A long tale!!
Ok lets start all the way back at Friday evening!
Duck and I got to V-Raps and were feed lovely food (as always!) and then we got our stuff from the car because A) V-Rap was taxi for Saturday and B) I needed to be minimised!
We decided I mean Leon and V-Rap decided I needed my small rucksack, 1 pair of soaks, water, rainwear and that's about it. I snuck in some compeed and drugs, 2 bars and 2 KMC!! Bad pixie!
We went to bed and I lay there thinking "3hrs" next thing it was "help! Should have been up 20mins ago!"
30 mins later and we were off! How organised was that! 2:30am and V-Rap is playing taxi out of the goodness of her heart! Love her!!
The drive there took longer than expected and the Welsh traffic didn't help! Slow white van man and more importantly "drunken man following the white line". This meant we were not at the start at 4am so didn't start as a team :-(
In fact we were 50mins late starting :-(
As we were late the glowing orange arrows had been taken down (by person with bright yellow "last runner" top!) and we relied on the written world and a purple line! On Leon's GPS that is!!
Amazingly there was no temporary misplacement! Even more amazingly we managed to get a signal and advise the control that we had started! We even bumped into the organiser before CP1! He knew us! "Is one of you Kim?"! See great organisation! I had mailed Friday to say us three (naming names) would go straight to the start and when Leon called giving his name they linked us together!
During this stage we had a chat about the lovely area, team walking etc and I pulled my bite valve off and soaked myself!! Leon and Duck found this very funny! I didn't! But we were walking well! It was good! Very pretty too!
CP1 and the lovely ladies gave us tea/coffee and sandwiches!! I slapped a compeed on and we went off! Leon had clocked us all in and out and noticed we were 40mins behind Sue! We were now off to hunt her down!
The next stage was a tad undulating! Lots of road work and then we arrived at that hill! We started to move "into its path!" and Leon said, "We go up there!" I asked if it was the hill that "looked like a boob with a nipple!" and he agreed! Soon we looked up and spotted walkers! Lots of them! Snaking up the zig zag of the hill! Steep hill (for hill read mountain!!)
It was now that Leon gave us the lesson on walking up hills, later on that day he was repeating every word in my head!
He explained that you were better off taking small steps even if it meant that you were not putting one toe in front of the other, using flat ground, the best ground was better. To have your heel higher if possible as the mind then thinks the hill is less steep, not to lose ground by stepping down and repeated "little steps" for most of the next hour!
Half way up Duck said "Look at that view!" I turned and had to grab Leon! I went all wobbly! Later I had to call him to my side! The effort of 1hrs climbing and the height (pixie doesn't like heights) combined with 6+hrs of walking made me a little light headed and wobbly legged! I could not turn round and admire that view! I had enough problems staying upright! I've never experienced that before! Was well weird!
The best bit of that hill was that by the top we passed the "last runner" and when we reached CP2 we had clawed another 20mins back off Sue! We would catch her by the next CP! I knew Sue would slow so we could catch her and get to the business of the team walk!
CP2-3 saw lots of sheep poo and Leon told Duck and I why we did not want KMC and how and why flapjack was better! Again his words returned later!
CP3 ... as we approached Duck and I started the girlie "were is it! we want breakfast!" and then we saw it! Hugh smiles and a brief hug and hello to Leon's parents (!!) and we clocked in. Two things greeted us and made us smile! 1st I spotted Sue next I spotted a full English breakfast!! Two sausages, 2 rashers, egg and beans and toast!! How fantastic!! Lovely hot food and a full team!
Ok now I have to admit that the next stages saw a fair bit of roadwork! But still the area was gorgeous! We passed people still, we saw others drop out. We were meeted and greated by more friendly lovley mashalls and then the checkpoint before lunch the lovely Dr V-Rap appeared!
By the next checkpoint (which was lunch at 3:45!) V-Rap had told me to get my heel stabbed I mean injected. My heel was hurting. I didn't think I looked bad or was walking bad but I did say yes it "was tender". This was after about 30m, my furthest walk since TW03.
Lunch was salad and a cuppa and Leon had to pull out. He had a sore leg thing going on, a new injury that need anti-inflammatory tablets and rest. He was unable to straighten his leg properly. A quick team talk, reorganisation of bags and we were off as 3.
The next stage was a hill, with a CP at the bottom (I’m sure it was half way up!) of the hill. The "last runner" had swapped and become 2 70yr old gents soon to be known as "the old boys".
I have been known to moan that pixies don't do hills, and after the 1st "hill" Leon had pointed out that pixies do! I am slow but I get there. The old boys were breathing down my neck I was not happy! Duck checked us in at the next CP and I just marched on by I was not going to let them try to stop me! I was finishing this walk with my teammates!
We went through a gate and then up the hill! Leon had said earlier that there were 2 major hills. I had it in my mind that this was not the 2nd hill that the 2nd one was near the end. Sue and Duck were saying it was and I was thinking they were being nice!
