Radiology.fm

[Smiley73]

Some of you may have seen me posting similar stuff on Facebook, but I thought a full out thread would be better to get information across than a share. Well it's less awkward in that I can have more words more easily here. If you just want info as to the site and the pages you can follow skip to the bottom.

 

So to the project, and I'll give as much info as I can here. At school we have tutor groups, they're composed of about 4 boys from each of the 5 grades and each group has a teacher in charge. In part it's a support system, in part it's to get to know some people from each grade. Our teacher in charge (or tutor) is a little crazy (in a good way), she's incredibly driven and last year she got an idea in her head that we should try to raise some money for a charity.Not just like a little side-project but something with enough weight behind it to make a significant difference. 

 

Early on we identified The Red Cross Children's Hospital as a charity. Some of the reason was obvious: it's an established charity that's known to do great work, it has reputation with it, and whatever donation we gave would go to helping lots of people. Incidentally the hospital was looking for sponsor to upgrade it's radiology unit. I've been to the hospital and the entire unit is rather old. Not to mention it was built in the early days of radio-medicine so it wasn't built to handle a lot of traffic. Nowadays, though, almost anyone who comes into the hospital needs to get some sort of scan.So the unit needs to be upgraded in it's equipment and it's setup for efficiency in the unit itself and for working with the other units in the hospital.

 

Around the same time the way Ms Campbell (our tutor) envisaged the project changed. Before then we were planning on getting some sort of presentation together and then journeying to big corporates and other companies to get support. The focus was changed from trying to get a few big donation to lots of smaller ones we could get from individuals. That's going to be done of indiegogo, more information when that part of the project sets off.

 

Along with the fund-raiding we planned to do something from our own end. So that we're not just fund-raising but doing something to distinguish us from a program that's only focused on funding. 

 

For those of you not involved in cycling of any sort, and maybe some of you who are, there's an event each year called the Cape Argus Cycle Race, it's one of the biggest (in terms of number of entrants) cycle races in the world. It's also greatly involved in helping charities, some of the profit goes to charities and there are special entries for people cycling for a charity as well. The Red Cross Children's Hospital actually had their own time slot where people could pay a slightly higher entrance fee, in turn they get an earlier-than-normal starting time, and a race pack with some free stuffs, and that money for the extra fee goes to the Hospital.So that entry fitted in pretty well with what we wanted to do, we get a better starting time and we help the charity we were targeting anyway.

 

Now to introduce where most of the work came from. One of the boys in our tutor group, Rahul has parents who organise something called the Design Indaba every year. Through them he has a lot of contacts, an insane amount of contacts. Rahul has done a whole lot of organising and back and forth e-mailing to get this project to where it is and on track for where it's going to be. Back to his contacts, turns out he had a few links to the music industry and the fund-raising plan fleshed out a bit more.

 

We'd cycle the Argus, but beyond that we'd try to incorporate music into what we were doing, try and get musicians and DJ's to let us use a song, but more importantly to spread the project to all their followers and fans. Hence radiology (there's some wordplay in there). All the money we raise from Indiegogo goes to the hospital. I don't have any names of musicians Rahul has got the thumb's up from, he's holding that until we have a few big names/for the official release.

 

Which get me onto the official release part. The project should be launching proper in week or so, right now what we want is as big a starting base as possible so that when it does get out we have a reasonable amount of likes/followers/whatever so that we look legit, it's a lot more encouraging to say you'll be part of a project if they have 500 other people involved than if they have 5, or if the video has 1000 views instead of 60.
I'll keep everything updated as stuff gets relayed to me.

 

The diet version: I'm cycling 110km with lots of other people for charity, I promise fun, laughs, videos and good music. All that I ask for is a like :P

 

Here's a video we made with kids in the hospital last year:

 

The main project page: http://radiology.fm/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Radiologyfm

Twitter if you're so inclined: https://twitter.com/RadiologyFM

 

Any questions/suggestions/comments/criticisms?

[Leyrann]

tl;dr

[Smiley73]

tl;dr

 

>.>

 

I put a part at the bottom specifically for you

[Niniel]

Done!

[Leyrann]

 

tl;dr

 

>.>

 

I put a part at the bottom specifically for you

 

Then it's not easy enough to seperate from the rest of the text.

