A marathon of a weekend!

Post physio blues (bruises!)

So, the three chicks got on a plane at Cardiff airport and headed for Paris - allegedly the most beautiful city in the world. Just as well, as we were going to run its streets for 26.2miles so there had better be some decent scenery to look at. Usually for a marathon the training is pretty severe. Well, the chicks had a slightly more 'eclectic' plan with one chick in Africa then returning with  knee problem - this lead to the physio session 5 days prior - the resultant bruising is not generally what the textbook training plan meant with tapering.... Well, no pain, no gain I guess...

One chick had had a severe concussion and was not really going to run but had volunteered to carry the bags and the other chick had been being trying to train in the awful British winter only to then turn up to Paris in tropical conditions. But anyway under the threat of Pierre - the trainers were packed and the bags put on the plane and off we went!

First stop was to the expo where we went in to register. Sadly when your name appears on the wall there is no denying that you really, really have to pick up your race number and get on with it!

Registration

Writing on the wall

With all the paperwork ticked off we then had time to take in the sights, literally from the hotel balcony to begin with... 

Welsh chick taking in the Arc de Triomphe

But it was too exciting to stay indoors so we went off on a bit of an explore down the Champs Elysses, through Place de la Concorde and the Louvre before Notre Damne. The hunchback was out so we ate out in a nearby cafe instead!

Garden Twilleries - place de la concorde and
Arc de Triomphe in the background 

The Louvre

Notre Dame

 The following morning we got up early (really, on holidays!) Then didn't have breakfast and went for a run instead. Now, for those that know us, yes this is out of character, and yes I'm not sure who's idea this was but anyway we were enrolled in the 5km 'breakfast fun run'. This was the one Amanda was meant to do as her head was getting better rather than the full marathon. It was great actually as it started at the Arc de Triomphe and then wound through Paris taking in some of the sights to finish at the Eiffel tower. All finishers got a free t-shirt, pain au chocolat and a coffee!

Three chicks: Lowri, Amanda and Catherine at the Arc de Triomphe

Are we nearly there yet?

All smiles at the end!

 Pretty pleased with ourselves we walked back for a shower and a brief rest before sensibly heading to the trusty metro to take us to see the mighty Sacre Coeur on the hill. Well, its all about varying the training regime and steps are good for the calves....

The "love lock" bridge - where we certainly did NOT put a padlock each declaring a love of running!

So... the big day arrives and its a scorcher. We start in the sunshine and that follows us round all day. In fact it is rather hot - thank goodness for all the firemen that were lining the streets to spray us with the water hoses. Not many women were complaining at this point! We braved the skidding across the banana and orange peel at the water stops too. Amanda decided to run the first 5km to soak up the atmosphere but didn't want to push it with her lack of training and recovering concussion. Somehow I lost everybody at the 5km water stop which frankly resembled Bambi on ice meets WWF wrestling. With each step we got closer to the end though it took a while for that to actually feel the case! 

The course truly is a wonderful one. Arc de triumph down the Champs Elysses, Place de la Concorde and the Bastille before through the parc next to the race course. The bands along the way every 1-2 km were fantastic for the spirits and soon we were through the half marathon stage. Seeing the Notre Dame gave me the comfort of knowing I'd managed 15 miles now.... However then the hard part of the run started - the tunnels next to the Seine. They were long and smelt of diesel and were rather tedious and had an uphill at their exits. There's little wonder that Catherine looked underwhelmed.... 

Catherine mid run

The final 10 km were tough for all - the 30km marker of a brick wall was very apt but we pushed past, despite both Catherine and I independently suffering knee pain. Lucky Amanda with only a 5km run to her name watching this torture, I thought... Passing the Eiffel tower at 18 miles was psychologically great but also then pushed us on to potentially the least stimulating part - the Bois de Bologne (no pasta in sight) - which I'm sure is lovely if you are escaping Paris for the weekend but when you're slogging the last 6 miles of a marathon there isn't much to fix on bar the trees. The clowns that were handing out Haribo sweets were all a bit surreal at the 23 miles mark and then passing Rolland Garros turned us back to town. If I'd had an extra 100m for each person that then told me I was nearly there or only 200m to go - I think I'd have finished an hour earlier!!! Though I really was pleased to see the Arc as I went round the last corner and managed to even smile at the cameras as I finished in 4hours 51- though it could be a grimace!

