Cotswold Way Plod III

Again this has been written bit by bit and I have had a few problems with editing and it has been sat in drafts for months now but after a gentle reminder to finish the story....(thanks Dad)...........

The terrain after the 4th checkpoint was really mixed with some tough climbs and incredibly steep descents. We were all feeling good, Chesney was pleased to get his trainers on and with the benefit of some food inside us and the sun on our backs we were marching northwards.

This stage was shorter than the previous and we knew that we were probably 26 miles in or so in by this point. The fact that we hadnt seen the 3rd placed team at the checkpoint despite a slightly longer stop also meant that our position was reasonably safe and so we knew that barring injury we should finish 2nd which we were incredibly proud of.

We were starting to try and organise family to meet us at the finish and my parents (Andy & Maggie) and Aunt and Uncle (Mary & Barry) wanted to try and meet us at the penultimate checkpoint. Jojo and Theodore were going to try and get to the finish to see us there. We were calling to provide timing updates as it was becoming clear that we would be finishing significantly earlier than we had anticipated so calling families to get them to Cleeve Hill Golf Club from 12.30 ish onwards. Ollie again was a great help to cordinate with the families to try and get them to where they needed to be.

There was a particularly nasty descent in this stage that had to be taken carefully and was painful for sore knees after the 28ish miles that we had done to this point.
We later learned that this descent had been too much for our colleague Paul Bennett (Benno) in the other RSG team whose knees refused to take him further and so was forced to drop out following this descent. Benno had been great company for us on one of the training walks and we were all very disappointed to learn that he was unable to finish.

Because of the trails and the peaks, we kept getting glimpses of the team ahead of us and began jeering them, shouting to tell them that we were gaining and that they looked tired! They responded by asking walkers that they were passing to relay messages to us which was a great fun and demonstrable of the camaraderie during the Plod. It was noticeable that there were actually other walkers out at this time of day (c10am) as we had only seen one other person walking with their dog near Coney Hill throughout the entire plod so far. Several asked us what RSG emblazoned on our tops was. We were unable to take time to really explain.

On top of one of the hills, we saw Dean Ryan who used to coach Bristol Rugby and Gloucester Rugby out jogging. From the top of this hill we could begin to see our final destination, Cleeve Hill which is the highest point on the Cotswolds. It was now not looking too far away, but there was a deep valley in between us and it so knew that there was another descent followed by a major climb to come.

We began our descent towards the final checkpoint which this time was in a layby and very small as most of the other teams still had not reached the previous checkpoint. There were only a couple of cars to greet us and aside from Ollie and Dave doing their invaluable stuff was Mum and Dad, Mary and Barry.

We learned that the team in front were again 6/7 minutes ahead of us and had only stopped very briefly. We too were keen to get moving again and so had a fairly brief stop but this time for sun cream, fresh tops and for Stu and Charlie to put their trainers on.
I felt fine in my boots so decided to stay as I was in my Salomon Cosmics. We enquired about the other RSG team that were by this stage some way behind us, but told that they were all still going (we found out about Paul at the finish). I grabbed some water and apples and set off, spirits high after seeing Mum and Dad, Mary and Barry, and knowing that we were leaving the final checkpoint for the 8 or 9 miles up hill to the finish!

After the layby came a climb through some fields and then a descent towards a path next to a damn of some sort near a small lake or perhaps reservoir. We were entering woodland and steep paths were ahead of us. The steep paths were feeling much harder now mostly because of the heat and so our water consumption had greatly increased.
After climbing for perhaps 6 minutes, we were unable to see any signs for the Cotswold Way at a junction that we came too. A quick check of the map didn't help as there were no other reference points available in the trees and so we continued cautiously and reluctant to have to turn back after the climb we had just done.
We bumped into a couple of very helpful dog walkers that were unsure of where the Cotswold way was, but were able to direct us out of the woods in the right direction, much to our relief. Stu was brilliant charging on ahead path finding for us and at times creating a path as we climbed through this woodland to the top of the hill. Stu was clearly determined that we shouldn't have to turn back and throughout the walk had directed us brilliantly over some difficult terrain. This detour had just come from all 4 of us missing a sign at the bottom of the hill and had certainly cost us time, but we were all to blame. I suspect that as we were feeling tired, our eyes were focusing on the floor and next step rather than the surroundings that they had focused on when we had more energy. In all the detour probably cost us 10 minutes so we knew that the lead was out of sight but there was 7 or so miles still to go.

