Everyone has the desire to win

but only champions have the desire to prepare. So goes the saying, apparently. I can't say my desire to win has been particularly active ever in my life, but my will to prepare is currently rather high.

In planning the route and kit for a big walk, I'm facing a few challenges. How do I keep the route mostly rural, even near the M25? What kit will I definitely need for four nights living wild, and five days walking? Am I going to get bored walking 102 miles on my own? So many questions, with almost definite answers. Answering them is going to be enormous fun.

Alongside the fun is a fair amount of trepidation. The walk is a day short of six weeks away which sounds like along time to prepare but in reality is just around the corner. I need to build up to three consecutive days of twenty miles in preparation, to even think about doing a hundred miles over five days. I need to spend money and get gear. The scale of the list of essential items for my pack is scary in its own right, and grows every time I read a new article about distance walking.

Registering high on the list of fears is the concern that I simply won't get this done. I've posted before that I have trouble getting things done - I much prefer the creative, innovative stage of any project to the pragmatic, productive part. I've planned a few big things in my time, brainstorming, collaborating, writing-up ideas and putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard to get things to a certain point and then... Nothing. I lose interest, or an obstacle appears, or I get distracted by The Next Big Thing. If I'd followed through on all the ideas I've had, many of them would probably have failed or been badly received, and I'd be knackered, but I think I'd have got somewhere. I'm somewhat scared that this is one of those pipe dreams that I won't get around to achieving.

Something tells me, however, that this time it's for real. With a big target, a knowledge of the elation due to me on finishing, a bunch of sponsors to impress and a charity to raise money for, I've got real tangible targets to aim for. Perhaps that tells me something; external pressure gets me moving, but I either don't put pressure on myself or don't pay attention to it. I'll look at that in a future post.

In the meantime, I'm revelling in the excitement of planning something big, and getting ready to show the world - and myself - that I can achieve something worthwhile.