What do you mean that was only training?!

Afternoon all!

Whilst I appreciate that my last blog was dramatically short, it did sum up all I wanted to say at 2am. But now on reflection I feel I must fill in a few of the gaps of my personal experience of the final training walk.

Whilst the other guys seemed more and more vitalised during this walk as the terrain got tougher, I on the other hand was constantly reminded that however tough this walk got, next time I would be approaching it after already being completely drained having walked 65+ miles. This was not funny anymore! I was hoping for a smooth and steady assent having only ever tackled Pen-y-Fan from the Storey Arms approach, but to save an extra 10 miles by needing to walk around the Brecons, our approach, twice was more than eyeopeningly steep, and in all seriousness looked quite like the "Challenges" picture thumb which Ken posted before our walk. I was not impressed!! That coupled with the fact that I was the least experienced fell walker amongst the team that day, as I had never climbed at night, gave me an uneasy feeling about the final push. Please don't get me wrong the easy bits were lovely, i.e. the canal and section over the top. But the climb to the cairn was for me, the toughest part of the walk. This section of the walk is large contrasts, spectacular reviving views, and a few heavy climbs! But it is nobody's fault, no-one said this was easy!!

It doesn't mean however that I am at all prepared to give in, I'm just bracing myself for what I know will be a hard slog. This is where your help will be appreciated, we are gonna need all the moral support we can get in the final walk, so I must ask, if you have volunteered and said you would like to walk a stretch will us, that would be awesome, but please make sure you contact Jonty, and he will organise the details with you.

On an alternative tact, now that the training walk is done, we need to focus on why we are doing this.... raising money for Macmillan. Therefore can we impose on you? If you are a regular reader of this blog, are you able to help the Spa2summit team and have a small fundraiser in your work place or office, i.e. an impromptu coffee morning or simply distribute fliers or take a sponsorship form or simply tell others about the challenge? I'll leave you ponder this matter, but any extra assistance would be hugely appreciated by the whole team and Macmillan as we build up to the walk with less than four weeks to go.

Finally, as Ken mentioned earlier, we have had a team member who has not received much of a mention. Wilson. Wilson, the bold and noble. Wilson, the spherical and golfy! He was unavailable to come with us on Saturday, but so far he has walked (or should that be rolled?!) with us for roughly 55 miles. He is a strong asset to the team and seems to be a better conversationalist than me on these walks. I feel he has taken a back seat in this challenge for too long.... so people, I have the tremendous privilege in introducing.... WILLLLSOOONNN!!!..........

Thanks for your support!

Baby Steps

Walking. I've done it for years. Unfortunately that's where the problem lies.

Because we've all been doing it for ages we tend to think we're experts in it. For example, I'm 8 years older than my girlfriend - does that mean I'm a better walker than her? I've seen her walk, she does it really well! Further examples include people in their 70s and 80s - with their experience they should be much better at walking than I am but some of them are rubbish at it, I've seen them. I overtake most of them when I walk through town.

So when the Spa2Summit challenge wafted past my ears, with its 70-odd miles of walking I thought it'd be a doddle, something I actually knew how to do. I'll prove it: to walk I always apply the following procedure: 1) extend right leg forward past left leg, 3) bring left leg forward past right leg, 4) repeat. Admittedly there are alternatives to these instructions and intricate flourishes that can be added (depending on the confidence and experience of the participant) but I find these basic principles have always helped me. I subtly asked Pete if anyone else could join in with his plans and he said yes so here I am.

I love walking. When visiting a new town or city there's no better way to take in its sights, smells and atmosphere than to ignore its public transport and set about it on foot. The same applies to rural areas, the awesomeness of this planet can only truly hit home when you're right there looking at it, smelling it, covering yourself in it and wiping it off the sole of your boot. Plus, distance and fatigue almost disappear while nature entertains you. For this reason, I think we can psychologically knock some of those 70 miles off the total.

Having said that, as time has gone by the realisation that what we're undertaking is actually very difficult has sunk in. Seventy miles is a long way to walk at the best of times but in a straight 36-or-whatever hours?! Up and down gradients?! In the company of Grant?! ;) 

Hannibal led elephants over the Alps but can Pete lead us even out of Cheltenham? The training starts here...