Medical Misadventures!

Sadly, at end of May 2008 I fell seriously unwell. Shocking bouts of heavy chest pain and lots of vomiting, for some 4 or 5 days. Bad enough to visit doctor, as it did not seem to be a temporary state.
It was diagnosed as liver, and I was jaundiced - colour of skin amazingly yellow. doctor thought it might be hepatitis. Blood sample testing suggested it was in fact the glaabladder, a stone stuck in wrong place.
Outcome was that I was sent to local hospital for ultrasound scan. There, they found the details they wanted regarding the gallbladder, but also found something near my groin - something they didn't like the look of.
So, I was scheduled for a CAT scan - and that took place in October. Result was an immediate dash by ambulance from Whakatane Hospital to Tauranga, because it turned out I had a large aneurysm. Good luck for it to be discovered at ultrasound stage - because there are no ways of detecting aneurysms otherwise apparently, and they are life-threatening.
At Tauranga, they kept me for 5 days, testing everything - and sent me home because my blood pressure was too high for surgery - 219 over 100-plus. I was given pills to get it down, and my local GP soon doubled the dosage of that pill.
Surgery was done on 4 November 2008 at Tauranga - most successfully. I suffered very bad hallucinations - due to being under anaesthetic for nearly 9 hours. It seems it was what some call "morphine poisoning". I can tell you that I would not wish it on anyone. Horrific. And my wife sat by my bedside for 3 or 4 days/nights to keep a close eye on me. She tried to talk me out of or through it, but I was in a world all of my own. Light and shadows were transformed by my drugged mind into "end of world" scenes, and were very realistic. Enough of that - it's all over.
Then, on christmas Day 2008, I developed "sea-sickness". Local doctor suggested it was most likely an inner ear infection, and sent me to the Emergency Dept. of Whakatane Hospital for checking. They could not rule out either ear infection or aftermath of the surgery or anything else, but told me these were definitely the symtoms of inner ear infection, and that it was most likely that. Here I am in April 2009, and the dizziness has become infrequent short bouts of "wobbles". All in all, I'm pretty much recovered.
However, I am scheduled for more ultrasound scanning to check for any more aneurysms. Apparently, having had a large one, I'm susceptible to aneurysms. Behind the knees is the most likely place to find them, and at Tauranga Hospital last Monday, a doctor felt behind my knees and considered that there were none there. But, better safe than sorry . . . . .so, I'm awaiting an appointment at Whakatane Hospital.
Also, I'm awaiting another outpatient appointment at Whakatane Hospital for a check on when I'll have my gallbladder removed.

All of this has meant I've had to cancel all thoughts of charity walking, unfortunately. Will I be able to do some after this is all over, eventually? I'll have to wait and see.

I've completed some - and not others!

I've done the equivalent of the first 3 items, in that I've walked a lot, and a couple of weeks ago, I reached 27 kms.
I was not able to walk in the rotorua Marathon, so I've failed with item no. 4.
I've done items 18 and 19, because Margaret and I went to Auckland last week for a couple of days, where I passed an Audition to become a contestant in the "Wheel of Fortune" quiz show - hoping to make some good money towards the 2009 charity walk! So, no computer or television for 48 hours.
I've failed with item no. 22.
I've done item no. 29, by now having axed and sawn the firewood.

Re: 2009 Charity Walk around Britain

I am planning to do the charity WALK in 2009 because I failed to raise enough funding to make the 2008 WALK possible.

See my new blog at http://charitywalk2009Britain.blogspot.com

Cancellation of 2008 Charity Walk

The following is what I've sent to most of the people who have read my Charity Walk around britain stuff - but I may have missed some of you -


Sorry, folks,

My wonderful lady friend in Kawerau has not been able to convince the local business people she approached, to see the wisdom of investing funds in my cherished WALK plans.

Thus, unfortunately, I shall not be able to do the WALK in 2008. I deeply regret this, and particularly so for the input from so many of you. I feel I have failed, and let you all down.

To those of you who have already donated money to me, I'll refund this to you soonest.

To those who have offered free camping sites, I want to repeat the Thank You I've sent previously, and express to you my regret that you have gone to some trouble on my behalf - and now to no avail. However, it has shown me how many people there are in Britain who respond so brilliantly to requests for help for charities. Also, the newspapers have been remarkable in providing assistance in different ways, and I owe the editors and journalists involved a big Thank You.

