The Final Hurdle....Almost at the end

Hi ,

Welcome back to my last week doing my virtual walk. This will be a very short one this week with a bit more focus put into next weeks final post. This week started of poorly with the walking and I done incredibly well to turn it around. The goal over 15 weeks was to walk 696km and I am now 51 km away.

              

Yesterday myself and Sarah braved the elemants to go on the final walk of the week to boost my steps. I managed to lose another lb this week to bring myself within 3lbs of losing 2 stone.

Just want to thank everyone who have donated to the page so far I really appreciate it. Also huge thank you to my brother who is going to grow a tache to try raise some more awareness for the walking I have been doing. With this week completed I am now arriving into High Wycombe and I am almost there with this walk completed in exactly 15 weeks just like I set my goal so I am absolutely over the moon with this.  Donation Link

High Wycombe (/ˌhaɪ ˈwɪkəm/),^[1] often referred to as Wycombe, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is 29 miles (47 km) west north west of Charing Cross in London; this information is also engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town. It is also 17 miles (27 km) south of the county town of Aylesbury, 27 miles (43 km) southeast of Oxford, 23 miles (37 km) north east of Reading and 9 miles (14 km) north of Maidenhead. According to the ONS official estimates for 2015, High Wycombe has a population of 124,475 and it the second largest town in the county of Buckinghamshire after Milton Keynes. High Wycombe Urban Area, the conurbation of which the town is the largest component, has a population of 133,204.

High Wycombe is mostly an unparished area in the Wycombe district. Part of the urban area constitutes the civil parish of Chepping Wycombe, which had a population of 14,455 according to the 2001 census – this parish represents that part of the ancient parish of Chepping Wycombe which was outside the former municipal boroughof Wycombe. Wycombe is a combination of industrial and market town, with a traditional emphasis on furniture production. There has been a market held in the High Street since at least the Middle Ages.

Please have a read of next weeks which will be my final post.

Darkness into Light..

Hi All ,

Just a quick update on how the walking is going. This week I undertook the next part of my walking events with completeing Darkness into Light with Sarah , Luke and Sarah's Mum Caroline. We got up early on Saturday morning and completed the 5km walk in just under 1hr and 40min. It has to be said that Limerick was very united in doing this event and it made me so proud to be part of this city showing solidarity for such an amazing event.. With Darkness into Light completed I clocked up another 45.3km. My total distance covered is now 592km in 13 weeks. This week I managed to lose another 1lb 1/2 in weight bringing my weight loss down to 14 stone 10. I have included some links to the charities running the Darkness into Light.

http://www.pieta.ie

http://dil.pieta.ie

So where am I right now? Starting point was where I am currently living Newport Co.Tipperary  walking to London in the United Kingdom .Whilst I am now into my final 2 weeks I have 97km left to complete. Thanks to family and friends I have raised a massive €751 thank you again everyone for you huge donatiions. I am currently now in Oxford and London is the horizon. I know I have said this before but I have honestly enjoyed this entire journey.Donation link..

Oxford (/ˈɒksfərd/^[3][4]) is a city in the South East region of England and the county town of Oxfordshire. With an estimated 2015 population of 168,270, it is the 52nd largest city in the United Kingdom,^[5][6] and one of the fastest growing and most ethnically diverse.^[7][8] The city is situated 57 miles (92 km) from London, 69 miles (111 km) from Bristol, 65 miles (105 km) from both Southampton and Birmingham and 25 miles (40 km) from Reading.

The city is known worldwide as the home of the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world.^[9] Buildings in Oxford demonstrate notable examples of every English architectural period since the late Saxon period. Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold. Oxford has a broad economic base. Its industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing and a large number of information technology and science-based businesses, some being academic offshoots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford

Please join me for these final 2 weeks where I will be finally arriving into London. :D

Great Limerick Run

Hi All ,

Back with this weeks update of how far I have walked and what I have been upto this week. I had quite a busy week just gone and unfortunately didnt get an opportunity to do a blog post. Upto last Sunday I had completed 496km in total and this week I have managed to notch up another 51.6km. The week started out quite badly compared to my previous weeks by Wednesday I had walked very little. I thankfully turned this around notching up 51.6km. Total distance covered after 12 weeks 547.6km and another 1lb down currently 14 stone 11 1/2.

