DONE: No.50: Complete the Cardiff Snowdog Trail

Complete the Cardiff Snowdog Trail - DONE!  But, what the hell is the Cardiff Snowdog Trail?  Basically, from September till November this year, 43 snowdogs and 57 snowpups were unleashed at sites all across the city and the Vale of Glamorgan.  Each 'snowdog' is sponsored by a company and decorated by an artist, each snowpup has been decorated by a primary school or young persons group.  Actually, I’m not entirely sure why they are specifically ‘snow’ dogs and ‘snow’ pups but I think it’s something to do with Raymond Briggs and the Snowman! That makes sense - but basically they are huge, individually decorated doggies. Why?  It is all being done in aid of Ty Hafan, the major children's hospice provider in Wales.  

You start by downloading an app: Snowdogs: Tails in Wales - and all proceeds go towards Ty Hafan.  The app has an interactive map of where the snowdogs and snowpups are situated and then you go get 'em.   It has taken me four weeks to track them all down, mainly because I don't drive so have been getting trains and walking.   The majority of them are in central Cardiff but but I also had to get my ass down to Cardiff Bay, Penarth, Barry Island and the airport.   I think that's what I have found most fun, exploring parts of the city I don't really know.  Even when I got lost - a few times.   Having the interactive map was good, but wasn't fool proof!  Here are all 43 snowdogs:

 Each of the dogs has a different name and via the app you get to vote for your favourite. At this moment in time, the leading dog is one called Enfys and I'd probably agree with this, as he's decorated with the major sights of Cardiff it's not surprising.

By the way, I did think that snowdog hunting would be an easy way for me to bump up the number of selfies I've been taking over the 12 months - I don't like photos and I'm awfully shy when it comes to asking other folk if they'd be in a selfie  - hence I thought the snowdogs as inanimate objects who can't say no would be really useful.   Not so useful - I'm not a great photographer and still so shy that I just want to snap a photo as quickly as possible and then run!  If you can see a snowdog in any of these supposed selfies then well done!!!

That's about it for this task - a gentle and easy one, just required a bit of time and a bit of planning with regards to getting around the city.  Still, it gave me purpose at lunchtimes and I quite liked how different each dog was and the thought that had gone into them by each of the artists.  But, it's over now, for me anyway -  maybe I'll have to buy myself the paint your own snowdog figurine now as a keepsake!

DONE: Double Bubble - No.3: Couch to 5k AND No.35: Light up Cardiff 5k

Well!  I can't quite believe that I am finally able to say I have successfully completed the Couch to 5k running programme.  And, finished it with my first ever proper running race, the Light Up Cardiff 5k.  To say I'm chuffed is an understatement!

Initially I only included C25k because so many other birthday challenge lists all seemed to include really impressive sporty achievements.   I didn't feel that it was realistic for me to all of a sudden decide to run the London Marathon, not this year anyway, and if I wanted to sign up for a few fun 5k runs then realistically I'd have to start from the beginning - hence C25k.  I've never been a runner or an athlete or a sporty person.  When I was young I was a dancer and trained for 16 years or so, I was fit then.  Also, I'm walking fit and have completed 3 power walking marathons - yep, the full 26 point something miles - and these each involved 3 months dedicated training plans but running......By the way, this photo below isn’t because I’m an exhibitionist - the Moonwalk London is a power walking marathon for women and you all walk in decorated bras!

The C25k programme I'd heard so much about and it's been going for years so it must work?  Surely?  It's a 9 week programme and involves going out 3 times each week to walk/run for a total of 30 minutes each time.  In actual fact it has taken me quite a bit longer than the 9 weeks as I did feel the need to repeat a few of the weeks.  That's the amazing thing about the programme, it's up to you to see how you feel and if you need an extra week, or two, or three, well, you can.

So, 18th July, I went out for my very first attempt at running - at the age of 49, a heavy smoker for 30 years - how hard could it be?  I'd invested in proper running leggings, a couple of t-shirts, an ipod armband thingy and then the most important piece of kit - a reinforced, feat of engineering - the sports bra!  Oh my goodness ladies - this is SOOOO important.   Those puppies were not able to move an inch with a proper sports bra on. 

