LEJOG 2018 becomes LEJOG 2017

1 year becomes 3 months


This was unexpected. I'd planned on LEJOGing in March/April/May 2018. Because it was so far away, my thoughts turned to existential matters and my reading material took the form of travelogues, biographies of explorers and accounts of expeditions in far flung places. 

Then the unthinkable happened: my boss told me to take a holiday in August. 'How much holiday?' I asked. 'How much can you take?' she said. 'How about all of August and half of September?' She looked at me in surprise. Was this a holiday request too far? My boss already knew about my LEJOG plan for next year but it didn't occur to either of us that it could happen at much shorter notice. I jumped at the chance - and I got a yes. 

My next thought was 'Oh shit...'. Now it's really real. I've got less than three months to prepare, get fit enough to stand a chance of walking the end-to-end in a reasonable time, trim my gear to its bare minimum, find a route, organise postal pick ups along the way, lose a few more pounds, not blow the next three paychecks and not get injured.

All that existential bullshit is out the window. I'm obsessing about gram counting, boot breaking, mile massing...my reading material is O/S maps, trail guides, the daily reports of LEJOGers who are breaking trail as I sit here and write, the LDWA website, distance measuring sections of the route on Mapometer...I changed my LEJOG 2018 blog to 2017 

This consumes my every waking moment. I'm living and breathing LEJOG. I am nervous. I am excited. I am apprehensive. I'm chewing at the bit to get as much distance underfoot as I can to prep my feet for the Big One. My wallet is emptying as quickly as the grams are shedding from my pack. This challenge is accelerating towards me at a rate that is beyond my control. 

Last week my walking buddy and I flew from Gatwick to Inverness and travelled by bus to Wick, 17 miles short of John o'Groats. I saw my entire route play out underneath me. My walking buddy gave me that look and said, 'That's a long way. Have you bitten off more than you can chew?' 

'I honestly don't know,' I said.     
As Mike Tyson observed, 'Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.' 

It looks like I'm now in the fight.

Blurb

As an independent author I have to use completely unrelated blog posts like this one to promote my books; historical fiction and call centre fantasy. I'm also writing a book about my LEJOG experience. You are welcome to ask me for a free copy of any of the above which I can send to you. Please email me: lejog2017@outlook.com

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