the bigger picture

An Evening in the Capital

2010-11-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

It is very true when I tell people that I only ever go to London when I fly into or out of the country. I have spent so little time there that it still absolutely scares me.

Tuesday rush hour was probably not the best time of day for me to be making my next journey into our great capital, as it was HEAVING.

I consider myself to be a seasoned traveller but getting to Knightsbridge on the underground was a challenge and actually quite scary. People are oblivious to anyone else around them and there is a fair amount of pushing and shoving going on. Considering I was teetering around in my stilettos I did a decent of job of getting to my location without too much drama.

The stiletto, dress wearing, travelling to London occasion was for the Royal Thames Yacht Club Prize giving evening, which The Project had been invited to as winner of our class at Cowes Week this year. As my illustrious leader and skipper is away in Australia it was my turn to take on the role of accepting our trophy and prize.

It was a really nice evening, fabulous food, great wine and I met some really lovely people. It was really good to be a part of this evening and to be in a room amongst some very influential sailors, namely Sir Keith Mills.

I am still not convinced it is a good idea to give a room full of sailors free wine, but it was a very nice evening!! Well done again to all the crew of The Project for all being a part of the team winning this trophy.

2010-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

WE DID IT!!!!

A huge tick in the box for us running the Great South Run.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, running conditions were excellent and we both crossed the line. It was such an brilliantly organised event and one I would definitely consider doing again.

A huge THANKYOU to everyone that has already sponsored Lucy and I for the run, but for those of you who would still like to do so, there is still time. Please go to our Just Giving page HERE.

For every penny Lucy and I raise HSBC are going to match it pound for pound in sponsorship. This is a huge boost to our fundraising hopes for Macmillan.

You can check out race photos and our fundraising so far at www.justgiving.com/runningsisters or http://www.emmayork.me.uk/

And for those of you keen to have a go next year, go to the Great South Run site as entries for the 2011 event are now open.

My Biggest Challenge

2010-10-06T05:21:00.000-07:00

In a moment of madness, back in February, I agreed to take part in the Great South Run with sister Lucy.

Thinking of this as a great challenge to myself both for my running and fitness and also doing something great to help Macmillan has been a great motivation.

I have completed several 5k and this year my first 10k race, but this will be the longest race and by far the biggest challenge I have set myself. But I believe I have prepared well for it, with lots of varied training and visiting the race site.

Between my sister Lucy and I, we are aiming to raise £500 for Macmillan, but whatever we can raise for this very worthy organisation will make a difference to many and will help motivate me to get round the course.

Please help us to rasie as much as we can by donating at www.justgiving.com/runningsisters or go to my site www.emmayork.me.uk

Thank you :)

Croatian Adventures!

2010-07-21T12:04:00.001-07:00

I have been extremely fortunate in my life (so far) to have travelled a lot and seen a big chunk of the world. I have been to 4 out of 5 continents, seen over 10 capital cities and sailed in many of the seas and 3 or the worlds oceans.

In my never-ending ambition to travel and explore, I have visited a new country, one I have wanted to go to for some time. And I am pleased to say that I didn't just fly in; I came in via the outer islands by yacht and not just any yacht.

It was a 6 day journey from Naples to Croatia which saw us take the route through the gap between the boot of Italy and Sicilly up past the heel and across to Croatia. Hitting the Croatian island of Vis on Saturday after a full 24 hours of rough seas and head on winds it was great to be docking.

Even in such a short trip there were many funny and memorable moments and thanks to Zennor it was an awesome time and a great trip.
Check out my site for the full trip story and more photos, visit HERE

Joining The Hundreds

2010-07-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Having completed the Race for Life 5km run for two years previously, I decided this year that I would step it up a notch in the aim to get myself physically and mentally ready for the Great South Run in October this year. Also I was running in memory of a good friend, Colin, who we lost last year.

I signed up for the Race for Life 10km run in Bournemouth quite a few months ago hoping to 'up' my training and prepare for the race. having said that, as June got closer and closer and I became busier and busier with work and life, I started to feel like I might not have put in enough distance in me little legs. Now, I did say that as this was my first 10km run I was not doing it to get a good time or certain speed but to just run the course and see how I got on. And I truly believed that for the first 2 minutes of the run on Sunday 20th June, but it soon went out the window and I was determined to put in a decent time and finish well.

