LEJOG Preparation - Progress Report

Countdown
It’s just 36 days until we set out from Land’s End! That’s not long, is it?

Training
I felt quite silly today when four miles into our walk I realised that I had a clothes peg hanging from the back hem of my jacket. I’d washed and proofed it yesterday but when I rushed out to get the washing in when the rain started, I must have done it with such haste that I failed to remove all of the pegs. Good job we hadn’t encountered anyone in those first four miles or I would have felt a whole lot sillier!

It was our local 9-mile circuit today. The distance was dictated by not getting free until almost 3.30 and the number of hours of daylight remaining, together with the fact that we had a duck to roast for tea combined with my desire to eat before 9pm!

For the second time this year, I selected my summer trousers (perhaps not the best choice today, I was a bit nippy), but within half an hour the new Paclite waterproof trews were getting their first outing as we caught one of the many showers that were passing (most of them we could see falling as sheets of rain around us; only one actually hit us). The waterproofs did exactly as they were designed to and my only complaint is about the screaming white logos on each knee.

Food
Dehydrating has slowed a little, but we’ve got 52 meals done (plus 3 drying right now). 55-65 to go…

Kit
No new kit this week, although there are still a few things at which we need to look (I’m contemplating a new backpack and I really need to make a trouser decision).

Otherwise, with existing kit some miles have been put on the footwear and for me new socks have been successfully tested.

Maps
The maps are printed! And I’ve realised (being a bit slow) that I don’t need to mark the campsites on them (which I thought was my next job) because the campsites are precisely where each day’s route finishes. There are still a few areas for which I want to get 1:25k maps, so that’s going to be one of the next priorities.

Overall
It’s getting close and although I don’t think that we’re in bad shape (in that if we had to leave at the end of next week then we would be sufficiently prepared) there are still quite a few things to do. I’d really like to get a few overnight backpacks in over the next three weeks, the problem (as ever) is finding the time.