[Smiley73]

Done!

 

thank you :D

 

 

 

tl;dr

 

>.>

 

I put a part at the bottom specifically for you

 

Then it's not easy enough to seperate from the rest of the text.

 

firstly this means you still haven't had a look through the post, secondly if you're not willing to glean the post then I don't think you'd be willing to help out anyway. If you were at all interested in helping you would have at least given a cursory glance.

 

In any case, if it's tl;dr for you I don't see why you're causing a fuss, just move on.

[Netbattler11]

Highly impressive. The kids in the video are complete bosses. Hats off to whoever was in charge of choreography and editing as well.

[Smiley73]

Highly impressive. The kids in the video are complete bosses. Hats off to whoever was in charge of choreography and editing as well.

 

thank yah. Rahul got some camera people, and an editor as well, website design, all that stuff is him and his myriad of contacts. The two film people did the choreography with a drama/dancing involved friend of mine

 

I was also a bit surprised at how keen the kids and staff were for the video, guess something fun and exciting like filming doesn't always come around at a hospital.

[lolguy26]

Done :)

[Ithillian Turambar]

Done :)

 

I think you are doing a wonderful thing here Smiley.

[Smiley73]

Done :)

 

Done :)

 

I think you are doing a wonderful thing here Smiley.

 

[Rhea]

*liked*

[Smiley73]

I start tomorrow at 9:08, I think I'll take about 4 and a half hours to get done, I'll post on  here as soon as I can after I'm done and I'll get some photos too

[Turin Turambar]

Excellent sir! Looking forward to seeing the pics and report.

[Smiley73]

Well I'm on a bus (BUUUUUUUUSSSS) right now, on my way to town sky looks good but this bus is empty as can be, just me and the driver, and the one before this was completely empty

[Smiley73]

Coming back now

[Smiley73]

Haha let's get this started. First off I'm in one piece, I finished (about 5 and a half hours, exact times come out tomorrow).

 

Let's go through this step-by-step

 

Woke up 5-ish, had the most massive breakfast, and then on the way to the airport for a bus (BUUUUUUUSSSSSS!!!). It took a little while but we finally got to the right place, and got myself a ticket to Thibault square (which is right by the start), and a return ticket as well. The bus there was empty as can be, just the driver and me. Anyway it took about 20 minutes to get into town by the start, and let me tell you it's something weird seeing all I usually blocked off for the race, and then all the people on bikes!

 

Well there were 35 000 cyclists entered up, and it certainly looked it. It's about 7 now and I'm wandering around looking for some place called St Goerge's mall, I've got no knowledge of the city. We were supposed to be getting some individual photos there with the rest of the Red Cross crew. I managed to get myself there after some direction asking, but no photo crew to be found. I phoned the lady in charge and she told me to just come down to the start, I'd see them. Unfortunately I didn't but I got my own photos so I'm sorted anyway.

 

Anyway got myself over through the crowds to where I was going to be loaded in, my group was CHb (Charity group B) and load time was 8 or so. I got there about 15/20 minutes early, and met up with some people who were cycling with me (ie. They're in the whole radiology thing too). I used the time to get myself ready, had an energy bar, sipped some water sorted out what was going in the pockets and what in the bag I'd hand in later. Got loaded soon after a few other guys arrived and decided to journey on with a fellow matric, Sam. Who isn't in our tutor group, but was riding anyway, he's quite an Argus veteran, I think this was his 4th. We set ourselves a mild target of catching up with Joe (Kony) - who wrote something about his experience in his blog - http://wandilecohen.blogspot.com/2013/03/riding-cape-argus.html 

 

Start was at 9:08 and it's mildly anticlimactic because we didn't start right at the front so you only get going once space opens up in front of you. Started strong (like ox). Weird cycling down roads I'm more used to driving down. Sticked with Sam. The support was awesome and it definitely lifts your spirits to have people on the side cheering you on.

 

Now I'm no experienced rider, not by any stretch of the imagination. in short the only meaningful time I put on my bike was 3 weeks or so before at a 70 km race in Stellenbosch - I did pretty well considering I got the bike on that Friday and my only real practice was going around school a bit the next morning, it ended well though (would have been better had I know how to shift up gears >.>). Cycling in a straight line was usually a challenge, reaching for a water bottle or jelly sweet was fraught with danger, and could only be done with my right hand, if my left hand went off the cycle bad things started to happen. Beyond that I was cycling with my bag - I missed the togbag service wherever that was, it was fine it wasn't really heavy or anything, just filled with random stuff, extra sweets, powdered drink stuff, a WoT book I planned to read on the bus.

