I feel duty bound to do shag all(physically) in the morning, in a relaxation /preparation for this evenings exertions.
I decide to get my self clean and fed. I mooch and then phone Phil, Normas husband. He fesses to blog watching and found the how I got fat post on menshealth useful.
Jean has to mind Ally whos still isnt fit.
I protect my feet in all the places that I suspect may blister - I have a light meal around 4pm. JK and Jody arrive a bit early at 5.15. The weather seems a bid dodgy, but we go for tshirt and shorts. Meant to report at 5.30pm thought it would be a big gig dissapointed to see that it looked a bit sad. We sit in the car for a bit expecting hordes that dont appear.
So off we go to sign in at the great walk tent pick up some free snack bars into the ITV tent for a tshirt and into the lions tent where we look at the Lion, sort of life size cuddly thing.
There is a VIP trailer and a video man and phototographers (note for nell we need some loud tshirts - mebbe the before and after one I had - with the logo).
Nice lady who looks like Jenny our dietitian starts the gig off difficult to get the 75 or so into a frenzy. She introduces the nice lady who is doing the full walk. Then some ex hollyoaks and the games b-list celeb who I didnt know. Then the Local Hero a milkman who has raised thousands for people over the years, seems a nice guy.
We had speculated over the route and how many circuits it would be. 2 most three - we crap when the woman says four.
Then it turns surreal, this nice lady in a headset and tracksuit now has music and is suggesting we join her in an aerobic workout to warm up. JK mutters something ending in dat. The entire field including jody, bar 3, go aerobic crazy. strikes me as line dancin on speed. I am uncertain how to behave, I look at jk, our eyes meet and we agree, Ex big boys dont do this. To ease my mind I post tomy blog via blackberry. Encouraged by our hands in pocket approach a couple of other guys join us. We think after five minutes they'll stop after 10 it becomes embarrassed. the guy from Christians against poverty is loving it - he wants more. He doesnt have to be this nonsense lasts 5 minutes. We hack the camera man off by only moving to fold our arms.
Come on we came to walk not dance. I can't dance no sense of rhythm. I am irritated. This turns to relief when we start. we have to follow a nice girl in a yellow jacket. They have chaned the route from the one on the map I dont like this it bothers me. We set off at a lively pace, to be honest I think its too fast I dont kno how far 10k is. Jk is ex-army hard as nails, Jody is hard and I am a fully paid up wuss. I am saying nothing. I am terrified that I will fail and lose the money that people have sponsored us for. Calderstones Park is a lovely place for a stroll, this is no stroll this is a yomp. I have the backpack on. We put the world to rights, the charity, the website, we discuss pasts and futures. This is mind blowing stuff. Only on Tuesday i reflected with my Doctor that if I hadnt had the op I may well be dead, I couldnt walk to the carpark now here I am doing 10k.
Plenty of water and pace sustained, nutrigrain snacks on journey. Doing four laps of anything is demoralising. Same thing again and again.
We discuss the health benefits of walking. My heart is beating lungs working all muscles working, Good for the mental health - and the calcium absorption. we talk about a walk at the start of support groups or agm. we dont push exercise enough on WLSinfo. I am lazy naturally and it is my natural mode to do nowt.
At halfway this starts to feel doable, start getting rubbing on my small toes left foot. Suspect jk might let us stop if my leg drops off but a blister -no way. Achilles tendon hurting by Lap 3 but coping with overall exertion OK. JK has strapped one knee and the other is giving him a little gip. Lap 4 we up the pace and the final straight feels good. A great feeling when we cross the line and get a goodie bag , We don our medals and are proud.
We have our pictures taken and I feel ten foot tall - standing next to JK in the picture I look 10 foot tall.
Top stuff we hit the Madhari and have two starters each preceded in my case by two pints of Cobra.
three years ago it would have been no walk two starters a main bread rice and 12 pints.
So its off home and the hard work tomorrow of saying thanks for all the dosh we raised -around 12notes for the charity I think - whilst feeling healthy.
So tomorrow its
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