Tag: walking

Waiting…

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It feels a little like we need to collectively get on with it now. This year I am not at all keen on this in between time. I feel like I am waiting. Waiting for what, I don’t know. But waiting can be a full time occupation so it’s annoying. So in an attempt to not wait for whatever it is I am waiting for, I went for a little run. I even warmed up with some stretches first.

I was hoping for maybe a 2 mile run/walk, ideally pain free. But as I set off I realised I hadn’t actually set any run/walk intervals and I also didn’t really want to stop to walk as I was plodding my way down the hill and wondering whether I should have put another layer on. I was cold. So I kept going. I had a route in mind. But as I got further along, I realised I really did not want to go that route. I had a 15 second walk to gather my thoughts, turned right down a road I am not sure I have ever run down before, and headed towards the canal. I wasn’t settled. I threw in another 20 second walk just to see if I could breathe like a normal human and then set off again to at least claim the mile.

So I basically ran a mile and then called it. My right ankle was tightening again – mostly as I settled into walking though and my hip was niggly. The canal was also busy. On a short stretch between the two bridges I used today, I counted 7 dog walkers and at least 10 dogs. I did not want other people. I just need to get into the habit of going earlier again. I like the time when I have the towpath mostly to myself, or only share it with others who also welcome the solitude – passing in a fleeting moment that needs only to be acknowledged with a nod. None of this constant chirpy ‘good morning’ that I had to endure today. I actually quite like greeting strangers, saying hello, maybe even making a remark about the weather. It’s a nice, friendly thing and it makes me smile. But not when I am trying to run. Just leave me be in my misery and effort. I’ll nod, I’ll smile and I might even force out a ‘hi’ but a full ‘Good Morning’. No.

Anyway, I was a bit grumpy with my lack of ability to run more than a mile (or my unwillingness). But as I stopped, a group of ducks and swans came to see me. I know they wanted feeding really but it felt like they were coming to acknowledge my effort and make me smile. So I walked the last stretch of canal happily watching them, crossed the bridge and walked up the hill. I have zero hill fitness so I deliberately walked up the most direct, but also steepest route. There is only one way to get hill fit…

It was nice to be out. It’s always nice to be out.

Happy more waking than running

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After my Happy Running in Bath, Edinburgh and at home, we headed to Seahouses for a week of writing and thinking for my DBA. We had a lovely little apartment and the perfect location and as well as some lovely walks on the beach I also had one little run.

I didn’t go far and I found it really hard and was initially frustrated at the lack of fitness. I was also a bit unsettled because we’d had to change plans. The initial plan was to drive Kath to Craster for her to run back and for me to have a plod there before driving back. But the road was closed and rather than trying to work out an alternative, we pulled into the car park at Beadnell Bay to regroup. Kath was unsettled and so was I but eventually we got going and she set off to run to Dunstanburgh Castle and I set off on my plod.

After about a mile I realised that I didn’t want to run, I wanted to walk in the sea with bare feet- so that’s what I did.

I didn’t run very much at all that week but I loved walking on the beach, playing with the sea and just being.

Hadrian’s Wall or not -Day 4

Jess Guth1 Comment

My feet, or specifically my little toes are more painful than I ever imagined they could be. I maybe slept a couple of hours and it’s clear really that my Hadrian’s Wall walk adventure is over. We talked about what to do for the best for us both and agreed that Kath would walk on. Here she is setting off in Chollerford.

The B&B we stayed at was lovely and we got a lift down to Chesters Roman Fort this morning where Kath collected her next stamp. Then I hobbled with her to Chollerford where I’m now sitting in the cafe I was in yesterday sipping coffee. I’ll walk back to Chesters shortly, have a look around and then get the bus to Hexham.

Well Chesters was quite interesting for a short visit and is probably worth exploring more fully with functioning feet. I didn’t walk down to the bath house or round the whole site. I stuck my head in the museum- a room full of old stones basically and then I got on the bus.

