Today I walked the middle to end for the unknown amount of times. My dad and I usually do it every year, he was an End to End walker but recently has been doing the middle to end. For my foreign readers, this is an annual fund raiser in Bermuda where people are sponsored to walk from one end of the island to the other (aprox 20 miles) or from half of the island to the other, or make it to the end in a variety of different ways including swimming, biking, at one point skateboarding or horseback riding... check out http://www.bermudaendtoend.bm/ for more details. Somewhere on there you can also pledge me, I'm under the Sandys Secondary Middle School team.
Anyway, after a fairly early hen night in town I arrived home to Jacob ready for some love and attention. His teeth are still bad, and all he really wants at this point is to be up and have a bottle. So with about 4 hours of sleep Mark, Marley and Jacob dropped me off at the ferry to town where I was meeting my dad for the start of the race. He is very competitive and does not like to start with all the 'novice walkers' as you then spend half the walk over taking them so we had agreed to meet outside HSBC to get ahead of the mob. Unforuntatly miscommunication meant I was at the wrong HSBC and we started just before the mob. Even still it seemed a lot of people had left early this year anyway ad we were overtaking people most of the way. Including at first my cousins who cheered us on and mocked my dads competitive nature. He is just over 6ft and me just over 5ft has to do double the work to keep up with him but I was feeling good at the start. However this did not last long, my dear mum who is a sucker for a gimmick bought us all 'gravity defying sneakers'. I had practised with them on my morning walks this week and them seemed fine, maybe just a little too roomy. Once I got to Paget lights I knew I was in for trouble, I could feel blisters beginning and by 1/4 of the way there I had some for sure. Funny enough it felt better to run. However, I have not been training to run 13 miles, so a continuous run was out of the question. I walked-ran for most of it and by the lighthouse I could feel my knee start to hurt. This was also just after the funniest part of the walk when a group of vagrant men (who loot the railway trail during the walk to 'observe the walkers') called out how 'fine i was looking'.... la la la... then said to my dad who was a few paces behind me at that point 'I can see why your walking... i'd be walking too if I was behind her!'. My humoured dad gave them the thumbs up and said 'she looks good don't she?!' at which point I called back; "I'm his DAUGHTER, come on!". Soon after that my dad got into a strong pace and took off, I just could not keep up with my feet on fire like that. I was so frustrated because physically I felt like I could run most of it but my feet just weren't able. I guess this is how proper runners feel about a bad race they have, it was really heartbreaking in the moment. Close to the end Mark had brought the kids along the route to cheer me on, Jacob was asleep but my ever enthusiastic Marley cheered me on and told me that they had lost yet another of Jacobs paccis on the way there! Mark said he was really chuffed with himself as so many people commented on what a great dad he was for bringing his kids out and having a picnic with them. I agree but the funny thing is, why wouldn't he? It is sad that so many men wouldn't do that and he gets such props for doing what should be a no brainier! I finally made it to Dockyard, just a little under my usual time with my dad of 4 hours. Michael Jackson brought me in running to 'beat it' and my loving kids and Mark were there at the finish to greet me! I was in a pretty bad way with my feet after the race and needed lots of recoup time. I had a nap with Jacob and then decided that handling both kids for the night was going to be a bit much for me to handle; especially as Mark was going to be out at the bachelor party.
When he headed there he took Jacob to Nanas and Marley and I had our very first, very own girls night. The plan was to go to the Dockyard movie theatre and get popcorn then come back to the boat and watch Cinderella. But when we got to the theatre, wouldn't you know that there was a PG animated PIRATE movie playing. I asked Marley if she wanted to see the movie instead and she agreed. It was such an amazing night with her. My little girl is growing up so fast, and she is the most beautiful person I know. So sincere and humble. I was grinning from ear to ear at our little adventure, almost to the point of tears and I kind of think she felt the same.
Tomorrow is her first ballet recital. Where is my baby girl going? AND what was life ever like before her?! Its a fairly calm night on the boat, i've finished the dishes, bottles, and packing way. Marley is fast asleep in her bed; she went down after a quick bath so easily. I really am living the dream; and lucky to be.
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