Well, it's been all too long since my last blog - the reason for this being that I have not been walking for over two weeks and whilst I am happy to write inane nonsense on all matter of topics, it seems wrong to have a walking blog containing alot of stuff about everything except walking.
However, this afternoon I have managed to get out and had a very pleasant 'stride' around Cannock Chase. I parked up at The Cutting in Brocton and did about an hour. I would have done longer but I didn't know what time it was and I had forgotten my sundial so was unable to utilise my astronomical knowledge. Also, I had failed to pack appropriate clothing for my afternoon stroll (due to going out for lunch beforehand) and therefore I resembled someone doing the Sunday morning 'walk of shame', complete with sweaty 'going out' shirt. I was officially the most bedraggled but smartly dressed person on The Chase this afternoon.
It was really good, though, to do a walk where I didn't have a defined route and could take my time looking at all of the posh houses in Brocton. There's some really nice places round there and I had a lovely time looking at the well manicured lawns, double/treble garages, BMWs, Mercedes, and 'Chelsea tractors' as well as the For Sale sign advertising one of the properties as having an indoor swimming pool. I felt slightly depressed as I headed back to my P reg Rover 216 to return to my house which currently doesn't have a door on the downstairs toilet and which resembles the set of '60 minute makeover' if it had run out of budget during the second advert break.
I have been been sorting through my medical supplies over the last couple of days and my storage box now resembles Michael's Jackson's medical cabinet. There is an eclectic mix of items in there, ranging from 4 boxes of Ibuprofen to a knee support, from a bottle of surgical spirit to a tub of Vaseline. I need to go through it all properly really as my current stock seems to suggest that I am anticipating a shedload of headaches, dodgy knees, and falls.
I also ordered a new pair of Waterproof overtrousers this morning from a well-known internet auction website. My last pair were damaged a few months ago when I ended up coming down Helvellyn in the Lakes on my bum when, like a Crowded House song, I experienced 'Four Seasons In One Day.' Blimey, I never thought I would get a Crowded House gag in when I started writing this blog update. Result!
I hope to get out for a longer walk on Sunday which will be my last before starting the C2C. I still need to get a few things as well, including a couple of tops and some proper walking shorts/trousers. However, things are coming together nicely now and I can't wait to get started. My impatience has been increased with keeping up to date with my mate Si's bike ride from Lands End to John O'Groats, which he started last Friday. Sean has also been offering me further tips following his Scottish C2C the other week so I'm feeling quite confident about it - I just want to get cracking now.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
A change of plan
Well, today I intended to go to 'Go Outdoors' in Wolverhampton to have a look at their stock of walking gear. After second thoughts, however, I decided not to bother! I will no doubt think of many other things that I need to get as September draws nearer and I would prefer to just make the one trip there. I just knew that I would do what all self-respecting men do when they go into a shop and just 'browse' without actually buying anything. So, like all good cub scouts (Sixer of Blue Six in 1st Leek no less), I have started to make a list of outstanding items and will probably go over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August for anything that I haven't already got.
However, today wasn't a completely Walk preparation-free day. After taking the cat to the vets, going to Ikea and Argos and having lunch with my mate Tracy, I headed over to Coven (a village near Wolverhampton for you not familiar with the Black Country area) to see Stephen.
Stephen returned from doing the Southern Upland Way from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath last Friday after half of the skin on his feet came off on Day 2! After seeing photographic evidence of his injuries taken at the time and hearing about the finer details, I declined an offer of a portion of rice pudding complete with skin.......
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing. I disagree. I think it's a bloody annoying thing to be honest. Stephen did, however, say that it's important to keep your feet dry at all costs and he wished he had worn his gaitors which would have helped to keep his feet drier.
I'm now slightly less worried about my feet falling off. Stephen, Sean and Martyn (who are still going and have 3 days walking to go), as I've said before, were doing 20 more miles in 3 less days, with no rest day, and carrying all of their stuff. I will have my rusksack taken from B&B to B&B each day by the company who have arranged all of the accommodation and I will only have to take my 'daypack' with me. Hopefully, those three factors will mean that my future career as a ballet dancer is still a possibility come 19th September.