It was brilliantly beautiful day, we could not have asked for better weather. Sunny, warm, calm and I was one of over 790 women who came to Bournemouth Pier to run in the first Race for Life 10km race.

I was properly pleased with myself as I put in a decent time completing the race and I felt really good at the end however with a slightly pink, sweaty face!!

It was an amazing atmosphere running with the other ladies all remembering and running for someone special and Race for Life and Cancer Research UK do an amazing job of bringing awareness and research to helping save many lives.

Weather Wonders

2010-05-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Why do British people incessantly moan, gripe, stress and complain about the weather?
There really is nothing we can do to change any of it and lets face it the weather predictors, MET office and such like are really only putting educated guess work into play.

To be fair, it can be mildly irritating when you have something planned and then it goes and rains, but it really is no ones fault. Weather systems are so unpredicatble and ever-changing that to put a pin-point decision on what is going to happen and when, there is always going to be the opposite possibillity that it wont happen.
Therefore, weather forecasts= pinch o salt!!

Take this up coming bank holiday for instance. One minute forecasts are coming out that it is going to the best one yet and with the past few days we have had it was looking nice. And now it is predicted to be cloudy, chances of rain and getting cooler. Now for those of you planning the idyllic, long-weekend break this is not a good sign, but then for those like me who are going sailing and are wanting some decent breeze, bring it on i say!
Whatever you are up to enjoy the weekend and hopefully the weather wont be a factor that spoils it for you!

There's a first time for everything

2010-05-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

First Time Voters!

I have to say that I am not too proud to having never voted before. I know that many women put their lives on the line to allow other fellow women the right to choose to vote, but selfishly I was on a crusade to travel and sail the seas and so was simply never in the UK when voting time came around.
Now that I have 'seen-the-light' and come home to start my business and find my fortune (not sure which one is due to come first) I find myself in the dilemma of never having voted before. This means that I do not have a scooby doo who is promising what to whom and who is fighting for which team. I am not too pleased that I don't know anything about the politics of the UK or who any of the candidates so I took to the press to gain as much as I could.
Reading, reading and more reading gave me an insight into the mind-field that is politics and it is truly amazing how people come out and openly give you their opinions and suggestions on who to vote for and why. Making things even more confusing.

I knew that when it came to it I would vote and by the time I had let go of the ballot paper into the box I would have changed my mind. But then what I came to realise is that there will never be enough information and no matter wether people like Gordon Brown or David Cameron personally that really doesnt matter as it is about the party and not the person.

As you all know, it happened. We voted, some did and some didnt and some simply couldnt and we are still no closer to getting a result. So as a first time voter who is proud to have voted and put my opion forward I feel kind of empty in a way. Like the horse i bet on for the grand national. I put the bet on, watched him start and come over the first hedge, round the first corner, get up to the front runners to the last furlong and then fail and not finish. This is how I feel the voting went, and now we are left waiting to see if the horse has to be put down!

A Weekend in the Sun

2010-04-27T03:36:00.000-07:00

Sun, Sailing and trouble with Public Transport

It was a fabulous weekend of sailing on Zanzara out of the Hamble for the Sigma 38 training day and the final Spring Series race. There was sun, more wind than was forecast and we sailed well and I loved it!

The evening entertainment was brilliant in the King & Queen in Hamble and we were serenaded by Nigel's band, who were awesome! Hangover and working the bow in a race was maybe not the best decision I have ever made, but I did enjoy the race, the conditions were spot on and loved doing bow.

This is not the end to my story- unfortunately. Simply put, I was to get on the train back to Bournemouth and get home in time for a roast dinner. But this was not to be for me. The train from Hamble to Southampton went smoothly and getting off at Southampton Central it was apparent that something was going on. Apparently the bright sparks at South West rail had decided to do major engineering work on the lines and bridges and so many of the train were not running. This also meant there was very little passenger information. Asking an official looking type man in uniform and those paddles to direct the train I politely asked where the train he was standing on was going to. Being informed it was the one I wanted I didn't think twice and got on. I am far too trusting and judgement was clouded by lingering Mount Gay. To cut a long story short I was on the train going to Manchester, not a good move. Getting off at Basingstoke, I then got on a coach to Southampton and then train to Bournemouth. Some five hours later I got home to be too tired to eat my roast dinner, boo.

