So that went better than expected...

 

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

It didn't start well. The taxi was booked for 08.50 to take me to the Kiltwalk start point in Musselburgh. From a firm I've used many times before, and have always been 100% reliable. Yet come 09.00 there was no taxi. I called. He'll be with you in a couple of minutes said the woman. Hmmm...

09.10 the taxi rolls up. OK, he was apologetic, and then made his best effort to get me there for the start time of 09.30. On the way another wee surprise. Did they tell you it's cash only today? he asked. No. And being late there was no time for a cashpoint stop. So he trusted me, good man. Gave me his bank details and then I was out and off. I could see, across the park, the last of the 09.30 walkers already some distance from the starting point.

So my start time was 09.34. No chance to enact my original plan to do some stretches and take a few photos of the crowd before setting off. So straight into it I went.

Took about three minutes to catch up to the rear of the pack. And another twenty five to make my way through and around the backmarkers to get into my own pace. Then it was just about keeping on going.

There was a plan of sorts, based on the experience of my practice walking these past weeks. My back problem required me to have a sit down and stretch about once an hour, thus three times over the course, to avoid getting into too much pain. But. I don't know if there was some extra shot of adrenaline courtesy of my late start and slow-walker circumnavigation, or just an extra sense of purpose brought on by this one being the real thing, but no sitdowns ensued. I did try to grab a banana at one of the pit stops, but the buggers didn't have the decency to have any, so on I trundled.  

There was a moment, just over a mile away from the end, that some nausea hit me, and I decided to give in and have a seat.  Except that every bench was already taken by walkers who looked in a worse state than me, so on I went, and that slightly sickish feeling had the decency to disappear.  Zero stops.  Happy with that!

I did manage a few photos along the way, all poor quality as I didn't allow myself to stop walking to take them. But it was good to see a classic old Citroen H van still giving service on Porty Prom.

I took this (and forgot to smile) to reassure myself that I was no longer stone cold last.

Some people have a more eccentric approach to Kiltwalk than others...

That heartwarming moment when you get your first glimpse of the final destination in the distance.

Nearly there...

Thank fek for that... 😼

Now I sit here writing, a Kiltwalker who has dined, stretched those aching muscles, and bath-soaked to the point of pink-and-wrinkliness. A contented Kiltwalker. (And the taxi driver has been paid!)

(A smug Kiltwalker who beat his best practice time by over ten minutes! 😁)

Final shot. This is my fifth Kiltwalk finisher's medal. And by far the nicest looking of the quintet. Roll on 2025...?

Of course it's a great feeling to have the walk go better than expected, and to receive such a nice looking lump of metal.  But I don't forget that the real purpose of the day is to raise money for a good cause.  And if  you would still like to donate something you very much still can, and I would be very much grateful.  You can get to the donation page by clicking on this link.

Many thanks to everyone who already donated.

Finally, thanks to Barbara for coming to Murrayfield to prop me up and take some photos.