Challenge update...finally!

Push-ups completed: 2135

Sober days: 149

Sit-ups completed: 2000

Chocolate free days: 16

I've been trying to write this update for over a month now!  One thing or another always seems to take priority (like sunsets!) or, like today, my computer is ridiculously slow and instead of throwing the laptop out the window, I walk away until tomorrow! I have persevered and hopefully, I'll get it uploaded by midnight!

Since I last posted the challenge has evolved somewhat.  My shoulder remains out of action depsite intervention.  The doctor visited at the beginning of October and gave me a cortisone injection.  The injection itself was fine, but shortly afterward I experienced a 'cortisone flare' and my whole shoulder, upper arm, neck and back felt like it was on fire.  After 2 days it went back to how it was pre-injection,  and doc thinks it is an impingement, so I am now waiting for a referral to the orthopeadic dept. at Raigmore hospital in Inverness for further investigation.  There is always a long wait at the best of times, so I'm not anticipating an appointment this year.  I am meant to be resting it as much as possible, but I'm not the most patient when it comes to injury, and working on my own doesn't allow for much rest. A combination of painkillers, ice, and hot-water bottles will have to suffice for now!

To make up for not being able to do the push-ups, I have continued staying sober, even for my 40th birthday (there are witnesses!).  I have decided to carry this on until New Year, when I will have hopefully reached my fundraising target. 

As it looks like the push-ups won't be an option again, I decided to do some sit-ups instead.  I managed to do 2000 in 20 days in September, although I left the last 340 until the last evening! My mum was adujicator so all were done and the pain was real!

November needed a challenge so I have decided to give up chocolate for the month.  Now, anyone that knows me well knows just what a challenge that is! I don't mind admitting that I have an unhealthy addiction to chocolate and although I mostly limit myself to a few squares of dark chocolate these days, I can't remember a day in my life without some 😬  The first 2 days were pretty awful.  I had severe cravings and a constant headache, but I managed to resist and the next week was ok.  I had guests staying so I had plenty of distractions.  The last few days have been tough again, knowing it's there, in the chocolate tin (yes I have a tin full of chocolate)!  So I'm in desperate need of motivation to get me through the next 14 days!  You can help by making a wee donation to the challenge (if you haven't already!)

Donate via GoFundMe here:

Fi's challenges

All funds are gratefully received and will go to these two great charities:

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Ewen's Room

Thanks again to all those who have donated already. We're now at £400 with just £100 to go to hit my target, but I'd love to smash that, so please share with anyone you think might be able to make a wee donation.

I hope you're all well and stay kind 💓

Fi x

Push-up challenge update and World Suicide Prevention Day

 Push-ups completed: 2135

Dry days: 82

It's been over a month since I last did an update and there is no excuse, just a lack of motivation!  Not being able to do the push-ups has put the blog to the bottom of the priority list.  Must do better!

My shoulder injury continues to be problematic.  It would appear I have an AC joint injury and although I'm getting physio, it's going to take some time yet to heal 😒

So, it looks like the push-ups are out the window.  I might pick up the challenge again next year, but for now, I am going to start sit-ups instead! I'm aiming for 2000 by the end of September 😓

I've continued with Dry 'July' and am currently on day 82 of no booze.  I even managed to stay sober on a girls night in Edinburgh with two of my very best friends for our 40th birthdays! We started with a boozy brunch and I had a mocktail. I even impressed myself with the self-control! 

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.  I've lost 3 friends by suicide and I know I'm not alone in being affected by it.  I have also suffered with depression so it's a cause close to my heart.  I am desperate for depression and suicide to become topics that can be talked about openly, without judgment or stigma.  

Ewen's Room, who are one of the two charities I am raising money for, are running workshops to build community resilience and reduce suicide.  They are free and you can sign up here.  Becky, who runs their blog, spoke on Nevis radio today, discussing mental health in the Highlands and Islands, and you can listen to it here.

There was also a heartfelt programme on BBC Radio Scotland by Gary Innes called 'Six men', talking about why 6 of his shinty teammates took their own lives and what we can do about it.  You can listen here.

