The finish line at last

Team Gould completed Trailwalker 2012 in 25 hours and 38 minutes. Unfortunately Linz had to pull out at checkpoint 7 but the rest of us pushed on into the darkness, rain and fog and we reached the finish line at 07.38 on Sunday morning. The recent rain meant much of the route was difficult to negotiate due to mud and early reports appear to indicate that up to 35% of those who started pulled out. Special thanks to Dave and Andy for their fantastic support over the weekend; they barely had a moment to rest between checkpoints and we couldn't have done this without them.

8 days to go

With only 8 days to go the team is starting to get a little nervous about next weekend's stroll! We met up in the pub earlier in the week to discuss plans for the big event and it's all starting to feel very real now. The last six months have gone by in a blur but I'm confident that our training will pay off and that team work will see us through the tough periods. I'm sure that preparations for our trip will keep us all busy for the next week so I want to say a huge thanks now to everyone who has donated to us and to anyone who has supported us in any way. Thanks to our support crew leader Dave for driving us around, bringing us hot food in the rain and waterproofing our gear, and thanks in advance to him and Andy for agreeing to feed, water and console us in the long hours to come next weekend. And finally a special thanks to my team mates Mum, Linz and James for helping make the long hours of training, many of them arduous and soggy, such fun. Good luck guys!

Preparing for the big day

I've calculated that by the time I've completed Trailwalker I'll have walked 1000 miles since the 9th of January this year. With this in mind I think I'm going to treat myself to an extra chocolate bar today and maybe my Friday evening G&T will have to be a large one tonight. Following Oxfam's advise we are reducing the length of our training walk this weekend and plan to cover an easy 12 miles instead of the usual 20+ so I might just have enough time on Sunday to make my first roast of the year.

19 days to go - bring it on!!

The team walked 25 miles through Tehidy Woods and along the North Cliff coast path on Saturday and fortunately Lindsey's new exercises appear to be helping with her hip pain. We encountered a number of exhausted runners who were undertaking a 100 mile run from Porthleven to Newquay (some of them battered and bloodied) and found it hugely encouraging to realise that there are people out there who are more insane than us! Linz enjoyed a day off yesterday while James, Mum and I set off at 8am again to attempt the same route for a second time and the rain which started at the end of Saturday's walk cleared minutes before we started. James' feet were suffering from Saturday's walk so he left us at Hayle in the hope of scrounging a roast lunch from a nearby friend and Mum and I pushed on for Godrevy Point just as the sun made an appearance. We made it back to Camborne at a little before 16.30, beating the previous day's time by 15 minutes, and while we were both tired and sunburned our muscles have recovered already from the weekend's exertions.
With less than three weeks to go we're trying to find the time to squeeze in a pub meeting with our support crew and a night walk across the dunes at Gwithian and through Tehidy Woods before the big day.

Breaking News

One of Mum's big toe nails has fallen off this morning! Really thought mine would be the first to go as it's been black and lumpy for months now but she beat me to it. It's still debatable who would win the prize for the ugliest feet though

Pendeen Watch to Lamorna Cove

All four team members were available for training yesterday and support crew leader Dave dropped us at Pendeen Watch at 08.45. After four very wet walks we were relieved to see the sun for a change and were in good spirits as we began the 20 mile walk to Lamorna Cove. Mum and I have done this walk before and know how tiring some of the climbs on the last section can be so we weren't surprised when Linz began to struggle after the steep climb down to the beach at Porthcurno. She managed to push on through the pain with the help of painkillers and Kendal mint cake (chocolate covered, yum!) and we reached Lamorna Cove just after 18.00.

With less than four weeks to go until the big day now I think we will struggle to make my target of 24 hours but after Lindsey's problems yesterday I realise that the whole point of the exercise is to get through the challenge as a team so if it takes 30 hours then so be it! As long as the four of us cross the finish line together I'll be happy. With this in mind we're stepping up our training in the final weeks and will be walking home from the office on Tuesday and Thursday this week and doing two 25 miles walks over the weekend.

