Tuesday 26 May 2009

Just to up date you all - yes we did it................. What a brilliant "different" night!!!! It was very hard - bit so pleased we managed it. Will I do it again? Straight after it was a definate no!!! then it was probably do the half marathon ..... now as the pain is subsiding, it's a maybe!!!!!

Here are some photos of the night........

The Moonwalk Bra

Thursday 14 May 2009

Starting to feel nervous now - not long to the walk ......

Was on such a high after the 20 mile walk, I know I've done that far and I know I can walk the extra 6.2 miles.... For whatever reason, I've only managed to fit in a 3 mile walk since then, that was no problem, 3 miles does not seem very far at all now!!!

After the 20 mile walk, my feet were sore so I gave my feet a good week to completely recover from blisters, did not want to risk any infection.. However I recovered quickly and that gives me more optimism that I am ready to take on this challenge.

Did "abuse" my body a bit at the weekend though ... two very drunken nights out, Saturday night was a "ladies only night" (if you know what I mean - wink wink!!!) and I do remember that the Drag Queen was wearing a lovely pink beaded dress and me and my friend having a conversation with him(her?) about the beads and my Moonwalk Bra!! I think I was hoping for a donation of a few, but all I got was a web address of where to get them (the London Bead Company!), any way it was good fun, ha.

Not a drop of alcohol has passed my lips since then and won't until after the walk. Also been trying the eat healthy this week and have been taking vitamins. Unfortunately I do feel quite tired and lethargic this week and a bit like I'm starting with a cold - however I'm trying my best to fight it, felt better after the lemsip last night!!

Bra decorating is going well, myself and Laura, my daughter, went to Hobbycraft at the weekend and bought all sorts of random things to decorate our bras. Almost finished now.... Will put a picture on here when finished.

Off work today not back till Tuesday. Two days to rest and get ready and one day to recover!!!

Not long now ........ only two more sleeps!!!!!

Monday 4 May 2009

I did it - woopeeee!!! who would have thought 6 months ago that I could walk 20 miles, certainly not me! I was hopeful, but not sure! Well today I did it.

Last night I worked out a 20 mile walk on mapmyrun, took me quite a while to do, but when I came to save it it didn't save!!! Was annoyed as I'd worked out a few different twists and turns to keep things new. Anyway I couldn't remember it and didn't have the patience to do it again! So I decided to join together what I know to be a four mile walk and a known 16 mile walk!

I set off at 8.45 am and got back at 3.45 pm - 7 hours, but that did include quite a lot of stops, one at big Tesco's for a bottle of water and a banana (breakfast), small Tesco's for packet of sweeties and loo stop, Sainsbury's for a loo stop (I find it difficult to pass a loo!! ha) then a longer stop at my sister in laws for a change of socks and plaster stop (at about 12 miles), stopped at Sainsbury's again for a breakfast bar and loo and then one last stop at Superdrug to pick up more supplies of Compeed Blister Plasters!! I guess you can take off at least 1 hour for all these stops, maybe more.

Anyway however long it took me - I'm just really pleased I managed to finish.

Blister report - despite all the precautions mentioned in previous post - I still got my blisters and sore heels. However they didn't get sore until 18 miles which is an improvement! This coincided with a text of encouragement from Bob from work which really helped and got me through the last couple of miles - thank you Bob.

Not sure what else to try to prevent blisters, I know a lot of people are having problems with this. Any hints please let me know!!! Perhaps I'll just wrap my whole heel up in a bandage!! ha.

Well down time now .... not long to the big night. Need to concentrate on bra decorating now!!

Happy decorating fellow walkers xxxx

Saturday 2 May 2009

What a very hot day ... I'm so pleased we're walking at night and won't have a problem with the heat.

I walked for 7 miles in the end today, I didn't really work out a route I just set off and walked towards Hornchurch and back doing a detour through the park which I think added another mile on. I worked out how long I had walked using map-my-run when I got back. Actually I've just thought, I may have actually walked further because I was distracted by the shops and did look around a couple!!!!!!

My feet were okay, I've got my new socks, but this was a relatively short walk, it's usually past 14 miles that the trouble starts.

Next walk is the biggy - 20 miles and I intend to do this on Monday. Just hope my feet survive and that the weather is not too hot! I'm going the put compeed blister plasters on the weak spots, wear my new socks and maybe take a change of socks for about half way. Hope something will work!!!!

Good luck to everyone doing their 20 mile walk this weekend .....

Thursday 30 April 2009

Been really bad at updating my blog this week - but will try to catch up .....



After my 16 mile walk on 18 April my feet were sore!!! I did however manage to walk to work twice that week I think on the Monday and Wednesday, but my feet were suffering, so I decided not to walk on the Friday as originally planned and gave my feet a few extra days to recover! I'm really glad I did.

