my recent efforts

Hi all,
I've been distracted for a while and while meaning to post, time simply slipped past. I could offer up excuses ("the Ghost Town took up all time") but I think better of all of you than to do that. I simply didn't put the time aside. So, last night I made myself a promise to get to it. I will confess, this is a good time of day for me as it was quite cold last night and I'm waiting for the world to warm a bit before heading out for my miles.
You see, I'm back in training for a long hike. It looks to be over 500 kms, and yes, I'm donating all my training kms and the ones from the journey to this cause. The walk itself will have some purposes other than my getting in a good leg-stretching.
My route will echo an ancient trade route, the Camino Real, which ran from Mexico City (in the south) to Santa Fe (in the north). It is some 400 hundred years old, which in terms of western man, is old in the USA. By my fourth or fifth day I will enter an area known as the Jornada del Muerto (Dead Man's Journey, or Trail of the Dead Man). There are many stories about this area and how it came by its name. One thing for sure - part of it is the most desolate desert I've ever seen. There are whole cow skeletons lying about bleaching in the sun. Their rib cages rise from the sand with tattered bits of hide flapping in the wind. It will be unlike any experience I've ever had.
After crossing the Jornada I will continue north through some ranchlands and into the Cibola National Forest. When I emerge, I'll be on pavement from there on into Santa Fe. Something like the first 200 miles (322.5 kms)of my trek will be on dirt tracks with the exception of a total of ~15 miles (24.2 kms). The road in the north is known as the Turquoise Trail. It's the scenic byway that will take me all the way into Santa Fe.
It's a known fact that the US is become a nation of obese people. It's quite startling. I worked and worked for months last fall to try and get something on local tv to promote being outdoors and walking. I got close. Then it all fell apart through no fault of my own. It was frustrating. So, I thought about my upcoming walk and how I might turn it into something more than just a personal event.
To give some meaning to what I'm doing, I'll be stopping at three schools to give presentations about my walk in the Arctic last summer. I've invited around 80 public officials from the federal to the local level to participate by writing a simple letter explaining what they like to do outside. If they don't do anything outside (highly likely), then they can relate something from their childhood. The letters will be given to the students I visit along my way. So far, I've heard from two officials - one enthusiastically, the other non-committed. Tut. I've now invited walkers and runner and their families and friends to write those letters. I'm always excited to go pick up my mail and see whose letter has arrived today.
The principals and teachers at the schools are thrilled. They're going to have the kids write short essays on the same theme - what they like to do outside.
There are those who think such efforts of mine are frivolous - foolish gestures. I tend to be more optimistic. Same with the millionkmsfortibet. We have to try. No voices accomplish nothing, but each voice through each km donated makes a statement. I, as one, hope you'll join in. It'll cost you nothing but may encourage you forward. I know when I don't have a good week training, I feel terribly guilty for having few kms to offer. Hopefully, my big trek will boost the numbers significantly.
It keeps me going to know that I'm not the only one. A good number of others in the group have recently run 100 and 50 mile events. The season is right, there are many events to choose from. So our kms will continue to climb. Thing is, we're a friendly crowd - others are always welcome! All the best, susan