I’m going for a 255km walk to raise funds and awareness for M.E/CFS and to, well, just walk.
Read more about why I’m walking.
My Final Route
After much research and trying to navigate the various logistic challenges, my final route is San Sebastian to Santander. Covering a total of 255km and likely to last 12 days of walking.
Maya, me and 3 Chums on the Camino
So I haven’t told Maya yet that she’s walking 12 days with me – I mean , I’ve spoken the words but I don’t really know that she understands what I mean. But she trusts me and she’ll go along. Though I’m not entirely sure how long that loyalty is going to last after the second day!
We’ll be joined at various points by friends. My amiga from Germany – Helen – at the start for 3 days, then the lovely James from the UK for 4 days. Poor James is joining during some of the longest walks – but he is a seasoned walker and I’m honored to have him on those long, endless walks.
Somewhere in between the start and end , my Bolivian friend – the ever smiling Horacio – will join for a few days and we will no doubt laugh until we cry!
Tremendously excited to share this journey with 3 amazing people.
Got gear
So the gear list is almost all provisioned and my packing list is nearly complete.
Tent
Sleeping bag
Sleeping mat
Walking Poles
Blister prevention hiking socks
Compeed anti blister plasters
Solar Charger
Night light
Penknife
Walking shoes/trail shoes
5 x easy dry/wickaway t-shirts
2 x lightweight walking trousers – convertible into shorts
Flip flops
1 x hoodie
5x underpants (or 1 pair reversible 🙂
Maya brush
Cagoule rain outerware
Packaway pillow
2x Microfibre towels (one for Maya)
First aid kit
Backpack
More Training
My goal by Thursday May 5th is to able to get my tent pitched in darkness and in the rain in 5 minutes or less. It will be like a military drill!
Unfortunately, work commitments have meant that I have fallen behind in my training schedule. So this week – Thursday to be exact – I’ll hike a 24 km round trip fully loaded and a 32km round trip next Monday. Then that will be it!
I couldn’t have gotten this far without help… meet Maria
So I work with my clients on-site 10 days a month including travel time. Then I work 8-12 hours a day of the rest of the time on Amazemeet, Snaptime and whatever else I’m exploring – when I’m not with clients.
I realised pretty quickly that I needed help but had no real idea what form that help should take. So I hired someone who did. For my startup adventures in Amazemeet and the 27 other ideas we have on the list, I hired Clara Bielefeld to be my co-conspirator with a marketing and growth focus (that’s a fancy title for ‘awesome ninja lady’). Clara, seeing my quite obvious predicament as an over-committed person, suggested I hire a Virtual Assistant.
So I hired Maria Bellido – someone with seemingly inexhaustible enthusiasm! She has helped with researching accommodation options, dates and times to things, spoken to hotels and generally provided support that would have been nigh on impossible for me to do as competently and as timely.
If you are ever in need of a superbly organised, intelligent and enthusiastic person to help get things sorted, flights booking, research done, flowers ordering (ahem!) and whatever else. I know just the person.
Did I mention she speaks 5 languages!!
Be a Rainbow and Give What You Can…please.
My target is still unreached – though I have raised the goal twice. Please donate now to help reach it.
Every single cent of every Dollar or Euro, every penny of every Pound you donate to this walk goes to activism and awareness raising by InvestInME who are in the forefront of fighting for greater awareness and funding by the UK government for ME/CFS research. This disease devastates the lives of the people that have the it and the lives of the people that care for them. You and I can be a rainbow in their clouds.
You can make it easier for them with a simple donation – no more than 2 minutes of your time and less than the price of a coffee and slice of cake.
Please donate and share this post.
Photo by scottdurgan 