Count Down Begins

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 3 weeks from today the new walking adventure will begin with a plane ride or two.

Received 'Graduation T-Shirt' from physical therapy (thank you Devin) - plantar fasciitis feels like history.

Both Knees injected with cortisone in anticipation.  No problems in the past with this treatment, but this time there appeared to be an allergic reaction where 3-4 days later broke out in a horrible painful itching rash.  Visit to Urgent Care and meds.

Final 'graduation' from Orthopedics for broken scapular, still not fully mended, but the process has begun, and there is no pain.

Cortisone injection into left heel.

All was going well, except that suddenly one day in the last week the left knee developed a new pain behind in the 'fatty' part.  Back to hobbling.  Trying out K-T tape and knee brace.  Refuse to return to see a doctor.  Feel like I am falling apart.

Figured out and purchased train ticket from London Heathrow to Morton-in-Marsh, the nearest train stop to Chipping Campden.  Will need to take a local bus for those final miles to the start of the Cotswold Way.

Accommodation lists arrived for both sections of the walk.  Fun to see where each night's pillow will be.  Daily mileage starting off with an 18 mile day (still have NOT trained beyond 6 miles on flat ground - this could be a rude awakening.)  Printed all accommodations out, trimmed the pages to eliminate any extra weight and have them paper clipped in order of their usage.

Still trying to solve the Big question of what to take for the possibility of Rain.  In Scotland it would have required the full rain-suit of jacket and pants.  Now, in the south of England, with more mild temps, possibly hot temps, that is being looked at.  One consideration would be to leave rain jacket home and take a few disposable 'emergency' rain ponchos from Walmart - leaning towards this approach.  Trying to keep in mind I am not packing for an expedition to the Arctic or the Caribbean, but some middle ground.

Also trying to keep the entire load being carried as trimmed down as much as possible.

Now if the knee could just stop complaining.











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