A test of stamina - physical or mental?

Walking 500 miles in 50 days next spring will be the biggest physical challenge that I've faced. That's part of the inspiring, motivating, exciting thrill that comes every time I think about it. I've been reading blogs and articles from people who have tackled long distances and several have said that the mental challenge was far harder than the physical challenge.

Over a pint last night I asked a friend who recently cycled over 1000 miles from Land's End to John O' Groats how he compared the physical and mental challenge. "About 80% mental, 20% physical" was his assessment. This surprised me. He explained that he had confidence about the daily distances that he set himself and he didn't experience any injury that threatened his strength or physical endurance. But he said there were several moments when he felt like giving up and many times when he wondered why he had set himself such a challenge.

I was interested to know how he overcame these periods. In the bleakest time, when lost in Cheshire, he bargained with himself. If he didn't find the right road within 45 minutes, he promised himself, he'd pack it in. He found the road. He wonders what he would have done if he hadn't got back on track. "I'd probably have given myself another 20 minutes", he said.

With 20 weeks to go before my epic journey, the physical test feels far and away the most significant. I'm not anxious about loneliness or danger at all. But hearing others' experiences makes me think that the mental challenge may turn out to be far more serious than I'm imagining. I guess keeping a clear idea about my motivation, and setting a plan, will help.