15 miles down, 21 to go

I've reached Inkberrow, where kind vicar has allowed me to play with his laptop. A long walk this morning- nearly 3 hours- but it passed very pleasantly with lots of conversation and no rain. The weather has been particularly kind. My feet feel OK and my ankles seem to be holding up as well. It seems odd that by the end of the afternoon I'll be half way there. I had a lovely lunch at Inkberrow first School, where the children chattered away about where I was going and whether I would carry on walking if it got wet.I am tired though- I feel a bit in the glare, with three calls from different radio programmes this morning, and shall be glad to do nothing for an hour or two when I stop at Cookhill

Time to go

An hour to kick off. Feeling very excited and slightly sick! I feel enormously supported by all the cards, phone calls and emails I'vve had in support over the last day or two. Not to mention my facebook friends..perhaps this technology stuff is a good thing after all. Its not ACTUALLY raining at present, so who knows?

Yes, the weather forecast really is pants

but such is life. Into each pothole a little rain must fall. I seem to have spent a lot of today and yesterday on the phone to various radio and press people, and have also done two radio interviews today- one live, one recording a trail for another live interview on Sunday. There's also a possibility of some TV tomorrow- but I'm not at all convinced that will come to fruition.
I feel a bit dazed by it all really. I just want to get going now. I think. I do wish it would stop raining!

Nearly there

and feeling slightly sick- I'm as sure as I can be that I've forgotten something- and the list of tasks to be achieved by close of play tomorrow is unrealistically long. On the (very) bright side, the fundraising target is now well within reach- up to £9,100 on justgiving, and another £300 to bank from yesterday's fundraiser, and then whatever donations I get en route.
My BIG worry now is the weather. If it is as wet as some of the forecasts I am going to be in trouble. I don't know how well my feet will stand up to being wet for several days but my guess is that it won't be good. So I have everyone and their cats praying for dry conditions- my dear old atheist Dad said he would "try his local weather God"!

STICKY TOES

I don't know whether it's the humidity or the terrain, but my 8 miles today left my feet aching. Not sore, exactly, but thoroughly fed up with having been dragged round the countryside! I also (for the first time) had to walk through sticky tarmac today- as it's so warm some of the road surface had gone soft. My feet look as though I've painted them with tar, which I suppose I more or less have. Not sure how easily it will come off.

I stopped at a Farm shop in Defford and bumped into a friend from church who very generously stood me the apple juice and croissant I pretended to myself that I had earned. But then the last 3 miles of the walk seemed to take a very long time. Back home to a cheque for £50- I am now REALLY close to £6,000- so feeling very pleased. But also now only two weeks from "DAY 1"- and feeling a little daunted by all the things still to be organised.

A bit of inspiration

I met Catherine Hamlin today. Tall, and straight- and she has a presence you just want to stay in- I could have sat at her feet all day. Animated, interested, kind and engaged with everyone around her. And a delightful sense of humour. I felt curiously tongue tied- all I really wanted to say to her was how honoured I felt to meet her- a rather limited line of conversation: I felt for all those poor souls who have to make conversation with the Queen at state occasions!
She seems to be powered by the Holy Spirit in a way that you do occasionally see. Glimpses in particular people of what it is that we are actually all aiming at. Here is someone who, since 1959, has never stopped, never wavered in the service of others, and who has no intention of stopping "because its God's work, so it's really not a hardship". It makes my 36 miles seem very small beer. But not in a bad way.

The soles of my feet are fine but...

Everyone asks how my feet are- are they sore? Are the blistered? Infected? Bleeding? Covered in dog poo? Actually they're fine- I walked 9 miles today and while I AM now ready for my cup of tea, I am not in any pain. Except for my ankle. Left ankle-somewhere between an ache, a pull and a crunch. I can't really work out whether to be worried, to assume it will go away, or to carry on pushing it in the hope and expectation that it's just a gripe to get through.
Who knows? In the meantime, the General Election Hung Parliament Drama plays itself out- and gives us mere mortals bigger things than ankles to worry about.

Just a little longer

With only about a month to go I have to confess that the last few days I have been feeling a little short of steam- it feels as though I have spoken to everyone I know- asked everyone I know for help, and I still have so much to do. Not assisted by a four day weekend full of village festival and school fete- walking seems to have been nigh on impossible, and a cold wind has made it unattractive- not a good combination.

But today I girded up my whatsits and did another circuit- surprisingly easy- just 4 miles- and came home to another cheque. I am now OH SO CLOSE to £5,000- which feels like a huge milestone. But I also have to get off my backside and do a bit more serious organising if the whole business is not to descend into chaos on the day!
So tonight is "sit down with a blank sheet of paper and work out what I've forgotten" time.

