So, I have had a week to think about how things went with my long run last Sunday and I am feeling positive. By the end of the run, I was feeling very tired, my body was already starting to stiffen up and I was getting seriously worried. How on earth would I be able to do the same again in the Jungle every day for 5 days??! The next morning everything felt stiff, and I really did not want to get up to spend the day in Denholme teaching Bikeability. But I made it to Denholme and within an hour was finding myself running up flights of stairs without any problems and the stiffness was barely there. The thought of another long run wasn’t attractive, but I wasn’t feeling it an impossibility. Hooray!

The main thing that I had learned from the long run with a 12kg pack was that I could do it, but I needed much more in the way of edibles to keep me energised and motivated. I had intended that one small pack of sweets would be enough for 5 days, but it definitely would not be. Nothing like a great excuse to buy lots of sweets - cola bottles, liquorice allsorts, love hearts, dolly mixtures and more. Into my water bottles will be Tailwind to give me more energy and more importantly to maintain my caffeine levels. I drink a lot of coffee in normal life so going without cafetieres of my favourite coffee is going to be a challenge in the jungle. And not just the caffeine intake. I have been testing out instant cappuccino sachets from various suppliers over the last few years and now it is final decision time – a difficult decision!