500 Miles Completed! We Did It!

We've done it!

After 31 days, countless walks, a few aching legs and plenty of determination, The Self-Proclaimers have officially completed our 500-mile October walking challenge for Dementia UK!

And we've even managed to go beyond our target!

It's been a huge effort from all five of us — Steve M, Steve C, James, Paul and Gareth — and we're delighted to have crossed the finish line together on the final day of October.

A Challenge Worth Taking On

When we started this challenge at the beginning of the month, we knew fitting 500 miles around work, family commitments and everyday life wasn't going to be easy.

And it certainly hasn't been!

There have been early mornings, long weekend hikes, shorter walks squeezed into busy days and the occasional outing when staying at home with a cup of tea seemed a much more appealing option.

But we've also really enjoyed it.

We've explored some fantastic places, made the most of the beautiful countryside on our doorstep and, for much of the month, been surprisingly lucky with the Welsh weather.

More importantly, it's given us all a reason to get outside, be more active and spend less time sitting around at home.

And we can genuinely say we're feeling better for it, both physically and mentally.

It's been challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. Who knows, we might even miss having all those miles to clock up!

Although perhaps not straight away...

Thank You for Your Incredible Support

Of course, the real reason we've been doing all this is to raise money for Dementia UK, a fantastic charity providing vital specialist support to people living with dementia and their families.

At the time of writing, we're still a little short of our £1,000 fundraising target, but thanks to your generosity, we've already raised hundreds of pounds for an incredibly worthwhile cause.

And that's something we're genuinely proud of.

A massive thank you to everyone who has sponsored us, shared our fundraising page or offered words of encouragement along the way. Your support has meant a great deal to all five of us.

And although the walking challenge is now complete, there's still time to donate!

If you haven't sponsored us yet and would like to help us get a little closer to that £1,000 target, you can still make a donation right here on our fundraising page.

Every pound makes a difference, and we'd love to finish our fundraising effort as strongly as we've finished the walking.

So, from all five members of The Self-Proclaimers, thank you!

500 miles. 31 days. Five mates. One fantastic cause.

Challenge completed!

Now, where did we put those slippers?

441 Miles Down. The Finish Line Is in Sight!

What a week it's been for The Self-Proclaimers!

With just six days remaining in our 500-mile October walking challenge for Dementia UK, we're delighted to report that we've now completed an incredible 441 miles between us!

That means we're almost 90% of the way towards our target, with just 59 miles left to go.

And after another fantastic effort from the boys, we're feeling pretty confident about getting there!

Milestones All Round

This week has seen some big personal achievements within the team.

Both Steve M and Steve C have smashed their individual 100-mile targets, while Paul is now just a few miles away from reaching his own milestone.

James is also closing in on his century and will be looking to complete his remaining miles during a trip to Germany this week.

That's right, The Self-Proclaimers are going international!

Meanwhile, Gareth has the coming week off work and is planning to make a substantial dent in his remaining mileage.

So there's plenty to look forward to as we head into the final few days.

One Final Push

Of course, reaching our individual targets doesn't mean anyone gets to put their feet up just yet.

Even those who've already passed the 100-mile mark will be continuing to clock up extra miles to help the team reach our collective goal.

That's been the spirit of this challenge from the beginning. Five mates, each doing what they can around work, family commitments and some increasingly miserable Welsh weather.

And now, after weeks of early starts, long hikes, shorter walks and more than a few aching legs, we're within touching distance.

Just 59 miles between five of us over six days.

Surely we can manage that!

Thank You for Your Support

As always, a massive thank you to everyone who has sponsored The Self-Proclaimers so far.

We're taking on this challenge to raise money for Dementia UK, which provides invaluable specialist support to people living with dementia and their families.

With the finish line now in sight, we'd love to give our fundraising total one final boost.

If you can spare a few pounds, please consider sponsoring us. And if you're unable to donate, sharing our fundraising page with friends, family and colleagues would be hugely appreciated.

Every donation and every bit of encouragement means a great deal.

441 miles down. 59 to go.

One final push, boys. Let's get this done!

300 Miles Down. 200 to Go. It's Going to Be Close!

Three weeks into our challenge to walk 500 miles during October for Dementia UK, and The Self-Proclaimers have reached a major milestone.

We've officially clocked up 300 miles between us!

That's 60% of our overall target completed, with just 12 days of October remaining.

It's a fantastic achievement, and one we're all pretty pleased with. But with another 200 miles still to cover, there's no getting away from the fact that this challenge looks like it's going right down to the wire.

