Sunday, January 11, 2009
Update... And A Bit Of An Anyhow Week...
Thought I'd better update in case anyone thinks I've dropped off the planet... I have had a bit of an anyhow week last week and haven't felt like doing b*gger all...
For starters, I have had to make the really difficult decision to find Lucky a foster home. My mate, who's spare room I'm currently renting, is sadly allergic and was getting worse and worse... that, together with the fact that I am out of the house for hours training for a certain event, kind of forced my hand, and she is staying with a lovely, cat crazy colleague from work. It isn't going to be forever and my long term aim is to get my own place again and have her back... I think a lot of us have given up a bloody lot for this race...
I took her Tuesday so Monday and Tuesday were non events as far as training was concerned. I did haul my ass back to the gym Wednesday, and did a tough 30 minutes on the ellipticals (levels 16 and 17) then 20 minutes steep incline walking on the treadmill.
Thursday I woke up with a terrific headache, so didn't go to work. I tried a short 4 mile walk Thursday night, but still felt headachey and tired Friday. I went to see a mate Friday night, who's about to undergo spinal surgery (kind of puts things into perspective!) and stomped round Ruddington Country Park for 2 hours first, with a 6 kg pack.
Yesterday I was going to rest, but ended up doing my hilly route- walking but jogging up the hills. So today I reckoned it would be an idea to actually make an effort, with the MdS looming ever closer now, so did a 17 miler from one of my John Merrill guides. It started from a car pack in woodland south of Blidworth, but I got slightly lost, found the car park and started the walk, only to discover I had found the wrong car park! Luckily, it was on the actual walk route, so I just resolved to start and finish there instead.
It was a nice walk, mainly through woodland, but some of the paths were a little ambiguous so I had to keep stopping and checking the library map. I have come to the conclusion that I am pretty good at reading a map, oh, and so modest!! Saying that, I did take a wrong track and had to retrace my steps for quite a while (the paths had changed! Honest!!) so probably made the walk more like 18 miles. I took a flask of coffee which was very welcome, and which helped take the pack to around 7 kg.
I ran a little, but not a lot, as I had a bit of soreness from my left foot/ ankle, which I really hope isn't going to develop into anything undesireable! I finished the last stretch, through Blidworth Woods, as it was getting dark; I passed a family going the other way, who stopped my and asked if this was the track to the main car park, as they were a bit lost. I confidently directed them back down the track towards the car park I had just walked to, then it later dawned on me that they may have left their car at the one where mine was, in which case I would have directed them the complete wrong way... ooops...
So, rather slow, but another 17 miles in the bank, with a quite heavy pack; that makes around 33/ 34 miles this week, so not too bad for a quiet week...
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For starters, I have had to make the really difficult decision to find Lucky a foster home. My mate, who's spare room I'm currently renting, is sadly allergic and was getting worse and worse... that, together with the fact that I am out of the house for hours training for a certain event, kind of forced my hand, and she is staying with a lovely, cat crazy colleague from work. It isn't going to be forever and my long term aim is to get my own place again and have her back... I think a lot of us have given up a bloody lot for this race...
I took her Tuesday so Monday and Tuesday were non events as far as training was concerned. I did haul my ass back to the gym Wednesday, and did a tough 30 minutes on the ellipticals (levels 16 and 17) then 20 minutes steep incline walking on the treadmill.
Thursday I woke up with a terrific headache, so didn't go to work. I tried a short 4 mile walk Thursday night, but still felt headachey and tired Friday. I went to see a mate Friday night, who's about to undergo spinal surgery (kind of puts things into perspective!) and stomped round Ruddington Country Park for 2 hours first, with a 6 kg pack.
Yesterday I was going to rest, but ended up doing my hilly route- walking but jogging up the hills. So today I reckoned it would be an idea to actually make an effort, with the MdS looming ever closer now, so did a 17 miler from one of my John Merrill guides. It started from a car pack in woodland south of Blidworth, but I got slightly lost, found the car park and started the walk, only to discover I had found the wrong car park! Luckily, it was on the actual walk route, so I just resolved to start and finish there instead.
It was a nice walk, mainly through woodland, but some of the paths were a little ambiguous so I had to keep stopping and checking the library map. I have come to the conclusion that I am pretty good at reading a map, oh, and so modest!! Saying that, I did take a wrong track and had to retrace my steps for quite a while (the paths had changed! Honest!!) so probably made the walk more like 18 miles. I took a flask of coffee which was very welcome, and which helped take the pack to around 7 kg.
I ran a little, but not a lot, as I had a bit of soreness from my left foot/ ankle, which I really hope isn't going to develop into anything undesireable! I finished the last stretch, through Blidworth Woods, as it was getting dark; I passed a family going the other way, who stopped my and asked if this was the track to the main car park, as they were a bit lost. I confidently directed them back down the track towards the car park I had just walked to, then it later dawned on me that they may have left their car at the one where mine was, in which case I would have directed them the complete wrong way... ooops...
So, rather slow, but another 17 miles in the bank, with a quite heavy pack; that makes around 33/ 34 miles this week, so not too bad for a quiet week...
Labels: Sherwood Forest, Woodland
