Joslyn's Blog Spot - Ouch!!!

First of all, a huge thank you to all of you for sponsoring us in the crazy task of hauling ass up the gherkin!!! We've been in training for four weeks for it and yesterday we did it!! We were all feeling pretty good beforehand but remained slightly dubious about just how long it was going to take!! Some people were making wild claims about four minutes to the top, whilst others who train regularly seemed to have completed it in fifteen minutes!! We just didn't know! Anyway, I'm sure all of the guys will give you their individual accounts of it...here's mine.

*First thoughts on Sunday morning - 'this was a crap idea!!!!!'
*2 hours before the climb - fuelled with carbs and hoping to digest them properly with the nerves
*45 minutes before the climb - feeling emotional with the team, just feeling really proud!!
*30 minutes before the climb jogging to the gherkin - that building looks (bleep) massive...back to 'this was a crap idea' thoughts!
*20 minutes before the climb - speaking to NSPCC about nearly reaching our fundraising target...positive thoughts of 'this is bloody worth it'
*10 minutes before climb - final nervous wee!
*30 seconds before the climb - cheering Jamie and Mike as they go off first
*GO!! - first few flights feeling good
*Flight 5 - why are my legs already tired?...crap!!...these stairs are taller than the ones we've been training on!!
*Flight 6 - oh pants...am I gonna walk this??
*Flights 7-20 passing people, trying to be supportive with you can do it remarks etc...
*Flights 20-28 Combo of two-steps walk and pull body up by bannisters, and single step jogging...more of the former...
*Flight 29...10 more to go...legs burning...heart racing...pass more people...
*Flights 30-37 nearly there, God this hurts, nearly there...
*Flight 38...thank (beep) for that!!!!!
*Two minutes post-climb...get papped...not really feeling in the photographic mood, breathing is a challenge!!!



*Five minutes post-climb...can string small sentences together
*Thirty minutes post-climb...realisation that we haven't had our complimentary glass of champagne
*Thirty minutes and one second post-climb...sprint up to top floor for glass of bubbly
*Thirty five minutes post-climb...happily nibbling on free mars bar from goodie bag
*Forty minutes post-climb...blaming mars bar for the fuzzy feeling in my head and not...erm champagne!!

It was an awesome day, and weirdly...I'd do it again!!