Day 31 - Closer to home.........

Only one more week of listening to my drivel mate !

This time next week I'll be in my own bed, in my own house - back to reality ! 

(It's a strange feeling really)

Firstly, a massive thankyou to my cousins Derryn & Peter for hosting me for the last 2 nights - great to meet family I hadn't met before too!!

Today I was told it was a nice flat ramble from Saundersfoot to St Clears - who the hell told me that !!!!! By golly (as polite as I can get !) - this mornings hike was one of the more testing ones I've had for the last week or so (maybe my legs are now actually running on empty?).

I was firstly joined today by a fellow Kilimanjaro conqueror - Ian. Ian was my 'room mate' in Africa as we scaled Uhuru Peak and now a great friend who has supported our fight against MND generously.

(Dont fret, this wasn't 9am this morning !)

It was great to reminisce about the Kili trek etc but I'm sure Ian was only put on this planet to make me walk up ridiculous inclines !!! Everytime I walk with this fella,

I'm walking upwards - it was a backbreaking couple of hours. Actually I'm sure I heard your knees creak for a good 14 miles Ian ?! ;) - WD40 required!

After sweating out what felt like at least 85 gallons, we eventually got to Laugharne (may not be spelt correctly!) Famous for Dylan Thomas' boathouse etc 

(Yep, it's just a house !)

It was here we teamed up with Rhian & her sister Ruth. Yep - Rhian, my 'logistics manager' for Pembroke ;) finally succumbed and joined me on the walk. 

(The excitement of seeing Thomas' boast house is etched all over my face !!)

The girls, armed with a random cowbell, fought their way through farmland, snakes (!!), and treacherous main roads without the slightest of moans - oh hang on - there was some moaning but we couldn't hear it, Rhian was too far back ;)

The road into St Clears seemed to go on forever, so we tried to entertain ourselves any which way we could !

(Spot the buffoon!)

Having finally brought Day 31 to a close we bowled into St Clears unscathed!

In fact it was a good job Ian was with us, because 'someone' had left their car keys back at the start point !! (Doh)

The Owens hospitality, as usual was second to none and Rhian's hubby Gareth rustled up an ace Mexican ! 

I'm bushwhacked, literally am on the last leg home. I don't think I could do much more than 6 days anyhow - simply running on adrenalin now.

Thanks go out to my comrades for today, Ian & Jan, Ruth for travelling up to join us and again Rhian & Gareth for taking me in, feeding and hosting me so well. 

Tomorrow I get to walk with the most important woman in your life, your super wife Tracy and then I get to see the most important woman in my life - my wife, who has signed up to walk the next 2 days (hope there are hills !!!!!!)

Day 30 - You'll Never Walk Alone

Brace yourself mate !! 

Today I have suffered unimaginable humiliation !

A never to be seen again sight, an absolute psychological nightmare, a complete & utter day of sheer torture:-

Yes, I am wearing toilet paper ;) I apologise to all fellow Evertonians and to my daughter (who hopefully isn't scarred for life by this view!), but in the fight for MND and to raise valuable funds (thanks to Richie and Wayo!) I donned the ultimate in embarrassment. 

I seriously felt much more comfortable in both the dress and the pink nuns costume !!

My fellow walkers today included Richie, his dad Tony, Jo (a work colleague), her husband Mike, his sister Kath and ex work colleague Caroline. Also Shirley and Alastair(from Cardiff MNDA branch). 

So a great crowd of us! Plus I was able to meet up with Mrs Cleary and son Alex and also my walkers for tomorrow Ian & Jan.

To be honest, the terrain again today was very manageable, only a few inclines/declines to manage! 

Obviously Richie struggled though ;)

It did start raining briefly at Tenby, but by then i had been dragged into a pub (kicking and screaming as you can imagine!).The Tenby through to Saundersfoot last few miles were a bit testing on the knees but nothing in comparison to last 4 weeks ;)

There were certain points along the route where any mode of transport would've done though :-

(Typical scouser on the rob ! - no offence intended my Liverpudlian colleagues!!)

(Desperate times call for desperate measures)

There was one point where the embarrassment threatened to get to me too much mate !!

(Disused rail track ......... - honest)

All in all, it was a good days walk, 16 miles of great company and banter.

I even got to muscle in on a wedding lol:- 

Plus convinced an army officer to let us cross the firing range ;)

We were buoyed with news early morning that Richie had got us a mention on Radio 2 !! - Anneka Rice's show - where we had a 'get up and go' song dedication - the song (funny bu&&ers!!) was Proclaimers !! 500 miles !

Which in fact was rather apt, as I've now probably walked over the 500 mile mark. Into single figure days remaining.

A week tomorrow it'll all be over and those boots of mine will be launched into the sea (never to be seen again!!).