I want everyone to know that there is help out there and there are plenty of people who want to help.  I am always here for anyone who needs an ear.  There will never be any judgment here and talking is so cathartic. Check in with those you love and be kind to those you don't know.  Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about 💜

If you want to help Ewen's room, you can donate to my challenge or to Ewen's Room direct. Every donation, no matter how small is so very gratefully received.

Challenge donation link:

GoFundMe

Take care of each other.

Fi x

30 day Push-up challenge update

Push-ups completed - 2135

Push-ups to go: 865

Dry days: 45

I have been so busy the last couple of days preparing the guest house for re-opening, that I forgot what date it was.  At midnight last night, I should have completed the 3000th push-up.  However, I've had to take a push-up hiatus for the last week.  My shoulder injury is much more serious than I thought and even lifting a cup of tea has been very painful, so before I do permanent damage, the push-ups will have to wait while it heals.

It's only a short pause though and I fully intend to complete the challenge as soon as I can.

However, I have decided to carry on Dry July into August.  I actually haven't had any alcohol since 20th June, so I have included those dry days in June.  Should I keep going for 100 days?

In fact, does anyone have any wacky challenges I could do in the meantime?  Obviously, something that doesn't involve using my shoulder!  Maybe giving up chocolate until I can do push-ups again?  Or walking so many steps a day? Or learning a tune on one of my instruments (I can't really play any of them 😂). 

I will consider anything, within reason, as long as you're willing to donate! Let the ideas commence!

And as always, the reasons I'm fundraising; follow the links to find out their stories.

Ewen's Room

HWDT

Over the next few days, I will be doing a few updates about why these charities are important to me, and the unknown links we all have!

To donate to my ever-increasing challenges, follow the links below:

Paypal

GoFundMe

Here's a wee lovely thing for those that might be feeling a little broken today:

Take care and be kind,

Fi x

30 day Push-up challenge - day 21 & 22

Push-ups completed - 2000
Push-ups to go - 1000
Alcohol consumed - 0

Another milestone achieved last night. I made it to 2000 push-ups! 
Here's a wee vlog update

Donate:

GoFundMe
Paypal


Charities:
Ewen's Room
Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

30 Day push-up challenge - day 10 - 20

Push-ups completed:1730

Still to go: 1270

Alcohol consumed: 0

I've been a bit tardy with the updates, apologies, but the push-ups have continued...more or less! I passed two milestones: 1000 and 1500 - half-way!

The last 10 days have been filled with business; sometimes productive, sometimes not! But mostly filled with stresses and worries and trying to make decisions which leads to fatigue and an inability to anything.

But then, on Sunday, my very good friend Maggie, her partner and daughter came to visit for the last few days and we had a magical time! It's been almost 3 years since we last saw each other and we were both desperate for a catch-up.  We had wonderful adventures exploring the island, kayaking, swimming, bonfires on the beach, and just chilling by the fire.  It was just what I needed and I feel revived.

However, the kayaking, on top of the push-ups, took its toll on my shoulders and I've struggled to lift my arms above my head! So needless to say, there have been no push-ups for the last 2 days and I am now over 200 behind schedule 😬  The last 10 days are going to be a massive challenge!

But, a challenge wouldn't be a challenge if it didn't push our limits.

I have to remember why I'm doing it and keep going with the determination I started with.

There are lots going on with the charities so head on over to their Facebook pages and see where your donations are helping.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Ewen's Room

As ever, your donations keep me motivated and are very much appreciated. If you can spare a few pennies, you can donate here:

Go Fund Me

PayPal

More updates coming soon!

Take care and stay kind 💜

30 day push-up challenge and Dry July - Day 8&9

Total push-ups completed: 850
Push-ups to go: 2150

I've had a bit more energy this weekend so I have managed to catch up on some of the missed push-ups and I'm now just 50 behind schedule.  I'm hoping I'll be back on track by Wednesday. 
I'm still struggling to do more than 10 at a time at the moment though. Surely they must get easier soon!! 