This week like I said was quite busy for both myself and Sarah, we had Luke's first birthday and party. I decided on Friday morning that I would enter the Great Limerick Run. Its something I had toyed with in my mind for the last number of weeks. My biggest fear about entering the 6 mile run was that firstly I had done very little running in the distance I have covered and would I be able to keep pace. Anyone that knows me I am very capable of doing something on the spur of the moment and I am so happy that I decided to do this. I have honestly never felt so good about doing something for the simple reason I was able to complete a 6 mile run. When I started this 3 months ago I never anticpated first of all losing this much weight let alone being able to enter something like the Great Limerick Run. I have never been very good at sporting activities , I tried my hand at soccer a few times but this is one of the only times I walked away and said this was the best achievement I accomplished.

 To date I have raised €751.63 for the NMH Foundation and hope maybe I can raise some more over the next 3 weeks. When I think back to the start of this walk I thought to myself why do I want to do this and why do I care. I care for obvious reasons,  but the reason why I chose to do this is because some guy in Newport in Tipperary just getting out of the house and walking can raise a bit of money for a really worthy cause is something so easy, I never once thought I would enjoy walking as much as I have. If your fortunate enough in life not to need assitance from the NMH foundation then just giving a bit to help goes a long way. I hope that I can help this worthy charity out more and more over the years to come as a sign of respect to them and hope this encourages me to keep this walking up and maybe next year I will be able to run the 6 mile GLR.

This coming weekend I will be taking part in Darkness into Light something again I have wanted to do for sometime so please have a read on next weeks post... Donation link..

148km to complete over the next 3 weeks , I am currently in Andoversford in Cheltenham. A small town based in the Cotswold with a population of just 555 people in 2011. Andoversford is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about six miles east of Cheltenham. The parish had a population of 668 according to the 2001 census, reducing to 555 at the 2011 census.^[1]

The village runs parallel to the A40 and is on the River Coln. Amenities include a post office, two community or village halls, a primary school, pubs called the Royal Oak and the Kilkeney Inn, a shop and disused animal stock market currently being developed into a small housing estate.

In addition to its own primary school, the village was in the catchment area for several schools. These used to include the Charlton Kings Schools, Balcarras (located in Charlton Kings) but is now only in the priority catchment area for Cotswold School. Andoversford is located on the bus routes for the Balcarras, Cotswold and St Edward's(private) schools. A variety of private schools are also within reach.The village used to have a doctor's surgery, which was a branch of the Sixway's clinic and which is now closed.

The village has a community atmosphere and several meeting areas (pubs, schools, church, social club, play ground, etc) as well as annual events. These include point to point events on the point to point course, an annual pig roast,and a music festival (Andoverfest). The village also supports a football team, a cricket team and has Cubs and Scout groups as well as social events.

Andoversford has three nearby golf courses.

Cheltenham town is five minutes by car; Gloucester is 25 minutes.

Happy 2nd birthday my little girl...

Hi All  ,

I am back again this week with my latest blog post on how far I have walked. This week isn't going to be the easiest for myself and Sarah for obvious reasons. On Sunday 19th of April in 2015 at 5:28am we welcomed the most specialist of lady's in our lives. Ava was born at 23 weeks and 1 day gestation. The fact that Ava survived for 6 long weeks by defying every obstacle put up against her just showed the type of little girl she was.