 

Back to the actual riding, we started out through town going through places I knew, mostly flat stuff, nothing serious, but it hits very quickly that distance is very warped on a bike. Also I needed to get better on those downhills, I very nearly clipped someone (I just grazed his handlebar - hope the little bugger was okay) - more care was taken on subsequent downhills.

 

The race shifted from town to suburbs heading to Simon's Town. A whole bunch of flat on that way. Sometimes we spotted other people with Radiology shirts, but not from our tutor group (the shirts were part of the deal with the charity sign up - you pay extra entrance fees, but you get the shirt, possibly a better start time, and good feels for supporting charity). Around Simon's Town you can feel the wind go at you and the smell of the sea in the air, great views of the sea if can afford a look. A rider from our tutor group caught up with us - he was doing fine and rode with us till he stopped at a refreshment place.

 

All the way there and further on Sam and I were gees-ing it up, singing "Quads, Quads, Quads" to the tune of the beginning of Eye of the Tiger - 

making comments about "Quadfathers", "Quadzillas" and lunges, as well as making sure we were still around each other, and shouting back at the crowd, which gets them hyped up too.

 

With 70 km's to go ('bout 40 kms in) we had our first stop, still going strong we moved onwards. Road quality suffers a bit, few more hills but nothing much. Then the first big hill (or set of hills) - Smitswinkel, trying stuff let me tell you that, but its pays off when you're flying downhill.

 

About 55 kms in (halfway) I crashed. Some guy in front of me was slowing down in front of me past a refreshement station and I didn't get out the way. I maintain it's my fault - don't know why I didn't turn , maybe too fast, or not enough space or maybe just a lapse but I remember a clear moment after hitting the back of this guy's back wheel, upside-down and falling. It was a rather good fall, all things into account, I think most of the force went into my left butt cheek, got a graze on my left elbow as well. Of course the race is still going so people are cycling past me. I sat up got my legs gathered and turned to face my bike which was behind me. I sat there for a bit, let the shock and dizziness wear off for a bit, if I stood up I knew I would stagger and that would only make more problems. While I gathered myself some other awesome rider must have jumped over the refreshment station 'cause he got my bike to the side and I followed him to the sidewall and gathered myself. Sam stopped back for me, so did the guy I ran into - he seemed fine and I waved him off - crazy stuff happens on the Argus and I ran into him anyway. Sip of drink and some time too calm down and I was off again, my head hurt a bit for a while later but that wore off soon enough.

 

on past Scarborough, Kommetjie, nothing much to speak of, just the normal stuff, cycle, keep out of the right and keep your wits about you in general. Shift up, shift down. Have some jellies drink a little. Keep calm and carry on, non?

 

Then starts the tough stuff, 82 k's in, Chappies, MAAASSSIIIVE uphill over quite a distance, high gears all day, and slow as you need. Some okes need to learn to clam down, one guy was making his way up basically bumping into people all along the way becasue he could go straight. Had my first cramp, not fun stuff, water and Sam helped me out and got up the top. Strangely enough up Chappies was the only time I remember sweating, there was a good wind most of the way (even if it was a headwind). Down Chappies is amazing, though you have to brake sometimes because of all the people, but downhill is where the racing bike just pwns everything.

 

Past Hout Bay and a turn into a suburb and there's just pink EVERYWAR. The locals are out in force and that means one thing, Suikerbossie, probably the most menacingly talked about part of the Argus. But there's a hill first before you even get there, when Suikerbossie actually comes you don't even know, everyone is going up slow, the last 90 k's take their toll. The locals offer their support though and the organisers made sure the vibe was great going up. Cramped up there, but got that sorted out. Amazing downhill is amazing.