So, out we went - thankfully and amazingly Stewart agreed to follow the programme with me.   If you download the NHS C25k training app you get the choice of four 'trainers'.   Choose from Jo Whiley, Michael Johnson, Sanjeev Kohli or Sarah Millican.  It was a tough one - Sanjeev Kohli is an actor from two of my favourite programmes (Scottish telly) River City and Still Game, but, I went with Sarah cos she doesn't look a runner so I thought she might sound a bit more understanding along the way and she was.  We got called 'Flower' and 'Petal' and she was the right type of soothing and encouraging voice. Even though I did swear at her a lot when she would say 'only another 60 seconds to go, come on you can do it' - ANOTHER FREAKING 60 SECONDS, YOU BITCH, I'M DYING OUT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!

So, Week 1-4;  These are basically running short distances, walking in between, running again etc and building up from running 60 second bursts, to 90 second bursts, to 3 minute bursts to 5 minute bursts.  Always interspersed with walking.  Without question, these first four weeks for me were the hardest.  Looking back, I now laugh at the fact I cried and swore at having to run for only 5 minutes at a time but really, when you are a complete beginner these are the toughest weeks. You still don't think you can do it, what is coming in front of you seems impossible and I railed against it all. But, each week, Sarah Millican was there saying 'come on pet, you can do it'.

Just so I don't write way too much without making this a pretty blog, these are the random photos I took during my last few months of trying to become a runner:

Week 5 - you look ahead at what you're going to be doing and everybody without question during Week 5 goes WTF???  Week 5 is infamous!   You build up to doing two 10 minute runs and all of a sudden and from out of nowhere they chuck in a 20 minute continuous run!  Wait a second - the longest we've managed till now in a wunner is 10 minutes and all of a sudden you think I can keep going for 20 minutes??? Are you mad?  Actually, by the time you reach this point, Week 5, you're pretty determined and focussed - you've already done so many runs and have got into a routine and this is the make or break point - so, one Friday evening we went out to see if we could run for 20 minutes non-stop and you know what, we did it!  Kind of easily.  And from then on in, you're a runner, sort of.

After completing the 20 minute run you've definitely reached a certain point where you swear less, argue less and just try and let your legs - and lungs - get on with it.  Weeks 6-9 are definitely the easiest - even though technically they are now the hardest as they are the longest runs - but - you now just go out and run and don't get walking breaks.  By now, you get the fact that running is all about putting one leg in front of the other while remembering to breath and accepting that you can keep breathing while running - if you know what I mean.   I did repeat a couple of weeks in this period - either because I'd struggled, or I was poorly, but you just keep going.  I'd say that the key to having a successful C25k plan is to understand that it's not miraculous, you do have to go out 3 times a week, you do have to put the work in, you are going to hate it at times, but it works.  It bloody well works. Getting through this programme involved blood, sweat and tears - and I'd add in copious amounts of snot.  The blood - well, unfortunately in Week 8 I got bit/nipped by a dog.  A very unfortunate incident - I'm still sporting a bruise 10 days later.  But, was it all worth it? You bet - the feeling when you've just completed a run you didn't initially think you'd manage - the high fives between me and Stewart when we both did well, and the knowledge that 3 months ago I cried at trying to run for 60 seconds at a time and now I can run for 30 minutes non-stop - priceless.

ANWAYS, I know this is a very wordy account but we're nearly at the end.  So, dun, dun, duuuuun - the day was approaching where I would be able to do my final, graduation C25k run.  If it hadn't been for repeating some weeks, this would have been 'just another run'.  However, the timing worked out that my final C25k run actually became my first planned 5k fun run - Light Up Cardiff.  Number 35 on my task list.  So Friday evening this week, right at the start of Storm Bloody Brian, I had to get my nervous ass down to Cardiff Bay.