Not my proudest moment today mate, wearing the red of Liverpool, but I did say I'd do anything to make you chuckle !!

Massive thanks to everyone who took time away to walk with me today and to those who kindly popped some cash into our tin !!

I'm literally coming around the corner now, I can smell the Gower from here (although all I can actually smell is my rucksack, which absolutely reeks !!)

The title of this blog, although not a personal favourite song of mine ! ;) is also very apt. You are not alone in your fight Gar, the army is getting bigger by the day, we will fight on and we will conquer.

PS - any Liverpool fans out there who are now giggling to themselves over the fact I had to wear that rag today - that has to be worth another couple of quid - if only to keep the photo and taunt me with it everytime the Merseyside derby comes around !! Text WMND50 £3 to 70070 

Day 29 - Fresh 2 Fresh

Today was a good day mate ! I'm struggling to find anything to moan to you about.

My sis joined me today ! 

Firstly, I'm amazed she found the starting point !! (I know what you're thinking - how can I possibly question other peoples directional sense ;)

But she did, and it was great to see her !

We were also joined today by Luana & Laura (from Monday) and some more of their family. So we were a 9-strong MND army today !!

We were extremely fortunate today to walk through some fabulous sights.

(St Govans Chapel)

(Barafundle Bay - my poor photography doesn't really do it justice!)

Oh, and we were also extremely fortunate not to get shot at or cannoned - Which is always a bonus :)

(Castlemartin)

The weather held up nicely, only a few 'little' up and downers and some great company again, and some contributions to the collection box has helped get past 29 days! 

Schoolboy error though (and there is always at least one each day with me!) - I lumped a full backpack around all day when I could've just left it in my sisters car and got it at the end !!!!!!!! DOH.

So another day passes. I'm very proud of my little sis for completing a leg of the walk with me - not that I ever doubted you of course Cer !

(Bottom left pic - has half of the team missing and worryingly my foot !!!)

Tomorrow I head for Saundersfoot, via Manorbier and Tenby. Hooray ! Places I have actually been to before ! Home

Is edging ever nearer.

On the subject of home, I just wanted to give a mention to one poor soul who puts up with all my moans and groans constantly on a daily basis - My wife!

Some would say nipping away to stroll around our beloved countryside is great timing whilst the children are off school running riot ! (Wasn't planned deliberately, honestly !). 

But in all seriousness, I've said before it would be difficult being away from them and it certainly has been. They are 100% behind what I'm doing though and I'm sure ill have plenty of time to catch up on all the daily chores :) In fact the 'things for Justin to do when he returns' list is growing considerably by the day! Love you guys. 

Tomorrow, I'm joined by a few more colleagues and friends, going to be another great day to fight MND !!

PS - mate, you're probably wondering when I get to wear that piece of ¥*#€* you call a football top too ? Got a horrible feeling it won't be long............ That is seriously gonna hurt ;(

Special Thanks today to:-

Terry & Betty James

Luana, Laura and family

Derek & Marisa Wiseman 

Derryn & Peter Davies (my hosts for tonight, more on them tomorrow ;)

Day 28 - Twenty Eight Days Later !

28 days later ! - also the name of a zombie film, and that's how I'm beginning to feel now ! I'm struggling to stay awake to write today's blog so apologies if this isn't published until Friday!!

So after a good night of pizza, few beers and an a55-kicking on the pool table, it was time to show the boys what this walking lark was all about!!

Unfortunately though, as usual, I seem to draw the short straw ! I finally succumbed and donned the pink nuns outfit ! 

(Public Health Warning on photos below!) 

(No comments necessary mate !)

Thankyou Donna for the donation, was worth the temporary humiliation! I think Henley and Job were thankful for the attention really !

As with previous, it was good to joined by some of the boys today, they had obvious been hearing me moaning & groaning for the last few weeks and so I was hoping for some tough terrain and undulating cliff edges all day ! They packed enough snacks to last a week! But they didn't last longer than mile 8!

Luckily for them though, the first 14/15 miles was a blissful little stroll across lush green fields and tarmac roads ! Sea views were not plentiful early on either as we walked past more refineries and old forts etc.

That pleasurable terrain would soon change though!

We also had the pleasure of catching up briefly with Chris & Tor, who popped into Angle to kindly quench my thirst ;)

And as usual, after stopping for "one of my five a day" - its difficult to get back up and continue ! 

In fairness though, the boys were struggling with their handbags !!!

(Bag on left obviously mine ! Jobs on right!!)

After being treated to a somewhat luxurious trip around angle bay - my wish of difficult inclines etc came true - at last I could inflict some of the pain into my fellow walkers !

As the boys were getting to grips with what has now become normality for me, I decided to tidy the path up and move some obstructions ;)

(Pre-season training!)

