Photos online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsiebadger/ THANK YOU to everyone who has sponsored us and given us support throughout this event. Money is still coming in so i cannot give a total amout yet but together we have raised over £300 for sports relief. I spent all day Saturday wishing I hadn’t signed up for the sports relief 1 mile. The last time id walked was Wednesday, and that was a struggle. I managed to walk 0.86 of a mile. The weather hasn’t been kind either making sure I’d not get another walk in before the event. Sunday morning soon came round. The sun streaming through the window. Good start I thought but would it last. Breakfast didn’t fare to well, Mark poured the shreddies into a bowl, ‘you’ve only got half a bowl, what else you want you won’t get far on this much’. So I had half a bowl of shreddies and one weetabix, the usual yoghurt, three cups of tea and half dozen tablets and was ready to go. Mark packed the car and I struggled out to the car. Off we go. Half way to Monmmouth he asks ‘have you remembered the disabled badge for the car park’. Yes it’s in the basket. Next question ‘did you remember to pick up some change?’ yes its in my pocket. I said to him just as well one of us is reliable and remembers these things. His reply ‘well I packed the car!’ All he had to put in was my mobility walker and a basket of stuff I’d gathered together ready for the event. We arrived at the car park and I sent Mark off to find out where everything was and where we had to go. It’s a long way to teh start of the race, so I sent him off again to see if we could park closer to the start. I had planned on taking my mobility scooter with me but a local garage had let me down big time in not getting my car ready. It would had made life so much easier, scooter to the start and back from the finish. We got permission to park closer but we’d have to wait until the end to get back out. Not a problem I’m not a fast walker. We drove to the registration office and were soon shouted at in a rather rude manor for turning the car around on the edge of the grass football pitch. Look at the damage you’ve done. We weren’t even on the pitch. Someone else had driven over the same piece of grass and closer to the pitch but the guy didn’t care. Despite profusely apologising the bloke still kept shouting at Mark. So I got myself ready and Mark parked the car back in the car park. Had he of parked his mini bus properly in the first place there’d of been enough space to park two cars next to each other. Not ten minutes later St Johns Ambulance drove straight through the middle of the pitches and up and down the boundary of the football field, where was this guy now? Ten to Ten, almost everyone gathered on the football field to do some warm up exercises, not me. To walk around would be enough. A good laugh was had by all. Two min’s to ten, time for everyone to line up at the start. On your marks, get set, GO! Wow quick we’re off; I’m still sitting on my walker. Quickly I jump up and start walking. Everyone’s gone around the corner and I’m just walking under the start sign. Oh well don’t panic; think of the hare and tortoise. Slow and steady, don’t rush. Mind the puddle the marshal said, it’s deeper than you think. Mark said later one young lad stepped in there and almost disappeared, so it must have been deep. Around the tennis courts and through the lay-landi trees. I’m going well not to much pain yet. I watch as Mark goes steaming around the course in first place. I can hear on the tannoy here comes Mark in first place 6 minutes and 10 seconds. Wow he’s quick and doing well. I’ve not even managed ¼ mile yet before I see the green flash wiz past me. Across the tarmac we go and then back onto another football field. I’ve gotta rest my knees and hips hurting, I need a drink. Woosh, more runners going past me when I see Mark coming round the corner towards me again. He’s doing well, still in first place. He cheers me on as he runs past. Off I go again more tarmac, trees and mud. The back wheels on my walker keep getting blocked up with mud and leaves so I have to stop and poke the brakes to make it easier to push. I keep plodding on: through the golden mile (about 50 yards of daffodils either side of the tarmac) when I notice there’s a small tarmac mound to go up and down. The going up was the easy part. Coming back down was hard work on the knees. Then it was around the big beech trees, this became an obstacle course for me. Big branches were every where on the grass and so I had to keep lifting the walker from side to side to get past them. Ok so they weren’t that big, but they seemed it at the time. Ok time to stop, I need more water, my legs are killing me and this darn fly keep buzzing round my head is annoying me. The marshal shouts over ‘are you alright?’ Do I really look that bad? I answer back, ‘I’m good thanks’. She replies ‘if you need anything, give me a shout, that’s what we’re here for’. That’s nice of I thought but I’m determined I’m going to finish this even if I’m sprawled over my walker and someone had to push me. As I walk towards the tarmac again I see three familiar faces walking towards me; my Mum, Dad and Niece, they cheer me on and walk with me. The grass is patchy here and the wheels are getting very bogged down with mud. I stop to free them with some help of mum and her stick. A dangerous situation to be in as she pokes me in the hand. On we walk together, I can see the entrance gate from here, its near the finish I’ve not got far to go. I can have a stop there, then give it one last big push to the finish. I get to the gate and have another drink of water whilst my pit crew (dad) finds a stick and scrapes off some of the mud whilst I rest. I tell him not to worry but like a dad does about his little girl he makes it easier for me to push my walker. Mum tells Dad, Mark is on his way round and if he wants to take pictures of him finishing he’d better get a move on and get to the finish line. Off he goes. Time for me to start again, make the final push to the end. Mum and Olivia (my niece) keeps telling me they can see mark coming and I have to try and beat him over the finish line. I keep looking back but cant see him, then quick here he comes. He’s at the gate I’ve got 50 yards to go, he’s got 300. Who’s going to win. My niece shouting come on Bickit, Marks catching you, I try to put a spurt on, I cant have him beat me, not now, not when I’ve done so well. I push as hard as I can, I look behind me, he’s catching me. 10 ft to go he’s going to over take me. I put all I have left in me and cross the line with a big smile on my face, I’ve beaten him with two seconds to spare. I managed a remarkable 49 mins and 10 seconds, Mark came in at 49 mins 12 seconds. Not only beaten by a girl, but beaten by his wife! Thank you to Spirit of Monmouth for hosting the event with the aid of Sport Relief. Also to the Marshals cheering us on, St Johns Ambulance, and everyone else involved. Kind regards Vicki, Mark and Skruffie Jeffries. 15th March UPDATE: Im walking every other day although i've had to miss three days this last week. Im walking comfortably 0.85 of a mile although i have to stop 4 times in doing so and am completly knackered at the end. Sundays approaching fast. I've managed to find something comfortable for my feet. They're still uncomfortable with swelling and the walking hasnt helped them go down. Not sure how much training i'll get in this week as i have a hospital appointment and also no car for a couple of days. I've got my mascot ready for Sunday, she goes out with me now, i get some strange looks, but who cares. Im down to walking a 38 minute mile from 48 mins which means i've gotten faster. This dosen't include stopping times. Not sure how the weights doing but i'm feeling thinner. Off out this afternoon to see how far i can get. Wish me luck i'm going with Mark. 5th March UPDATE: Training is going well although my back is in spasm at the moment im determined its not going to slow me down. I've managed to walk 3/4 mile now although ive had to stop five times in doing so, Im ahead of my target walking as by now i should have been walking 1/2 a mile so things are going well. All of your sponsorship is giving me more encouragement to get out and train. Ok so i cant walk every day its walk one day then a day off but i think im doing well. Please continue to sponsor me and cheer me on. Look back weekly for more progress reports. I’m rising to the challenge for Sport Relief - please sponsor me! I am over weight and need to loose about 20 stone. By sponsoring me you have given me a goal to work to.Currently I struggle to walk unaided 100 yards and so with your help and encouragment i hope to be able to walk a mile using a mobility walker by 21st March 2010. My husband has lost a whopping 15 stone and runs half marthons. He has joined a running club "Forest of Dean AC" to help him achieve his goals. He is also running the sport relief 6 mile race. The money you give will help people living incredibly tough lives both at home in the UK and across the world's poorest countries. Thank you for all your support!