How to Walk an Entire Continent

Walking is something that humans have done since we descended from the trees of Africa, from there we decided to explore the globe. Our ancestors had to overcome unimaginable terrain, traversing incredible distances with little to no food or water, crossing the arctic, jungles and climbing the tallest peaks in the Himalayas. My two year voyage was commemorating the struggles and sacrifices our ancestors had to endure in order for us to read this blog.  

Before embarking on Crossing Africa, a 12,000km walk across the African continent from Cape Town to Cairo, I begin my training with more humble distances. A 550 kilometre / 342 mile walk from Toronto to Montreal. It was a massive undertaking guided by a good friend of mine Donna Foster. She convinced me to train and learn the art of endurance power walking. I am most grateful for her teachings and enthusiasm for life in general. I averaged ten-plus hours a day, sometimes surpassing fifteen hours in a single day. Incurring severe chafing between my thighs, feeling unimaginable pains and experienced boredom that eventually turned to torment, it was a rough start. To most of you reading this, you will probably never experience walking ultra long distances in such terrain. The tips I'm providing will help with anyone's walking needs, whether you're going for a casual day hike or setting up a two year expedition across a continent. Through my experiences and training I will share with you the basics in successfully walking short and ultra long distances.

This part, though the most important, is different for every person. Distance is a good form of motivation and measurement to keep track of your progress. Time can be used primarily to determine pace. Time can be perceived as relatively longer or shorter depending on your state of mind for that day. That's not good if you have hundreds of hours left to complete your journey. Distance however can be used consistently as goal setting marks.

Everyone's motivation comes from different places, some are motivated by nature, the outdoors and feel that walking is the best way to experience it. Others want to push the boundaries of distance and conquer terrain, or perhaps experience cultures and wildlife in unique ways. Whatever reason you decided with, always stay focused on what got you there in the first place. Losing focus typically happens during challenging times, there can be times when it's easier to die than to continue going on.

Enjoy your surroundings, seemingly blank farm fields can spark deep philosophical thoughts. Use this time to comb through your mind, become your own best friend and therapist. Allow yourself to poke fun at yourself and laugh out-loud to your own silliness. Presence is also important, enjoy the luxuries of Earth's oxygen, the wind and the sun's rays.

For more of Mario journey

Walking A Continent

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