The Best Way for Ladies to Lose Weight…..

The Best Way for Ladies to Lose Weight…...

Where the Hec did January go?

I can’t believe it, it’s the 2nd of February 2011!! Well all I can say is that things must be going right and I’m having fun, because time just seems to be flying!

How’s 2011 started for you? If it’s not quite going to plan, then grab a pen and paper now and right a list of things to be completed by the end of February. Then all you have to do is take Action and start ticking them off. Easy 🙂

So why has January just flown by for me? Well, I’ve increased my training for the charity events throughout the month and also I have been learning more about fitness and healthy eating. To find out how the Fit Four Challenge 2011 training and organising is taking shape, click here.

Business is also continuing to pick up with quotes been accepted for carpet cleaning, domestic cleaning and decorating. I have ordered new uniforms and the van has had most of the old lettering removed, ready to be re-sign written with the new limited company name. Does anyone know of an easy way to remove adhesive residue left from vinyl lettering?

Ju and I have now joined Fresh Fitness health centre in Skegness and this will help us both with our fitness programs. My weekends are taken up with getting out for a long cycle ride when possible and spending time with my family. Although my eldest 2, now that they are teenagers are doing their own thing these days, but hopefully I’ll be able to drag them along for one more camping trip this year before they tell me they’re too old to come on holiday with their Dad! 🙂

I’ll post again later on this month. Cheers for now.

Rich

PS if you would like to join me on the charity events I’m organising then please find out more here or contact me. Thanks

Happy New Year to You All

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy & Prosperous 2011 and I hope whatever plans you’re making or goals you’re setting that you achieve what it is you want from the next 12 months….and beyond.

For me the first half of the year is going to be a massive physical and mental test with the Fit Four Challenge 2011 events, starting with the London Marathon on April 17th and finishing with the 3 Peaks Challenge on June 25th and between these two dates, I am cycling from Blackpool to Skegness on the weekend of April 30th and then running in the Edinburgh marathon on May 22nd!

By the end of June I’ll be looking forward to a relaxing summer, although I will definitely be keeping my training up as it is already becoming part of my life style and I’m really enjoying it. After these events are over, I’m seriously considering taking up Triathlons.

On the business front, I have recently merged our Property lettings business with our Cleaning business and we are now able to offer a complete property solutions service through our new company Prosolve Property Solutions Ltd. Our services now include – Property cleaning & maintenance, Carpet & Upholstery cleaning, Decorating & Refurbishments for both domestic & commercial, along with our Residential Lettings & Management service.

I don’t like to talk to much about business on my personal blog but I wanted to give it a mention here as I’m really excited about what we’re doing right now and what we can now offer. Watch this space over the coming weeks and I’ll give you details about our new website and special offers!

This week I put together a ‘Food Diary’ on an excel spreadsheet as this will help me monitor what I eat and my calorie intake. I’m not going to get to hung up about it but as my training is going well, I thought I’d  give myself a further helping hand and be a little more concious about my diet. I’ve lost 1st 3lb since the beginning of October and I only put on 1lb over Christmas.

For the rest of January I’ll be ranking up the training, organising and booking accommodation for the events and promoting Fit Four Challenge 2011. Talking of promotion I am being interviewed on BBC Radio Lincolnshire on Friday 7th January on the Mid Morning Show. I’ll be talking about why, how and ‘what the hec for’ about the challenges ahead, so if you’re in the local area please tune in.

That’s it for now but don’t forget to check in again soon or sign up to my updates.

Cheers,

Rich

9 Rules for The Game of Life

I received an e-mail the other day from a friend of mine, who also happens to be Britains Top Female Coach, no less! Anyways, after reading the e-mail I just felt I had to share it with you, so here it is and apologises for not posting it earlier –

