Walk the MS Mile 2015
On 12 September 2015 I will be walking 1,760 yards or 1 mile, to help the Chilterns MS Centre celebrate its 30th birthday.
Me and the rollator
The Challenge
Maybe you don’t think that is very far; for me it is one heck of a challenge. I have always liked a challenge, I’m definitely up for this one. The real challenge is that I want you to sponsor to me. It is really easy.
Berkhamsted
I will be outside M & S on Saturday 12th of September 2015 ready to walk the mile; the fun starts at 11.00 in the morning. My personal backup team (wife Barby and a daughter) will be walking with me offering essential encouragement.
Training
I am training everyday in preparation for the walk with my rollator and walk lengths of about 50 yards. I started off doing 10 of them in early August, each week and try to add an extra 2 lengths. There are several challenges to overcome so I can complete the walk. Serious foot drop and leg drop in my left leg are my principle problems. My sense of balance is atrocious. These problems mean that I cannot walk without an aid. Add to these MS Fatigue plus I can not be on my feet for very long. Throw in uneven pavements for good measure.
The good news is that already I feel much better for the exercise and I am have only been doing the training for 3 weeks.
Why am I doing this
During September 2015 the Chiltern MS Centre want to raise £ 30,000 to celebrate its 30th birthday. To do this they are arranging 30 one mile walks.
The route
The mile in Berkhamsted is from M & S on the High Street to The Gatsby restaurant, also on the High Street and back again. Sounds really easy but is it? For a start I am going to have to walk through the Saturday market, there will be so many pedestrians. The pavement in Berkhamsted is atrocious and very narrow in a couple of places and finally there is a bit of a slope up to The Gatsby. I am sure there will be lots of people cheering us all on to complete the walk.
Chelsea Buns, essential for refuelling
Refuelling
Fuel for the walk?
There are plenty of places where my support team can buy me refreshments. Sticky buns from the bakers, food from the market, beer from a brewery shop, coffee from one of the numerous cafes. So there is no chance of me going thirsty or hungry. The only problem is a simple one, can I walk that far? The last time I did a walk of any length was on holiday in St Petersburg in 2008. The MS has had 7 years to continue to erode my body, destroy my stamina and reduce the threshold for fatigue.
Give generously
The Chilterns MS Centre is a charity and depends upon your donations. I did this walk in 2015 to raise money for the Centre.
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