Hi Janet.
The first challenge I did was the Woldsman this walk is very close to my heart a lovely walk. I had just joined and was a little nervous what I did was try to walk at a fast pace and stay just behind a strong walker Roma Haigh who is quite fast I did not know her at the time but she is lovely if you meet her. My Problem was I was not used to walking at this fast pace so after 30 miles I was struggling heavily and was at the back of the field. Lots of things went through my mind and thought about quitting. Luckily for me one of the Irregulars and started walking with me. He started chatting about things and started encouraging me and said dont worry about the time the Marshals will let you finish if you are out of time . This made me feel a lot stronger and I finished quite strongly. The fellow who was with me I never got his name but he saw I was struggling and helped me through.

I Have walked many challenges now but no matter what when see someone struggle I would always help them through. I did a tough walk in the lakes 10 peak challenge I ended walking with John pennifold who is quite a character with the ldwa and just before we started the accent of pillar we heard a lady in distress . She was a runner who had hit the wall and just wanted to quit we managed to talk her into coming up the hill with us and then she would quit at the next check point when she got there and had something to eat she carried on.

There are always people to help in the ldwa before I joined the group thewalks I did were challenging and on my own. With the ldwa I have found lot of freindly walkers to walk with at all levels and are always willing to help but I think the guidelines are just that unlike Events outside the ldwa which are much stricter and you cary much too much equipment common sense comes into this with the ldwa.
Regards jeff

Looking at the list of LDWA organised 50 mile events I am struck by the erosion of the traditional 24 hour time limit.
Roundhay 50 - 50 miles in 20 hours
The Woldsman - 50 miles in 20 hours
Spring in Lakeland - 50 miles in 22 hours
Surrey Tops 50 miles in 20 hours
Many thanks to The Irregulars, North West Grampian group and Wiltshire for keeping the 24 hour time limit for their events.
What is the rush? My first 50 took a painful 22 hours 30 and I would not have had the confidence to enter one with a 20 hour time limit. Are we no longer concerned about the new untried long distance walker, the slow and steady or the walker returning to long distances after injury or illness? This has resonances with the correspondence in Strider about the speed of group walks. Perhaps we should be renaming the organisation.