putting my money where my mouth is! Any marketing skills and friends I might possess will be truly tested as I twist arms so events are well attended and I see good returns on any investments I make, because it’s not just me who will lose out if my fundraisers fail; it’s charity too.
Which brings me neatly to the subject of my chosen charities.
Deciding to raise money for charity is easy. Deciding what charity exactly is much harder. There were countless charities I could have chosen, all of them worthy. In the end I settled on two.
After thinking long and hard I narrowed down the areas I couldn’t not support to homelessness and mental health, and from there to the Simon Community and Headstrong specifically.
I live in Rathmines in Dublin now, and on my half hour walk to and from work in the city centre every day I see about ten homeless people. Most of the time they make me feel desolate and sad. Sometimes they annoy me. All times they make me want to do something more than just give them a bit of spare change. And I know the homeless people I encounter on any given day are just the tip of the iceberg as much as I know that by myself the difference I can make is limited. So I want to add a lump sum to Simon’s pocket. As a nod to my midlands links, I’ve decided that two thirds of all money raised for Simon will go to the Midlands Simon coffers.
On to Headstrong, last year I randomly sat in on a talk about suicide prevention given by its founder Tony Bates. It had such an impact on me that I wrote him an email the next day to tell him so. I’ve also known enough people with mental health problems to know that it’s quite the problem in Ireland, and any of us could be affected at any time. Most adult mental health problems can be traced back to teenage years, and it’s this age group the Headstrong charity works with. To be honest I just think any organisation that works to promote good lifelong mental health deserves support.

Details are below if you’d like to support either charity, and all donations are much appreciated.

Until next week,

Lollipop x

Sponsor me
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_headstrong
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_simoncommunity

Follow me on Facebook
http://facebook.com/lollipopversuskilimanjaro

How it all began - lollipop versus kilimanjaro diary #1

I thought I had written my last article for the Offaly Independent when I filed my final piece in September 2008, packed my bags and moved to Dublin…but I’m back! Come August 12 I am going to be at the bottom of the mother of the mountain that is Kilimanjaro – the world’s highest free standing mountain. August 19 will see me back on the flat again, but the eight days in between are going to physically push me probably more than I’ve ever been pushed before as I get to the summit. It’s not going to be a walk in the park up until then either, as I haul myself into the physical condition to do this and struggle too to fundraise for two charities. Starting this week, you get to hear all my training and fundraising moans – welcome aboard!

The idea of climbing Kilimanjaro isn’t a new one to the world at large, but it is to me. And for the record, it wasn’t actually my idea. My world for the past few years has been happily gym-free, with just a bit of walking thrown in to balance out the bit of overindulging I do when it comes to food and drink.
It all came about because of my inability to say no to a friend in need – let’s call her Emma Jane. Traditionally whenever Emma Jane split up with a boyfriend she’d suggest us learning some new skill to take her mind off her problems. I’d readily agree, she’d promptly get happy again and I’d find myself in the middle of some course or other by myself. Thanks to her I can sail (badly) and play the bodhrán.
When she suggested climbing Kilimanjaro late last year however she was nowhere near a break-up, so I decided saying yes would be safe enough. My workmate Michael had done the climb and said it was one of the best things he’s ever done. So I committed to it…and then Emma Jane got engaged and had to pull out so she could direct all her money towards her wedding!
At that stage I didn’t want to back out – I had a personal motivator in the form of Michael and had roped in my old boss Adam from Sydney as a replacement climbing companion – so now the line-up has slightly changed but the plan still stands!
That was about three months ago. Since then I’ve been mostly teaching Michael that I respond best to praise (and fair play to him, he’s learning!), choosing a company to do the climb with, giving up alcohol (just for Lent, but I’m debating giving it up again), hiking and running 10km for the first time in my life just last Sunday!
Oh, and one other thing - fundraising.
Climbing Kilimanjaro is going to take me eight days – THAT’S 8 DAYS! – and that’s not just because I’m crap at climbing mountains; it takes super fit people that long too. So it’s a big deal. So big a deal I originally thought people should pay me to do it. But then the guilt got the better of me so now I’ve decided to fundraise and get people to pay charity for me to do it instead.
I’ve chosen two charities – teenage mental health charity Headstrong and the Simon Community (with two thirds of the money raised for the Simon Community going to Midlands Simon). I’ll explain a little more why I chose these charities next week. Until then I’d be delighted if you became a fan of the lollipop versus Kilimanjaro Facebook page, checked out the blog or threw a bit of spare change to my chosen charities using credit or laser card via the links below.