After getting back from Coven I then constructed my new flat pack DVD/CD cabinet purchased from the Land of the Book of Dreams (Argos). Surprisingly, all of the screws etc were included and even more of a shock is that I've done it and it looks like a cabinet rather than a piece of modern art. I was slightly offended when I saw that one of the necessary parts to put it together was 'Tool x1' and it took me a few minutes to figure out that it was actually referring to the Allen key and not me. I did feel slightly effeminate as I followed the instruction sheet but I rectified this by getting a hammer and waving it about in a threatening manner whilst muttering expletives.
I'm not sure when my next 'training walk' will be as I'm away in Nottingham this weekend where I shall drink and no doubt eat too much. Depending upon the weather, I may go for a few hours round the The Roaches on Friday night after work. Rock n Roll.
Many thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far, especially those of you who I haven't seen for a while. It's very generous of you and much appreciated.
Also thanks to Gareth for the interesting fact about the theme tune for 'Wainwright's Walks'!! Good man.
However, today wasn't a completely Walk preparation-free day. After taking the cat to the vets, going to Ikea and Argos and having lunch with my mate Tracy, I headed over to Coven (a village near Wolverhampton for you not familiar with the Black Country area) to see Stephen.
Stephen returned from doing the Southern Upland Way from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath last Friday after half of the skin on his feet came off on Day 2! After seeing photographic evidence of his injuries taken at the time and hearing about the finer details, I declined an offer of a portion of rice pudding complete with skin.......
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing. I disagree. I think it's a bloody annoying thing to be honest. Stephen did, however, say that it's important to keep your feet dry at all costs and he wished he had worn his gaitors which would have helped to keep his feet drier.
I'm now slightly less worried about my feet falling off. Stephen, Sean and Martyn (who are still going and have 3 days walking to go), as I've said before, were doing 20 more miles in 3 less days, with no rest day, and carrying all of their stuff. I will have my rusksack taken from B&B to B&B each day by the company who have arranged all of the accommodation and I will only have to take my 'daypack' with me. Hopefully, those three factors will mean that my future career as a ballet dancer is still a possibility come 19th September.
After getting back from Coven I then constructed my new flat pack DVD/CD cabinet purchased from the Land of the Book of Dreams (Argos). Surprisingly, all of the screws etc were included and even more of a shock is that I've done it and it looks like a cabinet rather than a piece of modern art. I was slightly offended when I saw that one of the necessary parts to put it together was 'Tool x1' and it took me a few minutes to figure out that it was actually referring to the Allen key and not me. I did feel slightly effeminate as I followed the instruction sheet but I rectified this by getting a hammer and waving it about in a threatening manner whilst muttering expletives.
I'm not sure when my next 'training walk' will be as I'm away in Nottingham this weekend where I shall drink and no doubt eat too much. Depending upon the weather, I may go for a few hours round the The Roaches on Friday night after work. Rock n Roll.
Many thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far, especially those of you who I haven't seen for a while. It's very generous of you and much appreciated.
Also thanks to Gareth for the interesting fact about the theme tune for 'Wainwright's Walks'!! Good man.
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Easy like Sunday morning
Despite the exertions of yesterday, I got up at 5am this morning and was parked up once again opposite "The White House" at 6.40am ready to walk another 15 miles.
One of Leonie's friends Kat contacted me last night to offer her services as a walking companion and whilst I would have been happy enough to do it on my own, the offer of some company was too good to turn down for three reasons (i) it would ensure that I would actually get up and do it (ii) it would make the walk more interesting having Kat to talk to (iii) it would reduce the chance of me getting lost and bumbling around aimlessly for hours like that daft English lad did in the Blue Mountains (I bet that is the first time Cannock Chase has been compared to the Blue Mountains).
We made really good time and by 8.30am we were sat on a bench at Seven Springs dining on cereal bars and bananas, having done at least 7.5 of the 15 miles.
The weather was also in our favour and by 9am it was quite warm - not that I was complaining in any way. We continued to make really good time and, having taken the right path at Fairoak this time, we were back at the car by 10.15pm.
