Following on from bernjb56's earlier post about it being World Cancer Day, I thought now might be a suitable time to share my efforts on the subject. Last year we lost a good friend to cancer, leaving behind her husband and three children, the youngest of which was barely 3 years old at the time. She is the third face from our wedding pictures to vanish thanks to cancer - all of which were on the bright side of 40 when they were taken - and I made a promise that this year I'd do something fairly monumental to raise money for Cancer Research. About 30 years ago I read a book called 500 Mile Walkies; it's about a bloke who borrows his sister's dog to walk the South West Coastal Path, a feat he undertook because he told a girl he was going to do it at a party in a bid to impress her. I don't have to borrow my sister's dog because I've got my own, and I don't have to impress a girl because I already impress my wife with my innate bellendery every day... but I do like the challenge. In June I'm taking my dog for a walk from Minehead, down and around the Devon and Cornwall coastline, and on through to Poole in Dorset. And just to help matters, they've apparently discovered an extra 130 miles of coastline since the book was written, because it now stretches on for 630. If anyone fancies following the trip or, indeed, sponsoring me I will be updating my Six Hundred Mile Walkies Facebook page as I go ( https://www.facebook.com/Six-Hundred-Mile-Walkies-361804177735363/ ). On a side note, if anyone needs any bits for their bus, let me know - I'll be clearing out shedloads trying to fund everything I'll need to survive the six weeks I've taken off work. Between now and June I will be getting in training by reading about other peoples experiences of the challenge and burying my head in a bucket of sand. Cheers All, Moo
You should have made it 500 miles, then written a song about it. On a serious note though, you must be mad, 600 miles is a long way. Have you set a time scale? On a more serious note, very good and worthwhile cause. Hats off to you sir
Thanks, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to write a song about it... something that even the Proclaimers wouldn't want to claim any part of . As far as timescale goes, I've wangled six weeks off work thinking that 105miles a week might be plausible - I'm going to try and get around in as close to 5 weeks as possible, tho, because I don't really fancy going straight back to work. All of that might still be a bit wishfull thinking: I walked to St Agnes and back, from Perranporth, the other day - Uncle Google tracked me at doing 10.5miles, and i felt like i could do the walk again (just) and thats what i need to hit for my target each day . The guide book, however, claims it's only 3 miles each way. And on an easy stretch! Whatever, it's going to be fun, hard, painful, and rewarding... and all for a good cause. And, of course, the weather is going to stay pleasantly moderate throughout, with only short little breaks of rain just to top up the puddles for Gizmo to drink from.
