The Penultimate Day

---

Day 18 Blakey to Egton Bridge
Good sleep with no nightmares about mice or feet. Breakfast was decent and we were on the road about 9. Long, long walk across the moors again. Not much to see. The sky was overcast with a dark gray mist and on the heights it was very, very windy (headwind of course) but there was no rain. We were on a lot of tarmac but the footpaths we were on were mostly dry with a few muddy spots. You could tell they would be nothing but mini-rivers and waterfalls if it was rainy. Feet, knees and calves were all quiet today too. I usually start out the mornings like an Energizer bunny, all raring to get going (and get it over with). Instead of banging a dumb drum I’m banging my poles into the ground trying to get further, faster. Only trouble is my batteries aren’t Eveready - they are No Name and they wind down pretty fast. We hit a neat pub around lunchtime and ate with a threesome who kept passing us and then resting and then passing us all morning. I had a good pizza with extra goat cheese and Ross had soup and one of the best Caesar salads ever. When we were done and started walking I was pleasantly surprised that we were only a mile and a half from our destination. This was our fastest paced walking day. At one point we were doing 2.8 mph and we averaged 2.5 for the day. Whereas in the Lake District we averaged as low as 1.2 mph. Maybe we will make it to Robin Hood’s Bay before midnight if my legs don’t turn to jelly first.
Someone asked what would Ross and I talk about for 18 days. It goes like this:
How much farther to the next marker? What’s the next marker? Car! Baaa. How many miles have we gone? How many hours have we’ve done? Is it ensuite tonight? Do they serve dinner there or do we have to walk out to another place? Have you been drinking your water? How’s your foot (or any body part basically)? This isn’t the top yet. Do you have any chocolate left?
See there was lots to talk about but most of the time the wind blew the words away and we had to walk single file anyway. Thus I would say 75% of the time was spent in my head. Not always a great place to be.
One more thing to explain. Some may think all this walking has the added benefit of weight loss. That it does. BUT the weight loss is not happening on the magic marker parts I circled on my body (like the liposuction guys on TV). My neck is skinnier which means chicken neck which means you many see me wearing all those necklaces like the African tribal women or various colours of turtleneck shirts. Also it seems my thighs are a little smaller but the extra skin that is left behind has started gathering just above my knees - the kneecaps are preventing the skin from sliding down to my ankles. Oh yes I have nice little toes too. You may think losing bum fat would be good. Let me correct you on that. Having a nice little round bum is good but having one that looks like a deflated wrinkly balloon that sags down your legs and is basically flat at the back does not help keep the pants up. At first I thought I was losing it around the waist but no it still looks like I’m wearing a nice big fat money belt there (and believe me we have spent all the money!). The underboob first stomach is still there too. But wait - the boobs lost weight and are now resting on said first stomach. New lingerie is much needed here to kind of get bodyparts back into their original spot. Paris, here I come!
Another good meal here at the Horseshoe Hotel tonight and then early bed and an early start to the final day. 25,059 steps or 11.5 mi

---

Comments

[Jodi]

love the descriptions...
of the body skin redistribution - that really made me laugh!!!