Thumbs up - must have been at the finish!

Catherine was happy (despite her knee injury) with a new PB too and Amanda was ecstatic as she had actually kept going and going and going (carefully mixing running and walking) - the ultimate Forrest Gump impression and was really chuffed at a sub 6h time. So we were all pretty happy, though battered when we met up at the hotel. Having all moaned about our (mainly) joint pains, I was rather surprised to discover this wonderful bruise, blister and black toe nail on taking the sock off to shower - wasn't even painful!

Battered and blistered to go with the bruises!

However there is no rest for the wicked and shortly after a shower and room service of a beer each we donned our glad rags and, well at best limped, more likely lurched back to the Metro and to the Moulin Rouge! Yes!!! A long time ambition of the chicks was to take in the sights of the Moulin Rouge! Well, lets be fair here - they did feed us a decent 3 course meal and half a bottle of champagne each and put on a rather ecclectic show - I can only describe it as being similar to what I'd imagine watching a psychedelic musical on magic mushrooms must be like. But still we had tremendous fun right up until we actually had to get up out of our seats 2 hours later... oh dear!

Le Moulin Rouge

Eating ambience in the Moulin Rouge

Catherine with Laurent (perrier)

Amanda rehydrating after a stellar performance

 The following day - I can only describe as interesting. Thankfully there was a perfectly close and well functioning lift that took us to breakfast after our lie in until 9am!!! Pain au chocolates all round and a bucket load of tea! Luckily packing for home consisted of shoving stuff back in a bag and soon we were back on the streets and dragging ourselves up to the Arc de Triomphe. Not sure if we are stood there looking smug that we a) Finished the run  b) have medals c) managed to see the Moulin Rouge show or d) managed to physically get to the Arc de Triomphe the following day!

Though I do think that the 4 chicks really enjoyed their time in Paris, especially the champagne on the Champs Elysses.

So far, the fundraising for Cancer research has gone really well - We are all truly, truly grateful to everybody that has sponsored us or supported us throughout. We are slowly getting towards out target and are just hovering near breaking through the £3,000 barrier. This is an immense amount of money for the charity and we are really psyched about stepping it up over the next ew challenges such as the velothon, cardiff triathlon, cardiff half marathon and cycling across Tanzania not to mention a few other things to be announced...

Should you still not have been harangued into sponsorship and would like to - fear not - it is still open and you can donate at any time at:

https://www.justgiving.com/4chicks4cancer/

Or Text: Chrp99 and the amount e.g. £2 to 70070.

All roads lead to..... Paris (it seems!)

Oh dear, here's another fine mess I've got myself into...

 It seems at some time, at some stage of my rather happy existence as a couch potato in 2014 I did what I try and avoid doing too often and thought about what I wanted to do in 2015....



And so, what did I come up with.... well I wasn't sure what I was after, so I thought, I know, I'll chat to a friend.... ERROR! Major error.... 

As with all things all great ideas start
on the back of an envelope... It's also
annoyingly easy to add to it too.

Talk moved from all sorts of sensibles plans of action such as going to the pub or indulging with take away it turned into a series of challenges...

 First up (originally): was a marathon. Well, that's not so bad I thought. remember the chocolate? That started out as a marathon and ended up being re-thought and remodelled into Snickers. This is just a fad - I can go along with this idea and then it will run its course...


It seems not, as with many crazy ideas some things just snowball out of all proportion! So there we go, that's the background decision made. So the next decision was where? Again really easy decision - Paris! Great city and essentially where better to delude oneself that you're doing an extreme sightseeing trip not running 26 miles (42KM!)

 So the training begun - the Cardiff half marathon came and went and the November 10km in Cardiff saw a really fun event ....  Though it took me a week to be able to blow my nose and be totally yellow fluff free!

Beautiful ladies sporting their movember tashes...

We were then joined by another two (Amanda and Sue) and hence the birth of the 4 chicks with the main event being a cycle across Tanzania in November and an aim to raise a lot of money for cancer research. We even convinced a further chick (Amanda) to join us on the Paris marathon.

