Jingle all the way...to the finish line!

Into December, the run up to Christmas, New Year and the final challenge for Roz, me and team Fight Cystic Fibrosis!

It has been epic, truly epic. We started over 12 months ago with an outlandish plan we had no idea would go anywhere, one of those thoughts that you usually forget to water and it withers out of sight and mind. There have been injuries, near misses, wet feet, many costumes, funny hotels, delayed ferries, frozen limbs, tired hearts and lots of fun.

None of this would have been possible without the support and backing of so many people that joined us on events, supported us through the challenges, sponsored us during the year and generally kept our spirits and enthusiasm tip-top!

Our motivation has been driven not only by friends and family but by our feelings for our friend, Anders, who has cystic fibrosis, and his courage and determination in the face of such adversity. When we heard about the funding reductions to cystic fibrosis research we wanted to do something in some small way to help the fantastic efforts of the CF Trust and all those fighting cystic fibrosis. So team Fight CF was born with the aim of raising £2,012 through the 12 in 12 in 2012 challenge!

With the support and generosity of friends, family and strangers we have exceeded our expectations and had such a fantastic year and cannot thank everyone enough for making it all possible.
 
It started with the Great Winter Run in Edinburgh around Arthur’s Seat,back in January, in freezing conditions and with Roz shot down with sciatica! Little did we know that a 5th person had actually completed the run for FCF that morning along with Bronwen, Simon and Susie...

With Roz still suffering we moved on to her brainwave of a challenge and the fancy dress gym challenge in Glasgow. Roz, I will forgive you, eventually. We had over 6 hours of gym classes in one day, including 3 spin classes and 2 meta-fit challenges. Good job I was joined by Zoe and we both didn't look silly or anything! We also had Simon, Pam and Aileen to join in some of the classes, another team effort...

Though Roz was far from fighting fit she returned, gritting her teeth for the Bradford 10k; along with Sarah, Andy and Rob with the vital support of Mary that included post race chocolate...

April had us canoeing the length of Lake Windermere with our friend Andy; with his wife Jane and family shouting from the sidelines along with our stalwart supporters the Hardings...

May was more fancy dress for the Great Manchester Run, where we were there as Mario and Luigi for 10k of friendly heckling from the crowd...

This all took us to June at breakneck speed for a cycle from Glasgow to Islay during a monsoon. Simon joined us for the island hopping across Arran and the Mull of Kintyre to get to Islay, via 3 ferries and over 80 miles, with Susie along for the ride as our road support. We battled through the storm, were welcomed at different stages by Bronwen and Scott and eventually battled through to a warm, comfortable seat and the most delicious slice of toast I have ever eaten...

To kick off the second half of the year we took on the Three Peaks Challenge across Wales, England and Scotland - an ascent of nearly 10,000 ft over 26 miles of terrain. Roz and I were joined by Bronwen who put us both to shame with her ability to take the odd mountain in her stride...

We all suffered minor injuries from the climbing but Roz's knee was unable to undertake the cycle between Glasgow and Edinburgh along the Union Canal path. James stepped into the breach with 48hrs notice, what a star...

September and not only did we have the Chicago half-marathon to contend with but Roz also took on the Glasgow 10k - for missing the cycling due to injury, what a trooper. Ed gave us a place to stay, tourist suggestions and joined us for a little long-distance torture in the morning sun...

The Great Edinburgh Run in October brought us back home and another fantastic gathering of folk willing to raise money and awareness for a good cause. Ainsley, Bronwen, Fro, Fee, Finlay, Menzies and Sarah: take a bow...

November brought the folly of tandem biking in fancy dress over the seven classic hills of Edinburgh; completed with the training and bike of John and Rachel. Good job I wasn't allergic to tweed...

So last Sunday brought the final event with the Edinburgh Santa Run on 9 December, along with Alex, Finn, Gill, Kit, Jon, Simon, Susie and Nina (the 5th runner from January!)...

After the run we held a raffle and a private viewing of The Muppets Christmas Carol to get us into the festive spirit and celebrate crossing the finish line. Huge thanks go to Gail, Richie, Dave and the generous folk at Real Foods, Vino, Bruichladdich, the Islay Chocolate Company, Gaia (Leith Walk) and Isobar (Bernard St, Leith) for prizes and support.

