21/07/2012 Trailwalker 2012 (Part 5)

With the feet patched up, clothing and socks changed the team were ready to move for Checkpoint 8 after 1 hour. This was only a short hike and we stood every chance of at least getting there together. With the cheers from our Support Team ringing in our ears we set off for Jack and Jill Windmills, again a step into the unknown and the continued blackness.

Simon counted us out....and counted us all back in again.

The walk in the dark down the hill was fairly treacherous in places making the poles a godsend. On several occasions we felt ourselves slide and then the poles would bite and we'd remain upright though this downhill slalom descent was now taking its toll on the knees.

It was a relief to get to the road and start to go uphill once more. As we got closer to Checkpoint 8 our Support Team radioed to say that the field had been closed to Support Crews but they were going to dump the car as close to, grab some supplies and meet us there.

More enthusiastic music playing Oxfam volunteers greeted us as well as Kate and Ted who had legged it up complete with folding chairs and a bucket of goodies leaving Simon with the car. We'd made it in 1 hour 31 minutes and decided to have a short break as we all felt pretty good to get going again. The Support Crew had been warned that Checkpoint 9 wasn't looking too good earlier in the week so they were going to try and see us in advance of it given this next stage was a long one.

After a 13minute stop, we set off at a good pace gradually climbing towards Ditchling Beacon. It was a shame we were in pitch darkness as the view from here should be amazing but instead we were enveloped in pitch darkness climbing steadily. After a while we found ourselves checking our watches and willing the sun up to give us a boost but it was another watched pot.

Dawn breaks over Checkpoint 9

Eventually in distance we could see the checkpoint illuminated but still so far away and as we paced across a field, dawn eventually broke and with that, Mark could feel the shards of broken glass in both feet again. It was still about 6km to the Checkpoint and this wouldn't keep - we'd have to stop  again. Finding somewhere to drop, the team took a chance to rest while Mark assisted by Lee slipped his boots off to reveal two new blisters this time bizarrely between his big and second toe - an odd position on both feet and it was hurting with every step. A quick patch up with blister plasters and we were on our way again but it was shortlived as we crossed onto a road - there were our support crew parked up. 

The opportunity was taken to change socks and boots and as we sat in the chairs Simon produced a bottle of Jura and asked if anyone would like a wee nip? Now we wouldn't normally drink so early in the morning but on this occasion we thought we'd make an exception. The only problem was thart up until now the effects of tiredness hadn't fully kicked in but the small measure of Jura was rapidly absorbed and Mark suddenly found it difficult to put one foot in front of the other and keep his balance making the next few km a bit zombified.

Checkpoint 9....we got bogeys incoming

The rest of the walk into Checkpoint 9 is a bit of a blur apart from coming down the last straight to swipe in and bumping into the BunLovingCriminals who greeted us with an affectionate "The Red Harrows! You b******s! You started a whole hour after us!" - It was nice to see them too! It had taken us 3hours 18minutes to do this section and it felt like it.

The support team had made it in as well and infact this was the best checkpoint for access so far! Grabing some hot drinks, we tried to eat but this was becoming difficult. Eating had long since lost its appeal and it was now just a case of trying consciously  to get some fuel in to get us to the end.

Another moment of pain...

As we stood there against the car we could see the big steep hill in front we'd need to get over and it looked daunting. Mark's feet were saying no more but we were so close now. Even if we had to cross the Finish line on bloodied hands and knees - we were doing it.

We bid our support team goodbye and gingerly set off - one foot in front of the other towards the hill. 

The BunLovingCriminals top the hill before CP10

We walked alongside the Buns for the most part of the ascent with Mark needing a couple of breathers on the way up to grit teeth and dig deep. Eventually we reached the summit and as all the Buns had made it too, Mark took a group photo.

As we descended towards Checkpoint 10, it became evident Martin was hurting. The descent was killing his knees now and he clung to his walking poles like they were now an extension of his body and if anyone tried to separate him from them they probably wouldn't have lived to tell the tale.

Swiping through Checkpoint 10 we realised there was yet another ascent. Mark didn't recall this being part of the plan but it had to be the last one, surely? On and on the hill went and in the distance we could see the summit but how much further was Brighton? Surely not much further now? As we closed on the top, two familiar faces came towards us. Simon and Kate had walked back on the route towards us to walk with us. Grabbing Mark's backpack, Kate walked alongside her husband who suddenly felt a burden lifted and more determined. With the last couple of km to go, Kate and Simon jumped back in the car and asked us not to be too quick so they could see us cross the line - not much danger of that!

With 4 furlongs to go its the Red Harrows...

That was it now. The home straight. We broke into a pace, sore feet, aching knees and ankles be damned, we were hurting but we were going to finish. We started to overtake other walkers, some in groups, some solitary and hobbling showing the same determination to get to that Finish line. 

The last sections of track were well waterlogged but we no longer cared for dry feet and ploughed straight through them and as we hit the race course we could see the Finish line in sight.

Crossing the Finish Line

Mark and Polly felt tempted to remove boots altogether now we were on the soft cool grass as first the 1km marker then the 500m marker passed us by. As the course widened out we walked line abreast up that final straight just as the Gurkha pipers burst into life. 

The emotion, the relief and the joy as we crossed the line, swiped in and hugged. We had done it!





After 24hours and 32minutes of walking - we had completed this Epic 100km Trailwalker. Now standing and waiting in line for our our chance on the podium was the final test as we all just wanted to do was sit and get our boots off.

Back L to R: Mark, Martin, Lee, Polly Front L to R: Kate, Ted, Simon

 Thats all for now! An Epilogue will follow soon....