On Sunday, 26 April, I set off again for another 16 mile walk, same route as before. I smothered my feet in Vaseline and used powder in my socks to try to keep them cool. The weather was really hot, well it felt really hot to me!!!! I felt sorry for all those people doing the London Marathon that day. When I stopped at my sister in laws, at about 8 miles, I covered my heels with the Compeed Anti Blister Stick. Anyway all was going well, until again at the 14 mile mark, my feet started to get sore! By the time I got home I felt as if I could hardly walk!!!! I think my main problem is how to prevent blisters, I feel that if I could do that then everything else would be okay (well that's my theory!!!!) My legs were also very achy again that evening, not bad as long as I kept moving, but when I'd been sitting for a while it was difficult to get moving again!!!!

Well that evening I once again got on the Internet and did some more research! I've ordered the Troo North insoles and some socks with very padded heels (which is the area I keep getting blisters), can't remember the make, but they were recommended by a few people in the Facebook Walk the Walk Group. I hope these will help and hope to give them a try out this weekend.

Surprisingly the next morning I didn't feel too bad, I'm encouraged by the fact that my recovery time is quick!!!

I decided that this week I would try walking home from work rather than walking to work, the early mornings are getting to me! I got a lift into work on Tuesday and I almost gave in and took up the offer of a lift home, I underestimated how tired I would feel after a day at work! Anyway I was good and set off. It did feel hard going though and to make things worse after I'd been walking for about one and half miles it started raining and also, as usual, I needed the loo!!! Partly because of the rain and mostly because I wasn't sure I would make it to the next loo stop, I decided to jump on a bus! It wasn't as bad as it sounds though (honest) I only travelled about a mile by bus, to Hornchurch where I was able to use the toilet and then carried on and walked the rest of the way home... When I worked it out on the map my run website, I found that I had still walked 5 miles so I was not too disappointed with myself!!!!

I plan to walk on Saturday, probably only about 8 miles (strange how 8 miles seemed a long way not too long ago!!!) and then the LONG one on Bank Holiday Monday, 20 miles......

I'm planning to go shopping after work on Friday, I need to get a bum bag, some more track suit bottoms and I think I'll also look out for ideas for decorating my bra, I've got no idea what to do with it yet.....

Will try to update my blog as I do my walks this weekend, it's much easier that way.

Not long the big day (night) and I'm starting to get quite nervous about it, hopefully I'll feel better (or worse!) after the long 20 mile walk on Monday!!!

Happy walking ......

Sunday 19 April 2009

I walked to work as planned on Wednesday morning, but found it more difficult than usual, my legs felt very "heavy"!! I put this down to the long walk on Monday. Still got there in the usual time, may be a couple of minutes faster!!

Later that day my husband phoned me to let me know that he had fallen from a roof, but was okay, even though the ambulance was taking him to hospital!!!! He was quite non-plussed about it and told me not to worry and he will let me know what was going on later, so when I put the phone down I think I was in a bit of shock and it took a few minutes for it to register what he had said to me!!! Of course it's sods law, for something to happen on the day I have no car at work!! Eventually I realised that I had to get to see him, to find out exactly what was going on. A very helpful colleague took me home so I could pick up my car and off I went to the hospital. Anyway to cut a long story short, he didn't break any bones, has a very nasty gash to his arm - 13 very large stitches.... All in all he was very lucky and they did keep him in overnight "just in case"... He's recovering a bit now, getting a little more mobile every day.

I had planned to walk to work on Friday too, however with these events above, I gave it a miss - just didn't feel up to it.

After an early night on Friday though, I pushed on with the training and did the 16 mile walk planned for this weekend. It took me 4 hours 50 mins actual walking time, which is still about 3.5 miles per hour, don't think I'm going to get much quicker, especially over the long distances. It was very warm here in the South, lovely for walking, but my feet did suffer. At about the 13 mile walk I could feel my heels getting sore, blisters ...... I think I'm putting this down to my feet being very hot. I will need to take a spare pair of socks on the night of the Moonwalk, although I'm not expecting it to be hot during the night!!! Managed to complete the walk .. although my legs did ache and my feet were sore. Feel much better this morning and have been researching about blister prevention on the internet, few remedies to try out there. So much so, that I have decided to walk to work again tomorrow morning, I've found some pressure pads in the first aid box, so I'm going to use them on my heels - hopefully this will help.

This weekend is Greek Easter, so today we are going to my husband's parents for a celebratory Easter dinner (my husband's mum is Greek). I will be driving, so no alcohol for me today, which is just as well really!!! So once again Happy (Greek) Easter to you all ....