Although I'm feeling quite down at the news I received only this morning, telling me that the necessary additional funding will not be available, I'm lightly considering trying again next year. I've seen that the London Marathon is due to be on 26 April 2009. What do you all think of the WALK around Britain starting on 29 April 2009? I could try to get a place on the team of one of the charities in that Marathon, helping to raise some money for them by walking there. Then, after a couple of days, set out on the route as shown at http:// DavidsListToDo.blogspot.com. If you have offered a free camping site for 2008, would you consider making a similar offer for 2009? If so, I reckon it would be on the date shown on the itinerary, less 16 days(?). Thus, for example, Brentwood on 15 May 2008 becomes 29 April 2009.
Any great ideas on how to raise funding for the expenses of the WALK will be appreciated.

Again, deepest regrets,

David Paterson,
New Zealand.

The mystery of me not receiving many of the emails I have been expecting has been partially explained.
Because I had not received a reply from the Rett Syndrome Assoc. to my email of 8 April, I registered at their website and used their forum to let people know which email I had used to contact the Assoc. Pretty soon there was a posting to say that the email address was the correct one, but that the Assoc.'s email to me had been 'bounced back' to sender!
Wondering whether this has happenend with others, particularly in the last 3 weeks or so, I've sent an email using my other email address, to all those who might have been sending emails re the WALK planning. So far no responses. But it certainly is curious that quite a number of expected responses have not been received to early April emails sent by me.
In the meantime, the extended deadline of 23 April to purchase the Singapore Airlines ticket has been and gone, and so is the opportunity to save some NZ$600 on the cost of the ticket.
One of the good things to come from the use of the Rett Syndrome Assoc. forum is that one of the Assoc. members has emailed me a few times. She and her husband have kindly offered free camping at their place - that's Salisbury taken care of! But, in addition, this morning the first email I read was from her telling me that she has spoken to the Chairman of the Assoc. and told him all about my WALK and the emails problem. Fingers crossed!

Love to all of you out there,

David.

As mentioned in earlier postings, I need to post this update for those of you who are keeping in touch with my Charity Walk aspirations.

I'm updating this at 08:55 am on Saturday 26 April 2008 (New Zealand time).

The columns are town, mileage, whether confirmed (****),date.


**** denotes confirmed sites (the dates are the nights of . . . . .)

London Start on the morning of 15 May 2008
Brentwood 22 miles **** 15 May
Witham 21 **** 16
Colchester 22 17
Ipswich 18 **** 18
Saxmundham 20 **** 19
Lowestoft 20 **** 20
Norwich 25 **** 21 and 22
Cromer 24 23
Fakenham 20 24
Kings Lynn 21 25
Holbeach 19 26
Heckington 20 ***** 27
Lincoln 22 **** 28 and 29
Market Raisen 18 **** 30
Brigg 16 31
Little Weighton 22 **** 1 June
Little Driffield 18 **** 2
Scarborough 21 3 and 4
Whitby 15 5
Guisborough 24 **** 6
Stockton-on-Tees 14 **** 7 and 8
Durham 18 9
Ponteland 23 **** 10
Otterburn 23 11
Hass, Jedburgh 18 12
Kelso 19 **** 13
Lauder 19 14
Edinburgh 20 **** 15 and 16
Burntisland 20 17
Markinch 13 18
St Andrews 20 19
Dundee 13 20
Perth 22 21
Crieff 15 22
Dunkeld 20 **** 23
Coupar Angus 15 24
Forfar 17 **** 25
Brechin 12 26
Inverbervie 20 27 and 28
Newtonhill 17 29
Balmedie 18 30
Cruden Bay 16 1 July
Crimond 17 2
Fraserburgh 10 3
Gardenstown 15 4 and 5
Portsoy 17 6
Fochabers 18 7
Forres 21 8 and 9
Ardersier 16 10
Kirkhill 19 11
Evanton 19 12
Dornoch 24 **** 13
Brora 16 **** 14 and 15
Berriedale 20 16
Ulbster 19 17
John O’Groats 23 18
Thurso 20 19 and 20
Strathy 20 21
Tigh na Beithe, Tongue 23 **** 22 and 23
Altnaharra 18 24
Lairg 21 **** 25 and 26
Dalnavie 20 27
Dingwall 20 28
Beauly 13 29
Drumnadrochit 14 30
Fort Augustus 19 31
Spean Bridge 23 1 and 2 August
Onich 19 3
Bridge of Orchy 29 4
Killin 25 5
Callander 19 6
Stirling 20 **** 7 and 8
Glasgow 25 **** 9
Kilmarnock 21 10
New Cumnock 21 **** 11
Carronbridge 22 12
Dumfries 17 **** 13 and 14
Gretna 24 15
High Hesket 16 **** 16
Great Strickland 15 **** 17
Keswick 22 **** 18
Kendal 26 19 and 20
Lancaster 24 21
Preston 21 22
Southport 18 23
St Helens 20 24
Chester 25 25 and 26
Whitchurch 20 27
Shrewsbury 20 **** 28
Craven Arms 21 29
Knighton 15 **** 30
Builth Wells 25 **** 31/1 Sept.
Talgarth 17 **** 2 Sept.
Gavilon 14 3
Saint Arvans 22 4
Bristol 20 5
Wells 19 6 and 7
Langport19 **** 8
Huish Champflower 26 **** 9
Sth Molton 26 10
Barnstaple 12 11
Bideford 11 12
Kilkhampton 21 13
Camelford 22 14 and 15
St Columb 18 16
Redruth 18 17
Ludgvan 17 **** 18
Penzance 20 **** 19
Lizard 24 20 and 21
Carnon Downs 23 **** 22
Lostwithiel 25 **** 23
Saltash 30 24
Sth Brent 21 25 and 26
Torquay 16 27
Exeter 22 28
Lyme Regis 23 29
Dorchester 24 30
Poole 24 1 and 2 October
Whitsbury 21 **** 3
Salisbury 15 **** 4
Pub 15 5
New Alresford 15 6
Farnham 20 7
Dorking 23 8
London 24 9