I decided to add Dry July to my challenge.  While I don't drink very much anyway, I wanted to have a proper break from alcohol for a while, but again, due to my lack of discipline and various celebrations this month, I knew I would crack if there wasn't a good reason to stay sober!  This weekend was a test and I'm happy to say I passed with flying colours, despite the peer pressure!
My tolerance for alcohol, and the inevitable 3 day hangover, seems to have evaporated in my advancing years!  So learning to be sociable without alcohol again is a very good thing!  The more you donate, the more likely I am to succeed 😉

And on the donation front, thanks to Peter Campbell for today's very generous donation.
Peter informed me that the Paypal.me link requires you to have an account to donate, which I'm sure didn't use to be the case.  So, for those of you that don't have a Paypal account, I have set up a personal GoFundMe page.  Finding a platform that would allow me to link 2 charities has proved fruitless, so these are the best options I can come up with.  Here's the links for both options:

Paypal
GoFundMe

The Charities

Ewen's Room 
Lots of goings-on on their Facebook page.  They are currently running workshops on Tuesdays via Zoom, focusing on Realising Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience Development. If you are interested, you can register here

Ewen's Room lockdown cookbook - If you have any favourite recipes you'd like to share, they are putting together a recipe book from all our favourite lockdown foods. Send them yours via the link.


Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Exciting sighting of West coast Orca rockstar, John Coe, was spotted of Neist Point on Skye today!
Check out the awesome pictures here.
I've been lucky enough to spot John Coe and his partner in crime Aquarius from the good ship Silurian, in this very location!  I didn't manage to get a picture of that encounter but I did see the rest of the gang on another trip, again just of the west coast of Skye. Here's a couple of pics from that encounter. 

Floppy fin

                        Aquarius & Moneypenny (I think)




All their research expeditions have been cancelled this season, so they are relying on any sightings of cetaceans and basking sharks being logged by those at sea or by the public from the coast.  If you see anything, please use the Whaletrack app to log your sighting.

Another way you can help them, is by shopping.  If you use Amazon, register for Amazon Smile and select HWDT as your chosen charity.  It's a really easy and effective way to raise funds without even trying! 


That's all for tonight.  I'll be back with another update of my progress soon.

Stay kind,
Fi x

Fi's 30 day push up challenge - Day 4 - 7

Total Push-ups done: 630

Push-ups to target: 2370

The last few days have been a real struggle and I have fallen behind in my daily targets.  I struggle with chronic fatigue every day and can usually manage it reasonably well, but sometimes even the slightest exertion floors me.  On Monday and Tuesday I did quite a lot; yoga, cleaning our community shop, 100 push-ups each day, dog walks, gardening and painting. Not overly busy by any standards, but it seems to have been enough to exhaust my body and for the rest of the week, just getting out of bed and functioning has been a challenge in itself.  

I have included some alternative push-ups from my yoga sessions.

In Mondays Stay Strong class, we do a vinyasa sequence which includes pike presses, and on Wednesday, my yoga instructor very kindly included some dolphin dips just to help me reach my target for the day.  Here's a video sample of the moves:

All the yogis very kindly donated their dips towards my total, but I haven't included them as it felt like cheating! But thank you so much for the thought and support! 

And if you fancy joining a yoga class, I can highly recommend Mountain Yoga Kinlochleven via the wonders of Zoom!

So it's now the end of day 7 and I am 70 push-ups behind schedule! But I hope to make these up over the next few days.  Donations create motivation, so if you can donate, even the price of a coffee would be fantastic. If all my Facebook friends did that, we'd reach the target in no time!

Paypal.me/fioweo

100% of donations will go to the charities, plus gift-aid.

An update about the charities will follow over the weekend, but for now, it's time to rest! 

Goodnight,

Fi x

Fi's 30 day push-up challenge - Day 3

3 days in, 300 push-ups done, 2700 to go!

Many thanks for today's donation, Gillian.  It now takes the total to £40. Slowly but surely, keeping me motivated!

