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.