03 June 2012

The Working Day

I thought I might try to give an insight to the working day, it might explain why I get around to taking up few of the welcome offers of hospitality.

The alarm sounds and the day starts with a quick check to find if anything hurts too much, a comparison of pain v likely mileage and to shake the sleeping bag out to see if anything dropped off in the night.
Time next to feed, breakfast would be too grand a word, followed by a decamp and boat pack.
Next is to get everything down to the water and then to dress with paddle kit, chat to the obligatory dog walker and do a final boat pack (trolley etc) - as I get into the boat it will have been at least 2 hrs since the alarm sounded. It may well be longer if I'm tired or the terrain is difficult.

Then the paddling starts and tends to continue until I get off at the end of the day, arms going around all day with a quick feed on the hour. Once on I don't plan to get off until the end of the day, but sometimes I will if I need to change clothing.
The end of the day is usually quite physical as the boat is hauled off the beach, often for quite a distance. Next is to set up camp, feed and drink, write up the diary, plan for the next day, sort any kit, buy any food if possible and write up the blog. After all this it is usually dark and an hour or two after I wanted to be asleep.
Then it starts again.

There is no stop for lunch, no reading the paper at breakfast or such like - spare time is rare. Everything is more difficult and surprisingly time consuming when paddling a full boat alone.
I'm not looking for sympathy but you might appreciate now why I tend not to hang around for a chat or drop in for a brew. Don't stop the offers though, you never know!

Some days it's fun, some days it's hard work, but I've yet to have a dull moment.
I'm glad I'm here.

Sent from my phone

2 comments:

Ian Tordoff said...

John. Well done the better miles are here now and the good tides are just round the corner. The next sweep stake is how much of the bristol channel you will cut off. My vote is a Lundy / Pembrook dash if the weather is calm. Keep it up 75 days must be on!

Geoff said...

"I'm glad I'm here. " Really good to see you write that John, it must be hard to keep the drive going sometimes but it is an awesome effort you are making. I have a feeling you are going to destroy the record :-)