Dear Richard,When a delegate in a workshop asks for my phone number, it’s usually a sign that they are enjoying themselves and potentially would like to either share my contact with friends or work colleagues or even want to talk privately about a challenge they may be having, so I am more than happy to give them my card. However the ‘delegate’ is seven years old what do you do? I am working with a small group of 7 and 8 year olds in a school in York who have had challenges with their self esteem and confidence. We were just coming to the end of our third session and reminded them that next week is our last session. ‘So if you have any questions that you would like us to look at next week write them down and remember to bring them with you.’ ‘I have a question now.’ said one of the boys. I smile to give him permission to ask his question. ‘Can I have your phone number please?’ ‘For what purpose do you feel you need my phone number?’ I asked. ‘Well,’ he thoughtfully said.’stuff is gonna to happen a lot in life and I think you’d be a helpful person to call.’ Let me just repeat here, he is 7 years old! For once I was speechless! Such profound words from a young man with, I suspect, a very wise old soul! He’s right, life is full of stuff happening. ‘Good’ stuff that we enjoy and of course the other stuff which we can rail against, get fed-up with, angry and frustrated at. It’s so easy to let that get on top of us rather than realising that life is a game and we need to learn to play it. To know how to play a game though you need to understand the rules and thankfully someone recently sent them through to me, so I thought I would share them with you, I will be sharing them with many more including the above wise souled young man and his friends. The 9 rules for the game of life. 1.      You will receive a body. You may hate it or like, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around. Like your house, car, and everything else in life it needs care. 2.     You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full time school of life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant or stupid. 3.       There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process or trial and error, experimentation. The ‘failed’ experiments are as much part of the process as the experiments that ultimately ‘work’. 4.       A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson is presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you go on to the next lesson. 5.       Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain a lesson. If you are alive there are lessons to be learned. 6.        ‘There’ is no better than ‘here’ When you ‘there; has become ‘here’ – you will simply obtain another ‘there’ that will again look better than your ‘here’. 7.        Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love/hate about yourself. 8.        What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours. 9.         Your answers lie inside of you. All you need do is look, listen and trust! Thank you to whoever originally sent this to me and apologies that I have no longer go the email to thank you personally! How would your life look if you chose to remember even one of these nine rules? What opportunities would you grab? How could you tell yourself next time a lesson popped up for you? In what ways could you be kind to yourself whilst remembering one of these lessons? Next week 8th – 13th Nov is World Kindness Week. Who could you share this with to help them see life in a different way? *** … and finally… I ventured out the other day as I just had to be in nature – want to see what happened? Click here for autumnal inspiration With gratitude and kindest regards Jules xx Enjoy even more free inspiration here – http://www.positive-belief.co.uk/birthday.html

And if you would like to go on Jules next workshop and increase your confidence, then it is only a few weeks away on December 4th 2010. Click Here for further details and to book.

Cheers

Rich

Winters Here & Summer Reflections…

The weather has certainly turned over the last few days and it seems an age since those long, warm , summer evenings, doesn’t it? Although I do enjoy the seasons we get in this country and the variety they bring to the weather and also the landscape.

So it’s been a few months since I last posted here and in that time there has been plenty happening –

After our expedition in the Lakes we then had a few days camping in Wales. Jamie came with us this time and he ‘Loved It!’ We made it to the top of Snowdon, although we cheated and took the train. It was fantastic and although the noise of the whistle and the steam put Jamie off a little, once we were moving he didn’t know where to look. At the top we had a little further to climb to the summit.

There was a small amount of cloud around but there was just the most amazing views. We had a cup of tea and a cake in the cafe and then boarded the train back down. We also took a trip round Angelsey one day, taking in the beach and cliffs, and took Jamie to Green Forest Adventure Park on another.

Since then, we have been back with some friends and camped for 2 nights. We then climbed Snowdon without the use of the train. This was at the beginning of October and the weather wasn’t as warm as it was in August and the nights were darker earlier. It was a great weekend and although there wasn’t the views this time when we reached the summit, we had the sense of achievement that we’d climbed it. We’d now just got to walk back down again!! 🙂

As we’ve moved into autumn I’ve been planning a new charity fundraising event as I enjoyed planning, doing and raising money so much for my last one – Tri-Dangerthon. This time it’s more physical! Fitness and stamina are going to play a massive role, so some serious training has now begun. You can get all the info and details over at –

That’s it for this post but now that I have had a re-design of this blog, I will be posting more regular. Next time it’s down to business…

Until then, play hard 🙂

Rich

Aches & Pains and being ‘Very High’

Following on from my last post, Sunday is truly a Day of Rest…

Sunday

After our 8 hour expedition to the summit of Scafell, the next day our thighs, knees and calves were what can only be described as hurting…. a lot!! 🙂

Being from Lincolnshire where everything is totally flat and barely a ‘slope’ in sight, walking approximately 6 miles up a mountain to 3162ft and down again certainly left us knowing about it. The walking poles I’d bought a week earlier we’re certainly a God send.