Difficulties arouse doubt re Charity Walk 2008

The following is an extract from an email that I've just sent to a British local authoritiy that authorised use of their facilities in an email received here last night.

"I need to mention here that I've had more difficulty than I'd anticipated in obtaining the necessary level of sponsorship to make it all possible. There is now some doubt as to whether I'll be able to meet my plan of starting on 15 May. In brief, I have my return airfare and a little more available at present, but I'm very wary of landing in London without sufficient funding to maintain the 5-month venture. So, I'm putting off buying the ticket for as long as possible, hoping that the extra funding will be found soon. I have a date of 23 April by which to purchase a discounted Singapore Airlines ticket, and a pencilled-in date of flight from Auckland of 9 May.

I'll let you know a.s.a.p. whether the WALK is on, or postponed to a later date this year which is something I'm considering, but not happily so since so many arrangements are in place already), or possibly even put off until April next year (which does not excite me at present for the reason that all the arrangements would then need to be re-done)."

New Update re Charity Walk places/dates

Replaced by later updated posting.

Updated places/dates etc for Charity Walk

Replaced by later updated posting.

Another Update

Replaced by later updated posting.

Another Update

Replaced by later updated posting.

Updated places/dates etc for Charity Walk

Replaced by later updated posting.

It has been suggested that I post the whole itinerary here for various interested viewers at the caravan club websites to access. The entire listing is subject to changes, which will themselves depend on the feedback I get from viewers who are already offering FREE sites for caravan parking.
British local authorities that I have approached are being particularly generous.

I see that tabbing does not work effectively here, so -

the columns are town, mileage, whether confirmed (****),date.


