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!