There were a few hundred folk signed up to do it - we were given flashing arm bands, we started from a pub, it was for fun, the weather was bloody atrocious but I had absolutely nothing to lose so I went past the starting line - with Sarah Millican's encouraging voice in my ear - and I ran, and I kept running even while being lashed by torrential rain and wind.  I kept going.  I think it was the thought of getting a shiny medal and getting out of the rain, and the fact I knew I'd planted a celebratory tinnie of Malibu and Pineapple in my sports bag for when I finished - I kept going - one foot in front of the other and keep breathing.   And it worked.   35 minutes in , I crossed the finish line.  HUZZAAAAHH.   I was SO happy.  C25k has been very worth the effort.  I never thought truly, that I had it in me, but I did.  And I'm proud.

 

ONGOING: No. 7: 50k/Miles of Weatherman Walks - No. 3 - Cardiff Bay

 

I'm doing really well with moving on with a lot of ongoing, long term challenges but the one which is furthest behind so far is No.7 - Weatherman Walks: 50 miles of Derek Brockway Welsh hikes.  No particular reason for this, just had other things to do at weekends, particularly now the football season has started again.  So, with Stewart taking a couple of days off work this week I decided to join him today and we agreed we'd go out another Weatherman's Walks.

Today we'd be doing the only urban one of Derek's Weatherman Walking hikes, the Cardiff Bay and Barrage circular hike, 5 miles today, bringing my ongoing total up to 15 miles so far.  Unfortunately, Derek's weathermen colleagues got the forecast for today completely wrong - it peed down the entire time we were out walking and we have ended exceedingly damp and steaming!?  Still, we'd said we do the walk today, we knew which restaurant we wanted to finish up in for tea so off we set trying to ignore the rain and the wind.

The actual start point for the Barrage walk is in Penarth but we decided to ignore that bit and started in the Bay and by point No.9 on the route - Roald Dahl Plass.  For those not from Cardiff this is the central point of the Bay with the Millennium Centre and the Senedd (Welsh Government building) and close to the restaurant area.   As it was a circular walk it was easy to start and end here.  Thankfully, I was able to kill two birds today as I am also currently hunting down Cardiff snow dogs and there were a LOT along this route.

From the central point in the Bay, we walked past all the restaurants, past Ianto's shrine (only really makes sense if you are in to Torchwood - filmed in Cardiff just like Dr Who is)

 

and on past St Davids Hotel, and Techniquest to the start of an area we've never been to before, the Cardiff Wetland Area Reserve.

It was very pretty, though the weather was awful by now, but there were birds about, it felt very peaceful and it did have lovely views across the Bay - well I'm sure they would be lovely on any other day when it wasn't chucking it down but at we tried to use our imaginations.

 

We carried on, heading towards Penarth, walking past the ice rink, the swimming pool and Cardiff Whitewater Rafting centre.  The weather was becoming bloody horrible by now.

Heading from the Wetlands Centre over to Penarth we came across this sculpture, it must have been fairly recent as Derek didn't mention it in his Weatherman Walking route -but then again, there was a lot of new building works we passed which have sprung up since he did his original walk.  Anyway, I've just looked this sculpture up online and it's called A Personal View.  I just liked it because I could take selfies of me and me!

Still, if we wanted to get back to Cardiff Bay train station there was only one way now.  Across the Barrage.   Completely open to the elements - the wind, the peeing down rain and the cold.   Thankfully it either wasn't as bad when we walked the barrage, or, we were so numb and damp that we no longer felt the cold. 

Because of the weather, it almost felt fitting when half way across we came across an exhibit about Captain Scott - there because apparently they set off for the South Pole from Cardiff.  Though by this point the wind had died down, it had stopped raining and we were nearly at the end of the walk in any case.   We got back to the main part of Cardiff Bay, caught the train back to Queen Street and we could go for a meal in Stewart's favourite chain restaurant Café Rouge feeling that we had earned the right to stuff our faces.   It would have been nice to do this walk in decent weather och well, cest la vie.

DONE: No.5 Make My Own Soap - Traditional and Melt and Pour

This time last week I was writing up about abseiling from the top of a HUGE bloody bridge.  This week, I was making my own fragrant handmade soap - can you get two more opposite challenges?  Actually, they are more similar than you'd think - soap making, in the traditional form is actually a seriously bloody dangerous activity!  Why?  Well, traditional soapmaking - or cold process soapmaking to give it's proper term involves the use of caustic soda (lye if you're from the US) which is highly toxic and involves a potentially dangerous chemical reaction.  Surprised?  I sure was.