I went up that hill with Leon in my ear! He was sat on my shoulder saying "little steps" and talking me through each stride. My heel was hurting. I had another wibble on the hill and mini Leon on my shoulder reminded me about flapjack vs kmc. He then carried on with is little steps talk. Soon I was fighting worse gremlins.
Gremlin - this hurts like hell
Me - it's in your mind
Sensible head - no it hurts
Gremlin - ha ha! It hurts it does really it does
Me - is this a gremlin or does it hurt?
Sensible head - it hurts. Don't do yourself damage
Gremlin - told you told you!!
Sensible head - Ok lets think about this ... TW is not this tough. The hills here are SO much worse, the terrain is MUCH worse, you will not have this rucksack, bear and team will be sorting you out. You will finish TW so don't make yourself hurt now. Get to the Drs and have that jab like V-Rap says and you will be fine.
Gremlin made me fight back tears and I sent a text to V-Rap "what do you do when you want to cry?"
Her reply was "do you want me to pick you up?" Mine "not yet" and at the same time Bear sent "keep going"
I carried on.
30mins later I told Duck I was struggling. Sue had been fighting sore knees and we both said that's it. Duck carried on looking very strong! We hobbled on and called the best taxi service in the country.
At this time we were walking through a wind turbine farm. Having spent a few hours with them in the distance it was odd to be amongst these might white beasts. So graceful yet modern and metallic in such and amazing countryside.
The directions read "go through gate LG13". Gate LG13 was locked? That can't be right? Sue and I looked about, walked about and looked for the old boys. Yes we were in the right place it seemed but the old boys were now no-where to be seen!! Spokey!!
We had to climb over the gate!! OUCH!! A few yards on and we spotted the CP. Within 30secs we spotted a dinosaur running up the path to great us. I claimed my hug and cried. "This was not meant to happen"
I had never even considered that my heel would give me that much pain. It hadn't done before now. Even when Leon pulled out I hadn't even thought of not finishing. Leon, V-Rap and Duck have all since said they were surprised I carried on at that point! I didn't think I was doing bad or looked bad! I must have though!
Duck finished strong at about 9:40PM and V-Rap took us home. We got home at about midnight and crashed. We got up today about 11am!
We had breakie and a chat and then went for a walk! Almost 4m and Duck and I even had a run to catch up! Shows how much fitter we are that we could do that! Yes we are stiff, yes we ache, yes my heel hurts but we knew the team will finish TW in 3 wks time!
Plan this week: REST!! Get heel sorted (jabbed) and REST!
Next week swim and maybe an aquajog.
Week after?? Start and finish TW06!
Ok lets start all the way back at Friday evening!
Duck and I got to V-Raps and were feed lovely food (as always!) and then we got our stuff from the car because A) V-Rap was taxi for Saturday and B) I needed to be minimised!
We decided I mean Leon and V-Rap decided I needed my small rucksack, 1 pair of soaks, water, rainwear and that's about it. I snuck in some compeed and drugs, 2 bars and 2 KMC!! Bad pixie!
We went to bed and I lay there thinking "3hrs" next thing it was "help! Should have been up 20mins ago!"
30 mins later and we were off! How organised was that! 2:30am and V-Rap is playing taxi out of the goodness of her heart! Love her!!
The drive there took longer than expected and the Welsh traffic didn't help! Slow white van man and more importantly "drunken man following the white line". This meant we were not at the start at 4am so didn't start as a team :-(
In fact we were 50mins late starting :-(
As we were late the glowing orange arrows had been taken down (by person with bright yellow "last runner" top!) and we relied on the written world and a purple line! On Leon's GPS that is!!
Amazingly there was no temporary misplacement! Even more amazingly we managed to get a signal and advise the control that we had started! We even bumped into the organiser before CP1! He knew us! "Is one of you Kim?"! See great organisation! I had mailed Friday to say us three (naming names) would go straight to the start and when Leon called giving his name they linked us together!
During this stage we had a chat about the lovely area, team walking etc and I pulled my bite valve off and soaked myself!! Leon and Duck found this very funny! I didn't! But we were walking well! It was good! Very pretty too!
CP1 and the lovely ladies gave us tea/coffee and sandwiches!! I slapped a compeed on and we went off! Leon had clocked us all in and out and noticed we were 40mins behind Sue! We were now off to hunt her down!
The next stage was a tad undulating! Lots of road work and then we arrived at that hill! We started to move "into its path!" and Leon said, "We go up there!" I asked if it was the hill that "looked like a boob with a nipple!" and he agreed! Soon we looked up and spotted walkers! Lots of them! Snaking up the zig zag of the hill! Steep hill (for hill read mountain!!)
It was now that Leon gave us the lesson on walking up hills, later on that day he was repeating every word in my head!
He explained that you were better off taking small steps even if it meant that you were not putting one toe in front of the other, using flat ground, the best ground was better. To have your heel higher if possible as the mind then thinks the hill is less steep, not to lose ground by stepping down and repeated "little steps" for most of the next hour!
Half way up Duck said "Look at that view!" I turned and had to grab Leon! I went all wobbly! Later I had to call him to my side! The effort of 1hrs climbing and the height (pixie doesn't like heights) combined with 6+hrs of walking made me a little light headed and wobbly legged! I could not turn round and admire that view! I had enough problems staying upright! I've never experienced that before! Was well weird!