A great weekend, which ended in me hating public transport even more than I thought I could.

Growing Up

2010-04-21T03:09:00.000-07:00

Bouncy Castles, Party Rings & Screaming Kids!

This is pretty much how I spent a beautiful Sunday lunchtime. The bouncy castle and party rings part was particularly brilliant. Who said that bouncy castles were only for kids, I had a great time and it has to be an awesome workout, bouncing all over the place trying not to land on a little kid in the process. the I ruined the half hour of bouncy castle action by eating a gargantuan amount of party rings. I forgot how great they are and should not just come out at parties!

However, being at a three year old birthday party had the down side of a lot of screaming. What I did notice was that when one of them starts the others join in. Not screaming for any reason, no injury, no pain or discomfort, just for the pure hell of screaming at the top of their lungs. And the little blighters think its funny. Imagine the scene- Megan starts screaming because I scared her on the bouncy castle (my bad), then the other 12 kids start running around joining in with the screaming, smiling. As if to taunt us! It is a noise that goes right through me and one that I am sure only dogs should be able to hear.

Having said that, the kids all had a really good time, ate most of the food and Megan seemed to enjoy herself. There was a moment went she threw an Oscar winning performance of 'its my party and I'll cry if I want to' when she couldn't open her presents. But then she is only three and was more concerned with if everyone had brought a present not that all her mates had turned up. Oh how fickle!

The scary thing is she is now three years old and growing into a proper little girl. Especially as she stands, with hands on her hips looking at me telling me to tidy up the mess I (she) made.

So until next year.....

A Punting Good Time!

2010-04-12T08:56:00.001-07:00

Q. How much fun can you have on a river in Oxford?
A. More than I could ever have imagined.

On my way up to Hungerford, to the back end of a country field, past the running rabbit and beyond the extra long grass fields, there is a pub called the Pheasant! And this is where my friend Hannah has gone to work for a very nice man, who happens to be Will Young's dad.

The weekend was planned, changed and planned again and then it was decided that the most important thing on Saturday was to put a bet on the Grand National and get some grub. Being in a picturesque country village with beautifully decorated canals sat in the river, sun shining and everyone outside we decided to forgo that and sit in a car park and have a drink. Don’t ask me why, we just did.
The weekend continued with increasing hilarity as we moved on from Hungerford and the town to Oxford city centre. It then started to play out like the episode when Friends went to London for Ross's wedding. We got lost, asked for directions and still got lost, ate some food, ate some more food, talked a lot of s*$t, hit the town and then there was four in a bed!

The weather was brilliant and as the true tourists that we are we googled, sat naved and made our way to Cherwell Boat House on the river to go punting. No need for life jackets, disclaimers or inquiring of whether everyone can at least swim, we hired our punt from the lovely people at Cherwell Boathouse Punt Hire and headed off upstream to the pub. After a quick beverage stop we then went forth and explored the river in the direction of Oxford Botanical Gardens.
With every one of us having a go and trying to master the fine-art of punting I don’t think I have laughed so hard in all my life. There were real tears. And I am convinced that laughing is one of the best ab workouts I have ever done.
Running aground was a small issue and we became very familiar with the rivers banks and trees on both side of the river as we zigzagged our way back and forth. There was a near overboard, some travelling backwards and stationary moments on our journey but all in all I think the four people from Dorset mastered the skill of punting and entertained half of Oxford in the process.

Thanks Hannah, Rob and Kara for an unreal weekend!

2010-04-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

The running training is going well and the lighter, clear nights are really helping.

Last night could not have been a better evening to go for a long run around St.Ives in Ringwood with my sister and running partner, Lucy. Mild, sunny and very little wind meant that we could run for an hour along the roads towards Moors Valley Country Park and back down the old, abandoned Ashley Heath railway line.

