Day 114 has seen 4 miles walked and the most wonderful experience at Sainsburys.
It felt decidedly quiet this morning. There was no dog to say good morning to me this morning. No dog to walk. I took the opportunity to pray for a while from the calm inside rather than grim faced as I would have been as I fought through the stiff wind outside to walk Georgie. Instead I took some time to talk to God, to ask for healing for all those brave souls that I know or that I have met or been told about that need healing and then to listen. To try and identify what it was that he wanted me to do today. Another day written off by strong winds – but not entirely – because I then started to get the seed of an idea. To go and walk the four mile route that Georgie and I had explored and broken in together. It was a relatively tree less route so slightly safer than other options and would be a fitting tribute to a lost friend. That was decided and would take place late morning rather than right now as the weather was foul right now. I felt inclined to believe that there would be a break in the weather before lunch.
It got to 1100am and still the weather hadn’t abated but I went to get changed then to pack my rucksack. It was important that I took a full load because the weather was foul and the route was off the beaten track which could leave me lying for significant periods before being found if something happened and I couldn’t call for help. It took me ages to pack but got there eventually before then going backwards and forwards to the door to unlock it and go back inside to collect something that I had forgotten to then realise that I hadn’t, just packed it somewhere unusual. It was a hugely frustrating 30 mins but I got going eventually. I started slowly up the road to let the body warm up before hitting the bend, starting the watch and putting the foot down. The promised break in the weather came. It was still very windy but at least was now dry. The next four miles were done carrying 25 lbs at a fast walk / run cross country, across boggy fields and tracks. It was very wet underfoot and even worse saw me fighting head long into the vicious wind. However the view of the snow capped Ben Ledi was wonderful and while I missed not having Georgie with me I also imagined that she might be now with me at peace and no longer in pain as we slipped and slided into the wind and through the mud. I had decided not to bring my walking poles as I dithered at the start and that was a mistake because the wee burn that needed to be crossed was now a small river which with a pole planted in the middle would have allowed me to vault across gracefully. Now however my only option was a run and jump. I backed up. Checked the buckles on my rucksack and then went for it with a slippy slidey run towards the bank before launching myself across the burn. My heart was in my mouth as I jumped but I made it – just – but the force of my momentum threw me into the face of the bank on the other side. I had clipped the side of the burn and sprayed water up my trousers but I wasn’t sitting in the burn. I had landed with my hands into a whole pile of sheeps poo but I wasn’t sitting in the burn. I turned and washed my hands of the syrupy sheeps poo then thrust my numb hands into my trouser pockets to dry and warm them before setting off again. A huge smile on my face. It was pleasant being able to feel the texture of sheep poo and smell the sheeps poo and see the sheeps poo without any further sensations. This wasn’t an aura. I really had made the decision to jump the raging torrent of the burn with 25lbs on my back, made it and landed in sheeps poo. I was alive, living life and loving it.
On I went through a small wood before turning left down towards the old Kilmadock cemetery and the River Teith. Turning left I powered my way along the raging river. Not the baby river of the burn I had just leapt but a proper big river with it’s roaring mass of water flowing in huge ridges of angry water downstream. The water was moving far faster than I and made for pleasant audio visual form of mood music to the walk on this stormy day. I pushed on onto the steep narrow gravel paths that wind their way up into the wood of Doune before then walking the Northern edge of the wood, well away from any recent forestry work and the dangerous boundary of shallow rooted forestry trees, but still having to negotiate an enormous fallen beech tree across my path. There was no one underneath it thank goodness so pushed for home. Once home 3 over arm pull ups, 15 press ups and 15 situps before some stretching and deep breathing and scrubbing thick mud off of my boots and gaitors. It was a great morning.
