Welly Walks the Walk for Christchurch!

We did it! My wonderful friend Meghan, of MNM’s blog, organized a group of around 70 people and we all gathered, in the rain, to walk 10 km around Wellington’s waterfront to raise money for the Red Cross earthquake appeal for Christchurch. Over $2,000 was raised (and if you’d like to donate please click here… an estimated $20 billion is needed to rebuild Christchurch!).

I considered taking my ‘tribe’ with me, but Charlotte had a bad tummy in the night and Alice had been awake for a couple of hours partying! Instead, I left Dan to bravely manage the girls in Te Papa solo, whilst I walked/jogged the 10km (he did a sterling job, of course!).

And so, just after 10am we set off (great photographs on Meghan’s blog). I walked for a wee while, having a chat with a couple of other walkers, before making good use of my old running shoes.

I thought I’d better take a photograph of the half-way point, just so that everyone would believe that I actually reached it – and I swear I didn’t hitch a lift along the way either; just me and my running shoes 🙂

Not long after turning around at the half way mark I rendezvoused with the team of walkers in red and black. Erm, I wasn’t exactly ‘running’ – well it felt like running (certainly had a sweat on – er, no, that was just rain in my face). I suppose I was moving at the pace of a toddler stopping to jump in every puddle (I discovered my old running shoes take on water).

I took quite a few pit-stops to take snaps on my phone camera (as well as jump in puddles) and make use of the excellent public facilities at Balaena Bay (so nice to pee on a toilet positioned where the lapping waves can be seen through the board-panneled floor below).

There was a challenging northerly to make the return route along Evan’s Bay a bit tougher. I tucked my chin into my chest and forged on, head long into it, actually kind of glad of the extra oxygen being blown into my lungs!

Turning the corner to Oriental Parade I was on the home stretch. The wind dropped and I jogged/walked on, feeling it a little in my legs.

I was glad to finish up and meet up with the family at Te Papa (after gulping down three large glasses of water!).

Great to be involved in this awesome fundraising effort. Thanks so much to my Aunty Ellen & Uncle John for sponsoring me and to my wonderful blogger friend ‘Meeks’ from ‘Juggling Motherhood‘ for sponsoring us too. And thanks to Meghan for organising the walk!