We therefore decided to rest our weary muscles and have a relaxing day, although we were still determined to reach the highest point in England and with this in mind we decided to take a drive to Wasdale Head which is the start point for the most direct route to the summit of Scafell Pike. Wasdale Head is on the northern tip of Wast Water which is Englands deepest lake at 243ft.

It is a beautiful place with an Inn, an outdoor wears shop, a small church and a B&B. Set in a valley between the hills it is very peaceful and green with the sound of a bleating sheep now and again. We had lunch at the Inn, bought some new boots from the shop (as our others were absolutely wet through and would never dry before tomorrow) and had a look around the church.

Back in the car and we took a drive towards the coast and took in Seascale and Ravensglass before heading back to the campsite.

Monday

Today’s the day to reach the Scafell Pikes summit, if we were going to do it. Getting up at around 6am to rain and mist didn’t make things look too hopeful. Still, being on the optimistic side we showered, ate, packed and headed off towards Wasdale Head. Arriving at the carpark there were only 2 other vehicles there, which compared to yesterdays almost full carpark didn’t fill us with confidence. The rain was till coming down ad the cloud was low. We decided we’d go for it! getting into our waterproofs we said that we’d give it a go and if it proved to difficult or that we could not follow the route, we would just turn around and head back down. So at 8.30am we set off from Wasdale Head along the path sign posted Scafell Massiff. I’d checked the map before we set off and the path was well defined, all was going well. The view of Wast Water was amazing,but as you can see, the cloud was very low and at this point we were not far off being in the thick of it. On we went until the path began to get very narrow and eventually disappear, leaving us boldering up a mountain stream. This wasn’t right. Out came the map and confirmed that we had in deed drifted off track….again! After about a 20 min hike back down stream we came to the path again and at this point realised that we should have crossed over the stream. We also met up with a couple of chaps that funnily enough came from Market Rasen, only 40 mins from where we live in Lincs. Bizarre!! After a chat with them we carried on on the right path. We kept on meeting the two fellas and eventually went all the way to the summit with them. Ian was quite a experienced walker and had been to the top of Scafell Pike a number of times while doing the 3 peaks challenge. Neil had attempted it before but not made it. As Ian was familiar with the mountain we followed a route that was off the main track. This took us up a very steep ascent, scrambling and bouldering. It was fantastic but a little hairy at times. We finally made the summit!!! 🙂 although there was no view and only heavy mist, ice cold rain and a blowing gale. All the same it had been a real thrill and we had a real feeling of achievement, standing on the highest point in England.

Who needs drugs when you can get this High!! 🙂

On the way back down, Ian & Neil went on ahead as they were traveling back to Lincolnshire the same day. Ju & I took our time as Ju’s left knee started to give her a lot of pain. Also as we came beneath the cloud the views that opened up once again were just as amazing, so we sat for about 20 mins and ate our sarnies with a cup of tea over looking the valley. About another hour and half and we reached the Inn at Wasdale where a well deserved drink was in order, a celebration and a chat with some locals before we headed back to the campsite for our final nights stay.

So, that’s the largest 2 of the 220 or so Wainrights in the Lake District that we have now ticked off our list. We shall be definitely heading back that way really soon and I can whole heartedly recommend the campsite at Boot and the wonderful scenery in the area that you will come across.

For our next expedition we will be heading towards Mount Snowdon in North Wales in August.

Cheers for now,

Rich

Making It To The Top….!

Well it always seems to be that a hectic week follows a fantastic break away. So I’m now just getting round to telling you about our weekend in the Lake District.

It was supposed to be the whole family but then our 2 teenagers decided that they had other plans which left just Ju, I & Jamie. As Jamie would then be without his brother or sister we gave him the choice to stay with his Nan & Grandad or come with us. N & G won hands down! (something to do with being very spoilt)

So off just Ju & I headed on Friday, to a little village called Boot at the base of Scafell in the Western Lakes. After a 4 and half hour trip and a drive over ‘Hardknott Pass’ a very narrow, steep and twisty road we arrived at the campsite. The evening was warm and sunny and we were surrounded by beautiful scenery – mountains, pine trees, becks, waterfalls, stone walls and buildings. Absolutely stunning!Saturday

The next morning we woke to more sunshine and got in the showers by 6am before the rest of the campsite were up. After a good hearty breakfast, we packed our kit and headed off at 7.30am towards Scafell the second largest mountain in England. Our Plan today was to make the summit of Scafell and then take the path to Scafell Pike and make the summit of that too!

