Spent the weekend in Somerset catching up with some friends and spending time with my lovely, mad, mud-magnet of a dog...Buster. I only had time to squeeze in one good walk with Buster and Pat (my long suffering friend who I usually drag along). We were joined by another friend and his 11 year old daughter, who had never visited the beautiful, fairy-grotto like walk that is Velvet Bottom. A former lead mining site this shallow valley runs from Chaterhouse to the top of Cheddar Gorge and is a bunny haven. Due to the 100's of long-eared residents the grass is so closely cropped one almost bounces along the route. At the end of the valley the walker has the choice to turn left, to a path that leads up the South Side of the Gorge or to cross the road, and walk up Black Rock Gate to the North side of the Gorge. Both spectacular. We turned right and followed the path to the wooded nature trail which was a covered in a green blanket of spring fresh wild garlic. In the reserve the walker again has a choice of traversing the step steps and walking in a horseshoe or following the lower path. A bubbling stream flows through crumbling brick features as this area was once owned by Bristol Water and remnants of its industrial past can still be seen - now being reclaimed by nature. A wagtail joined us along the path for a while, dipping and skipping over the water and catkins hung from the trees, blowing gently in the wind. It was actually very peaceful and mystical. The route isn't long but has enough variety to keep even young and slightly unwilling walkers amused. I love ambling here as it is such a beautiful place and can accommodate almost anyone. The first section, from the road and along the valley could even be considered for those requiring wheelchair access.

After two hours we retired to the local for a relaxing and enjoyable meal and I found myself fretting about the lack of 'serious' walking. But then I stopped myself. We had just spent a couple of hours enjoying some great scenery, sharing some useful information and history with an enquiring mind and having a good time. Who cares if it wasn't over miles and miles of terrain - it was fun. And my Achilles heal and hips were telling me it was enough.

To be honest, the heal thing and the hip ache has really been worrying me and so today I made what I consider to be an investment in my future - certainly my walking future. I made use of our on sight private physio for an assessment. The prognosis was good and bad. The good part is that it's not arthritis (which does run in the family) but the bad part is that I have seriously overstretched the calf, have an inflamed Achilles tendon and a general muscle imbalance - partly caused by my previous ankle break, bad posture and general physical makeup. But more good news - most of it can be rectified - but it's going to take time. I had some ultra-sound, some painful massage and was shown a number of stretches that I need to follow daily for the next couple of weeks. Apparently I can swim and cycle as much as I like but to keep the walking down to low-grade a max of 6 or 7 miles - no 20 milers for a few weeks and on soft terrain - so no concrete paths and tarmac for me! It also seems that the problem has been exaggerated by the fact that I haven't been stretching properly either before a good long walk or after. Apparently I should be including at least 10-15 minutes of stretching into my routine after very, very long outings and should be getting into the practise of stretching after all walks. I wonder if any of you out there have encountered other injuries through not stretching or if you have any tips on how to build these into the average walk. Think I'll feel a bit daft standing in the car park doing 'my thing' when everybody else is heading for the pub! So, the bottom line is that if I want to have a good walking future, if I want to be able to tackle Ben Nevis in September and then go on to take some more advanced training I need to take care of myself now, work towards correcting my posture and muscle strength and listen to my body.

Now...where's the pack of frozen peas and hot water bottle - time to follow instructions for a change.

All for now.

Spent most of last week taking it easy still resting the Achilles Heal with gentle stretches, a bit of massage and a swim. On Thursday evening I went to an interesting lecture on how altitude affects fitness. Although I have no real desire to go to 8000m either now or in the future it was still interesting to hearing about how our physical and mental abilities deteriorate at height and always amazing to hear other peoples stories. The lecture was followed by a screening of 'Himalaya' by Eric Valli which was one of the most beautiful and moving films, based on mountain culture, that I have seen so far. If you have the chance to watch it - do - the mountains...the snow.....the yaks(!).....and the struggle between the old and the new/ youth and wisdom - fascinating.