After 4 or 5 beastly hills we eventually caught sight of our destination - freshwater west !

Then, literally 5mins after the above picture was taken, it started raining !! Near miss!

20 miles later - I had hit the 4 weeks of walking mark !!

As my comrades set off, I was then met by Terry & Betty, my kind hosts. 

After a sumptuous roast chicken dinner and homemade blackberry tart (how spoilt am I !!!) I retired for the evening and started to write this before it was too late !

I hear you got to get out again yesterday and watch Scarlett in the park etc which is fantastic. I know how much of an upheaval it is for you to do that and hope you're not in too much pain today/tomorrow. 

I'm sure the photos of me in this costume today will make you chuckle!

I should've kept my mouth shut !!!!!

28 days down mate, the home straight definitely in sight now.....

Tomorrow, my sister joins me on the walk - Sis, god help you ;) 

Day 27 - Penfro, Picachu & Pizza !!

Day 27 - one of my easiest scheduled walks (12/13 miles) from Milford to Pembroke. Cracking weather today and most of the walk was on proper footpaths (and not too many inclines at all).

Plus I had the pleasure of being accompanied by Amy & her friend Picachu (aka Katie).

Amy and her family (inc Kate Byron, her dad Brene, mum and Amy's mum Jane) have been great supporters of the walk and are also participating in memory of Sam. 

The scenery on this walk was somewhat unique to the others, as we past the oil & gas refineries that the area is renowned for.

(No dolphins or seals around here !!)

What was similar to previous routes was the danger of bumping into Boris' relatives :-

Luckily we didn't encounter the beast!

After taking in a much welcomed Magners break at Neyland, time seemed to fly by along the route as Picachu seemed to have a song for any occasion !  Some strange looks from the locals and passing traffic along the way though :) 

The girls did tremendously well to walk the entire day but they may be aching in the morning! (Thanks for the company both!!).

We arrived at Pembroke in good time and in high spirits.

The bonus for me was that I had a couple of hours to chill out before the boys came to pick me up! Where did I go ? Take in the sights of the castle etc? Have a wander round the town? Get a picnic down by the river? NOPE - I found the Royal George !! Job done !

These early finishes are dangerous mate, don't want to walk any further than necessary so the obvious place for me to take refuge is the beer garden ;) !!

Mr Jenkins & Mr Job had arrived and we made our way to Rhians. 

She then showed us the delights of Narbeth and literally got stuffed !! Humongous pizzas washed down with a few cheeky pints. 

(Needless to say me & Rhian kicked the boys ass on the pool table!!)

Unfortunately, someone let Jenkins loose on the jukebox ! 

(Any song that had 'Walk' in the title got played - inc Aled Jones ;)

Twas a great night and we had a good laugh reminisencing about the old Brynteg days - yet more stories about you Mr Hayes ;) - I'll save them for when I get back!

Rhian - you have been a star. The support you've given me along the way and the assistance you have provided me with has been massive. Thankyou is not enough really - but thankyou!

Rumour has it tomorrow I don a pink nuns outfit !! Please don't rain !!

Tomorrow I'm hoping to send Henley and Job home in pieces .................

Heard you've had a good day mate, which is great. Hopefully the pics tomorrow will make you chuckle !

For now here's a cheap joke:-

Now that Suarez is leaving the scum for another club who will be their designated diver?  ;) 

Goodnight mate.

"Enjoy every moment you have. Because in life, there are no rewinds, only memories" 

Day 26 :- another good day !

Firstly an update on last night!

Took me 40 mins to walk back to the hostel in a dark country lane and I was bricking myself !! Bats flying everywhere and then out of nowhere from behind I saw some animal hurtling towards me!! Could've been a stray dog, a fox or even a bloody big badger !!! Either way I wasn't waiting for it to get to me so I imitated a snake (for some random reason!!) and hissed at it - it then started running back the other way!! 

But it kept doing this for about 10mins!! I did try upping my pace but flip flops don't really allow for that!

Eventually got back to the hostel! Tiptoed in, not to disturb Parky but failed miserably ! About half hour later of answering another 50 questions of his, I pretended to be asleep - I think he kept talking for at least another 10 mins before dropping off himself ;)

I awoke this morning to more scrutinising, but did eventually get back on the road! 

A dryer, more pleasant day today - buoyed along with news that I had passed my Welsh Exam too !!! Get in there! (Da Iawn to rest of my class too!)

The first 2/3 miles of my trip today were very familiar - oh yes ! That's right, I bloody walked it yesterday too whilst lost!!!

I did get to take in the views of Skomer & Skokholm islands - Bill Oddie would love this place, as its a bird-watchers paradise. Now, to me, a bird is a bird ! 

Random Cr@p joke alert:

What do you call a bird that's always out of breath ? - A puffin !!