**** denotes confirmed sites (the dates are the nights of . . . . .)

London Start on the morning of 15 May 2008
Brentwood 17 miles 15 May
Witham 23 **** 16
Colchester 22 17
Ipswich 18 18
Saxmundham 20 19
Lowestoft 20 **** 20
Norwich 25 **** 21 and 22
Cromer 24 23
Fakenham 20 24
Gaywood 22 25
Gedney 19 26
Heckington 23 27
Lincoln 22 28 and 29
Market Raisen 18 30
Brigg 16 31
Cottingham 21 1 June
Driffield 18 2
Scarborough 19 3 and 4
Whitby 15 5
Guisborough 24 **** 6
Stockton-on-Tees 14 7 and 8
Durham 18 9
Ponteland 23 10
Otterburn 23 11
Jedburgh 28 12
Lauder 18 13
Edinburgh 20 14 and 15
Burntisland 20 16
Markinch 13 17
St Andrews 20 18
Dundee 13 19
Perth 22 20 and 21
Crieff 15 22
Dunkeld 20 23
Coupar Angus 15 24
Forfar 17 **** 25
Brechin 12 26
Inverbervie 20 27 and 28
Newtonhill 17 29
Balmedie 18 30
Cruden Bay 16 1 September
Crimond 17 2
Fraserburgh 10 3
Gardenstown 15 4 and 5
Portsoy 17 6
Fochabers 18 7
Forres 21 8 and 9
Ardersier 17 10
Kirkhill 19 11
Evanton 21 12
Tain 19 13
Spinningdale 20 14
Brora 22 15 and 16
Berriedale 20 17
Ulbster 19 18
John O’Groats 23 19
Thurso 20 20 and 21
Strathy 20 22
Coldbackie 21 23
Altnaharra 20 24
Lairg 21 25 and 26
Dalnavie 20 27
Dingwall 20 28
Beauly 13 29
Drumnadrochit 14 30
Fort Augustus 19 31
Spean Bridge 23 1 and 2 August
Onich 19 3
Bridge of Orchy 29 4
Killin 25 5
Callander 19 6
Stirling 20 7 and 8
Glasgow 25 9
Kilmarnock 21 10
New Cumnock 21 11
Carronbridge 22 12
Dumfries 17 13 and 14
Gretna 24 15
High Hesket 16 16
Penrith 19 17
Keswick 18 18
Kendal 26 19 and 20
Lancaster 24 21
Preston 21 22
Southport 18 23
St Helens 20 24
Chester 25 25 and 26
Whitchurch 20 27
Shrewsbury 20 28
Craven Arms 21 29
Eominster 18 30
Hereford 13 31/1 Sept.
Huntley 22 2 Sept.
Eastington 22 3
Almondsbury 21 4
Congresbury 25 5
Bridgwater 23 6
Huish Champflower 21 7
Sth Molton 26 8 and 9
Barnstaple 12 10
Bideford 11 11
Kilkhampton 21 12
Camelford 22 13
St Columb 18 14
Redruth 18 15
Ludgvan 17 16
Penzance 20 17
Lizard 24 18 and 19
Truro 28 20
Lostwithiel 22 21
Saltash 24 22
Sth Brent 21 23
Torquay 16 24
Exeter 22 25
Lyme Regis 23 26
Dorchester 24 27
Poole 24 28 and 29
Lymington 24 30
Totton 14 1 October
New Alresford 22 2
Farnham 20 3
Dorking 23 4
London 24 5

Where Have I Been All This Time?

It's amazing to see that I haven't posted here for over a week! Not that I've been lazy - far from it.
I've had a few problems with my walking. Only when a sticky pl;aster I was tryiny to introduce to the inside of one of my shoes failed to go where I wanted it to go, and stuck to the wrong part of the inner sole, did I realise what it was that was destroying my feet. As I pulled the failed stcky patch out, the whole inner sole came away, and I could see that I had all but worn a hole in it at the ball of the foot. I inspected the other shoe. This was why I was getting bad blisters.
The remedy was to rest my blisters until I could walk comfortably on them again. Then new shoes - I had bought 3 pairs for price of 2 in a sale a couple of years ago, and I'm now using the 3rd pair. However, that hasn't solved the problem entirely, because now I've got cut heels instead of blistered balls (of my feet, sillies!). But that is progress.
Another problem I've had is that when our visitors were here from the U.K. we took them on what must be one of the sunniest days we've ever had, to Whakatane to see part of the Tuna Tournament one Saturday. There was also a craft market on the grassy riverside reserve, so we spent a lot of time there. Foolishly, thinking more about our visitors than myself, I'd forgotten to apply sunblock and I wasn't wearing a hat. Result? Sunburn. Bad? Well, let me say I could not dare to wash my face for about 3 days!!
As well as that, I've been, and am, very busy sending emails to local authorities and universities in Britain seeking free overnight sites for our vehicle and caravan. AS I'm saying in these emails, in our budget we have - "Site fees 130 nights @ £17 (perhaps some will be free?) £2,210". Considering that this amount is one third of what we now have to find before I can get on my way to London, it's worth spending a lot of time on!
At present, I'm sending to the local authorities in order of our planned route from London, and for those of you who have time to look at my maps, I'm currently sending to Sandringham.
The great news is that when I got out of bed this morning and swithed on computer, there was a marvellous response from the first town out from London, Brentwood. I've been given a website address re a camp in Brentwood, and I'm off to look at it right now, hoping to find an email address for it that I can use.

