Well, this is the Buff that I am referring to, not this exact one of course but one similar that I will be wearing on my trek. Useful in so many ways and if it comes down to it I guess it could be easier to eat than any of my other clothes!

Well time for jabs and I am scared (I have always been a coward where needles are concerned). I need Polio, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hep A and Typhoid. I can’t have them all at once so two visits to the nurse (double the worry). But, good news, I do not have to take malaria prevention since a mosquito does not deign to go where we will be trekking (the only case of a sensible mosquito!) and good bug repellent is sufficient for main town areas and for Chitwan (my after trek excursion).

The second good news is that I do not need rabies jabs since I can take a precaution by staying away from animals. The injection only gives an extra 12 hours to get to a hospital for a proper cure anyway and not a complete cure. Charity challenge advises that no one on all the Everest treks they have run has ever been bitten and we can get to a hospital if needed. So should be OK.

There are so many dogs in Nepal that we are advised to take ear plugs to get a good nights sleep and escape from all the howling. So, staying away from them could be an interesting challenge on top of the actual walking. A friend who has been to Kathmandu says the dogs are naturally wary of people so this will help.

Several days later ……. well wasn’t too bad – sore arms and dented pride from being such a wimp but I am still in one piece albeit with a few puncture holes.

Well, I have hurt a fair amount trying to get walks under my belt (now up to 14 to 15 miles on a weekend) and so decided to get some professional help.

I am doing Alexander Technique which is finding problems with my walking pattern which only really become a problem when I exert myself. It is good and does work to get the body working properly within iteslf – I can really feel the difference. The therapist believes that Everest is exactly right for me.

Also, a friend recommended a sports physio and so along I poottled. He flound a few muscles which were shortened probably due to my event last April. After 2 hours of hard but very good massage and good conversation (we hit it off immediately due to common Army upbringing), I could walk with a even walking gait and he pronounced that I was good for Everest Base Camp. He believed that it is not just about fitness but the strength of ones heart and determination to succeed – well this is so strong for me, it is like a pilgrimage.

Now, I have to do stretches regularly (Yoga?) and wear my boots or summer walking shoes with my usual orthodontic inserts. I was also advised to soak my feet in salty cold water regularly to reduce any possible swelling.

I really want this trek to be the best it can be and these people are all making it possible. So much of this is confidence needed in myself and unfortunately I cannot give that to myself. I need other people to tell me I am doing OK and will be successful.

To clear my head I did the Brecons in winter – snow, ice and vicious cold winds. It was -1 degree Celsius before I started and VERY cold at the top due to a very strong wind chill. I am so glad of my new gear especially the Helly Hansen warm base layer and the windproof waterproof. Great fun and a few stupid people like me were up on the top but all very well equipped. It was also a big uphill slog to the top which is great training. Definitely want to do this again.

I did a 10 mile walk on a sunny cold (about 2 degrees Centigrade) day – I was very excited – new rucksack, walking poles, Helly Hansen dry base layer, Berghaus mid layer and Berghaus fleece and of course fancy non-cotton underwear. Absolutely amazing, did not sweat much, was nicely warm while walking and very comfortable. When I did stop, I needed my waterproof to keep the wind off and stop me from getting too cold.

I have never been so comfortable walking and was very pleased that my purchases were better than I ever expected. And to top it all, when I got home the gear did not smell and did not need washing (apart from the fancy underwear).

Marvellous – I wish I’d had a reason to splash out before. Walking from now on will indeed be better than ever.

Not good, I am hurting (not just aching but actually hurting) – the heel on my right foot and side of the foot is painful to touch. I asked a physio and doc and it seems I am doing too much with not enough time for my body to recover. A runner friend says if you are increasing exercise then it should not be more than 10% per week and I am doing about 30% every 2 weeks. After a long walk I should have 1 or 2 days with little real walking / hiking. I also (stupidly) did 28 reps up and down the stairs at home in one go – really stressed the Achilles. And my last very stupid thing was not to stretch thoroughly before hiking. Ah well, we all learn.

So now a new plan – 1 big hike every weekend and just walking the dog during the week. I also need to find alternative exercise so I am working the muscles in a different way. I have an exercise bike at home so will do 2 evenings per week on the bike (30 to 60 minutes each). AND NO MORE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS. If I can fit it in, swimming once per week (this is proably pushing my luck to get this in as well).

Now I need to feel better – oh, if only there were cream cakes in the house!

People are so good, I have been getting sponsorship from most people I meet and so many people have stories to tell about loved ones and heart disease – some very sad and some with hope and pride. It feels really good to be able to help the people and th British Heart Foundation (BHF) in this way.

Everyone is truly impressed that I (fat 51 year old) am even trying this trek (ordeal?); perhaps they are right and I should be worrying more? Well, I am not going to worry too much and I will try as hard as humanly possible to make this trek a success for me and the BHF.

