5 months of training is now complete. 22 hard weeks. Starting as an overweight, unfit bloke approaching his 40's. But a bloke with a goal. With a vision. With a desire.
For five years doing nothing more than thinking about walking the Kokoda Trail. The occasional conversation - "One day I'll walk the track. One day".
Until, finally, I had had enough. "It's time to just do it".
There was always an excuse not to. Not enough time. Not enough money. Not fit enough. Too overweight. Kids are too young. Can't get away from the job. It will be too hard. No-one to go with. Bad knees. Hernia operation. The list went on. Then, finally, no more excuses.
It was time to make some changes in my life - and the Kokoda Trail is as good a place as any to start...
So tomorrow moring I'm off. Alarm is set for 4:20AM. Taxi booked for 4:50AM. A plane to Port Moresby, then Tuesday another to Kokoda.
Have I trained hard enough? Will my new boots give me hell after only 2 weeks of breaking them in? Will my knees hold out on the hills? Will I have the mental staying power to keep going when things get tough? What will my fellow trekkers be like? Should I really be carrying my own pack - is it too late to change that now?
A lot of questions will be answered over the coming 12 days. And no doubt a whole lot more questions will be asked. I guess only time will tell if I like the answers or not. So, regardless of whether I am ready or not, the time has come.
Off to bed, and hope that sleep comes - because from tomorrow night onwards, it will be a whole different world...
For five years doing nothing more than thinking about walking the Kokoda Trail. The occasional conversation - "One day I'll walk the track. One day".
Until, finally, I had had enough. "It's time to just do it".
There was always an excuse not to. Not enough time. Not enough money. Not fit enough. Too overweight. Kids are too young. Can't get away from the job. It will be too hard. No-one to go with. Bad knees. Hernia operation. The list went on. Then, finally, no more excuses.
It was time to make some changes in my life - and the Kokoda Trail is as good a place as any to start...
So tomorrow moring I'm off. Alarm is set for 4:20AM. Taxi booked for 4:50AM. A plane to Port Moresby, then Tuesday another to Kokoda.
Have I trained hard enough? Will my new boots give me hell after only 2 weeks of breaking them in? Will my knees hold out on the hills? Will I have the mental staying power to keep going when things get tough? What will my fellow trekkers be like? Should I really be carrying my own pack - is it too late to change that now?
A lot of questions will be answered over the coming 12 days. And no doubt a whole lot more questions will be asked. I guess only time will tell if I like the answers or not. So, regardless of whether I am ready or not, the time has come.
Off to bed, and hope that sleep comes - because from tomorrow night onwards, it will be a whole different world...
