I DID IT.....

We completed the Moonwalk, took us 8.5 hrs but we did it.  Feeling very pleased with ourselves, even more so because the leg was/is fine, no aches and only one blister on the sole of my right foot.  First one I have had so can't really complain. 

We went up on the Friday, saw my nephew and his fiancé and then just chilled for the rest of the evening.  In the morning we had a leisurely breakfast then went to see Mama Mia in the afternoon, which was fantastic, so funny, I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys musicals. After that we headed over to Battersea.  This is where things became interesting if not a bit frustrating, the queue to get in was over a mile long!!!!!  and whilst waiting we had the most horrendous rain storm and strong biting wind that we were all soaked to the skin before we even got into the venue!!!  Not the best of starts but everyone was still smiling and laughing. We set off at 11.45pm, hands up we were too wimpy to wear just our bras as it was so cold, some did and I admire them, but I know I would not have made it if I had taken my top off.  My big frustration was that we couldn't get up any speed due to the amount of walkers and having to keep to the pavements it made it difficult to get pass people, but on hindsight that may have been best as it stopped many from going off to quick (me for one).  Sorry to say it wasn't too long before we saw women stopped by the side taking their trainers off and rubbing their feet, some only 5 miles into the walk!!!  The saddest thing was seeing some sit down a mile away from the end saying they can't go on, when they had come so far and done so well.  I also felt for those that were taken off in the continuous ferry of ambulances that were called!!  All that was a real eye opener for me.  The public that saw us were amazingly supportive and the volunteer stewards who lined the route all night were fantastic cheering us on

 and encouraging us, they deserved the medals in my mind.

 

Some of the photos taken on the night.

 

 Sue and I in the tent, the bras only came out for photos, just tooooo cold! Taken at 10.54pm on Sat. (Word of advice do not write on skin with a permanent maker!!!! What the photo doesn't show is that Sue wrote 50 today on my tummy as well.  Hopefully it will come off - eventually!!!)

 

Such a welcome sight this sign. The plastic see through bags - or ponchos were surprisingly warm, thank goodness.

 

 

 Some of the wonderful volunteer stewards who lined the route all night to encourage us on our merry way and keep us safe crossing the roads.

 

 Still smiling at 8.14am

The medal that everyone who finishes receives.

 

 

The Final Countdown.......

 

LONDON MOONWALK 2013 IS HERE

 

Well you have read about me deciding to do the Moonwalk, the getting a place, you have done my training with me, shared my set backs and the injuries and now we are HERE,

 

The Pink tent is up

 

 

 and now you finally get to see "the bra". 

 

 

 It is complete and thankfully still wearable!!!  Everything is sewn in place with the hope that nothing pings off at anypoint!!!  The theme we had was 'Outer Space'  the 3D stars are glow in the dark :) the glitter glue is meant to look like meteors and the circle ribbon planets.

 

 This time tomorrow I shall be heading off to get my coach to take me to London arriving at 3.20pm, so need to sort some knitting for on route today.  Then meeting my friend. Then we have to be at Battersea Power Station at 9pm Saturday evening then start walking around midnight!!!!  and all being well we will cross the finishing line somewhere between 7am & 8am (had hoped to do it in 6.5hrs but not going to push the leg). 

So today's plan of action is a body plummelling at 8.30am, physio 1.30pm for retaping, pack bag, sort knitting, go to college tonight and then hit the sack :)  oh must charge camera batteries as well and clear memory cards!!!! Nearly forgot that.

 

Am I excited......YES, but I am just as equally nervous about the whole event!!!!

 

Thank you everyone for all your support over the last few months re this walk - it has meant  a lot to me.  xxx 

 

 

 

 

 

Walk the Walk - Look what I got!!

 

Oh look what the post man brought me today!!!!  My Moonwalk pack, have to say this arriving has made the whole event suddenly very REAL!!!  

 106/365

When I spoke to the Physio on Monday he said to take the tape off my leg and walk for 4 miles and see how it felt, so I did 4.67 this morning and it was good.  Ached abit afterwards but on the whole good.  So it is steady full steam ahead :)  The bra I shall be wearing on the night is coming along slowly!!  Will show it tomorrow. x

Today

103/365 - Devoran - hard to believe that when I went to work this morning at 8am it was blowing a hooley, pouring with rain and grey skies.  By 1pm when I set off for my walk the sky was blue and stayed like that for the rest of the day.

