Day 153 has seen 36 miles cycled while gaining 3522 feet to walk 3 miles and climb a mountain gaining a further 1512 feet while being punctuated by people. Glorious people which has led me, with God’s help, to a clear understanding as to how to vote.
Firstly. Great news. In yesterday’s Beat the Beast Challenge quarterly meeting with the accountants we were able to allocate an additional £259 to each of the 5 charities.
So today I cycled the same route as Tuesday. From Doune over the top road into Callander, along Loch Venachar and then along and around the top of Loch Achray in to the Ben Venue Car Park in order to walk up Ben Aan. A small mountain but a mountain none the less and I wanted to test my fitness. A mark of one’s internal fitness and physical strength is the length of time that it takes to recover after physical exertion. So just two days after I had last ridden and walked such distances and gained such height in the process could I do it again and improve on it by climbing a mountain as well. Ben Aan is a baby mountain but it is a mountain none the less so today was an extra challenge.
I left at just past 9am having made my packed lunch and enjoyed morning prayer and organ practice first thing. So I left into a few spits and spate of rain to tackle the top road past Drum Loist in to Callander. I cycled this steep hill road once again in complete happiness and awe at the wonderful livestock and wildlife around me and by the fact that my bum seemed to be quite comfortable on my seat. Perhaps I was getting used to riding on a razor of a seat. The sheep with menacing horns were still there along with the glorious chatter of birds keeping me company with wonderful flashes of yellow and gold as they flitted backwards and forwards just in front of me as I huffed and puffed uphill past the whispering trees, past the abandoned buildings with such stories to tell and then haring down the far side into Callander. My bum though was now very sore and my gears were not functioning particularly well which can be a real hindrance when cycling along hilly routes. I was again carrying my large rucksack on my back packed full of enough kit to survive a night alone on a hillside in winter and a goody bag of WWF treats to hand out to children. The theory behind the large rucksack remained the same. Firstly I needed to stay in shape to carry the heavier packs required at winter. The best way to do that was to carry the same pack in the summer. Secondly I have epilepsy. Should I take a seizure there is a chance that it could immobilize me for some considerable time which could lead to a night on the hills waiting for help and although it was summer time, the temperatures on Scottish hills can drop to near or even below freezing overnight and quite unexpectedly and today I was going up a mountain. So to ensure that I survived such a night in my weakened post chemo state I needed additional warm kit and an emergency blanket, bivvy bag and high visibility survival shelter. So add to that the repair kit I carry to keep the bike on the road should something go wrong and my two litres of water in a water bladder I was carrying a significant extra weight which was sat right on my shoulders, right above my bum which was having to cushion that additional load on the rather narrow seat. The net result. My bum was smarting much more than yesterday and with troublesome gears I had to stop in Callander but before I got there I had my first unusual meeting for today. As I nursed my bike and me into Callander a pair of older ladies and a young girl were just ahead and they pulled off of the road to let me past. I immediately felt a need to stop and talk to them so I stopped and dropped my bike on it’s side and asked if I might give the young girl a present from the WWF. I discovered that it was 2 year old Ava’s birthday and that she hadn’t been very well so I made sure that I found a small Cuddly panda for her along with a panda sticker and as Ava played with her new panda I introduced the two ladies to the challenge. Then I found out why I felt I needed to stop so quickly. Lorna was currently undergoing Chemotherapy for Lymphoma but was positive about her likely outcomes. She had been through the mill twice before but been cleared up twice before over the years so was confident that they would succeed again this time. I was thrilled to hear of such good news but will also pray that she gets healed completely and permanently this time and that when the chemotherapy gets her down that she can find some hope, inspiration and encouragement from my story as it unfolds on the challenge. Ava was getting a little bored so it was time to push on after handshakes. I pulled in to see Peter in the Wheelology bike shop who has been such a supporter to the challenge and remained so today. He immediately set to work adjusting the gears and then fitted some handles which would make long rides more comfortable on the hands and while he did that I needed to get some Vaseline. I was rubbing in all the wrong places and needed to protect myself from abrasive sores. I nipped up to the chemist and asked where the small pots of Vaseline might be. The lady working in their just replied, ‘If you want lip salve it is right there in the corner next to the Vaseline.’ I couldn’t resist replying, ‘I wish this was for my lips, but sadly it is not!’ with a wry smile on my face. But I found the Vaseline and went to the counter to pay. There I met the team who were all smiles so I couldn’t resist it but to introduce them to the challenge and am thrilled to be able to report that Alison has already come to say hello today. I very much hope that she likes what she finds and gets behind the challenge to do whatever she can through friends, family and work to help me raise awareness of the challenge and to raise sponsorship and donations but it was a real delight to meet them both.
