You may or may not know this, but I have an extremely long finger. I have used it for a variety of things in my life thus far. All of those dull things I can’t work up the enthusiasm for? I just put them on the long finger. My life plan? It’s there too. My short-, mid- and long-term goals? Oh yes, they’re mostly housed on the long finger too. My argument is that I prefer life when it’s less goal oriented and more impulsively going with the flow, but I sometimes do wonder how I get any work done at all.
I don’t mind telling you it hasn’t been easy working with the same long finger since I decided to take on Project Kilimanjaro. I mean if I’d been blessed with long legs for example, that would have been one thing. I could’ve taken on Kilimanjaro in a few strides and be back down in time for tea. But nope, instead I’ve been given distinctively average length legs, and just one dratted long finger.
So now I’ve filled you in on that, I hope you’re impressed when I reveal this week’s news: I have arranged my first fundraiser! And as a bonus I’ve even started thinking about a second one (although that’s mostly because someone called me about it and started putting ideas in my head, so I haven’t had to do much actual work on it so far).
But back to FUNDRAISER 1! It’s all happening in the big smoke (not far away from you wherever you’re reading this now what with all the lovely M roads the European Union helped us with over the last decade or so) on Friday, June 11. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…Italia ‘90!
The whole 90’s night seed was sown when I was in Galway for the weekend with Ruth O’Brien, another ex-Offaly Indo staffer. Holding out for as long as we could before going out (the wallets wouldn’t have it any other way), for some random reason a 90’s song was dug out of the Internet archives. As far as I can remember it was Snow’s “Informer” and it lit up candles none of us were really aware we held for crap 90’s tunes. But requests came faster than we could play the songs and we all threw ourselves into the music. I haven’t seen any of us look as unashamedly ridiculous dancing before or since.
From that second it was decided there was nothing for it but to have a 90’s night for my first fundraiser.
And so, some organisation later here it is! Everything is happening in the Sugar Club on Leeson Street in Dublin on Friday, June 11 – get there before 11pm and the €10 cover charge goes to my charities. (Get there after 11pm and I’ll be giving you the evil eye all night because my charities won’t get a penny!) All the best 90’s tunes will be played by live band “Pump Up the Jam”.
Any soccer fans out there will know that June 11 is also the start of the World Cup. Which World Cup do we all love to remember here in Ireland? Italia ’90 of course! So come along in your Kappa zip-up tops, your tracksuits with popper fastening down the sides, your Spice Girl boots, your hair in a pony tail on the side of your head, your old Italia ’90 gear – let’s all look tragic and have an excellent night!
Sensei Michael says: “Techno, techno, techno, techno!”
Sing it Michael!
Until next week,
Lollipop
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
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Meet the Mentor - lollipop versus kili diary #3
Here it is Michael - your Offaly debut!!
Meet the Mentor!
Maybe it’s because he’s on annual leave and I miss him in work (but I seriously doubt it) or maybe it’s because I promised I’d give him his newspaper debut in this column, but this week I’m going to introduce you to my Kilimanjaro mentor Michael!
Michael is a colleague of mine; we both work in a Dublin office where the only climbing necessary is up an excuse for a flight of stairs. I met him in late 2008, and because he was almost as new to the company as I was we were both lumped with working over Christmas. During that week we watched a few movies (fingers crossed my boss hasn’t taken up my invitation to keep up with this column on my blog – suffice to say my job is not to watch movies), ate a few chocolates and found out we both liked to travel.
A few days and New Year resolutions later we had both decided we were beginning 2009 on a month-long healthy note. He gave up smoking, drinking and eating rubbish and took up the gym. I’d never taken up smoking in the first place so I decided I could skip the gym bit once I chucked in some walking. My housemate Gillian joined in with me and we went through January complaining daily, patting ourselves on the back for our efforts at least twice daily and getting our housemate Martin to tell us how good we were for not eating chocolate or drinking every evening in front of the telly. Actually we didn’t even make it all the way through January. We decided about two thirds through it would be disrespectful not to celebrate Australia Day, so January 26 saw us in The Woolshed on Parnell Street drinking VB, warbling “Waltzing Matilda” and talking to Chads, Brads and Lances.
Michael went about his month a little differently. He graduated on January 31 with flying colours…and not only continued into February with the healthy thing but bumped it up by signing up to climb Kilimanjaro in September.
Cutting a long (and boring – getting fit doesn’t make for the most interesting yarn ever) story short, he basically got super fit, successfully climbed Kili and loved it.
And I swear not two months later my friend Emma Jane independently suggested we do the same.