20/07/2012 Trailwalker 2012 (Part 4)

Mark gets to grips with his feet

"Let's get your feet sorted, dry clothes and some food in you and see how you feel" Kate responded. 

Unbeknown to us at this point, our Support crew thought something had happened between the team. Mark was sat inside the gazebo, Martin sat outside and Lee and Polly near the bonnet of the car. Had there been some sort of fall out? Had they argued? They were all quiet, subdued and very much in need of a boost.

Martin feeling fresher

Mark removed his muddy boots and wet socks. The zinc oxide tape was pretty damp so was removed to reveal a white looking damp, clammy, skin underneath. Drying them off, Kate assisted while they were re-taped, not a quick process to do properly. 

In the meantime, Martin declared to to the team that he needed to change his underpants. There being no convenient place to do this, Martin stated he didn't care and while Simon did his best to screen him with a towel and the team averted their gaze he soon felt the relief of dry pants and humour was once again restored to the group. 

After further discussion about "Re-vazzing up" to deal with some of the chafing issues encountered, dry socks and clothes were donned and after some hot pasta, the team were feeling a lot better.

Ted heroically battles the mud

Kate then produced her iPhone and played a video to Mark of their two children. "Well done Daddy....you've reached halfway...we're so proud of you...keep going all the way to the Finish!". 

How could he possibly stop now? It's amazing what a break, some food and dry clothes coupled with some motivational messages will do. The team knew what was coming next as we'd done Stages 6 and 7 in training. Mark decided to continue, turned to Kate and said "These next two stages are make or break." 

With that, the team set off after a 51minute rest, out of the Checkpoint passing cars being pushed and towed by a tractor without whom most would still be there now. 

The briefly celebrate the passing of 55km

As we walked along past the golf course, we all felt much better, fresher even and in good spirits almost as if the last 6 hour trudge hadn't happened. We chatted as we ascended up Chanctonbury Hill and remarked about what a great job our Support Crew had done despite the conditions. The long haul up to the top passed at a fairly steady pace and the opportunity was taken for the team to get a quick photo at the 55km point - the longest we'd walked together until now and then the longer gradual descent to Botolphs. It was getting gradually darker as we got closer to Checkpoint 6. We then got a boost as the walkies announced the Support Crew would be waiting for us in a bus layby opposite the garage in Upper Beeding.

On entering the Checkpoint we decided to grab some hot soup and drink in the shelter of the tent as it had started raining again. We had no idea what the soup was but it was hot and tasty and just what we needed.  It had taken us 2hrs 17minutes, 5 minutes faster than our schedule to get here. As our eyes adjusted to the low light we realised we were in the medical tent. An array of walking wounded sat around us on the cots set out with varying degrees of injury and then in the corner, two medics were crouched over an unconscious person who looked in a bad way. Not good.

Knowing we would need to walk the dodgy path alongside the river into Upper Beeding we decided to put on headtorches and hi-vis though it became apparent that only Mark had brought his and the rest were with the Support Crew - just as well they meeting us. Trudging across the waterlogged field we followed the path round and over the bridge, Mark in front illuminating and the team members on his heels behind. He feared if he stopped for any reason there would be a pile-up and someone would end up swimming so the pace was kept steady.

As we reached the point where the path diverts into the housing estate, a familiar voice said "You're doing very well guys, this way". It was Simon who hadn't realised it was us in the dark and he was doing his bit as an Oxfam volunteer. He then walked with us to the lay-by where the team had once again set up the gazebo to shelter from the rain. Kate informed us the BunLovingCriminals had passed by a little while back and we were pleased they were still a four. We took the opportunity to change socks, add glow sticks to the backpacks and for the rest of the team to put on their hi-vis and headtorches and we were soon off for the next sapping ascent to the top of Stage 7 to the sound of "The A-Team" theme music blaring from Martin's iPod.

The climb to the top in the dark seemed easier than we could remember. Perhaps it's because we could only see a few yards in front and we couldn't see the top other than the illuminated masts but we made steady progress. As we approached the top, it started to become apparent that something wasn't right with Mark's right foot. Having not suffered with blisters in training this was something new - hotspots. Deciding the best thing to do was to deal with it now rather than wait for Checkpoint 7, the team parked up in a gateway and helped remove the offending boot and find the blister plasters. What was heart warming was the concern shown by other passing teams who enquired if all was OK. Addressing one blister on the heel and one on the ball of the foot, the team were back on their way towards the distant glow on the horizon marking the illuminated checkpoint. As we did so, we passed numerous other teams now sat by the wayside addressing their feet, it seemed perhaps we'd encouraged others to do the same - perhaps this should be renamed Blister Hill?

Descending to Fulking Escarpment and back up the other side we turned and look back to see the twinkling snake of headtorches behind us, something we had had described to us but to see for ourselves was really quite something.

As we made the final ascent towards the Checkpoint the Support Crew informed us it was chaos there and they were struggling to park so advised we head straight for food. Getting closer to the checkpoint we were greeted to rapturous applause from the assembled volunteers, Gurkhas and officers - probably the biggest assembled welcome so far and a real euphoric feeling hit us. It had taken 2hrs 13minutes, 13 minutes longer than planned thanks to the blister stop and we were now only 1minute ahead of schedule overall. Our Support Crew grabbed our kit as we headed for hot pasta which was downed with gusto. as we left the food tent to head for our support car, we bumped in to JPTO's Olly on the way in. A quick exchange, "How are you all doing?" - "OK but Tom's not good - had the squits and is on Dioralyte but we're still a four". We'd all got this far, but would we get further?