 

Headed over to the Bissoe Trail again today for a twelve mile walk.  Not only was I eager to see if the leg would hold out for the distance but I also wanted to try 'Runkeeper' an app I had downloaded onto my phone to work out the distance, time etc I was walking.  It was fantastic, every five minutes it updated me with the time, distance, mins per mile and showed calories and average distances.  Really pleased with it. This was a view on the walk, just prior to taking this a rather nice looking fit young man had run passed us, unfortunately I was too slow and didn't get him in the photo, or maybe he had speeded up having seen us from the front lol.  Maybe he was thinking 1664 - 16 from behind, 64 from the front!!

 

Both these photos were taken with my phone, which I am starting to use more often on walks.

 

Oh car update, obviously didn't have my name on it.  Mick spoke to the chap again today and double checked it all and the chap agreed to keep it as he was travelling up so far.  Then Mick did a hp check on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OOps looks like a slight false description, it is marked as a class D which apparently means it has been seriously damaged and re built - minor detail!!!!!  Fifteen pound well spent on the check me thinks.  Hey ho, back to the drawing board.

Out walking

Well I was out this morning nice and early, I drove over to Devoran to walk part of the Bissoe Trail (mainly because it is mostly flat, unlike where I live!) and it was lovely, hardly saw a soul, just me and the birds - wonderful.  The leg held out well and has been fine since I got home, so I am very happy with that. Here are some photos, these are the remains of Wheal Poldice

 

 98/365 - Bissoe Trail

At long last I have started to decorate my bra for the walk, I really can't put it off any longer, still not sure what I am going to be doing, design isn't my field of expertise (not sure if I have such a field to be honest lol)  So far I have put glitter glue on with the idea that they look like meterorites!!!  I have some glow in the dark stars and buttons to go on yet oh and ribbon - so watch this space.  Really starting to get excited about this now :)   Just check my sponsor pledges for the walk and to date it is £512.40, so chuffed, that is my second target passed :)   There is still time to sponsor me if any one wishes to, just click here  http://www.walkthewalkfundraising.org/karen_butfield

Happy Teddy

So happy right now.  I saw the Doc yesterday morning for a check up on my leg and he said I should be fine, prescribed me some strong anti inflammatories for after the event and is willing to give me a steroid injection a week before if I want and wants to hear all about it afterwards!! Saw the physio today who worked on it again, said go and walk ten miles tomorrow and twelve at the weekend then ring me on Monday.  So as you can imagine I am grinning from ear to ear and bouncing around the place as if I have won the pools.  YES!!!   Just had to share, right best get off to work now. :)

A request for support - please

Hopefully this post does not offend anyone and I apologise if it does.  I am not the kind of person who generally asks anyone for anything, BUT the one time I am happy to ask, beg or plead is when it comes to fundraising.  Most of you who read my blog are aware I am taking part in the London Moonwalk 2013 which is 12 wks on Sat (scary!!).  I have spent the weekend setting up my online sponsor page, composing emails and printing out sponsor forms 'going live' as I have termed it.  I have copied and pasted the email below and if any of you would like to sponsor me in my venture I will be so grateful.

 

You know I still can't believe that I have announced to the world that I shall be 50 soon, maybe I have finally come to terms with it or else I put it down to 'all for a good cause' as they say!!!

 

I also apologise if you have had this email via email (Kathi, Yvonne, Louise and any one else :) )

 

The email and link, thank you. xxx

 

Hi everyone,

On May 11th which happens to be my dreaded 50th birthday (I know you can't believe it but it's true) instead of partying into the early hours of the morning as usual I shall be taking part in the London Moonwalk, which is power walking 26.2 (a full marathon) around the streets of London over night, starting at midnight all in aid of Breast Cancer. Hopefully completing it within 6.5 hrs!! (I like a challenge!!)

Some facts,

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in the UK,

1 in 8 women in the UK will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life time,

1000 women a MONTH die from breast cancer,

more than 48,000 PEOPLE in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

around 80 men a year die from breast cancer - you don't have to be female to develope breast cancer!!

