It fitted in Sarah!!!

Nine months ago I decided that it would be a good idea to trek across the Sahara and raise money for MacMillan Cancer.

Tomorrow I fly to Ouarzazate and on Sunday afternoon I will take the first of the many steps that will be needed to complete the 100km trek. The official trek will finish on Friday evening, however on Saturday morning I hope to do the optional sunrise walk out of the desert, and then fly home Sunday.

I've done loads of training to prepare for this and since the 1st of January (when the walking really stepped up a gear) I've walked for 120 hours covering nearly 315 miles, ascended/descended 30,300 feet and burnt nearly 42,000 calories - and done 4 or 5 sessions a week at the gym too. The only thing I can't prepare for is the heat and the sand - walking in the Cotswolds in the winter doesn't really give offer up that option!

And best of all my mantra for every km that I cover will be "£44.05, £44.05, £44.05" as to date I've raised £4,405 for this amazing charity.

At 19 my lovely husband lost his Dad to cancer aged only 49. And then in the summer of 2010 my Daddy was diagnosed with prostate cancer - though he is still in excellent health and continues to play several rounds of golf a week! So this is a charity that is very close to my heart.

Tonight I've packed all my kit up - well I say my kit it's not really all mine as I've been fortunate enough to borrow things I didn't have from several people (thanks Sarah, Carole, Mandy and Stephen!) - and I had been really dubious about it fitting into the bag from Sarah - the sleeping bag and mat took up half the space - however it has - hurrah!

A glass of wine to celebrate, a good night's sleep and then I'm off to Heathrow tomorrow morning.

Normal blipping service should resume Monday 5th March - see you all then!