I am now two weeks away from leaving for Shikoku, Japan. I am going there to walk the path between the 88 temples known as the Shikoku Henro pilgrimage (四国遍路). I will have only 50 days to walk all 1100+ Kms that will take me around the island. This is a trip I have wanted to do for years but I’d be lying if I told you I thought I was ready for this.
Those of you who know me first hand, probably have noticed that I have lost some weight recently. In fact, I’ve lost I’ve lost 45lbs over the past 6 months through a combination of diet and exercise. Making myself healthier overall has been an important first step for this trip. Honestly though, the weight loss is probably been more diet than exercise but I have been using any opportunity I can get to get some practice walking in as well.
It’s really only been in the past two months that I’ve been really able to do any long form walking like I’m going to be doing in Shikoku. It’s hard to fit a 6-7 hour walk into your average 9-5 day so it’s been entirely on weekends. When I do though, I’ve been able do walks varying from 25-37 Kms thanks to the benefit of the well-marked Galloping Goose and Lochside Trails. Sometimes I take the dog and she walks along with for as long as her 4-feet and 25lb can stand, usually about 3 hours.
I’m no athlete but it’s a really good head start into getting a feel for what that kind of distance with a 20lb pack is going to feel like on my feet and my back. The part that scares me a little is being aware that these once or twice a week stretches are about to become a daily occurrence after my plane lands in Osaka and I take off from the hotel for my first day’s trek. So, I’m also trying to spend a couple hours on a stationary bike whenever I can just to keep myself on the road to preparedness.
Anyways, if you’re reading this, you obviously know me or have met me somewhere in this trip I’m about to have. I’m not normally a very social-media oriented person and don’t usually feel the need to share all the details of my life. However, some of my family and friends (meaning YOU) have expressed interest in following along on this trip and keeping tabs on me as I go along. So… I have set up this blog as a place you can come to to see the trail too as it’s unspools behind me.
Thank you for looking, I hope you enjoy this as much as I hope to.