As we came out of the woods at the top of the hill, there was a very curious noise that seemed to be coming from the trees around us but we were unable to identify the source. The buzzing sounded like the trees were thick with flies which was not a pleasant thought, but until we emerged from the tree line, it was our best guess of the source. Upon leaving the trees suddenly a huge overhead electricity pylon loomed into view as the source of the noise. It felt thoroughly unhealthy to hang around so we moved on down the path as quickly as we could through the gradually climbing fields with Cheltenham off to our left. The view was spectacular and on a warm day would be a really beautiful walk with family and friends over Cleeve Hill. As ever, the Cotswold way doesn't level out for long and before we could enjoy it we would be descending and climbing our way along to the golf course which we could occasionally see a glimpse of.

We were all running out of water and shared the few supplies we had. We should have picked up more at the last checkpoint, but hadnt really realised how much water we would consume during the climb up Cleeve Hill over the final miles. I had a couple of apples in my rucksack that were welcomely received.

This part of the walk, we all found tough. After 35 miles and no sleep, the end was tantalisingly close and we could see the end of Cleeve Hill, but the Cotswold Way is constantly up and down so saps your energy raplidly, especially in the heat.
We knew that the end was in sight and were impatient for the finishing line to come into view. Each time we though that we were nearly there, another climb presents itself and so the final miles were probably mentally challenging as much as physically.


Desperate for a drink and navigating the thin dusty paths that make up the final 3 miles or so, we were slowing as the heat and terrain were taking its toll. Cleeve Hill is the highest point in the Cotswolds with a summit of over 1083 feet and was a tough place to finish a walk of this length, but the views are astounding. Eventually climbing up onto the golf course, we knew that we were nearly there but that there was a golf courses walk to go to the finish. We had to climb to the summit toposcope to answer a quiz question and as we approached the crest, the blue flags and the Cleeve Hill Golf Club clubhouse came into view about half a mile away and downhill!

There was a path that would take us in a direct line to the finish, but Stu and Charlie were particularly keen for us to take the Cotswold Way path which of course isnt direct! I was starting to develop a nasty blister on the sole of my foot but reluctantly we dipped out of view for a few minutes before coming around the corner for the final third of a mile to the clubhouse.


The greeting as we approached was brilliant. Jojo and Theodore, Mum and Dad, Mary and Barry were all there with lots of other family, friends, supporters and Action charity staff to cheer us in. Dave and Ollie walked out to meet us and it was really emotional to see everyone welcoming us in. Stu, Charlie, Chesney and I had made the 40 miles in 13 hours crossing the line at 13.00 hrs exactly, finishing in 2nd place.

We were tired but overjoyed with the welcome and the sense of achievement. As a team, we had all trained hard and pushed each other to get through but had got on brilliantly and achieved more than we set out too.

After greeting family, we were awarded medals and T-Shirts and offered drinks. From earlier walks we had always looked forward to and enjoyed a cold coke when finishing so cokes quickly ordered.

Socks and Boots removed, my feet looked horrendous, wrinkly, deathly white and big blisters starting to come through. In reality, they werent that bad, I just should have changed my socks at the penultimate checkpoint which would have stopped any problems developing.


We then sat down for the BBQ and to welcome other teams in.

Benno arrived after dropping out and hitch hiking to the Cleeve Hill Golf Club and then a few of the other teams started arriving home. The Golf Club is worn but friendly and the food was eagerly consumed. The 2nd RSG team finished an hour and a half behind us in 6th place which was satisfying but emotional to welcome them in. Between our finish in the blazing heat, the weather had turned to torrential rain and a cold front and so they were freezing and soaking wet after ditching their wet weather kit to save weight. It was a lesson of how quickly the weather can change on the hills.

