The long and possibly winding road

So, here I am with my first post.
This may prove to be an interesting account of me working out how to get fit enough to go up Kilimanjaro without bits of me dropping off.
Or it may just be a random collection of me remembering stuff.

I dunno.

Next year, in March, I will be going up Kilimanjaro in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. For those of you who don't know where Kilimanjaro is, it's in Tanzania. For those of you who don't know where Tanzania is, it's just on the east and around the middle of Africa. For those of you who don't know where Africa is, you'd best stop using the computer and go and lie down.

I'm doing this in the memory of my dad who died 6 years ago from cancer. He was a big fan of taking us to the middle of nowhere to look at something that usually wasn't that interesting, but it's the journey that counts, or something. He never took us up a mountain that's 5,896m high, or at least not to my recollection, but as long as there are tracks with grass growing up the middle of them, I'll be on familiar territory.

Naturally in order to get up this hulking mound of rock I should be at least capable of moving up a slight slope without collapsing. While I am one who sits around playing games and watching TV while eating chocolate and biscuits I also have a tendency to walk wherever I can.
Part of this is my inability to drive and the rest is because I do enjoy a good walk.

However, age is creeping up on me and belly isn't quite as non wobbly as it once was. I was never that keen on PE when I was in school, so I have some way to go before I can comfortably say I'm ready to leg it up nearly 4000 metres of rough terrain.

So, here I will tell of my exciting escapades and trials in trying to get fit for this. And hopefully I'll post how the trek went. If I'm really lucky I'll figure out someway of updating this while I'm halfway up the mountain, but don't hold your breath for that.

If I'm really organised I'll try and post maps of where I've walked to show just how well I'm doing.

If I'm not, well, you'll have to use your imagination...

John

www.justgiving.com/johnredwards