Maps of my Planned Walk

I'm taking an easy day at home, after having had our friends from the U.K. here, and having taken them yesterday to their next hosts.

I thought you'd like to see the route maps I've drawn for our charity walk around Britain. They're not set in concrete, but give a fair idea of what I expect the walk to be.

London to Edinburgh

Edinburgh to Glasgow

Glasgow to Land's End

Land's End to London

Hey, Louise, maybe you can only insert links at new postings as against in Comments?

So, I'll try here -

David Walking


HaHa! I checked and it works, Louise. Thank you.

And a Bit Farther

Yesterday I got an email saying that my best friend in Edinburgh, Ian, who had suffered a heart attack on Tuesday, been hospitalised and had a shunt inserted, then released home on Thursday, had suffered another attack on Friday and was back in intensive care.
I read this after I had done my walk, had a shower, rested a bit and fallen asleep. So, I forgot to post here yesterday.
Any, I walked 9 laps yesterday which is 16.9749 kms. I did it in 3 hrs 1 M 34 secs. That equates to some 5.65 kms per hour. Short of the 6 mins I'm looking for.
The weather helped a lot, for whereas it has always been strong hot sunshine when I've wlked previously, yesterday was very overcast, and threatening rain. There was a strong cool breeze blowing.
Today, Margaret and I were in Whakatane for shopping and for my 3-monthly medical check-up. Apparently I'm still alive! Weight 81kgs; blood pressure 139 over 73. Not bad for me.
Before starting this posting, I've checked for any later news on Ian's condition. Nothing on my email inboxes, so I'm expecting that absence of news to be in itself good news.
We're getting ready to receive Sandy and susan fron Britain, via Sydney, on Friday, so I'll have to give up the walking for helping Margaret tidy house and garden up a wee bit.

Almost Back on Track !

So, yesterday was the day at the Ohope Market with Margaret.
I took along some books to sell, and it gave me the opportunity to chat a number of my customers about my plans to do the charity walk around Britain. Some of them were from overseas, and particularly from Britain. Of course, I gave them this blog address, and I hope not only that they will tune in here, but also that they might offer a wee bit of assistance to Peter and myself once the walk is under way.
Today, I walked 8 laps of the 1.8861 kms course, and that equates to just a few steps more than 15 kms. I don't have an accurate time for it, since I was stopped on 3 occasions by wellwishers. One of whom invited me to attend the local Masonic Lodge on Monday 4 February, when in honour of Robert Burns the Scottish Bard they will be having something of a Scottish evening. Although I'm a Freemason, I'm not currently a member of any lodge, so I'm unattached. As such, I can go to any lodges in new Zealand on up to 3 times in any one year.

Horror of Horrors !!!!!

I didn't post yesterday as I didn't walk yesterday, and I had a lazy day.
Today, I borrowed a measuring wheel from a friend at the Kawerau District Council offices, so that I could accurately measure the lap which I had guesstimated to be 6 kms and on which I based my daily distances and times.
I was, of course, hoping that it would be a bit more than the 2 kms. Horror of horrors when it turned out to be 1.8861 kms !! So, I've been telling all of you - and myself, too - a lie!
It means that my pace has been some 5.758 kms instead of 6 kms per hour. And, so, the daily distances that I've recorded up to now need to be divided by 2 and multiplied by 1.8861 to give the true distance. Well, I'm just not up to doing that, but I've cleansed my conscience by at least putting the record straight at this stage.
I didn't do my walking today, apart from that one measuring lap, because my wife and I are preparing for tomorrow's craft market at Ohope Beach. Next walk will be on Sunday.

Blister Bigger !!

