clownsinthesky.org > RSS > Articles en http://www.clownsinthesky.org RSS Feed for clownsinthesky.org Copyright: (C) clownsinthesky.org, see http://www.clownsinthesky.org for terms and conditions of reuse 60 clownsinthesky.org Ecclesiact Web System for Churches http://www.ecclesiact.com <![CDATA[Liverpool Triathlon]]>
Thank you to all who have sponsored and encouraged me whilst training for the Liverpool Triathlon. I am pleased to say I finished the course in 2hrs and 36 minutes, a much better time than I was initially predicting. The £250 raised will go a long way to supporting children who are having major operations and treatments to remove brain tumours - so from all the Clowns in the Sky team, thank you very much. I will be collecting sponsorship over the coming weeks if that is OK. Below is a race summary for those interested in the finer details.
Matt


Swim
This was 1.5km in Liverpool Docks, equivalent to 60 lengths of a 25m pool. Having not swum in open water before this was all new to me and the mass start included 277 people which means one hell of a fight to get round the first buoy. The water was green and visibility was poor so I just hung close to the chap next to me, breathing deeply every 2 strokes initially to avoid the short breathes that the cold water almost forces you to take. We reached the first buoy which meant a bit of contact and argy bargy with those around you and then a long straight which allowed the pack to thin out a little. I felt more comfortable once there were less bodies around and I concentrated on trying to break into a rhythm of breathing every 3. My nightmare of having water ingress into my goggles did not come true thank goodness. We turned for home and leaving the water my legs felt like dead weights! I looked at my watch and it said 25 minutes, my previous best in the pool was 29:49, so the wetsuit, cooler water and dislike for open water clearly helped me on a treat!

Bike
I waddled into transition having mentally prepared for getting the wetsuit off quickly and my bike kit on in a set order. This went to plan and I left transition onto a nice flat section of road. The bike ride is 40km, or 4 times round a 10km route. The opening section was quick and I got comfortable in the tuck position knowing I would be here for quite a while! The route went up a bit of incline and then levelled out nicely again, the road surface was patchy in places but generally you could pick a smooth line. 5k in and the first 180 degree turn came, suddenly I turned into the wind and although it was flat, my speed plummeted from 37km/h to 25km/h. This continued for some time until another quick downhill section took me back past the transition area and to the other 180 degree turning point. I concentrated on pushing on the fast sections and then tagging onto a group where possible for the slow windy sections to push me on. The bike was quite enjoyable and the crowds were pretty big which always makes you want to push harder. Average speed was 31.1km/h which I had built up over the 4 laps, so I knew this would be around 1hr 18mins for the bike section which was bang on what I was estimating.

Run
A 10k run to finish! I left transition from the bike in 1hr 47mins cumulative time. Whilst running out of transition I tried to do the maths. If I could run a 50 minute 10k I would finish in sub 2hrs 40 - game on! However, my legs refused to do more than a shuffle and although not out of breath, my legs were failing massively. The first few kilometres I took steady so as not to cramp up. Sarah and her sister Fiona were out with their 'Go Matt' banner which gave me another kick on but I was tiring fast. Half way round the first lap I got stomach pain and realised I had a full tank from drinking half of Liverpool docks, this was sorted with a quick pit stop. After this I moved a bit more freely and got round to the 5k mark in 25 mins 30 seconds, particularly as Sarah brandished the bacon sandwich that would await me at the finish line. Around 6-7km I got a second wind and made some solid progress but then from 8-10km I slowed a lot. Still, the end was near and a final push saw me cross the line in around 2hrs 36 mins meaning I must have just about broken 50 minutes for the run.

Definitely got the triathlon bug and I will be entering the Leeds Triathlon in September hopefully.

Thanks all again for your sponsorship, it really did spur me on.