With no room to set up the gazebo, the kit and chairs were set up alongside the car and we sat ourselves down to re-stock and re-sock. With the hurried blister repair undertaken part way up, Mark decided to strip off the damp tape once again and go without. Kate dried Mark's feet and applied some talc before addressing the blisters now evident on both feet in the softened skin. They weren't looking good with 30km still to go.

To be continued.....

19/07/2012 - Trailwalker 2012 (Part 3)

"He was probably just joking" Polly suggested. "No, he wasn't. He was serious, Simon wouldn't joke about something like that". So it meant instead of a 3.5 hour hike unsupported we were going to be more like 6 hours. We had enough food and water to take us to Checkpoint 4. Water would be on hand to re-fill at least and we'd have to grab what we could from the Admin Tents.

Chalky, muddy, gooey, sludgy - mess.

Of concern though was that Mark had planned sock changes on even numbered Checkpoints. Martin had yet to change at all and was looking forward to a change at Checkpoint 4 which he'd now have to extend to Checkpoint 5. None of us had brought spare socks with us on this basis. To make matters worse, the thunder was continuing and the rain when it fell was torrential.

The trail had worsened further in the recent rain which fell while we were at Checkpoint 2 and parts of the path had become completely submerged. This started to cause a few bottlenecks as walkers headed for the only dry bit available and on some occasions meant an already well-trodden diversion off the trail into a field or woodland.


 

More ominous black clouds

The chalky nature of the soil on the South Downs make it extremely slippery once it gets wet. It is unlike any of the mud we'd trained in and we have trained in some serious mud but chalk is something we don't have in in the north-west of England. 

The walk to Checkpoint 3 was becoming a trudge thorough muddy fields with an alternating "rain on - rain off" pattern. 

Its the sun! Break out the Factor 50!

Eventually  as we got closer to Checkpoint 3, the sun started to come out and once again the waterproof clothing started to be removed, this time in the full belief that was it, the rain had gone and now the sun was coming out.

Entering Checkpoint 3 we decided to grab some hot drinks and sat/lay on the grass for a rest in the sunshine. For the first time since the start, we were greeted by Paul from Jon Paul Tom and Olly who were also making decent progress. We had managed Stage 3 in 1hr and 32mins, 9minutes faster than scheduled and with their being little else to do, we set off for Checkpoint 4 after 10 minutes.

Now some mist.

As we climbed up the hill from Checkpoint 3, we bumped into the Mental Orientals, one of the teams who had come on Gurkha training and were in the 6am starters just as once again, the heavens opened and this time - it really let rip. 

The path became a running torrent of milky coloured water carving its way downwards like a raging serpent and as we ascended, the rain intensified to the point where we thought we now knew what a stair-rod looked like. 



As we walked, we were caught up by a lone walker whose team were a little way back and he informed us he'd done it last year and despite the long period of rain they had then - this was far, far worse. He advised us to just keep thinking about the next Checkpoint and visualise yourself on that podium and we would make it to the finish. We drew some comfort from this advice and plodded on.

Somewhere in the mist between CP3 and CP4

The rain continued and things seemed to get colder. Whether they were actually getting colder or whether it was the effect of the cold, clammy sweaty interior of our waterproofs upon which we had placed such high expectations only to find the words of the Brixham Badgers ringing in my ears - "Waterproof is a relative term". 

It became questionable as to whether it was worth bothering with waterproofs at all. Lee hadn't bothered with waterproof trousers on the basis they took as quick to dry as they did to get wet but what was clear is that the conditions were sapping our enthusiasm. 

This was no longer fun and was becoming more of an ordeal made worse by knowing we wouldn't see the Support Crew at Checkpoint 4 and we all now needed socks and clothing changes. Descending into Checkpoint 4  after 1hour 45minutes we were greeted firstly by a lone Gurkha doing his best to scrape the path clear of mud with a piece of 2"x 2" rather unsuccessfully. We were then greeted almost knowingly by probably some of the most enthusiastic Oxfam volunteers we'd met so far whooping, hollering and high-fiving on the way in. 

The place was a mess though. Water was now standing on the surface and everywhere we walked with our hot teas and coffees, water just squelched out. Mark ventured over to the water truck to refill his Camelbak not sure whether or not he was actually filling it with diesel or unleaded but was beyond caring at this point. With a 14minute stop done we decided to get out of Dodge and head off towards Checkpoint 5 where at least we could look forward to some hot food and dry clothes.

As we left Checkpoint 4 we noted a number of Support Teams were meeting up with the walkers in lanes and lay-bys - if only we'd thought of that. Conversation had now subsided, even Martin, the one we can always rely on to lift our spirits with a bit of humour was quiet, a sign that things weren't good. 

Ascending to the top of Stage 5

The trek over the top of Checkpoint 5 seemed to be an endless trudge over the top. There was no view due to the misty shroud that had engulfed us, just the path in front  which seemed to go on monotonously disappearing into the mist. 

Trying not to look at the Garmin to see how much further to the Checkpoint was difficult as everyone knows "a watched pot doesn't boil" and each time we did, we'd not progressed as far as we thought.




We had become walking automatons and this was an early low point for the team. Knowing that we were battering our schedule we agreed we'd have a decent stop at Checkpoint 5 to reinvigorate ourselves. Eventually the walkie-talkies burst into life - "Red Harrows, Red Harrows - how are you doing guys?". We gave our ETA and list of requests, hot food, clothes changes, sock changes and re-taping and before much longer after 2hours and 18minutes and 10hrs 19minutes overall, we reached the halfway point anda s usual, Ted at the end of the last 400m to the Checkpoint. "Be careful" he advised, "it's not pretty down this last bit". He wasn't wrong. 