I got off at Hexham bus station and walked very slowly towards the Abbey. I stopped at Boots and bought ibuprofen and then looked round the Abbey sitting a little while and lighting a candle for peace. Then I went for coffee.

The B&B had ‘strict’ check in times of between 4pm and 6pm. It said to call if you thought you’d be outside those times. I tried a few times to see how early I could get there and if Kath could get a lift from Heddon. No answer. So I decided that my feet were too sore to wander round Hexham and I was better off getting the train to Wylam where the B&B is.

Once in Wylam I called again and got through. They seemed slightly irritated even though I was careful to note that I knew it was early and I was just asking what was possible. She suggested we could check in at 3pm as they’d be back home then. Kath was walking into the village and I found a cafe for another coffee. Kath then discovered that there was a bus and jumped on that and I picked her up at the bus stop.

Her walk was mostly along the road and fairly uninspiring but I still enjoyed the photo updates

The B&B seems nice and we’ve rounded off the day with food at a local pub. In spite of trying to stay off my feet I’ve still done just over 14000 steps. Now for feet up, random tv and an early night.

Hadrian’s Wall Day 3

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It didn’t go to plan. 7 miles in I couldn’t cope anymore. I’m not sure with what or why but I just couldn’t. The pain wasn’t really any worse than it had been all morning. It was there as a constant but not worse. The terrain was much more challenging but I knew it was going to be hard. I was ok for a little while and then confidence on any ascent and descent vanished- tricky when most of the route is up or down. Eventually brain and body said ‘nope, not today’. There were another 2 miles to navigate before a way off. We agreed Kath would carry on and I would head to the Sill and figure things out from there. So at 9 miles we split and I walked slowly down the road.

Anyway, I’m disappointed and cross and sad and sore and need time to process. I found some joy in the day, a lovely scenic bus ride, people who helped, a room with a bath…

We re- asses tomorrow.

Hadrian’s Wall Day 2 – Carlisle to Gilsland

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Just a very quick post because I’m tired and need to process today. We left Howard Lodge in Carlisle just after 8 am after an average breakfast but nice overall stay.

Today’s route was varied, more undulating than yesterday and actually a lovely route.

There were some muddy bits and some of the road sections were actually welcome after having spent a chunk of time thinking carefully about where to put our feet.

We had the path completely to ourselves for the first 5.5 miles and after that we met others coming in the opposite direction every couple of miles or so.

My feet are sore. The walking shoes were still soaking wet so I obviously wore the trail running shoes. They’re actually much better and fabulous in mud but they are quite tight. Those pressure points already tender got worse and I was in low level pain from early on. facilities are basically non existent so eventually we had a wild wee.

The sunshine was lovely and it was nice not to be rained on! But I started flagging quite early. We decided to push on to 10 miles before lunch. I sort of made it but I was struggling. We sat by the roadside and had some pasta we’d bought from M&S. I struggled to get going again and in Walton we thought we’d stop at the tea room for coffee. We didn’t have coffee because we couldn’t get served as the guy running it seemed more interested in chatting to locals. He seemed cross that we left with me just having had a pee but in all the time it took he hadn’t taken an order from Kath.

We saw the first bits of stone wall today. It’s quite a staggering wall and must have been tea imposing in its time.

Around 14 ish miles I lost the plot. Everything seems to hurt worse. There was a narrow muddy section that just made feet and hips throb with every step. I had a little cry. I got in my head. It definitely felt like I had taken on too much. I was cross that I didn’t feel better. After all we were just walking and not walking fast and the terrain was mostly fine and while there had been a hill or two it really wasn’t a strenuous route.

So today has been tough. Dacre House, our B&B is really nice and I am happy to just be able to rest. My feet are really tender, my little toes are blistered to hell and let’s just not talk about the chafing along the knicker line – let’s just say I screamed in the shower and Kath’s response to seeing it was ‘fucking hell that’s horrendous’. Vaseline has been liberally applied, the toe blisters popped and I’m about to do some stretches and then sleep.

Tomorrow is another long day. It has much more up in it and is described as moderate to strenuous. I don’t know how I’m going to do it. But I want to.