Catherine training with Emma sporting
the 4 chicks vest

And after Christmas that's when things got really serious. That's when I flew off for warm weather training... ahem work in Zambia and left Catherine in the very capable hands of
Emma Cresswell http://www.perfectbalancept.co.uk .

On  a serious note here - a fantastic personal trainer who will do whatever she can to hone you into not only a fit but strong and healthy individual. If you're looking to hit targets realistically - she's your lady! Cardio, weights or nutrition. 

 Sadly for me though she's based in Cardiff and I was in the heat and humidity of Zambia. So it was head down, trainers and shorts on and best foot forwards. For Amanda sadly things had got really serious with a head injury after being bashed off her bike whilst out training (catch the full story on the website: https://sites.google.com/site/4chicks4cancer/

  So I was going loco in Lusaka and here are some of my top tips for training in Africa:

• Go running early in the morning and ALWAY wear sun screen...
• Avoid running after dark as there are no street lights, car lights and plenty of potholes (accidents and road traffic accidents are plentiful)
• Vary your diet - monkey gland sauce is full of protein

  

Who am I kidding? This was really, really hard work. 26C and humidity in the 80s. Yuk! That and periods (up to 3 weeks) of inactivity during busy work schedules or follow-up duties!

 Still, I got through that and landed back in the UK a week ago. Thankfully I have been able to pay diligent attention to my nutritional state - well its all about the carb loading now....  To be honest there is no way on earth that I would EVER pass up the opportunity to eat really good cake. And how lucky am I that I know just the place to get some: http://www.iheartcakecardiff.co.uk

 Seriously, they cater for everything:

 Healthy early breakfast fruit cake - perfect for energy boost

Peanut butter and jam - exactly right for post workout

Cocktail cup cake... well what better way to relax of an evening....

So, on the 12th of April I WILL be running the Paris marathon. This will happen, whether the French air strike continue and I HAVE to swim the channel... The reason being this is an opportunity to raise as much money as possible for such an important issue. Cancer, all joking aside, has affected most of us in some form during their lives. It is an uncompromising disease that has no regard for creed, culture, country or cash. It is something we have to overcome in the medical world and thanks to the tireless efforts of many scientists and clinicians the tide is slowly turning. This is my small attempt to aid the fight and if it means dragging my carcass around the streets of Paris and across Tanzania then that's what I'll do.

 If you've enjoyed reading this blog or some of my other blogs, please, please, please consider putting your hand in your pocket and pledging some cash to this wonderful cause. Diolch yn fawr! Thanks!

https://www.justgiving.com/4chicks4cancer/

Lake Tanganyika and leaving!

But before we leave the far North, I have the highlight of a visit to Lake Tanganyika to look forwards to.  This is the second largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world courtesy of being in the Rift valley. It's a pretty amazing sight to see and is the place where Zambia's only port resides (well it is land-locked!)

Lake Tanganyika

You'd be forgiven if you're sat there thinking that Mpulungu is a quiet, picturesque place. There is hardly a ripple to be seen. The water is surprisingly warm as I paddled at 24 celsius (lake temperature not ambient). However far from it, it has to live up to its name as Zambia's busiest (ok, ok, ok - only) fishing port! On the 40km drive north from Mbala to the end of Zambia, Mpulungu we passed some stunning mountainous cliffs, cut in the vein of the Rift valley. This is indeed the reason the lake is here. The lake is also the reason lots of people are here. It's a hotbed of trading from both Tanzania and Rwanda as well as a fertile land for crops and clearly an abundance of fish. So the daily market is very important. We pass minibus after minibus laden with woven baskets full of crops to sell early morning en route to the harbour.

En route to the harbour

Setting up at the market

 We arrive at the harbour and immediately feel the hustle and bustle of a real fishing port. There are loads of wooden boats ready to go out for a day's fishing. Initially confusing as they had larger wooden boats loaded up with smaller ones. It soon became apparent that these are fishing boat taxis! they use their motors to take the fishermen in the rowing boats further out on the lake to start their work quicker and also I suspect in an area that has better numbers of fish.

