The Big Event - Friday 29th April 2011

After many months of planning, the 'Big Day' is almost upon us. In fact, it is only 3 days away.

Friday 29th April 2011 will be the day when all of the anxiety and trepidation of the previous 7 months will be replaced by an event that will be watched by...well it won't be "watched" by anyone at all...because everyone (OK, not everyone, but loads and loads of "ones") will be watching the Royal Wedding!

Our "Big Day" will start at about the same time as the Royal event, as we plan to leave at noon on the first leg of our 100km walk.

How achievable our "plan" is, we don't really know. I am still carrying a small niggling injury, in my left knee, so the prospect of walking 62 miles on it, is somewhat concerning, but...nothing ventured, nothing gained!

So the plan is for Matt, Rob & I (Pete can't make this weekend's walk with us, although he will be walking on his own somewhere in Somerset) to:-

1. Leave Southwater at noon and walk to Bramley, where we will meet up with some of the support team for a short meal break, before turning round and walking back to Southwater. A distance of just over 30 miles which we hope to complete, even allowing for our meal break, in under 10 hours, i.e. Before 10pm!

2. We will then have a break of no more than 10 hours, but will eat, drink, bathe and sleep before the third element of the challenge.

3. This will be the real test of the "event". We will get up and leave Southwater no later than 8am and walk to Shoreham. Whether we will actually be able to get up, or walk, after having "rested" for so long is the big "unknown", but I'd rather try it before the event, than find out on the day. Clearly, on the day we don't intend to "rest up" for 10 hours but....the intention is to walk to Shoreham...and back, with another meal stop along the way, and return to Southwater before 6pm.

If, and it is a very big "if", we achieve our goal, we will have walked 100km in a total of 30 hours, although will have rested for a third of that time. If, we don't do it, we will have gained a greater understanding of the challenge, and what might stop us from being successful in July.

Psychologically, it will be either very, very good for us or...it won't!

If we survive, and can walk (at all!) after this weekend, Matt & I get to try the same event again at the end of May with Pete, but without Rob (who will be working).

If we don't survive...isn't worth thinking about!

More soon....

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