Friday, September 07, 2007

The Final Countdown....

Leaving on a jet plane........

Yes, only a week to go and I'll be flying off to bonnie Scotland for my final challenge in my first stages of becoming a competent, happy hillwalker and head for the summit of Ben Nevis.

August was a bit of a wash out what with weather, family commitments and an extreme lack of real walking but I was able to keep up the general fitness and think I'm ready for next week- I think it's going to be more of a mental battle. Mind you, having said that, I've been having bad pains in my hip joint (left side) for a couple of weeks now - I know I've just had a birthday but come on.....I'm too young for that.......aren't I!!! As such, been taking it easy this week - resting up before a final boost next week before the big walk. So I haven't been out doing much for the past month but my friend Pat has - and boy did she go for it.

'Hi, I'm Sturdy Girl's friend Pat-from-Somerset. Last week another friend and I did a three-day 36.5 mile walk called the Coleridge Way. This is a newish trail, based on a walk that the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge did from his cottage in Nether Stowey to Porlock. It's a fabulous route, going through the Quantocks (England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), then the less well-known Brendon Hills and finishing in Exmoor National Park. We printed off a brilliantly detailed itinerary and map and found it easy to follow, particularly as little quill-feather symbols appear on all the signposts. It's a reasonably tough walk due to lots of long ascents, but we were really lucky with the weather. Thanks to Sturdy Girl's advice I was properly equipped with good boots, lightweight walking trousers and especially comfortable socks. I even used a borrowed walking pole in some places to get me over uneven ground and a few streams. Another bit of SG's advice also proved invaluable, namely to carry a pack of nuts, seeds and raisins for much-need energy boosts throughout the day. We even remembered to do some stretching exercises before getting into the car at the end of the walk each day. I'm no spring chicken (next year I'll get the bus-pass), and at the end of the final walking day I vowed "never again!", but within 24 hours I was starting to wonder where my next long-distance trail might lead. I'd never before done three consecutive days of walking, so physically it was hard, it was sometimes painful (a blister, a dodgy knee episode, a couple of rather scary slips and three twisted ankles), and totally exhausting, but emotionally it's chock full of satisfaction, excitement and, I must confess, more than a little smugness. I did it! Thanks, Sturdy Girl, for your encouragement and support.'

Well done Pat and Rachel - proud of you both.

As my little blog is nearing it's end (sob!) and love to know if my mini adventures and/or insights have made any difference to you - why not drop me a line - I'd love to hear your story.

And don't forget - it's not too late to sponsor my efforts next week - all funds raised will go to Marie Curie Cancer Care and you can donate at: www.justgiving.com/sturdygirl.

All for now.

Sturdy

Posted by Admin @ 3:19 am