Day 6 - Finedon (Kettering) - Rutland Water

Firstly, i am sorry that I still don't have any photos.  i've been so busy trying to navigate and push myself onwards that i keep forgetting to take any photos- will try much harder when i'm 'through the woods' and have more companions with me over the weekend.
I couldn't have asked for better weather today - beautiful sunshine which steadily got warmer until i was sweating nicely and wishing i had packed some sun cream (it seemed such a stupid thing to carry in October!)  I pushed my route back to where i ended up last night - although i have to confess that i chickened out of going back to the dodgy pub!  Starting from Finedon, i marched up the A6 towards Kettering full of positive thoughts and determination.  Lots of lorries tooting at me and people waving from their cars which cheered me up until I started thinking that perhaps they weren't waves of encouragement but disbelief that i had chosen to walk along the road! 
Problems started as i took a wrong turning in Kettering.  I have no paper maps (i'd need to carry a sack load of Ordnance Survey maps to cover my route!) on me but choosing to rely completely on my gps and route app on my phone - all of which uses a lot of battery.  i still don't know how i managed to get it wrong but the upshot was that i went even more wrong and found myself on the hard shoulder of a not-very-nice road.   Ben, patient and reassuring as ever, wisely told me to think again as it really looked dangerous on his computer.  My feet were really sore by this point and the blisters started to hurt.  The thought of walking all the way back and retracing my steps was too much.  So, rather than sitting on the side of the road sobbing quietly, i decided to retrace my steps by bus for a mere 5 minutes - i decided that taking the bus 'backwards' wasn't cheating and this was an emergency as i was losing time and daylight!  Still, i was disappointed in myself.  I went wrong again and wasted time trying to get back on my route out of Kettering (which I am sure is lovely but i do not intend to go back for a long time!)
I walked through the outskirts of Corby and passed lots of hoodies, all of which i wanted to hug as i saw the magic road sign for the Uppingham Road.  I had covered a lot of ground and my walking was turning into a shuffle as i tried to ignore the awful pain of the blisters.  Even switching on my now-fixed Ipod didn't make me go any faster and i limped along - not good considering how much more mileage i've got to do.  Following the signs to Rockingham, i took the decision to stop and not walk through any more pain or damage my feet any further.  I was about 10 miles behind schedule but the sight of the delightful looking local pub in Rockingham was too enticing.  Another day done but not quite - i must make up the time tomorrow and hope that with enough plasters, my feet will heal and not complain too much. Looking on the bright side,  I am making steady progress and aint beaten yet!

Day 5 - much needed rest day!

When i started this blog, i fully intended to just keep a jolly update of my daily walks and that would be it.  However, the last 2 days have been so grim (and really quite funny as a result) that i think i better give an edited low down on my big adventure!  As i type, i feel like i'm recovering from taking part in a crash course in how-to-survive-in-the-open or how to train to be in the SAS!  Thank you to everyone for all their texts and emails - they really keep me going. I'm sorry that i haven't replied to a lot of them.  I've had to conserve my battery for the gps on my phone and by the time i've been picked up, I'm only fit for bed!

The original route for Day 3 - it looks so simple on paper! [click on map to enlarge]

Day 3 - Barton-le-Clay to Milton Ernest

Saying 'goodbye' to Charlie and Ben was difficult but i had my friend Bugs with me so i wasn't on my own.  we started in Bedfordshire's finest drizzle - low fog and constant rain all day.  Despite our rainproof, brilliant kit, we both got pretty damp in the morning and it set in for the rest of the day.  But the first bit of the walk was great and we congratulated ourselves on the fact that this was MUCH nicer than sitting at a desk and felt particularly sorry for all those people in a warm office.  We then hit the main Bedford Road which looked fine on google earth but, in reality, was  a nightmare.  The grass banks had grown so high that it was difficult to walk along, the traffic screamed pass with a lot of spray which made visibility bad.  All in all, after a few miles, we decided to dive down a foot path and try heading into Bedford cross country.  We didn't have a choice.  The alternative was too dangerous.  The path took us through a thick ploughed field and before long, we had so much heavy clay mud on us, that it became really hard to pick up our feet. I nearly toppled over and lost my balance with my rucksack on. The footpath then stopped at a completely impassable cluster of brambles so we decided to navigate around 2 more massive fields, getting steadily muddier (at this point we were on double rations of M&S 'Percy Pig' sweets and chocolate flapjacks).  Then, the footpath abruptly stopped and we found that it didn't tally with the map as a new set of roads were being built.  We had 2 options - go back across the fields (no way) or jump across a river (!)  Bugs, drawing on her experience as a girl guide, threw some bricks into the river and I waded across, jumped to the banks and scrambled up the muddy banks until there was mud up to my thighs (I never thought i'd type this but I love my waterproof trousers).  We then walked through the wasteland of new roads and through a fence which was marked 'DANGER No pedestrians - Deep Excavations' which we could still manage to find funny. The rest of the walk was tough as we tried to navigate along the lethal bedford roads and then, after drawing on our last bit of energy, we found that the end of the route was impassable on the A6.  We made the decision to stop as it was cold and getting dark.  Thank you Bugs for being such a trooper and sticking by me all day when you really could have got on to the nearest bus!  Another thank you to my cousins for rescuing us from the roundabout.  My morale was low and my legs were very painful by the end of the day but my fighting spirit still very much intact.