The muddy slope down into Checkpoint 5

This last section of path is one we had done in training  when we covered Stages 6 and 7 and we remembered it then as being bad wondering what it might be like after a 1000 pairs of boots. 

The mud was beyond ankle deep and everyone was walking along the edge clinging to the fence. Once into the Checkpoint, we had to negotiate a muddy slope where our Support Crew informed us they had seen many a walker go over.


Reaching the Team gazebo, Mark  dropped into a chair and looked up at the concern in Kate's face and said "I'm not sure I can go on hun".

To be continued......

18/07/2012 - Trailwalker 2012 (Part 2)

The night passed fitfully. Mark couldn't get to sleep and as it turned out neither could the team-mates settle. The brain just wouldn't shut down at a point when we really needed a decent rest before facing this Epic trek we actually couldn't. It was almost a relief when the alarm went off at 5am to start getting ready. The usual preparations, a couple of bananas, a pint of water, a nurofen, shower then taping up the feet with zinc oxide tape.

We were meeting in the car park at 6am, the plan being to get to QECP at about 6:30am to allow us to miss the road closures for the 6am and 7am starters and get some breakfast down us. As we walked out into the car park, it seemed we weren't the only Trailwalkers with the same plan or inability to sleep as several other teams started loading their kit into their cars.

The team arrive and park at QECP

On arrival at QECP, the car park was extremely full and following the directions of the Gurkhas we seemed to park a good way away from the tents. We decided we'd suit and boot and carry our gear over rather than come back later. 

The car barely made it onto the muddy field and we watched as a four wheel drive struggled to get out. The shape of things to come perhaps?

The queue for breakfast

As we walked towards the tents we could hear the bagpipes starting up - the 7am starters. The BunLovingCrimnals were in that group we thought and it would be us next. We stood in the queue for breakfast dished out by the Gurkha chefs. 

An array of bacon, sausages, beans, tomatoes, boiled egg, cereals, tea and coffee on offer. The team tucked in though Mark was a little less enthusiastic and decided he couldn't really face much to eat at all at this point.

The team looking pensive at the Start

After breakfast we slowly worked our way round via the toilets for a final pre-Start pit-stop and once again bumped into Jon Paul Tom and Olly who were limbering up and getting their gear together. 

As the teams chatted and stretched, the minutes ticked by and it was time to head up to be 'coraled' into the Start Area. Dibbing our Dibbers as we entered to ensure our 8am start would be registered, we waited. 

Gubbs becomes the 5th Red Harrow!

We were soon approached by Gubbs from the HardcoreFour and introduced to Jo, Julie and Josh though there wasn't much time to talk as we listened to the Gurkha officer and then the klaxon sounded followed by the sound of the Gurkha bagpipes and suddenly this throng of 400 or so people was off into the park.

And we're off! (Infiltrated by the HardcoreFour)

We weren't sure how things would go for this first stage as we thought perhaps things might get congested, but the track was good and wide so everything moved at a reasonable pace, enough to get warmed up properly. As we passed the Visitor Centre we were in complete unknown territory but with this many people all going the same way, provided those at the front knew where they were going - we would be fine. 

As we rounded the corner, the track began to deteriorate to a more of a hardcore track, still wide but we soon had our first encounters with the mountain bikers as progressively the word "Bike" was shouted encouraging people to move left out of their way. It wasn't clear how far these bikers had come or how long they'd been out but they were pretty much covered head to toe in mud. if that was an indication of the trail up ahead then things were going to get much worse from here.

The Red Harrows Mobile Command Centre at CP1

At least the rain was holding off us so far and things were actually quite pleasant though the evidence of heavy rainfall  abounded on the trail as standing water. As we approached Checkpoint 1 the walkie-talkies burst into life and we gave our ETA. The Support Team were ready even though we were ahead of schedule and we were greeted by Ted on the trail in advance - something he would do a lot of on the Checkpoints to come. As we dibbed in at Checkpoint 1 our time registered 1:44, a good 22minutes ahead of our schedule. 



The Support Crew escorted us over to the waiting gazebo which they had erected despite there being no need at this point but it was good practice for them. Coincidentally we were alongside the HardcoreFour and after a 16minute break, refuel, re-water we were off again cheered off by our Support Crew and the Hardcore Four! 

Beacon Hill in all its glory

Still in unfamiliar territory we set off towards Checkpoint 2 at a decent pace. The trail had narrowed and the crowd had dissipated thanks to people stopping at Checkpoint 1 and others carrying on up the trail. The weather was still holding up but we knew on this stage we would encounter Beacon Hill. This hill had grown in notoriety as the subject of many a teams blogs in training. It was for this reason we had climbed Shutlingsloe in the Peak District and the Tramway at Burwardsley. Soon enough it was there looming in front. Not the biggest hill we've seen but steep, steep enough to have steps carved into it and a good early test. Halfway up it and we were glad we'd trained on steep hills as maintaining the pace became difficult, but as quickly as it began it was conquered and we were off.

The rest of the stage passed fairly uneventfully apart from the frustrating need to don waterproof coats during heavy showers which would last 15minutes or so, then stop, let you realise you were too hot, take them off and then find another shower coming in. This pattern would continue for a number of hours.

Checkpoint 2 - mind the mud.

Approaching Checkpoint 2 we got on the radio again and during the descent there was the smiling face of Ted to greet us again and guide us up to the support vehicle. On entering the Checkpoint, we began to comprehend what our Support Crew were having to contend with. The place was a mess. Large brown ruts ran down the middle of the field where cars, vans and four wheel drives had slid sideways. As we walked to our car, we watched as car after car had to be pushed and guided, Gurkhas throwing down sawdust to tray and soak up the moisture all to no avail. Four wheel drive didn't seem to make any difference whatsoever. 

