An Ode (is that the right word?!)

These walking boots...













...have climbed Ben Nevis
...have completed Duke of Edinburgh
...have climbed 2/3 other Munros (can't remember!)
...have walked countless miles
...have graced the Team Aching News title banner
...have given a million blisters :-(

These walking boots...













...will complete Trailwalker
...will walk countless miles
...will NOT give a million blisters :-)

We Walked!

Hello everyone.

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Someone needs to inform you all of our most recent exploits, and since I have an essay to write and tons of revision to do I think it should be me, hehe.

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On Saturday Diana, Steve and I headed over to the Malverns to do the same walk that me and Diana did at Christmas and I did again earlier in the year. This time round though the weather was really nice, definitely a good day for walking (and getting very sunburnt, as I found out afterwards, oww). We started off reasonably quickly, with the biggest, longest, steepest hill being right at the start. But various injuries caught up with us as we walked and it ended up being more of a relaxed walk. I think it was 12 miles though and it did incorporate lots of hills so it still counts as training.

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For proof that we were actually there and I'm not making it all up you can check out Steve's photos on our Facebook group ;-)

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Oh and yes, it was really windy at the top which is why we/I look very windswept.

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The final thing I wanted to write was YAY! my walking boots didn't give me blisters/generally attack my feet for the first time in about forever. I think it was the three pairs of socks that did it. But after finishing our Malverns walk I headed into Birmingham and was bought a lovely shiny new pair of walking boots as an early birthday present. They're very cool.

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P.S. 37%!!!!!!!!!!

Team Changes

I wanted to write something to add to what Jenni has said. We're really sad to lose Jenni from the team but incredibly happy that we're not losing her altogether and that she'll be joining the support crew. The team will be relying heavily on the support crew who therefore need to be people we trust completely and can rely on for anything and everything. I happen to think our support crew will be amazing- they're already doing a brilliant job with fundraising, organisation and thinking up creative ideas for the event itself.

You may think that that the support crew has a much easier job so I think it's worth pointing out a few things:

1). They are awake for as long as we are and while they may also be tired, they have to pretend not to be so they can support us with cheering and cake (and tea... of course)!
2). They have to navigate their way to checkpoints and arrive at the right time to meet us- get there late and we'll be a very annoyed team.
3). They have to supply anything and everything we may need plus stuff we may never have actually thought of! This includes things to cheer us up, take away pain, and generally keep us going even when every little part of us has had enough and wants to give up.
4). They also have to go through some training- they're not going to just turn up at the event and know what to do.

So, you may think Jenni now has an easier job but to be perfectly honest it's going to have a whole different set of challenges!

I also want to welcome Steve to the team. I think it's now up to me and Robyn to train hard enough to be as fit as the guys so we don't get left behind...

Thanks for all the support we've got so far, please sponsor us if you haven't already and look out for the quiz taking place in June!

So long, farewell - well, not quite

Hello blog-followers,

I have an announcement or two. Unfortunately I have decided to go back to support crew work for Team Aching. I've been concerned that I've not been keeping up well enough and I didn't want to risk Diana, Robyn and Andy not finishing because they were having to wait for me along the route or because they couldn't push themselves training due to going at my slower pace. If it was an individual event I'd happily keep training because I really have been enjoying it (mostly!) but I think I'd do better reverting to support crew duties. I'm proud of what I managed to do between January and April - I never thought I'd be able to walk 18 miles+ and manage to keep smiling at the end. And, if nothing else, training has given me the insight into what a support crew person might need to be providing - from cake to blister plasters!

I hope those who have sponsored me don't feel too let down as I will still be there with the team - just not quite every step of the way! Your money is going to two really worthy causes, and I'm delighted that I'm now going to have extra time to focus on fundraising (and learning to bake the perfect walkers'-pick-me-up chocolate cake).

As for the 2nd announcement - well, one of the rules of Trailwalker is that each team must consist of 4 people. So, (drumroll please) I'd like to introduce... Team Aching's shiny new team member, Mr Steve Rea! No doubt he will be posting on here in due course, but he has already been put through his paces last Saturday in completing the 17 mile Bristol 3 Peaks walk with Andy. Both chaps returned intact and with Andy un-murdered in just over 5 hours, so many well dones to them (and Steve wins the prize for best hat). Diana's resting her hip for two weeks so she and I got some support crew practice in - popping up at various pre-arranged checkpoints along the route to provide food, water and even tea (the team has to live up to its name!)