Marazion to Lizard Point

James was in London visiting friends this weekend and Linz was working so it was just me and Mum yesterday. We left Marazion at a little after 08.30 and while the weather forecast had looked bad we only felt a few spots of rain for the first hour or so. The rain became more persistent as we left Porthleven and looking back over our shoulders crossing Loe Bar we could see that the sky had darkened considerably. By the time we reached Mullion Cove we were drenched through and passed several equally wet and miserable looking walkers coming from the opposite direction. Matters got worse when we encountered thick fog at Predannack Head and we had to rely on the sat nav app on my iPhone (snugly secured in its Aquapac!) to keep us on the right path. We got a little disoriented near Kynance Cove and then had to negotiate a very steep and slippery path down onto the beach so I was rather surprised to reach Lizard Point in one piece (if a little bedraggled and muddy) just after 18.00.

St Ives to Sennen Cove

Mum, James and I set off from St Ives at a little after 08.30 yesterday morning to attempt the arduous but stunning walk to Sennen Cove (our last attempt saw just 10 miles covered in nearly 6 hours due to the difficult terrain). We knew from experience that the path would be muddy, rocky and steep but the rain made the route treacherously slippery in places and I'm surprised that we only suffered two falls. The challenging terrain and foul weather eventually took their toll on James and he had to stop at Pendeen lighthouse and wait for our support crew leader Dave to pick him up (or they'd made prior arrangements to enjoy a couple of pints in the pub!) while Mum and I pushed on to Sennen. The rain eventually stopped and a glimmer of sunshine was even seen, prompting us to peel our waterproofs off at Cape Cornwall before the long slog up the hill out of the village. We arrived at Sennen Cove at a little after six, just over nine and a half hours after leaving St Ives, and were too thrilled with our achievement to notice our aches and pain. I woke up this morning with heat rash, sun burn and a cold sore (despite the fact I was huddled in waterproof clothing for much of the day) so it would seem that the weather had the last laugh in the end.

May training

I walked 215 miles in training in May and according to my pedometer (which I neglected to wear on the treadmill for several weeks at the start of training) I've taken 1,276,336 steps. No wonder my feet look like they've been beaten up! Team Gould are still at the top of Oxfam's fundraising leader board this morning and I've just heard that we'll be setting off at 6am on Saturday the 14th of July (got to break the news to James and Linz now). Because of the four day weekend this week we'll be training on Tuesday and taking a much needed break on Sunday .. it's going to be lovely to lounge in bed with coffee and a book instead of rushing out the door at some ungodly hour of the morning.

Climbing practice

Newcomer James surprised us yesterday by completing just over 25 miles on his first official training walk as a fully fledged member of Team Gould. We walked from Perranporth to Godrevy Point and then back home to Camborne and completed the distance in ten hours. The numerous climbs were a challenge in the heat and we got through more drinks and sun block in one day than we have in the last few weeks. The big day is just 47 days away now but I'm confident that training, team work and determination (or is that stubbornness?) will help us to finish as a team of four.

More team changes

Sadly Team Gould Electronics is losing team member Ewan McDermott. Ewan's knee has been troubling him for several weeks now and he isn't confident that it's going to recover in the 7 weeks before the big event so has decided to back out. Fortunately James Cannicott has agreed to step up to the mark and take Ewan's place (evidently the new blisters gained on his last walk with us didn't put him off) so we don't have to dash about trying to find a replacement. Welcome James .... I hope you realise what you're getting yourself into :) (or perhaps it's better that you don't!)

The Mining Trail

Linz was determined to attempt 30 miles again and with Mum's poorly toe we thought it best to attempt a relatively flat route this weekend so we walked from Camborne to Portreath and then completed the coast to coast path to Devoran and back yesterday. The weather was much better this time than our last walk on this route and we completed the 31.5 mile distance in under 10 hours. We're all getting a bit nervous now that the big day is less than 8 weeks away but I'm confident we'll all be fine. Dave has strict instructions to be waiting at the finish line for us with a bottle of champagne and I'm sure that will keep us going when things get tough!

