Lindsey Cole- Freelance Journalist

Djokovich Diet

Lindsey Cole — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:15:54 +0000

Cycling to and from Paris was a good advancement for my Ironman training, which I have notably found a dull chore. However, Lindsey’s Parisian diet is something that an athlete may frown upon. I say “Lindsey’s Parisian diet” as this is a topic I brought up often and could never fully get to the bottom of. How is it that you see French girls eating French bread and all the naugthies (cakes, pastries, sauces) and they’re all so tiny?? My English friend, living in Paris, told me it was quality and quantity. The French food is better quality and the French girls know when they’ve had enough. I, on the other hand, would quite happily eat the whole contents of the fridge if he’d let me! Alas I have this dreaded Ironman in six weeks time and it’s going to be tough enough as it is. There really is no need to carry an extra stone.

Novak Djockovich may have had his 43-match winning streak rumbled by Roger Federer in the semi finals at Roland Garros but the Serb was the talk of the town through out the tournament. When Djockovich’s nutritionist discovered that the world number 2 was a celiac he removed gluten from his diet. Djockovich attributes his winning streak to his new diet saying his movement is sharper and he feels great physically.

I’ll be happy juts to finish this Ironman in a respectable time. I’m not even day dreaming to stand on the podium, but I’ve decided to adopt the ‘Djockovich diet’ just as a little helping hand.

My diet was incredibly healthy and colourful and I felt lighter excluding pasta, bread and pastries…..that was until I discovered the ‘free from’ range in Tescos. Inevitably I was drawn to the cookies and cakes.

I’m half a stone (ish) lighter on the scales, but I’m not sure how long that will balance now I’ve discovered these gluten free cookies.

Novak djokovic who attributed his 43 winning streak to his new diet

“Do you take acid?”

Lindsey Cole — Mon, 16 May 2011 23:04:56 +0000

I start work in Paris on the French Open on saturday. As we all know we all have to start somewhere and Paris isn’t a bad place to start, but this job isn’t putting me up or paying to get me there. Of course I obliged and found a friend to stay with in Paris and to save the cost of a flight I’m cycling….300 or so miles! It’ll take 3 days, but I have family in Folkestone and have found a few people through couchsurfing.com for Amiens.

I had three options. 1) a 25 year old male who had an interesting profile with numerous reviews and many friends (meaning an experienced couch surfer!) 2) a young, female student who had an empty profile and had never hosted or been hosted (like me) and 3) and middle aged German female tour guide. after reviewing my offers I thought the first option was more reliable: he’d hosted people all over the world, who have all written raving reviews about him. Happy with my decision I replied, “Great, thanks so much. Let me know your number and I’ll send you a message to let you know when I’ll arrive.” To which I received the response, ” OK I just have 2 strange questions for you. 1) Do you have an evening dress because we’re going to a designer’s ball” Wow-I thought. That would be fun, if I haven’t cycled 98 miles and have a similar amount to attempt the following day. So I read on…”2) Do you take acid as we will be and can get you some” Ok….right…hmmm I’m not actually sure what to make of this, I might have to call a friend! Well, let’s answer this mini questionairre shall we?! First question-I don’t think I will be bringing an evening gown on my bike. First of all I have nowhere to hang it and secondly I can barely spare space for a second pair of shoes let a lone a prom frock. Second question- Acid! That’s a very interesting question to ask someone you’ve never met, well I suppose it’s best to get it out in the open. It’s possibly not the most suitable substance to consume after an enduring event.

ET/ or Acid Man on my bike in Amiens

For a very minute moment I did consider accepting the offer of Acid Man’s couch, as it would make an undeniably interesting story. But, I’m en route to work and want to take the safest option and so contacted the middle aged German tour guide. Plus, people on acid think they can fly. Imagine what they think they could do with a pannier laden racing bike! I wouldn’t want my only form of transport ETing out an Amiens apartment window.

Shall I stay or shall I go?

Lindsey Cole — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:44:45 +0000

At ten to five on Friday evening a Cornish area code sprung up on my phone. “Lindsey, you’re getting on a plane to Tokyo on Tuesday. Can you do it?” -Oh gosh!- I thought. I was all in a fluster. I called up my boss and told her I couldn’t come to work on Monday. Fortunately, I’m temping, thus making deployment with Shelterbox quite suitable. Nevertheless, ringing your boss and giving them absolutely no warning time that you’re leaving sets the pulses racing. I’ve not much experience in handing in my notice. However, representing Shelterbox as their PR spokesperson in one of the biggest disasters we’ve ever seen aided my justification.

This is the life of the Shelterbox Response Team (SRT). You live your daily life as normal and when you get the phone call you pack up and go. SRT’s are made up of a variety of professions: police, teachers, corporate executives, ex Forces, journalists and retirees. We all donate our spare time and holiday time to one fantastic cause. Delivering aid to those that need it most.

Less than 24 hours later I had just completed a half marathon. My ridiculous attempt of keeping me on track in training for the Ironman in the summer. I had even paced myself with fellow runners and shared my news of my deployment. Obviously wasn’t running that hard! Alas I returned to the tent to claim my possessions, swiftly after receiving a well earnt massage. A missed call! “Lindsey, Japan’s on hold!” Due to politics and complications HQ were forced to postpone the mission.

I had to grovel for my job back but I’m still ready and waiting for Shelterbox’s next deployment.

Shelterbox in Japan

Lindsey Cole — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:05:12 +0000

Tsunami hitting Japan moments after they suffered an eathquake

On Thursday night I’d received an email from a friend in Japan. We met on a ski season six years ago, and she’s followed the snow every year since. Inevitably, as I read the line “you should come out and stay” the adventurist character in me flirted with the idea. I decided to sleep on it.