Along with training and running with Lucy I have added a new partner to my programme to get ready for the 10 mile Great South Run later this year. The lovely David Thomas at MRI UK have supplied my with their ionically charged electrolyte sports hydration drink product. Elete is a pure electrolyte add-in. A few drops of Elete can be added to any food or drink to help replace salts and essential minerals lost during exercise, helps maintain hydration, prevents muscle cramps, sustain energy and endurance and enhance mental focus.

The greatest part about this product is that it is 100% natural, there is absolutely no calories, no sugars or additives and has been recommended by professional athletes and competitors in all sports from cycling and swimming to yoga and mountain biking.

For more information on Elete and how it can benefit everyone whether taking part in sports or curing a hangover go to http://www.eletewater.co.uk/

2010-03-30T02:13:00.000-07:00

The Fresh Approach Team Tri charity event is taking place on Sunday June 13th at QE Leisure Centre in Wimborne.

The event is taking place from 3pm and incorporates every aspect of a triathlon; swimming, cycling and running.

The Team Tri event is taking place to help raise funds and awareness for ParaGolfer. This is a hydraulic chair that has been invented and designed to let disabled and less-able bodied people to play golf. The chair we are raising money for is going to go to Matthew Purchase, brain injury victim, and many others like him to be able to get outdoors and take part in playing golf.

This ParaGolfer, is going to be available for all and held at Canford Magna Golf Club.

More details on the ParaGolfer can be found at http://www.legsdontwork.com/Paragolfer

Teams of up to 6 will compete against each other in a relay-type style to cover the greatest distance overall. EVERY penny from the entry fess and any additional sponsorship goes directly towards helping to obtain this chair.

For all event information and entry fees please go to the Fresh Approach events page- www.freshapproachpr.co.uk/events.php

One Down

2010-03-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have asked for a better day to do the run.
After the torrential rain we have had in Dorset over the last 3 days I was not looking forward to running in the rain at the Littledown for the Sport Relief Mile challenge.
But the weather men were right (for a change) it cleared up, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day.
Considering I have been out for 2 weeks with my calf injury and not done any running of much distance, today was the test.
All was good and I felt well and even though it was quite muddy and boggy in some areas i put in a decent time for the 3 miles and even pulled in the reserves for a sprint finish.

A huge thank you to the very nice people at the Littledown for organising a great event and the free massage was brilliant!

Now for some more training and upping the mileage!

Running Sisters

2010-03-16T02:19:00.000-07:00

Lucy and I are running the Bupa Great South Run in October, in the beautiful Seaforth, Portsmouth.

Check out our Just Giving page- www.justgiving.com/runningsisters
There is going to be regular news and photos on my site http://www.emmayork.me.uk/ and this blog with our training and lead up to race day.

We are running for Macmillan Cancer Support who helped our Mamma our great deal and bring support and care to so many families and people suffering.
Please do whatever you can to help us raise as much as we can for them.

Any tips and advice are also gratefully received as I think I am going to need all the help I get.
Wish us luck!

Running to Help!

2010-03-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

As the new year turned in, I knew it was going to be a good one for me and wanted it to be different.
Not that all the experiences and good times I have had I want to change. I want to try new things, really challenge myself and push those limits I have been protecting for so long.

I encourage a lot of other people to push their limits, to really go for it, if you don't try you will never know. And this is exactly what I have adopted. I have taken some of my own advice and plunged head first into some very exciting and scary new challenges. I am going to be running two 5km races, a 10km race and the final biggy- 10mile Great South Run. Considering I have not really run more than 5km in a race before this is going to be an interesting challenge.

But it is now something I am really looking forward to. It is great to set a goal and have something to work towards, as I know that when I get to the final outcome it will be so rewarding, personally. Plus the aim is to raise money and awareness for some very worth-while charities, namely Macmillan Cancer Support who made a big difference in caring for my Mama.

There will be regular training, race news and photos on here during the lead-up, so keep posted or check out my site!

The Secret to a good Cornish Pasty

2010-03-02T09:44:00.001-08:00

I had no idea it was really such a big deal. Its just a meat, pastry meal, but oh how wrong was I?!

Sure, a Ginsters is not the nicest thing in the world and being in Cornwall you are definitely likely to pick up a beautiful handmade pasty that tastes great. But I didn’t realise the Cornish people were so proud and particular about their pasty’s.