The good news? We're still on track.

The slightly less encouraging news? The weather appears to have realised it's October in Wales.

No Let-Up From the Boys

As we've mentioned in previous updates, one of the biggest challenges has been finding time to get the miles in around work, family life and everything else that comes with it.

And now, just to make things a little more interesting, the weather is starting to turn.

The temperatures are dropping, the rain is becoming more frequent and those opportunities for longer walks during the week are getting increasingly limited.

But despite all that, the boys have put in another fantastic effort over the past seven days.

Paul has been clocking up plenty of miles through running, while Steve C took things to another level with a mammoth walk of more than 20 miles, completed in a single outing lasting over five and a half hours.

That's some serious commitment!

Steve M  and James added more miles to the team total over the weekend, including an eight-mile circular walk around Cwmcarn Forest Drive on Sunday.

And Gareth has been combining time on the tennis courts with walking to clock up more than 30 miles over the past couple of weeks.

Different approaches, different schedules, but the same determination to get those miles on the board.

The Final Push Begins

Our progress so far:

• 300 miles completed
• 200 miles remaining
• 60% of our target achieved

With 12 days left, we need to average just under 17 miles a day between the five of us to reach our target by the end of October.

Put like that, it sounds manageable enough. After all, that's a little over three miles each per day.

But finding those miles consistently, particularly during the working week, is easier said than done.

Some days will inevitably be more productive than others, and we're hoping the weekends will give us the opportunity to make up some ground with a few longer outings.

The important thing is that everyone remains committed, and there's certainly been no shortage of effort so far.

We've come too far now to ease off!

Thank You for Keeping Us Going

Of course, the miles are only part of the story.

The reason we're putting ourselves through all this is to raise money for Dementia UK, a fantastic charity providing specialist support to people living with dementia and their families during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

A massive thank you to everyone who has sponsored The Self-Proclaimers so far. Your generosity and encouragement really do mean a great deal to all five of us.

And with the finish line starting to come into view, we'd love to give our fundraising total another boost.

If you haven't sponsored us yet and can spare a few pounds, please consider making a donation. Every contribution, however small, helps support the incredible work Dementia UK does.

And whether you're able to donate or not, please share our fundraising page with your friends, family and colleagues. The more people we can reach, the more we can hopefully raise for this brilliant cause.

We've got 200 miles left to walk, the weather isn't getting any warmer, and the clock is ticking.

But we're still on target, still determined and still giving it everything we've got.

300 miles down. 200 to go.

Let's see what the next seven days bring!

Keeping the Miles Ticking Over

When we started on 1 October, the five of us — Steve, Steve C, James, Paul and Gareth — were full of determination to reach our target of 100 miles each.

The opening weekend went brilliantly, helped by some fantastic weather. But as we suspected, the second week has proved rather more challenging.

It's not that the enthusiasm has disappeared. Far from it. But that initial excitement of starting something new inevitably gives way to the realities of everyday life.

There's work to juggle, family commitments, fewer daylight hours and the ever-unpredictable Welsh weather. And sometimes, after a long day, the motivation to head back outside simply isn't there.

But that's what makes it a challenge.

Every little helps

One thing we've all been reminded of this week is that every mile counts.

It's not always possible to head out for a five or ten-mile walk. Sometimes it's just a couple of miles during a lunch break, a short walk after work or even a trip to the local shops.

The important thing is to make the most of those opportunities, however small, because the miles soon add up.

And that's exactly what we've been doing.

James has been fitting longer evening walks around family commitments, while Paul has been clocking up miles wherever possible, including during a visit to the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

He's even been heading out for walks after playing tennis, apparently deciding that running around a court wasn't quite enough exercise for one day!

The weekend offered an opportunity for something more ambitious.

On Sunday, the two Steves, accompanied by Spud, tackled a route suggested by James, starting at Fourteen Locks in High Cross, climbing to the summit of Twmbarlwm and returning via the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

What was supposed to be a reasonably manageable outing turned into a 15-mile hike lasting four hours and 45 minutes.

Thankfully, the weather was on their side, and the spectacular views from the summit made all the climbing worthwhile.

Gareth, meanwhile, is keeping track of his mileage separately rather than using Strava, so his contribution isn't yet reflected in our combined recorded total.

Different routines, different commitments and different opportunities to get outside, but the same determination to keep adding those miles.

The numbers so far

We're now approaching 150 miles of our 500-mile target, based on the mileage recorded by four of the five team members.

