Mile 14 to Mile 28
By the time we got to the half way point we were completely smashing it hitting all of our timing goals and speeding though the coastal path even when it was incredibly muddy. We completed the first 14 miles from Sandbanks Ferry to St. Aldhems head in 5 hours 5 minutes. It was lovely for my sister to give me the luxury off stopping for 5 minutes to update everyone properly... but she wouldn't let me sit down... her favourite phrase throughout the day was "come on" and man oh man did I get angry at her saying it, but I honestly couldn't have done it without her she was my helping hand, photographer and all round motivator.
As soon as we hit mile 14 I knew it was going to get hard, once we turned the corner you could see every single hill that we would have to climb and this is when it got mentally tough but thankfully I still had energy! That was until I saw what people call THE BEAST... its hundreds of steps straight down and hundreds back up! The way down my toes where killing and the way up my thighs where in agony and I struggled to breath stopping every 2 mins or so. This is where I really had to dig deep and remember who I was doing it for and the smiles on the kiddies faces when they get to go on our adventures. Every step up that I took I would say another child's name in my head from TLC and that was my motivation to keep going!! I was incredibly happy to get to the top. The coastal path is honestly so deceiving it looks so beautiful from a distance and then it becomes treacherous...
Just over the top of the hill as I was catching my breath I saw my cousin who is the same age as me come and join and even though she probably couldn't tell I was soooo happy to see her... more motivation at a time where it was definitely needed. We walked about 1/4 of a mile and then came across our next hill ... when you go down ... you've gotta go up ... Chapman's Pool was lethal... This is where the mud slides began. To be brutally honest it was more like a slip and slide or an ice skating rink than a hike in the country side... every step you would take you would slide 3 more.. you would think that would be useful but it really wasn't. I spent most of this part of the journey either on my bottom or my hands and knees trying to grip on to any clump of grass, bush or bramble that I could reach.
Between Chapman's Pool and Kimmerage is honestly such a blur. All I really remember are other walkers passing from the opposite direction pointing out that I looked like I had hugged the mud and the fact that there were many other hills between those two points. Every time it felt like we were getting closer to Clavels tower at Kimmerage we would turn the corner and find yet another couple of hills. At this point I was 100% ready to give up!
Time was getting on and I knew this section had taken a lot longer to complete than I had expected and this made me angry with myself. When we finally got to the hill going into Kimmerage I saw my parents car in the distance and all I wanted to do was cry and go home to where I was comfortable and warm! Once we got down the hill our parents where waiting for us cheering us on and refilled our water for us. This is where I cried. My body had been pushed to limits it had never been to before. My face was pale, I felt dizzy and weak I honestly looked scary in the reflection of the car. (It was only at the end of the hike that my mum said she wanted me to come home at that point as I looked awfully sick). Kimmerage was thankfully over the 3/4 mark but honestly I didn't even have the energy to update people at that point. I was exhausted.
Just past the car park at Kimmerage we saw the stone marker telling us that it was only 6 and 1/4 miles till Lulworth Cove. This motivated me for honestly about 5 minutes... until I saw the next hill. I was still trying to hold back the tears. During the first 7 miles I was happy, smiling and it was one big adventure. Miles 7-14 I pulled a muscle in the back of my thigh and it was agony but I had to push through the pain because it was for my kiddies. Between here I also smashed my shoulder on a concrete step as I was shutting a country gate. Miles 14 to 21 where mud slide mania, never ending hills and trenches close to the cliff. But 21 to 28 I have never seen so many big steep hills in one day, that I knew I'd eventually have to climb. From this point you could easily see the big chalk cliff where we knew was close to the finish line just before the Cove. This is when everything was a struggle. My entire body hurt. I looked up at Woolburrow Bay and mentally it was impossible. A steep never ending hill. Every step I took didn't feel like it made any difference. It just went on forever. Every 5 or so steps I'd have to stop. My sister shouting "come on, you can do it, just a few more steps, your nearly there" from ahead and my cousin by the side of me cheering me on offering to help however she could. My toes felt like there where going to fall off I could feel the blisters popping in my shoes! Everytime I stopped I felt like I was going to faint. We were so close but still so far. I did question whether I was going to make it at multiple points along the way. But as pale as a ghost I made it to the top, ate a banana had a drink and off we went. A lovely bit of nearly levelled out ground. I was happy for the small improvement at that point but new the sun was starting to disappear so we had to step up the pace otherwise it would become dangerous very quickly.
My Sister and Cousin being my satnav was a great decision to start with but I started to regret it when every hill we went over there was "just one more to go" so by this point I had stopped believing them.
On the hill down into Mupe Bay my toes were it total agony so my cousin suggested I walked backwards and that was honestly the best peice of advice I had all day ... the feeling of my toes being free was incredible. When we were on the Walborrow Bay Hill my sister said that Mupe Bay was the last big hill but it wasn't as bad as the one we had just done. Man oh man did she lie It felt steeper and longer. It was only when I thought I was half way that I looked back and realised that I was only a 1/4 done that it felt impossible... So close to the end but in my head I had given up. I love the kiddies so much I just had to keep saying their names and reminding myself of the reasons I had decided to do the hike in the first place. It was a Massive Challenge and that was the point. As we were walking up the hill the sun began to disappear quicker so I pushed my body through every limit it had and kept going. We were finally at the top and it was the first time all day that I could actually see the Cove!!
As we started walking (or hobbling for me) down the hill my Dad came to join us for the final part of the walk to cheer us on ... or me on haha the other girls where still fine and could have probably walked another 20 miles if I wasn't with them. They do a lot more exersize than me though. I'm the sort of person who would drive to the local shop whereas they would both run. When we got to the bottom of that hill the sun was beautiful it was beginning to set. A beautiful orange colour that quickly turned the sky pink.
As we walked on further more of my family came to join for the ending which was lovely even though I was grumpy and not in the best of moods... I had been up since midnight and had walked for 12 and a half hours at this point. Down the last mud slide we went pretty much all of us slid and fell in the mud at some point but it was all worth it too see the sun finish setting in the cove. A beautifully difficult coastal walk!
Unfortunately it was over yet, we had come down the cliffs but Lulworth Cove beach is made of pebbles and stones. So every muscle that hadn't been strained on the walk was now being tested as we hiked half way around the Cove to the road up to the car. I knew if I stopped I wouldn't get started again so I just had to power through.
As we were making our way towards the car park two of my aunties and cousin came to congratulate us on finishing. I was so happy to be finished, but I was physically, mentally and emotionally drained. Nothing else left to give. Tears began running down my cheeks as I processed what I had just done!
I'd like to thank everyone that made this possible and everyone who was soo generous to donate to such a wonderful bunch of kiddies. I'm sure they will really appreciate everyone's kindness and generosity, it is much appreciated.
Love Anna x
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