Jamie's Moray Recce

Last week I got to go up to Moray for the first time to scope out the last day of the Challenge. We’re ending in Spey Bay – a beautiful place where the river meets with the North Sea.

It was the first time I had been to Moray and it was a real treat to be shown the area by Gavin and Karen. They both work for Moray Council and DofE is part of what they do.

I didn’t know exactly what to expect as I stepped off the train at Elgin, but I was greeted with amazing excitement, warmth and generosity. There's so much already in the planning for how the area can mark DofE's Anniversary and Gavin and Karen were both very keen on helping us to mark the end of our Challenge.

They whisked me off on a tour of the area: to Craigellachie, where we’ll be camping our final night; to Spey Bay itself to see what celebrations will look like at the finish; and to Fochabers where they’re planning something special to mark the Diamond Anniversary year.

It was a very full afternoon, but being great hosts they took me to the famous Baxters for a generous serving of pancakes topped with cinnamon apples, ice cream and toffee sauce – yum! I’m told that many local participants finish off their expeditions and you can see why. Just the sort of food you need after a big hike!

After my trip I was left feeling full – and not just of pancakes! – but also full of ideas about how we can complete our Challenge with a bang! We’ll be keeping you posted as we find out more. Maybe you can get involved too!

The key to making yourself love cycling – it’s all in the colours

Our Office Manager's Sarah's been busy with her DofE Challenge training. Here's her take on how it's going so far... 

The DofE Scotland Diamond Challenge has been at the back of my mind for some time now, but it was during the festive lull that I suddenly realised how quickly the event is approaching. Only 20 weeks left to prepare for an almighty sporting challenge involving an activity I really hate - cycling.

Panicked into action, I immediately bought a bike.  After a bit of research I decided a mountain bike was the way forward with its heavier tyres and frame, which are sure to help bolster my leg strength for when the big day arrives. More importantly, they also look much prettier. Sold!

Step two was to set up a training calendar.  I found some great examples of beginner training plans on British Cycling’s website, which I adjusted to fit around my own commitments.  Using a Google Calendar, I set up the plan which I regularly thrust in front of anyone and everyone who’ll look at it. It sends reminders to my phone and incorporates colour coded event tags to keep me right - genius!

After spending far too long admiring my masterpiece, I finally kicked my training into gear. Exercising five days a week looks pretty tough going, and much more than I’ve ever done in my life, but with recovery weeks planned in and sheer determination I know I can do it.

Then it dawned on me, there really is no point setting up a plan if I can’t monitor my progress and regularly declare how much of a machine I am. So I downloaded the Social Fitness app, Strava.  This is a great app that allows me to record any training I do, whether it’s cycling, walking or running, so I can log my improvements and set goals.  It also lets me connect with friends to borrow route ideas or get support and that all important ‘kudos’ for my training achievements.  I’ve clocked in two rides so far and a couple of runs but there are plenty more to come. Whether I like it or not!

It’s been a great start for me so far. There’s so many resources out there that have made it easy to get going. I’d guess that whatever you’re DofE Challenge is, there’s an app for it. I’d encourage everyone to take the plunge, do a bit of research and get going. You can sign up to your Challenge at www.DofEDiamondChallenge.org. If you’d like to support my Challenge, have a look at my JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/DofESarahsChallenge2016/.