Once the other team arrived, no one stayed around for too long, keen to get home, have a bath, food and get some shut eye.

The event was hugely rewarding and one that I would definitely like to repeat some day. It was the hardest physical challenge that I have completed, but the exhileration at finishing was immense. The training had been brilliant fun and ensured that we were still relatively fresh at the end and I am sure that I could have done another 20 miles. Not sure about 2012 as shortly after the PLOD, we discovered that Jo is pregnant with twins, due in January 2012.

I hope to be back walking soon and can thoroughly recommend the PLOD as a challenge and walking some of the Cotswold Way for mind body and soul.

If you are planning to take part, get some training in, particularly for the hills and buy some decent boots / kit. We found some key bits really made a difference.

Finally, you need an understanding family to support you through the training and recovery after the event.

Hope you enjoyed reading this and good luck if you are intending to take part in the future!

Jonny

The Cotswold Plod Part II

Again sorry for the delay. All is well with me, just difficult to find time but it has now been quite a while since the 2011 Cotswold Way plod..............

This has been written bit by bit as I find time but unless I post this part soon, it will never be complete so here you go. Looks like there will be a part 3!

As the day approached, it became clear that we would not escape the rain which of course was not what we had hoped for. We were hoping for mild dry weather, not too hot, but dry. What we got was far from ideal walking conditions.

After a relaxing day, we met at 9.30 pm at our office in Clifton, Bristol to load up and get in Ollie's Range Rover to take us to the start in Dursley, where we had to register before 10.45pm.

The weather was horrendous, bucketing rain and far colder than weather should be in June, therefore when we met up I was already dressed in my Salomon Cosmics, Compression Tights, T Shirt and Fleece and wet weather gear over the top.

It was great however to finally get going and the nerves that had been building for months were turning to adrenaline and excitement to get started. I was really looking forward to it although was of course aprehensive and I am sure that everyone felt the same way.

Charlie Ten Broeke had been in charge of bringing our considerable water supplies with him. The water, which had been donated to us by another colleague keen to clear some space in his garage, turned out to be several years out of date and Charlie only noticed shortly before leaving to meet us, thereofore a dash around the supermarket buying up loads of bottled water drew some very odd looks from staff and shoppers, not to mention the revellers on Whiteladies on a Friday night! The same water had also been supplied to the other RSG team, who hadnt noticed and were drinking out of their water bottles as we arrived at the start venue at c10.30 pm. As competitors, we were tempted not to tell them, but as friends and colleagues, of course we did and let them share our fresh supplies!

The start venue was a sports hall and registration only took a few minutes, but we must have been one the last teams to register. The scene was slightly chaotic at first glance, the teams spread out randomly across the floor of the sports hall, making last minute preparations and studying the route maps. One of the bits of info that we were provided with was the checkpoints and the quiz questions. The quiz questions were to be answered throughout the route and could affect the overall score, although to be honest, we were not really interested in bthe quiz and focused on a competitive placing in the finishing order.

Everyone looked nervous and after a quick briefing, it was time to go outside and line up for the start. The weather was till bucketing rain so I kept the same kit on as earlier, although removed my fleece as I knew there were two of the biggest and steepest hills between the start and first checkpoint and didnt want to overheat.

We felt good and though we were likely to be competitive and near the front of the field of 28 teams starting. Our goal simple.-
a) finish
b)beat the other RSG team
c)beat the other RSG team

We had been debating whether to start slowly and save energy for the second half and start reeling the others in, or whether to start fast and risk running out if steam. As we felt good and had done lots of training in the dark, we went for the latter and were determined to get to the front of the pack.

The atmosphere was excited and as midnight approached, everyone lined up to start offering each other luck. As midnight struck 28 teams all went off together.

It was a bit of a scramble to be honest as 112 walkers set out down the streets and narrow footpaths to the start of the Cotswold Way and the first hill northbound from Dursley in the pouring rain. Headtorches on, it must have been quite a sight for the few that were out in Dursley at that time in the rain! It was difficult to push to the front with so many people walking the paths and pavements.