Throughout this incredible year we have been constantly reminded of the depth of people’s generosity. We have raised over £6,500 from an initial target of £2,012 but, as good a result as this is, it is all the help and the support from people - mentioned above and many others that have helped us in a variety of ways - that has pushed us along and made all of this possible. Our fundraising page has no fewer than 12 team members that joined the fray. We were supported by so many people as part of our challenges and received nothing but encouragement from friends, colleagues and strangers alike.

There does need to be a special mention for Simon and Susie who have been tremendous throughout our year of challenges. I cannot stress how much we have appreciated them joining in so much of this year and helping us to achieve and exceed our fundraising targets. Without them and their enthusiasm we would have been nowhere near as successful and this has been a true team effort in every sense.

The accommodation, cake, odd dram and kind words given by everyone have all been warmly received; helping to make any dark times a little lighter and the successes a good deal brighter. We couldn't have done any of this without these sources of inspiration and strength. A massive, heartfelt thank you, it has truly been overwhelming.

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all. My 2013 resolution will involve a lot less travelling and considerably more chocolate!

The hills are alive... With the sound of...

Ouch, wait, right, 1,2,3, go... Ah, the sound of the penultimate challenge. Mastering a tandem bike didn't sound that hard. Surely you just get on and pedal right? Em, well, there seemed to be more to it than that. Team FCF had to both master tandem cycling and safely negotiate themselves around the 7 classic hills of Edinburgh without causing a road traffic accident. All in fancy dress.

For those who haven't had the pleasure of trying a tandem, let me try to describe the steep learning curve we undertook. Thankfully, John and Rachel (who loaned us their trusty bike) gave us a lesson in advance of the challenge. Balance is one issue; it all feels a little wobbly when you first set off! You also need to learn to cope with a lack of vision. The person at the back can't see where they're going and the person at the front can't see the traffic behind them. Communication is key. It is also key to starting, peddling and stopping. The myth that the person at the back can just have a rest really is a myth. When one person stops peddling, you both do so you can't coast without the other person knowing!

Despite these challenges we set off enthusiastically on a beautiful Edinburgh winter's day. We were dressed to impress and were waved off to whoops and cheers (thanks John, Morag, Michael and Ruth!). Off we flew around the corner and up a wee hill. We then had to stop and check the map... But before we knew it, we were nearing the first of Edinburgh's classic hills. I'm sure the Sunday morning walkers were delighted to see 2 idiots peddling their way up the path to the top of Corstorphine hill. First one = done.

Across town, a few more map checks and we reached Craiglochart. Unfortunately, we weren't at the top, but could see a couple of wee steps so thought we could manage to carry the bike up. The few steps turned out to be a lot of steps. The view was worth it and hill 2 complete. Onwards to the Braid Hills and our one and only heckle in Morningside - I was peddling Bri, honest! The Braid hills also threw up a slight debate about where the highest accessible point was. We decided the golf course was certainly high enough so we flew down the hill and negotiated our way to Blackford.

There is no doubt Edinburgh is a hilly city but so far, we'd coped relative well and not really had to push the bike. The last few hundred yards up to Blackford were steep, very steep. A little push was required but soon we were on top of the world once more and over half way through. Onwards and downwards with increasing confidence and less shouts of "BRAKE" from behind!

After annoying a few drivers by going the wrong way round Arthur's seat, we were met by family Harding with well needed sustenance. With a slight fear that it was starting to get dark the feet hit the pedals and we zoomed on up to Carlton hill before attempting the final assault to the castle. We were feeling determined to get up without pushing but the steep cobbles proved impossible on tired legs. I think the tourists were even more bemused by people pushing a tandem in odd clothing!

And we were done... 7 hills in over 4 hours on a very cold, crisp winter's day. We then headed home for the perfect way to end our penultimate challenge: with a drink by an open fire. And relax...  Until the final challenge! A delightful run around Princess Street gardens dressed as Santa on the 9th December. Will we reach £6500? Visit:www.justgiving.co.uk/teams/FCF to help out.
Finally we'd like to once again thank those involved with the challenge. John and Rachel, your bike knowledge was invaluable and your bike treated us so kindly. Ruth, Morag, Si, Susie, Nina and parents Taylor and Bron - thanks for cheering us on at different points and buying a drink at the end. 11 down, 1 to go... You know, I think we might actually do this....