PLEASE help me raise as much money as possible by sponsoring me, either by going to

http://www.walkthewalkfundraising.org/karen_butfield

or

seeing me in person,

or

let your business sponsor me

Thank you

Karen xx

Lucky Snapping 2013 - Let's reflect

Over on Lucky Snapping 2013 the theme is 'Let's reflect' and to write about something that you thought was impossible but wasn't. 

 

 A really difficult one I have to say and I have struggled to come up with something for this, well that was until yesterday when I had a light bulb moment (doesn't happen often I have to say!!)  Yesterday was a day off and I planned to do a long training walk. My aim was 18 miles as I achieved 16.89 last week :)  So off I set on a dry sunny day which made a very nice change to the cold and pouring rain that is the normal these days.  At the moment I do the long walks (anything over 9 miles) on my own, I am not 'wired for sound' as I call it (mp3 players etc etc) mainly because I want to make sure I hear the traffic around me as I am walking on roads with no pavements and most of them are single track windy lanes, most drivers are very good they slow down and move out.  Some obviously need an urgent trip to specsavers or need to have their licence removed and of course there are the four wheeled drivers who would sooner knock me over than get their tyres in the mud and puddles on these roads!!!  As was nearly the case yesterday!!!  (Apologies to any four wheeled owners reading this - I know you are not all the same - it just makes me laugh that people down here have them but don't use them for the purpose they were built for). 

 

Anyway I digress, around the 15 mile mark the hips started to inform me that they were not that happy with today's distance and the old self doubts of  'can I actually do this?', 'have I bitten off more than I can chew this time?', 'why am I actually doing this?'  started coming into my head. It was when I was asking myself that last question and answering myself, as I do with -  'I am doing it because I have always thought it looked like a lot of fun' (I do have an odd sense of humour!!), 'it would be an incredible achievement', ' have always fancied doing a marathon' (but know I can't run one) and 'I want to',  but more importantly, 'because I can' and that is when my 'impossible' became my  'possible' I can do this walk and will do this walk.  I know it won't be easy, physically or emotionally on the day, but I know the personal sense of achievement that it will give  me will be fantastic, plus I shall be in the company of 2-3000 other ladies and gents who are going through the same experience as well.

 

So in the words of Audrey Hepburn

My half way point on my latest training route. The photo above is what is over the hedge in the bottom photo.

For those of you who are not aware of what I am trianing for take a look here

Training update

Thought it was time I updated everyone on my trianing for the London Moonwalk the furthest I have managed to walk in one go is 14 miles and that was last Friday 11th, it was a very wet and cold walk which  I completed in 4hrs which isn't great, 3.5 would have been perfect but I did it.  Have to confess I had lots of thoughts during that walk about having bitten off more than I can chew on this challenge!!! but there is no going back so those thoughts have to vanish asap. I think Friday was a bad day, I was teasy anyway so not in the best frame of mind to set out on, I couldn't do the route I had planned due to flooding, I went through one flood, then came across another one which I started through just to find it was too deep and my feet were now swimming in freezing water - not a good feeling.  I ended up lost (fairly normal!) but eventually worked out where I was and sorted out another route home.  That had to be my worst walk this year.  Other than that I am really enjoying it, feeling so much more energetic, full of beans and happy in myself.  So to date this year I have walked a total of 62 miles, lost 4lb in weight (while eating up the christmas chocs and numerous bags of crisps that keep appearing in the house!!) and not touched a drop of alcohol.

 

Fifteen weeks today it will all be over and done with and not only shall I have completed my marathon but I shall also have turned 50!!!  I have nearly come to terms with it - hopefully by then I will welcoming it with open arms - NOT!!.

for those on facebook you can follow my training on http://www.facebook.com/#!/Karens2013Challenge

The MoonWalk London 2013

What a day of excitment, it is now 6.30pm and I think I am finally calming down!! I really cannot believe how excited I have been over my friend Sue and I both getting a place on the 2013 London Moonwalk - thanks to our darling husbands who sat at the computers waiting for registration to open at 9am (we were both at work!) and between them they got us registered - YES so so so happy. We've done the squealing down the phone at each other (Sue lives in Derby :( ) and are now planning our training programme and weekends together as well our bra design - the theme is Outer Space so a fair bit of scope to play with, even though there won't be a huge amount of surface area to decorate as neither of us have been that blessed in the bosom area - but who cares :) We had to come up with a team name as well and somehow, we ended up with Kernow Moomins!!! There were many variations before we settled on that :)

So now the serious training starts - maybe in the morning when we wake up the first thought on our minds will be "what on earth have we got ourselves into!!!!" but I am just as equally convinced that it will all be worth it :) 

 

Anyway here a video of stills from last years Moonwalk, just to give you an idea of how mad we are :)

Exciting or just REALLY SAD!!

