4th Blog 09/7/2012
So its done! After a weekend relaxing and recovering (or what should have been) i can reflect on a successful trip down the Wye. It went without a hitch and the river was flowing just about perfect for me. On day one i left Glasbury at 8am and encountered 50m or so of shallow water where i had to hop of the board for a minute or 2, i came up against a headwind on a couple of straights which made going a bit slower but nothing major, there was also a couple of showers but i got down to Hereford by 3pm (33.75 miles). The second day i set out early again in what turned out to be a perfect paddling day, virtually no wind and lovely sunshine most of the day, i made good time again and got down to Ross-on-Wye (29 miles). The third day i arrived at Ross and the rain was actually hammering it down which didn't stop all day. The river was rising so i got on the board to try and get the last 20 miles to Monmouth over with, i was lucky to be accompanied by Matt, Pete Wood and Shaun Lyons in their canoe for this part of the journey. We arrived in Monmouth properly drenched but to a few family and friends waiting to celebrate which was lovely. In total it was 82 miles and i spent 16 hours and 37 minutes paddling. Most importantly the money raised for ShelterBox stands at £1306 which is fantastic.
A massive thank you to all of you who donated which was very kind of you and your money is going to a fantastic cause. Also i have to thank many people who this would'nt have been possible without. These people are Mum & Dad who were in the car for three days following me,supporting me and giving me food/ water. Matt from SUP Gower who supplied all of my equipment as well as some great advice. My girlfriend Lucy for her support, her Dad Phil Collins at Collins design & build for his sponsorship, Ashley & Hannah Smith at Penguing Printing for making me look the part, my friend Liam Hope at Loe Beach watersports down in Cornwall, Ade & Mary Kimber (support and helping me out with my equipment), Ron & Linda Carter (support and advice), Catherine Preedy (support and Hereford Rowing club), Nick Wood (river advice), James Wood (designer) Bill & Ailsa Main (hot tub :-)!) Sue Stock (support along the river) Whitney Toll Bridge, Paul and Maggie Bristow and Jan Bullock for coming out to support, Alex Ferentinos (nutritional advice), David Higgs (journalist), Peter Carne (help) & finally Shaun Lyons, Peter Wood and Matt Wood for braving the hammering rain for 5 hours to paddle down the last section with me.
So what next?
Next year i'm keen for another unique fundraising adventure, ideas more than welcome [email protected]
I'm up for lots of things and the more physically challenging the better!!
3rd Blog Tuesday 26th June
Hi all, been a manic week for me so far. After returning home from France on Sunday yesterday i went with mother to Swansea to meet event sponsor and SUP expert Matt from SUP Gower. We started off by having a chat and brainstorming, checking we had covered all aspects of the mission. We then headed down to the bay and had a go on the board i will be riding, (Jimmy Lewis 12"6) which is kindly being lent by Matt. I had the chance to try a couple of paddles and get to know the board. I was a little bit unstable at first but found myself progressing with every stroke, this morning i went down on the river for a quick paddle, the river is flowing high and fast at the moment which is great for me in terms of speed but slightly more dangerous. I found it much easier than yesterday as yesterday in the sea with the chop the water moves many directions into the board, on the river i felt perfectly stable. I'm looking forward to having a couple of little trips, building the mileage every time and then going for it a week tomorrow!
2nd Blog, Training 29/5/2012
Hello everyone
120 pound in donations already, a massive thank you to those that have donated. Over 2000 views on the website and the facebook page slowly gathering likes! I’m guessing things will be a bit quieter now until a few weeks before the event, please help by spreading the word too please. I would love to make as much as possible to help as many people affected by disasters as possible.
I’ve started training for the event, I always like to keep myself as fit as possible and being a rugby player for a living I couldn’t be happy being in anything other than in peak condition. My team USON rugby have just been knocked out of our playoffs, so for the next four weeks, the rugby side of training will get less whilst the fitness and gym sessions will be more frequent. With this being an endurance event I’m intrigued about how my body will cope, the maximum I will work for in a match is 80 minutes and its obviously going to be a very different type of fitness to a match where I might sprint for 5 seconds, get up of the floor, wait for 30 seconds, sprint again and so forth.