We arrived at the bottom of the first hill compressed together trying to get through the gates to start climbing. There was a bit of banter between us and the other RSG team at the gate before we were all blowing up the first climb. Our team were determined to push on and we overtook several teams going up the first hill. The head torches made it very easy to see the teams behind you but not the teams infront as they are forward facing, but we already knew that we would be somewhere near the lead.

A treacherous descent follows, especially in the rain and so we were relieved not to be in the pack that we could see as a big pool of light behind us. It was suprising to see even at this early stage, how elongated the field had become however even after the first hill.

Another steep climb follows and again we decided to push on and successfully overtook another team on the steep ascent. We remarked that it must be demoralising to be overtaken and not something that we wanted to experience!

At this point we couldnt see any other lights ahead of us and the next lights we saw were for the first checkpoint which looked amazing as we approached.

The orgainisers had banners and flags with a kind of gate to go through and register your team number for time recording. It was a huge pool of light as 28 support vehicles and drivers and all of the Action support staff were there to greet us with words of encouragement and to tell us that we were in 3rd place! Dave Nock, the other RSG support driver was looking out for us at the gate and walked us towards Ollie who had the kettle on, chairs out and lots of stuff ready for us. The atmosphere was brilliant and it felt like a party!

The news that we were third spurred us to have a very brief stop, to grab some water and an apple and set off again without being overtaken at the checkpoint. Ollie looked a bit dissapointed that we were not going to enjoy the freshly brewed tea etc that he had made for us but knew that we were rushing so checked we were okay ansd sent us on our way. We left in 3rd place.

After the 1st Checkpoint there was a winding wood section that we had been through before so roughly knew our way. We could occasionally see headlights infront of us and knew that we were gaining on the team in 2nd place when we saw them veer off the path and take a different route. After checking our maps, we knew that we were on the correct path and so to be honest, thought that thet other team were cheating taking a short cut. We pushed on and a number of fields followed the woodland section. It had stopped raining around this time and so wet jackets were put in backpacks.

From our previous experience getting lost in the fields outside Wotten Under Edge we were aware how difficult it can be to follow a path through an open field in the dark. As we entered the 2nd field, a pool of headlights came into view from behind which we figured must be the team that had taken the short cut as it was unlikely that the team behind us had caught up because we were really pushing. It was incredibly frustrating for us to see the team following our lights through the open fields to find their way. They were easily able to see when we had taken the right path and when we had got it wrong! We lost a bit of ground to them which we were unhappy about so once out of the fields and back on the roads, we decided to jog and create some distance between us and the team behind.

During this section our training really paid off as we knew there were a couple of tricky paths to find which if you were unaware of could get you lost. A combination of our jogging and these tricky turns meant that we lost the team behind and that was the last time we saw them until the finish 30 ish miles later!

A big climb follows just outside Wycliffe School which we found really tough when doing our training, but spurred on by adrenaline on the Plod, we flew up and through the woods onto the 2nd checkpoint. It was now c 3.30 am and thinking about getting light through the mist in the woods. This checkpoint was a little more subdued than the 1st as some of the support drivers were trying to get some sleep. We were still greeted with enthusiastic Action Staff who confirmed that we were in 2nd place and c 6 minutes behind the team in 1st place.

Ollie and Dave Nock were up and ready for us and worked together to give us a hot drink and help us with filling water bottles / camelbaks and enegybars etc. We were very proud to be in second and Ollie and Dave did a fantastic job of turning us around quickly. We were keen to hear how the other RSG team were getting on and Dave confirmed that they were okay but had been 15 to 20 minutes behind us at the 1st checkpoint.

We checked out left in 2nd place as the team in 3rd place arrived.