I've actually wanted to make my own soap for some time.  While I was still working in the Film School I had romantic notions of starting my own cottage industry with some sort of craft, and soapmaking appealed.   It's cute, it smells nice and I could just imagine myself travelling from craft market to craft market having a really cute and craftsy soap stall.  I imagined myself smothered in rosebuds and lavender buds and the thought was oh so romantic.  In reality, soapmaking is done in the kitchen and involves 'recipes'.  Me - and kitchens - and recipes - we don't go together very easily, I can seriously screw up salads, so soapmaking has the potential for disaster.  However, I was determined.  I decided I would try two different ways of making soap - melt and pour, which doesn't involve the dangerous chemical processes so should be considered the easy option, and the traditional way which would mean I do have to measure out caustic soda.

I took a day off work to do this so I could give it my full concentration.   The first version I tried was melt and pour.

As I didn't have to mix dangerous chemicals together for this version I thought it would be easy.  Surely you just 'melt' and 'pour'?  I wish.  I actually chose a fairly technical recipe which involved three different layers.   First of all I had to melt the proper soap base which just took a bit of patience as you don't want to overheat. 

Once this base was melted, I had to separate portions out as I would be needing white soap, red soap and green soap - you see I would be making a heart shaped 'rose' soap so need the different colours for the different sections.   It all came from the one pan of melted soap but you then just add red dye and then green dye.  First off I had to do the rose head - which meant pink/red soap -

I then used the green soap to fill in the petals - don't have any photos as it was all getting so complicated by now I had to keep concentrating on what I was doing and forgot to keep taking photies,  Once I had filled in the green petals, over the pink rose heads,  you then just fill the rest of the mould with the original white soap.  It was a seriously messy process and I spent a lot of time frantically using tissue to wipe off spills.  Eventually though I had fairly tidily filled moulds I could put in the fridge to set.  Don't have any pics of these nor do I have any photo evidence of how hard it actually was to get the set soap out the bloody moulds.  I tried and tried and tried and I swore and swore and swore.  Eventually, the soaps came out, not always intact but thankfully I still had some of the initial melted soup left so I could restick rose petals and rose heads back on to the soap.  However, the final versions - they look alright!

 

Then, I moved on to the actually very dangerous traditional 'cold process' method of soapmaking. Again, I have few photos of this process as timing is crucial and you have to monitor temperatures constantly and really it demands attention to detail that I just can't handle!!!!  However, I was at least able to neatly lay out all ingredients that would be required.

The dangerous part of cold process soap making is basically when you add the caustic soda (lye) to water.  When you do this a chemical reaction happens which heats the water to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and also release highly caustic and dangerous vapour.   The safety advice for this stage is that definitely you need an apron, heavy duty plastic gloves and safety goggles - I didn't have safety goggles so instead used sunglasses?  You are also supposed to lock away all small children and pets.  I decided I'd do the chemical wizardy part of the soapmaking outside just in case.  The final elf n safety advice they gave was to 'hold your breath for as long as you can till the vapours disappear'.  Me - I took myself round the corner to the smoking shed for a quick fag and glass of wine!!!

Once the magickal and dangerous chemical process bitty had been done all that remained was to mix the lye with the previously melted oils and then stir.  And stir.....and stir......and stir......They told me not to use an electrical blender but a hand whisk - it took me 50 minutes to get the soap mixture to 'trace'.  I have subsequently seen video tutorials where they use an electric blender and get the job done in 5 minutes!!!!!!

 

Anyway, I did eventually manage to get the soap mixture to 'trace' (basically means the texture of thick gravy' and once that happened I could pour it into the loaf mould where I had to leave it for 24 horus.  Finally, once it had set I was able to cut it into slices and currently the slices are on a wire rack where it will cure for 3 - 4 weeks.  To be honest the best thing about a day of soapmaking has been that our house has smelt absolutely delicious ever since!    Would I do this again - I'll tell you in a few weeks time when the soap has finally 'cured' and is OK to use.