All in all, the 15 miles took us 3 hours 20 minutes which included a couple of 5 minute stops. That's over 4 miles an hour which seems a bit fast but the book definitely says that the route is 15 miles - and I'm not going to argue with that.
My feet held up ok. They were still a bit sore from yesterday and the soreness didn't get any better. However,it didn't get alot worse either and after a detailed foot inspection when I got back I am happy to confirm that there are no blisters to be seen.
I'm fairly confident now that providing I continue with my 'feet preparation' I should be ok - certainly fitness and stamina shouldn't be an issue (touch wood).
I now need to make sure over the next couple of weeks that I have all the kit I need. I'm hoping to go to 'Go Outdoors', a large walking/climbing/trekking equipment superstore in Wolverhampton on Tuesday where I will have a look at what stuff I still need to get and either buy it there and then or make a note of it to buy at one third of the price in one of the well known supermarkets or internet auction websites!!
In relation to the photo, for those of you who haven't seen me for a while, remember..........the camera adds 10lbs! And yes, those legs are that white. It's a good job Colonel Sanders wasn't in the area.
One of Leonie's friends Kat contacted me last night to offer her services as a walking companion and whilst I would have been happy enough to do it on my own, the offer of some company was too good to turn down for three reasons (i) it would ensure that I would actually get up and do it (ii) it would make the walk more interesting having Kat to talk to (iii) it would reduce the chance of me getting lost and bumbling around aimlessly for hours like that daft English lad did in the Blue Mountains (I bet that is the first time Cannock Chase has been compared to the Blue Mountains).
We made really good time and by 8.30am we were sat on a bench at Seven Springs dining on cereal bars and bananas, having done at least 7.5 of the 15 miles.
The weather was also in our favour and by 9am it was quite warm - not that I was complaining in any way. We continued to make really good time and, having taken the right path at Fairoak this time, we were back at the car by 10.15pm.
All in all, the 15 miles took us 3 hours 20 minutes which included a couple of 5 minute stops. That's over 4 miles an hour which seems a bit fast but the book definitely says that the route is 15 miles - and I'm not going to argue with that.
My feet held up ok. They were still a bit sore from yesterday and the soreness didn't get any better. However,it didn't get alot worse either and after a detailed foot inspection when I got back I am happy to confirm that there are no blisters to be seen.
I'm fairly confident now that providing I continue with my 'feet preparation' I should be ok - certainly fitness and stamina shouldn't be an issue (touch wood).
I now need to make sure over the next couple of weeks that I have all the kit I need. I'm hoping to go to 'Go Outdoors', a large walking/climbing/trekking equipment superstore in Wolverhampton on Tuesday where I will have a look at what stuff I still need to get and either buy it there and then or make a note of it to buy at one third of the price in one of the well known supermarkets or internet auction websites!!
In relation to the photo, for those of you who haven't seen me for a while, remember..........the camera adds 10lbs! And yes, those legs are that white. It's a good job Colonel Sanders wasn't in the area.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Walking in the rain
Today has been a good tester for the Coast to Coast. Leonie and I did a 17 miler around Cannock Chase in the pouring rain. We set off at 8.30am (dry) and got back to the car at about 3.30pm (soaked) after a stop for a picnic lunch (consisting of a gastronomic feast of cheese and lettuce baps, melon, banana and yoghurt).
For those of you who know the Chase, we started at 'The White House' near the Cannock Chase Visitor Centre. From there, we headed to Spring Slade, the glacial boulder,Stepping Stones, Seven Springs, Rifle Range Corner and Fairoak. At Fairoak we had a bit of bad luck after (1) we took a wrong turning (that's what happens when you leave the map reading to a woman!!) and (2) the Forestry Commission have taken it upon themselves to vary the route of some of the trails. After putting Leonie's mum on notice that we may need picking up from whichever main road we would eventually enter onto, we (well, okay, I mean Leonie) found our bearings again and we headed back along the road through Slitting Mill before getting back onto the Chase again back to Marquis Drive and eventually the car.
