WEll, we did it. We walked our last big training distance. Not all of us, but more than 50%, so I consider that a success. This past weekend we did a combined distance of 37 miles over 2 days. There were blisters, bikers, sunburns, and the testing of the walking poles (they are a good investment, probably more useful on a hill rather than the flat path, but hey, they did help. No one was injured either).
Sunday we set off early on the train to Linlithgow. I misread the map and thought the walk was 32 miles, but we actually walked 24. Turned out to be a good thing, as you will find out. Everyone wore a pack with water and food, and we all had our walking gear with us to test. Grant won for heaviest bag! It was huge!
Here is us on our walk. It was sunny the whole time! I got a burn on my legs! This on top of the sunburn from Thursday when I cycled from Edinburgh the Berwick with our former colleague David. Her's a picture of David and the MASSIVE hill we climbed on the bikes. Side story. I made it to the end of the cycle and then within sight of his house my tire got a thorn in it and when I het the curb to cross I fell and got a large bruise on my leg that is pretty gross looking. After a shower I felt fine, just totally knackered. I was beaten by the ride.
Back to the walk. By 2 we had made it 13 miles, but grant's feet were not doing well. The combination of his huge bag, his new shoes, and the lack of walking socks (!!!!school boy error!) meant he was blistering. Even diana's applications of second skin could not st
op them. He had blisters on blisters! At teh end, we decided that he could opt out of teh second walk from Leith the Crammond and the west end (the same loop we walked at the beginning of may) if his feet were too beat up. And Esther, who walked ahead of the group with me and then kept going had to work on the monday at her other job, also did not come on the monday. So it was the 2 Americans and the Aussie at 9:45 who set off from Ocean terminal, breakfast bars and sore legs for everyone! At least it was not too windy, and only rained for abit. Claire wanted it to rain so she could try out her new waterproofs :) Silly. We made it to the halfwa
y point and there were ponies! This was the only time I whipped out the camera, just wanted to finish! We made the west end in 3 hours and 32 minutes, only a half hour slower than the last walk! Pretty good for a trio of tired people. I have confidence we can physically get through this walk. Now it's onto the fundraising. This week I'm seeing if a bar will let us host a quiz night, grant had an idea for a horse race night, and generally going around begging people for money! So if you are reading this, please click on the team links and donate! Any amount is appreciated! Onward to the highlands!
