Christian Aid at 80 Part 4 - The Walk Day 1
As I returned from London to Durham Station and walked home, my thoughts inevitably turned to my next big outing. In just over three weeks I would embark on my solo “Walk the Wall” challenge.
Training, which had started, with purpose, on 1 April, showed some gradual increases daily and a total of 299000 steps for the month rising to 364,498 in May.
After an epic five days in London accumulating 95,670 steps I felt confident that the effort was paying off!
I arranged to meet at All Saints for the first leg of my expedition at 10.30am on 9 July and arrived to find Judith Fairbairn and Elaine Kilgannon waiting to accompany me to the station, with Wendy Bradshaw there to see me off.
At 11.57 I boarded the train for the brief journey to Newcastle, arriving in time to catch a connection to Carlisle.
I had done the preparation, booked the trains and accommodation, packed my essentials, studied the handbook and the map, watched the You Tube videos, pulled on my boots and now I was on my own and on the way!
When I arrived in Carlisle it was already uncomfortably hot and I sought out John Watt’s Coffee Shop for a nostalgic light lunch at a small table on the pavement outside. The same spot where my son Peter and I had lunch together while a new tube was fitted to Peter’s bike on our epic ride from East coast to West coast and back to East again in late July 2006, 19 years ago!
I then called into Carlisle Cathedral, a stunning place, and cool inside, well worth a visit if you are in the city.
I finally made my way to the Air b&b and settled into a large room with a sofa and king size bed which would be home for the next two nights.
After a coffee I unpacked and made myself at home.
While there was a tea/coffee tray provided there was no milk, however I came prepared with a supply of instant cappuccino sachets in my rucksack for such emergencies!
As meals were not provided by the hosts I made my way back to the centre of Carlisle to pick up supplies for two evenings and two breakfasts including plenty of milk.
While I was able to store fresh food and milk in the host’s fridge downstairs in the kitchen a fridge in the room would have been welcome.
All was going to plan apart from one little worry. I had been bitten on my lower leg by a bug while gardening at church on the Monday and now on a very hot night my ankle was swollen, red and sore. After all my planning and training was I going to be stopped in my tracks by a pesky bug? I was going to mark the outline of the redness on my leg with ink but noticed it had spread almost to a freckle so that would be my guide. I settled down with my foot raised on a pillow, hoping it wouldn’t spread and for restful sleep.
16,676 steps walked and the real challenge hadn’t begun!
Next time Day 2 The Walk Begins