This is Sue's story....
So Friday 13th July arrived – we
were all set!! The morning was spent packing up the support vehicle and
ensuring all of Sandra’s cake was onboard and all our kit boxes! As the day
wore on my sense of responsibility was ensuring that I was fully aware that I
got everyone into this and I had to ensure that the team & the support crew
made it safely through the weekend. The weather forecast was mixed – we would
see rain but how much was anyone’s guess. It was Sandra’s 40th
birthday weekend, it was 1 week before Becky’s holiday and Vicky had to be at
work on Monday night! If anything happened to any of the team it would be on my
shoulders – I felt like we had covered every eventuality and anything else we
would compromise with our truck load of kit. It was just a walk – keep calm and
just walk became my mantra in my head!
Friday evening was great – meeting other
teams, Gurkha pasta meal, sparkly for Sandra’s 40th toast and Gurkha
dancing!!! Back at the Hotel, Sandra and I laid out our clothes ready for the
morning…… I slept like a log until dawn, when a strange dream about Becky’s Crocs woke me in a cold sweat – My walking shoes were at home on top of the
dryer after I waterproofed them! After 3 tries my Dad finally answered the
phone at 4.55am and Sandra’s Husband whizzed them down to us by 6.15am! My dad
had even labeled my shoes left and right for me! Then Sandra declared she
couldn’t find her pants – what else had we forgotten!!
We got to the start line about 7.50, ready
for the off at 8am. The Gurkhas and Team Jersey were all there ready to run the
course despite all the warning of deep mud and 3 checkpoints closed! A Big
Birthday cheer for Sandra’s 40th Birthday and off we set – Vale
Venturers to the finish!
Stage 1 was good – fantastic pace – was 7
minutes ahead of my husbands team (1 and only time!!). The cyclists coming in
the opposite direction showed us there was plenty of mud to come!! CP1 – quick
refuel and off we went. Vicky applied her first compeed here so we knew Vicky
was going to have a record number of Compeeds in 100km! Stage 2 – Beacon Hill –
it is hard but we had done before so knew we could do it! CP2 was the first
time we saw our support crew and it was great to see them! Cue rumble of
thunder and the rain started! Sandra’s 40th Birthday cake – complete
with Trailwalker course on – ruined! We had soup and headed off again with a
member of our support crew Karen! I felt
very guilty leaving Emma & Lyn to clear up – we had rolled in and out and
caused lots of mud!
Stage 3 – We had walked this stage before so
knew it wasn’t too bad. It was during this stage we heard CP4 was now closed as
well. So officially the next time we could meet our support crew was CP5 – 30km
away! Normally this would be fine, but then rain & mud meant our boots and
socks were sodden and therefore blisters would come….. Karen chatted away to
each of us, lifting our spirits. About halfway through this stage Karen
declared she had a blister! We administered Compeed and set off only for the
sole of her boot to drop off in the squelchy mud! We managed to get to our support crew on the
side of a road
. Becky’s feet were really starting to rub
and more Compeeds were given to both Becky & Vicky. We all changed socks,
boots and grabbed food to eat on the trail. Stage 4 was fine, very muddy and the rain came
down! Just as we were approaching CP4, I was just thinking this is really sh1t
and we’ve got another 20 hours of this! Then coming down the hill there was my
best friend Ange & her 2 children!! Lots of hugs and nearly tears and again
lovely to have someone smiling and chatty! Now Ryan & Emily are very
accident prone – so inevitably they ended up covered in mud and had to go back
in the car in their pants! CP4 was horrendous mud everywhere so we didn’t hang
about!! I said goodbye to Ange and really did feel boosted by her support –
coming out and standing in rain and mud just to cheer Vale Venturers on!!
Stage 5 we had walked just before
Trailwalker, so we knew what was coming. Becky was really starting to suffer
with her blisters and our team objective to finish as a 4 was slipping away. We
all boosted her up and said lets just take it 10KM at a time. At CP5 there was
our day & night support crew to cheer us in! It was such a relief – we were
halfway and we finally got to have a proper stop! This was also the moment for
the first comedy fall! Coming into to CP5 was a rather steep slope and Sandra
did end up on her bum! At this point I decided to forget the clock as I
couldn’t face being told we were behind our 30 hour schedule – we were actually
still on for 24-25 hours, but timing was irrelevant we just had to finish! We
had a great stop – we all got changed, fresh clothes, socks and more Compeed
required. The Nurofen was being popped aplenty too! The support crew gave us a
fantastic pasta meal as well as some presents and morale boosting treats! We
said goodbye to our day crew – they had worked tirelessly in horrid conditions.
This was when I really did start to feel emotional – hopefully we would see Lyn
& Emma in a few hours at the finish….
Off we went again – we hadn’t done this
stage but everything after CP6 we had! Becky’s feet were really hurting now as
was her neck. Vicky’s feet were covered in Compeeds and plasters and Sandra
& I were just plain tired! The darkness came and the line of headtorches
really was amazing! We walked and walked and finally Becky declared enough was
enough – CP6 was going to be her finish point. We all tried to convince her
that we could rest, go slower, apply more Compeeds but Becky had had enough!
The conditions were horrendous – the rain and mud just kept coming! CP6 was
ridiculously muddy, Becky retired and more roadside support was given by our
night crew! Vicky had more Compeeds put on and more sock changes. The night
crew, Paul & Steve, were very brave men
and actually touched our feet and tendered to our whims!
