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So this is the story of the Vacuum Engineering's Mega Hike team 'My Feet Hurt Already' and the challenge we are undertaking known to all as Megahike 2010.

 

Megahike 2010 is a endurance event that is in aid of 'medequip for kids' a charity which donates medical equipment for children to hospitals all over the North West.

 

The event is a grueling team endurance test that spans over a 50 mile hike that is to be completed in 24 hours (basically we have to walk 50miles in a day non-stop) the challenge is to beat the sun starting on June the 26th at sunrise.

 

So far we have walked several hikes increasing in distance and intensity each time, we have even recruited a voluntary walking member (our Managing Director) who has even gone to organising a training walk and supplied the ice cream afterwards :).

 

As of the 28th of March the training is really stepping up a gear going from ten mile hikes up to fifteen and increasing by five miles every time. This is because we have 50 miles to walk and our legs need to able to take the distance. 

 

In order to encourage our efforts we require your help and donations to hit our target and to spur on our team to beat the sun!

 

So dig deep and don't be shy we need your help!!!!!!

 

Thankyou

 

The Vacuum Engineering Services team 'My Feet Hurt Already'.

 

Luke,

Dan,

And,

Chris,

Beki,

Gabriel.

 

 

29/3/2010

 

An update, yesterday (28/3/2010) was our 6th training walk, we went up to the Lake District and walked the 'Fairfield horseshoe' organised by Danny. The walk was approximately 17.5 miles total, 10 miles on the map but with the variety of heights totalled to around 17.5miles, this week on bank holiday monday the distance is being increased further to around 20 miles. Thanks to the donations so far, however we are still no were near our target just remember guys its going to a great cause!

 

5/4/2010

On bank holiday monday (5/4/2010) Todmorden was the walk of choice, a large circuit spanning a total of 27 miles, this was taken on by Dan, Beki, Adam and our team mascott Mr Page. Unfortunately i was in A & E due to a rugby incident so had to miss out on this monster. the duration of the walk was around 10 hours completing arund 21 miles of the circuit, the team favoured wel although legs were sore in the morning at work spirits are high. There was a big increase in sponsors so thanks to everyone who has donated so far £1600 is the target so lets keep up the good work!!!!! 

 

17/4/2010

 

Saturday was the hottest day in april and three of the VES team decided to do the full Todmorden walk of 27 miles (but more like 25) without any form of sun protection for 10 hours of walking, safe to say we are all very red and very tender this week. However we all got through it sore shoulder and burnt necks aside. It was myself, Beki & Ad that walked this week the route was also part of the 50 miler so we got to sample a bit fo the terrain which was a good start. Now to this weekend that is looking like the 3 peak walk, around 26 miles. Should be fun, again a thanks to everyone who has sponsored so far, but we are still well off our target.

 

3/5/2010

 

Today was the first time we have walked a full section of the route we started at little borough rugby club and walked to the pub at the first check point, then we followed the route up to the second reservoir at around 8 miles of the walk and then double back on ourselves walking approximatley fifteen miles.

Sponsorship wise online we are slowly getting there, we have a charity bag pack organised at a leading supermarket for the end of the month, thanks to everyone who has donated and showing their support, we are slowly getting to our target :)!

 

9/5/2010

It has been several week since i have updated the site due to one reason and another, the main one being training for the walk :). This weekend the team was thin in the ranks with Adam working away, Beki beuing injured and seeing physio due to tendon trouble & Dan walking up Ben Nevis for the weekend. Never the less a walk was still to be done on sunday so i recruited my g/f miss Laura Black to the ranks and had her walk with me around Rivington Pike, a nice walk that gets the legs working and a good first walk for Miss B. We walked approx 6 miles in 2hrs 10 which is a good pace. I must apologise for my lack of navigational prowess however we made it back in one peice.

 

16/5/2010

 

This week we decided to walk from check point one of the route to checkpoint four, this is around 19miles of hiking starting at Blackstone Edge Reservoir, up to Hebden bridge (8.883miles) then to Widdop Reservoir (5.05miles) and over to the Ram Inn (6.83miles). On this hike was Luke (myself), Laura Black (g/f of Luke) and Adam (fellow Megahiker). The walk started very well and to the first checkpoint was a good leg warmer, the decent down to Hebden Bridge was almost as alraming as the incline out of it that really did sap the energy out of our legs. It felt a long hike over to Widdop reservoir even though this was the smaller of the three distances. The final stint was were we started to hit problems, with this being a long distance all three of our energy levels dipped for a short period but we knew we couldnt stop as there was no turning back however with some enthusiastic team work and the right combination of encouragment and jaffa cakes we managed to pull through.

