Walking 30 miles in training

By Geoffrey

Last week we celebrated walking 24 miles - who's "we" we always ask?  - Yesterday it was the 30 miles at the first attempt, but not as easy as it sounds. Since the first day's walk, on March 17 next year, will be 30 miles it's worth knowing if we can get over that first hurdle. On the 2400 mile walk from Key West to the top of Maine (Fort Kent) there will be six more 30-mile walks and two of 31, one of 32 and one of 35 ( on the pen-penultimate day, in Maine.  So know that I can do it is a tremendous boost; also knowing I defeat the "oh stuff it that's enough" demons gives great confidence, cos those naughty little ids were there, especially with 9 miles to go when I arrived back where I'd left the car - "just get in and drive back home - you can do the rest on the rubberised track at Jackson Park" - I thought I had sent them packing a few miles up the towpath. They'd been urging me to call it quits at the car but I bargained that "if walking 30 miles would see a cure for Alzheimer's Disease would I do it?" - the demon tempters disappeared. They were not the only wildlife on the towpath - it was fine day already at 7.30am when I set off for the first 15.5 mile leg and starling were flocking ominously - being harbingers of a hard winter with their early autumn gathering?  Leaves were falling regularly so it was not a surprise to see a large red one drop ten feet in front of me, until I realised it was a cardinal, who posed long enough for a photo but not long enough for the camera to focus. I would rather not post that pic- the blurry result makes the St Louis mascot look like a leaf.
A couple on bikes told me they had cycled 50 miles in a day of Cancer Research and I gave them a card to publicise Feet of Memory - they saw me later and commented on how quickly I'd travelled 10 miles
I figured if I walked north to two miles past the Stark County boundary and then south to the 13 mile mark before returning to the car I'd have traversed 15 miles twice= 30 -

So this was my turning round point at Lock 3 just north of Clinton.
Butterflies abounded, more precursors, heralds of the coming cold and almost back at the Stark boundary a stag dashed across the towpath about ten yards in front of me, closely pursued by two or maybe three doe, who stopped when they saw me and ran back into the thick undergrowth. The stag was off in the other direction, obviously an unwilling suitor glad to put a human between him and his anxious females.
Rose and our youngest grandson Peyton met me at Canal Fulton, after 15.5 miles and we picnicked for 40 minutes between I set off for the next 14.5 miles - the first half was cut out in 4 hours 20 mins - not rapid but steady enough but the second half took 4 hours 40 minutes. The first half mile or more after lunch was slow, it was like getting a large train up to speed and I was not at full (3.5-3.8 mph) pace for about a mile. I really slowed in the mid-20 miles and stopped at Ernie's bike shop to hand in sunglases found on the path. This large hawk stopped me too

and asked for help - I told him I'd look for the number to ring on one of the Stark County notices and kept on going  to the turnaround (13-mile) mark.
When I got back a man in a motorised wheelchair was ringing for help and I walked on content that it was being taken care of. Great the people of all mobilities can use the towpath, and even greater that the call for help for the stricken hawk should come from man with less than 100% mobility himself.