September is shaping up to be a great month. We have been busy climbing mountains and talking to some new exciting people in fantastic companies!

We will be kicking off the North West development agencies Lead Programme at the end of the month. We have now started looking at our first charity 'Cast Away' experience for senior executives; we hope to get a group of top dogs to battle it out in a genuine survival situation for forty eight hours. Who has the mental strength to win? Who will crack and who won't have the guts to try at all?

Finally, we are planning to take everyone's favourite personal training company Body Solutions in to the wilderness once more! 'I'm a celebrity PT, get me out of here!' springs to mind, will we be able to provide enough calorie burning activities to stimulate them? ....I'll keep you posted!

 

 

The next 3 Peaks Challenge will be held 23rd - 25th October with the first training day on 13 September, more training day dates will be coming soon. Call us now to book your place!

September is going to be a busy one at Go Commando as we push forward with our work with No Guru and Freedom Business Coaching. The joint collaboration working on the LEAD programme is set for the end of the month and all delegates get the chance to Go Commando for one day!

We are looking forward to working with individuals and opening their minds to who they really are!

Twenty six hours and fifteen minutes is a long time to be climbing mountains, but that is what the 'Roy Castle Six' (as we call them) did on August 22nd!

 

For those of you who don't know about the three peaks mountain race, it takes in Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in North Wales. All three mountains are the highest peaks in their relevant countries and the race is non stop, finishing at the foot of the first and last mountain, aiming to complete the challenge in as close to twenty four hours as possible.

 

We were hit by the cloud on Big Ben and fought our way down through the crowds heading up to a feast of haggis on the summit! We then shot off to the lakes in a mini bus restricting 60mph, arriving to enjoy a clear bright evening in the English countryside before venturing into wet Welsh Wales in the dark. The Roy Castle Six did not let this poor weather dampen their spirits, instead they pushed on through the night to reach the summit of first light and then head back down the beast that is Snowdon to a warm dry set of clothes. All bar one of the challenges completed the task, we unfortunately had to sacrifice him to the god of bad knees! We ate his liver with some Welsh farmers pickle!

 

The magnificent six have all recovered and have helped to raise much needed funds to keep the boffins at Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation labs researching on your behalf!

Go Commando has recently secured the use of an exclusive 64 acre island! This new location offers a unique cast away experience to add to the already popular courses that our clients have taken part in at our base in Capel Curig. The remote island is neighboured by a slightly smaller island owned by none other than Bear Gryles. The new experience takes in a fats boat ride out, an exhastingly eventful two day course packed with survival skills, physical tasks and accelerated group bonding. Forget go-karting and Alton Towers - Go Commando and challenge your team to survive on our island, the only real way to discover peoples true identity is to remove them from their comfort zone!

We are mad busy at the moment, August and September are mountain months. Each weekend we are running training days and mountain events. On Sunday 9th August the team of raw recruits supporting the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation set off on a misty damp walk up Moel Siabod overlooking Capel Curig. The weather was poor and so was the visibility, but that didn't stop the group enjoying the days walk. The highlight being the sighting of a man celebrating his 40th birthday by plunging into a large disused quarry pit of ice cold water wearing only an iluminous greeg 'Borat style' mankini! Well done to all the team and good luck for the three peaks challenge on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd August.

Right Folks you may or may not know but we (us mountain walking folk) have now entered the National 3 peaks season. The three highest Peaks in the UK (Ben Nevis, Scafel Pike and Snowdon) will soon be covered in brightly coloured charity t-shirts worn by first time mountain goats.

 

If you are considering a mountain event this year here are my top 5 tips for people who are new to the Hills:

 

1. Sort your feet out:

 

Before you go check your footwear, don’t think that because your shoes/ boots look the part or give you support on a shopping expedition that they are suitable for off road! Contrary to popular belief flip-flops and timberlands are not quality walking boots.

 

1.  Drink like a fish

 

Hydrate; drink plenty before during and after a 1% drop in hydration causes a 10% drop in performance! Avoid booze before and obviously during but don’t be shy of a post walk tipple to celebrate. Camel-baks or other hydration bladders are fantastic a great investment at around £10-£15

 

1. Don’t be a big jessy

 

Don’t be put off or intimidated by the challenge it is nothing is impossible. Your body will take you it’s your mind that will stop your legs from moving. My advice is sign up, train appropriately and enjoy the experience.

 

1. You are not about to die!

 

In the first 15-45 minutes of any walk in the hills you will think that you are going to have to stop and in some cases die! This is normal and you are not Dying, your body is adjusting to the stress that you are putting on it, you will more than likely be working aerobically (without Oxygen) and until you start to use oxygen you feel under strain and in pain. It will pass.

 

1. Stick to what you know:

 

Avoid eating or trying new foods on the hill. If you start taking energy drinks,

bars or gels during a walk the chances are that your body will reject the new untested substances and want to get rid of them. There may be one way in but there is certainly two ways out! Don’t get caught short try before you go and you won’t make a show!

 

Most important enjoy, if it was easy it wouldn’t be called a challenge!

Did you know that walking helps cognitive function? So anyone doing regular exercise, and one of the best forms of exercise is walking, increases their oxygen uptake by 5%. This increases blood flow to the frontal areas of the brain. So my suggestion for anyone that wants to win Mastermind, improve their performance at work or even just compete in the local pub quiz, is to get their boots on and take to the hills. Just 9 miles per week can boost your brainpower. Imagine how clever you would be after completing the 3 Peaks with 26 miles of terrain to cover. Or you may want to take it easy on the Snowdon Horseshoe with just 11 miles to walk. Go Commando organises lots of walking events for a variety of fitness levels, so whether you want to burn calories or ward of diabetes or a heart attack, let your feet do the talking!

For any of you looking to do a mountain event this year I have a few pearls of wisdom from an old(ish) Vet.

• Just like any event or challenge, plan ahead and work back. If the date of your event is this year then you need to be training now and putting in some leg work. A combination of resistance (weights), work on your lower limbs and Cardio vascular work will help to prepare you for the day of the race. Having big guns and a huge chest is great but try using them to walk up a mountain!
• Concentrate on low weights and high repetitions, exercises such as squats, lunges and leg extensions are ideal as they will help train the legs major muscles for the strains of hill walking but they will also stabilise the tendons and ligaments surrounding the knees. Don’t be put off by the fact that you won’t be able to walk for a few days after a leg set in the gym it’s all normal and the road to mountain success is walked with stiff legs.
• Cardio Vascular work should be varied, simply getting out walking won’t cut it. Use climbers, stepper, rowing machines, try and attend some spin classes (again you won’t be able to walk after them but it is for the greater good). Aim to complete 20-30 min sessions before your leg session which you should aim to do 2-3 per week.
• Stay focused the 3 peaks  will put greater demands on your body than a marathon as it is longer and the terrain is more severe. Yet hundreds of people each year attempt it with no training. Be smart train hard and enjoy yourself.
• For further tips or any advice drop me an email greg@go-commando.co.uk

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Welcome to the Go Commando Blog!

We'll be keeping you up to date with the latest about our physical challenges, outdoor team building programmes and a real life insight into the inner workings of the Go Commando nerve center!

Watch this space........