Blog by Marc Height, Assistant Editor
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Energy Institute Team participating in Aviemore, 2010
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For the second successive year The Energy Institute (EI) has signed up a team to the BG Energy Challenge.
The EI is the official media partner for the event and last year the idea was hatched that we should also participate! After a spate of injuries, team changes, numerous fundraising activities and a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we finally made it to Aviemore and came back extremely satisfied to have taken part in such an enjoyable and fulfilling event.
So during registration this year, we jumped at the chance to take part again – to put ourselves through the mental turmoil, the physical agony and the strategic teamwork needed to get together and fill in the application form!
But seriously, while the challenge itself was such a great experience, so is the preparation. We are currently in the midst of our fundraising and training activities, trying to work off all the cake that we are eating to raise money. Here are our exploits and plans to date:
Fundraising
We have already made a good start with money being collected from industry events and dinners. A collection at the International Petroleum Week 2011 dinner kicked this off followed swiftly by some fantastic support from members in Northern Ireland – thank you to all.
We have also set up a cake-making rota in the office with two members of staff each week concocting a choice of tasty treats for the staff to enjoy. So far we’ve had carrot cake, chocolate cookies, cheesecake, chocolate Guinness cake, chocolate muffins – you get the picture. Considering most team members have spent more time eating these cakes than actually training, they’re coming round to the idea that this money raising initiative might be to their detriment!
We’ve also set up a once-a-month pub-quiz evening (crucially held the Thursday after pay day) which enables the staff to get together and battle it out over a couple of drinks. The first quiz, organised by team-member Erica and named ‘TRUE BRIT’, was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and great success.
We also have some other events in the pipeline including a karaoke evening and eBay initiative.
Training
Due to a couple of injuries – some cracked ribs and a dodgy knee – the whole team hasn’t been able to participate in training sessions together which currently consist of running around Regents Park after work. This was a staple part of the training regime last year and we progressed to running laps around the park and then timing ourselves.
A couple of the team members cycle to work and I have signed up to the London to Brighton cycle ride to raise money for the challenge as well as to build up those thigh muscles for the cycling stages.
Also planned for this year is a weekend canoeing or kayaking and cross training is being contemplated in the form of either Urban Gym or British Military Fitness sessions. Last year, the team took part in the latter on a weekly basis - for those of you that have ventured into a London park on a sunny day and seen a group of people running round like idiots in bibs, while being shouted at by muscular army guys, you will be able to relate to some of the embarrassment we put ourselves through in the name of charity!
Let’s not forget the brain side of things; the challenge is not just about brawn. Last year we had weekly quizzes, Sudoku’s and lateral thinking puzzles passed around the group as well as words of wisdom from the mental quizmaster Mr Gareth Parkes - this year Andy Sykes is the brains of the outfit. His programme so far involves us carrying out the mental tasks at the same time or shortly after the Regents Park runs. The aim is to be more time-efficient in Swansea – by the time we get there the aim is to be able to run ten miles while juggling 20kg weights and simultaneously solving quadratic equations!
The Event
We are hoping this year to get as much out of the challenge as last year, if not more. It’s a great incentive to get fit and most importantly we will be trying to beat our 2010 fundraising amount. The event has a fantastic atmosphere and is a joy to compete in. And of course, we’ll be aiming to beat our finishing position from last year – 16th place in case you’re interested.
In the words of Delia Smith, let’s be having you!
You can read more about our preparation for the challenge in our regularly updated blog, here.
2011 EI Team:
- Gareth Parkes (Captain)
- Andy Sykes
- Jacqueline Warner
- Erica Sciolti
- Marc Height