Monday, December 22, 2008
It's THAT Time Of Year Again...
... when everyone goes mad, spends hundreds of pounds on presents for people they don't even like and loads up their trollies to groaning point in the supermarket as the shops are closed for two... whole... days!!!
Seriously, though, routines tend to go by the wayside this time of year and I am finding it really tough to fit in work, social stuff, training and the dreaded Christmas shopping/ wrapping! I seem to have no time at all- especially as this is the period when I really have to scale up the MdS training... I have around 10 good quality weeks left before I have to start to think about tapering...
This weekend was busy. I went into Loughborough shopping with my friend, but had already spent over two hours in the gym, doing 5 miles on the treadmill- a combination of speed and hill work- plus bike and weights. My legs were aching a little, especially as she uses a mobility scooter with a top speed of 4mph so I had a bit of a route march trying to keep up! We spent a very arduous evening eating chinese food and watching 'Strictly'.
Yesterday I had decided on a 14 mile walk, it was so tempting to talk myself out of it and there were so many reasons not to do it- but I made myself get up early and mentally threw myself out the door.
The route I planned was one in my John Merrill book- a 14 mile walk from Southwell. I parked behind the impressive Southwell Minster, and as I walked past, peered in a doorway where I could here organ music playing. After a bit of road walking, the route set off across open (muddy) fields, to rejoin the main road before turning off through the sleepy village of Halloughton (not sure how to pronounce it!) The weather was rather dull at first but actually brightened up later on, and satyed dry.
After Halloughton, I had to pick my way through an extremely muddy, wet field by a farm, to cross the stream quaintly named 'Halloughton Dumble' via an attractive wooden bridge. I passed a farm house in ruins, and had a little peek through the windows. It looked so sad- no roof, no windows and ceiling caving in, but I spotted a planning permission notice with intention to knock it down and build a detached house there, so I suspect it won't be there much longer.
The next part of the route was quite dreary- road walking down a farm track to the main road, then 1 1/2 miles along the alarmingly busy road. It was also full of twists and turns, so very difficult to see oncoming traffic until the last minute- I jogged a little along here as I couldn't wait to leave it! It was a relief to reach the turning to pretty Orston Village. The next stretch was the loveliest and most scenic on the whole route- I followed a track up to Robin Hood Hill and the earthworks there; the sun came out and there was a fantastic view over towards Mansfield but as I have not yet organised a new camera battery I can't share it!
I very nearly got lost after this. The route instructions advised me to turn left on reaching Coombs Wood, at a sign saying '2 miles to Farnsfield'. Well, I reached the wood, but there was no sign, or even sign of a sign... just a yellow waymarker pointing me along a track through the wood. I followed this for a while, before realising it had become a tree lined track rather than a woodland track, and the route directions still didn't seem to fit. Then I spotted a wooden sign pointing left, although all it said was 'Public Footpath'. I was in a dilemma and wasn't sure whether to take it or keep following the track. I decided to relax and trust my rather wonky intuition... which said 'take the footpath!'
I did, and the route descriptions started to make sense again. I descended through woods on an extremely muddy, slippery and rutted track which the local motorbike contingent obviously use on a regular basis. I had another moment of indecision when I was instructed to 'cross a field to the right of a house'- there was a field all right, but no house in sight... but reached a lane leading to a village I desperately hoped was Farnsfield, and was really relieved when I discovered it was!
The last 4 miles were pretty straightforward- along the 'Southwell Trail'- an old disused railway made into a nature trail. It was easy walking, so I jogged a lot of it, passing loads of dog walkers. The last mile seemed endless, especially as my left hip started hurting a little, but I finally reached the end to see a sign saying 'Farnsfield 5 1/2 miles', so I don't know if John's mileage estimates are a bit out!
I had a pleasant walk back to the car through Southwell (worth coming back to for a proper look around one day), feeling a little out of place amongst teenagers dressed up to the nines and stopping to buy some oven chips for tea. I was my usual sweaty, muddy mess, carrying a 6 kg pack so got some funny stares!
It took me around 4 hours 20 minutes, which was slow but I wasn't rushing and did stop to look at things, so I'm quite pleased with that.