With Steve on board, I'm sure that Team Aching can't fail to succeed in July - all we need to do now is raise that £1500. To this end, we're organising a quiz at Victoria Methodist Church in June - but all sponsorship would still be very gratefully received. If 150 people would pledge us £10 each then we'd be there. The widget on the right is looking great - thanks to all of you who have sponsored us so far! Now to push it just that bit higher...

Some news from Diana

I haven't written on here for ages which means there's now loads to say- mostly good things but unfortunately there is a bit of bad in there too.

The first thing is that the fundraising is going quite well- we're now nearly a quarter of the way to our total of £1500 which is great- thanks to everyone who's sponsored us!!! We still have a long way to go- so if you haven't sponsored us yet and would like to then please please please sponsor us- use that link thingy on the right----->>>

The preparation session that Robyn, Andy and I attended in Oxford has given loads of great ideas for fundraising and I've even had time recently to design a fancy new poster which will soon be sprouting up all over the country (I hope) so look out for that and if you fancy putting some up for us then let me know! Those of you in Bristol, look out for a quiz taking place in the very near future. There'll also be the chance to win £50 in our special Oxfam treasure map game!!!

Today a work colleague told me something very exciting as well- if you type 'Diana Edwards 100km' into google and search UK pages only the first entry to come up is the Team Aching Justgiving site which links directly to this blog!!! This might work with some of the other team members- I challenge you all to find out (and sponsor us when you get there!!!!). So tell all your friends that they can read a very entertaining blog (and be relieved of some money) if they just type these few little words into google :-)

So, that's quite a lot of the exciting and happy news, now on to the slightly less happy news.... I've managed to damage my hip. It's a bit of a disaster but not a total disaster as I have been assured by my physiotherapist that I will be fine to take part in Trailwalker in July. I just have to have a few physio sessions, take anti inflammatories and rest for two weeks.

This Saturday we're planning to walk the Bristol Three Peaks 17 mile circular walk again as the terrain is fairly similar to that of the South Downs. This time we have both maps that we need and so we should complete the whole 17 miles... at least the rest of the team will. I'm going to be strategically positioned with tea and cake at various checkpoints to carry out support team duties and make sure I do as the physio says and rest! As team leader this is probably not a bad thing as it means I can sympathise with the support crew when the actual event comes around!

Right, I think that'll do for now- keep reading this, supporting us and sponsoring us- we need all the help we can get!!!!

Prepped...

Back from Oxford :-)

I think the session was useful. If a little scary, hehe. It was useful to hear from past participants, get some hints and tips from them. And I definitely came away with more admiration for what our support crew are going to have to do.

NOTE TO SUPPORT CREW: I read about one support crew that prepared a BBQ and 3 course meal for their team at one of the checkpoints, then dressed up as chef's and waiter's and laid out a table with tablecloth, full place settings and provided wine!!! And there were pictures to prove it!!!

Now I genuinely don't want our support crew to do that because if they did I don't think I would be able to carry on walking afterwards (plus that would take up loads of time that we just don't have), but it just goes to show some of the lengths the support crew's go to. They definitely shouldn't be forgotten about.

And now I've had another week of reality check's I must keep repeating to myself 'must train, must train, must train'.

So basically my life for the next 4 months - revision and training.

Prep...

So, this weekend is another one filled with epic amounts of driving and Trailwalker related goodness. This time it's travelling down/up/across to Oxford to attend a Trailwalker preparation session where...

"You’ll be able to speak to past Trailwalkers, find out how to make the most of training, fundraising and the event itself, and get answers to any other questions. The Queen’s Gurkha Signals will talk you through the route, and give you top health and safety tips."

All sounds like quite important things to know. Should be useful.

Anyways, I just thought I would share what we're up to.

Now the revision beckons. Oh yes. It's going to be another exciting day.

:-(