Shelterbox has arrived in Japan 5 days after the biggest earthquake the country has ever witnessed tore their land apart.

Please here to see images and a report set by the Shelterbox team in Japan.

If you would like to help the people in the Japanese disaster and those affected in other natural disaster please do so here.

Adventurous living

Lindsey Cole — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:56:07 +0000

My potential new home

Today, I had a viewing for a new abode. The property was vast, with rooms which could comfortably fit 30 kids. Big Ben and the London Eye peered over neighbouring terraces and the rent was only £70 per week, including bills! Sounds too good to be true. Nowhere in central London would you find a place as cheap as that. However, It wasn’t your average residential home. It was a vacated school. The scheme is called ‘adventurous living’ or ‘live-in guardians’, and I was going to sign up to guard the abandoned school and ward off squatters for a fraction of the rent price that I would normally have to pay in an area like Kennington.

Myself and fourteen other potential guardians met Sarah from Camelot at the school gates before receiving a tour of the empty school. Live-in guardians is highly over-subscribed. With numerous cuts, increase in train fares, freeze of salaries, London living is as difficult as ever and guarding vacated properties has become incredibly attractive.

John Hughes' Breakfast Club

Only 6 places were available for bedrooms, although other numerous rooms could easily be transformed into a work out room, cinema, dress up room, lounge, chill out room, communal study, or a library. A climbing frame still stood on the giant brick wall of the abandoned gym, opposite a floor to ceiling white board and projector. Movie night whilst hanging upside down. One of the rooms walked straight out onto the playground complete with netball courts and posts.

If I obtained the keys it would be a real life Breakfast Club, with endless adventurous living tales. Alas, in the group were previous Camelot live-in guardians, who took priority as their previous properties had been repossessed, and the remaining spaces went to those who were willing to hand over the deposit and move in there and then. Today I was happy to suss out how it works. Give me a few more weeks and be I’ll first in line for the real life remake of John Hughes’ 1985 classic.

Looking for inspiration?

Lindsey Cole — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:47:18 +0000

I’ve just returned from the Berkhamstead Half Marathon. An attempt to chuck myself into training for the Ironman this summer. You may wonder why would anyone want to swim 4km, cycle 112 miles and top it all off with a full marathon!!! Well, I met a 72 year in the pool a few years ago while in Byron Bay, Australia. He’d just been for a cycle and a run so I commented that he should get into triathlons. To which he replied he does…..the Ironman. So, he inspired me to complete a torturous 12 hour (or so) triathlon, and I stumbled across the following video which I think will inspire anyone to do anything.

Remembering Cycle to the Cup

Lindsey Cole — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 23:13:07 +0000

A friend of mine, from NBC, is flying to Cairo this evening to handover flat jackets to their crew due to the continuing unrest which has filled our columns every day since the new year. This time last year I was nearing the border of Ethiopia on my bike, having started the 5000 mile adventure to Cape Town from Cairo. The trip was designed to make the World Cup but if the tournament lay in the summer of this year we definitely would have had to re think the starting block. After departing Egypt’s magnificent, but horrifically commercial, pyramids of Giza we hit East for the Red Sea. There is only one main road to Ain Suknha, but we still subsequently got lost in the long neighbourhoods of unfinished and abandoned buildings. I would dread to think what would happen if protesters came across four lost Brits on push bikes asking for directions this January.

People in Egypt and through out our trip were incredibly hospitable and helpful: feeding us, watering us, shading us and giving us a roof over our heads, with absolutely no hesitation. My thoughts are with all the people affected by the recent uprising. Be strong and good luck.

Start line: Great Pyramids of Giza

Lost on the first day of the trip closely followed by our first puncture

Shelterbox

Lindsey Cole — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 23:03:05 +0000

Girls posing in front of their new home

El Nino had a massive impact on much of the southern hemisphere in the new year. Shelterbox, a disaster relief aid organsiation, was on the ground in every country that was affected. I was deployed to Colombia and Panama as part of the Shelterbox Response Team (SRT) in January and February. More than 2 million people were displaced from their homes due to the heavy rainfalls. Shelterbox had rolling teams in Colombia since the first waters flooded their banks in late November. We had a special request to work in Panama from the President of the Rotarian Club in Panama City. The only way to reccee the villages in the rainforest of Darien was by traditional dugout boats. Families living on the riverbanks homes had been completely submerged and they were forced to flee to higher ground.

Shelterbox does what it says on the tin (or box in this case) and delivers shelter and aid in a box to those that need it most. We’ve delivered more than 1200 boxes to Panama and Colombia through any means possible: Raf harriers, traditional dug outs, Colombian army trucks and local buses.

Shelterbox started just ten years ago with one man’s dream, Tom Henderson, to help others who needed shelter around the world. It has grown globally and there are now affiliates all around the world, making delivering aid more immediate. SRTs were straight at the scene on the recent New Zealand earthquake and Brisbane floods because the disasters were happening on their front door steps.

If you would like to help Shelterbox continue their great work donate here and you can track where you donations are sent.

Getting there any which way we can

600 boxes were distributed to those that need it most in Panama and Colombia and more were delivered by previous teams. The families in Panama lived in the rainforest where the only method of transport was by dugouts (boats). A couple of hours up river, passing crocodiles dipping into the water as we passed and sloths high up in the surviving trees, we were greeted by crowds of villages waiting for aid. The strength of the villagers is something to embarrass any British city dweller. Men in their 70s didn’t hesitate to take the 55kg weigh of the vivid green box on their old shoulders.