brief update 20 July

Crikey that was an awfully long way.  We all four made it, with varying degrees of hobbling the last few miles with blisters, knee problems and foot injuries...  Took about 18 hours and 58 minutes.  Huge appreciation to our wonderful support crews of Ray and Don, and Prue and John.    

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62 miles over the South Downs!? 

We must be mad!

Well, Claire (UltraCas) is already a mad keen ultra-marathon runner.  David, Michi (StringSideUp) and Erika have only three marathons and about a dozen half-marathons between us, and have been striving to get mileage up to 30 miles or so.  Now it's July and the main thing is to keep up fitness without getting any injuries. 

We're aiming to run much (well, some) of it, the flat bits and the gentle downhill slopes, and walk up the steep bits.  The Gurkhas run the whole way and finish in 10 hours; we're thinking maybe 18 hours, give or take a few, but mostly want to survive and even enjoy it.  Living in East Sussex and training on the Downs, we do have some idea of what we're in for and it's not going to be easy.  Two-and-a -half marathons, over lots and lots of hills, and staying awake during the night while stumbling along flinty chalk trails with headtorches  on when we're at our most fatigued....     But we do have Gurkha-made soup and pasta at Checkpoint 7 to look forward to after the first 40-odd miles!  And a curry at the end...

Here's a short video of last year's event showing the lovely terrain:

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/fundraise/trailwalker/video.html

TrailWalker raises funds for Oxfam and the Gurkha Welfare Trust.  Which is why we have to go around asking people for money now.  And if we know we're raising lots of money for these two really good causes, maybe that'll help dull the pain a little...

If you can donate a few quid, we'd be ever so grateful.  Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Oxfam Trailwalker will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Many thanks from all of us!  Check back after the 20th of July to see how we did!