Shit Just Got Real.

Well going public was so exciting I couldn't get to sleep last night.  So obvs I couldn't get up this morning and my plan of setting out at 7:15 to walk to work and then walking home again this afternoon was ditched.  That's the thing about walking - it takes bloody ages. So if you've got to be somewhere by a certain time, you really do have to leave promptly.  Dragging yourself bleary-eyed out of bed at 7:30 won't cut it.  I managed to get three miles on the treadmill done before I had to leave but it was a frustrating way to start the countdown to Day 1. Must. Do. Better.  I will try to get 5 or 6 miles done on the treadmill this afternoon and then by golly it'll be an early night for me so I can get a proper road walk in tomorrow!

It's all getting a bit real now. During the day time I find myself making mental lists, day dreaming, strategising ... well, you know the drill.  Then I go to bed at night and the lists get longer and even when sleep overtakes me, weird and anxiety-inducing dreams wake me up at 4:30 am (why is always 4:30?).  The thing is, I'm not actually worried.  I'm really looking forward to it. However clearly the reason my demeanour is so chilled out and stupidly enthusiastic is because my subconscious is doing all the heavy lifting during my REM sleep.

There's so much I won't really know until I start - for example: How much of a factor will the weather be in how far I can walk comfortably in a given day? Donegal in February could be pleasant and spring-like or it could be howling gales and driving rain or worse still - snow.  I've decided to plan for the worst and expect the best.  Seems like a good strategy.  When I decided to go in February I also decided that I was going to stay in comfortable B&Bs and not take my camping gear.  I'm a wildly optimistic person but I'm not a feckin' eejit. The walking might be harder going at this time of year but knowing there's going to be a warm bed, a hot shower and somewhere to dry myself off will keep me going. Experiencing the amazing landscape and the music and craic of the county is going to be the icing on the cake.