Dastardly Splinter....

My normal 4 mile trot around the village today was nearly done, and I was IN DANGER of feeling smug because I barely notice doing 4 miles any more when, as hubris would have it, I suddenly felt an "Ow". I lifted my foot to brush off the thorn/gravel/glass/whatever I might have just trodden on but couldn't see anything (except a very dirty foot- difficult to spot alien objects when the whole sole of your foot is tar-coloured and sticky with dirt).
Anyway I walked the rest of the way pretending to myself that it was fine, and then got seriously stuck into the Dettol, the tweezers, the bright lamps etc as soon as I got through the door. To no avail. The little thingy- which I had now identified as a small blackish brown splinter/thorn, was very happy thankyou and not coming out for anyone. Several hours later, after a proper soaking in Magnesium Sulphate paste, and some serious digging with a needle, and it is finally out. Hurray! I shall be humbler on my walk tomorrow. Came home to find another cheque for £100 in the post. So, all's well.

I believe in miracles

This morning I went to meet the Parish administrator of a church I'll be going through at lunchtime on the last day of my walk.
They've offered me lunch
and an opportunity to meet their congregation-
and a brief service after lunch-
and a donation of £500.
The vicar said as he waved to me on his way out of the building "I love it when people do crazy things for the Gospel". I feel as though it's all out of my hands though- most of it just seems to be "happening" its not a question of me "doing" it.
This donation will (on today's reckoning) take me to £4700. It suddenly seems as though the donations are beginning to gather some momentum.
The last couple of days I haven't got out to walk- a very busy weekend, and various other odds and ends needed finishing today. So its been mostly admin which I don't really enjoy- I have yet ANOTHER local paper I have to go and try to sell my tale to. Still- onwards and upwards.

A good day

I had a good day yesterday- walked about 7 miles and came home to find £150 had been donated on my justgiving page. I am now, tantalisingly, just £9 away from £4000- which, though nowhere near what I want to raise, does seem like a good milestone!
Its been odd that as I walk more, and my feet hurt less, I think about what I am doing less too. When I started, there were days when I only carried on footfall by footfall because I was focussing on those women, and though my soles were screeching at me, I carried on. Now that my feet are tougher, I find I can make shopping lists in my head, and even look up to the horizon occasionally without fear of what I may tread on next.

Sunny morning

7 miles this morning in lovely sunshine- my feet feeling surprisingly fine- though creaking a little- and I've come home to find another £50 donation on the justgiving page from someone I've never heard of- these donations are obviously the ones I need- as I have to reach beyond my own circle- they're also slightly frustrating- as I'm wanting to contact and thank people personally- or at least to know who they are if I bump into them...
Dry fields and a few less hedge- clippings have made the fields a bit easier than they were a month ago- fewer great big globs of mud stuck between my toes!

Glorious

The last couple of days have been lovely- so sunny and WARM- my feet think they've gone to heaven. I dawdled round 4 miles yesterday, enjoying the spring brightness, the daffodils, the blossom, the dear little baa lambs- you could cut it out and put it on a chocloate box.
Also I am feeling greatly encouraged by two very generous donations made in the last 3 days- which total £500. It seems as though £10K might be an achievable target on days like these!

The joy of....nettles

Now that the spring has sprung and the daffodils/ bunnies/ Easter eggs are popping up all over the place, I find there is a new hazard on the barefoot trail. Nettles- lots of them, and so low to the ground that you can't really avoid them no matter how hard you try. Actually, it's just not really worth trying, so I came home today with nettle stings like ceremonial anklets round both legs. Also had to walk across a very wet (up to my ankles)field- which would have been fine if the water hadn't also been extremely cold. Which it was.
A short walk- 3.7 miles- but it took ages as so much mud and so many thorns and bits of mud to teeter over.
Still, had my excellent sister-in-law in tow to laugh at me; and at least her dog was- for once- less well behaved than mine.

Oh. Still cold then....

I made the mistake of marching off this morning without really paying any attention to the weather forecast- the one about SNOW in Ireland and SNOW in Scotland and HAIL, SLEET and HIGH WINDS coming our way...I stepped out into what appeared to be a fairly innocent March morning and got about 100 yards down the road before the extent of the cold really hit me. I considered going home but decided that was too weedy, so in the alternative stomped as fast as I could in the hope that once I got going I wouldn't feel the chill. 4.5 miles later I was still cold- and in a slightly zoned out state too. Hurrah for the crown at Kemerton, with its open fire, draught Guinness and, best of all, husband in car ready to drive me home!

Long time, no see..

