3 hours - is that all we get...

Sat 5th July 2008

When we spoke last week about the walking being so dull, we didn't think Gee would end up sticking pins in his eyes, but more about that later.......

This Saturday Gee and Pip re-lived one of our earlier yomps around Bramfield and Tewin as we toned down our training ready for the big event. Mrs R was at work and the Wols were family training on Sunday so the two of us met at 8.00 am to discuss our heads. Friday had seen us gather for a team meeting at the Black Horse (still to get official recognition as our corporate sponsors). A nice gentle evening I thought but woke up to find the mother of all headaches - top tip no.1 - don't run 10k then go directly to the pub. Gee was similarly disposed but his top tip no.2 was don't tuck into the Grolsch before important meetings!

Still off we went for a blood pumping and head banging ascent before the leveling off of good old East Herts. This time rather than carry half the fields on our boots we found that the Oil Seed Rape had gone over to mask our trails making us once again curse this pointless crop so disliked by Gordon B - who needs this biodiesel anyways... Having cleared this hurdle things picked up and we stormed around 18k in just over 3 hours. The key difference to last time being we were not remotely out of breath compared to 3 months ago when we were blowing out of every orifice.

Nothing much else to report apart from Gee clearly proving that Cows do not lie down when it rains as we passed 5 that were standing when it was lashing down for which he berated them like some mad man - either that or 3 hours with me is more than enough.

More exciting things were to come along in the afternoon - firstly after lots of fretting, Maureen the Triumph Stag passed her first MOT with me with flying colours - 32 year old British Leyland engineering - fantastic! Secondly, back to Gee - during our 3 hours he failed to mention that he was off to have a pin stuck in his eye. It was only when he was in Potters Bar and realised the forementioned procedure would render him unable to drive that he remembered that perhaps he could do with a lift. Still while he was waiting he read the Trailwalker bumph pack several times over so we are feeling fully briefed and ready for the challenge - bring it on....

Pip.