Walking injuries

Eight weeks to go and Ewan's knee is still troubling him, my toe nails are changing colour daily, James' blisters are back and Mum might have a broken big toe! Think Linz is feeling alright though - maybe she can carry us

50 miles in one weekend

Mum and I completed two 25 miles training walks this weekend and have managed to make it into the office this morning despite stiff joints and sore feet. Ewan and Linz were both busy but our back up member James joined us for 15 miles of the route on Saturday and we were fortunate enough to have two gloriously sunny days to train on.We had a couple of diversions on Saturday (once to meet James at Tehidy Woods and the second time because we missed our turn off because we were engrossed by James' story about teamwork in rats!) and completed the distance in 8.5 hours. I woke up yesterday morning with a headache and stiff knee and fully expected Sunday's walk to take much longer than Saturday's but we completed it in a blistering 8 hours. Might be falling asleep at my desk and dribbling into my keyboard today but don't think anyone could blame me.

Are we mad?

Mum and I have decided to train on Saturday and Sunday this weekend and are going to attempt a 25 mile walk on each day. I'm not sure who's most crazy; me and mum for looking forward to the experience or Linz for being disappointed about missing it because of a weekend away!

What a difference a week makes

It was just me and Mum on Sunday and we opted for challenge rather than distance and set out at 8am to walk approximately 21 miles from Pendeen lighthouse to Lamorna Cove. The day didn't start well - we'd walked just a few meters up the path from where Dave dropped us off when we came across a dead cat in the road - but the sun was out and there was only a gentle breeze. After passing the historic mine works near Boscaswell we came to the beautiful golden beaches of Whitesand Bay and enjoyed a 5 minute lunch break near Sennen. As advised by the South West Coast Path website the going got a lot tougher after Sennen with lots of steep climbs but the scenery continued to stun us and we passed several idyllic villages. The wildlife was also interesting; we saw buzzards, a number of small lizards (much to Mum's delight!) and a very brave cow grazing just inches from the cliff edge. We arrived at Lamorna Cove 8.5 hours after leaving Pendeen lighthouse feeling hot, sunburned and tired but pleased with our efforts. Next weekend's challenge is going to be a 25 mile walk on both Saturday and Sunday so we can experience how it will feel to walk a long distance on very tired legs. Bring it on!

Thank heavens for flip flops!

Not sure where I would be without flip flops at the moment. The nail on my big toe is getting ready to fall off, one of my little toes is misshaped and sore and my new trainers have rubbed both heels on the treadmill this week. I'm sure my poor feet must be a terrible sight for anyone coming into contact with them but it's a relief to free them from boots and trainers. I've started using surgical spirit to harden the skin on both feet (hubby and team leader Dave tells me he did this in preparation for training exercises in his navy days) so I'm sure I must be smelling like a hospital waiting room. I fear that my beloved Jimmy Choos will be confined to their shelf in my wardrobe this summer!

Linz, Ewan and James are all busy this weekend so only Mum and I will be training on Sunday and our aim is to walk from Pendeen point to Lamorna, taking in the rugged beauty of Land's End. The 10 or 11 miles between Sennen Cove and Lamorna is described as difficult on the coast path website, with lots of steep climbs, so it's a good job it's a bank holiday weekend.

Coast to coast path

The girls braved the driving rain and strong winds yesterday to attempt a 30 mile walk from Camborne to Devoran and back via Portreath and the coast to coast path. Our waterproofs quickly proved that they didn't quite live up to their name and we huddled in a bus shelter in Portreath to call our support crew leader and arrange for assistance. Dave met us at the office in Scorrier 10 miles into the walk with hot pasties, hot drinks and dry clothes and from there me and Mum pushed on to Devoran (Linz had decided that enough was enough and she needed to go home and get out of her soaked clothes). The weather didn't improve and it wasn't long before we started to get wet again but we were spurred on by the thought of completing our longest distance yet and we eventually completed 32 miles in approximately 10 hours.

April's training has been varied and challenging. I've walked over 360,000 steps and covered almost 200 miles since the first of the month. Yesterday's walk alone burned over 2400 calories according to my pedometer and I've lost count of the number of chocolate bars I've consumed since training began!

Waterproofs at the ready

The weather forecast for Sunday is for strong winds and heavy rain so Team Gould have made the decision to stay away from cliff top coast paths we might slip on or be blown off! The plan is to walk 30 miles this time (our greatest distance yet) and to stay inland to try to avoid the worst of the weather. We're aiming to incorporate the Portreath to Devoran coast to coast path in the route and hope to complete the distance in 9.5 hours.