That's around 30% of our overall challenge completed, with Gareth's miles still to be added.

With 19 days of October remaining, we've got just over half the month left but considerably more than half the distance still to cover.

Nobody said this was going to be easy!

The next couple of weeks will require a real collective effort. Some of us will inevitably have more time available than others, so those who can manage a few extra miles may need to help make up the difference.

That's one of the benefits of tackling this as a team. While we've each set ourselves a personal target of 100 miles, it's the combined 500 miles we're working towards.

Keeping the momentum going

As we head into the third week, consistency is going to be key.

We know that fitting walks around work and family life won't get any easier, particularly as the evenings get darker. So the plan is to keep adding whatever miles we can during the week, then hopefully tackle some longer distances at the weekend.

The second week has certainly tested our motivation, but we're still making progress.

And with plenty of October remaining, there's still time to make a serious dent in that outstanding mileage.

Thank you for your support

Of course, while we're busy counting miles, it's important to remember why we're doing this.

We're raising money for Dementia UK, a fantastic charity providing vital support to people living with dementia and their families during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

A huge thank you to everyone who has sponsored The Self-Proclaimers so far. We genuinely appreciate every donation and message of encouragement.

But we'd love to raise even more.

We know money is tight for many people, but if you can spare a few pounds to support our challenge, it would mean a great deal. Every donation, however small, helps support Dementia UK's incredible work.

And if you're unable to donate, please consider sharing our fundraising page with friends, family and colleagues. Spreading the word is another fantastic way to help.

We've still got a lot of miles ahead of us, and the next couple of weeks will be a real test of our commitment.

But we're determined to give it everything we've got.

Five walkers. 500 miles. One fantastic cause.

We'll keep putting one foot in front of the other and hopefully, by this time next week, we'll have made another big dent in that remaining distance.

The Self-Proclaimers are off and walking!

Last Thursday, 1 October, The Self-Proclaimers officially began our challenge to walk 500 miles as a team in support of Dementia UK — and it’s fair to say we’ve hit the ground walking.

After just our first weekend, we’ve already completed 12% of our overall 500-mile target.

We were helped by some surprisingly kind Welsh weather, which gave us the perfect excuse to get outside and put some serious miles on the clock. And one of the nicest things about the weekend was being reminded just how much there is to discover practically on our own doorsteps.

It’s very easy to travel the same roads and follow the same routines without really noticing what’s around you. But once you put on a pair of walking shoes and head out with a few miles to cover, you suddenly start discovering footpaths, views and places you might otherwise never have appreciated.

Between us, our opening weekend took us to some great spots, including walks around the Folly Tower in Pontypool, while others added to the total exploring Newport Food Festival. It turns out the miles can mount up pretty quickly when there’s good food involved too.

A brilliant start — but now comes the challenge

Getting 12% of the way there in the opening few days has given us a fantastic start, but keeping up that momentum is going to be the real test.

Weekends give us more opportunities to head out for longer walks. Monday to Friday is a different matter.

We’re all working, the evenings are getting darker and, this being Wales in October, we probably shouldn’t expect the weather to remain quite so cooperative for the rest of the month!

So the challenge this week is to keep finding opportunities to get those miles in — whether that's a proper walk before or after work, heading out at lunchtime, or simply finding ways of walking a little further than we normally would.

Then, when the weekend arrives, hopefully we can get back outside and really start ramping up the mileage again.

Thank you for your support

Most importantly, a huge thank you to everyone who has sponsored us so far.

Every donation gives us another reason to keep going, particularly when the weather turns, the nights draw in and another few miles suddenly seem considerably less appealing than they did in the sunshine!

We'd love to raise as much as we possibly can for Dementia UK, so if you haven't sponsored us yet and would like to support the challenge, we'd be incredibly grateful. And even if you can't donate, sharing our fundraising page with friends, family and colleagues can make a huge difference too.

We'll keep sharing updates as we go, along with some of the places we discover on our travels.

500 miles. One team. One month.

We've made a great start.

Now we just need to keep walking.

We will walk 500 Miles (hopefully) in October for Dementia UK

In the words of The Proclaimers classic, we're gonna be (hopefully) walking 500 miles as a team in October to raise awareness, and money, for Dementia UK, to help ensure no family faces dementia alone. 

Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nursing charity, and we would be grateful for your support.

Your donation, big or small, makes a difference. £33 could fund a new dementia specialist Admiral Nurse to spend an hour helping a family in the community, offering practical solutions and emotional support to cope with their loved one’s distressed behaviour.

Thank you!