Loading small boats onto a larger vessel. It seems that the usual lucky charm at the front of the boat is a well-known football team. Though with the present pecking order in the premier league I'm not sure they'll be touching the paint up on that motif in dry dock!

Plenty of people trying to get a spot on board

After a fair bit of negotiation and loading they finally leave the shore in clouds of smoky diesel.

Fishermen on their way out for a hard day's work

And for some, the work has been completed overnight and they are selling their produce there and then. It can't be fresher than that! Though most deliver to the women who sit patiently on the dock with their  large bowls, waiting to start the selling process in the blazing heat!

Boatful of fish

It's no joke selling fish at the market - its hot, there's a lot of flies and even more competition from other women. Its important to keep the produce cool and shaded! Either that or its advisable to dry and smoke them.

Fishermen's wives

Dried Kapenta fish - dreadful smell but not bad taste!

 It wasn't only fish for sale, there were plenty of tomatoes, pumpkins, ground nuts and rice. After a bit of bargaining Wisdom and Patrick had filled the boot with a vast quantity of foodstuff to take back with us on the 1000km plus return trip. Though it seemed to make little difference to the random stopping to stock up further on side of the road produce such as more tomatoes, pumpkins, bananas ad salt! All that I can cope with but the dried fish absolutely stank, especially as it was 28C outside. Thank goodness for air con indoors!

Rice sellers at the market

Eight hours later we pull into Lusaka in darkness having negotiated not only a very long drive, the odour of dried fish but also trucks and lorries with variable lighting on them and possibly worst of all Michael Bolton CD on repeat. I thought I'd got a reprieve after an hour as it stopped working - phew! Though that is easily sorted. Apparently when you pass by the garage you bought the illegal CD from two weeks ago and it doesn't work the vendor happily swaps it for another. Groan... I'm deadly serious! The vendor was very apologetic - it seems he doesn't want to lose a valued customer and swapped it for some gospel... 

 And that really does mean the end of the road for the follow-ups and will soon be the end of the road for my time out here in Zambia also. I will be desperately sad to leave all this behind but I have a few other important life events to attend.... My cousin's wedding in York and the little matter of running a marathon in Paris. Having endured a marathon of mileages for the follow-ups I'm sure my training will not put me in the elite set! In fact I am pretty sure that only running twelve times in the past two months (granted in 26C at times) is not your conventional training regime but it's what I've managed out here as the follow-up and UTH work had to take precedence. However if you've enjoyed reading these blogs I would be really, really grateful if you would consider donating - even a pound or a dollar or a kwacha or whatever currency towards my marathon run (oh yes and did I mention I'll be cycling across Tanzania in October with three other mates!!) - its all going towards cancer research - which we all know, has no respect of boundaries and affects people of all creed, culture and country of origin. Thanks (link below) !

 https://www.justgiving.com/4chicks4cancer/

Last but not least!

The follow-up trip is nearing its end. That's in more ways than one.... 

• I have one last anaesthetist to follow-up (number 58 from 64)
• I have two more days left before I fly home
• We really are at the Northern most end of Zambia and I cannot go any further, unless I buy a boat! And the boat I found at Lake Tanganyika wasn't moving anywhere fast!

                                                        Lake Tanganyika port

However, we weren't going to Lake Tanganyika - we were off to Mbala - a smaller town about 50km south of the lake. We were treated to beautiful lush grasses alongside country lanes (bumpy country lanes - thank goodness rainy season was at an end!) There were plenty of goods for sale along the roads too underlining how fertile the area is. I enjoyed seeing the plentiful rows of colourful buckets (old oil containers) full of delicious ground nuts (not too unlike Monkey nuts) to attract the potential buyer.

Lush grassy lanes

Ground nuts in colourful old oil tubs and pumpkins for sale en route

Now, Mbala is a really interesting town for many reasons. For me, the biggest draw was that it was called Abercorn back in the days of colonial rule.  Now if this isn't a Welsh-influenced name then I'll eat my hat or mosquito net! Its described aptly as a backwater town these days. I like the description sleepy myself! The colonial influences were still very evident in the buildings - some typical brick built town halls, post offices and all with corrugated iron/tin roofs. Though this roofing extended to all buildings in the town - even the old prison and the 'newer' shop complex!

