Having a crack at doing the HACK

Aug 30 2008 by Hazel Ettienne, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SUNDAY will definitely be my day of rest this week.

I may not be the world’s greatest churchgoer, but in my experience that’s not necessarily a prerequisite to being a good person. So tomorrow, I’ve awarded myself some time off, not to go to church, but quite literally to put my feet up for a well-earned rest.

As you read this column I could be at any point between Hade Edge and part of the Peak District.

I am, along with hundreds of others, attempting to complete the 25-mile HACK.

If you have read my ramblings in the past, you will no doubt be aware of my love of the game of rugby league, and my family’s association with the fantastic sport.

But the HACK has nothing to do with the New Zealand All Blacks precursor to matches.

The Hike Against Cruelty to Kids is an annual event which raises money for the children’s charity the NSPCC.

It is publicised as taking place in the “breathtaking Last of the Summer Wine country”

“The route will take you along picturesque reservoirs, over striking moorland and through sheltered valleys” says the flyer.

Friend Jeanette is the brainchild behind the attempt.

She reached a certain age this summer and decided a challenge was what was needed to ensure she felt that youth was still on her side. Her friends knew it already was.

I made a similar decision two years ago when I completed the Race for Life in a credible time and managed to persuade myself that I was indeed “Fabulous at Forty.”

So, we have walked and talked, drunk water and wine as part of our training regime.

Over the past few months we have trodden through fields of cows, been bitten by midges, stung by nettles and developed blisters and chafing in places we never knew existed.

Jeanette, a well-organised woman, has been strictly following a month-long training plan, even when on her two-week summer break.

A text received one evening had me in stitches – “Have just completed 16.7 miles, I thought I was going to die!”

The rest of us have also trained hard. One of us has previously done a half-marathon and is a regular runner.

Colleagues have commented they have seen me “walking with determination” on routes around the Holme Valley.

Our training plan has also included a weekend in Dublin, for planning purposes only, of course.

Colleague Barry Gibson, who took part in the walk last year, completed it in nine hours and has recommended a stout walking stick to assist en route, not for afterwards, though one may be needed.

The organisers have also provided a lengthy list of items you need and have promised free bananas and water at the three checkpoints along the way. I wonder if chocolates and champagne would have provide a better incentive?

The forecast for the weekend is good and walker number 109 (me) is quietly confident of success. Give me a wave if you pass by.

The event has raised more than £200,000 for children since 2005 and this year’s challenge aims to raise £75,000 for children.

The NSPCC’s vision is a society in which all children are loved, valued and able to fulfil their potential.

For my part, I will be walking in aid of the NSPCC but in memory of our lovely friend and colleague Adrian Sudbury.

His resilience, commitment and determination while battling leukaemia will be my inspiration. How can a mere 25-mile walk compare?

This one’s for you, Sudders.