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Charities Update

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Brooke and I, well mostly Brooke, have been doing some updates to http://www.at-pete.com.

I’m happy and proud to let you know that we will be raising money for the 3 charities (Sun Dial Manor, K-9’s for Warriors, and the Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children’s Hospital) we raised a total of $67,000 for on the AT. You can read more about those charities at https://at-pete.com/2017/03/16/charities/. When you are ready to pledge, go to https://at-pete.com/pledge-information/. We’re open for business!

I have also loaded my planned route and some maps on the Camino de Santiago page and updated the Appalachian Trail page with some lessons learned and photos. I’m going to lessen the quantity of pics but I haven’t quite figured that out! Bear with me.

Once I start walking (about 5/23), I’ll try to blog daily and hope you enjoy following along. Feel free to get your friends and family following.

Let’s do some good things for some good causes again!

P.S. Pushup challenge update. I’m at 48 as of 5/10. Unfortunately on attempt for the 49th I twisted a muscle or pinched a nerve. I’m afraid to try again unless I feel 100% recovered by the time I leave on 5/20. I may fall a little short. Kris, on the other hand, is about 50% over her goal. She kicked my butt!

Camino de Santiago History Lesson I

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I will be leaving for Spain on May 20.  I’ve been working on updating the website and will be ready to start taking pledges for this trek in the next few days.  I’m tired of preparing (too much work!) and ready to just start walking.

The Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest and most famous trails in the world.  It is not really a single trail but a network of hundreds of routes leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwest Spain. Pilgrims have traveled there since 812 AD.

One of the great proponents of the pilgrimage in the 12th century was Pope Callixtus II, who started the Compostelan Holy Years. The official guide in those times was the Codex Calixtinus. Published around 1140, the 5th book of the Codex is still considered the definitive source for many modern guidebooks.

The pilgrim route is a very good thing, but it is narrow. For the road which leads us to life is narrow; on the other hand, the road which leads to death is broad and spacious.
The pilgrim route is for those who are good: it is the lack of vices, the thwarting of the body, the increase of virtues, pardon for sins, sorrow for the penitent, the road of the righteous, love of the saints, faith in the resurrection and the reward of the blessed, a separation from hell, the protection of the heavens.

It takes us away from luscious foods, it makes gluttonous fatness vanish, it restrains voluptuousness, constrains the appetites of the flesh which attack the fortress of the soul, cleanses the spirit, leads us to contemplation, humbles the haughty, raises up the lowly, loves poverty.

It hates the reproach of those fueled by greed. It loves, on the other hand, the person who gives to the poor. It rewards those who live simply and do good works; And, on the other hand, it does not pluck those who are stingy and wicked from the claws of sin.

Codex Calixtinus (Published around 1140 AD)

Adam and Blaze Update

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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month and in this months K9 for Warriors spotlight we got a little update on Adam, who suffered a traumatic brain injury, and Blaze.

When the armored vehicle Adam was riding on hit an IED, the explosion threw him several yards, knocking him unconscious. It’s incredible he survived.
But the Traumatic Brain Injury he suffered nearly ruined his short-term memory, leading to severe frustration and anger. He also now suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, causing him crippling anxiety.
Thanks to support from people like you, K9s For Warriors has a program to help veterans like Adam. Your gift of $50, $100 or even $200 today will help pair a warrior with a service dog — and save both their lives.
adam and blaze

“K9s is by far the best program I’ve been a part of that helps veterans.”

— Adam, Army veteran
Adam says the moment he stepped onto Camp K9 to meet Blaze, everything got better.
“He makes me stop and just be in the moment,” Adam says. “I can go places now that I would never go before.”
It’s because of people like you that warriors like Adam are able to reclaim their lives. It’s the least we can do to honor their service and sacrifice. In honor of National Brain Injury Awareness month, please give a gift to help improve — and even save — the life of a warrior like Adam. Thank you.
adam and blaze 2

Just Pete…Just Saying

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Yesterday we booked my flight to Madrid, Spain for May 20.  I should begin hiking about the 23rd.  Preparation is gearing up as it’s now beginning to get real.

My main goal on this hike is get in at least 810 miles.  Add that to the 2,190 of the AT and I’ll be over 3,000 miles of long-distance hiking.

I’m still kind of tinkering with my route.  If you know anything about the Camino de Santiago, I will probably be hiking portions of 5 different Caminos.  I’ll add more info on the Caminos to website over the next couple months.

I’d like to invite you to join with me in preparing for this hike.  How, you may ask.  To start, take 3 minutes to read the article linked below (or skip to cliff note below that).

https://qz.com/1552549/counting-push-ups-can-help-predict-your-risk-of-heart-disease/

Gist of it is that push-ups are good for you and that the more you can do, the better.  Not exactly rocket science but makes sense to me and will help my physical preparation.  I immediately decided that I was going to set a goal of being able to do 50 push-ups by May 20.

Now, for your part, I’ll only ask 2 things of you:

  1.  Set a goal for yourself to achieve by May 20.  Push-ups would be a good thing.  If you can’t do push-ups, sit in a chair and hold your legs out in front of you for a certain amount of time.  I don’t care what you do, how you do what you do, or how many you do of what you do.  Just do something!  Make it a goal that you have to work to achieve.  I will tell you that I just maxed out at 27 push-ups a half-hour ago and my goal is to be at 50.  I will have to be committed to that goal to make it.
  2. Share that goal with someone.  That is probably one of the biggest reasons I was able to hike the AT.  I told people…lots of people…that I was going to do it.  You have a much greater chance of reaching your goal if someone else knows what it is.  I don’t care who you tell about your goal, just tell someone.  I just told you mine..You can tell me yours if you want.  I’ll just warn you in advance that, if you tell me, there’s a strong possibility that I’ll tell you that your goal should be higher and I’ll also hold you accountable along the way.  Just keepin’ it real.