Banquet at Checkpoint 2

We reached the car to find the team had put the gazebo up and the sides, which was just as well as we arrived to the sound of thunder and then the real rain started. We'd managed to complete this stage in 1hour 55minutes, a good 16minutes ahead of our target time.

Taking the opportunity to change socks, load up on the spread on offer and stock up for what would be a longer walk to Checkpoint 4 before we see our Support Crew again we managed to complete this stop in 25minutes, a little longer than our 15minute allowance but we could afford it and we were still 27minutes ahead overall.

We bid the Support Crew goodbye wondering how they would ever get out and set off up the hill. We'd only been gone about 10minutes when Simon hailed us on the walkie-talkie - "Guys - bad news - we've just been told Checkpoint 4 is now closed to Support Crews - we won't now see you until Checkpoint 5 - Good Luck!"

To be continued....

17/07/2012 - Trailwalker 2012 (Part 1)

Of all the blogs we've written throughout training, this is probably going to be the most difficult. Difficult because it will be hard to put across what we've all gone through over the last few days, not just us - the Walkers but our Support Team too. To make it more manageable, I've split it into parts.

Thursday 12th July 

Oxfam provide us an update on the course. The news isn't good. The recent bad weather has taken its toll. Checkpoint 3 has been closed to Support Crews and Checkpoint 4 car parking has changed making it smaller and further away. Surprisingly, the low lying Checkpoint 6 near the river isn't on the list. At least we can make a plan to carry enough food and water from CP2 to CP4, about 3.5 hours so not a big deal given we've done longer than that unsupported in training. The weather forecast for the weekend isn't looking any better than previous weeks. Still very unsettled, looking like we might get a dry start on Saturday before light then heavy showers persist into the evening before clearing overnight into Sunday. Possibly a small bonus not walking in the dark with rain then?

Friday 13th July

10:00am Mark heads over to his Physio for a little light tissue work and to be strapped up with tape to assist the injury picked up doing the Sandstone Trail training walk. To add to his woes, he's also started with a head cold so isn't feeling particularly great. Mark leaves the Physio with a blue Union-Jack-shaped taping arrangement down his left leg.

12:00pm The support vehicle (Mark's car) is packed with all the goodies, chairs, table, gazebo, cool box etc. and ready for the off. Simon, Martin and Ted are already on their way down. No message from Lee and Polly so it's presumed they have woken and are heading down.

12:30pm Mark and Kate grab a quick protein lunch at McDonalds - Big Mac, Fries and Chocolate Milkshake making Mark feel more like fourteen than forty, just as well as he was a lot fitter then!

4:30pm A smooth journey down and Mark and Kate arrive at the Premier Inn near Havant and the whole team are there and checked in - including Lee and Polly albeit a little worse for wear after a heavy night before at Lee's neighbours during which a large quantity of wine had been consumed (so much for the alcohol ban then!)

5:00pm Lee and Kate set off for Brighton in separate cars to leave Lee's car with all the Sunday gear in, the rest of the team head over to the pub next door for some 'hydration'

7:00pm The team head for Queen Elizabeth Country Park to meet up with Kate and Lee, register and attend the safety briefing. Arriving at QECP, we were greeted with chaotic scenes. Gurkhas directing traffic trying to get in and out who then advised us to park down by the Visitor Centre and walk up. Suddenly things became very real as we drove under the overhead 'Start' banner. 

Tent 1 - Registration Forms

Walking in to the park we found Tent 1 where the registration packs could be found and then meandered down past the array of tents arranged in start time order noting 6am, 7am and 8am we're looking pretty full but 9am and 10am were looking a bit sparse.

Looking at the conditions of the ground and the forecast, we were glad we opted for a hotel and not a tent. 

Its not looking good out there...

Finding Tent 2, Polly set about filling the forms in while we waited for Lee and Kate to join us. As we waited for the Safety briefing to start we noted the white board next to the tent which now confirmed our suspicions - Checkpoint 6 was now closed to Support Crews as well. It shouldn't have come as a surprise given that yet more rain had fallen in the previous 24 hours. Listening to the safety briefing we also found out that for the first section of the trail there would be a cycle race coming towards us but as long as we kept to the left - we should be fine! 

The Gurkhas doing the Kukri dance

With the briefing over, it was time for the Gurkha cultural show. Out came the marching band and the Gurkhas doing the Kukri dance - quite something to watch. It was at this point we got to meet Jon Paul Tom and Olly who were watching the show a few yards away. It was strange that though we've never met before, we already knew so much about each other thanks to the power of Twitter and Blogging over the last 6 months and it was great to meet them all after all this time. 

No backing out now!

Once the show was over, it was time to get registered and tagged. Thanks to meeting our fundraising target, it meant we could be fast-tracked into Tent 3 where the waiting Gurkhas tagged our wrists with our 'Dibbers'. These little devices would be needed at every Checkpoint to swiped in to ensure everyone knew our whereabouts on the course and they would register our final time. We also had our Team Number  - 145. 

So job done and off to queue and load upon pasta cooked by the Gurkha chefs after which we bumped into the BunLovinCriminals who we hadn't seen since the Gurkha Training Day and had a quick catch up. 

With the procedural stuff done and the festivities over, we decided to head back to the digs, grab a nightcap and get an early-ish night. On the way out of the park, we once again passed under the Start banner, The next time we would do that would be 8am Saturday morning and it would be for real  - with 100km still to go. 

See you in 11 hours...

 To be continued.....

16/07/2012 - A quick update....

In advance of a full blog to tell our story of Trailwalker 2012, we just wanted to let you know...

We Did It!

