Nairnshire Challenge WAS quite a challenge, but we made it!
The first 12 miles were across a seemingly endless moor, with four hills to go up and over.
The first three were fine but by the fourth it was raining quite hard, and not so much fun.
If I hadn’t been walking with my niece Elizabeth, immersed in deep conversations,
it would have been hard.

What I soon realised is that most participants see it as a race.
They waited for the starting hooter, freezing in singlets and shorts, downing energy drinks
on a windswept moor. I was cold even in a fleece and with a rucksack and thermos!
They SPRINTED over the hills on a rocky track.
Then jumped on their bikes, and pedalled the 19 miles over another hill and down into Nairn,
the winners finishing in 2 hours and 13 minutes.
My brother Edward, who is very fit, finished in just over four hours.
Elizabeth and I came in just under 6 hours (4 hours hiking and 2 hours biking)
which was our aim and intention.
I was absolutely thrilled to finish at all!

A very big incentive, for me, was to be worthy of all the generous support.
The funds raised for Peace Direct have so far reached £ 873.33 , and still growing.
This is thrilling for me, and Peace Direct will use every penny of it well.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Please see the video below, and realise why Your support will give me a big boost!

The Nairnshire Challenge, on Sunday June 17th, is a 30-mile duathlon (12.3 miles on foot, 17.7 miles on bike) covering the length of Nairnshire from the highest, most southern point to the most northern point by the sea.  

Our team name is Ancient & Modern, given that it consists of my brother Edward, me and my niece Elizabeth, who is in her late thirties. They are both EXTREMELY fit, and have done lots of this sort of thing. But they are also extremely kind, so I am counting on their compassion.... We start off hiking across the wilderness of the Dava Moor on Cawdor Estate, then a large mountain, and after 12 miles have a little breather, and then it's on the bike. The bike route "follows a picturesque route on public roads through wooded Nairnshire to the seashore at Nairn". It apparently has one almost impossible hill which most people walk up, that's me for sure, but after that it is nearly all downhill to the sea.  Whew. It is all on roads, no off-road dodgy stuff.  

Right now I’m pedalling frantically up Cotswold hills and down dales, in the awful certainty that if I don’t, I'm bound to delay my brother and niece. That said I’m getting a tad fitter which is no bad thing...

The Challenge is organised by the Rotary Club of Nairn, which is a member of Rotary International, who incidentally offer amazing scholarships to students from all over the world to do degrees in peace and conflict studies. They describe "the personal challenge of reaching the finishing line" - and that's where I'm headed, at some point before midnight on June 17th!.  

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to Peace Direct and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please support me pedalling for peace!