A lovely company called Doorstuff (www.doorstuff.co.uk) is sponsoring me for a huge amount providing I wear their T-shirt and pose in a he-man fashion at base camp. Doorstuff are a national internet company who do all sorts of door handles, locks, hinges etc and they do really cool sliding door runners (http://www.doorstuff.co.uk/sliding-door.php) in stainless steel. I am lucky enough to know them personally and they are a fantastic, lovely family and the owner even plays a mean game of Risk.

I think I am lucky; many people are giving as much as they can and it all adds up very quickly and makes the whole job easier. I am in the local newspapers and I have even been stopped in the street and given a fiver. People are really so nice when charity is involved.

Well, the second biggest terrifying thing about this trek is raising the minimum sponsorship (£4,000) of which £2,038 is for the fare, accommodation, etc. The £2,038 I have paid from my pocket money (I do not have anymore for the next 10+ years but it is worth it) since not fair in my mind to get sponsorship for my trip. The rest is for British Heart Foundation (BHF) directly.

Now what do I want to do? My personal target is to raise £4,000 above the £2,038. BUT, this collecting terrifies me so much more than the trek itself.  My own personal demons coming out here; having to approach people and ask for something. I like being self sufficient and hidden behind the scenes.

A trawl of the web says when fund raising there are some basic rules; (1) Ask people face to face, (2) Try to find some common ground so that people can identify with you or your trip or the charities aims, (3) Get your name, trek and charity details out into the world – the newspapers, facebook, blog. Well, I will have to face my demons to do this and without Sue who was good at this kind of thing.

Mmmmm, a nice thought – if Everest Base Camp is right to do then this fund raising will fall into place. A good thought to go to sleep with.

I have been doing some good walks and exercise, went up a lovely little hill in Wiltshire (Cherhill White Horse) and wandered for a couple of hours. I am finding lots of interesting bits of countryside around where I live. Even did some reservoir and country walks in Yorkshire; using some of my new gear I even stayed dry. I am beginning to feel a bit more confident – the long walks are becoming easier and I am not aching so much afterwards All heading in the right direction. Now all I need is to lose about 3 stones and 30 years of age and maybe, just maybe it will be Ok on the day. Ah well, we can all wish! My fitness plan says a 4 hour walk coming up; mmm, must think of somewhere local preferably with a pub.

I am at the grand old’ish age of 51 and not in the best of shape, so a doctors check-up was in order. Mmmm, must admit at a bit of trepidation, what happens if he immediately says no or finds some other reason? Well, after various health checks I am OK – not going to die imminently! Need to loose a “wee” bit of weight and need to get fitter but my body is not failing me … yet! He even told me a story about a mountaineer who collapsed and died doing a mountain in the UK a few weeks after scaling K2 – a lesson on the dangers of altitude sickness.

Also, found out a bit more about Diamox (a drug that helps at altitude by speeding up blood oxygenation and so quicker altitude acclimatisation) and he agreed to prescribe for me - hooray! The good news is that (generally) old people are often better at altitude than young fit people AND asthmatics like me are more at ease at altitude due to our ability to handle lower oxygen levels due to our asthma. So, several ticks in the box and we head onwards – now where was that bar of chocolate I was eating ………

Arghhh, just remembered innoculations / the dreaded jabs; well that is another blog post methinks.

First few weeks are very hard – my back and lower legs ache all the time. I am regularly doing 1.5 miles each morning, flights of stairs at work, dinner time walks and cycling 30 minutes 3 times per week. There is a training plan in the information from BHF / Charity Challenge that builds up over 16 weeks – from 30 minutes twice per week up to two 1 hour walks, an 8 hour walk and cross training all in a week.

I am really trying to do it but of course the sofa and telly always beckon. I have discovered that road walking every day is so bad on legs and back – when I do grass / fields I always come away with less pain. After many try out options, the best I can do is have a long walk every weekend and have rest days between other activities. I need to plan a full weekend where I am walking a long walk both days to simulate what we do on the trek.

I must admit to nerves creeping in, I am basically an unfit fat man (my zero energy state) trying to get fitter in a limited amount of time. Will I be fit enough? Well we will just have to wait and see. I think my main worry is that I do not want to injure myself just before the walk – so pacing is the key.

Brainwave (light bulb on) – mark on the calendar the weekly plan and track it so I can see the achievement building up. DONE! OK, so now keep plodding. It is so depressing to see people easily jogging / running – I cannot run even if something big, hairy and nasty was after me. I so much want to be more fit, less fat and less settee bound. Perhaps I am just too set in my ways – NO, I have to keep trying to make the trek enjoyable,

One thing for sure, Everest Base camp will be hard, very hard.