Having just spent the weekend in gorgeous Kernow, I have now discovered that there are several things that should be taken into account when deciding on your pasty and what it is that makes a good one.

The pastry, cannot be too crispy or burnt. Meat to potato ratio should be even. Gravy and seasoning need to be just right. Good quality steak is a must.

According to locals, it is all in the plaiting or crimping of the pasty that makes it a great one. I was even given tips on how to eat one, and it is undecided whether to eat the ‘gripper’ or not. Personally I ate the whole damn thing as it was so good!

Having only experienced my first proper pasty I can only recommend Philps Pasty Bakery in East Hayle, it was well worth the drive out of the way to get it.

However, many Kernow locals will have a top 5 pasty list and tell you where to get the best ones. I am still baffled as to how particular they are about it, it set off a great debate in the pub!!!

Inspiring Aim For Gold

2010-02-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Meeting people who are at the very top of their sport, career etc is very inspiring.
I can understand the pressure they put on themselves to be the very best and the struggles they encounter to simply get others to understand their goals.

The Olympics is the pinnacle for most athletes, the one they are working towards and aiming for that worldly recognised gold medal.
With four years in between each event the build up, training and preparation is immense and can sometimes be too much for some. The financial worries that come with an Olympic campaign can sometimes take up the majority of the planning and everything has to work in and around it. It is then amazing and thoroughly inspiring to learn that above all of the hard-times there is always the main aim, the one driving goal to represent the country and to push for that medal.
We need to appreciate how hard it is for our athletes to get where they are aiming. It is not just a case of getting to run round a track all day, or go sailing everyday in warm water as their day job, surely you must all know that being a British athlete of any description is not all about spending their days in warm, hot, sunny weather.
Therefore it is more inspiring that our athletes will go through it all, conditions good or bad to aim for that gold!

2010 JJ Giltinan World Championships

2010-02-22T00:57:00.000-08:00

It has been the most exciting 10 days of 18 foot skiff sailing on Sydney Harbour.

This year's JJ Giltinan World Championships trophy came right down to the wire with only 1 or 2 points separating the leaders going into the final race.

Unfortunately, I could not be with my team this year and so had to cheer for them from the comfort of my lounge here in the UK.

The time difference has been interesting and I have set my alarm to wake every morning so I can check their results and see how each race went.

The story behind Andy getting the new boat ready and finding suitable crew to train and race in the regatta is one of pure determination and is really inspiring. Literally, blood, sweat and I am sure a few tears have gone into this campaign and it has all paid off for them.
Tragically, they were in the lead and looked like they were going to take the win and bring the trophy home for the UK but during the race the trapeze wires broke and so meant they had to capsize to fix it, and lost a lot of places.

I am so proud of the guys as they came through so much to get to this point and have deservedly achieved third in the world.

There is photos and a full race report on the team site, check it out- http://www.projectracing.co.uk/

February 18th 2010

2010-02-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for coming to my brand new blog.
There is going to be plenty of fun and interesting stories to fill these pages, but firstly I wanted to introduce myself and to plug my website, that has more news, photos and exciting goings on! www.emmyork.me.uk

Whats She Wont Know Wont Hurt Her.

Every Friday we are graced with the appearance of my niece Megan (right), as my sister goes to work. For me, it is pretty much a write-off for getting anything done as I end up playing Lego or watching Shrek for the 50th time.

Last week we were off out into the garden to feeds the birds. A past time Megan has come to love. She enjoys watching them eat the seeds she puts out and enthusiastically tells the fat, over-fed pigeons to go away!

The only downside to this event is that on that day it was a particularly cold day and so hats and gloves were needed. tyring to explain to a two year old that she has to keep her hat on, is non eventful and so according to her mother, we have to say that her ears will fall off if she doesn't keep the hat on.

Now, I know this is cruel and I am sure she will get her own back on us when she is older, but it seems to work. However, after the seeds have been eaten, she spends the next several minutes walking around in circles, checking the ground to see if her ears might have fallen off. It's hilarious!

Who knew there was so much fun to be had with a two year old!