I’ll give you until Feb 20 to set your goal.  Then 2 months of work to achieve it.  Some times we don’t reach our goal.  Who cares?  It’s about the effort.  Get into the game and challenge yourself.

It won’t take more than a few minutes of time each day to do some push-ups.  How can getting a little exercise and having a goal to strive for possibly be bad for you.  Just sayin…

Just Pete

Adam and Blaze Graduation

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Kris and I were thrilled and honored to attend the graduation ceremony for Blaze and Adam last evening.

Adam is a Veteran of the US Army and a super nice young man who was so very appreciative of the role we (everyone who donated to my AT hike and everyone who followed along) played in uniting him with Blaze.

Adam and Blaze

Blaze is a super cool hound dog/lab mix…they think!  For you older folks, he reminded me of the Clampett’s hound in Beverly Hillbillies and should be a perfect fit at home with Adam in KY.

fam

We, with friends Art and Janice Hayden, were able to meet with Adam and Blaze as well as Adam’s family before the ceremony.  Pretty emotional for all of us.

haydens

It is so rewarding to see the results of your donations and support up close and personal. We rescued Blaze from a shelter and your support will cover all vet bills, etc. forever.

adam and fam

We also provided a valuable tool to help Adam and his family move forward with his rehabilitation.

I have been waffling on whether to raise donations again next summer on the Camino. Last night decided it.

How about we sponsor another K9 and Warrior? I can do the walking and I’ll try to blog regularly…

I hope you are all proud of the good we did for K9’s For Warriors, Sun Dial Manor, and Down Syndrome. I know that I am very proud of you.

On behalf of Blaze, Adam and his family, and Kris and myself….Thanks so much. You are amazing.

Happy Trails.

Just Pete

Blaze

jpetesd11 Comments

Hi!  Long time…no talk.

I’ve got some exciting news.  During last year’s AT hike we raised $28,000 for K9s For Warriors.  Because of your generous support, we were afforded the opportunity to sponsor a dog.

Meet Blaze!!

IMG_0824

Blaze (named for the white blazes which mark the AT…thanks Kerri Peterson) has just begun his training at the K9s For Warriors kennel.  They use rescue dogs which have been carefully selected by their trainers.

Blaze will eventually be paired with a veteran and provide companionship and support in assisting his Warrior to overcome the invisible wounds of war.

As for Just Pete, I’m getting ready for another long distance hike…really never thought that would come out of my mouth a year ago!  In May I will be hiking approximately 800 miles along the Camino de Santiago through Spain and Portugal.

There are 100’s of different routes to hike “the Camino”.  I will be taking the Northern Way across the coast of Northern Spain and down to Santiago de Compostela.  From there I plan to hike the Finisterre Way to “the end of the world” and then continue on the Camino of the Lighthouses, ending in Ponteceso on Spain’s western coast.  I will then return to Santiago de Compostela (hopefully not by foot) and head south to Porto, Portugal via the Portuguese Coastal Camino.

It will be very different than the AT.  Much of the hike will be along the coast so should be beautiful, but different, scenery.  I plan to carry a tent but the trails go through many seafront towns with hostels…and food…and beer.  Most importantly, I am hoping to not have any big falls due to this terrain being less severe than that of the AT.

I will work on getting the web site updated with more detailed information on this trail as we get closer.

I also owe you the final video from last summer’s hike.  There’s some mental part of me that hasn’t wanted to end it but it’s now time to get onto the next adventure.

Thanks once again to everyone for your support.  I hope you’ll follow along again next summer.

Go Blaze!!

 

 

Just Pete on the AT…Part 3

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The White Mountains of NH deserve their reputation as the most difficult section of the trail.  They kicked my butt!  I hope you enjoy that!

Today is Kris’ 60th birthday.  She is just as excited as a young kid at the age of 6.  She’s an 11.5 year breast cancer survivor and she appreciates it.  She obviously was a big part of this journey.  She never tried talking me out of starting and she never flat out told me I was stupid (even though she hinted at it a few times!).

Thanks and Happy Birthday, Kris.

Part 4 will be the end.  I promise!

October 12

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Day 32 post-hike!

Today Kris and I were able to deliver an envelope to K9’s For Warriors that was stuffed with $23,700 worth of checks.  Awesome enough that we’re going to be able to sponsor a K9.  Get to name him/her (“Blaze” after white blazes denoting trail…good one, Kerri), follow progress through training and attend graduation.  How cool is that!

Thanks to all of you who have sent in your pledges.  Friendly reminder to those who haven’t gotten around to it yet.  Checks are rolling in at all 3 of the charities I hiked for.  We should end up raising more than $63,000!  You should have heard from me regarding your contribution.  If you haven’t, please let me know.

Things are pretty much back to normal.  Been walking the golf course a couple times a week.  I tell myself it’s a 7-mile slack pack…that you can get beer in the middle of.  I loved days like that just a couple months ago!

Working to put back on some of the 25 lbs I lost.  Physically I feel pretty good.  Feet are still sore but getting better.  Pinky that I dislocated is swollen and a bit store.  I went out for a run for the first time post-hike on Tuesday.  Knees hurt so bad, I only made it a block.  That was a tad bit frustrating!  They feel fine other than when I tried to run.  Guessing they’re probably a tad bit worn out yet.

Thanks once again to all for your support on this trek and for your generous contributions to the charities I hiked for.  You are helping good charities do good things!

K9's For Warriors