The next section took us to Painswick and followed the route that we had been down before. This bit was mostly downhill and seemed like a shorter section as the sun was coming up and the skies were clearing. We were keen to build a buffer between us and the third place team during this stage and so kept up the pace. It was still chilly so had most of the kit on from earlier but there was no need for the wet weather trousers anymore. We were all checking on each other regularly and trying to keep each other motivated if one was lagging a little bit. It was during this stage that I struggled for a few miles as the cereal bar and tea that I wolfed down at the 2nd checkpoint took its toll. I was fine, but just felt a little uncomfortable for a bit and found the going hard. Once that passed, I felt just fine and we were heading into Painswick at c5.30 am.

We had been warned that the breakfast checkpoint wouldnt open until c 5.30 am and that if you arrived earlier, you wouldnt be able to checkin. We were eagerly looking for the checkpoint as we enetered painswick but couldnt find it. We walked up and down the highstreet past the church a couple of times looking for the flags of the checkpoint and in the end resorted to calling Ollie to find out where he was in relation to the church. We found the checkpoint but were disspointed to have lost valuable time. On checking in confirmation that we were in 2nd plave and that the team in 1st place were there and wolfing down supplies.

The 3rd checkpoint was a little different to the others. Firstly there was a big catering van with free bacon butties etc for the walkers if you wanted - we didnt! Secondly, as the plod progressed, the field became elongated so that the slower teams support drivers would be asleep or at an earlier checkpoint. It was also 5.30 am on a Saturday morning and so Painsick was asleep. As things were heating up, we lost our wet weather and warm gear and quickly refuelled, Chesney and I sharing some Tuna steak to Ollies disgust! Dave and Ollie were brilliant again there was a real feeling of camaraderie between the teams support drivers - Ollie and Dave were enjoying their role despite the tiredness and hadnt really expected us to be competing as we were. We checked on the progress of the 2nd RSG team and Dave informed us that they looked tired and were worried about knees but were doing okay. Dave couldnt believe how fresh we looked!

We probably left c 6/7 minutes behind the 1st placed team and just as the third place team were entering the checkpoint to whom we greeted. We knew that from here that it was a long slog to the next checkpoint which was near the Air Balloon pub outside Birdlip and was c 11 miles.

This part of the plod appeared never ending and took us out of Painswick, past the golf club, and towards Coopers Hill where lunatics chase cheese. The Cotswold Way paths runs down the side of the hill to the side of the field where the cheese is rolled.

We had again decided to see if we could close the gap between us and 1st place on this stage and knew that the team in 3rd place would now find it hard to overtake us if we kept up a reasonable pace and avoided injury. We we reached the top of Coopers Hill and I really cannot believe that people run down it! Surely you run more 'off it' than down it and there is just no way that the cheese is worth the potential injury. I am clearly too old now but you would only attempt it if you have a screw loose!

We paused at tghe top of the hill to check the map and get our bearings and then began to follow the path downwards with the cheese rolling field on our right, when we were greeted with the team in 1st place coming back up the hill towards us! After greeting each other we both insisted that we were going in the right direction until I pointed out the direction signpost that was conveniently placed! it seems that the other team had taken a wrong turn and were heading up the hill after descending somewhere else on the hill.
We walked with them for a spell and understood that they were marathon running, ex marines which had recently come back from Kilimanjaro!We wished them luck as they jogged on out of sight.............

They were nice guys.

We were over the halfway mark by this point and began what seemed like an endless trek through this woodland around this big crescent that went on for miles and was pretty muddy in places.
It was getting warm by this point and muscles were starting to ache so out came the paracetemol to keep some of the worst aches at bay and was now down to my RSG T Shirt, Compression Tights and shorts and my wonderful Salomon Cosmics that were coping brilliantly with no blisters. Stu began to suffer a couple of blisters but is like a trojan and just doesnt stop so didnt slow him down. Charlie is fit and it was noticable that whenever he got to the front the pace quickened. Chesney is at least 10 years younger than the rest of us and has longer legs so he was feeling just fine apart from his boots.