By the weekend I was feeling more than restless. I'm aware that in order to be able to tackle Ben Nevis comfortably later in the year I need to be able to increase my general stamina and distance. I've also been offered the chance to tackle some long distance routes in the summer which mean will mean walking many miles over many days, something I've never done before. So...I scoffed down some Oatabix, pulled on the walking boots and headed off on my longest walk so far. The route was a kind of figure of eight with various 'escape routes' on the way, either by turning back at different points or by catching the bus or train. The first half was mainly beach/shingle and pavement. After the first 2 hours I felt great and was bouncing along quite happily. In order to protect my knees/ankle I decided to try out my new walking poles (a much welcome gift from some friends). To start with I felt like a complete idiot, 'skiing' along the beach, and the less than polite jibes from the football thugs in town were far from encouraging. Still, I didn't give in to vanity and kept on with them. Once I'd got into a rhythm and stopped tripping myself up I found them very useful and very welcome. After 4 hours and 11 miles I stopped for lunch, easing myself onto the warm shingle and enjoying the view of the much loved kite-surfers. Half an hour later, when I wanted(?) to move off again I had to struggle to my feet and the first few paces were hard going. I did wonder what on earth I was doing and almost gave up and went home. But I didn't, and after a few minutes was back in my stride again. My right foot was giving me a warning sign as I could feel the makings of a blister but I ignored it and carried on - foolish I know, but hey, I am a novice! 6 hours walking and I was now beginning to feel it, but I was still grinning and the afternoon was beautiful - sunny, warm and dry. I spent most of the day walking in a T-shirt (and trousers of course!) and applying sunblock every now and again through fear of a freckle outburst. The hardest part of the walk was the last 2 hours when I turned 'round to face the long flat sea path that leads back to home. You can see where you're heading to in the distance but it never seems to get any closer - like that bit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when the knights keep storming the gates of the castle but never actually getting any nearer until suddenly...Bham! You're there. Despite the embarrassment factor I resorted to using my poles on the pavement as well to tackle the last couple of miles. 6PM - 8 hours and 21 miles after setting off I was home again and collapsing in a big heap on the bed. But what did I learn from all of this? Well......first, if you start to feel the makings of a blister - deal with it then and there - don't leave it. I didn't see to mine and now I've a huge bubble attached the side of my foot. If I'd have stopped and put a plaster or some kind of protective layer on it earlier it wouldn't have developed to this stage. What else - oh yes, salt and minerals. As I was walking I began to feel that horrible ache in the joints, especially the hips, which I've had before and I'm now convinced is a build up of acid created when we exercise (is it Lactic acid?? Somebody correct me if I've got this wrong please). This is usually eased by making sure you drink properly but as the body is also losing valuable salts and minerals you need to replace these as well. Isotonic drinks can help but I've found in the past (when I was scuba diving) that adding some Diorolyte solution to the water can help keep you hydrated though out the day - sipping small amounts often. I guess you could just add some fruit juice and/or salt but I'm guessing that would taste mighty foul! O.K. So, what else... Take regular short breaks - I found that stopping for 5 or 10 minutes every hour or so, to take a drink, munch some nuts and dried fruit and enjoy the view helped to boost energy levels and ease boredom. After all, walking should be fun- not a route march. Finally, although I enjoyed the challenge I'd set myself I did wonder whether I'd want to do this kind of walking day after day? It's not really my style as I enjoy the freedom of being able to change the route as desired and also being able to enjoy the scenery and explore interesting places along the way. If the walk is too rigid in that one has to be in certain places at certain times it doesn't allow for spontaneity and real adventure - does it? And that's the part I enjoy.

So, it was challenging but I was happy at the end of it as I sat with a mug of tea, a welcome biscuit and foot massage cream wondering why I had a greater pain in my shoulder than my feet?

Sunday morning. Feeling stiff and feet refusing to move. Needed to get the muscles moving again so went for a swim and then a gentle walk later in the day.....as far as the beach bar where I treated my mum to some lovely wine - well, it was Mothering Sunday - what else could I do?! Glad to find that I wasn't in too bad a shape. Could have managed another walk if I wanted to but, actually, didn't want to. One 20 miler in a weekend is enough for now.

Sitting at work writing this up watching in awe at the snow, thunder and lightening that has bombarded the office over the past 10 minutes and wondering just what is going on with our climate - but that's another story!! Not much planned for this week - a swim tomorrow and then off to Somerset on Friday for some lovely walks in the Mendips.

All for now - think I need to stretch the legs again...sitting at a desk all day is not doing them any favours!!

Ouch. That about sums it up for the past week - ouch and poo. My Achilles tendon has been tight for a few weeks now but I've been ignoring it but it got to the point, weekend before last, when I knew I couldn't keep on ignoring the warning signs, especially as I've a packed few months ahead and don't want to end up with any permanent injuries. According to the various on-line guides on muscle and tissue damage I've been overusing it - no?! Well, O.K, I know that, but it's also made worse, so I'm told, by over-pronation (foot not rolling properly) which I know I suffer from and has been made worse since breaking my ankle. Well, at least I know to be on the lookout for warning signs now and to make sure I stretch before and after taking to the trails. As it is, I've been taking time out this week and satisfying my thirst for all things outdoors by watch Bear Grylls and reading Simon Yates 'Against The Wall'. So I now know how to build a snow cave using your backpack, not to parachute yourself onto the top of a mountain without suitable provisions and not to even think about climbing a vertical walls in remotest Chile. Enjoying reading the latter, laughed hysterically at the former!

With the sun out at the weekend I couldn't take it anymore and had to head out to do something so went for a swim and then a gentle walk along the beach. In the absence of any real hills at home I'm thinking the sand and cockle shell/shingle banks will help to build up general leg strength and stamina, especially as the route also means clambering over regular sea breaks. On the plus side, there's a fab beach bar on the way back just a the right point for sitting and enjoying a cold beer and watching the sun go down before strolling back home.

I'm hoping to go for a good long walk this Saturday, ankle/knee permitting and keep up the swimming. I'm off to Somerset week after next for a long overdue walk around Cheddar Gorge and seeing my mad dog - can't wait. Then I'm booked on a first aid course - good timing. I found it interesting to note in the last Mountain Rescue report for Ambleside area of the Lake District that the highest percentage of walking injuries happen in March. I wonder if that's because the sun comes out and it's easy to think that summer as arrived and don't go out as prepared as, say, for a winter walk, only to find that higher up the weather is still cold, wet and slippery? Perhaps. Or perhaps we're just glad to be out in the light that we bounce over the rocks and trails like spring sheep, enjoying a renewed zest for life and feeling invincible in the warmth and glow of the sun. Who knows. But if you're heading up to the Lakes this month (lucky people..!) have fun and take care - wouldn't want to add to the statistics for next year now would you.

Right..back to the book....hmm...definately think I'll stick to walking!

All for now.

Then here's the story so far......

View from Cheddar Gorge Paddling on Burrington Combe New walking chum Emma

and Hilary in Poland