The best type of training for me to be doing for Stand-up paddle boarding would be Stand up paddle boarding but due to rugby commitments and having no access to a board I haven’t been able to do any yet. On a couple of occasions I’ve been out on the river for a canoe, now the season finished I will get on the water as much as possible.
In the gym during my free time I’ve been using the winch (a kind of hand cycle) and rowing machine this is to get my arms used to working under stress for longer periods of times and for the cardio side of it too. The winch is a much hated machine as we often get sent there to do our cardio work when we have injured our lower half of the body and can’t run or cycle rest assured that a programme of 20 minutes on there really hurts!
Other than that and general body conditioning I’ve been working on my core, Stand up paddle boarding long journeys like most other movements is dependent on having a strong core, a strong core will help me to balance and be stood up for long periods of time. I also work my oblique’s which will be put under immense amounts of pressure during the trip throughout each paddling movement. Having strong shoulders and upper back are also very important to me completing this journey so I will be working on them in the gym too.
Fuelling my body for the trip is very important I’m going to have to keep topping my energy stores up by eating and taking water on board. I’ve just had a chat with nutritional expert and rugby player Alex Ferentinos who gave me some great advice and we discussed ideas about what I should be getting into my body. My food and fluid intake during the trip is vital to me completing it successfully. So I am giving it lots of thought and attention.
Logistically I won’t have much room to carry food, I will have a 2 litre Camelbak on my back to be able to get water into me, but then I will have to rely on smaller items that will fit in my waist belt and pockets for food. My support team (Father and Mother) then will hopefully be able to meet me at various times and places so I can get a meal high in carbohydrates on board.
Thanks once again for taking time to look at the site, please think about donating to this wonderful cause. ShelterBox has recently helped people in Peru affected by floods and landslides, Fiji where floods struck, Italy when an earthquake struck and Madagascar when a cyclone hit. It’s impossible to predict when these disasters will happen next and how destructive they will be.
First Blog & a Little Intro 24/04/2012
The website and Facebook page are now live, which gets the ball rolling nicely. Also it's great that a few donations have already come in too as I wasn’t really expecting any until closer to the event time. I’m suprised that since I made the website live at 10pm yesterday evening and before I woke at 8am this morning the page had been viewed 80 times, which is great.
I’ve wanted to do something for charity for a long time; I’ve never really done anything individual in terms of fundraising, all the other things have been group or club related such as fun runs or sponsored cycles. I was looking for something different to do when I thought about Stand-Up-Paddle-Boarding, a sport which is growing rapidly in popularity. It’s a sport I haven’t really done enough of, especially considering what I’m attempting, but I hope that before the event starts I will have a few more hours experience. I normally partake in plenty of adventurous things during my summer month off, so I thought rather than just doing it for myself and my pre-pre rugby season training, I should do it to help benefit people.
ShelterBox is a charity based in Cornwall and is a very worthy cause. I first became aware of the charity a few years ago when I was living in Falmouth. I remember thinking at the time what a great concept it is. My parents and Gran have also donated in the past and ShelterBox is based in what was my Gran's local town. For more information about the charity, please check out the ‘about ShelterBox’ page on this website.
Having the job that I have, training and keeping fit is very important to me. Other than my normal rugby training I will be doing a few things more specific to the event. My next blog will be about this training process.
The help and support I have had so far has been brilliant and everyone has been really positive about it. I’d like to say a few quick thanks starting with my good friend and creative genius James Wood for designing the logo; Matt at SUP Gower for his advice/ideas and agreeing to lend me a board and paddle; my friends Ashley and Hannah Smith at Penguin Printing for sponsoring the event and agreeing to help with the customised t-shirts and shorts; Phil Collins at Collins Design & Build for being an event sponsor; my good friend Liam Hope at Loe Beach Watersports down in Cornwall for his help/knowledge and being an event sponsor, and my brother Peter for his general help and clever mind. Finally, my parents for sponsoring the event and who, with my girlfriend Lucy, have offered plenty of great advice and support.
