Our first weekend on the Downs and the plan was all to get together for the first time - the walkers (Claire, Emma, Ruth & Jaci), the support crew (Suzie, Nadia & Chris). Ruth was unable to join us as she was off on a last minute trip to Guatamala with work & Chris was off on a charity bike ride, pulling a trailer, so then there were 5.

We all arrived at Suzie's parents farm feeling both excited and nervous (we talked loud, fast and were full of adrenelin...). The Fordes did us proud, rooms for everyone, home cooked food, hot water, animals to fuss over and alcohol (and it was a training weekend). On Friday night, Emma took over in the kitchen and sorted energy filled lunches out for us for the weekend.  The military operation has begun. We agreed on routes (walk & car) and tried to get some sleep.

Saturday morning and off we go to Checkpoint 2 (Hilltop Farm), the walkers set off in good spirits and the support crew set off to make lists, buy boxes for each walker to put our spare gear in etc. All good on the walking front until lunch (15k) but after the short stop, Jaci has feet problems, continues but pain is setting in and the concern is for knee, back etc but through gritted teeth, she continues until support team meet up between CP 4/5 (24k from start). Quick change of socks, shoes, blister treatment for Jaci & food for all and off we go. Suzie & Nadia plan to join the walkers for a while with Mrs Forde collecting them later in the route. The intrepid three are now flying (must be the energy drinks), Jaci is a new woman (you can teel, she has strated to talk again) and they are too fast to keep up with. We make it to CP6 - just over 40k in 7 hours (inc stops) and are all feeling great and very proud of ourselves. We meet a couple of other Trailwalker teams & are riding high.

Quote of the day: Jaci asking another Trailwalker Group "Do you know where we are?" just as we approach Botolphs, they did give us strange looks

Back to the farm, showers & pub all still on a high. Back to the farm & Mr Forde celebrates with us by opening a 1977 bottle of Port - it was fab! Off to bed, to sleep feeling good.

 Sunday morning, we had the bright idea of setting off walking at 6am (no idea why?) so up at 5 and back on the trail by 6.30 (I think that was the port). Nadia joins us and we strat at CP6 planning to go to CP9. This bit we will do during the night in July, so we are all keen to see what it entails. It strats with a steep hill and then another and another, oh and downs in between. Yesterdays excitement as gone and today is another day. All (except Claire of course) are feeling a little jaded and Jaci is at 80% exertion to Emma & Claire's 50 / 60% up the hills and Nadia is doing great & todays chief motivator. Well, it is training and none of us rest on the hills (or anywhere else) and we all recover well. The sun is hot and pollen count high & this affects Claire. We detour at Devils Dyke (oh well we needed the hill training), set ourselves straight and head on to Jack & Jill (a pair of windmills).  At this point, we call Suzie for a new pick up point, we have been ambitious on our walking times and need a rethink. By Ditchling Beacon, we have all had enough and head down to Plumpton - another day over (22k today).

We are then spoilt by a roast lunch at the farm. A good weekend, some highs and heading for lows but we learnt a lot & are moving forward.

Sponsors are still coming in but if you have not donated yet, please do so, it is a great cause & we are all working hard for this - support team included. Thanks to Suzie, Nadia and all at the farm (animals included)

Ok, so I have been a bit lax at getting this updated but all is going well. We all increased our training in May. Emma has become addicted to the gym, Claire is doing long walks in addition to all her other exercise (gym running etc) whilst Ruth has gained amazing energy and powered Jaci and Emma along a 22+ walk the other week. At present, I (Jaci) am the weak link having just taken two weeks holiday, eating & drinking too much and enjoying every minute of it. I did plan my holiday around two Saturdays of walking - one with Ruth & Emma and the other just Emma & I but not need to get the motivation going and up the pace.

So training in May was:

10 / 11 - Jaci & Ruth in the Lake District with two day walks - Saturday we managed just under 16 miles with ascent of 1277 metres with very mixed weather. Sunday, a little shorter but much steeper climbs - another story...

 17 - Ruth / Emma longish walk and Jaci a 12 miler

24 - Ruth, Emma, Jaci - 22 miles

31 Emma & Jaci - 14 miles

1 June Emma, Ruth & Claire - approx 20 miles

This weekend (15 June) Emma, Ruth & Jaci are aiming for a nine hour walk along the Ridgeway, so hope to increase the mileage and then we are off to the South Downs for the next two weekends.

Meanwhile, we are all discovering what foods give us energy and getting better with our kit. Ruth has struggled to get her boots to fit, so will remain with her "old" faithfuls whilst Jaci is back at the physio to make sure her knee sticks with it.

The support crew (Suzie, Chris & Nadia) will join us on our South Downs weekends, so all getting more serious now.

The donations continue to flow in but we still need more motivation and help to achieve our target.  It is for a great cause !!

More after the weekend 

May already, where is the year going? We decided that we all needed a weekend, so took advantage of the Bank Holiday and walked on Monday. Clare was unable to join us (she could not convince the coach driver to throw her out on the M4 on the way back from the Eden Project, so logistics bacame difficult). Ruth, Emma & Jaci, joined by Nadia met at Saunderton (Chilterns) at 9.30 am and set off on a 21 mile walk. The weather became warmer as the day went on and the first 11 miles went well (covered in 3.5 hours with a mini lunch & snack stop included). We arrived back at the car, for Ruth to change shoes, put on suncream & set off again. The second half was harder to navigate (lots of woods) but less steep hills, so not so strenuous.

By the time, we hit the Hell Fire Caves at west Wycombe, we were getting to that "had enough" point, so when Emma said we only had 1.9 miles to go, it was amazing how we all speeded up, nearly into a jog.....

 Today, my legs and body feel good but I have a few blisters on my right foot (so not good) but a lesson learnt & will have a change of socks in hot weather next time :0

Fundraising is going well (over half way there) but the more we raise the better.

We had some disappointment today, when we lost two thirds of our support crew (for good reason) but hopefully, with our rserves ready to step in - Nadia (thank you) and Suzie still on side, we will get there. 

The reason that I have set up this blog is that on a weekend in Dorset last year, Ruth & I having just arrived back from Nepal needed a challenge for 2008. Oxfam Trailwalker was suggested and all we needed was two more people to form a team. Clare (who really does not need a reason to exercise) and was jogging over the Coast Paths with Neil, whilst we walked slowly an hour or so behind, was keen to join us in the challenge. Emma was enjoying her three month travels in South America  and was volunteered to join us, so I mailed her and at the time, I think she was pleased that we had thought of her (what does she now think, I ask).

 So here we are, nearly 9 months later and having just requested our start time and advised Oxfam of our proposed finish time (early & long), we are realising what we have taken on. Last week we attended a Trailwalker briefing session (Suzie, our Support Team Leader) took notes and the rest of us panicked.  We made it to the bar and managed to put dates in our diaries (every weekend until July) for us to try and get together and walk.

 Donations are coming in (much needed motivation), Emma is hitting the gym as much as possible, Ruth has just moved house and had no time to think of anything else & I am just getting back into the exrecise mode. Clare continues running to work, going to the gym, getting even fitter & putting the rest of us to shame.

We are all walking together on Bank Holiday Monday and plan a 20 mile  plus walk - we will keep you updated.

J