The BIG challenge!!

*Please note....long story ahead*

Before starting our 50km Thames Path Challenge, Louise & I knew it wasn't going to be easy...I'm not quite sure we were prepared for the emotional and painful roller coaster it turned out to be!

Up since 4am, we started the race at 7:45am at Putney and the first 25 to 28km were pretty much on track to our expected time, pain levels & we were still full of excitement and on a high!

We then had a BBQ lunch at 28km and got very excited for the last half of the Challenge! We were met at 35km and then again around 38km by Dad and Steve, who really gave us a boost and, although getting tired and achey, felt like a new rush of adrenalin hit us.

Shortly after that, we hit a very bumpy and uneven path, and Louise's feet (already very tender and blisters forming) began to become quite painful. We slowed down to hopefully adapt to this pain, but finally (around the time of this blip photo being taken) the inevitable happened...the 1st blister popped!!!

To say Louise was upset and in pain is an understatement...her grimace smile in this photo almost shows how upset & in pain she was! We stopped for a few minutes, added a load more plasters and she carried on in a very limpy fashion.

The 2nd one popped a few km's later and I felt so useless just seeing how upset and in pain she was! The worst part was that we knew we only had around 3 miles to go, but that it was going to be the most painful journey of her life! I think even childbirth was a preferred option than what she was going through!!!

She tried a tip-toe walk (very hard on the calves), a very slow shuffle, me taking some of her weight and linking arms, but in the end, a 'Forrest Gump' walk (as a child in braces) was adopted and we shuffled on through Staines town Centre through 46km, 47km and almost to 48km!

(*Please note the next part isn't pleasant) THEN....if her pain wasn't bad enough, she squealed in agony when she felt her toe-nail ripped off just before the 48km mark!!! Ouch!

Dad had called just at this moment to say the were at 49km and walking towards us...Louise, in true fashion (and with the excitement of our saviours), just got on with her hobble to get through the last part.

Dad and Steve joined us (after walking on a very muddy and now getting dark Thames Path in Runnymede), and helped us through to 49km by just comforting and chatting to us about how close we really were and how well we'd done...the tonic we needed to carry on, so to dad and Steve, we can't thank you enough.

Our last 1km we hobbled, we moaned, we cried, we laughed, but we suddenly heard the sounds of music and the original compare who started us off at 7:45am (very happy, quite annoying, Scottish man, but boy did his voice keep us going) and we FINALLY MADE IT!!!

We crossed the line and the tears of joy flowed, without embarrassment, even whilst being interviewed at the end....we got our medals and t-shirts, we received our hugs and glass of sparkly and we almost flew with joy, on such a high that we got there...at 8pm exactly!

So after 12 hours and 15 minutes, Louise & I walked 50km. There are so many people who we have already individually thanked for their kind donations (you know who you all are...all 51 of you (plus your families)), to raise a staggering £1,267.68 for the charity MIND. I'd also like to thank the below:

- Organisers of Thames Path Challenge for such a great event with such a pretty route.
- Our husbands for their support, especially to Steve for driving us there and back & his much needed cuddles.
- Dad for coming down to support us and bought us a much needed wonderful dinner at the end.
- The other walkers who offered plasters, pain killers, support and just the encouragement to carry on when it was much easier to give up.
- The wonderful man in Staines who (out of pure kindness) stood giving out brownies and flapjacks to show his support and empathy (he'd recently done the London to Brighton, so knew the pain we were going through).
- The gorgeous girls (and all the other volunteers) at the finishing line who gave us sparkly, medals and hugs when we really needed them.
- Our friends and family who sent us supportive messages along the way, followed our journey from beginning to end and just kept us going for the last few months, and especially on the day.
- Nurofen & paracetamol.

- Finally...my blistered-up Blister...she is now officially my hero and I don't think I could have carried on if the same had happened to me...she is a true inspiration and I hope (once she forgets the pain), we get to do something like this again...this time with different shoes maybe!!!

If I missed anyone, I thank you too...it may sound dramatic (I am a drama queen, as you all know), but it was one of the biggest achievements of my life and I'm so glad to have been part of it.