I am struggling a little to get out- the school holidays seem to slow me down in the walking as well as the laundry and admin departments. But walked 4 miles yesterday- 2 through extremely squelchy mud- and got suitably laughed at by my companions. I am becoming more accustomed to people remarking that I have my shoes ON- as I had the other evening dropping the children at youth group.
No doubt there will be a bit of a lull during Holy Week and Easter- and then I shall be able to get properly stuck back in to it all.

Good and gritty

I intended to do 5 miles today but ended up doing 4.6 (according to my box of tricks) because I ran out of time. The road down to Defford was incredibly gritty and also busy, so Minnie and I kept having to dive into the verge to avoid the tractors. She is a very patient dog. Anyway, after half my allotted time I hadn't made half my allotted distance. Still- no new blisters, no bleeding and no cuts or thorns today so that's all to the good.

Unexpectedly terrifying encounter with the Year 8's at Pershore High (all beautifully behaved) when I realised that, not only had the head of year taken up 5 of my 15 minutes telling the kids off for leaving their mobile phones in the changing rooms, but that, in my hurry, I'd put all the slide notes in the wrong order, and I just had to busk it. Aaagh. Never mind- it sounds as though I shall be getting quite a generous donation from the school, so if I have to go through fire a couple more times this week, so be it.

Ouch.

Four miles on Friday with no ill effect, but yesterday after 3 miles stood on a large thorn- loose on the path from some hedgeclipping. It came out easily enough but I limped home with my bottom lip wobbling as the throbbing started, and I was convinced it was some sort of toxic disaster by the time I got home. Quite a large purple bruise around it today.
No time to walk today between church, lunch, sister in law to visit etc. But perhaps that's all for the good as the bruise will have gone down a bit by the morning.

I did get some sponsorship at the Abbey today- just a little- but every little helps. A busy week ahead with three assemblies at Pershore High to try and explain to them what I'm doing wihout mentioning the words "fistula" or "incontinence". Like a rather arcane version of "Articulate"!

Mixed bag

Two more donations on my page since last night- its really encouraging and I feel very pleased. I've so far only reached 6% of my target but I feel every step is a step closer to getting where I am meant to be going.
I've also now got my licence on the way from Wychavon council, so I can go and shake tins on the High Street on the Wednesday afternoon. All good. They seem to think I need to speak to the police - on the basis that 4 of us walking through Pershore is going to cause some sort of significant hazard or disruption. If only!!

3 miles today- in a hurry and rather squeezed in so that I could meet a friend for lunch. Inevitably in my hurry back "mustn't be late" mode, I stubbed my toe rather spectacularly on a large piece of tarmac and had to hobble the last half mile oozing blood theatrically with every footfall.

Still, its not on the sole of my foot, so a bit of steristrip and a dunk in Dettol and, God willing, it'll be fine to walk on again tomorrow.

Little and often

Just two miles today- well the walk was about 3.5 but some of that was through the fields in my wellies. Minnie gets a raw deal if she spends the whole time on the roads on a lead. She went scooting exuberantly about in the mud (of which there is an abundant supply) and found various really vile things to roll in. Maybe if it stays warmish over the weekend I'll clock a few more miles up.

Caution: do not read this if you're easily grossed out

An annoying start to the day as two patches of lovingly(?) toughened skin- one on the middle toe of my Right foot, the other on the sole of my Left- which had been soaked in so much surgical spirit that you could almost sand wood with them-came adrift in the shower, and I had to cut them away, leaving depressingly soft, pink, innocent looking stuff underneath.
Nothing daunted however, I decided to go out barefooting, as the temperature is up to a steamy 10C, so I started off on my 4 mile circuit. I did the walk in 1hr 25, the third mile of the four is the hardest- really coarse road and I can almost feel the tarmac tearing holes- but the 4th mile is lovely- a really smooth, level main road- feels like a carpet by comparison. AND this time came back without bleeding feet, so some of this lunacy must be paying off.

Missing King Wenceslas

As the snow is still lying on the ground I decided to walk the dog wearing boots and take her round the river. A combination of half melted snow, deep mud, rain, sleet and an easterly wind made 4 miles feel like 6.
Its really annoying not being able to barefoot it, but I don't think its more than 2C out there, so it doesn't really make sense to try.
But on the barefoot front I have sorted out another stop- lunch at a school on day 2 of the walk. The headteacher even said they'd feed me! First school dinner I will have had since the last millennium. Yum.

Three miles is a whole lot further than two

As I discovered today- three miles on tarmac in 5C- had unanticipated and largely unwelcome effets on the feet- but I still came home feeling uplifted. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon- and I'd received my first online donations, so it feels as though today was quite a significant step.