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Winter 250-mile Solo Endurance Trek Richmond Park.

By Shane Forrester

Day-14 (weds)

8-miles/185-miles done.
Painful cramp in thighs last-night so reduced mileage today. 

Trekking by night.



Day-13(Tuesday) 


12- miles done/177 in total. 

Day-12 (Monday)

15-miles/165-miles done. 

Day-11/(sunday)

11- miles /150 total
💯 Miles to go. 

Day-10 (Saturday)

14-miles/139-miles done

Day-9 (Friday)

9-miles....total 125-miles
(HALFWAY STAGE) :

Day-8 (Thursday)

Rain in the morning, sunny afternoon. A long day, 16-miles done (total:116 - miles) ... aiming to reach the halfway point tmrw 125-miles :) Left ankle feels better, have to stretch lots to keep stiffness away. (yin yoga) morning & evening. 

Day-7 (weds)

11-miles done

💯 Miles completed..... Snow & ice... wind & rain, muddy slippery hills & bitterly cold winds. 
A couple of bruises around ankles from hiking boots, stretching (yin yoga) morning & evening to prevent stiffness & aching. 
Thank you to everybody who's donated & given words of support. Really appreciated. 
Feel strong physically & mentally to take on the next 100-miles.

(Tuesday) Day-6

15-miles done

Day-5(Monday)

13-miles done. 

Day-4 (Sunday) Valentines Day.

12-miles done. 

Day-3 (Saturday)

16-miles done. 

DAY 2

Bitterly cold raw wind, apparently the coldest night for a long time.(-6 degrees) wind chill factor feels like minus ten (-10).
Kept moving all day to keep warm... My flask of hot tomato soup helped :) 
After being battered by the elements, happy to have completed 15-miles.

Day 1

Later that day.....
Stayed pulling tyres with the backpack up, down & across the steep hill,before hiking over to Richmond Park. Had to keep moving it was cold. 
Took a cross-trail, hills & uneven ground.Many hours later 18-miles completed. 
Now home to get strong for tmrw (cold wind expected).

DAY 1

Early morning 6.45am (11-02-2021) arrive at the starting point
Dark, very cold (-3 degrees) light snow falling. 
Caribina's, ropes, two large tyres I assemble the sled, then attach to my 21lb backpack. 
Few  more stretches, already went through a short yoga sequence at home then walked hear (richmond hill) the view. 
The very supportive Jonathon Jenkins CEO London Air Ambulance arrives 7.30am.Thank you again Jonathon for meeting early on a cold hill. 
And they're off.... We took the first step of many & walked talked..... Cold yes, beautiful sunrise, long deep breathes of crisp winter air. This is it, the gruelling trek has begun. 
I must complete this challenge. For the Air Ambulance, my family & all you kind, generous sponsors. 

Temperatures falling...

Love the snow... But there's a serious side, with temperatures at freezing or below zero all week, thurs/Friday minus 9/10 degrees my thoughts turn to keeping comfortably warm, whilst moving carrying weight for long periods. Sweating & not turning cold. Staying hydrated with hot soup/tea/coffee/lemon & ginger. Training with the raw easterly wind this week has been challenging.... But I still love this way of life. 

48 - Hours to go

Snow....its been really special trekking pulling tyres & backpack around Richmond Park, ham common, petersham & richmond hill.... Beautiful Winter... Yes its cold with the raw wind & slippery etc but it's worth it. Fresh air & nature. 

Winter... Snow

Beautiful snow, a really welcome escape from lockdown thoughts, hope you all enjoyed.
I couldn't wait to train it, hiking through snowy woods of richmond park & Ham common (was slippery on the hills) brought back those feelings of my cross-country ski training & snow shoeing around the beautiful forest of Norway, Finland & Sweden... Snowy Yorkshire too. It's given me that same passion to appreciate nature whilst trekking carrying weight. All my training for this challenge comes from cross-country skiing & snow survival. 

I love you...

To my dearest daughters,you all inspire me & are my driving force to help make your world, life as beautiful as possible.
Love Dad xxx

Weekend 23/24 Jan update.

❄️Snow on the way (I hope)... Very cold so kept moving...like to use what's around me, heavy logs to lift & move, pulling tyres up, down & across beautiful Richmond Hill (the view) sprinting up the many steps. Always stretching.
Sunday's more endurance day... Hiking the tyres cross-country around Richmond Park & the hill. 
Thank you too everyone who I spoke with for your support & interest.... Good your all enjoying the outdoors at this difficult time. 

Thank you Vineyard, Richmond. .

Many thanks to Bob & Co for my weatherproof clothing & offering free tea's & coffee's during training. Best wishes. Shane.
Info@vineyardcommunity.org

Endurance Training.

Cold early mornings in beautiful Richmond Park, training has begun. 

