Day 126 has seen 2 miles walked, 51 press ups, 10kgs lifted over 102metres or 2040kgs ½ a metre, 136 sit ups, a mocha, another hug, no frogs and a curling match lost. 

The mountain view on my way to the gym
The mountain view on my way to the gym

A morning of more admin and changes of address, lunch and then this afternoon was the next step in testing the repair of my ribs and liver which came through the test with flying colours. Not a tweak or a twinge despite a warm up on the bike, cross trainer and rowing machine and a weight training circuit that took me to the point at which I couldn’t squeeze out even one more press up. I had turned into a hot and sweaty jelly. My side felt really good and the whole session went nearly the whole way without incident. However, towards the end as I was working my arms with a 5 kg dumb bell in each hand my left arm suddenly became very weak. Not fatigued weak. It was losing motor function weak. It was very sudden and very noticeable as I started to struggle to coordinate each movement in the exercise but rather than panic about this most uncomfortable sensation of the head saying one thing and the arm doing nearly nothing, I focused hard on coordinating the left arm to alternate with the right arm. I was actively focusing my brain, throwing every morsel of my cognitive function into every repetition of the hammer curls. Left arm, right arm, left arm, right arm, left arm, right arm I went on concentrating hard on correct posture thus forcing the muscles of the left arm to do as they were bloody well told. Forcing the brain to find a way to coordinate the cognitive and motor function. Forcing the brain to find another way and then suddenly, like the switching of an on switch the connection was made. My brain had found a way. My left arm was working normally as if nothing had ever happened. I switched the exercise to tricep extensions. Left arm first to keep the rebuilding or rewiring of the brain going. I finished the rest of the circuit with no further incident. Stretched off. Cleaned and packed away the equipment then went for a shower feeling successful. Feeling confident that God was with me today. We had beaten the beast today and clearly this required a celebration. Back down to the Deli Ecosse, sad that the frogs had gone home, worn out I imagine, after all that excitement yesterday. But the views of the mountains was spectacular.

And just reward for all that hard work in the gym.

I dived in to the Deli Ecosse and received another wonderful hug. This time from Debbie. I am starting to think that I am the prop or maybe even judge in a hugging competition and was thoroughly enjoying being such. Long may the competition continue. Another fabulous decaf lactose free Mocha with a seeded flapjack and I was on the bus for home. I was ealier than yesterday so this was not the school bus this time. James was going to get some peace. I had to rush straight home to finalise one or two bits of admin before cooking an Arnold Bennet Frittata from the Jamie Oliver 15 minute meal book. It is a simple, delicious and healthy classic made with eggs, smoked haddock, spring onions, peas, fresh mint and parmesan and then served with a salad of watercress, apple, lemon, walnuts, fresh chives and emmental cheese. Cooked, eaten and washed up I was off to catch my lift. I was going curling tonight for the final match of the season.

Jimmy Innes the stonemason in Doune came to pick me up. This was the first opportunity that I had to chat to him and thoroughly enjoyed our conversation while I also seized, of course, the opportunity to introduce him to the challenge. Sadly my team, team D, lost the match much to the delight of my lift for the evening as Jimmy was the skipper or the opposing team! But for the first time I really felt that I was curling well. I even managed to get a stone onto the button (the bulls eye) twice today one of which despite having performed a pirouette as I released the stone. There was no fuzziness, no fizziness just a lovely evening of curling.

So a great day and now time to bring back the challenge in numbers:

So:
The challenge so far in numbers in total since the start:
Days completed: 126
Total Miles Cycled: 635
Total Miles Walked: 615.5
Total Miles Run: 41.2
Total Miles Paddled: 7
Total Distance Cycled, Skied, Ran and Rowed in the gym: 23.3
Total Distance Swum: 2,140 metres
Total Miles covered under own steam.1,323.9
Total Height Gained under own steam: 34,679 feet
Mountains Climbed: 5
Hills Climbed: 18
Days of Voluntary Activity: 8.5
Organ tunes learnt and performed: 5
Salmon Caught: 0!
Bats Found:0!
Curling Matches played in: 8
Curling stones placed on the button (the centre of the target): 3
Weight Training Sessions: 10
Weight shifted: 10kgs lifted over 102metres or 2040kgs moved over ½ a metre,
Aerobic Circuit Sessions: 6
Press Ups: 363
Pull Ups: 76
Sit Ups: 448
People Met and Hands Shaken: 379
Pots of tea shared: 27
Prayers joined on the top of a hill: 2
Prayers joined in the street!: 4
Prayers joined in a Train Station: 1
Prayers joined in a Café: 1
Pills popped: 636
Days until Driving Licence (lost to epilepsy) possibly Returned: 679
And most important of all – Money Raised as at Day 126 – £6,710.77

Considering I started this challenge 6 months 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. That is £53.26 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. May I also ask however that if you are not sponsoring me to please consider it for as much or as little as you can afford. My rate of revenue raising has slowed from £70.00 a day to £60.00 a day to £53.26 a day so please sponsor me and encourage your friends to as well.

Thank you all for your incredible comments and support. Please continue to spread the word.
If you see me around do please give a cheery hello and shake my hand or toot your horn and give a cheery wave to show your support and encourage me on.

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. The Five Charities that I have selected to support are:

  1. Cancer Research UK – My Father Succumbed to Lung Cancer; a couple of friends are currently fighting cancer and I am fighting a brain tumour. Let’s Help to Beat Cancer Sooner.
  2. The Prince’s Trust – Inspiring and preparing disadvantaged Young Lives for success.
  3. British Red Cross – helping those in need around the UK and the world whoever and wherever they are.
  4. World Wide Fund for Nature – For a Living Planet and a Future Where People and Nature Thrive.
  5. Help for Heroes – Support for our Wounded and their Families. To learn more about my story that brought me to this point, how I plan to ‘Beat the Beast’, what activities I plan to do within the challenge and why, please see my welcome video on this page.

How to Sponsor Me

The Beat the Beast Challenge is self funding through my own contribution while keeping costs to a minimum with voluntary support and corporate sponsorship in kind. Therefore the entirety of every penny donated will go directly to the 5 charities listed above.

Please sponsor me by completing a standing order form either through your own personal internet banking or by completing a hard copy standing order form in your branch of your bank and then handing it in to the teller.

It is entirely up to you how much you would like to and are able to sponsor me for so do please give as much or as little as you can. Every penny will be very gratefully received.

While I hope you will encourage me to keep going by sponsoring me for every day I survive and am able to find the cognitive and physical capability to complete a day’s task designed to improve my chances of ‘Beating the Beast’ or improving the lives of others, 5 days a week, four weeks a month, for as long as ever I can. Any One off Cash contributions will be most gratefully received and distributed in exactly the same manner to the five charities as the sponsorship. Any one off donations can be made by BACS or cheque.

Thank you for having enough faith in me to sponsor me.

Yours aye

Archie