Matthew Fassihi]]> 1439693825 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:07:06 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 1439693825 0 2011-06-28
Thank you to all who have sponsored and encouraged me whilst training for the Liverpool Triathlon. I am pleased to say I finished the course in 2hrs and 36 minutes, a much better time than I was initially predicting. The £250 raised will go a long way to supporting children who are having major operations and treatments to remove brain tumours - so from all the Clowns in the Sky team, thank you very much. I will be collecting sponsorship over the coming weeks if that is OK. Below is a race summary for those interested in the finer details.
Matt


Swim
This was 1.5km in Liverpool Docks, equivalent to 60 lengths of a 25m pool. Having not swum in open water before this was all new to me and the mass start included 277 people which means one hell of a fight to get round the first buoy. The water was green and visibility was poor so I just hung close to the chap next to me, breathing deeply every 2 strokes initially to avoid the short breathes that the cold water almost forces you to take. We reached the first buoy which meant a bit of contact and argy bargy with those around you and then a long straight which allowed the pack to thin out a little. I felt more comfortable once there were less bodies around and I concentrated on trying to break into a rhythm of breathing every 3. My nightmare of having water ingress into my goggles did not come true thank goodness. We turned for home and leaving the water my legs felt like dead weights! I looked at my watch and it said 25 minutes, my previous best in the pool was 29:49, so the wetsuit, cooler water and dislike for open water clearly helped me on a treat!

Bike
I waddled into transition having mentally prepared for getting the wetsuit off quickly and my bike kit on in a set order. This went to plan and I left transition onto a nice flat section of road. The bike ride is 40km, or 4 times round a 10km route. The opening section was quick and I got comfortable in the tuck position knowing I would be here for quite a while! The route went up a bit of incline and then levelled out nicely again, the road surface was patchy in places but generally you could pick a smooth line. 5k in and the first 180 degree turn came, suddenly I turned into the wind and although it was flat, my speed plummeted from 37km/h to 25km/h. This continued for some time until another quick downhill section took me back past the transition area and to the other 180 degree turning point. I concentrated on pushing on the fast sections and then tagging onto a group where possible for the slow windy sections to push me on. The bike was quite enjoyable and the crowds were pretty big which always makes you want to push harder. Average speed was 31.1km/h which I had built up over the 4 laps, so I knew this would be around 1hr 18mins for the bike section which was bang on what I was estimating.

Run
A 10k run to finish! I left transition from the bike in 1hr 47mins cumulative time. Whilst running out of transition I tried to do the maths. If I could run a 50 minute 10k I would finish in sub 2hrs 40 - game on! However, my legs refused to do more than a shuffle and although not out of breath, my legs were failing massively. The first few kilometres I took steady so as not to cramp up. Sarah and her sister Fiona were out with their 'Go Matt' banner which gave me another kick on but I was tiring fast. Half way round the first lap I got stomach pain and realised I had a full tank from drinking half of Liverpool docks, this was sorted with a quick pit stop. After this I moved a bit more freely and got round to the 5k mark in 25 mins 30 seconds, particularly as Sarah brandished the bacon sandwich that would await me at the finish line. Around 6-7km I got a second wind and made some solid progress but then from 8-10km I slowed a lot. Still, the end was near and a final push saw me cross the line in around 2hrs 36 mins meaning I must have just about broken 50 minutes for the run.

Definitely got the triathlon bug and I will be entering the Leeds Triathlon in September hopefully.

Thanks all again for your sponsorship, it really did spur me on.



Matthew Fassihi]]> <![CDATA[Clowns in the Sky volunteers]]> I am pleased to announce that Clowns in the Sky have now exceeded our target of 10 officially registered volunteers and I'd like to offer a warm welcome to you all. Our little teams are beginning to grow and support the services we offer to the various Hospitals around the UK.

I look forward to updating this blog with all your fundraising activities, especially as we have just entered the second stage of our Activity Trolley Project funded by;


March 2011 will see ten our of new Sensory Trolley's delivered to stand alongside our existing Activity Trolleys on the Hospital Wards in the south and the later part of 2011 will see another 10 delivered to our Hospitals in the North.

These Sensory Trolleys are packed with items to offer stimulation through, sound, light & texture and will enhance the many craft activities in our existing trolleys. Now more than ever we will need to have a successful fundraising year during 2011 and our volunteers will be fundamental in achieving this, I am confident they are up to the task. Please keep an eye on our events page to see what 2011 brings.