She was so special to both of us and not a day goes by that myself and Sarah don't think of her. She's my whole reason for doing this walk and she gives me that sheer motivation to do it, she is the reason that I have lost all this weight and she is the reason that I get up and go for walks in the rain and no matter how tough the weeks are its because of her. People don't like to talk about losing a child but I want people to remember her and the legacy she has left behind her. In many ways it can be bittersweet that this weeks is Ava's 2nd birthday and on the 27th its Luke's 1st birthday. You never would trade one for the other and we are so lucky to have Luke he's what makes the hard days seem that be easier with his little character and it certain ways looks like Ava we are so blessed and through the shit times you realise how lucky we really are. The one thing I might ask is if you were to buy Ava a present for her birthday could you please maybe just donate a small bit to my charity page and help someone who might need it more than you or I.. Donation Link

This week just a very brief update as to where I am walking wise , I completed 48km this week so there has been a huge improvement on last weeks. I have covered 453km in total over the past 10 weeks which is remarkable for a guy who probably hasn't walked that distance in the last 2 years of general walking, I also lost another 1lb this week bringing me to 14stone 12 now and the total of 19lbs lost.

I am now in Abergavenny which is 10km away from the English border. That means I will have finally reached England on this virtual walk with 5 weeks left to go. 246km left to complete and I will  have reached london.

Wikipedia

Abergavenny (/ˌæbərɡəˈvɛni/; Welsh: Y Fenni pronounced [ə ˈvɛnɪ], archaically Abergafenni meaning "Mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles (24 km) west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles (10 km) from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh marches. The town contains the remains of a medieval stone castle built soon after the Norman conquest of Wales. The town hosted the 2016 National Eisteddfod of Wales.

Abergavenny is promoted as a "Gateway to Wales".^[2][3] Situated at the confluence of a tributary stream, the Gavenny, and the River Usk,^[4] it is almost surrounded by two mountains – the Blorenge (559 m, 1,834 ft)^[5] and the Sugar Loaf (596 m, 1,955 ft)^[6] – and five hills: Ysgyryd Fawr (The Skirrid), Ysgyryd Fach (Skirrid Fach), Deri, Rholben and Mynydd Llanwenarth, known locally as "Llanwenarth Breast". It provides access to the nearby Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons National Park. The Offa's Dyke Path is close by and the Marches Way, the Beacons Way and Usk Valley Walk all pass through the town.

Thanks for reading.. Happy birthday my little princess :)

Llanegwad , Carmarthen

Hi All ,

Back for this weeks instalment of how far I have walked. Just over half way through my virtual walk and I have walked 368 km in total. This means as I reach the half way point in weeks I also have gone past my half way point in km also so I am really happy with how this is going. I completed a massive milestone in terms of distance covered in a week with 54km walked its my best one yet.

I want to all say a huge thank you to everyone has donated so generously of the past few weeks I never thought I would raise as much as I would €568.21. With 7 weeks left to complete if you feel you would like to donate something please do not hesitate to do so anything at all is welcome. I am enjoying this walk this is a really important charity to both myself and Sarah and with us coming up-to to Ava's 2nd birthday on the 19th of this month.  Donation Link

So this week I am down a 1 1/2 pounds so I am now 15 stone 0. Teetering on that 15 stone half a pound more would have got me to the magic number 14 but it wasn't to be this week. I think I had kind of eased off a bit this week as Sarah's brother was home drank some beer(which now tastes completely different) and had a few days off which probably affected the weight loss but I am back on track this week gunning for that 14 stone on the scales.

{Google Images}

Llanegwad
I have arrived in a small town Llanegwad , Carmarthen in Wales. The population taken at the 2011 census was 1,473.^[1] Llanegwad is built up mainly of small farms and detached homes. The community is bordered by the communities of: Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn; Llanfynydd; Llangathen; Llanarthney; Abergwili; and Llanllawddog, all being in Carmarthenshire

One of the more notable homes of Llanegwad is Ty Dderwen formerly Coffee House. The home of the Lewis family, the house received the name coffee when the church asked the Lewis family if they would be willing on a Sunday to serve Coffee in their front room for the ladies after church. The house later served as a tailoring firm led by the master tailor David Lewis. The house at the same time served as the village post office. The house continued to stay in the same family lived in by David Eric Hart a musician and composer until he sold the house in the 1970s. The house still exists today and is located next to Llanegwad church.