After a shower and change it was lunch of the usual poached egg on toast with spinach, rocket and watercress salad, tenderstem broccoli, carrot, tomato and red grapes. Then I had an internet food shop to do but the internet was down. I got on with some admin but still the internet was down. My head was numb and I was slightly dizzy from a good hours worth on the computer trying to fix the internet. After ruling out every possibility I decided to check my mobile. It couldn’t connect either. I called BT and they confirmed that it was a large broadband outage and that they would have it back up as soon as possible but with no confirmed timeline. Rather than frustrated I was pleased that it wasn’t my computer that was at fault and that I had been quite industrious in trying to sort it out. Such complex cognitive tasks had left me rather perplexed and almost overwhelmed over the last couple of years so I was pleased by the way that I had approached the problem logically and without frustration. Just ticking the mental check boxes to get to the crux of the problem. This was a significant improvement from the start of treatment two years ago and I was really pleased but I still needed to get a shop done. On a cognitive role I checked the bus timetable and jumped on the 5.04pm No59 bus to Stirling that passed by Sainsburys. I could go to the shop and ask if they were able to arrange delivery because there was no way that I could carry an entire shop for 4 days home on the bus in the rucksack. I could carry 2 days home and ask them to deliver the other 2. I checked the bus timing for the return bus. 8:04pm. Far more time than I was going to need so took my time as I walked up to the shop. Got my trolley and walked in. Straight to the customer services desk with my brilliant plan I approached the delightful Kim and explained my predicament. She listened and was sympathetic to my plight but was unable to arrange a drop off of the shopping as all deliveries are coordinated from a central location in England. However there might be something they could do. Kim went to speak with her manager Natalie who then went to speak to the store manager and then came with a solution. ‘Get what you need. Pay for it this evening. Take what you need for tomorrow. We will put the remaining shopping in the chiller. We will find a number of delivery options from the mornings schedule, call you to confirm which time would work best for you then load your remaining shopping on to that van. Natalie had a conference further North later on tomorrow but was coming in especially in the morning to ensure all was squared away for the delivery. Kim and Natalie had bent over backwards with the blessing of the store manager to find a way to assist me and make the impossible possible. I was incredibly grateful and couldn’t thank them enough but it didn’t stop there. The Stirling Sainsbury’s store is enormous and it was a long time since I had tried to do a food shop on my own two feet. I bumped in to Liz who was on top form and radiating happiness. Positively glowing. She wanted to give me a lift home but had a car full of young dancers so it just wouldn’t work and I reassured Liz that the shop had sorted it and I had a workable plan but thanked Liz for her kind thought. I was getting a little heady from the constant scanning of the shelves looking for produce and was probably being a little thick at times as to where to find stuff but the team on the shop floor stacking shelves were first class at helping me to find the coconut milk that I couldn’t find and various other bits and pieces that seemed to be hiding from me. As I tried to finish my shop Natalie came striding towards me with an enormous grin on her face. It was the sort of grin I would see on my children’s face when they knew that they had done so terribly well, that they had surpassed all expectations, and were so very much looking forward to seeing the look of delight on my face when they tell me what they’ve done. I have absolutely no idea how the connection was made but somehow in this enormous shop Natalie had managed to find a friend of mine from the village, Colin, and see if he could give me a lift home with my shopping. He could and was more than happy too!! It was pure genius – incredible in fact. I only had one problem. I couldn’t find the marmalade!!
So shop done and paid for I headed home with Colin, taking the opportunity to have a great catch up and hear the great news that his Mother and Father had both recently beaten and been given the all clear from their own diagnosis of different cancers. Incredible that I should meet Colin again like this and that he should have such great and encouraging news for me. I never did work out how Natalie, as she managed her department in that enormous store, had met Colin, connected that Colin knew me and lived in Doune and that he would be happy to give me a lift home. God works in mysterious ways.
Thank you Sainsburys, Natalie and Kim for your listening ear and determination to help. Thank you Colin for the lift home.
Have a wonderful evening but before you do:
The challenge in numbers in total since the start:
Days completed: 114
Total Miles Cycled: 627
Total Miles Walked: 595.5
Total Miles Run: 32.7
Total Miles Paddled: 7
Total Distance Cycled, Skied, Ran and Rowed in the gym: 17.2
Total Distance Swum: 900 metres
Total Miles covered under own steam.1393.3
Total Height Gained under own steam: 31,973 feet
Mountains Climbed: 5
Hills Climbed: 18
Days of Voluntary Activity: 6.5
Organ tunes learnt and performed: 5
Salmon Caught: 0!
Curling Matches played in: 5
Curling stones placed on the button (the centre of the target): 1
Weight Training Sessions: 8
Aerobic Circuit Sessions: 5
Press Ups: 232
Pull Ups: 57
Sit Ups: 232
People Met and Hands Shaken: 358
Pots of tea shared: 24
Prayers joined on the top of a hill: 2
Prayers joined in the street!: 4
Prayers joined in a Train Station: 1
Prayers joined in a Café: 1
Pills popped: 498
Days until Driving Licence (lost to epilepsy) possibly Returned: 728
And most important of all – Money Raised as at Day 112 – £6,050.77
Considering I started this challenge 22 weeks ago very quietly with no target beyond a fiver, thanks to the brilliant advice from a friend of mine, I am absolutely thrilled and again thank you all. That is £54.02 for each and every day that I have managed to find the will and energy to do something worthwhile and my goodness it has been worth it for my peace of mind, for my healing and for the five wonderful charities you are supporting through your generosity. Long may it continue. May I also ask however that if you are not sponsoring me to please consider it for as much or as little as you can afford. My rate of revenue raising has slowed from £70.00 a day to £60.00 a day to £54.02 a day so please sponsor me and encourage your friends to as well.
Thank you all for your incredible comments and support. Please continue to spread the word.
If you see me around do please give a cheery hello and shake my hand or toot your horn and give a cheery wave to show your support and encourage me on.
Thank you
Yours aye
Archie