Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Nearly time to go

Two and half years ago I set off on a serious walk around New Zealand's South Island.  For months before hand the dogs and I had lots of training and I left feeling fit and confident. The trip was planned down to 5 minutes for each day - not that i kept to plan for much of the walk.

This time it is completely different.  In 3 days I leave home on the first leg of the trip - a short flight to Auckland.  I haven't even made my packing list yet.  I have no idea what I am doing after the first 3 days.  I am 25kg overweight and have done no training at all for the 800km walk ahead of me.

My 2011 walk seriously damaged my feet.   After a few weeks everything seemed Ok but about 6 months after the walk my feet started to hurt as the nerve endings that had shut down got back into action. I have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis.  Orthotics in my shoes have helped and the pain is less severe now than 6 months ago.  I plan to start using anti-inflammatory drugs 48 hours before the walking starts and continue for the 5 weeks I am on the camino.
 
I am flying from Wellington via Auckland and Seoul to Paris with an overnight stop at each of those cities. The first day in Paris I will use one of the sight seeing buses.  After 3 nights in Paris I pick up a rental car and head down the Loire Valley to Bordeaux.

Walking the Camino starts on 13 May with a target of finishing on 16 June. I have 2 spare days before flying to London on  19 June.  I leave Europe from Heathrow on 16 July via Seoul and Auckland again arriving back in Wellington on 19 July.

Ella is now an elderly lady of 14 and a half years. She has several minor health problems including early stage renal failure and arthritis. Her sight has deteriorated and she is rather deaf.  Ella needs persuading to go on a walk now.  She can no longer jump up on my bed.

Idol is a 2yr old NZ Heading Dog.  He is the best agility dog I have had - just 1 more win to make Senior in agility and Jumpers A. When I moved into a flat after the fire in March 2012 Ella took over his crate.  Idol was only 11 weeks old and not yet house trained so I decided he had to sleep on my bed and snuggled up tight against me so I would know when he woke.  He still sleeps like that.

After the house was repaired and I moved back in December 2012 I got a playmate for Idol.  Toby is a cross breed rehomed from HUHA. He was 9 months old then.  Within a week he was also sleeping on my bed.  Mike Wilson will care for the dogs, and my house while I am in Europe,

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