You are welcome to the journey!

Learning that I am to walk the distance of 2 1/2 marathons and ascend the equivalent of Ben Nevis has surely focused the mind.

It's just dawning on me the seriousness of the challenge.

So I've started to train - a business trip in Torquay involved a 25min uphill treadmill session earlier this week; today an à pieds trip to the postoffice (combined nicely with looking after the 2 youngest children) turned into a training sprint. I was late picking up my 2 eldest from school and in meeting with Hope's teacher ("Sorry I'm late Miss Maule!").

I'm so pleased that I've been able to hook up with 3 other people who are as mad as me - as I queried Stevie as to whether he'd really understood the task at hand he replied...

"1. I am mad
2. I am not insane!"

I wanted a challenge - something to reach for - an impact to make.

For me Oxfam is an important charity. On the "About Us" section of their web site they have this statement of intent:

"Our purpose is to work with others to overcome poverty and suffering."

Seth Godin in his book Tribes says that we in the West don't just have an opportunity to lead, to create something good and to overcome poverty and suffering - we have an obligation to do so.

So in brief that is what has brought me to this place - with 3 other team-mates under the banner of "The Leading Followers" (a testimony to our Jesus-following credentials) we embark on a challenge that is 2-fold: As Oxfam say...

"walking a blinking long way, and meeting your fundraising commitment."

So now I turn to you...

Please get on board - here's how:

1. Recruit a team and take the challenge yourself - that would be the best thing;
2. Sponsor me by clicking the button below - the next best thing;
3. Consider volunteering for our support team - er, also the next best thing;
4. Subscribe and follow this blog to be a part of it each and every step of the way (there's an RSS link to the right).

I hope that I can Tweet the walk - if I can make sure I have the mobile battery life.