   

Town hall

Shopping complex

Old prison

Old prison accountability slate

At least our last accommodation was a little more upmarket than the prison!

 It also has other important historical and cultural influences. It is the town where General von-Lettow-Vorbeck [who had marched down from German East-Africa (Tanzania)] handed over his prisoners to the British at the end of WW1 (4-5 days after the war had finished in Europe - it was a little more cut off in those days!)

Monument commemorating the fallen Northen Rhodesian soldiers in the war as well
as commemorative plaque to the surrender of General von Lettow-Vorbeck

It is also the Moto Moto museum - arguably the best museum in Zambia. It certainly had a really interesting and extensive collection of Bemba history and artefacts. I particularly enjoyed the traditional ceremonies and witchcraft section.  I was very interested to see the traditional remedies section which included Kaselelele or as its known in many of the rural hospitals, African Oxytocin. Oxytocin is a natural hormone that stimulates labour in pregnant women and used extensively all over the world. This root is however chewed by ladies to start labour in the village and they undergo very powerful contractions which is not always a good thing if their body is not ready to start labouring - and was described to me as being a causative factor in quite a few of the emergencies and sadly deaths when I visited hospitals both in the East and the North.

"African Oxytocin"

 And if I thought that was interesting the next exhibit on witchcraft taught me a few new techniques.  It seems as with the smart phone revolution throwing up apps for any eventuality there seems to be a Zambian witchcraft charm for any occasion.

Who knew that Baby Lotion could be so potent.....

I moved quickly away from this one....

 But I wasn't there to be a tourist - honest! So back to work! The anaesthetist was free in the afternoon so I went in to the hospital  and had a good long chat and a tour round the hospital. I was really glad to see that they are keeping the Lifebox out, fully charged and easily accessible. I was less glad to see that it was kept on the newborn baby resuscitaire. Voicing my concerns (it leaves no space for the baby to be resuscitated and also the big heater above the bed would surely not be good for the electrical devices below) the anaesthetist quickly jumped in to assure me that neither of those are problems because the heater doesn't work and they don't use the resuscitaire in this theatre very often - so they use it as a table! Nothing like forward planning for an emergency eh?!

Neonatal Resuscitaire/table for equipment

 We move on to the recovery room - unusual to have a recovery room with beds in it to be fair. I've seen plenty of hospitals and theatres during this trip. I have seen plenty of mattress beds on the floor in the wards but this was a first in a recovery room. I enquire as to what the mattress is doing on the floor. Clearly, I'm told it's for patients to recover on. An interesting concept bearing in mind there are two perfectly functional beds next to it. It must be when they're really busy, I thought, though it didn't seem likely looking round the theatres. Nope, its where they put any/all of the patients - they don't use the beds. I find myself sympathising slightly as the motive is sound. They've had a few people fall out/climb out of bed post operatively whilst they're waking up as there is no recovery staff or nurse to watch them - so they find it causes less harm to have the patients lie on a mattress on the floor whilst they are still in theatre trying to keep an eye on them. Agree or disagree its a practical solution for a difficult problem.

Recovery 'bed'

And with that the theatre tour ends and with it the end of the follow-up. It's a strange feeling. It's been an amazing experience. The welcome and genuine excitement and thirst to learn that has been displayed by all of the clinical officers in quite often very difficult circumstance has been humbling to  witness. I know I'm privileged as I can return to the UK in a few days and resume with my fancy technology and drugs and uphold all the international standards whereas the guys here - they're the real hero's, the real soldiers of improving healthcare. Anybody can deliver a quality service if all the tools and equipment and education is provided. It's a darn site harder without that back up and I think these guys are doing a fantastic job. Yes, there can be improvement and yes there are things that need to be changed for the better and that's the beauty of on-going education and courses and empowerment of Zambians to take forwards anaesthetics in to the future. 

  But for now, I'm going to sit down with my Mosi beer, surrounded by frogs and crickets and toast all the anaesthetists of Zambia under the stars.

Ursa Major over the lake