Day 11, and I have checked and discovered that I didn't post last Sunday, and therefore made a mistake with some of my day numbers in later postings. Not to worry, I'm not going back to make changes now.
Today, I walked 16 kms in 2 hours 36 minutes and 23 seconds. This is slower than 10 minutes per kilometre, but I'm not at all unhappy about that. The main thing is that I managed to do more than the shocking 7 kms in my previous walk.
However, the blister is bigger, and certainly more painful right now as I type at 23:21 hours on Wednesday. I've soaked both feet in salted water, with some antiseptic fluid in it also, while watching television earlier. Unfortunately, my left ankle has swollen quite a bit. This is because that was the drainage point when the vein was harvested from the left leg for the heart bypass surgery, and one of the things I have to be careful about is it swelling.
So, I'm off to bed to have that left foot raised above my reclining body level, and tomorrow morning it should all be back to normal.
I'm not walking at all tomorrow, and will see about doing more than 16 Kms on Friday. No walking on Saturday because I am at craft market with Margaret for half of that day.

Day of Rest!

Day 10, I think (not too sure and can't be bothered checking)!
Blister is in dominating mode today, so I'm doing no walking, and spending more time on the computer, mostly sending messages to people seeking help with sponsorship.
I've just seen the article in the electronic version of Tuesday's issue of "The Scotsman" newspaper. It's very good, and I hope it might lead to some sponsorship.
I'm a wee bit down today, not being able to go out and do a decent walk, but it seems sensible to go slow at present in order to ensure I can make it to the Rotorusa Marathon in walking condition.

David.

Damn! and Damn again!

Day 8 and not a good start to my walk today!
Maybe because I had not walked yesterday, to give a blister a chance to settle, or maybe because I started off walking today too quickly, my lower legs were almost immediately very tight and painful, both shins and calves. This lasted for about the first 5 kms. Then it got easier, and I had visions of not only walking the total 16 kms today, but possibly to finish off with a bit of speed!
HaHa-bloody-Ha!
At about 7kms there was a lovely cutting feeling at the blister on my left foot, felt as though I had walked on the sharp end of a piece of brokeb glass. Another step, another sharp pain. OK ! Not risking that, I gave up, and hobbled over to my car and drove home. Only 7 kms today, and bad prospects for the next 2 or 3 days?
I'm not sure how it will turn out, but above is a photo of the blister, taken badly with a very miniature digital camera. Taken by myself, thus difficult to get the best angle.
Anyway, if you have remedies for blisters, please post them to me !!

David.

Never Mind the Blisters! Oh, Yeah?

Still Day 7 and I've decided to walk regardless of the blister. I need to toughen up, surely.
So, after being extremely fussy and careful with my socks and shoes, I set out. I managed the first 8 kms very comfortably, and at that point even speeded up my rate. At the 13 Kms mark, I stopped because I knew the bloody blister was going to dominate me soon!
Not what I had hoped to walk, but not too disappointing either. I was maintaining my rate of under 10 mins per km all the way through, and I was feeling very good.
But, no walking tomorrow, and a good foot soaking tonight while watching television.

David.

Blister Time !!

Day 7.

I missed posting here yesterday, because I could not get on the computer last night. For a very good reason, however. I had sent an email to the editor of "The Scotsman" newspaper in Edinburgh, hoping to get a letter published there which would tell all about my WALK plans, and also seek sponsorship.
I got an email from that paper's Health Corrrespondent who wanted to interview me by telephone to fill in some of the story. That took place late last night, and since I do not have broadband I had to keep the line clear until that phonecall came through. The upshot is that an article will appear in "The Scotsman" next Tuesday 15 January, and it will include my appeal for sponsorship. So, I really do expect to be in a position to get to Britain in May THIS YEAR.

Anyway, back to more mundane things - yesterday was day 6 and I walked 14 kilometres. I did 6 in the morning while my wife was browsing around the shops; 8 in the afternoon, which is when a nice blistered on the ball of my left foot. Simultaneously, some skin was scraped off one of my toes on same foot. Now, at 13:21 hours on day 7, I'm debating with yself whether to risk walking today at all.

Joy of Joys

Day 5, and I managed 12 kilometres walking with only one brief stop, and that despite me telling the person interrupting my walking that I could not stop to answer his question, for I was timing what I was doing. Well, considering it was our Mayor who wanted to talk to me, I made an exception to my rule! And, anyway, he's a really big bloke!
He is a butcher, and has a shop in our small town square. The 2-kms circuit that I use is a walk on the roadsides and pavements around the business centre of town,
He told me that he had earlier said to one of his shop assistants, "That's the second or third time I've seen that little bugger Paterson walking past over there. Wonder what he's up to."
So, he drove his vehicle out of the backyard area of his shop and stopped just ahead of where I was walking. I told him what I was doing, and he wished me well. Mind you, it means that half of the folk in town will know soon just what this mad Scotsman is up to now( there's always something I'm getting involved in), and that should prevent a number of interruptions while I'm walking. No offers of sponsorship expected here, however!
I did the 12 kms in 2 hours and 2 minutes 0 seconds, not at all bad after yesterday's fiasco of a performance.
Note that I've managed to figure out how to add a PayPal Donation facility to this blog, for any of you who'd like to contribute financially (no matter how little)to my Walking Adventure Dream.

