Southend 23M Challenge
17 August 2003

What a day! Anne and I met up as we sped into Southend in our cars, and I followed her into the start point at the Leisure centre. Nice early start - we were both there for 0800, where I discovered that my water bottle had leaked its entire contents into my rucksack. Still, it was a hot day and the dampness didn't hurt.

The mayor of Southend was there to send us off at 0830, and for the first three or four miles, Anne and I stayed up with the front pack, who were incredibly speedy. The first hour or so was spent cross country then down to the coast for a walk along the sea front. 

Then we headed inland and up through one of the clifftop parks to the first checkpoint. Six miles in an hour and a half.

My favourite bit came next: along the sea to Old Leigh town, which is beautiful, the along the cockle sheds and through the country park to a stiff climb up to Hadleigh castle. 

We'd slowed a little bit by this time, but stayed in the first 25 all the way round. Anne and I managed to cover several important topics:
- how baked beans make a good post race snack
- what's happening on the job front
- how fast are we going? how are we doing?

At the next checkpoint (11 miles) we stopped briefly and, oh joy, there was bread pudding. I was so overcome that we briefly headed off in the wrong direction, but we decided to say we made a loo stop if anyone asked. Around this point, Anne set the challenge of beating the couple who were in front of us. 

We managed to pass them, but at around 17 miles we took a major wrong turning - my fault - and ended up in entirely the wrong place. Poor Anne had to put up with me cursing. We went about a mile and a half out of our way, but eventually found our way back to the right route.

By now, oh bliss, the leisure centre came into view, and we jogged towards it. But I cracked the skin on the sole of my foot, and we hobbled in. We finished in 7 hours and 31 mins, and decided that the valiant Trailwalkers were even more amazing than we'd realised.

The organisers laid on a ploughman's lunch for us, and Anne and I embellished this with a wonderful cold beer. Poor Anne peeled off her socks to reveal blisters which had blisters, and a very impressive bloody patch where something nasty had burst.

Lessons learned:
- to walk this in 6 hours, as the top women peep did, is a fantastic achievement
- never trust anyone else's directions
- never trust my directions
- bread pudding rocks