My hip isn't too bad today so I may rest it for today. This week is likely to be a bit hit and miss with the training... I suspect that I will be coerced into eating vast quantities of food too... it's a hard life...
Seriously, though, routines tend to go by the wayside this time of year and I am finding it really tough to fit in work, social stuff, training and the dreaded Christmas shopping/ wrapping! I seem to have no time at all- especially as this is the period when I really have to scale up the MdS training... I have around 10 good quality weeks left before I have to start to think about tapering...
This weekend was busy. I went into Loughborough shopping with my friend, but had already spent over two hours in the gym, doing 5 miles on the treadmill- a combination of speed and hill work- plus bike and weights. My legs were aching a little, especially as she uses a mobility scooter with a top speed of 4mph so I had a bit of a route march trying to keep up! We spent a very arduous evening eating chinese food and watching 'Strictly'.
Yesterday I had decided on a 14 mile walk, it was so tempting to talk myself out of it and there were so many reasons not to do it- but I made myself get up early and mentally threw myself out the door.
The route I planned was one in my John Merrill book- a 14 mile walk from Southwell. I parked behind the impressive Southwell Minster, and as I walked past, peered in a doorway where I could here organ music playing. After a bit of road walking, the route set off across open (muddy) fields, to rejoin the main road before turning off through the sleepy village of Halloughton (not sure how to pronounce it!) The weather was rather dull at first but actually brightened up later on, and satyed dry.
After Halloughton, I had to pick my way through an extremely muddy, wet field by a farm, to cross the stream quaintly named 'Halloughton Dumble' via an attractive wooden bridge. I passed a farm house in ruins, and had a little peek through the windows. It looked so sad- no roof, no windows and ceiling caving in, but I spotted a planning permission notice with intention to knock it down and build a detached house there, so I suspect it won't be there much longer.
The next part of the route was quite dreary- road walking down a farm track to the main road, then 1 1/2 miles along the alarmingly busy road. It was also full of twists and turns, so very difficult to see oncoming traffic until the last minute- I jogged a little along here as I couldn't wait to leave it! It was a relief to reach the turning to pretty Orston Village. The next stretch was the loveliest and most scenic on the whole route- I followed a track up to Robin Hood Hill and the earthworks there; the sun came out and there was a fantastic view over towards Mansfield but as I have not yet organised a new camera battery I can't share it!
I very nearly got lost after this. The route instructions advised me to turn left on reaching Coombs Wood, at a sign saying '2 miles to Farnsfield'. Well, I reached the wood, but there was no sign, or even sign of a sign... just a yellow waymarker pointing me along a track through the wood. I followed this for a while, before realising it had become a tree lined track rather than a woodland track, and the route directions still didn't seem to fit. Then I spotted a wooden sign pointing left, although all it said was 'Public Footpath'. I was in a dilemma and wasn't sure whether to take it or keep following the track. I decided to relax and trust my rather wonky intuition... which said 'take the footpath!'
I did, and the route descriptions started to make sense again. I descended through woods on an extremely muddy, slippery and rutted track which the local motorbike contingent obviously use on a regular basis. I had another moment of indecision when I was instructed to 'cross a field to the right of a house'- there was a field all right, but no house in sight... but reached a lane leading to a village I desperately hoped was Farnsfield, and was really relieved when I discovered it was!
The last 4 miles were pretty straightforward- along the 'Southwell Trail'- an old disused railway made into a nature trail. It was easy walking, so I jogged a lot of it, passing loads of dog walkers. The last mile seemed endless, especially as my left hip started hurting a little, but I finally reached the end to see a sign saying 'Farnsfield 5 1/2 miles', so I don't know if John's mileage estimates are a bit out!
I had a pleasant walk back to the car through Southwell (worth coming back to for a proper look around one day), feeling a little out of place amongst teenagers dressed up to the nines and stopping to buy some oven chips for tea. I was my usual sweaty, muddy mess, carrying a 6 kg pack so got some funny stares!
It took me around 4 hours 20 minutes, which was slow but I wasn't rushing and did stop to look at things, so I'm quite pleased with that.
My hip isn't too bad today so I may rest it for today. This week is likely to be a bit hit and miss with the training... I suspect that I will be coerced into eating vast quantities of food too... it's a hard life...
Labels: Shopping, Southwell, walk