 

In the last 20 k's there's only one hill worthy to be called it, Clifton (Cramped up there too, yeah it happens a lot - tired of reading it? Imagine me.), it's not particularly difficult but it helps illustrate my next point. The last 20 k's are hell. It take unimaginably long to get anywhere and whenever you think you've gone a k or two you see a sign a while later saying you're only 1 closer. But push on I did, though Camps bay, which is beautiful, road's right along the sea and the houses are pretty too. Saw a guy on a unicycle. Just. what.

 

15 km's. 10. 5. Cramp. You can start seeing more and more of a crowd, the riders get separated from the crowd by fence-things, sponsorship boards come up more often, pedestrian walkways to look at the cyclists from above. The Stadium comes into sight. from 4 km's to 2 km's was the longest time in my life, I don't think I can even explain. 2 km's on you start finding that last little bit to get you to the finish. Crossing the finish line is great, everyone slows down because things get packed and afterwards you're off your bike and walking - I'd prefer to run a marathon dragging my bike rather than cycle. Sam grab my water bottle and sprayed it all in my face - celebrations all round. Coke and Powerade a bit later. Stopped for some photos with Sam then to the bus from the stadium to another station, from there to the airport and then picked up.

 

So what have a got? Well, a finisher's medal. a graze on my elbow, a most uncomfortable bruise on my left butt cheek and a great time with a friend, and for Charity no less. Ah, and the most outRAGEOUS tan lines. And a cool story for all you bro's.

 

pictures up next post

[Smiley73]

Start was at 9:08 and it's mildly anticlimactic because we didn't start right at the front so you only get going once space opens up in front of you. Started strong (like ox). Weird cycling down roads I'm more used to driving down. Sticked with Sam. The support was awesome and it definitely lifts your spirits to have people on the side cheering you on.

 

Now I'm no experienced rider, not by any stretch of the imagination. in short the only meaningful time I put on my bike was 3 weeks or so before at a 70 km race in Stellenbosch - I did pretty well considering I got the bike on that Friday and my only real practice was going around school a bit the next morning, it ended well though (would have been better had I know how to shift up gears >.>). Cycling in a straight line was usually a challenge, reaching for a water bottle or jelly sweet was fraught with danger, and could only be done with my right hand, if my left hand went off the cycle bad things started to happen. Beyond that I was cycling with my bag - I missed the togbag service wherever that was, it was fine it wasn't really heavy or anything, just filled with random stuff, extra sweets, powdered drink stuff, a WoT book I planned to read on the bus.

 

Back to the actual riding, we started out through town going through places I knew, mostly flat stuff, nothing serious, but it hits very quickly that distance is very warped on a bike. Also I needed to get better on those downhills, I very nearly clipped someone (I just grazed his handlebar - hope the little bugger was okay) - more care was taken on subsequent downhills.

The race shifted from town to suburbs heading to Simon's Town. A whole bunch of flat on that way. Sometimes we spotted other people with Radiology shirts, but not from our tutor group (the shirts were part of the deal with the charity sign up - you pay extra entrance fees, but you get the shirt, possibly a better start time, and good feels for supporting charity). Around Simon's Town you can feel the wind go at you and the smell of the sea in the air, great views of the sea if can afford a look. A rider from our tutor group caught up with us - he was doing fine and rode with us till he stopped at a refreshment place.

 

All the way there and further on Sam and I were gees-ing it up, singing "Quads, Quads, Quads" to the tune of the beginning of Eye of the Tiger - 

making comments about "Quadfathers", "Quadzillas" and lunges, as well as making sure we were still around each other, and shouting back at the crowd, which gets them hyped up too.

 

With 70 km's to go ('bout 40 kms in) we had our first stop, still going strong we moved onwards. Road quality suffers a bit, few more hills but nothing much. Then the first big hill (or set of hills) - Smitswinkel, trying stuff let me tell you that, but its pays off when you're flying downhill.

 

About 55 kms in (halfway) I crashed. Some guy in front of me was slowing down in front of me past a refreshment station and I didn't get out the way. I maintain it's my fault - don't know why I didn't turn , maybe too fast, or not enough space or maybe just a lapse but I remember a clear moment after hitting the back of this guy's back wheel, upside-down and falling. It was a rather good fall, all things into account, I think most of the force went into my left butt cheek, got a graze on my left elbow as well. Of course the race is still going so people are cycling past me. I sat up got my legs gathered and turned to face my bike which was behind me. I sat there for a bit, let the shock and dizziness wear off for a bit, if I stood up I knew I would stagger and that would only make more problems. While I gathered myself some other awesome rider must have jumped over the refreshment station 'cause he got my bike to the side and I followed him to the sidewall and gathered myself. Sam stopped back for me, so did the guy I ran into - he seemed fine and I waved him off - crazy stuff happens on the Argus and I ran into him anyway. Sip of drink and some time too calm down and I was off again, my head hurt a bit for a while later but that wore off soon enough.