DONE: NO.46: Abseil off the Newport Transporter Bridge

This is the biggest challenge I have undertaken so far - not just for this '50' list - but EVER!  To abseil off the iconic - in south Wales - Newport Transporter Bridge.   It's high, awfy high.   And I would be abseiling from 178 feet!  Over a river....

When I compiled my list of things to do earlier this year I had great fun coming up with fun things and different things to try, like milking a cow, indoor skydiving, baking cupcakes etc.  But I felt I needed a few more extreme things to do, so when checking out things to do for charity I came across this abseil and signed up.   Back in April it seemed like it would be a jolly nice thing to do one autumn day.   However, as the date has been approaching I have been more and more scared.  And, so many times over the last few months we've driven past this bridge and the thought of what I would be doing became increasingly terrifying.

So yesterday, we drove to Newport and parked by the bridge.   This was the first time really that I was up close to it.  It is ominous!

I knew we would have to walk up 278 steps just to get to the platform and thought I would be fine with that but in actual fact, this felt like a task in itself. I'm grateful that I'm nearly at the end of my couch to 5k training as otherwise I think I would have struggled!

However, before I started the climb I had to get geared up - bottom harness, chest harness, helmet and gloves.

 

Finally, I started the climb to the top with the guy who would be doing it at the same time as me - throughout the day approximately 50 people were mad enough to be doing this.  I think we were all driven though by the fact we were raising money for the charity St Davids Hospice Care.   Thankfully, I don't generally have a problem with heights but as we climbed up and up and up I realised that there was no way I really wanted to look down, but, couldn't resist a break half way up to wave down to Stewart. Mam came with us as well and I was also greatly surprised when two friends from our regular Sunday night quiz turned up to support me. Felt great to have folk there to watch and offer support. 

 

As we were climbing up the steps we met a woman who was walking down them.  That could only mean one thing - she hadn't been able to do it.  She was visibly upset and shaken and pretty much just wanted to walk past us but I did put my arm on her shoulder and asked 'are you OK'?  She wasn't.  By the time she had climbed up to the abseiling platform she was already in a state about the height she was up and just couldn't bring herself to do it.   She was gutted.  I felt gutted for her as well but at the same time I knew there was no way I could face going back down - by stairs.  My quiz friend had said to Stewart that she knew I would do it and wouldn't bottle it - Stewart's reply was that he knew I would as well as I was aware how much sh*t he'd give me I copped out!

Once we were at the top, everything happened so quickly, which is good because by now my legs were like absolute jelly and not just because of the 278 steps we'd just climbed.   For weeks I've been trying to visualise myself stepping off the bridge backward and letting go and I just haven't been able to picture myself in that moment.  It's the bit I was most scared off and it turned out to be the bit that I did find most difficult and terrifying.  It's SO not natural to step backwards off a freakingly high bridge and then let go!   Thankfully the guys at the top were exceedingly calm and patient and encouraging.  They had to be!  Every time I was given an instruction - 'duck under the ledge' 'put both hands on the rope' 'take your legs away from the bridge' every single time I repeated the command, questioned the command and made him tell me how I could carry out the command and not drop to my death!!!   Was I being a drama queen - hell yes!

 

The time I had been dreading had come - 'put both hands on the rope and step away from the bridge' I'm disappointed to discover that I screamed - not only did I scream but I really screamed like a baby!

 

 

This photo shows the height a little better:

 

 

 Once I had let go though and was dangling, the rest of the abseil was an absolute dawdle.  I wish I had actually gone faster on the descent and if/when I do another abseil I will!  The video below is seriously shortened - the abseil itself probably took around 3 minutes from top to bottom. I am SO incredibly grateful to Stewart for not only putting up with me this year but also being my chauffeur and official photographer/videographer. 

 

 

 

Overall, I am so chuffed with myself for doing this.   The mental battle I had at the top to climb over the ledge was immense, I really was shaking and had to go into autopilot.  But, I'm proud of  the fact I have survived the 'step off the bridge', I enjoyed the views on the way down and I enjoyed waving to the folk waiting for me on the ground.  It was incredible fun.   If you have enjoyed what you have seen and enjoyed me screaming, then it's still not too late to donate to St Davids Hospice Care via my justgiving page: 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lesley-edge3

 

See you next time!  xxx