Fundraising update

Team Gould Electronics are back at the top of Oxfam's fundraising leader board and the £1000 donation made by our wonderful director last week hasn't updated yet.

Winter's return

Winter returned for yesterday's training walk from Perranporth to Godrevy Point. Lindsey was keen to try out her knew waterproof trousers so the rain held off but the wind was relentless and we were blasted from all angles for the duration of the walk. Gould Electronics' newest employee James has offered to act as a stand in just in case anyone else has to pull out before July and he gamely joined us at Porthtowan to walk the remainder of the distance. Mum and I have done this route before and knew that there are several tough climbs between Perranporth and Portreath but they didn't pose as great a challenge as before and we completed the 18 miles in a little under seven hours, pretty good going in such strong winds. The team were impressed with James' efforts and hope that the new blisters he is nursing this morning haven't put him off.

Another 25 mile training walk

We did the same route as last weekend yesterday because Ewan wanted a chance to make 25 miles. It was freezing cold when we set off from Camborne at 8am but there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature soon climbed. The walk along the beach from Godrevy to Hayle was a pleasure in the sunshine and my unscheduled detour on the dunes (trying to avoid a fence we were forced to climb last week) only added a few minutes to our time. This is a fairly varied walk with sections through bluebell-filled woodland, across beaches, sand dunes and rugged cliff tops, and we had the added excitement yesterday of having to rescue a sheep which had broken through a fence dangerously close to the cliff edge! I was much less tired last night than after the previous weekend's 25 miles walk and 60 miles is seeming less daunting each week. I fear I may be saying farewell to one of my toenails soon however but I guess this is a pretty small price to pay.

New team member

Team Gould were saddened by the recent news that Lizzie would be unable to continue training with us but we were fortunate to find a replacement in Lindsey Higman. Linz has been out on a number of training walks with us already and managed a fantastic 25 miles with me and Mum yesterday. Our newbie regrettably failed to notice the naked ass a young surfer was displaying in Godrevy car park but we were all amused to note the number of tourists taking photos of cows in a nearby field (especially when immediately behind them was some of the most stunning coastal scenery in Cornwall and a number of dozing seals!). The training is obviously paying off because I'm relatively ache-free today but my feet are definitely suffering and the flip flops might have to stay in the wardrobe this summer!

Slips, trips, bumps and shocks

Team Gould met at 9am on Sunday morning to walk from St Ives to Sennen Cove. I'd researched the route and knew that the first leg (St Ives to Pendeen) was going to be fairly tough with lots of climbs but I had no way of knowing how rocky, muddy and slippery the paths were going to prove to be. The morning was full of mishaps with Mum tripping on a rock and falling on her face (with a walking pole in each hand she wasn't able to stop her fall) and Linz sinking ankle deep into mud on a couple of occasions (unfortunately I was to blame at least once for not getting out of her way quickly enough). I slipped three times while descending the steep path and landed hard enough on one occasion to bruise and scratch myself then Linz and I each got an electric shock while stepping over a stile (the sign warning about the electric fence was on the other side of the stile, fine for those walking from the opposite direction, not so great for us). It took us nearly six arduous hours to complete the first ten miles of the route and another three to reach St Just. We resigned ourselves to not reaching Sennen Cove in the time we'd allowed for the walk and after nearly nine hours of walking decided to head home for a much needed soak in a bath and a well deserved rest.

Longest training walk yet

We managed to reach our 20 mile target yesterday, although one member of the team had to drop out because of knee pain. The weather was beautiful and a fairly keen coastal breeze kept us cool. We saw bluebells in Tehidy Woods, seals basking on the beach near Godrevy Point and countless surfers making the most of the conditions. We completed the distance in 7 hours and whilst we were pleased with the achievement I think we have only just started to appreciate what this challenge is going to demand of us.

Team training

I'm still really frustrated that we didn't make the 20 mile goal last weekend so with the aid of our support crew leader I've found a 20 mile route that doesn't involve rock climbing! The team are going to meet at 8am in Camborne on Sunday morning and walk to Godrevy Point via Tehidy Woods. We'll then walk the coast path to Portreath (hoping that it's less windy this time) and from there we'll walk back to Camborne through Tehidy Woods again. Once we've completed 20 miles I'll be more than happy to get back to the muddy, rocky, steep paths we've encountered on recent training walks.