Until next week,

Lollipop x

I did it!

I ran 10km (with a few hills thrown in!) without stopping yesterday - and I'm buzzing now!! I did it in 66 mins 19 secs. Sure, that's not the fastest time ever, but I'm just delighted I didn't stop jogging from start to finish and didn't feel too bad afterwards either!
Now roll on the Women's Mini Marathon on June 7th :)

Lollipop x

Save the date!

I've just confirmed a carnival fundraising night in the Sugar Club on June 11th :)

Lollipop x

Column inches? Yes please!

Good news for fundraising efforts - I've just confirmed a weekly diary piece from now until Kilimanjaro with the Offaly Independent (and maybe even the Westmeath Independent if they're in a good mood) that's sure to help a lot spreading the word on my fundraising and how to donate!

http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_headstrong

http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_simoncommunity

A Pulitzer prize here I come!

Lollipop x

On track for 10k this Sunday!

I've been doing ok with the jogging for the past few weeks. Well, I've worked on my attitude towards it and I've managed to get past a mental plateau of about 30 minutes and push through to the point where for the past few weeks I've been doing one jog of about 7.5km and then taking it easy. Although for the past few weeks I've been taking the "taking it easy" bit too far, and conveniently forgetting to go for more than maybe one other run in the week. Probably because I've been too busy being chuffed about the long run!
That small problem aside, I suspect I was in the process of forming another mental plateau whereby I couldn't do more than 7.5km...until this evening!
I mapped out my run (love mapmyrun.com) and vaguely took note of the turns I had to take. I set off at 7.25pm and just kept going until running became the norm, what my legs were made for. I was only running for ten minutes more than what I was doing before, but I felt amazing even at the end of the hour, like I could go on running for longer.
So bring on Sunday now!

Hikedy-hike

I went on my first hike in ages - years probably - last Sunday. My personal Hitler Michael drove us to Glendalough, and even though it was the hottest day of the year so far there were no problems getting a space in the popular car park as we were there just after 9.30am!
Off we hiked, me with the help of some super cool poles (I love them, I almost refuse to walk without them now even on level ground!). We climbed Camaderry, and the first half hour was more than a little bit steep. But it got us into the swing of things and from then on it was a breeze!
The whole hike lasted about four or five hours, but for the most part it was very pleasant indeed. We saw snow (cue childish excitement from me!), a dead deer (more childish excitement), frog spawn (eh, same...we actually collected some in an empty Powerade bottle. I brought it home because Michael knew there wasn't a chance in hell of his girlfriend letting him bring it into the house, so I'm expecting super frogs to develop any day soon!) and a plaque in memory of a man who died on the hills we were hiking.
But no dying for us! Oh no, we finished off with a bit of scoffing at all the faux hikers at the end of the trail who had brought their handbags along, and a little road rage at all the poxy tourists who should really have their own traffic lane.
So last week's challenge: successfully completed :)
Now on to this week's challenge: a 10k run on Sunday...

Let the fun(draising) begin :)

After long and careful consideration I decided to fundraise for two charities in the run up to my Kili climb. These two charities are teenage mental health charity Headstrong and the Simon Community.

News of super fabulous fundraising events you'll gladly pay to attend is coming soon, but to begin I have set up pages on mycharity.ie so people can donate online at a time that suits them. Links are below - I'd really appreciate it if you could spare some change and/or pass the links along to your friends.

http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_headstrong/

 

http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_simoncommunity/  

 

Thank you so much,


Lollipop x