Four months on from the fateful high fives
at the Christmas party; and would you believe it, all four members of
Team Tarahumara are in the same country and going for a walk!
We set off from along the Thames Path from Reading station just after 9am, our eyes fixed on Oxford. It was a classically
British Easter Bank Holiday Monday - it was raining, and according to some internet measuring, this would be a 38 mile
outing in the rain.
We clocked up miles quickly, pretty happy
that we all fell into a similar pace, and stopped for a spot of lunch at
around mile 15. With hoods still clinging to our heads we set off
again, still hopping to catch a glimpse of a water vole which
was frustratingly elusive during our last walk. While we didn't spot much in the way of
wildlife (they knew better than to spend their Bank Holiday out in the
rain) we did stumble across many the WWII pill box along our walk, all
still keeping a watchful eye on the Thames.
The rain was unrelenting, never
particularly hard, but ever present. Fortunately this didn't dampen
(apologies) our spirits and we managed to keep a good steady pace all
day. It wasn’t until about mile 24 that Haley gently asked if anyone
else was feeling any aches or pains, the consensus being that we were each
feeling it in our feet a bit. Haley was buoyed by this, being her first
walk with the rest of the team, she was concerned that she was the only
one feeling it. However, when we parked our bums for a quick snack
shortly after, our Antipodean took off her shoe to reveal a chalk white
foot, wrinkled from being wet from mile one; and what was either a
blister or a new big toe. Fortunately calls from her father all the way
back in Oz filled her with enough anti colonial gusto to bravely soldier
on without complaint for the next 9 miles.
We suspect the extra miles might have
caused the mirage like phenomenon of Didcot. From around mile 20 until
the last 3 we just couldn’t seem to shake the specter of the two grey
cooling towers puffing away. When we first noticed them they were a good
deal behind us, but then by some strange twist in the universe (or
possibly the river) they disappeared and reappeared some distance ahead
of us! Next they were to our left and then to our right. For the next 10
miles they would sneak up at us from all angles. It was hilarious at
first, but they slowly chipped away at souls as the miles ticked on and
Didcot continued to mock us. Chloe took the direct approach at dealing
with the problem - shouting expletives at the inanimate towers - and
although it may not have shooed them away, it certainly appeared to lift
her and the groups spirits. 
It turns out that Reading to Oxford along
the Thames path is a good deal further than Reading to Oxford just along
the Thames. Coming up off the river to walk through pretty little places
such as Goring and Streately adds, at best guess, another ten miles on.
As we arrived at Abingdon, and with darkness having fallen, the team took
the decision that it was time to call it a day. The thought that we have
to do this distance twice over on the day is a little daunting, but as
Chloe and Rich dashed along Abingdon High Street to catch the bus we
could see that even when you’re dog tired; there’s still some reserves
hidden away somewhere, which gives us comfort.
Sooo, What did we learn from our first walk together as a full team?
You take fewer photos in the rain, you
NEED either waterproof boots/shoes or socks - otherwise your feet turn
to mush, The words to the rap from 'Oh What a Night' (Thanks Chloe),
and if you're feet are aching from walking, surprisingly, a little jog
can offer sweet relief.
All in all we managed 33 miles in 11 hours 22 minutes including breaks, if it floats your boat, you can check our route here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/167212348