If you have a business or company and would like to be involved, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Carney
So its done! After a weekend relaxing and recovering (or what should have been) i can reflect on a successful trip down the Wye. It went without a hitch and the river was flowing just about perfect for me. On day one i left Glasbury at 8am and encountered 50m or so of shallow water where i had to hop of the board for a minute or 2, i came up against a headwind on a couple of straights which made going a bit slower but nothing major, there was also a couple of showers but i got down to Hereford by 3pm (33.75 miles). The second day i set out early again in what turned out to be a perfect paddling day, virtually no wind and lovely sunshine most of the day, i made good time again and got down to Ross-on-Wye (29 miles). The third day i arrived at Ross and the rain was actually hammering it down which didn't stop all day. The river was rising so i got on the board to try and get the last 20 miles to Monmouth over with, i was lucky to be accompanied by Matt, Pete Wood and Shaun Lyons in their canoe for this part of the journey. We arrived in Monmouth properly drenched but to a few family and friends waiting to celebrate which was lovely. In total it was 82 miles and i spent 16 hours and 37 minutes paddling. Most importantly the money raised for ShelterBox stands at £1306 which is fantastic.
A massive thank you to all of you who donated which was very kind of you and your money is going to a fantastic cause. Also i have to thank many people who this would'nt have been possible without. These people are Mum & Dad who were in the car for three days following me,supporting me and giving me food/ water. Matt from SUP Gower who supplied all of my equipment as well as some great advice. My girlfriend Lucy for her support, her Dad Phil Collins at Collins design & build for his sponsorship, Ashley & Hannah Smith at Penguing Printing for making me look the part, my friend Liam Hope at Loe Beach watersports down in Cornwall, Ade & Mary Kimber (support and helping me out with my equipment), Ron & Linda Carter (support and advice), Catherine Preedy (support and Hereford Rowing club), Nick Wood (river advice), James Wood (designer) Bill & Ailsa Main (hot tub :-)!) Sue Stock (support along the river) Whitney Toll Bridge, Paul and Maggie Bristow and Jan Bullock for coming out to support, Alex Ferentinos (nutritional advice), David Higgs (journalist), Peter Carne (help) & finally Shaun Lyons, Peter Wood and Matt Wood for braving the hammering rain for 5 hours to paddle down the last section with me.
So what next?
Next year i'm keen for another unique fundraising adventure, ideas more than welcome [email protected]
I'm up for lots of things and the more physically challenging the better!!
3rd Blog Tuesday 26th June
Hi all, been a manic week for me so far. After returning home from France on Sunday yesterday i went with mother to Swansea to meet event sponsor and SUP expert Matt from SUP Gower. We started off by having a chat and brainstorming, checking we had covered all aspects of the mission. We then headed down to the bay and had a go on the board i will be riding, (Jimmy Lewis 12"6) which is kindly being lent by Matt. I had the chance to try a couple of paddles and get to know the board. I was a little bit unstable at first but found myself progressing with every stroke, this morning i went down on the river for a quick paddle, the river is flowing high and fast at the moment which is great for me in terms of speed but slightly more dangerous. I found it much easier than yesterday as yesterday in the sea with the chop the water moves many directions into the board, on the river i felt perfectly stable. I'm looking forward to having a couple of little trips, building the mileage every time and then going for it a week tomorrow!
2nd Blog, Training 29/5/2012
Hello everyone
120 pound in donations already, a massive thank you to those that have donated. Over 2000 views on the website and the facebook page slowly gathering likes! I’m guessing things will be a bit quieter now until a few weeks before the event, please help by spreading the word too please. I would love to make as much as possible to help as many people affected by disasters as possible.
I’ve started training for the event, I always like to keep myself as fit as possible and being a rugby player for a living I couldn’t be happy being in anything other than in peak condition. My team USON rugby have just been knocked out of our playoffs, so for the next four weeks, the rugby side of training will get less whilst the fitness and gym sessions will be more frequent. With this being an endurance event I’m intrigued about how my body will cope, the maximum I will work for in a match is 80 minutes and its obviously going to be a very different type of fitness to a match where I might sprint for 5 seconds, get up of the floor, wait for 30 seconds, sprint again and so forth.