I'm supporting London's Air Ambulance Charity

Winter in hilly rugged Richmond Park (Feb 11th 2021)...I'll start trekking the 250-miles carrying a backpack & pulling a sled (sledge). I really want to raise vital funds for the life-saving trauma medical work of London's Emergency Air Ambulance. Please donate/help if you can. Many thanks. Shane. 

Please support London's Air Ambulance Charity

Raised

£1,374 + £224 GiftAid

My Goal

£5,000

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Thank you to my Sponsors

£20.80

Rachel

Congratulations Shane on completing this amazing challenge. Great to meet you today, Thankyou for doing for doing such an amazing thing for London’s air ambulance patients x

£5.20

Dinelle

Hi! My friend and I met you on the hill in February and I wanted to say congratulations! What you did is amazing and so inspiring!! (I’m sorry this is so late and so little, I had to get some more pocket money)

£20.80

Harriet - With All The Concrete

Well done Shane!

£20.80

Barbara

Hi Shane I am very impressed by your amazing idea, strong commitment and extensive physical challenge for this important area of NHS support. Well done Barbara x

£260

Sivan J

Keep going!!

£10.40

Tom And Cloé

Pleasure meeting you today in Richmond. Top effort, keep it up!

£20.80

Amy And Nick

Don’t tyre yourself out ...:D Good luck!

£88.40

Jake Holloway

Keep going Shane! All the best. Jake

£10.40

Charlotte & James

£10.40

Sam Dixon

From the twilight towpath twosome...

£20.80

Maria

Really nice to meet you today (I was with my friend Dominic) good luck with your amazing effort for a fantastic cause!

£20.80

Sheelagh

Keep going! You’re smashing it.

£20.80

Jma

We met today whilst you were out in Richmond, great effort and charity.

£20

Vicky Goodall

Well done getting this far. Keep going!

£31.20

Alan & Sue

Keep going Shane, brilliant work & I hope you manage to find a Golden Retriever

£104

Paul Stoods

Great work Shane 💪💪💪

£20.80

Catherine Whyte

Well done Shane - fantastic effort.

£30

Jim Guynan

Gladiator!

£10.40

Helen Palmer

£20.80

Sophie T.

Well done Shane! 😁

£10.40

Samantha Kempner

Good luck 💙

£10.40

Amanda Lintott

What an amazing thing you are doing! We chatted at The cafe and I promised to sponsor you. Good luck with the fund raising!

£20.80

Antony Marshall

£10

The Dowlings

All the very best for your challenge!

£10

Edward Forbes

£10.40

Maya Farah

Best of luck.. we met you by Ham house on Friday my son was questioning you .. You are doing great JOB! Regards Samuel and Maya

£15

Becca March

We saw you today in Terrace Gardens & had a chat. Well done you. All the best, Becca

£10.40

Anonymous

good luck

£20

Linda Clemens

£10.40

Mark R

Great effort

£20.80

Charlotte Haley-smith

Good luck Shane, we’re locals and saw you training recently.

£20.80

Marie Benton

Amazing. Keep going, it’s a great cause and an inspirational effort

£5.20

Sarah Koolkats

Good luck

£52

Anonymous

Good on you - its bloody cold out there right now! Wishing you well.

£20.80

Lynne Crossman

Good luck with your endeavours. You should be proud of yourself!

£20.80

Nataša Jupp

Good luck Shane! Wonderful cause!

£10.40

Carlie Qirem

Good luck! What an amazing challenge and a super cause.

£10

Therese

£10.40

Antonia

Good luck Shane! What a great cause! Am sure you’ll smash it!

£5.20

Gill Y

Good luck with this incredible challenge :) great cause too!!! Hope to see you on my travels round the Oark!!

£5

Petra Shahzad

£52

Carole Jenkins

Good luck hope weather warms up a bit soon

£26

Jonathan J

Lovely to meet you - inspirational. Dig deep, stay strong and remember just how proud everyone at LAA is of all your efforts. [Did you really need the tires!?!]

£10.40

Hugo (stopped You Outside The Park This Afternoon!)

Awesome challenge for a great cause. Good luck Shane!

£3.12

Ali Wade

Good luck, Shane. Not a lot of people know this, but I walked 871 miles for London’s Air Ambulance last year - I know how much work it is! 💪💪💪

£20.80

Liz Murphy

Really good luck x

£26

Linda Ward

Good luck Shane x

£20.80

Amy

Best of luck, Shane. I'm sure you'll smash it!

£20.80

Alison

good luck with the training Shane

£50

Charlotte Forrester

Good luck to my AMAZING SUPER HUMAN Dad! Couldn’t be prouder of you! Love you xxx

£20.80

Susan Coleman

£20

Bob Kimmerling

Tough challenge..great job Shane

£26

Lesley Bennett

Good Luck. Lesley and Wayne