DAY TWO: THE REALIZATION SETS IN

One cannot predict the enormity of walking 8 back-to-back marathons. When we set out, we knew the distance we were walking, but really we could not fathom what was to follow day one.

We all awoke to the smell of waffles and fruit and other amazing goodies that 4 very nice ladies had prepared for us. A big “thank you” to Pastor Faith and her friends for helping us along this journey!  Everyone, well mostly everyone, was in high spirits and ready to hit the pavement.

Day 2 was the longest day of the walk. 45 kilometers is what we had in front of us. No runs or practice walks could have prepared us for this. Fortunately, people knew their limits, and took breaks when they were needed. The first 30km were down highway 2A. Traffic was moderately busy and we had plenty of warning of the big cars behind us from our marker van. Step by step we trudged, and forged north. Little bits of inspiration continually spouted from our group trucking along. It may seem insignificant, but every yell and “Woop-Woop” helps us push on. Everyone one has their own way to motivate themselves. Some sing, some dance, and some do both. Half-way through the trek we busted out some good old songs. I found it very surprising how many of the boys, myself included, knew every word to the Spice Girls entire album. After an hour of serenading the asphalt the fatigue came into play and our vocals weren’t up to par.

We had a very close call today as well. While walking down the road, by a country home, a dog ran out to greet us. A van moving 100km almost put a huge damper on our walk. Luckily enough, the dog dodged everything and continued over to us. After a pet and stretch break we made it to Highway 2

Here is where we walk towards oncoming traffic, so that we have time to jump out of the way when danger is approaching us (that’s what the transportation people told us). At first it wasn’t too scary. Until the first Semi that is. Then it set in. These automobiles are flying past us at over 120Km/h. The gush of air from the first truck blew the vests of the people in front. As the day went on vehicles would notice us more and more. Kindly, they would move over to help accommodate us on this long strip of Earth. The feet were sore, the air was quiet, and the spirits were deteriorating rapidly. All it took was a smile and wave from a friendly driver to help us carry on. Whether or not they knew why we were walking, they were still polite and supportive. We are very grateful for these acts and only hope that they continue.

After the 45Km our bodies were in terrible condition, some  peoples legs seized up completely. We had the pleasure of our first shower and that defiantly boosted spirits and ailed our sores. The worst day is now over and we are all still strong. We all are here for the right reasons and nothing will keep any of us off the roads. We still walk strong after almost 100Km. We still have smiles. Drawing inspiration from everything we can, we are an unstoppable force.

We use our voices to shout for the people who have none, and we use our feet to motivate others to follow in the footsteps of those forgotten.