The best type of training for me to be doing for Stand-up paddle boarding would be Stand up paddle boarding but due to rugby commitments and having no access to a board I haven’t been able to do any yet. On a couple of occasions I’ve been out on the river for a canoe, now the season finished I will get on the water as much as possible.
In the gym during my free time I’ve been using the winch (a kind of hand cycle) and rowing machine this is to get my arms used to working under stress for longer periods of times and for the cardio side of it too. The winch is a much hated machine as we often get sent there to do our cardio work when we have injured our lower half of the body and can’t run or cycle rest assured that a programme of 20 minutes on there really hurts!
Other than that and general body conditioning I’ve been working on my core, Stand up paddle boarding long journeys like most other movements is dependent on having a strong core, a strong core will help me to balance and be stood up for long periods of time. I also work my oblique’s which will be put under immense amounts of pressure during the trip throughout each paddling movement. Having strong shoulders and upper back are also very important to me completing this journey so I will be working on them in the gym too.
Fuelling my body for the trip is very important I’m going to have to keep topping my energy stores up by eating and taking water on board. I’ve just had a chat with nutritional expert and rugby player Alex Ferentinos who gave me some great advice and we discussed ideas about what I should be getting into my body. My food and fluid intake during the trip is vital to me completing it successfully. So I am giving it lots of thought and attention.
Logistically I won’t have much room to carry food, I will have a 2 litre Camelbak on my back to be able to get water into me, but then I will have to rely on smaller items that will fit in my waist belt and pockets for food. My support team (Father and Mother) then will hopefully be able to meet me at various times and places so I can get a meal high in carbohydrates on board.
Thanks once again for taking time to look at the site, please think about donating to this wonderful cause. ShelterBox has recently helped people in Peru affected by floods and landslides, Fiji where floods struck, Italy when an earthquake struck and Madagascar when a cyclone hit. It’s impossible to predict when these disasters will happen next and how destructive they will be.
First Blog & a Little Intro 24/04/2012
The website and Facebook page are now live, which gets the ball rolling nicely. Also it's great that a few donations have already come in too as I wasn’t really expecting any until closer to the event time. I’m suprised that since I made the website live at 10pm yesterday evening and before I woke at 8am this morning the page had been viewed 80 times, which is great.
I’ve wanted to do something for charity for a long time; I’ve never really done anything individual in terms of fundraising, all the other things have been group or club related such as fun runs or sponsored cycles. I was looking for something different to do when I thought about Stand-Up-Paddle-Boarding, a sport which is growing rapidly in popularity. It’s a sport I haven’t really done enough of, especially considering what I’m attempting, but I hope that before the event starts I will have a few more hours experience. I normally partake in plenty of adventurous things during my summer month off, so I thought rather than just doing it for myself and my pre-pre rugby season training, I should do it to help benefit people.
ShelterBox is a charity based in Cornwall and is a very worthy cause. I first became aware of the charity a few years ago when I was living in Falmouth. I remember thinking at the time what a great concept it is. My parents and Gran have also donated in the past and ShelterBox is based in what was my Gran's local town. For more information about the charity, please check out the ‘about ShelterBox’ page on this website.
Having the job that I have, training and keeping fit is very important to me. Other than my normal rugby training I will be doing a few things more specific to the event. My next blog will be about this training process.
The help and support I have had so far has been brilliant and everyone has been really positive about it. I’d like to say a few quick thanks starting with my good friend and creative genius James Wood for designing the logo; Matt at SUP Gower for his advice/ideas and agreeing to lend me a board and paddle; my friends Ashley and Hannah Smith at Penguin Printing for sponsoring the event and agreeing to help with the customised t-shirts and shorts; Phil Collins at Collins Design & Build for being an event sponsor; my good friend Liam Hope at Loe Beach Watersports down in Cornwall for his help/knowledge and being an event sponsor, and my brother Peter for his general help and clever mind. Finally, my parents for sponsoring the event and who, with my girlfriend Lucy, have offered plenty of great advice and support.
If you have a business or company and would like to be involved, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Carney