Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A Week Off... (Work That Is, Not Training!!)
I have the week off work and so have made the usual to- do list which as usual isn't having much effect! One of my chores was to update the blog, so at least I can cross this off!
Had quite a busy week training wise... Tuesday I had planned a run, but Katie came round and wanted to go out with me. She tends to exercise sporadically at best, so we managed a 3 mile walk/ run. She was impressed with the Garmin, but asked if it had a light (no she doesn't smoke- it was dark!!) I told her it hadn't, then pressed a button on it the other day and the screen lit up, so guess it has...
Due to working later I didn't go to Body Toning class Wednesday but ran a steady 10 miles round my village and the next. It's quite a good circuit, quite a few runners use it. Thursday was the usual gym session, with elliptical work and treadmill; 3 miles faster running and 1 mile jogging on increasing incline. Plus the weights.
Friday was a rest (and pizza!) Saturday I did a cross country route I'd done before, and guesstimated to be 7 miles. Well, as I had the Garmin with me, I can confirm that it was... 7.02 miles!
I decided on a walk Sunday with a heavier pack. Realistically I am going to end up walking much (if not most) of the MdS so want to keep up my walking muscles as well as the running ones... I also haven't done a challenge walk lately so thought a 16 miler would just ease me in nicely. I even wore my walking boots to make sure it was a walk!
The route I chose was one in my 'Long Circular Walks in Charnwood Forest' book by John Merrill. The only drawback is that he appears to have written his guides some time ago and things tend to change...
I set of from the small village of Radcliffe-on-Soar, a non descript but pretty village famous for the hulking great power station looming over it.
Power Station
The first part of the route was lovely- following the River Soar and passing through several marinas and locks. The weather was perfect- crisp, clear and sunny.
Redhill Marina
There's something quite peaceful about walking near water.
Near Kegworth Shallow Lock
Had quite a busy week training wise... Tuesday I had planned a run, but Katie came round and wanted to go out with me. She tends to exercise sporadically at best, so we managed a 3 mile walk/ run. She was impressed with the Garmin, but asked if it had a light (no she doesn't smoke- it was dark!!) I told her it hadn't, then pressed a button on it the other day and the screen lit up, so guess it has...
Due to working later I didn't go to Body Toning class Wednesday but ran a steady 10 miles round my village and the next. It's quite a good circuit, quite a few runners use it. Thursday was the usual gym session, with elliptical work and treadmill; 3 miles faster running and 1 mile jogging on increasing incline. Plus the weights.
Friday was a rest (and pizza!) Saturday I did a cross country route I'd done before, and guesstimated to be 7 miles. Well, as I had the Garmin with me, I can confirm that it was... 7.02 miles!
I decided on a walk Sunday with a heavier pack. Realistically I am going to end up walking much (if not most) of the MdS so want to keep up my walking muscles as well as the running ones... I also haven't done a challenge walk lately so thought a 16 miler would just ease me in nicely. I even wore my walking boots to make sure it was a walk!
The route I chose was one in my 'Long Circular Walks in Charnwood Forest' book by John Merrill. The only drawback is that he appears to have written his guides some time ago and things tend to change...
I set of from the small village of Radcliffe-on-Soar, a non descript but pretty village famous for the hulking great power station looming over it.
Power StationThe first part of the route was lovely- following the River Soar and passing through several marinas and locks. The weather was perfect- crisp, clear and sunny.
Redhill MarinaThere's something quite peaceful about walking near water.
Near Kegworth Shallow LockI even managed to overtake a narrow boat after I took this photo!
Zouch Locks
Zouch LocksThis was Zouch Cut, branching off the main river. I turned away from the water at Zouch and crossed soggy, flooded field to Sutton Bonington before headeing uphill to West Leake. I was quite warm by this point! After West Leake, the route climbed quite steeply uphill, following a bridleway. I walked along the escarpment with really clear views over East Leake, the area is very close to East Midlands airport so the planes pass over quite low.
The last part of the route was where it got quite interesting... the last footpath went through the grounds of the power station and just disappeared at the gates. I thought if I walk right through, I should at least find a road back to Radcliffe Village as I knew I couldn't be that far away. I found myself right near the base of one of the great cooling towers, and so Einstein here decides it would make a great photo. gets her camera out and snaps away... never considering the amount of surveillance hardware surrounding the area...
I kept on walking through the seemingly endless power station complex, and finally was a young guy driving towards me in a jeep marked 'security'. I flagged him down and told him where I was heading for. He said he knew the general direction of the village but would radio through for directions. He then said "You haven't got a camera, have you?"
Before I had chance to think, my mouth had said, in the most innocent terms possible, "Camera? No!"
"Oh", he said, "Only we've had reports of somebody taking photographs". "Ah no" I gabbled, pointing at my now battered and grubby guide book and assuming a innocent-lost-rambler expression, "I'm just trying to follow this walk and got a bit lost".
Just then his colleague radio'd through the directions, and he offered me a lift back to where I came in- where, if I'd just taken the road to the left, I'd have been back at the car in 5 minutes! It was very nice of him, especially as I was rather muddy, but I was on tenterhooks in case he was radio'd through a description of the rogue photographer!!
Anyway, total walking, running and narrowly avoiding being arrested as a suspected terrorist has brought my weekly total to 40- a new high!!
I will perhaps aim for a slightly more modest total this week, I'm going out for the day Saturday anyway so will lose that day. Right, I'm off for a quick 7 or 8 miler before Shameless!!
Ps. I daren't post the offending photo although it did come out rather well!
Labels: John Merrill, walking