]]> 547561698 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:01:43 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 547561698 0 2011-03-06 I am pleased to announce that Clowns in the Sky have now exceeded our target of 10 officially registered volunteers and I'd like to offer a warm welcome to you all. Our little teams are beginning to grow and support the services we offer to the various Hospitals around the UK.

I look forward to updating this blog with all your fundraising activities, especially as we have just entered the second stage of our Activity Trolley Project funded by;


March 2011 will see ten our of new Sensory Trolley's delivered to stand alongside our existing Activity Trolleys on the Hospital Wards in the south and the later part of 2011 will see another 10 delivered to our Hospitals in the North.

These Sensory Trolleys are packed with items to offer stimulation through, sound, light & texture and will enhance the many craft activities in our existing trolleys. Now more than ever we will need to have a successful fundraising year during 2011 and our volunteers will be fundamental in achieving this, I am confident they are up to the task. Please keep an eye on our events page to see what 2011 brings.


]]> <![CDATA[Welcome and update from Donna]]> With a HUGE THANKS to the Trustees for their fantastic welcome and support.
A special thanks to supporters holding forthcoming events and also to our newly appointed volunteers.
And I would like to thank anyone who has recently donated or agreed to donate raffle items for these events including Leeds Castle and Colchester Zoo along with Millies Cookies.
Events for November and December 2010:
Saturday 20th November - Westcombe Dickensian Bazaar being held at Blackheath High School for Girls in Vanbrugh Park SE3 Doors Open at 11.30am. The Westcombe Society has kindly chosen Clowns in the Sky as their charity of the year.
Friday 10th December sees Little Red Riding Hood Pantomime at Corringham Hall in Springhouse Road Corringham Essex SS17 7LE For Tickets telephone: 0844 561 7107 with Adults at £6.50 and Children £4.50, of which £1 per ticket will be for Clowns. Doors Open at 7pm.
Monday 13th December at the Royal United Services Club RUSC Doors Open at 7pm for Christmas Messages with Diane White Tickets are £12 with £2 per ticket to Clowns, plus a Special Raffle, Telephone Kerrie for Tickets on: 07859 028153.
More from me very soon,
Donna
]]> 718264658 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:25:24 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 718264658 0 2010-11-02 With a HUGE THANKS to the Trustees for their fantastic welcome and support.
A special thanks to supporters holding forthcoming events and also to our newly appointed volunteers.
And I would like to thank anyone who has recently donated or agreed to donate raffle items for these events including Leeds Castle and Colchester Zoo along with Millies Cookies.
Events for November and December 2010:
Saturday 20th November - Westcombe Dickensian Bazaar being held at Blackheath High School for Girls in Vanbrugh Park SE3 Doors Open at 11.30am. The Westcombe Society has kindly chosen Clowns in the Sky as their charity of the year.
Friday 10th December sees Little Red Riding Hood Pantomime at Corringham Hall in Springhouse Road Corringham Essex SS17 7LE For Tickets telephone: 0844 561 7107 with Adults at £6.50 and Children £4.50, of which £1 per ticket will be for Clowns. Doors Open at 7pm.
Monday 13th December at the Royal United Services Club RUSC Doors Open at 7pm for Christmas Messages with Diane White Tickets are £12 with £2 per ticket to Clowns, plus a Special Raffle, Telephone Kerrie for Tickets on: 07859 028153.
More from me very soon,
Donna
]]> <![CDATA[Richards Triathlon journey week two ]]>

Saturday 31.07.10
Well the suit had it's first outing today, I joined my safety assessment group with instructor and discovered that no amount of running & cycling helps when it comes to swimming. If it's possible to say I was left standing still in the water then that's what happened.

After struggling into the suit I then struggled in the water, my chest decided it was going in close up on me and the end result was that the group swam off and I followed "bringing up the rear with the ducks". Doris, who had come along to support me on my first outing said it was the first time she had seen me come last in any sport and that I reminded her of one of those wind up toys you put in the bath, thanks for the support Doris, who by the way seemed too busy eyeing up the "eye candy" to notice me.

However I didn't give up, so when the rest of our group had finished got out and gone home I was still in the lake, determined to make it to the boat and back all of 120 yards. Why is it I can run a marathon, cycle London to Brighton, but can't swim for toffee !!!

things can only get better...