 

On past Scarborough, Kommetjie, nothing much to speak of, just the normal stuff, cycle, keep out of the right and keep your wits about you in general. Shift up, shift down. Have some jellies drink a little. Keep calm and carry on, non?

 

 

Then starts the tough stuff, 82 k's in, Chappies, MAAASSSIIIVE uphill over quite a distance, high gears all day, and slow as you need. Some okes need to learn to clam down, one guy was making his way up basically bumping into people all along the way becasue he could go straight. Had my first cramp, not fun stuff, water and Sam helped me out and got up the top. Strangely enough up Chappies was the only time I remember sweating, there was a good wind most of the way (even if it was a headwind). Down Chappies is amazing, though you have to brake sometimes because of all the people, but downhill is where the racing bike just pwns everything.

 

Past Hout Bay and a turn into a suburb and there's just pink EVERYWAR. The locals are out in force and that means one thing, Suikerbossie, probably the most menacingly talked about part of the Argus. But there's a hill first before you even get there, when Suikerbossie actually comes you don't even know, everyone is going up slow, the last 90 k's take their toll. The locals offer their support though and the organisers made sure the vibe was great going up. Cramped up there, but got that sorted out. Amazing downhill is amazing.

 

 

In the last 20 k's there's only one hill worthy to be called it, Clifton (Cramped up there too, yeah it happens a lot - tired of reading it? Imagine me.), it's not particularly difficult but it helps illustrate my next point. The last 20 k's are hell. It take unimaginably long to get anywhere and whenever you think you've gone a k or two you see a sign a while later saying you're only 1 closer. But push on I did, though Camps bay, which is beautiful, road's right along the sea and the houses are pretty too. Saw a guy on a unicycle. Just. what.

 

15 km's. 10. 5. Cramp. You can start seeing more and more of a crowd, the riders get separated from the crowd by fence-things, sponsorship boards come up more often, pedestrian walkways to look at the cyclists from above. The Stadium comes into sight. from 4 km's to 2 km's was the longest time in my life, I don't think I can even explain. 2 km's on you start finding that last little bit to get you to the finish. Crossing the finish line is great, everyone slows down because things get packed and afterwards you're off your bike and walking - I'd prefer to run a marathon dragging my bike rather than cycle. Sam grab my water bottle and sprayed it all in my face - celebrations all round. Coke and Powerade a bit later. Stopped for some photos with Sam then to the bus from the stadium to another station, from there to the airport and then picked up.

 

 

So what have a got? Well, a finisher's medal. a graze on my elbow, a most uncomfortable bruise on my left butt cheek and a great time with a friend, and for charity no less. Ah, and the most outRAGEOUS tan lines. And a cool story for all you bro's.

 

pictures up next post

 

sorry if the spelling is weird or I use some lingo you don't understand - rather out of it now

[Smiley73]

on the bus 

 

 

 

 

yeah there's a lot of people.

before loading

 

 

then pics after the cycle, sorry for the foggy quality, the lens was probably a little clouded and I didn't think to clean it.

Sam looking big - he had a moustache in the beginning, then lost it, then reapplied for the pic

 

 

he insisted I get his socks in

 

 

 

myself 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

both of us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

map of the route

 

 

 

 

 

 

in general people were awesome, helpful on the road, someone helped me get on the right bus back, the girl who took those pictures of Sam and myself - really nice

[Nyanna al'Meara]

I's only just seen this

 

Awesooooome!!! Well done! and great cause =D

[Arez Al'Loke]

As fate has it, saw your link in the 200k thread xP 

Liked*

[lolguy26]

i lurv the mustache dude 

[Smiley73]

As fate has it, saw your link in the 200k thread xP 

 

Liked*

 

 

ah, I was wondering where you were

 

i lurv the mustache dude 

 

I'll pass on the compliment