21 July: training walk (8k. total 22.5)

Its Monday, and although I have stuff to do I need to walk. My Camino is less than two months off and there's a need to harden up. I heard yesterday that an ex-footballer who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years ago was using walking to stage the disease off. For someone with Alzheimer's he sounded very good and he revealed that he got up at a quarter to six everyday and walked between 5 and 23k in the Blue Mountains. Note, every day, and its winter! 

Surely I could have a go. So with camelback and boots I headed off down the hill with the dogs. As dogs do, they were all bouncy and happy to be walking. I used my stick to keep them behind and they seemed to like the order. 

The tar hill felt steeper due to the ragged surface and of being wet, so I was worried about hitting the deck. I didn't even slip, but I find myself being extra cautious before heading overseas, and having to keep healthy to walk the Camino. 

Rather than stir up the local village dogs we walked between the quarry and the backs of the houses. It seemed to work and we got onto the trail heading north by the North Coast Rail line. The trail there was boggy in patches and had been ripped up by motorbikes. I tiptoed about the mud, ejole the dogs either drank the water or splashed on through. Along here I was reminded of the local woman still missing and glanced about for remains or something. This was depressing and upsetting and of makes me nervous every time I see the dogs attracted to anything in the bush. I find myself ruminating about where she might be, or what might have happened and whether anything will come of it. How can someone just go missing? 

The walk is exhausting so it draws me back to focus. I find .myself counting or praying to regulate my breathing. I feel good and enjoy being fatigued. 

At the turn around point, I check on the dogs. They've been good staying behind, but I haven't been able to see how they're travelling. These normally boisterous dogs are panting and just standing, trying to save energy, or they're in walk mode and just want to keeep moving. Back past the village and letterboxes, up the snaking bends and to the bottom of the Tar Hill, a 100 metres of digging deep. I give the dogs some encouragement, me too and we keep rolling. I believe it takesore energy to restart than to just keep moving. I say a rosary in time with my steps and breathing. Over the top, oir breathes settle and we roll into home. 

The walk has taken just over 2 hours, so about 8 kilometres possibly shorter as we'd have lost time on the hills and uneven ground. A good push, I'm happy.