 

We managed to finish as a full team of four in 24 hours and 32 minutes. The weather conditions were reportedly up there with the worst experienced on a UK Trailwalker and resulted in several checkpoints being closed to Support Crews as the fields turned to a sea of mud meaning we had to walk solo and unsupported for a few sections of the trail. Pretty much everything got soaked through and this took its toll in the second half of the walk as blisters and fatigue kicked in.

All that said, this picture probably sums it up...

Quick...take the photo before we all keel over....

10/07/2012 - Preparing for "The Big One"

Following the elation of completing the Sandstone Trail and getting a small taste of just what we've taken on with Trailwalker we thought we would update on our preparation for "The Big One".

After managing to stay relatively injury free through training, we've managed to pick up a few niggles. We put this now down to now being such finely tuned athletes after all this training. After suffering pain in the hip that wouldn't go away after the Sandstone Trail, Mark went to see a Physio who diagnosed an issue with a tendon relating to the 'Glute Max' (basically a muscle in the left side of his backside). Stretches and strengthening exercises have been prescribed three times a day as well as physio sessions to try and ease the problem. At the suggestion of walking 100km, the Physio shrugged, shook his head and told him "We'll tape you up but be under no illusion - it's going to hurt". Great - painkillers it is then.

Lee on the other hand has gone downhill since completing the 55km walk and his recurring knee issue has come back on top of which he seems to be getting some sort of cold/flu/bubonic plague so will be readily identifiable by the sign "Unclean" hanging round his neck and his little bell so all can avoid him on the trail - it is only 100m we can be apart isn't it?

Polly is still recovering from blisters and ankle issues and has been practising with zinc-oxide tape with success (though some of the early attempts were somewhat amusing). Only Martin, (the oldest member of the quartet) is injury free, either that or he's just not moaning about the injuries he does have like the rest of us.

We arranged a meet up at The Pheasant the following Sunday after the last walk with full Support Team to have a 'post-mortem' on what worked well, what didn't and what we needed. We've decided to run with three support members, one vehicle for support and one in reserve with stock to be parked/abandoned along the route. This was mainly because the Support Crew don't want to miss any of the action and they feel they can cat nap if they need to when they get tired. We'll probably find out how good this strategy is when we arrive at Checkpoint 7 to find they're all asleep in a lay-by somewhere.

That should do us for Checkpoint 1 then.....

In terms of team actions, Kate was tasked with supplies having collated the team's wish list of goodies and went shopping (something which she has a particular talent for) and came home with an impressive haul of Lucozade, peanuts, Mars, Snickers, Dairy Milk, Curly-Wurlys, tea, coffee, Soreen, soup, plastic cups/plates, Champagne and a bucket - most of which is just for Martin. Simon as Support Team leader has been digesting the Trailwalker info and planning the logistics as well as organising the team T-Shirts (red of course). Mark has programmed each stage into the trusty Garmin that has seen us through all our training walks so far and worked out the team timings for each stage so the Support Team have some sort of idea where they need to be and when.

Sorry, really should've got the brakes checked....

The final bits of kit have been purchased and assembled including a Mobile Field Command Centre (gazebo) to allow the Support Team some dry space at the back of the car and the walkers to shelter during breaks at each Checkpoint. A trial packing of the car has been undertaken to ensure we can get the three support crew members, team clothes boxes, food boxes, gazebo, four folding chairs, folding table, cool box, water containers and all the other bits and pieces in.

When I said "Less than 100m apart....."

In between all of this shopping, tapering, organising, we did manage to take a break and enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. 

Though we did mis-read the itinerary and thought we were down to do some sort of display, but apparently there's some air display team called the Red Arrows - what a coincidence! They weren't bad either.

OK...new game - Spot The Red Harrow

So all that remains really is the weather, which isn't looking too good. The rain just doesn't seem to want to stop at the moment. Just about every Trailwalker team must be logging into the Met Office but as it stands, it looks like Friday will be very wet, Saturday will be drizzle and showers all day into the evening before clearing up overnight and into Sunday morning. With 800 walkers off before we hit the trail, it's likely sections of the trail are going to get muddy and churned up before we even get there. Not what we all hoped for but at least we've trained in these conditions so know what to expect. Hopefully we'll see a welcoming sunrise as we head towards Brighton on Sunday morning.

On a more positive note, we've had a string of donations of late and as of today, we've gone through the £4,000 milestone with a total that now sits at £4,207.14. We had hoped to get past the £4,000 level before the event and this has given us a massive morale boost as we never imagined we'd raise this much!

We would like to thank, David Hall-Matthews, Hannah Jones, Pearl Engineering Services, Polly's Dad, Mette, Shelly Margolan, Margaret Yorke, Peter and Melanie Yorke, Tracey Statham, Mark Smith, Helene, Lucy Hopkins, Stuart McAnulla, Audrey, Eleanor Walker, Tim Noden, Audrey, Derek Edyvane, Lucy Webber, Jonathan Dean, Julia Harper, MGL Demolition, Andreas, pukeko, Hetta, Gordon Crawford, Andy Porter, Kevin Theobold, Chris Haslam (again!), Fellow Trailwalker Team Jon Paul Tom and Olly, Paul C, Martin's Mum and Dad, Jayne, D. Morgan PLC and our Anonymous sponsors for getting us through this major milestone - we can't thank you enough!

For anyone wishing to follow our progress on the day, we are off at 8am on Saturday morning and Oxfam have a live blog running and you can follow our progress as we pass through the Checkpoints. Alternatively, we will have our Satellite tracker with us which you can see on this web link and it should update every 10-20minutes as we walk along the trail. Please also feel free to follow us on Twitter and tweet us some encouragement which our Support Team will relay to us (if we can't pick it up directly).

