FOUR WEEKS TO GO, GO ....

Our first ever blog ...!  How exciting.  Lots of news to report - sub-sponsors are rolling in faster than the sets down on Polzeath beach – we’ve just secured WAYN as a media partner.  For all you fellow adventurers, it’s a great travellers’ lifestyle and social networking site with 2million active unique users per month.

Being a bit of a Cornish chick at heart, I’m delighted to have award winning, ethical clothing company Finisterre as a sponsor.  They are kindly providing us with some of our base layers – apparently it’s far less smelly to have Merino wool than synthetic fibres close to your armpits – considering we won’t be having a bath or shower for three weeks, the wool option definitely gets my vote and I’m sure Conny’s too!  Iceland Air have also generously said they’d sponsor our roundtrip flights from UK to Iceland.

Training is going well and the gym is definitely my second home with delicious “complimentary” chilled water.  My amazingly patient trainer Ross, known affectionately as “Ross-the-Boss” is keeping me on my toes, whilst quietly going insane – who needs a shrink when you’ve got a personal trainer?  Current programme is a combination of cardio (x-trainer, uphill walking, rollerskiing) and weight training six days a week, with a wonderful lie-in and rest day on Sunday.  Biceps and thighs are starting to swell!  It’s now becoming far too scary to look in the mirror.

The big scoff is also well underway – Conny and I both have to put on at least a stone (14llbs) in fat, for added warmth and as reserve on the ice.  To most couch-potatoes this is no big challenge – the thought of being given free reign to munch on big pizzas, take-away curry’s, oversized burgers and chips is some people’s idea of heaven.

Unfortunately for us more health conscious Arctic adventurer types, these foods ultimately slow you down, decrease energy levels and performance as well as containing very little nutritional value.  My preferred “get fat” foods include healthy fats like avocados, cashew and walnuts, chicken stir-fry’s drowning in “good oils”, wholewheat pasta, porridge with honey and the odd warm chocolate Gu pudding and ice-cream, as a quick calorie top-up!   

Just about to order all our expedition food ... Heston eat your heart out - freeze-dried spaceman packet food is definitely “hip”.  We will be consuming 4,000 calories each per day, so I’ve just raided the entire sweet section of my local supermarket, to ensure our “nose bags” are filled with chocolate treats to keep us smiling.

More news soon ...