The best bit of that hill was that by the top we passed the "last runner" and when we reached CP2 we had clawed another 20mins back off Sue! We would catch her by the next CP! I knew Sue would slow so we could catch her and get to the business of the team walk!
CP2-3 saw lots of sheep poo and Leon told Duck and I why we did not want KMC and how and why flapjack was better! Again his words returned later!
CP3 ... as we approached Duck and I started the girlie "were is it! we want breakfast!" and then we saw it! Hugh smiles and a brief hug and hello to Leon's parents (!!) and we clocked in. Two things greeted us and made us smile! 1st I spotted Sue next I spotted a full English breakfast!! Two sausages, 2 rashers, egg and beans and toast!! How fantastic!! Lovely hot food and a full team!
Ok now I have to admit that the next stages saw a fair bit of roadwork! But still the area was gorgeous! We passed people still, we saw others drop out. We were meeted and greated by more friendly lovley mashalls and then the checkpoint before lunch the lovely Dr V-Rap appeared!
By the next checkpoint (which was lunch at 3:45!) V-Rap had told me to get my heel stabbed I mean injected. My heel was hurting. I didn't think I looked bad or was walking bad but I did say yes it "was tender". This was after about 30m, my furthest walk since TW03.
Lunch was salad and a cuppa and Leon had to pull out. He had a sore leg thing going on, a new injury that need anti-inflammatory tablets and rest. He was unable to straighten his leg properly. A quick team talk, reorganisation of bags and we were off as 3.
The next stage was a hill, with a CP at the bottom (I’m sure it was half way up!) of the hill. The "last runner" had swapped and become 2 70yr old gents soon to be known as "the old boys".
I have been known to moan that pixies don't do hills, and after the 1st "hill" Leon had pointed out that pixies do! I am slow but I get there. The old boys were breathing down my neck I was not happy! Duck checked us in at the next CP and I just marched on by I was not going to let them try to stop me! I was finishing this walk with my teammates!
We went through a gate and then up the hill! Leon had said earlier that there were 2 major hills. I had it in my mind that this was not the 2nd hill that the 2nd one was near the end. Sue and Duck were saying it was and I was thinking they were being nice!
I went up that hill with Leon in my ear! He was sat on my shoulder saying "little steps" and talking me through each stride. My heel was hurting. I had another wibble on the hill and mini Leon on my shoulder reminded me about flapjack vs kmc. He then carried on with is little steps talk. Soon I was fighting worse gremlins.
Gremlin - this hurts like hell
Me - it's in your mind
Sensible head - no it hurts
Gremlin - ha ha! It hurts it does really it does
Me - is this a gremlin or does it hurt?
Sensible head - it hurts. Don't do yourself damage
Gremlin - told you told you!!
Sensible head - Ok lets think about this ... TW is not this tough. The hills here are SO much worse, the terrain is MUCH worse, you will not have this rucksack, bear and team will be sorting you out. You will finish TW so don't make yourself hurt now. Get to the Drs and have that jab like V-Rap says and you will be fine.
Gremlin made me fight back tears and I sent a text to V-Rap "what do you do when you want to cry?"
Her reply was "do you want me to pick you up?" Mine "not yet" and at the same time Bear sent "keep going"
I carried on.
30mins later I told Duck I was struggling. Sue had been fighting sore knees and we both said that's it. Duck carried on looking very strong! We hobbled on and called the best taxi service in the country.
At this time we were walking through a wind turbine farm. Having spent a few hours with them in the distance it was odd to be amongst these might white beasts. So graceful yet modern and metallic in such and amazing countryside.
The directions read "go through gate LG13". Gate LG13 was locked? That can't be right? Sue and I looked about, walked about and looked for the old boys. Yes we were in the right place it seemed but the old boys were now no-where to be seen!! Spokey!!
We had to climb over the gate!! OUCH!! A few yards on and we spotted the CP. Within 30secs we spotted a dinosaur running up the path to great us. I claimed my hug and cried. "This was not meant to happen"
I had never even considered that my heel would give me that much pain. It hadn't done before now. Even when Leon pulled out I hadn't even thought of not finishing. Leon, V-Rap and Duck have all since said they were surprised I carried on at that point! I didn't think I was doing bad or looked bad! I must have though!
Duck finished strong at about 9:40PM and V-Rap took us home. We got home at about midnight and crashed. We got up today about 11am!
We had breakie and a chat and then went for a walk! Almost 4m and Duck and I even had a run to catch up! Shows how much fitter we are that we could do that! Yes we are stiff, yes we ache, yes my heel hurts but we knew the team will finish TW in 3 wks time!
Plan this week: REST!! Get heel sorted (jabbed) and REST!
Next week swim and maybe an aquajog.
Week after?? Start and finish TW06!
Comments
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[makes note to search Pix's rucksack for KMC]
I had no idea you were on a hill when I texted - just wanted to stay in touch :oD
didn't eat any KMC!
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nice one