Chesney had originally set out to go with just two pairs of trainers. If it had been bone dry, he might have been okay, although I wouldnt recommend it without ankle support and decent grip. As we set off in sheets of rain, he was forced to borrow a pair of Dave's old walking boots to save his feet. There is no way that he could have made it in Trainers to this point. It was half way through this leg with c5 miles to go until the next checkpoint though that Dave's old boots admitted defeat and partially shed their of their soles. Ches had to walk with one of the soles hanging off and flapping each time he took a step. It was hard work for Ches and our pace slowed but there was nothing that we could do and no option to get his trainers dropped off by Ollie as we were a long way away from a road.
Stu saved the day by donating the lace from the waist band on his shorts to lash the sole back onto the boot. It wasnt perfect but the best we could do until we reached the next checkpoint.

Getting nearer to Birdlip, we were getting hungry and thirsty so apples were shared and the occasional energy sweet kept morale high. 2 miles before the checkpoint was a beacon that was also a quiz question answer where the path kind of doubles back on itself and we could easily see the 1st placed team only a few minutes ahead of us. This energised us to pick up the pace again and as we passed the air balloon pub, we knew we were near the checkpoint. We had a minor detour that Stu needlessly kept blaming himself for and then we arrived at the checkpoint 6 minutes behind.

This checkpoint was smaller because the field was elongated and Ollie and Dave provided updates on where everyone was. The other RSG team was a long way back by this point but all 4 teammates were still going. They said that lots of the teams looked exhausted and that we looked really fresh in comparison. Ollie and Dave were able to work in tandem rather than assigning one driver to each time and it was incredibly helpful and motivating having them there turn us around quickly. We were all hungry by this checkpoint and so indulged more than we had loading up with food and drinks. I really really wanted one of the instant porridges that I had bought and the golden syrup flavour porridge was just what I needed. Chesney had a Pot Noodle!
It was another quick pitsop, encouraged by the action team and our colleagues to get moving and get after the 1st placed team as soon as possible who left probably 5 minutes ahead of us. Ches changed into his trainers and off we went towards the penultimate pitstop the words of encouragement ringing in our ears.


The third placed team had not arrived by the time we set out.

Cotswold Way Plod 2011 (Part One)

Okay, sorry for the delay, just been a very busy week since finishing the PLOD and wanted some time to write properly, as so many people have kindly supported us.

The last time that I wrote about the build up for the walk, was not positive. I had done a walk after work one evening and struggled. Following that walk, I had a few days off walking to work to rest my legs which made a huge difference to my strength, stamina and confidence. Our next training walk was a 20 mile after work walk from Tormaton to Dursley, again following the Cotswold Way.

We stared at 6pm from Tormaton on a windy but dry evening and followed the Cotswold Way on what is perhaps the hilliest and certainly was the hardest part of the Cotswold way that we had walked at that time. We (me, Stu Adams, Charlie Ten-Broeke, & Chesney Windsor) were joined by Paul Bennett from the other RSG team The pace was moderate as we were conscious of injuries with less than 2 weeks to go to the PLOD, but a couple of the ascents were certainly steep enough to get the heart pumping. Throughout the walk, we kept getting glimpses of the Tyndale Tower which was near our detination so we had something to aim for, although it looked a lot more than 20 miles away when we started! The walk was relatively straightforward, but we discovered how difficult paths through grass fields are to navigate at night with multiple gaps in the hedgerows to aim for (we got lost in the dark on the descent to Wotton Under Edge)! After climbing a barbed wire fence and a detour, we were back on track and reached the Tyndale Monument at North Nibley at c11.40pm, which to our suprise was lit up and unlocked. Stu and I went on to climb to the top but the rest were feeling the 18 miles or so that we had done by that point, so didnt really feel like climbing the 120 steps up the 34m tower after the climb up the hill. I was asking myself why I bothered as you couldnt really see anything from the top in the dark, but it was a one off opportuntity for me to climb the tower at night.

The descent from the tower was really steep down some nasty steps, but we were soon on our way up again onto a Golf course and finishing in Dursley at c12.15 am. I felt okay, although my back was a little sore, but I knew that I could carry on so was a massive confidence boost to me ahead of the PLOD.

Between the Tormarton and Dursley Walk and the PLOD on June 10th, I continued to walk to work, but dropped to 3 days per week and then rested for 3 days before the PLOD began.