Sunday 01.08.10
A new month, new day and my second dip in the lake. Still feels like I'm swimming like a redland house brick but I persevered and although it would be fair to say my swimming ability is zero, I will improve, I will train harder, I will meet triathlon standards as I know what all those children with brain tumours go through each day and my little struggle is nothing compared to their battle.

So thanks for tuning in on my blog look out for my weekly updates and stay with me on my journey, especially as I will be calling on you for your pennies next year.

One tired but glad to have started
Richard.
]]> 19143166 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:45:08 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 19143166 0 2010-08-01

Saturday 31.07.10
Well the suit had it's first outing today, I joined my safety assessment group with instructor and discovered that no amount of running & cycling helps when it comes to swimming. If it's possible to say I was left standing still in the water then that's what happened.

After struggling into the suit I then struggled in the water, my chest decided it was going in close up on me and the end result was that the group swam off and I followed "bringing up the rear with the ducks". Doris, who had come along to support me on my first outing said it was the first time she had seen me come last in any sport and that I reminded her of one of those wind up toys you put in the bath, thanks for the support Doris, who by the way seemed too busy eyeing up the "eye candy" to notice me.

However I didn't give up, so when the rest of our group had finished got out and gone home I was still in the lake, determined to make it to the boat and back all of 120 yards. Why is it I can run a marathon, cycle London to Brighton, but can't swim for toffee !!!

things can only get better...

Sunday 01.08.10
A new month, new day and my second dip in the lake. Still feels like I'm swimming like a redland house brick but I persevered and although it would be fair to say my swimming ability is zero, I will improve, I will train harder, I will meet triathlon standards as I know what all those children with brain tumours go through each day and my little struggle is nothing compared to their battle.

So thanks for tuning in on my blog look out for my weekly updates and stay with me on my journey, especially as I will be calling on you for your pennies next year.

One tired but glad to have started
Richard.
]]> <![CDATA[Richards triathlon journey]]>
Ok as promised - please meet "foor" my new wetsuit and very close companion. So now all I have to do is get my safety pass so I can get in the lake ! wish me luck !!!

more pics to follow after my first outing.
]]> 1324056368 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 23:03:24 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 1324056368 0 2010-07-04
Ok as promised - please meet "foor" my new wetsuit and very close companion. So now all I have to do is get my safety pass so I can get in the lake ! wish me luck !!!

more pics to follow after my first outing.
]]> <![CDATA[London to Brighton Bike Ride (today Sunday 20.06.10)]]>
Richard is completing his first London to Brighton bike ride today, for a man is usually runs everywhere; I hope he enjoys the day and event. I shall ask him to update you all later.]]> 1736336987 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:23:40 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 1736336987 0 2010-06-20
Richard is completing his first London to Brighton bike ride today, for a man is usually runs everywhere; I hope he enjoys the day and event. I shall ask him to update you all later.]]> <![CDATA[Richard says 'hi']]> Hi there from Richard

]]> 2072962157 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:30:06 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 2072962157 0 2010-06-16 Hi there from Richard

]]> <![CDATA[Welcome Donna Byrne]]> Clowns has a new FDO (Fundraising Development Officer), Donna Byrne.
This post is funded by the Big Lottery Grant.]]> 1472592888 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:00:54 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 1472592888 0 2010-06-14 Clowns has a new FDO (Fundraising Development Officer), Donna Byrne.
This post is funded by the Big Lottery Grant.]]> <![CDATA[Introducing our new Blog]]> This is our new blog and we can't wait to share with you what's going on here at Clowns.


We'd be delighted to have you comment on anything you see here, but please be aware that comments have to be moderated first before they'll show up.


Click an entry title to comment on a posting.

]]> 59112985 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:17:26 GMT clownsinthesky.org http://www.clownsinthesky.org 492745121 59112985 0 2010-06-12 This is our new blog and we can't wait to share with you what's going on here at Clowns.


We'd be delighted to have you comment on anything you see here, but please be aware that comments have to be moderated first before they'll show up.


Click an entry title to comment on a posting.

]]>