Pembroke dock Wales

Hi Guys ,

Back this week with another blog post , almost half way through my virtual walk this is my 7th week and wehn I see the numbers written down how far I have walked I actually cant believe it. So far in the last 7 weeks I have walked an astonishing 314.5 Km's. I have finally arrived in Wales on the virtual tour and by the end of this week I will have walked almost half my journey.

I definitely would not say its been easy walking every couple of days having Luke at home and the crappy weather I am delighted I have got this far. This week I manage to lose another 2lbs which means I am 1 3/4lb away from my goal weight when I set out to do this. Donation Link

(Google Images)

I would like to thank everyone again who have donated to the NMH foundation and the people who have motivated me through this. Even though I am due to hit my goal weight next week I am hoping that I can lose a total of two stone which means I will have another 10lbs in total to lose over the next 7 weeks. I think at this stage its fairly achievable and will see some huge differences in my physical appearance if I manage to lose that. I am due to start this long awaited new shift next week in work for 3 months 8am-4:30pm which I am hoping will get me out of the house every night.

History about Pembroke Dock:

The natural harbour offering shelter from the prevailing south westerly winds has probably been used for many thousands of years, but the first evidence of settlement from maps is the name of the Carr Rocks at the entrance, derived from the Norse-language Skare for rock.^[2]

(getty images)

From the 790s until the Norman Invasion in 1066, the Milford Haven estuary was used occasionally by Vikings looking for shelter. During one visit (possibly in 854, but more likely to be in 878 on his way to the Battle of Cynuit), the Viking chieftain Hubba wintered in the haven with 23 ships.^[3]

In 1172, three years after the Norman Invasion of Ireland, having prepared his fleet and army in the mouth of the Pembroke River, Henry II of England sailed there from the haven. ^[2]

Prior to 1814, the site of modern Pembroke Dock and its nearby settlements were mostly farmland and the area was referred to as Paterchurch. The first recorded mention of Paterchurch was in 1289. In the area a medieval tower was built and, like nearby 18th century and 19th century fortifications, it may have served as a lookout post. By the 17th century, additional domestic and farm buildings stood close to the tower and the isolated settlement had its own cemetery, whose last recorded burial is that of a Roger Adams, in 1731. The ruin of the tower now lies within the walls of the dockyard.

Paterchurch Tower was the centre of an estate said to stretch from Pennar Point to Cosheston. This changed hands in 1422 when Ellen de Paterchurch married a John Adams. Prior to the building of the town and before the dockyard was thought of, various sales and exchanges took place between the principal local landowners – the Adams, Owen and Meyrick families. These exchanges left the Meyricks in control of most of the land on which the dockyard and new town were to develop. By 1802 the Paterchurch buildings were mostly ruins.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembroke_Dock


As ever thanks again for reading and enjoy the sun :)

1 Stone, 6 weeks , 268 Km

Hi ,

My first 6 weeks have been completed, couldn't be more happy with the progress I am making with losing my first stone. I have walked 268km in total far and I have to say I haven't felt this good physically in quite some time. I previously weighed around this weight back in 2012. I have put in such a huge effort to get this far.

I have an important 9 weeks coming up now as I have 468km to cover. I am due to start a new shift in work which will hopefully give me an opportunity to get out at least every night of the week where as currently I am constrained to some mornings a week here and there which is difficult enough. Realistically its entirely achievable over the next 9 weeks with an average of 47km required. This has been my poorest week in the last 3 only covering 42km but the poor weather has had a huge impact on that.

November vs March 17th

Hopefully by this time next week I should start to arrive in Wales along this virtual walk. I know I have said it a few times before but this is really an enjoyable experience so far. Its quite fitting that this week Ireland are due to play Wales in the World Cup Qualifiers. As ever thank you so much for reading my blog and also thank you so much to everyone that has donated once again it really means alot to me that I can help raise a bit of money all the while I am just heading out walking every week.


IF you would like to donate something please follow the link .. Donation Link

Please join me again next week as I close in on the next part of the story and hopefully visit some virtual towns in Wales along the way.