Thursday 28 July 2011

c2m update

Apologies for no earlier blog, but for various reasons its been
difficult. The first and main reason has been time. Walking with
others for the first four days has restricted the time at the end of
the day for blogging. Usually during my meal i would type it
in,however being with others i have had to be social.
Other time factors included the camping tasks, such as pitching and
other jobs, all excuses but i don't know where the times gone, to be
trueful, i dont know what day it is, lost track of those a while ago.
The other excuse is the keyboard on my new phone is run from touch
screen and not a pullout one like last year. As it only works with
fingers and not a probe, i am constant entering the wrong letter due
to my fat fingers, about 15 mistypes in the last sentance, bloody
fustrating all those z's instrad of a's.
I am currently on the outskirts of kendal, having just finishef a
short rest day. I am now striking south for lancastershire, in a zig
zag fashion, following the thirlmere way, when the path allows me. I
left the c2c yesterday at shap, walking over the sodden mountains to
kendal. At one stage i actually became part ot the mountain as the
peat bog consumed me upto thigh level.
The 4 c2c days have been challenging with all the ascent in such hot,
baking weather. Thats right, hot dry and lakes, three words which dont
often go together. At the end of day two, we found ourselves in
borrowdale, wettest place in england in the glorious sunshine.
Another highlight of the first four dzys has been the comardary built
up between the walkers all engaged in completing the same legs of the
walk. The constant bumping into, having flitting chats and moving on,
not knowing names, but giving them nicknames, one group named all by
the rucksack colour..... I'll miss that now i'm away from a main
trial, jealous of ade and simon whp will probally have it to their end
of the c2c.
The downside to the warm weather has been the bugs and tje number of
times i've been bit,currentlt right wrist, calf and earlobe are
swollen from bits. Gladly though no dog events yet.

Thursday 7 July 2011

Countdown to next LDW

Ankle now on the mend, enabling me last week to completed another leg of the Birmingham to Aberwysth walk. This walk went from Ludlow to Leintwardine, totaling 21km, over ground which was defiantly not level, a real test for my ankle's stability and strength. Looking forward to upping this to 29km this weekend, once again on the BTA walk. Once done, I'll be circa 70% completed, with finishing the whole walk likely in 2011.
Time is now getting close for my next long distance walk, this being the C2C, only this being the coast to Chorley walk, a hybrid of the usual C2C and the Thirlmere Way.
Initial plan was to walk to Kirkby Stephens and catch a bus to Kendal, but in the last week I have changed this to walk to Shap and leave the C2C a day earlier. Instead of a bus to Kendal, I plan now to walk via the Mosedale valley and the hills to Kendal, staying at Kendal YHA, which remains open.
Walk starts 23/7 some seven weeks following my ankle injury, just hoping its upto 11 days walking, no way of testing beforehand.
Rehabilitation has also included exercising on the x trainer instead of the treadmill. I have added distance covered to the ongoing simulated walk down the country, now finding myself at the bridge of Orchy.