So, partly because I’m in awe of Michael (I like to set my standards low when it comes to choosing heroes, being in awe of people etc), but mostly because I think anything he can do I can do better, I agreed. Not exactly with gusto, but I agreed.
Since then Michael has somehow become my motivator/fitness guru/personal Hitler (depending how I’m feeling on the day). We got off to a bit of a rocky start when he wrote out a January fitness plan that included a potato ban and adding minutes onto running times before I had either gotten my breath back or congratulated myself enough on my jogging brilliance, but since he’s realised (ok, I told him) that I respond best to praise we’re getting along famously!
We hit the Wicklow hills for a four hour hike a few weeks ago to ease me into the idea of slopes, and more importantly he’s helped me get from being able to run two laps of the square next to my house (which takes all of four minutes) to being able to run a 10km road race and still feel I could do more. (Now this is starting to feel like an Oscar acceptance speech!)
I’m leaving the final few words to Michael. He’s asked as a special request to be known as Sensei Michael, and I’ve agreed to it for a week if he comes up with cheesy pseudo-sage phrases I can tack onto the end of this column for a laugh.
“Getting to the top is only halfway.”
Indeed…
Until next week,
Lollipop
P.S. I know I said last week this column would have details of my first fundraiser. Put June 11 in your diary and I’ll tell all next week!
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
Meet the Mentor!
Maybe it’s because he’s on annual leave and I miss him in work (but I seriously doubt it) or maybe it’s because I promised I’d give him his newspaper debut in this column, but this week I’m going to introduce you to my Kilimanjaro mentor Michael!
Michael is a colleague of mine; we both work in a Dublin office where the only climbing necessary is up an excuse for a flight of stairs. I met him in late 2008, and because he was almost as new to the company as I was we were both lumped with working over Christmas. During that week we watched a few movies (fingers crossed my boss hasn’t taken up my invitation to keep up with this column on my blog – suffice to say my job is not to watch movies), ate a few chocolates and found out we both liked to travel.
A few days and New Year resolutions later we had both decided we were beginning 2009 on a month-long healthy note. He gave up smoking, drinking and eating rubbish and took up the gym. I’d never taken up smoking in the first place so I decided I could skip the gym bit once I chucked in some walking. My housemate Gillian joined in with me and we went through January complaining daily, patting ourselves on the back for our efforts at least twice daily and getting our housemate Martin to tell us how good we were for not eating chocolate or drinking every evening in front of the telly. Actually we didn’t even make it all the way through January. We decided about two thirds through it would be disrespectful not to celebrate Australia Day, so January 26 saw us in The Woolshed on Parnell Street drinking VB, warbling “Waltzing Matilda” and talking to Chads, Brads and Lances.
Michael went about his month a little differently. He graduated on January 31 with flying colours…and not only continued into February with the healthy thing but bumped it up by signing up to climb Kilimanjaro in September.
Cutting a long (and boring – getting fit doesn’t make for the most interesting yarn ever) story short, he basically got super fit, successfully climbed Kili and loved it.
And I swear not two months later my friend Emma Jane independently suggested we do the same.
So, partly because I’m in awe of Michael (I like to set my standards low when it comes to choosing heroes, being in awe of people etc), but mostly because I think anything he can do I can do better, I agreed. Not exactly with gusto, but I agreed.
Since then Michael has somehow become my motivator/fitness guru/personal Hitler (depending how I’m feeling on the day). We got off to a bit of a rocky start when he wrote out a January fitness plan that included a potato ban and adding minutes onto running times before I had either gotten my breath back or congratulated myself enough on my jogging brilliance, but since he’s realised (ok, I told him) that I respond best to praise we’re getting along famously!
We hit the Wicklow hills for a four hour hike a few weeks ago to ease me into the idea of slopes, and more importantly he’s helped me get from being able to run two laps of the square next to my house (which takes all of four minutes) to being able to run a 10km road race and still feel I could do more. (Now this is starting to feel like an Oscar acceptance speech!)
I’m leaving the final few words to Michael. He’s asked as a special request to be known as Sensei Michael, and I’ve agreed to it for a week if he comes up with cheesy pseudo-sage phrases I can tack onto the end of this column for a laugh.
“Getting to the top is only halfway.”
Indeed…
Until next week,
Lollipop
P.S. I know I said last week this column would have details of my first fundraiser. Put June 11 in your diary and I’ll tell all next week!
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
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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
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
Monday, April 19, 2010
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
Now roll on the Women's Mini Marathon on June 7th :)
Lollipop x
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Save the date!
I've just confirmed a carnival fundraising night in the Sugar Club on June 11th :)
Lollipop x
Lollipop x
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_headstrong
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_simoncommunity
A Pulitzer prize here I come!
Lollipop x
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