Text contributed by Johnny; pics by Pete, Johnny, Rachael, Anneliese and Roy.
For me, this Sandlings Walk was about proving to myself that I could still do the endurance stuff and come out with a smile on my face. I was ill for quite a bit after last year’s beer camp (no, it wasn’t as a result of drinking too much of Lou’s mighty fine ginger git ale!!) and it was the first time in my life that I’d faced being incapacitated, so this was all about the journey back to the “old” Johnny.
The Sandlings Walk is just under 60 miles; it starts opposite Ipswich hospital and finishes at Southwold by the pier. We were doing the walk over two days, with an overnight break at The Blaxhall Ship.
Rachael had put on a few 20 mile training walks to prepare us and I’d partaken in these, but obviously walking nearly 60 miles in two days was going to be something else altogether!! When the Saturday morning arrived, I was actually quite excited to finally be doing the walk. No more preparation and build up; it was time to see if I still had some of the old me inside.
Thirteen of us met up at the start and Pauline joined us at Martlesham creek to make a group of 14. Even as we set off the temperature was really warm and I knew we’d be in for a tough day.
We stopped for some light refreshment in Woodbridge, a nice place to relax for a bit with lovely views of the river Deben. The miles had flown up to this point because we were all chatting and having a great time. I was a little sad here because I knew this was where Anneliese was leaving the walk to become support for us all, but I knew she’d be great in this role.
I was about to find out just how good when one of the group had a nasty fall at Bromeswell Village Hall. Two people handled the first aid and I got Anneliese on the phone – she was back with us within 30 minutes! It really was a slick operation; before I knew it, our casualty was off to hospital to be assessed!!
We’d obviously now lost some time and wondered if we’d make it to The Ship in time for our dinner (I’d eaten all my lunch at Bromeswell, but luckily Anneliese was carrying spare in the car) so we all went off with a sense of urgency.
Before I knew it, we were having a stop at St. John the Baptist Church, Wantisden – I just couldn’t believe how quick the day was going.
We arrived at The Blaxhall Ship at 18.20; I was really pleased to see Anneliese there to cheer the group’s arrival and gave her a big hug. We all had a lovely dinner and some of the group went out to listen to nightjars, but my bed was calling me now.
In the morning, we all had a full English breakfast, which really filled us up. I wondered how I’d feel at the start of today’s walk, but there was no rest because I still wanted to push myself. Today was really hot again and I knew some of the route ahead would be quite sandy underfoot so it would be hard going but I knew we had a good group to take my mind off it.
I was looking forward to seeing the progress made at Sizewell C (because of my job) and was delighted when we stopped at Sizewell beach cafe for ice-creams and a can of coke for a boost. The walk up the coastline bought a refreshing breeze and stunning views across RSPB Minsmere. Then, onwards to Dunwich and the Greyfriars medieval friary. There was a nice surprise for me here as Anneliese was waiting on a bench to see us all and catch up on how we were doing!
Some of us had blisters and various aches and pains, but we were all still cheerful and very supportive of each other and the weather was still good. The views around this part of the walk were lovely and it was easy to just lose yourself in the lovely countryside setting.
The next place was Walberswick, and as we walked across the bridge to Southwold, I knew we didn’t have far until The Harbour Inn (our dinner stop) would come into view. Anneliese was there to greet us all again and cheer our success.
The dinner here went down a treat but we still had a bit to go, so now was not the time for complacency. The last 1.5 miles flew by (like most of this walk for me) and then I’d made it and felt good!!
The group made a real difference with chat, encouragement and banter, and I want to thank everyone who took part for being such wonderful human beings!! I could scarcely believe that I had no aches or pains! I guess there is some of the old Johnny left in me after all!
What next? Did someone mention a 50 miler?…