It was just as well Adrian and I had an early night on my birthday.
Next morning Adrian called me around six o'clock to go and help him with his training for his attempt on a Guinness World Record.
He is attempting to beat the record for pushing a car the furthest distance within 24 hours. The record stands at just over 17 miles and he is hoping to beat that by a distance.
He is determined to do it, as he is doing it on your behalf. He wants to raise as much money as he can for the charities that are linked to the illnesses - cancer and stroke - that took you away from us too soon.
He is normally helped with his weekend training by a friend. However I wished to help, so he was able to give his friend a day off.
So, at just after six am we headed off to the Woking Sports Centre just down the road. Adrian had spotted a five-a-side pitch with a hard surface on the other side of the park that he wished to try.
Once there we got started - Adrian pushing with me sitting in our '207' doing the steering with the engine switched off. Adrian soon clocked up half a mile going anti-clockwise round the pitch.
After a short rest we continued circling, this time in a clockwise direction.
Have to say it wasn't just Adrian who was putting in some effort. It's not easy trying to turn the steering wheel smoothly when there's no power steering once the engine is turned off.
After the second half-mile he decided there was too much of a gradient in certain parts of the circuit, so headed back to his usual training place - the car-park by the swimming pool.
Adrian reckons the going there was easier and so he was able to clock up another three miles.
He says that in the past, when he has been training with Mark, that he regularly gets offers of help from well-meaning folk who think the car has broken down and that they are trying to re-start it.
Nothing like that last Sunday, so when finished we headed home for some very-welcome bacon butties for breakfast and an even more-welcome bath for Adrian.
He is aiming to make his attempt on the record on Saturday July 31, and has got the agreement of Blackbushe airfield, near Camberley, to use one of their unused runways.
With the help of Paul, Nikki's brother, he has made contact with someone who specialises in those little Smart cars, who has agreed to let Adrian borrow a car to use for some of his training and for the record attempt at the end of July.
Behind the scenes, Nikki has been busy calling companies to try and raise sponsorship. She has been in touch with quite a few in the last few days and has already picked up one sponsor.
Will keep you posted on how Adrian's efforts on your behalf are going.
All my love
Trevor
xxx