I didn't fit in round here anyway, as i didn't own a pair of Binoculars! 

I then got to the picturesque little village of Dale. Perfect spot for coffee & carrot cake !!

The sun decided to surface this morning too (must have smelt my carrot cake!), but it was a welcomed ally - after the last few days.

No one walking with me today, so I took the opportunity to blast out a few tunes and bring out my air guitar ;)

Oh and Headley is still around too. Just doesn't like the rain ;)

The rest of the walk to Milford was pretty uneventful really. Even the sea views now are getting ignored ;( I could the see the industrious town of Milford in the distance most of my way around the peninsula which always helps. Having the end destination in sight somehow makes me walk a little quicker!!?

My abode this evening (Lord Nelson) is now free too, thanks to Jane & Amy Jones!! A nice bath, some pub grub (definitely putting weight on, not losing it as expected !) and a wide screen TV ! Luxury!

And to continue with the 'Justins getting spoilt' trend - Rhian has kindly offered to launder my kit !! Which is very much needed ;) I opened the ruck sack yesterday and I swear I saw one of the tshirts walk out of it on its on !!! Febreeze is too heavy to carry :) 

Ill treat myself tomorrow and wear a different top to that I've worn for the last 3 days !!!

We've reached the £8000 mark too mate, which is great. People are talking about MND - all we need now is for it to make a difference ! 

The hope remains, that one day the world will be free of this grotesque disease. We need to hold onto that hope.

Day 25 - Long road home

Probably bored you stupid yesterday mate with the moans & groans (again!!!!) - sorry.

Today was a tad better lol !!

In fact today started off with me cursing the hell out of the skies ! More rain !! Someone up there is playing funny bu**ers with me ! Burn me to a crisp one day and then flood me the next !!

I didn't have chance to dwell on the negatives today though as I was joined by some lovely people!

This morning, Luana and her daughter Laura braved the elements to join me from Solva. I had met these amazing women at the cake sale I attended yesterday - from which by the way they raised approx £200 !!!

These two get involved in a lot of fundraising for MND in this area and raise a hell of a lot of money in the process, backed by a very active South West Wales branch. 

Today's terrain resembled an ice rink at times ! And doing a 'bambi on ice' impression isn't recommended when perilously close to the cliff edge !!

When we got about 2 hours in we then met up with some more fabulous fundraisiers ! Kate Byron, Amy Jones and their wonderful families came along to support me too. Kate and her father walked the next 3/4 miles with us and joined me in cursing the weather ;)

In fact all my fellow walkers and supporters today helped tremendously in lifting my spirits from yesterday. 

There's a lot of very good people out there doing a lot of incredible work for the charity. Again it was humbling to hear their own personal experiences with the disease and how it's affected their families.

So far so good !?! Great company, no moaning about my blisters, no sun = no sunburn, even the rain stopped this afternoon ! But......

I was alone for the last hour or so of my journey - which only meant one thing !! Yep I GOT BLOODY LOST again !!

All I had to do was take a turning off the coastal path towards the village of Marloes. Simple instruction. 

2 and a half hours later I found myself

In Martins Haven at top of the peninsula with nowhere else to possibly walk !! Cue mild panic. 

I text Kirsten for postcode of YHA (this info was in my backpack which Mrs Jones had kindly taken back for me earlier in the day!!). Text reply came back with a postcode that was 25 miles away !!! Cue extreme panic !!!!

Luckily, the postcode was wrong and I was only lost by 3.5 miles !!! Which, with my feet was still not a great prospect ! 

Some kind-hearted folk took pity on me and offered to take me to my hostel - extremely generous of them and for which ill be forever thankful! - today was an approx 23 mile slog which could've and should've been less & easier !

(They also kindly donated £5 !!)

So by now, I'm knackered (as usual!) and in need of shower, cider, food and bed (preferably in that order......)

Who do I get roomed with in the hostel !??!?? Marloes' equivalent of Michael Parkinson !! This guy is a nice enough chap but my god can he talk !!! 

Took me 20 mins to get past him and out the door for a shower, another 20mins to get out and past him to get into he local pub! I've started writing this blog in the pub to delay my return and hopefully avoid another inquisition when I get back there !!

I must mention the hostel, they have been great, given me a towel and the manager drove me into the village ! (Obviously could see the desperation on my face !!)

Tomorrow I head for Milford Haven - 25

Days through it now mate - feels more like 25 years ;) 

Another faux-pas before i publish this ! I thought I could get taxi from pub to YHA - oh no !! Don't be silly Justin !! Absolutely no chance - no taxis here ! So as I try and type these last few words, I'm 'Walking' (!!) back to the hostel (about a mile away!) - in flip flops !!!

God I pray Michael isn't still awake when I eventually get back there ;)