Day 6 - The Halfway Mark

Hi everyone, hope you have had a good week. Can’t believe I am already talking about day 6 of this walk! It has been so much fun looking back and remembering all the good and bad times! Speaking of bad times, this day was definitely one my lowest moments. I’ll dive into it in a bit, but overall, this day was really challenging for me. However, on a positive note, by the end of day 6, we were halfway to the finish line, and halfway through 200 miles!

The day started like all the others — up early, shower, blister clinic, and then breakfast. Breakfasts were always a highlight because we had to fuel up for the long day ahead, so I’d allow myself an English fry-up with no guilt! By day 6, the blister clinic was getting more and more crowded. My feet were a mess, full of blisters, as were dad’s. Each day, more people came to Donna to get their feet patched up. Walking with all the blisters was agony, and it felt like every day new ones formed, making it my biggest struggle.

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At 9:00 a.m, we set off like usual, but this day was different. It was just the core team. Ed had been with us since day 4, so he was part of our gang, and today, Claudia joined in. It was a weird change going from having such a big group of people who brought so much energy and noise, to 8 of us. It was also really strange not having Kev there! He was being driven home to rest so he could join us later and it felt incomplete without him.

Day 6 team

 A Long, Quiet Day

The walk for day 6 was so long – it was around 22 miles. And this day was probably the first day that felt like a proper slog. The previous days had been filled with people, events, and excitement, but this one was different. That said, the scenery was absolutely stunning — fields of bluebells, lush forests, and beautiful sunshine made the walk more bearable and lifted our spirits.

To give dad a break from navigating, Ed and Emilia took over for a while, and unlike me, they didn’t mess up the directions! I spent a lot of the day with Auntie Paola, who could tell I was struggling. She always knows when I’m down, and just walking alongside her was comforting. So, a big thank you to Paola for being there for me when I needed it!

At one of our breaks, we sat on a patch of grass by the road. We were all exhausted and just needed to rest. It was here that Uncle Fran found his new favorite position — lying down with his knees bent and eyes closed. For the next six days, this became his go-to pose, and it made us laugh every time.

Fran in his fave position!

During this break, we also discussed our use of headphones. By this point, we didn’t really need music or podcasts to get us through the walk since we had so many people with us. But day 6 was a turning point — we decided that headphones would only be used when absolutely necessary. It was a decision that stuck for a while, though as the days went on, headphones started to make an earlier appearance each day!

Taking a seat next to a road - desperation!

 A Much-Needed Pit Stop

We met Uncle Richard (Paola’s husband) at a lovely pub by the river for lunch. It had paninis and chips — a much-needed treat after walking 12 miles. At this point, we were all wiped out, and we needed the rest. It was also the first day Tom (Donna’s husband) joined us, and he turned out to be a hero. Every day, he cooked for us, met us with drinks, and genuinely just lifted group morale.

Pub in the distance!

By this point in the day, I felt quite broken. It is hard to explain the mindset I was in, but I had got it in my head that I was the weakest person in the team and was letting everyone down. It was a combination of physical pain and mental strain, and I just got really in my head. I remember breaking down on Tom at lunch and it was a very low moment for me!

The rest of the walk was very uneventful. Everyone was pretty exhausted and just wanted to get to the end. It felt like the halfway point suddenly became really difficult and headphones were definitely used by all!

At the hotel I couldn’t shake the feeling of pure sadness that I had all day. I didn't think I would be able to finish the 6 days of the walk that were left and it really got into my head. So, instead of joining everyone at the bar for dinner, I stayed in my room. I was emotionally drained and physically exhausted, and I just couldn’t get myself together. I felt like I was letting mum down for having these feelings which obviously was what made me so upset.

Pernille joined that evening at the hotel to start walking with us for day 7 and she was my biggest comfort that night. I didn’t want to see anyone, but she sat outside my hotel room until I would let her in. She just sat with me whilst I cried on her and she made me feel so much better. Her support meant everything, and her motherly hugs were just what I needed. Unfortunately, I had missed dinner, which was very silly because it meant I woke up the next day with no energy and was starving!

I know this post isn’t as upbeat as the others, but I think it’s important to be honest about all the highs and lows. Day 6 was tough, both physically and mentally, and I think until you’re in that kind of situation, you can’t fully understand the pain and exhaustion that comes with it. But looking back now, I wish I hadn’t been so hard on myself that night because all of us crossed that finish line on day 12 despite any pain we were in!

But Day 7? That was a better day — we had a barbecue, beautiful scenery, and Danish pastries. I promise the next post will be a more positive read!

Thanks so much for reading,

With love,

Rhiannon