Category: Challenges

into the light, pain, tears and joy – first published 11 May 2013

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The easy miles were over and I’d passed the halfway point. If this had been a training walk I’d be in Winchester and have turned for home about then but, as it was, I just kept going, blindly following the pink clad throng all around me.  The half mooners had gone and I couldn’t help imagining them all celebrating with coffee and cakes before toddling home to their warm beds. There was more than a touch of envy. Now for the hard miles, walking into the dawn… Continue reading into the light, pain, tears and joy – first published 11 May 2013

walking in the dark and marvelling at the bright lights – first published 11 May 2013

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The waiting was finally over. The Moonwalk I’d trained so hard for had begun and I was off into the dark, Wind and rain in Battersea amid a sea of wet bra wearing women. We were women on a mission, not just to walk twenty six point two miles, fight tiredness, cold and the elements, but to raise money for breast cancer charities, it was going to be a long, long night and, as usual, I was walking alone even though I was surrounded by people. Continue reading walking in the dark and marvelling at the bright lights – first published 11 May 2013

All the fun of the big pink tent – first published 11 May 2013

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Moonwalk day had finally arrived and, for the second time in a week, I was off to London. This time it was in the car with Commando. We had a hotel booked in Putney but only one of us would be spending the night there and there was the small matter of actually getting to it. Driving in London is not as simple as you’d think… Continue reading All the fun of the big pink tent – first published 11 May 2013

cracking open the collection tin and some Moonwalk tips – first published 30 April 2013

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With twelve days until Moonwalk night I was finally getting prepared for the long, long walk. The first collection tin had been opened, the money counted and people who’d not walked it before were asking me for advice. So what did I tell them? Continue reading cracking open the collection tin and some Moonwalk tips – first published 30 April 2013

twenty six miles the struggle for the finish – first published 26 april 2013

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After the excitement and emotion of finally reaching my goal and seeing Winchester Cathedral there was still the small matter of the long walk home. These would be the really hard miles and now there was no voice telling me to turn back because it was too late for that. It was simply a case of putting on foot in front of the other and walking through the pain. There was also the small problem of rain… Continue reading twenty six miles the struggle for the finish – first published 26 april 2013

Winchester and the long walk home – first published 26 April 2013

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At any given point in a long walk there is an internal battle against the voice inside my head telling me I must be mad and to turn for home immediately and check myself into a clinic to get help for my obvious mental health issues. Mostly I ignore it and keep walking but, when the walk in question is twenty-six or more miles, the voices get very loud. From the outset Winchester had been the aim of all these walks, the holy grail that I’d been walking towards for months. It was within touching distance but the voice in my head told me it might be a step too far. Did I listen? Continue reading Winchester and the long walk home – first published 26 April 2013

The Moonwalk pack has landed! – first published 15 April 2013

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Moonwalk night was getting ever closer and, with just one more long walk ahead, I was almost ready. Then, on the morning of  April 15 2013, a parcel arrived. It was the Moonwalk pack, filled with such goodies as a see through plastic mac, space blanket, my race number and, the most important item, a bra to decorate. It made it all seem scarily real and, of course, I had to start thinking about how I was going to decorate the blasted thing. Continue reading The Moonwalk pack has landed! – first published 15 April 2013

Moonwalk training, Winchester at last – first published 12 April 2013

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There’s something about the halfway point in a long walk that always makes me smile. After that I know there are more miles behind me than in front and I’m homeward bound. At the same time, these are some of the most difficult miles. Tiredness begins to set in, muscles begin to ache. This is when the mind is more important than the body and the little things to make me smile are the things that keep me going. Continue reading Moonwalk training, Winchester at last – first published 12 April 2013

Moonwalk training, twenty four miles and a few disasters – first published 12 April 2013

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Most marathon training programmes build up slowly, little by little with regular walks or runs and then taper off in the weeks leading up to the event. Usually the longest walk or run is twenty miles, at most twenty two. The thinking being, if you can run twenty miles you can push through the wall to run the final six point two on the day. This was not the way I saw it. When I started off five miles seemed like a pretty long walk. After walking ten, five was a piece of cake. It seemed to me, if I did the whole twenty six point two before the tapering, it would be easier on the night. In April 2013 I’d made it to the penultimate walk. Continue reading Moonwalk training, twenty four miles and a few disasters – first published 12 April 2013

Twenty hellish miles with goats in trees – first published 15 March 2013

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With less than two months to go until the Moonwalk I had hit the long miles with a vengeance. Even the short walk weeks were ten miles plus and, in mid March, I had a twenty mile walk ahead of me. The last thing I needed was bad weather… Continue reading Twenty hellish miles with goats in trees – first published 15 March 2013