Day 40 of the challenge has seen me learn about St Luke and 12 miles cycled including the hardest hill I have ever tried to cycle up. Not the steepest but it was relentless. It just never stopped going upwards.
Why? Well I decided to go and pay a visit to the Braes of Doune Wind Farm and try and decide for myself what I think about them. Now I know why they call such developments Hill Top Wind Farms. This one was sat at around the 820 feet mark. A steep climb on a bike but perfect. Got the blood pumping, the thighs screaming for mercy and the lungs working extra hard to suck in the oxygen. I felt great the whole way up. I Had a lovely time stood next to the turbines, reflecting and enjoying the view and then had the most extraordinarily fun downhill which was very bumpy but the old bike held together beautifully. As for the wind farms, well I don’t find them too obtrusive when placed with some thought. We do need to generate power from a blend of sustainable sources. Wind is certainly not going to solve the future energy question on it’s own but as a blend of technologies including hydro, solar, wave and tidal along with more efficient technologies and better energy management in the home and at work it certainly has a part to play to help us break from our utter dependence on carbon for the energy that we all use but which is partly driving the planet towards climate change which, as we all know, will affect the poorest and most vulnerable hardest.
Other than that though there were no messages from God today with one possible exception. Certainly I have been blessed again today by lovely people. There was none of the wind farm infrastructure marked on the map. Not the farm itself or even the paths that had been laid to facilitate it’s erection so I needed a steer to give me a fighting chance of finding a safe route to them before I lost the light. Gary and Katie were more than happy to show me on the map the route up to the area of the wind turbines. The delightful shepherdess who gave me the detailed route and a number of options to come off the hill when I had finished. The conservationist and his daughter whom I bumped in to during my descent before realising that we had been saying hello to each other regularly with a wave whenever he drove through Doune in his land rover. Clearly I couldn’t let him go without a promise to look up the challenge when he got home.
But it was in St Modoc’s church this morning that I was reminded of the importance of all that I had spoken about in my post last night. Our Rector Alison has been quietly following me to make sure all was going well but as I had posted last night’s post so late after the party had not had a chance to read it. Yet it was almost as if she had not only read it but had decided to write her sermon entirely for my benefit. I guess that is the art of a good sermon in that through the use of everyday examples, clever wording and with a delivery that is so personal that it makes you believe the priest is talking to you and you alone. It captivates you. Today I was captivated as I learnt about St Luke who had for his entire life given himself over to the work of Jesus Christ, his journey and his ministry. I stated very clearly last night that I was not on a journey to preach or minister, I am neither qualified, nor vested of any powers to heal! but what I am finding is that through my own journey, started after God’s clear direction, and my simple writings I am able to offer some help, comfort, hope and inspiration to others. That is reward enough to keep going but still need I think regular encouragement when walking such a long road. This morning in the church it felt as if I had received it today as I was left inspired further by Alison’s sermon. Thank you.
Bangkok Style Pad Thai made and eaten – yummy.
So time for the challenge in numbers in total since the start:
Days completed: 40
Total Miles Cycled: 158
Total Miles Walked: 164
Total Miles Run: 4
Total Distance Swum: 50 metres
Total Miles covered under own steam: 326
Total Height Gained under own steam: 17,568 feet
Mountains Climbed: 5
Hills Climbed: 2
Days of Conservation Activity: 2 1/4
Organ tunes learnt and performed: 5
Salmon Caught: 0!
Curling Matches played in: 1
Curling stones placed on the button (the centre of the target): 0!
Weight Training Sessions: 2
Aerobic Circuit Sessions: 1
People Met and Hands Shaken: 160
Pots of tea shared: 6
Prayers joined on the top of a hill: 1
Pills popped: 166
And most important of all – Money Raised as at Day 30- £2,267.00.
Considering I started this challenge 6 weeks ago very quietly with no target beyond a fiver, thanks to the brilliant advice from a friend of mine, I am absolutely thrilled and again thank you all. So far that is £75.00 for each and every day that I have managed to find the will and energy to do something worthwhile and my goodness it has been worth it for my peace of mind, for my healing and for the five wonderful charities you are supporting through your generosity. Long may it continue.
Thank you for joining me on my own personal journey and encouraging me to walk, cycle, climb, paddle, sport and do good deeds each day to ‘Beat the Beast’ while helping to improve the lives and life chances of so many more people through sponsorship.
You can read about the five charities that we (you and I) are sponsoring here.
If you’ve not done so already, you can learn about how to sponsor me here!
Thank you for having enough faith in me to sponsor me.
Yours aye
Archie