Helford to Cadgwith

Only Mum and I were available for training yesterday and we were hoping to complete 20 miles. We started off at idyllic Helford at 08.45 in the sunshine and aimed to reach Lizard Point within around 8 hours but the terrain proved pretty tough in places. After Coverack the coast path (at least the branch I chose to follow!) became steep, rocky and muddy and we moved at such a slow pace at times that my pedometer failed to register my steps. It soon became apparent that we weren't going to make Lizard Point in the time allowed and we ended our trek in Cadgwith at a little after 16.35. A little frustrated this morning that we didn't achieve our 20 mile goal but it was a beautiful day and an enjoyable walk in all.

Fundraising boost

Our fundraising afternoon tea was a huge success. Several people contributed with cakes, buns and slices and I was surprised by the number who turned up. We raised £282 which has given our fundraising total a healthy boost.

After ten hours on our feet on Saturday, Mum and I went on a training walk with the rest of the team yesterday. I didn't want to go too far as some members of the group have been unwell recently so we chose to walk from Helston to the Lizard. The weather was gorgeous and the scenery breathtaking and we ended the walk with a much needed cold drink at England's most southerly cafe. All in all, a great weekend.

Thank you

Many thanks to Jonathan Mallett of Sharkfin Media Ltd for donating posters for the sandwich board promoting our afternoon tea. Hopefully the board will help to entice a few people into the church hall to sample the cakes on offer!

Training hampered by illness

Only two team members were available for training on Sunday and Mum and I were celebrating a family member's birthday in the evening so we opted for a relatively easy 6 hour walk along the North Cliff coast path. As it turned out however Mum had fallen victim to a particularly nasty cough doing the rounds at work and wasn't feeling her best. We started at Tehidy Woods again and walked to Godrevy Point (not getting lost in between this time) and as soon as we left the shelter of the woods it became apparent that the wind was very strong. Once we hit the coast path we were buffeted around by increasingly strong gusts and before long we began to find the going incredibly tough. At times the wind was so strong we had no option but to stick our poles into the gorse and brace ourselves to prevent the wind from knocking us over! As we neared Portreath I made the decision to divert to the main road because there was a slightly tricky section of path coming up which I felt would be dangerous in the strong winds (one misplaced foot and we would end up in the sea!). We walked into Portreath on the road (passing a lot of exhausted charity runners on the way) and from there we made our way back to Tehidy woods and then home to Camborne.

My back started to ache surprisingly early on in the walk and my legs soon felt weak. As I found the previous week's 7 hour training walk relatively easy I assumed that I was struggling because of the strength of the wind and that maybe I'd overdone it on the treadmill. By the time we reached Camborne my legs were aching and heavy and I felt as if I'd completed the 100km challenge already. I woke yesterday morning feeling ill and it would appear that I have caught the dreaded bug affecting so many in the office. Training was on a standstill yesterday but I managed 20 minutes on the treadmill this morning and Mum and I are hoping to feel well enough to walk home from the office tonight. We know who is responsible for making us unwell and who to blame if we have to call our support crew leader to rescue us!

No wonder my feet hurt!

Just done a tally of February's training and I've walked 125.5 miles this month (272,930 steps according to my pedometer). My big toe nails are turning black, my trainers are falling apart and I've already had to order replacement sock liners. Still, all this exercise means I get to eat more cake and chocolate so it's not all bad!

Mullion to Marazion

The team walked from Mullion to Marazion yesterday, covering the 18 miles in a fraction under 7 hours. There were some fairly steep climbs to contend with and the weather was mild enough to make us strip coats and fleeces off soon after starting. We didn't take nearly enough drink with us but our wonderful support crew leader was waiting for us at Marazion with a bag of bottled drinks and chocolate bars and we'll know to carry more next time.

Fundraising leaderboard

Just received fantastic news. Gould Electronics are currently at the top of Trailwalker's fundraising leader board. Amazing!