Bring on Brighton!

24/06/2012 - The Sandstone Trail - The Last Big Training Walk

When we first designed our training schedule, we agreed we needed to do a final training walk longer than half the distance of Trailwalker and one which would test our Support Team fully. From an early stage we identified the Sandstone Trail as the perfect challenge as its 55km long, local and suitably hilly. We have trained extensively on parts of the trail recorded in earlier blogs notably the hilly sections around Peckforton, Kelsall and Frodsham but there are still parts of the trail we had yet to encounter.

This would be our first training walk with a Support Team too. As Lee's brother Neil lives in Kent and Simon was inconveniently having his eyes lasered (the things folk will do to get out of Trailwalker training) it was left to Mark's wife Kate and Martin's son Ted to support us all the way.

Given that England would be kicking off against Italy at 7:45pm and our anticipated 13hour duration, we agreed (yes, we did - it was unanimous) to bring the start time forward to 6am which, given that Whitchurch was an hour away from most of us meant a 4am wake up call - a time which should be banned on a Sunday (as Kate continued to remind Mark).

The weather in recent days had been atrocious with nearly 4 inches of rain dumped on parts of the North West and more had been deposited on Saturday night and was forecast to continue on Sunday morning then easing as the day progressed.

Setting off from Mark's house at 5am, Mark, Kate, Lee and Polly again questioned why it was we were doing this as Kate drove dodging the standing water in the country lanes and we wondered what might lie in store in the fields we would have to cross. Shortly after arriving, Martin and Ted pulled into the car park and as we began to kit up, Martin announced they had driven through torrential rain on the way and he'd forgotten his coat. Requisitioning Ted's coat, Lee then announced he'd forgotten his backpack which was apparently Polly's fault (cue discussion) though he had got his Camelbak which Polly hadn't (cue further discussion). This wasn't starting well. To add insult to injury, just as we'd got suited up, the heaven's opened. Joy.

Why are we doing this again?

After posing for a quick team photo at the sandstone arch marker in Jubilee Park marking the start/end of the trail, there was a moment of disorientation as we realised we weren't sure which way to go. Finding a path and identifying our first Sandstone Trail marker on a post, we set off through Whitchurch and soon picked up the canal which would take us out of the town with Mark and Martin walking ahead giving Lee and Polly space to continue their discussion about who had forgotten what (at least that's what we thought they were discussing).



The walk along the towpath was relatively easy going, a few flooded sections easily avoided and gradually descending out of Whitchurch until we eventually arrived at the sign which would take us off the towpath into the fields. Having never done this section of the trail before, we weren't sure what to expect though it wasn't long before our worst fears were realised as evidenced by standing water and mud. As usual this was made worse by cows and cattle in the fields. 

On entering one field we realised that it was full of bulls and they were taking a very unhealthy interest in us. Instead of moving off like cows, these guys were turning to face us and follow us. Noting the stile in the corner of the field, a steady pace was maintained as the bulls started to converge on us. Somehow Mark ended up at the back of his teammates (possibly because he was wearing red and carried a red backpack - nobody wanted to be near him) and on arriving at the stile turned to face the following herd with his walking poles raised aloft stating they were actually cattle prods (patent pending) much to the amusement of his now safe teammates and the confusion of the now stationary bulls.

We had arranged to meet Kate and Ted at a lay by near Hampton Green. When we were just a few km away, Kate's voice could be heard on the walkie-talkie requesting a progress update though it appears they couldn't hear us through our rain soaked walkie-talkie. As we approached Checkpoint 1 they cheered and we arrived to find chairs set up and the boot of the car open. A variety of drinks and foodstuffs were dished out to the team as water and snacks were replenished in backpacks.

Mark had once again managed to get his boots, socks and feet wet and in changing to a fully dry set, the zinc oxide tape, damp from the walk, fell off for the second week running. Not wanting to put the stop time in jeopardy, he decided not to re-tape a decision he might come to regret with 43km still to go. After our allotted 15minute refuelling we bid our Support Team goodbye and continued up the trail looking forward to the next stop which wasn't for another 12km in the middle of the Peckforton Hills.

As we walked along more fields doing our best to dodge large areas of standing water (which was becoming increasingly difficult), we crossed though Michael Owen's (remember that goal against Argentina?) little place for the breeding and training of race horses and started to climb off the plain and up towards Bickerton Hill - a welcome respite from the surface flooding but a sudden need to adapt to going uphill again after the long muddy slog on the flat.

There wasn't much time to enjoy the view at the top other than to remark that as forecasted, the weather seemed to be easing and the warmth was starting to sap energy levels given we were all still in waterproofs. We also noted on the far horizon the masts at the top of Kelsall and the hills above Helsby and Frodsham - they looked a long, long way away. As we descended into the village, Mark and Martin decided to make full use of a bench in the churchyard to remove all waterproofs and while recognising this would tempt fate, it would at least make the ascent to Raw Head a bit more comfortable and we were soon on our way up the road and the gradual incline.

The walkers arrive at Checkpoint 2

Arriving at Raw Head (the highest point on the trial) we were comforted knowing it was all downhill from here, apart from all the wiggly up and down bits in between and we pushed on towards Bulkeley Hill taking the opportunity to wind Polly up about "The Tramway" and the fact she was the only teammate not to have done it yet. Given we were passing the top of "The Tramway" that pleasure would have to wait for another day but on looking down it, Polly agreed that the photos don't do its severity justice.