Our preparation in the build up was really about getting kit ready for the night. Ollie Dawe had volunteered to be our Support Driver after having to drop out from the walking team and the driving was a job that none of us envyed. Essentially, you would have to transport our kit from the start to the various checkpoints throughout the night and greet the walking with hot drinks, food, supplies etc as required. The support driver would get no real sleep and little reward, but it was a hugely important job that we valued immensly. From my sailing experiences, I have learned the importance of food and fluids when you are tired and running low.

We were given a kit list by the organisers whcih included a few essential safety items as well as suggested clothing, food etc. One of the problems was that we were unsure what the weather would be doing and the kit would be very different it was raining heavily or hot and sunny, so we had to prepare for every eventuality (and thank goodness we did).
We divided the kit list up between us and Ollie has a 4x4 so we were okay for space.

As the start approached, the weather forecast looked undecided, although there was a chance that we would get away with mild dry weather which would be perfect.

To be continued..............

Sorry for the lack of update following the Cotswold Way Plod. I will write a full account soon, however I was keen to provide an update to say that our team (Jonny Hiles, Stuart Adams, Charlie Ten-Broeke and Chesney Windsor) completed the 40 mile plod in 13 hours, finishing 2nd across the line at 1pm on Saturday, June 11th.

We were very tired but incredibly proud of our achievement, finishing 2nd of 28 teams and beating our colleagues in the other team by 1.5 hours.

More to follow soon and a massive thank you to everyone that sponsored us! We will have raised over £4,000 for Action Medical Research.

Plodding

Last Thursday was not a good day for my feet or legs. I did my daily 4 miles to and from work but then went out for an additional 15 miles walk the evening. I got the distance from http://www.walkjogrun.net/ which has an excellent route tracking tool!

I was perhaps walking quicker than I am likely to do on the Cotswold Plod and averaged 4.5 miles per hour, but my legs and feet should not have been aching in the way they were after that distance - the last mile or so was a real struggle for me.

I hope that this is because I had been doing a lot without any real break for my legs and feet, rather than an indication that there is a weakness, but it did concern me.

My Hamstrings were incredibly tight and very painful towards the end, but also my feet are also causing problems as two of my toes on my left foot are black and my big toe on my right foot looks very peculiar and showing signs of lifting.

I am continuing my 4 miles per day walk to and from work and we have a 20 mile Cotswold Way walk from Tomarton to Dursley planned on Thursday evening after work which will be the final big night walk before the Cotswold Plod on June 10th. I hope that all will go well on Thursday to set me up for the big one, but I am a little concerned. I will take it easy this week in the build up and not walk in on Weds or Thursday this week to give everything a bit of respite.

I have decided to invest in some new and slightly thinner socks to see if I can help my toes a bit by giving them some more space. I had been using the smartwool socks but as the weather has warmed, my feet are swelling therefore giving me the problems. I purhcased some 1000 mile socks at the weekend so will test these on Thursday and feedback. I hope that this will alleviate some of the foot problems.

I also purchased a 2 litre Camelbak at the weekend. This should be useful on the day, but will again test it on Thursday to see how I get on!

If you would like to learn more or indeed sponsor us to do the Cotswold Plod, please follow this link - http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/rsg1
Starting at midnight on June 11th 2011, I will be walking 40 miles non-stop for Action Aid Medical Research.

A Fundraising Milestone Approaches

It looks as though we are about to break the £2000 mark of kind and generous sponsors for out Cotswold Plod.
We try and thank everyone that we can individualy and I note that we have a couple of anonymous donations so thank you whoever you are!

I am planning another walk tomorrow evening but a little shorter this time but perhaps just up and down some hills near me several times, so give me a wave if you live in Bristol and see a man in running compression gear and walking boots plodding the hills! I do get some funny looks, especially when it gets darker and I have a head torch on.

I have just taken delivery of my new headtorch so I will try it out for the first time tomorrow night. Its a Petzl Myo XP and so far looks very good. Several reviews that I read promised that it would turn night to day and from brief trials outside, it looks very good!

