Ross completed the full walks at Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee. I completed the full walks at Glasgow and Dundee. The reason for not doing full walks at all of them was Isla. She really wanted to be part of it this year, and was just old enough to do so. We decided that she was definitely doing the wee walk at Speyside and Edinburgh. After doing Edinburgh in May she was desperate for the next one and so signed up to Aberdeen. At the start of the year, we didn't know exactly the walks we would be doing, but started with Glasgow in April and took it from there. With Jock deciding that he was going for all of them this year, I felt I wanted to be there too at all of them offering team support, and that's how we ended up being involved in them all.
My last blog was written after completing the Edinburgh Kiltwalk, when Isla caught the Kiltwalk bug. She signed up to do the Aberdeen one straight away. The Aberdeen Kiltwalk was a longer walk at 8 miles for Isla. Due to the route at Aberdeen there is only 2 walks rather than 3. The walk started at Banchory. At the start Isla and I met up with Keane and his granny Hazel. Isla and Keane hit it off and got along the whole walk. The walk took a long time with this pair, stopping every couple of steps, but they were funny together. Isla was delighted at the end when her Clic Sargent social worker was there and presented her with a Clic Sargent medal, aswell as her Kiltwalk one.
With the Aberdeen Kiltwalk being at the beginning of June, there is a break before the next Kiltwalk at Speyside in September. Isla was excited once again for her walk. As I have already completed the half and full walk at Speyside I was looking forward to just doing the Wee Walk, Of course there was an element of guilt for just doing a Wee Walk, but I would rather walk with Isla. If the need takes me I can go for a walk there anytime! I would also say that the Wee Walk at Speyside is lovely, a flat route where you walk from Aberlour to Craigellachie and back again. Speyside has the advantage of the hills in the middle, with a downhill, then a flat finish. Speyside also boasts magnificent scenery and more importantly a brilliant after party in the Mash Tun. Ross, myself and Isla walked along with my brothers daughter, it was her first walk. She definitely wanted to be part of the Kiltwalk as well. My Dad also appeared on the day and supported us by walking with us too.
Of course, we're just a small part of a bigger team for Logan's Fund at Speyside. Here's more of them, but not all. Go 'Logan's Tartan Turtle Army!'
The last Kiltwalk of the year was Dundee. Our team of Cameron, Richard, Jock, Ross and myself were completing the last full walk of the year. Not forgetting Holly, who was completing her fifth and final wee walk of the year alongside mum Eli. After walking with Isla for 3 walks, it felt very strange to walk at Dundee without her. I really missed her and all the other kids who walk on the wee walks. However, it's not a challenge for me to walk a wee walk and you almost feel guilty for doing so (almost).
Dundee started wet! There had been a few days of rain prior to the walk so the park where we started was wet. Earlier in the year I bought myself a new pair of walking trainers online claiming to be waterproof. The material on them may be waterproof, but the hundreds of little holes to make them breathable do not make the trainer waterproof! So, with wet feet at the start, it caused a few minor problems for me. I usually put Zinc Oxide tape on my feet. With Ross in charge of packing painkillers, tape etc, I didn't realise my tape was not packed until it was time to tape up my feet. Instead I put on podiatry felt, which is almost good enough. However, when this got wet, a little bit of it peeled off my foot, just under my toes. About 3 miles into the walk, I felt I was maybe developing a blister. I think, because of this, I was walking differently to protect that area. Later on I started to experience sciatica. I kept stopping every so often to stretch my back or squat to ease the pain. The pain in my back obviously messed with my head a little and put an element of doubt into my ability to complete the walk. This thought coupled with missing Isla, led to me becoming a little upset and fighting off a panic attack. I stopped a couple of times trying to compose myself. A very kindly gentleman and master tablet maker sensitively stopped walking after he passed us, allowed us to catch up and offer us a piece of tablet. This little act of kindness helped a great deal. He obviously could tell I was struggling emotionally, rather than offer words of comfort where I would start greeting, he offered a distraction - very clever man! Turns out being nice to someone like me, will just make me more upset, distraction is the key!
After passing the half way point, I was beginning to feel a bit better emotionally, just needed to keep plodding on. I posted online and also checked up on the status of others in our group. I reckoned that they were about an hour in front of us. About a mile later, at beautiful Broughty Ferry imagine my surprise to discover Jock and Cameron, alongside Team Simba's Allan and Tudge, sat in front of a pub enjoying an unofficial pit stop. Apparently it was the second one too. No longer an hour in front! After some banter and some pain relief supplied by the boys, it was time for Ross and I to get walking again. Twenty minutes later we were passed by the 'pit stoppers' walking very briskly on the lookout for their next pit stop. The scenery along Broughty Ferry, and along to Discovery Point was a welcome distraction, and passed quite quickly for me. By Discovery Point, we decided we need some refreshment and lo and behold discovered Jock, Cameron, Tudge and Allan once again.
Topped up with painkillers we were off again walking along to the airport, then back through Dundee to the finish. The last pit stop was offering soup. That soup was just ideal. I don't enjoy eating all the sweet things offered on a Kiltwalk, so this was perfect. Ross was struggling more towards the end with pain, but mine was bearable. When I finished I booked in for a massage due to the sciatica I had experienced. She warned me that as I'd been protecting the side with the sciatica the other side of me was really tight. The next morning I woke up with a sore neck, that I couldn't turn to the left! So, getting wet feet, led to sciatica and the resulting sore neck. Next time I think, either new waterproof trainers or carrier bags on your feet like the couple I'd seen at the start! My neck pain lasted almost 4 weeks.
But, what's a sore neck compared to what the kids go through? Nothing, not worthy of noting really. Only an experience for future walks, to make them that little easier.
Our fundraising for this year is now complete and between Ross, Isla, Becky, Cerys and myself we raised £1662 without gif taid, so a big thank you to everyone who supported us along the way.
Of course, our Kiltwalk experience does not end there, there's always next year!
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