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Three weeks today we fly out of Heathrow terminal 3 to Ottawa. If I said I wasn’t nervous I would be lying. I really am not looking forward to saying goodbye to my family, 5 weeks away from them is a long time. When I have been on a trip to Hong Kong to see clients that is normal two weeks and that’s tough, and at least when I do that we can speak on the phone or via Skype and see each other. Doing this once we leave Resolute Bay there is no possibility of speaking. We are taking satellite phones with us, but these are for checking in every two days and for emergencies. I think some tears will be shed when I leave home, at the moment I am not saying by who, my wife, my daughter my son or me. My money is on all four.  

The first week is meant to be the worse. during that time we will face most of the ice rubble and the dragging of the sledges of that will be tough. Also getting used to the temperatures and the routine of getting the tents up and down as quickly and efficiently as possible.  During that week if I don’t wish I was anywhere else than where I am a 1,000 times an hour I will be surprised. After the first week, I hope the going gets easier.

The only benefits I can think of with home no knowledge of what is happening in the world, is I won’t have to put up with all the party political broadcasts that will be happening and I won’t be around to see Southend United get relegated, which does now seem a certainty.

Tags: Add new tag, north pole, polar
Posted in Steve Kidwell's Polar Trek | | 3 Comments »

When I woke up this morning and looked out the window the grass was white, I couldn’t really tell if it was frost or snow. No matter what it was, it was going to be cold outside, but if you are planning on going to the North Pole what classes as cold in Southend, is a warm summers day in the high Arctic. 

So on with shorts a T-shirt and a long sleeved T-shirt over the top, groans from my wife of “are you mad?” and off for a run. A mile from my house down Thorpe Bay Boulevard, to the seafront Pavements are a bit icy but not too bad. On the seafront a there is a  breeze, which seems to be into my face as I run towards Chalkwall. There are quite a number of runners out even though its raining lumpy rain. Most of them seem to have more kit on than I will be wearing on the expedition to the Pole. So its inevitably I got a few strange looks as my now bright red legs go past.

Its not long before I am sweating, as I have this terrible habit of not being able to just jog, if I see another runner I have to try and get past them. What starts out at a gentle 8 - 9 minute mile pace, so turns into a 6 1/2 - 7 minute mile run. I seem to see it as an affront to my running ability if anyone goes past, at one stage the pace was even quicker than 6 1/2 minute mile pace as I caught and overtook a cyclist, who didn’t like this and tried to get back in front. We went side by side until the cycle path finished.

I turned round at Chalkwall station and headed back towards Thorpe Bay and again the wind to be in my face, how does that happen, whichever way I go I seem to be running into the wind?
 
I got home hot sweaty and in need of a shower. As I opened the front door, I wasn’t met by the normal blast of hot air. My wife is a hater of the cold and has the heating up to tropical temperatures most of the time. This could only mean she and the children weren’t up but no, she is sat in the dining room with a gas fire on, wrapped in a blanket. The boiler has stopped working, so no central heating or hot water.

By the look on her face it must be my fault. I’m not entirely sure how, but clearly it must be.  Luckily the shower is electric, and I could have a quick hot shower, before phoning the gas board. We have the boiler covered and they have said they will be here Sunday afternoon between 12:30 and 6:00. I do hope they can get it started again, not that I am feeling the cold from the weather - more the cold looks from my wife.
 

Tags: north pole, polar
Posted in COINS Foundation, Charity Fundraising, Steve Kidwell's Polar Trek | | 1 Comment »