 

The next walk will be the 30/5/2010.

 

An additional note:- Adam has had to pull out of the walk due to tendon issues in his feet that we have tried to cater for but all our changes have not worked. This is a great loss to our team and Adam is gutted but his health is more important to us. We are currently discussing about a replacement.

 

On a more positive note, we have hit our 50% mark in sponsorship due to the generous donations of a Miss Andrea Whittle who is our Support team leader and has also been walking with us on every walk she can. And is one of the two key memebers of our team as And will be keeping us from stop to stop with refreshment, food and confidence. Lets get this sponsorship to the next level guys and everyone give special thanks to And :)

 

14/6/2010

A while since the last update, we have been busy through work and university exams therefore walking has taken a slight rest bite, however we have acquired a replacement for Adam in the form of Mr Chris Benson, although not an employee of the company he is the MD's son therefore it is legit :). Myself, George and Chris went for an eleven mile hike last thursday and are doing the same tuesday and thursday night of this week, plus the team is doing a 30 mile hike of the route on sunday (20/6/10).

 

Charity wise we raised over £250 on saturday at M & S in wilmslow on a charity bag pck which is a big financial boost for the team and our fund raising targets. The walk is only round the corner now, we are nearly at our target for the walk so it is all hands on untill then.

 

22/6/2010

On Sunday 20/6/2010 myself and new recruit Chris walked from checkpoint 1 on the route 'The White House' through to check point 4 Waterfoot, with an early get up of 4.45am it was a gruiling task, we left one car at the hugh business park and then drove to the first checkpoint. This walk was 27miles of the ruote, we had planned to do more however there were some complications that reduced our time. The walk was very promising and chris's feet favoured fine, if i'm honest we both ached the next day but was to be expected, plus I think Jelly Beans are my new best friend :).

We completed the walk in exactly 10.28 hours  averaging 2.66 mph pace which stands us in good stead for the mega hike that takes place next weekend.

So this is it the final post till we do the walk, try and complete 50 miles in 24hours, and who put us up to this :) haha we'll do it just have to make sure we keep the blisters away. Wish us luck!

 

28/6/10

 

26/6/10 at 4.38am was when the walk officially began and myself, Chris, Beki and Dan set off in high spirits (slightly tired as we had just woken up). Of the 80 teams that were there everyone had high hopes and there was a buzz in the atmosphere. It took around 3 miles for the group to start opening up and people setting into a rhythm. Once we had hit the first checkpoint it was noticeable that some of the walkers had come unprepared as blisters were rife so early on in the walk among some teams. The next two checkpoints came relatively quickly as myself and chris had already walked this part of the route although Hebdenbridge was an absolute sole destroying voyage of pure incline. From hebden bridge we had to walk to widdop reservoir which is just a waterstop, at this point both chric and beki had to have st johns ambulance apply strapping to their knees. From widdop the next stop was the Ramm Inn for dinner and a thrity minute break, on leaving here we got about two miles in, this is were we lost Beki as her legs couldn't take anymore, however thirty miles is a valiant effort by any standard. At tghis point we had to wait an hour for And to pick her up which meant the pace had to be increased to try and regain the ground lost in that hour. We averaged around 31/2 miles an hour, to get to Hugh business park were after this point we hit what felt like mount everast. We really gave it everything to reach the next check point. By this time it was gwetting dark, although our pace never let up, but our bodies were starting to ache like never before. The three of us soldiered through to the final checkpoint although it felt like it would never arrive a combination of fatigue and the dark began to toil with our spirits and talk had more or less vanished between us. At the last checkpoint we had a small amount of food and a levgendary brew which awas our first of the day a coffe and two teas picked up our spirits no end, however as high as our minds were feeling our bodies were shattered, pure will got us through the last four mile (which felt like an eternity). by no stretch of the imagination this was by far the hardest thing i have ever done. Our finishing time was 2.22am 27/6/10  we walked 50miles in 22.01 hours with a total step count of 110979. They guys were brilliant and i would like to thank Andrea with all my heart as without her we couldn't have done the walk, she was our support crew and our rock that was there at every stop she was allowed at keeping us hydrated and fed, warm and most of all giving us cofidence thankyou And without you it wouldn't have been possible.