Equipped with map and compass, which I must admit I haven’t used in a very long time we began to follow the route to the top.  On the way up there is a very spooky looking house called Burnmoor Lodge on the edge of Burnmoor Tarn, which to make it even all the more spooky is on the route called ‘Coffin Pass’.   Ooooooooeeer! It was quite eerie to be honest as there was no-one else around and as we approached the house we could hear a woodcutters axe chopping away. We both kept looking at each other as we got ever closer and I think we were both in 2 minds whether to just turn around and run like hell!

Curiosity got the better of us though and as we gingerly peeped over the stone wall and into the garden of the lodge there was a workman there fixing  a fence…..phew! 🙂

We then continued en route, up and up. The weather was still good and the views were amazing.

As we ascended towards the summit the path became steeper and very loose under foot. The cloud began to roll in and by the time we made it to the top it was very misty and damp.

We decided at this point that we wouldn’t continue on to Scafell Pike and instead descend a different route back to the campsite. The weather was now so bad that vision of the route was severely limited. As we headed off the summit we began to follow the piles of stones that other walkers head piled up over time to show the way. Unfortunately for us we lost the track after about 20 mins and for about the next 2 hours had to do our best with the map and compass! It did become a little worrying and scary as all we could see was grass, boulders and every now and again we’d see appearing out of the mist some very large sheep!! Julie fell about 6 times, the map got wet and I must admit at one point panic did show it’s ugly head. At this point we stopped, took stock (not of the sheep 🙂  ) and read the map. I was certain we were heading the right direction and then we heard water gushing. We headed towards the stream which lead us back to Burnmoor Tarn and onto the track back to the campsite.

We were soaked through and turning a little cold by the time we arrived back, so the hot showers were very welcome 🙂

Sunday & Monday to follow…..

The aches, pains and being ‘Very High’

Checking out Flocks new tools

Hi,

Just testing my Flock Browser ad it’s new tools that are available. I have been using flock for about a year now after it was recommended to me by Nick Tadd of http://www.socialmediatribes.co.uk and I have to say, its fantastic! It makes dragging and dropping info and photos to and from my computer really easy. It is also connected to facebook, twitter, you tube, flickr and more permanently and I can see others posts and tweets in the side bar in real time. To try it out for yourself go to http://www.flock.com

Let me know how you get on.

Cheers

Rich

PS this blog was written using flocks blog editor, so I had no need to go to my blog page, I just wrote this direct from my browser. Easy !
 

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Back to Normality!!!

Hi,

Well it’s been just over a week since I returned from India and I can say that I have now returned to some kind of normality, not that there’s ever much of that around our house!

I’ve also had time now to reflect on the trip, sort out and post my photos and I’ve almost completed the editing of all the video footage I took. It was, without doubt, an amazing experience that I shall never forget. Yes, it has changed my perspective on certain things and therefore has been a ‘life changing’ event, which I’ll talk more about in future posts.

For now I just wanted to let you know that I’m back and firing on all cylinders. Please take a look at my tridangerthon blog for the link to my photos and the latest update – ‘What the Papers say’

Cheers

Rich

Credit Card Scam…Be Aware!

Hi All,

I don’t usually pass on viral e-mails but this one was sent to me by a business associate and whether it is true or not, it would certainly be useful to be aware of it. Please take a read and let others know. Thanks, Rich.

_______________________________________________________

CREDIT CARD SCAM
PCSO 7135 Alison Monks – Lostock Hall Neighbourhood Policing Team

This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you’ll be better prepared to protect yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from “VISA”, and I was called on Thursday from “MasterCard”. The scam works like this: Person calling says, “This is (name), and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank) did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketing company based in London?” When you say “No”, the caller continues with, “Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from £297 to £497, just under the £500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?” You say “yes”. The caller continues – “I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of your card (0800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. “Do you need me to read it again?” Here’s the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works the caller then says, “I need to verify you are in possession of your card.” He’ll ask you to “turn your card over and look for some numbers.” There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, “That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?” After you say, “No,” the caller then thanks you and states, “Don’t hesitate to call back if you do”, and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of £497.99 was charged to our card. Long story – short – we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don’t give it to them. Instead, tell them you’ll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you’re receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you’ll see charges for purchases you didn’t make, and by then it’s almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report. What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a “Jason Richardson of MasterCard” with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn’t let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening. Please copy, paste and pass this on to all your family and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other.