And of course I couldn’t stop in Callander without popping in to see Julie and Debbie in the Deli Ecosse. Julie came running around the counter for a huge hug and Debbie came shortly afterwards for a hug and as they did so I remarked on how wonderful it was to be greeted with a hug on arrival and how lovely it was that they came at no charge but how sad it was that I hadn’t had a hug from Lynne, Julie’s Mum, since that first hug! I grabbed my Mocha and a Flapjack and whizzed back to Pete’s to talk Panniers for long distance bike rides and the sort of thing one should consider. He was hugely helpful and seemed to be offering me incredibly good deals to get kitted out while also giving me lots of food for thought. I paid for the new handles, again at cost, with no labour charge for the service or the fitting of the new handles so I left to tackle the next leg of the journey with a happy and very thankful heart.
I got cracking up past Loch Venachar. The weather was perfect for such a cycle. After bumping away along Loch Venachar I carried on to the Western edge of Loch Achray and the Ben Venue Car Park. I locked up my bike, prepped my walking poles and set off up the mountain. It was still overcast so pleasantly cool and dry. On I walked passing the odd person and couple with friendly good mornings and as I climbed up on the rocky path into the forest I passed another lady with another friendly good morning. I thought nothing of it until just 5 metres or so further up then I felt an extremely strong urge to stop, turn around and go and talk to her. I looked over my shoulder and saw her standing by a tree, as if waiting for something, but I turned and tried to convince myself that this urge was my imagination but as I tried to walk on, the urge grew stronger and stronger until physically overpowering it made me turn and start after the lady but as I did so she started to walk again. I called after her but she was some distance away but two young woman who I had earlier said good morning to saw that I was calling after her so stopped her and let her know that I wanted to speak to her. I thanked the two women and caught up with Hilary from Derby. I introduced her to the challenge with my usual patter and as I finished I asked, ‘ You know, nearly every time that I feel such a strong urge to stop and talk to somebody there is a connection. Now you have heard my story, do you think that there may be a connection? There has to be. The urge to speak to you was so strong I couldn’t resist it?’ Hilary thought for a very brief second and then she said, ‘I am guessing that I should ask you if you know of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!’. I got it immediately. Our faith had brought us together like two magnets. We talked some more and then Hilary offered to pray for me. So we sat and Hilary prayed the most wonderful prayer for my healing and success in trying to help all those other people through the challenge. I was deeply touched by this moment and as we talked some more I learned of Hilary’s churches in Derby: the Littleover Methodist Church and the Penhill Benefice Anglican group of churches. I asked Hilary to carry my challenge back to her churches in Derby and to try and do all that she can to help me raise awareness there and perhaps ask the churches to consider the challenge as their charity to which they might wish to raise and donate funds. Then I learned of a member of her congregation who was suffering from Pancreatic cancer so I have added him to my prayer list along with Lorna. But time was running away from me and I had a mountain still to climb so it was sadly time to go but somehow I suspect that I will most definitely be hearing from Hilary again and I very much hope that I do. Thank you for your prayers and support Hilary.