Choosing to ignore the ropeswing and the fallen trees, we continued into Burwardsley, home of the Pheasant Inn a previous start and stop point, but on this occasion we had chosen the car park for the nearby candle factory for our second checkpoint. This time the walkie-talkie was working and our requests for food and clothing were ready and waiting as we were greeted by Ted and Kate and some odd looks from those heading into the candle factory as we sat in our folding chairs eating, drinking and changing damped clothing - 24km done, 31km to go.

Refuelling at Checkpoint 2

Our allotted time was soon over and once again we bid our Support Team goodbye and headed back up the hill to rejoin the Sandstone Trail and the descent which would take us past Peckforton Castle and Beeston Castle, over the Shropshire Union Canal and up the notorious boggy field which Mark and Martin had encountered previously. Once again this lived up to expectations as we zig-zagged round standing water and cattle churned mud. Having got this field over with, we became more optimistic though this was shortlived as we entered fields of wheat and barley where the clayey surface had become wet making traction difficult. To make matters worse, walking poles were inhibited as the crops grabbed at the poles making it necessary to carry them and hope we wouldn't slide in the mud.

Arriving at Checkpoint 3

Persevering with the conditions underfoot we trudged on and just within 2km of our Checkpoint 3 (a wide field gateway off a country lane), the walkie-talkie burst into life with Kate asking how far off we were and would we like a hot drink? Immediately three teas and a coffee were ordered and the the thought of a hot refreshing drink spurred us on and once again Ted and Kate were ready with the drinks just at the perfect hot drinkable temperature which was just what we needed at that point - 34km done, 21km to go. 

Perked up by our Support Team we set off in good spirits and soon passed the 37km/18km sandstone marker - one-third to go. As we gradually climbed up the fields we reached the point where on a previous walk, Mark and Martin had joined the Sandstone Trail from Utkinton after which we would all be in unfamiliar territory again. At this point a further curve ball was thrown at us. As we headed towards the gate it appeared a large herd of cows had preceded us and churned the ground up so badly the mud was too deep to get through without overtopping our boots - a bit annoying having only just changed to dry socks again.

Lee and Polly did at least remember the pasta salad

The terrain continued upwards which we took as a reassuring sign that we were at last leaving the boggy plains behind and as water runs downhill, thought we'd stand a better chance of keeping our feet dry(ish). Once at the top we recognised the point at the top of Kelsall where we have undertaken some of our night walks and knew that Delamere Forest and our final checkpoint weren't far now.

The welcoming sight of Delamere Forest must have hit the team with a degree of delirium. While Polly struggled on in silence with blistered feet and Mark with damp feet and a nagging pain in the hip area, Lee, having taken twice the prescription dose of hayfever tablets (after not reading the instructions) seemed in very high spirits and as Martin dug out his iPod and plugged in the external speaker, Lee started to Moonwalk to Michael Jackson. Martin then pulled out a bunch of 'Curly-Wurlys' as we climbed the hill and we found eating these isn't conducive to walking with poles.

Mark tucks into choccie ice cream at CP4

The mayhem continued through the forest as we received odd looks from people out for a Sunday stroll/dog walk/bike ride (delete as applicable) as Martin played DJ on the iPod but given we'd gone beyond 40km, we felt we had every right to misbehave. We managed to notify the Support Team of our impending arrival, though through the trees the signal was a bit broken and they were expecting us to come from the other direction but they were there, waiting with ice-cream from the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm - what a welcome surprise!

With 8km to go and still with Beacon Hill above Frodsham to get over the team were in good spirits and determined as ever to finish albeit with Polly suffering with her feet, Mark with a dodgy hip and what was now resembling 'trench foot' from the damp footwear, Lee away with the fairies and Martin gearing himself up to run up the steps to the top. 

This was now the 'Dead Zone' as so far, only Martin had gone beyond 48km on a  previous walk. As we approached the 50km mark on the odometer, Mark counted down the last 100m and there were handshakes all round - half of Trailwalker in 11hrs 15minutes and then we moved on knowing the job wasn't done yet.

Nearly there!

As we climbed, conversation dropped as we focused on this final ascent, one which we have done on several training walks before and knowing this would be the final climb before the descent into Frodsham. Approaching the '39 steps' (we're not sure how many there are as we've not actually counted them), Lee, Polly and Martin took off, leaving Mark to climb them at  a more sensible pace and we were soon at the War Memorial at the top of Beacon Hill and radioed the Support Team of our arrival at the top. Just another couple of kilometres downhill to the finish now.

Dropping down into the streets of Frodsham, we probably looked a right rag-tag bunch with muddy boots, gaiters and trousers and with it being quite a nice evening there plenty of people about and drinkers outside pubs preparing for the England game. The final point of the trail is a sandstone obelisk conveniently located outside the Bears Paw. Once again Kate and Ted were there to greet us and capture this finish and even better  - there waiting was a celebratory pint for each of us - great support.

This is the end - 55km - 12hrs 32minutes.

As we sat downing our pints, rubbing our sore and aching area sand stretching, we contemplated the fact that on Trailwalker, we will still have 45km to go which was basically turning round and going all the way back to Checkpoint 1. Food for thought.

We would like to thank Kate and Ted for being a great source of motivation throughout this walk and we couldn't have done it without you. The route is here.

Things learned from this long team walk:

1. Lee and Polly need an equipment list,
2. Mark needs better zinc-oxide tape,
3. Polly probably needs to use zinc-oxide tape,
4. Martin likes Ted's coat better than his own,
5. You can never have enough dry socks,
6. Its amazing just how much punishment your body can take,
7. Painkillers are useful when your body can't take much more punishment,
8. Walkie-talkies are very handy to communicate with the Support Team,
9. Checkpoints become a very welcome sight,
10. Nice surprises are quite motivating.