Here's the link to my PayPal.  Please donate if you can:

http://paypal.me/fioweo

Ewen's Room Big Summer Challenge - This week, Ewen's Room have a challenge for you! If you've got kids that love arty crafty stuff, this should be right up your street. 'Art that falls apart'. Make a picture or model from natural things you find around you when on a walk or at the beach.  Take a phot and then leave it for other to enjoy until it falls apart!  Follow the link to find out more!

HWDT latest news - unfortunately, but not surprisingly, they have taken the decision to cancel the rest of the research expeditions for the remainder of the year.  I can empathise with their decision, which would not have been an easy one to make.  SO now more than ever, they need not just funds, but your help with their research.  If you're lucky enough to live or travel on the coast or sea, keep your eyes peeled for those sea monsters and log your sightings here Https://whaletrack.hwdt.org

Today's stats:

I am thoroughly knackered and need to start going to bed earlier!

Stay kind,

Fi x

Fi's 30 day push=up challenge - Day 2

I'm not going to lie, today has been a struggle.  My arms, shoulders and chest ache from the additional 75 push-ups yesterday, and I've had to improve my technique immediately to make them register on the app!  I've had to do them in smaller sets throughout the day and I'm still only halfway for today's target at 10.30pm!

BUT...I got my first two donations today. Yipee!!
So I have added a donations thermometer here
and I am determined to reach today's goal before I post this blog 😁

In the meantime, if you want to keep me motivated, here's the link to make a donation:

http://paypal.me/fioweo

Any amount, large or small, makes all the difference and is very much appreciated. 

A reminder of the charities I'm raising money for:

Ewen's Room

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust 

And a wee video of where I live

...It's 00:02hrs and I made it! I did one extra yesterday so I did one less today to keep me perfectly on track. Here is today's count:

Thanks again for today's donations and everyone's words of encouragement/bewilderment!

I'm off to rest my weary arms which are aching just typing this!

Goodnight x

Fi's 30 day push-up fundraiser challenge Day 1

Welcome to my 30-day push-up fundraising challenge!

I've resurrected my old blog after setting myself a crazy challenge of doing 3000 push-ups over the next 30 days to raise some much-needed cash for a couple of charities that are important to me.

Ewen's Room is a charity based in west Lochaber providing mental health services to local people as well as online resources to anyone that needs it.  As the name might suggest, the charity was set up in memory of Ewen Gillespie, and his mum writes the heartfelt story of how Ewen's Room came to be here.

Give their Facebook page a like!

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust are a conservation charity based in Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull.  I have volunteered numerous times on their research survey trips aboard their yacht, Silurian, and was lucky enough to work as a marine mammal observer too.  They have carried out over 2 decades of research of marine life and have an amazing education outreach programme, connecting with local communities and schools up and down the West Highlands and Islands. 

Check out their Facebook page for more info.  You might even find my face in the archives!

I am aiming to raise £1000 and hoping I can achieve that with your generosity and sharing the challenge with your friends.  

I'm also hoping I can sustain it over the 30 days.  I do struggle with pain and chronic fatigue, so while I'm not looking for sympathy, I want to stress the 'challenge' element.  It won't be easy, but I can be bloody stubborn and determined when I set my mind to something. Just ask my mum!!  So the more you give, the more motivation I have to carry on 😉

If you are able to donate, no matter how small, it would be gratefully and humbly received.
*Update, I now have a GoFundMe page for those without a PayPal account
GoFundMe Link

I've decided just to use PayPal to save on any commission or fees so 100% of donations will go to the charities. Here is the link

paypal.me/fioweo

Please use the 'Friends and Family' option.

I'm looking forward to the challenge and hope you'll follow along with me.  I need plenty of cheerleaders!

I am using a push-up counter app on my phone to record the number of push-ups.  It doesn't let me get away with rubbish attempts so I'm going to have to build up strength quick smart! 

Here are todays stats:

Stay safe, stay healthy, keep those eyes peeled for sea-monsters from the deep, and keep your mental health healthy!

Much love,

Fi x