Stamina and fitness weren't a problem really although I was getting a bit weary by the end. My feet feel a bit tender though and this is what I think could be a problem if we don't take steps to prevent the onset of blisters. My mates Sean and Stephen along with one of their friends Martyn, started the Scottish Coast to Coast (from Portpatrick in the West to Cockburnspath in the East) on Tuesday. They will cover 212 miles in 11 days. Unfortunately, blisters have been a real problem for them and Stephen had to actually return home yesterday as his feet were in such a state. Sean and Martyn are continuing though Sean is struggling. Their schedule is alot tougher than ours will be as they are doing 212 miles in 11 days, whereas we are doing 192 miles in 14 days (plus one rest day) but I still think that there is a risk that we may encounter similar problems if we aren't careful.
We will make sure that we take several pairs of socks with us each day so that we can change them if they get wet. We are also going to get some surgical spirit and treat our feet with this for a couple of weeks beforehand - surgical spirit apparently hardens the feet and helps prevents blisters. Leonie has also bought a selection of other creams, bandages etc so hopefully we will be ok. Any blister prevention tips would be extremely gratefully received though!!!
I'm going to do another 15+ miler tomorrow on my own. I want to do two long distance walk on consecutive days to just see what effect it has on my body (and in particular my feet). If I can come through tomorrow ok, then I think I will be fine. My MP3 player is fully loaded with albums and podcasts so I'm aiming for a 7am start and a lunchtime finish all being well. I'm going to do a similar route to today as my navigational skills are awful to put it mildly and I know most parts of the route which we did today fairly well.
5 weeks today we will hopefully be in Ennerdale Bridge having finished our first day of 14 miles. I can already smell the scampi and chips and a pint of Cumbrian real ale!!
For those of you who know the Chase, we started at 'The White House' near the Cannock Chase Visitor Centre. From there, we headed to Spring Slade, the glacial boulder,Stepping Stones, Seven Springs, Rifle Range Corner and Fairoak. At Fairoak we had a bit of bad luck after (1) we took a wrong turning (that's what happens when you leave the map reading to a woman!!) and (2) the Forestry Commission have taken it upon themselves to vary the route of some of the trails. After putting Leonie's mum on notice that we may need picking up from whichever main road we would eventually enter onto, we (well, okay, I mean Leonie) found our bearings again and we headed back along the road through Slitting Mill before getting back onto the Chase again back to Marquis Drive and eventually the car.
Stamina and fitness weren't a problem really although I was getting a bit weary by the end. My feet feel a bit tender though and this is what I think could be a problem if we don't take steps to prevent the onset of blisters. My mates Sean and Stephen along with one of their friends Martyn, started the Scottish Coast to Coast (from Portpatrick in the West to Cockburnspath in the East) on Tuesday. They will cover 212 miles in 11 days. Unfortunately, blisters have been a real problem for them and Stephen had to actually return home yesterday as his feet were in such a state. Sean and Martyn are continuing though Sean is struggling. Their schedule is alot tougher than ours will be as they are doing 212 miles in 11 days, whereas we are doing 192 miles in 14 days (plus one rest day) but I still think that there is a risk that we may encounter similar problems if we aren't careful.
We will make sure that we take several pairs of socks with us each day so that we can change them if they get wet. We are also going to get some surgical spirit and treat our feet with this for a couple of weeks beforehand - surgical spirit apparently hardens the feet and helps prevents blisters. Leonie has also bought a selection of other creams, bandages etc so hopefully we will be ok. Any blister prevention tips would be extremely gratefully received though!!!
I'm going to do another 15+ miler tomorrow on my own. I want to do two long distance walk on consecutive days to just see what effect it has on my body (and in particular my feet). If I can come through tomorrow ok, then I think I will be fine. My MP3 player is fully loaded with albums and podcasts so I'm aiming for a 7am start and a lunchtime finish all being well. I'm going to do a similar route to today as my navigational skills are awful to put it mildly and I know most parts of the route which we did today fairly well.
5 weeks today we will hopefully be in Ennerdale Bridge having finished our first day of 14 miles. I can already smell the scampi and chips and a pint of Cumbrian real ale!!
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