I pushed on to the top of the mountain without further incident bumping into Rachel and Lauren who had so kindly helped me stop Hilary earlier. I introduced them to the challenge and then found a group of people at the top of Ben Aan so asked if they would like me to take their photo. They replied yes please and as I did so started to introduce the Montigny Famille to the challenge with my usual patter while one of the sons translated for the parents. They understood entirely the bit about not googling Beat the Beast without the word challenge. They thoroughly supported the idea of the second glass of wine to look at the posts and then I asked them to take me to France and help me raise awareness of the challenge there. I had supporters in Spain, Germany, Holland, and Belgium, so why not France? They agreed and after more chatter and handshakes it was time to part company. Suddenly, I found myself sat on a deserted Mountain top in the lee of the cooling wind to enjoy my homemade egg mayonnaise sandwiches and my veggie pick and mix bag while drinking in the most glorious views. And as I did so I sat there and started thinking. I have very recently had the most wonderful conversations and experiences with French, German, Spanish, Dutch and Belgian couples and families. What I discovered was that although we spoke different languages we understood the same language. We had the same aspirations for social equality, for peace from violence and extremist terrorism, for peace for so many of the war torn countries around the world and for a world secure from the ravages of climate change now looming large on the agenda. I connected easily with each and every couple and family I met no matter what European country they were from. We understood each other through pigeon English, sign language and shared ideals intimately. These six European nations had all at some time fought against each other or fought within themselves in civil wars and yet, despite the testing times of the financial crash, terrorist atrocities and the unprecedented refugee crisis Europe remains stable as a Union. The American States form the most powerful nation on earth as a Union of States. We have peace and stability as a Union with our European partners so why oh why do we suddenly want to break from the union. There had been so much in the media recently about the pros and cons of staying or going that I just couldn’t fathom which way to vote in the quagmire of information and misinformation as the referendum draws ever closer at less than a month away. But just a few days ago in morning prayer I read a passage that had suggested to me which way I should vote but I hadn’t realised what it meant until today, sat on that mountain top eating my sandwiches. I texted Allie to help me find the passage that I had read but not made a note of. If anybody would know what I was talking about and where in the bible it might be Allie would and sure enough ping came back the reply 1 Corinthians 12 verses 12 to 31. I repeat it below for you to read.
12-13 ‘You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.
14-18 I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
19-24 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?
25-26 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.
27-31 You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. You’re familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his “body”:
apostles
prophets
teachers
miracle workers
healers
helpers
organizers
those who pray in tongues.
But it’s obvious by now, isn’t it, that Christ’s church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It’s not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called “important” parts.
But now I want to lay out a far better way for you.’
When reading this with Europe at the centre of the passage it has become very clear to me. There is strength in Union.
Sadly I got back just a little too late. Margaret had already put a meal in the oven so I couldn’t cook for her tonight. A shame because tonight I made Pasta Marinara with red pepper, fresh basil, oregano, garlic, courgette, sun-dried tomatoes, a medjool date and chopped tomatoes all blended together and served with Spaghetti. Delicious but I did get to meet her Grandson Simon who at 48 is older than I and a professor at the University of Stirling. We had a great chat with Margaret over a cup of tea in which I introduced Simon to the challenge. There is so much potential for the challenge within the University. Wouldn’t it be great if that wonderful institution of learning could make the challenge their focus for any fundraising effort and with 12,800 students, if each one sponsored me just 5p per day equating to £1.00 per month that would be a significant boost to the challenge fund raising. It was a pleasure to meet Simon and I very much hope that he decides to come and join me on the journey.
So the challenge in numbers in total since the start
Days completed: 153
Total Miles Cycled: 756.44
Total Miles Walked: 809.08
Total Miles Run: 116.63
Total Miles Paddled: 7
Total Distance Cycled, Skied, Run and Rowed in the gym: 42.17
Total Distance Swum: 3,780 metres
Total Miles covered under own steam.1,735.02
Total Height Gained under own steam: 64,181 feet
Mountains Climbed: 7
Hills Climbed: 25
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: 12
Weight shifted: 10kgs lifted over 318metres or 6360kgs moved over ½ a metre,
Aerobic Circuit Sessions: 8
Press Ups: 580
Pull Ups: 100
Sit Ups: 845
People Met and Hands Shaken: 480
Pots of tea shared: 31
Prayers joined on the top of a hill: 3
Prayers joined in the street!: 4
Prayers joined in a Train Station: 1
Prayers joined in a Café: 2
Pills popped: 876
Days until Driving Licence (lost to epilepsy) possibly Returned: 723
And most importantly – Money Raised as at Week 40 – £7,864
Considering I started this challenge 9 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 £51.39 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 £54.02 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:
- 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.
- The Prince’s Trust – Inspiring and preparing disadvantaged Young Lives for success.
- British Red Cross – helping those in need around the UK and the world whoever and wherever they are.
- World Wide Fund for Nature – For a Living Planet and a Future Where People and Nature Thrive.
- 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