Guest blog

The walk!
03/10/2012

The walk!

Following on from my previous blog I can confirm that, on Saturday 29 September 2012, Tom Piper and I successfully completed the Thames Path 50km Challenge in approximately 10 hours and 40 minutes!

Of course it wasn't all plain sailing but, after overcoming the first hurdle (arriving at the start line for 7:45am!) and missing the mandatory warm up because we were distracted by Jet from Gladiators, we were on our way. On our very... long... way!

The walk was broken up into four sections, with scheduled rest stops after each part. Determined to finish within the 12 hour target we stormed on through the first two rest stops, stopping for just long enough to load our backpacks with the various energy bars, sweets and other profferings that the event organisers had laid out for our enjoyment. Unfortunately by the third stop we had to submit and sit down for a while to nurse our wearied feet. The fact that the third stop housed a mountain of cake had no bearing on our decision to spend longer there than anywhere else!

After a brief and much-needed rest though we were back on our (slightly less) merry way, with feet covered in a fresh layer of plasters and tummies lined with a fresh layer of cakey goodness.

Already exhausted and aching from the preceding 36km, the last part of the walk was just a slow, painful and seemingly endless 14km trek to the finish line. But, in true British fashion, we got through it by holding our heads up high... and moaning the entire way!

Although the walk was incredibly challenging, the sense of achievement (and immeasurable relief!) we felt as we crossed the finish line, and the knowledge that we had raised £755 for Papworth Trust, made it all worthwhile.

With huge thanks to everybody who supported us before, during and after the walk, without whom we literally wouldn't have bothered!

by Lucie-Anne Rhodes

If you'd like to support Lucie-Anne and Tom, you can sponsor them at www.justgiving.com/evershedspapworth.