Vale Venturers set out again as a 3. The
first few minutes were strange as we adapted to being a 3 and trying to ensure
we were all ok for the next 40km. We were all determined to finish – no matter
what – so we steamed ahead! Sandra & I had walked through Upper Beading
before so knew a bugger of a hill was coming! Vicky stormed up the hill while I
struggled up the hill! The beacon of light that was Cp7 beamed high in the sky
– but we knew it wasn’t a direct route! It was soul destroying for Vicky as it
felt so near but never got closer! Finally we got onto the final ascent into
CP7! I steamed up this hill – hot food ahead and the Gurkhas banging pots and
water holders as we struggled up! Tears flowed as it was so emotional to get to
this point, the well dones and occasion getting all too much! Off for hot food
– Sandra & Vicky hoovered theirs up in no time – I however felt sick at the
smell of it! I knew I had to eat so forced something down, but this was the
start of 4 queasy hours! More compeed and socks – Vicky was now up to 10 Compeeds and her hips were hurting too! Stage 8 we knew was relatively short ,
but clearly Sandra was delirious when she declared the ground “a bit uneven!”
It had been uneven, squelchy, skiddy all day & night!! We found the boys in
the local golf club car park – hard standing area meant NO MUD!!! Porridge was
forced down and I was very jealous of Vicky’s pancake!! This was a fantastic CP
but it was before the official CP so our stage 9 was now even longer! We
whizzed through CP8 with more tears as the cheering from the volunteers as the
sun came up was a brilliant morale boost! Stage 9 went on and on and on and on
and on and on! We all hit the wall, our pace slowed considerably and at times
we just had to stop to eat, drink and rest! Vicky’s feet were shot to bits now
and getting her to CP9 was our goal. We had walked this stage before, but it
still seemed to go on forever! At the National Trust car park there was a guy cheering
us on and clapping away – then we realized we had been walking with him earlier
in the day. He had collapsed going into CP7 and told no more! The conditions
were tough and we really did need to look after ourselves and each other if we
were to get to the end. My queasiness was passing so I took on more food and
the glucose tablets were handed round – none of us were collapsing on my watch!
Steve & Paul had left Becky to make bacon sandwiches and had walked to meet
us! We all clearly looked as bad as we felt as rucksacks were taken from us,
chocolate stuffed down us and they got us to the CP by promising no more hills
on this stretch – liars!! There was a steep(but short!) hill going into CP9 –
it nearly finished us off but bacon sandwiches were waiting!
CP9 was just a great feeling – 10 little km
to the end – yeah!! As we had taken so much time on stage 9, Emma & Lyn
were no longer able to come to the finish which left us with logistical issues
getting the team back to Ash Vale. At this point I really didn’t care as I just
had to get Vale Venturers to the finish – so I left Becky to sort that one. Bacon
Sandwiches and coffee were heaven sent and with now 11 Compeeds on each of
Vicky’s feet we were all going to get to the finish! As I passed through the
check-in tent at CP9 I met Paul Roberts (too many Pauls!) who I had met through
a friend and we had been swapping Trailwalker tips over the last few months!
More hugs – He said we were all looking quite perky – clearly the caffeine had
kicked in!!
Steve joined us for the final 2 stages –
lots of chatter and distraction form our aches and pains! The sun was finally
shining and we were on the home straight! We marched through CP10 with Sandra
administering 1st Aid to a guy who was contemplating dropping out at
95km – never!! We just kept on walking through mud, puddles – we didn’t care
how wet our feet got now – we were nearly there!! Sandra’s husband Paul D met us about 98km and then my husband Paul
G at 99km!! Paul G had completed Trailwalker in 22 ½ hours, had a rest and curry
and then come and met us! I was so pleased to see him, have a hug and the sense
of achievement was starting to kick in!
We were so close to the end now! Becky joined us for the last 500m of
the trail on the racecourse. The finish line was there with friends &
family all waiting for us! My friend
Sian has dragged her family out for a day on Brighton beach – but only after
she had cheered us home! It was the most amazing feeling to cross that line
with Sandra & Vicky – we had done it 100km – BOOOMMM!!!
The last 12 months have been so much fun.
The training, fundraising, planning and then the actual walk! I have made
friends for life in my team mates and support crew. I had never done a
challenge event before and really didn’t know if I could do it. However, with
the support, friendship, generosity and goodwill of many of our friends, &
families there was no way I was going to let you all down.
Sandra – I hope you’re 40th was
memorable. Thank you for your enthusiasm, humour, contacts and support! You may
have been the veteran on the team but you never waivered. Training walks were
so much fun and I’m sure most of our injuries were caused by laughter!
Vicky -
What a trooper!! Your feet were a mess, we lost your sister (not literally!)
and yet you never talked about stopping. You are very gutsy and I applaud your
determination.
Becky – 60km, 40 miles!! It is still a long
way! We tried to get you round – maybe next time!!!???!!! Thank you for all
your commitment to training and fundraising as well as juggling work &
family! We’ve had plenty of fun!
Emma, Lyn & Karen – Thank you for all
your help, support and motivation during the last 12 months and a huge Thank
you for your support crew duties. The weather worked against you all day, but
you kept smiling and did everything we asked of you! There certainly wasn’t any
sunbathing or time to read the papers!
Paul & Steve - Thank you for all your
help, support and fundraising during the last 12 months and a huge Thank you
for your support crew duties overnight. You touched our very rank feet,
massaged sweaty necks & shoulders and put up with 4 women at their worst
without complaint! The walks you did with us really lifted us and got us
through.
Would I do it again? Absolutely!!!
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