After reading this post some of you will be convinced that I am stark raving bonkers and sometimes I do wonder myself but hey I'm happy :) 

 

Awhile back I announced that I was intending to take part in the London Moonwalk, which - for those of you who have not heard of this, it is a charity walk for Breast Cancer, the distance is 26.2 miles around the London marathon route, over night - (hence moonwalk), wearing a decorated bra!!  Simplas eh??  Since then I have started walking and have found that I love it, a lady I use to run with in the village has joined me in my training and another friend is doing the actual walk with me.  Only trouble there is she lives in Derby so we can't train together BUT on the positive side it does mean we have arranged a couple of girlie weekend meets between then and now to walk together :) .  So we have patiently waited and waited for them to announce the date of the walk, I knew it would be in May and gut instinct told me what date it would be and I was right, next year's Moonwalk falls on my 50th birthday!!!  Now some would say "oh what a shame, you can always do it next year",  Not me, it has just added to the two events, I really can't think of a better way of starting off my 50th year than doing this walk, I am so excited it is ridiculous - lol.  Anyway as far as the training is going I am up to 8.5 miles in just over 2 hrs, (need to get up to 10 before Christmas/New Year) that does includes hills, which thankfully there will not be any on the night, but unfortunately there are not too many flat areas in Cornwall!!  Still it helps with the stamina. Can't believe I am even happy to go out walking in the rain - just as well with the amount we have - never did that will running, and IT DOESN'T HURT like running did either.

Now the date is set I just have to wait until the 7th November when registration opens and pray we get a place :) - keep your fingers crossed for me - please :)

 

Just to prove I am not completely mad here are 20 Benefits of Walking. 

"IT IS ACHIEVABLE, I CAN DO IT"

Update

Life is slowly getting back to some form of normality for me after the last month.  Finally managed to have a catch up with Yvonne yesterday which was wonderful, catching up on all the news, comparing knitting projects and lots of laughter.   We had a lovely walk along the camel trail (I shall explain more about that in a minute) then lunch in The Borough then back to her's for a cuppa. And look what she gave me....

the idea is that each day (or when you want to) you pick out a question think about it and then write down your thoughts - I love it - and yes she made me cry!!!  Thank you Yvonne, :) xx

So having got back from hols totally refreshed and raring to go, I completed my two week 'stroke training'  as I have already mentioned in a previous post, it was amazing, very informative but at the same time a wake up call to the fact that none of us know what is around the corner or when we may be unfortunate enough to be taken poorly.  I was very impressed with one gentleman on the ward who had a stroke at the beginning of the month whilst playing the clarinet in the jazz band he belongs to during a concert in Charlestown, he said that he and his wife have agreed to view this as not the end of his life as they knew it but the start of a new life for both of them - which I think is a wonderful way to view something like that, so incredible positive, which will help him tremendously in his recovery and I wish him well.
I felt it was high time I have revisted my 'Pre-Mid life Crises' list (should rename it to mid life crisis as I am almost there!!) list and I am now working on the next biggy for me ..... The 2013 Moonwalk, I have registered my interest, I have a willing walking partner (hopefully) and my personal trainer ..... Yvonne, who has completed this event twice, so is enjoying telling me all the horrible bits involved with taking part in this - which I am glad about - though I wish she hadn't told me about loosing my big toe nails!!!!!!  That bit of info did make me faulter for a minute - but no I will do this.  I know it is going to be very, very hard but I have always wanted to do it and I kown the sense of achievement that I will feel at the end will just be amazing, some days I am excited at the thought of it others not so excited. So yesterday's walk was my first training session and we did just under five miles at 17 mins a mile, I need to get that down to 13/14 minutes a mile with a view of completing the 26.2 miles in 6 hours!!!  My mantra for the next 9 months will be "It is achieveable, I can do it"

Plus I finished my latest knitting project - a chunky top for me :), now on with the next one an some more bed socks.