Team training

I've still got to plan our route but we're thinking of walking from Mullion to Penzance on Sunday. We're aiming to walk approximately 18 miles this time and it will be the furthest distance we've attempted yet. Mum's blisters have fortunately healed well (all thanks to regular treatment with surgical spirit!) and the weather forecast looks good.

There's now just two weeks to go until our fundraising afternoon tea and I'm starting to feel a bit nervous. I'm worried that we'll either find ourselves inundated with hungry people or no one will turn up and everyone's hard work will be wasted. I hadn't even thought about details such as crockery and cutlery until a few days ago so I think that it might be a good idea to spend tomorrow planning.

That's my weekend sorted!

Weekend off

I stayed at the Driftwood Hotel with family this weekend and intended to take a couple of days off training. I couldn't resist a 5 mile walk along the coast path however and enjoyed a brisk stroll to Portscatho and back before lunch on Saturday.

Blisters

This evening's training walk has been cancelled due to injury. Mum has blisters the size of dinner plates on her heels after our walk home from the office on Tuesday and she's had to come to work wearing open-toes sandals today. Still, at least we've learned a couple of things from the incident; never wear new trainers on a 6.5 mile walk, and don't trust the claim that you can walk a thousand miles in a pair of socks without developing blisters!

The donations keep coming

A big thank you to Co Star Electronic Components and Entel UK Limited for their donations this morning. It's the generosity of people like you that keeps us going when the training gets tough!

Perranporth to Portreath

Mum and I walked the coast path from Perranporth to Portreath yesterday and support crew leader (and hubby) Dave picked us up at Tehidy Woods nearly 6 and a half hours later. We had hoped to walk a little further and for longer than last weekend but this leg of the coast path was much more difficult than the Godrevy to Portreath section we last walked. We had a number of reasonably challenging ascents and descents to contend with and both experienced knee pain in the final couple of miles. My right knee was hurting so badly by the time we reached Portreath that I had to walk backwards down the hill a couple of times to ease the pain! Not sure what the locals made of me

New flyer unveiled

A special thank you to Phil Taylor for donating his time to our Trailwalker cause and working on our website, fundraising page and afternoon tea flyers. He's done an amazing job and I can't imagine anyone being able to resist a cupcake or two after seeing this!

Another thank you

A massive thank you to Matt from Hesketh Press http://www.heskethpress.com/ for agreeing to print, free of charge, posters and flyers for our fundraising afternoon tea. Now all I have do to is sweet talk our youngest member of staff into traipsing around Camborne next week to distribute them!

Thanks

A big thank you to Anthony Brown of local courier company Lamorna Express Ltd and to Morgan Jones from PMR radio case manufacturer Peter Jones (ILG) Ltd for their generous donations. I spent a couple of minutes yesterday sending out a few begging emails to our suppliers and it paid off.

Our longest walk yet

Mum and I intended to walk for four hours on Saturday but we got a little lost along the way and had to call our support crew leader for directions . It rained constantly which made much of our route slippery and at times difficult to negotiate and by the end of our walk we were soaked through to the skin. Our walking poles proved invaluable and I'm convinced I would have fallen several times if I didn't have mine with me. In the end it took us just over six hours to walk from Tehidy Park to Godrevy Point and then along the coast path to Portreath but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we're both surprisingly pain-free this morning. I invested in some new waterproof clothing yesterday, a waterproof lining for my backpack (everything inside my bag got soaked on Saturday) and a compass (for those tricky moments when the GPS device lets you down). My purse is considerable lighter than it was at the beginning of the weekend but hopefully I'll be better prepared for the next training session.

Get out the thermals

Mum and I are planning to undertake a four hour training walk (our longest yet) on Saturday and hope to walk from Camborne to Godrevy point and back via Tehidy woods and Portreath. The weather forecast this morning appears to indicate that we might be faced with some rather inhospitable conditions, possibly even snow, so it could be a challenging trek. Perhaps if it snowed enough Mum's faithful pooches Harvey and Riley could be convinced to pretend to be huskies for a day!

Truly scrumptious!