Minor Disaster !!

Day 4, and I think I've just learnt by personal experience what it might mean when they say that a racehorse has broken down!
Today I set out to do my 10 kilometres walking as planned, and somewhere about 7 kms it all went wrong for me. I had a sciatic nerve problem in my left buttock and down the thigh many years ago. It was dealt to by many visites to a brilliant masseuse in Auckland.
Today it felt as though it was striking again. A bit of discomfort to begin with, and the realisation that my left foot was flapping down rather than being a firm step as the right one was. This has happened before and I've considered that it was due to my left leg being a wee bit shorter than my right one. (To explain a bit - my lower spine was cracked in a motorcycle accident in Scotland in March 1964, and I've suffered some spinal problems from time to time, but over the many years I've learned to recognise most of them and deal to them, usually by lying flat on bed for a couple of days).
By the time I was at 7 kms tday, I was close to limping and definitely slowing down although I was trying to fight against it.
Shortly before I reached the 8 km point of my 2-km circuit, I knew I would be stupid to try to walk further, and so I quit at 8 kms. Time was some 5 minutes more than my time for 8 kms yesterday.
So, I have to think tonight what I should best do to keep this walking training going. I know that I walked 30 kms non-stop in October of 2006 as part of a local charity fundraiser, so I know that today's performance can be overlooked more or less, but also I have to consider slowing down for the first 6 or more kms tomorrow (if I can walk that far tomorrow - I'm sure I can) in order to complete 10 kms regardless of the time it takes. At this stage the daily distances are more important then the times.

David.

Day 3, and I've walked 8 kms today, in 1 hour 15 mins and 32 seconds.

So, I've started on item #3, and completed 1/7 part of that item. On schedule!

2 Down, 99 to go !

Day Two of 'The List' and I've COMPLETED a second item.
#2: I have today Monday walked 6 kms, in 55 minutes 23 seconds. Do the times, and indeed the seconds, matter? Certainly to me they do! To do the Rotorua Marathon in less than 7 hours (at which point, I believe, the organisers of the Marathon stop officially recording finishing times), I need to average less that 10 minutes per kilometre. Since I'll need to allow for slow starting rate in the Marathon itself due to the large number of starters bunching up, and also then allow for stops (apparently at each hour of walking), I need to discipline my self to check the time for each kilometre I walk. Maybe I'll train hard enough in the just less than 4 months remaining until the day of the Marathon to be able to string together some longer walking times than one hour before needing a break, and maybe I'll manage to get the time per Km down to close to 9 minutes? Who knows? I certainly don't at this stage.

David.

Day one!

1 Down, 100 to go !

Day One of 'The List' and I've COMPLETED an item already, so a good start!
#1: I had walked 2 kms. on Friday in 19 minutes, and I have now, today Sunday, walked 4 kms, in 37 minutes 12 seconds. So, although it's no big deal, I'm very happy because it's the 2nd successful step of a plan to prepare to walk in the Rotorua Marathon on 3 May 2008.

(I see that my postings are being shown as posted by TartanWonder, a nick I've been using for my first blog. I like that nick, so I'll leave it unchanged for this blog also.

David.

Beginnings!

I believe that at this point I can do no better than quote from the beginning of the blog of my Scottish e-friend, Lou in Kirkcaldy: "After years of making wee 'to-do' lists on tiny scraps of paper and annual resolutions I thought this barmy list idea suited me down to a tea! In my advancing years I am lacking the motivation or inclination to get even the most mundane of things completed. . . . . . . . . . . .

I will post on this blog as I progress or complete things showing evidence where I can.
Maybe you feel you want to know more... . .Here's where I got the idea http://triplux.com/dayzero/default.asp . Click for more information and examples of other lists."

Well, that pretty much says it for me also.

You can view Lou's blog at http://lou2do.blogspot.com/ .

David Paterson