"A bit of deja vu and a question answered."

It's almost 19,000 kilometres and 22 months since I left Ireland to walk around the world. New Zealand is the first part of my world walk route which I took on my world run route. Back in February 2013 I was running along this same road that I am now walking on. Then, I was running south, now as I walk north I can't help looking across the road and reflecting that I actually ran along there before. 

 Thanks to David Brankley for his excellent question. David wants to know how a world run day compares to a world walk day with some pointers to my speed, distance,  logistics, wear and tear to my body?

Well the distances are definitely down on the walk. On the run I averaged around 43.3 kilometres per road day. Now it's about 37. However, my current average is about 30 and i expect it to stay there. The only reason it's at 37 is because I put in a massive effort coming across Russia when I took full advantage of the northern hemispheres long summer evenings and walked late into the evening and often into the early morning. The reason for that was to get through Mongolia before the onset of their harsh winter. That took me nice and neatly to Australia in April, an ideal time to cross the Nullarbor plains. On the run my pace started at about 9 kms per hour and slowed down to around six near the end. I know some people may not.consider that running and there are often debates on forums as to what pace equates to walking and what is running. Naturally, I won't allow anyone to tell me that my six kms an hour wasn't running! It depends on what you are doing and what preceded it. I was even paced into Dublin by my sister who is a smoker lol Thanks Ann! That was chronic fatigue which I had been battling with for about two years! 

On the world run I had a date set in stone : 27 October 2014, as I wanted to finish where I started, with my city marathon, which obviously only comes around once a year. Now, I don't have that pressure as I don't have a finishing date in mind. I can walk as little or as many kms as I want to on any given day, and take more rest days if I want to. I am living in the moment. On my run I was focused on a date ahead, so I guess I was living in the future. 

On my world run which comprised of 50,000 kilometres I pushed my gear in a cart (which I called Nirvana) about 30% of the expedition. Crew support, Police escorts in Mexico and Burma/Myanmar totalled about 20% The other 50% of the time I ran with just a backpack which mostly weighed around a couple of kilograms. That was in the cheaper poorer countries where I ran from cheap hotels to squalor dollar hotels and even did a lot of commuting on mini buses where I always returned from these places of rest to my previous days finish location.

On this world walk I have walked about 16,500 pushing my gear in Karma my cart. The other 2,500 I was supported by Michael Gillian in Australia and other people on short stretches. 

  My body is pretty sore now. It never really recovered in the 16 months between the end if the world run and the start of thus world walk. My left leg is pretty weak. To demonstrate I can hop on my left leg for a prolonged period of time but on my right I have to stop almost immediately. Am I worried I will not get to the finish line? No, not in the least as I am pacing myself and know I will be okay. Incidentally, a few months before I began I was checked out by an orthopaedic specialist and the result was that my ultra distance days of cycling, running and walking were over. I'm glad I didn't listen too closely.  No I wasn't going to give up on my dream. I encourage everyone never to give up on your dreams, just go back asleep