I've already been offered several delicious cakes for March's fundraising afternoon tea and the list is mouthwatering. There will be: ginger, lemon drizzle, coffee, coconut and raspberry, chocolate and Victoria sponges, cinnamon fruit cake, pavlova and cheesecake, along with a variety of cupcakes, cheese and plain scones and a selection of sandwiches. Wow! Shame we can't offer a glass of champagne

Cupcakes!

I've decided that as they're fairly easy I'll be responsible for scones and cupcakes for our fundraising afternoon tea in March. I hit the kitchen on returning from our 10 mile training hike yesterday and I'm fairly pleased with the results (the cupcakes didn't sink or explode for a change!). I had great fun decorating them and hopefully people in the office will enjoy eating them today.

Team training

Team Gould Electronics trained together for the first time yesterday, walking 10 miles from Helston to Porthleven and back in just under three hours. The weather was fine at first but it started to rain as we approached Porthleven and we were rather wet and muddy by the time we got back to our cars. Our boots obviously need a lot more wear before they're up to the South Downs in July because three of us slipped repeatedly when walking down a steep and narrow coastal path. The conditions didn't dampen our enthusiasm however and we're eager to get together again. Bring on the 100KM!!

Baking

I think it's about time I started practicing in order to brush up on my questionable baking skills. Only six weeks to go before our fundraising afternoon tea and my last few attempts to bake have been disastrous. Still, I have lots of willing guinea pigs in the office who will no doubt have a taste of anything I manage to throw together. Maybe I should only offer the results to half of the staff just in case I make them ill!

First training injury - an update

My training buddy Harvey (a twelve-year old dalmatian) is still feeling the effects of an attack by a german shepherd yesterday. Mum tells me he's off his food, hobbling around the house and didn't want to go for a walk this morning. Get well soon Harv x

Madness!

It took me and Mum just 1 hour 45 minutes to walk the 6.5 miles home from the office yesterday, nearly fifteen minutes less than last week! I was up at 04.30 this morning to join Mum and her pooches for a walk on the dunes at Gwithian in the darkness and got to try my new walking poles and headlight out for the first time. Really enjoyed myself despite the ungodly hour until another dog attacked Mum's dalmatian Harvey. I was thinking of employing my new poles for a purpose they hadn't been designed for until Riley the bull mastiff charged in to save his pal. Definitely far too much excitement for so early in the morning.

Gadgets

Hubby (and support crew leader) Dave has bought me a touchscreen GPS unit to help me navigate the 100km route across the South Downs - probably because he knows there's not a hope in hell of me successfully using a map and compass! I managed to pass several underwater navigation exercises when completing various diving exams a few years ago but above water I have no sense of direction whatsoever. Now he just has to learn how to use it so he can show me.

Weekend training

Mum and I walked for two hours across the beach at Gwithian on Saturday. The wind was so strong that the first hour was pretty hard going. With sand drifting across the beach and building up on our trousers it felt like we were training for a trek to the South Pole rather than the South Downs! Now there's an idea for next year's challenge .....

Corporate sponsorship

TrakRanger Ltd join Airsys Communications (in partnership with Vertex Standard) and Fylde Micro Ltd as sponsors for Gould Electronics' Trailwalker 2012

Fundraising update

Wow! Just smashed our £2000 fundraising target thanks to a fantastic donation from TrakRanger Ltd. I've really been amazed by the generosity of people since we started fundraising. I sent my first begging text messages and emails only two weeks ago and already we've raised £2285. This great news is likely to make getting out of bed early on a Saturday morning for a training walk that much easier tomorrow.

Sleep disruption

It might be a coincidence but I've been having problems sleeping since starting my training for Trailwalker. I would have thought that after getting up at 05.30 every week day to do 30 minutes on the treadmill before work, and then writing until 21.00 each evening, I would be dead on my feet by bedtime but I'm regularly reading my Kindle or playing solitaire on my iPhone well after midnight. I'm looking forward to a lie in tomorrow - I don't intend to do any exercise before 08.00 as it's the weekend! Mum and I intend to walk along the beach from Hayle to Godrevy and back and the plan is to step the training up a gear next week.

Ouch!