There has been lots of debate between the teams and team members about kit for the Cotswold Plod. The first and biggest item was of course walking boots. Everyone has been off and purchased boots from different stores and manufacturers with lots of comparisons made. I tried on several pairs of boots and read and watched the reviews online. In the end I went for the Salomon Cosmic GTX's which seemed to fit my feet the best and came highly recommended by a number of sources. So far so good, although the recent bash between Bath and Tormarton at speed damaged my feet quite badly. Up until then I had experienced no problems with the boots, but after that walk I had a blister on my heal and two bruised big toe nails which were pretty grim. It took a week and a half for the nails to stop weeping and I still have a concern that one of them may fall off. I am not sure why I had the problems as I had not experienced the problems before, but I suspect that it was a combination of not cutting my toe nails short enough, not tightening my boots properly and the speed that we did the distance in. There were a couple of nasty climbs and descents with some running as well and a really fast pace over the 18 miles so its not too suprising I guess. On the Cotswold Plod, we will be dropping the speed over the distance.

I am also trying to work out whether I take some walking poles that I purchased. They are great on the hills but a pain to carry on the flat and or collapse into my rucksack whilst still moving. We dont like to stop very much once going so I am still unsure whether I will take them with me.

The other piece of kit that I have discovered through the training is how good compression tights are. I look a wally in them, but they offer lots of support for aching legs and also wick moisture away so great for the night time stuff or when its cooler. All of our team now have them and we get some funny looks but I really am not too bothered about the way I look when hiking. I realise that I am nowadays an embarrasing dad and I am proud of it. T is a bit too young to be embarrased of me yet, but it wont be long and the look of me in those tights might be the first time!

Incase you have no idea what I am talking about, we will be trekking non-stop for forty miles across the Cotswold Way, in the DARK, and all in the name of charity! Its the Cotswold Plod!

We are raising money for 'Action For Medical Research for Children', a charity dedicated to improving the health of children and babies across the UK. We are hoping to raise a grand total of £2500 collectively, to help Action Medical Research continue to address serious childhood conditions, and improve the quality of life for children with disabilities.

If you would like to donate, please follow this link http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/rsg1 and thank you once again for your generousity and support.

Jonny

Cotswold Plod 2011

Cotswold Plod 201140 miles non stop starting at midnight on 10th/11th June 2011
As the challenge is fast approaching last week we decided to test the night gear, having never walked at night before we thought it would be a good experience, not only to test the head torches but also to improve our navigation skills (especially for Charlie as he struggles with his directions in the day light). We decided on a tough 18 mile walk from Bath to Tormarton (which is officially the first stage of the Cotswold way) and after hitching a lift from our resident accountant Neil Pollinger with found ourselves on the outskirts of Bath just below Landsdown.

We set off at about 7pm and soon found are way walking up and extremely steep hill to Lansdowne, this climb must have lasted about 20 minutes and had us all blowing apart from Chesney who at 23 was showing his youth as he strolled out in front. Once up on the top the terrain levelled out and as time wore on we passed Bath Race course, Landsdown Golf club and the Infamous Lansdowne battlefields (battle of Lansdowne was part of the British civil fought on 5 July 1643. Lord Hopton led a Royalist force against William Wallers Parliamentarians).

The terrain was very undulating with some tough climbs but nothing to strenuous. As we approached Marshfield we decided to stop to put on our head torches, we got some funny looks from the locals as we passed by the local polling station and crashed through the undergrowth trying to find the next path. As night fell we picked up a good pace and swiftly covered the next 6 miles finally finishing in Tormarton at 10.30.

Highlights of the Walk

• Charlie having trouble with the gates (again)
• Charlie slipping down a hill
• Jonny struggling up a massive Hill, then blaming it on the sandwich he’d just eaten

If you would like to sponsor us, please click on the following link. We have set an ambitious target of £2500 so all help is greatly appreciated.

More info on the Cotswold Plod can be found here - http://www.action.org.uk/plod_cotswold_way

The link to our sponsorship page can be found here - http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/rsg1