Day 4 route - In fact I finished at Finedon, 5 miles short of goal [click map to enlarge]

Day 4 - Oakley - Finedon (which should have been to Kettering but ...)

After yesterday's fiasco, Ben redesigned my route to take me off the awful A6.  It was a really lovely route cross country, passing through little villages and i felt my spirits lift.  This was what i was so looking forward to - the chance to see my country on foot and to take it all in and to just go for a (very) long walk!  but the problems started as i hit mile 10 and i could feel the dreaded blisters.  My water was running low and i chose to walk a mile out of my way to get water, more food and sit down.  I've found people to be really kind and, if i mention the walk, it opens lots of doors.  Thanks to the lovely librarian in Wollaston for letting me sit down and use her bathroom!  By now, i felt so grubby and i was just walking on automatic pilot.  I needed a boost so plugged into my Ipod and then with a sickening hum, that failed.  Oh dear - i needed a new lead.  In slight despair, I sat down on the side of the road exhausted.  Out of nowhere, a motorised wheelchair shot past and a lovely man tipped his hat at me shouting "keep going!"  That was all i needed to hear and i scooped myself up, giggling (nearly toppled over again - still getting used to my rucksack) and set on my way.  After calling Ben for some reassurance, I told myself  "every mile is money and it's just a case of one foot in front of the other - easy!"  to cut a long story short, i had to cross over the A45 dual carriageway (!) along the river, up another lethal road, navigate another cross country footpath, had failing battery and it was getting dark so found refuge in a dodgy pub just south of Kettering.  After lots of wolf whistling (quite cheered by that actually as i looked revolting!) and lots of comments, I said that i had walked from London for charity and all I wanted was a glass of ice cold coke (boy, did it taste good).  There was a silence and then a man came up to me, slapped me hard on the back, dug into his pockets and gave me £3 for the walk.  It just shows that it's true when people say 'the kindness of strangers'.  To be continued (hopefully with some photos)...........

Days 3/4 - Barton le Clay to Finedon

For those of you following the blog, apologies for the lapse in updates. Mary is doing well but yesterday (Day 3) was long and tiring, involving several re-routes to avoid a section of the A6 which weren't safe to walk along. She had been aiming for Milton Ernest but ended up a couple of miles short in Oakley in failing light and the ever present rain. She will undoubtedly post her story of climbing through mud-filled ditches and close shaves with fast traffic in due course. It had been due to be an 18 mile day but the total mileage will have been well over 20.

She has changed todays (Day 4) route to take her on less busy roads. Speaking to her just now she is tired and blistered but approaching Finedon (about 5 miles short of Kettering) where she will stop for the day having walked just over 20 miles. It was another wet day.

Feel free to comment on any of these posts by clicking the comment button underneath this post. All words of encouragement welcome!

Day 2 - St Albans to Barton-le-Clay, 19 miles

Click on the map above to enlarge it

An appropriate roadsign!

Day 2 is 'in the bag'- less than 400 miles to go- hooray!  I did feel stronger today and all the muscles that hurt yesterday seemed to cope alright today - i just have to deal with a fresh lot of aching muscles tomorrow.  My neck is really sore and i am hobbling around like an old woman but nothing's broken.  The weather was a bit grim but i was kept going by Ben and Charlie by my side and plenty of singing. After stocking up on stodge in a cafe in Luton, we faced the rain and trudged up the A6.  My legs were very sore and I was hugely relieved to hit the last mile and to be met by my cousins in a lay by.  Roll on Day 3....

Pushing on through the drizzle

I chose the shortest route rather than the most scenic route...

Day 1 - Buckingham Palace to St Albans, 20 miles

Click on the map to enlarge it

Phew - Day One over and done with. A wonderful start in bright sunshine as we set off from the front gates of Buckingham Palace. Bit embarrassing being photographed by curious tourists wondering what all the fuss was about! Huge thanks to everyone who came to see me off but even bigger thanks to Ben and Charlie for walking with me. I had a really tough afternoon as my leg muscles decided to seize up and I didn't feel very well either. Ben and Charlie helped me out with my rucksack to lighten my load. After plenty of nurofen and sugary tea I just about crawled to the finishing line (St Albans station) It was such a boost crossing the M25 though and I knew that we had really left London behind. I am worried about what lies ahead of me but encouraged by the fact that I have an industrial sized packet of nurofen on me.

Setting off from Buckingham Palace in the sunshine

The countdown has begun..

Just back from the beautiful hills of Aberdeenshire after a lovely holiday with family and friends - plenty of eating and walking.  Here's a photo of one of  THE best views in Scotland - Glen Muick. The clouds descended and the skies opened a few minutes after this was taken.  After pretty much incessant rain all week, i now feel that i have thoroughly road tested my kit.  No further problems with my ankles so i am going to risk taking my much loved walking boots as they seem to have held up rather well. This time next week, i will have completed day 1 - oh joy.  I will be setting off with Ben and my brother Charlie (who has flown all the way over to London from Sydney) by my side for the first few days which will be a good start to my big adventure.   The challenge over the next few days is trying to finalise all the arrangements and pack up all my stuff.  Knowing that i have to carry it all on my back for 420 miles is a great incentive to pack light!