A number of muscles in my legs have been stiffening since yesterday afternoon (a result of Tuesday evening's walk in my new boots I imagine) but I was still up at 05.30 this morning for 30 minutes on the treadmill. It might not have been such a good idea to come to work in 4 1/2 inch heels today but it's a bit late to worry about that. Hubby Dave has suggested that perhaps I should allow my aching legs a bit of time to recover before I do any more training but if I can't deal with a bit of pain now how can I hope to complete the 100km route in July? Just need to put my man-pants on and get on with it!!

Scorrier to Camborne

Mum and I completed the walk home from the office in a little under 2 hours yesterday evening. I had to stop half way to take my new boots off and put my faithful old trainers on but we enjoyed the walk and aim to do it in less time soon. I've calculated that I burned over 1000 calories on the treadmill and walking home from work yesterday but husband Dave wasn't overly impressed with this fact when I pointed it out to him. He thinks he burned more calories off trying to catch the mouse that our cat had bought in for her tea!

Love those endorphins

Only managed three hours sleep last night but still up at 05.30 for half an hour on the treadmill. I've found that playing 90s club music on my iPod helps to motivate me while I exercise! Mum and I are planning to walk home from the office today (approximately 6.5 miles which should take us around 2 hours) and I've already put some chocolate in the fridge to sustain us. I exercised regularly before signing up for Trailwalker but I'm doing much more now and it's becoming strangely addictive ....

The Team

Here's the first photo of the Gould Electronics team ... Not sure we'll all look as fresh and happy at the end of the 100km!!

Walking gear

I bought some new walking boots at the weekend along with some poles, socks and the all important blister kit. Mum and I did a training walk across Gwithian dunes with her exuberant pooches on Saturday morning and we enjoyed it so much that we're planning to make it a regular thing. The views of St Ives Bay were stunning, the weather was cold but bright, and we only saw a couple of dog walkers for the 90 minutes we were there.

Hooray for the weekend

I've just completed my first week of 05.30 starts on the treadmill and I'm glad it's Saturday tomorrow. Mum's picking me up at 08.00 tomorrow morning to drive to Gwithian for a training walk across the dunes and we're off to buy some new walking gear on Sunday. Lizzie's popping into the office today so we can have a group photo taken for the website and an upcoming press release - maybe I should have brought some concealer for the dark shadows under my eyes!

Bog in a bag

Hubby Dave has volunteered to be our Support Crew Leader and he's already making plans for the big day. I'm a little concerned by the 'Bog in a Bag' portable camping toilet that has just turned up in the post however. I definitely don't want to be the first to try it out!

Afternoon tea update

Our fundraising afternoon tea is to be held at Camborne Parish Church hall on the afternoon of Saturday March 10th (time to be confirmed but the first slices of cake and cups of tea are likely to be served at 15.30 or 16.00). I promise not to bake anything more ambitious than scones; the majority of cakes are to be donated by people who know what they're doing in the kitchen!

Press release

Great news! The West Briton is going to run a story about team Gould Electronics' Trailwalker challenge

More thanks

A special thank you to a couple of people who couldn't participate with the 100km walk for one reason or another but who are contributing to the cause in other ways. Thank you to hubby Dave for getting up at 05.30 each morning to feed our cats and make my breakfast while I'm on the treadmill. Thanks also to my step-daughter Bethany who has offered to help out with any and all fundraising events (even if it means getting out of bed early at the weekend!). Your support is invaluable :)

Afternoon tea

A huge thank you to Reverend Mike Firbank of Camborne Parish Church for offering us the free use of the church hall for a fundraising afternoon tea to be held in the spring. Mike has also requested a sponsor form so he can ask if congregation members would like to sponsor us. My mother-in-law Sheila Gould and family friend Louise Richens have already offered to bake for the event and I have eaten many a gorgeous Victoria sponge and delectable pavlova baked by the ladies so I can attest to the quality of their baking!

Fundraising/training update

Training got off to a gentle start yesterday with Marie and Cynthia (accompanied by two very enthusiastic pooches) undertaking an hour long walk to ease themselves into preparations for July's big event. Our fundraising is off to a much better start with Airsys Communications (in partnership with Vertex Standard) and Fylde Micro both agreeing to sponsor us and several generous donations/pledges have already been made by friends and family. A team photo should be uploaded by Friday and we'll be planning our first team training event soon. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us so far.