The Downtime Reassessment

While I am enjoying some down time, I’ll explain what the daily routine is like for a guy who is walking across the entire country.
Let’s start in the morning: Once the cart is packed and secured by bungee cords, (in my case—no backpack for me—too much weight on the legs) it is time to hit the road---slowly at first, and after about an eighth of a mile any stiff muscles are loosened up and the rhythm is set for the next three hours or so. The eighth of a mile number came from Caleb Gosa, when he was trying to tell me about the pain, and how to minimize it. He was dead on, because after just that far, about 700 feet, all pain ceases to exist as long as there are no blisters or sprains to contend with.
It is really important to keep hydrated, even in colder temperatures. In hot weather, for obvious reasons, you need to drink a lot of water just to avoid the possibility of collapsing on the highway, where there are no small number of birds and animals who only see you as a potential snack. In cooler weather you sweat almost as much but don’t necessarily notice it, so vigilance is a must. Another thing I have learned from experience is that water is best, not soda, which tends to make you want to drink more, not to mention the complications of caffeine and other chemicals that aren’t necessarily too good for you. I don’t always practice what I preach, however, and often go through 5 or 6 cans of diet Coke a day. I know I shouldn’t but I love it. I will try harder because it is very expensive when you add all those cans up.
Three hours is plenty of time to walk before a break. If you are used to walking, and can keep your mind occupied you can easily cover 7 or 8 miles in that time. I have great stamina, and can thank my elliptical training for that. What I did not factor in so much was the pounding that my feet are taking, which has given me bad blisters and achy bones. I’m healing and resting so I should be good to go in a week or so.
After three hours of walking, I only rest for about 15 minutes, or maybe a little longer if I come to a town or a gas station. Those stinking convenience stores with their unofficial policy of NOTHING NUTRITIOUS HERE are the bane of my existence, but are also the lifeline I need most of the time. Even when there are no towns around there are often convenience stores around for a rest and a drink. So I load up on sweet crap and rest while my phone and other stuff charges. My phone is the main concern, because it is my connection to the world should something go wrong, as it did last week. The next concern is my camera battery, which I don’t need to charge often but I’d hate to have it go dead on me when that shot of a Bigfoot boarding his UFO presents itself to me.
Charged up and sugared up, I then hit the road anew, and try to go for another three hours. By now it is getting hotter and I am naturally getting more tired, so the mileage isn’t as great, and the small breaks are more frequent. But the miles still pile on, and after another break and refreshments, It is time for the home stretch. Late afternoon turns into early evening, and as the air gets cooler I walk a bit faster and really start focusing on finding a suitable site to set up my tent. In small , or even large towns it is a little difficult to find a spot that isn’t in view of houses or businesses, so I try not to be there at the end of the day. My first night in Savannah was a nightmare, in a bad neighborhood and I was terribly tired, and unsure of what to do. I slept on the open ground on my tarp, in my awfully , uncomfortable sleeping bag. The first night, I hated the whole experience. By the fourth night I was loving it. Even after the nightmare night in Metter, Georgia, pursued by some silent light wielding individual in the dark, I love the experience. of sleeping in the tent.
One thing I should mention to the potential fellow walker: it is really good to take yor shoes and socks off whenever you stop for more than a few minutes. Let the dogs breathe a little bit. Massage the feet really hard, and it makes a huge difference in the next step of the day. If you have medicated powder, load up your socks with it. It helps both keeping your feet dry and feeling cool. This was a trick taught to me by Ms. Rachel Milano, an inspiring young lady who walked 250 miles from Savannah, GA to Atlanta, GA several years ago, pushing an 850 pound cart, and who suffered not a single blister the entire time, although she was hit by a semi truck at some point (Maybe the blisters would have been a better alternative)...
I admit it. I was not completely prepared for this in some ways. I never took my tent out of its pouch to try to set it up first. I didn’t get better shoes because the ones I had seemed to be just fine. I packed way too many cans of tuna and energy packets of the 4-C type, Energy Rush, and do not think I will need them all. I am currently re-configuring my route slightly, and my supplies. I will stop earlier to set up my tent and hit the road earlier each day to make up for it. For the first week I was getting out at about 8 am or so, but when I was near a McDonalds or a place with wifi I would linger around to write and check emails and recharge. I now have a solar panel charger for my phone and some new shoes and even a camping air mattress, a cool gift from my aunt Pam, who is a veteran camper. When I hit the road again later this coming week, in the waning days of March, I will be gone for the duration. No more blisters, no more safety nets..just me, the open road and a dream.