It has been a very busy week playing catch-up and working my butt off - lots of training. Inspired by the London Marathon I felt the need to go out there and do something! I decided on a long walk or a mini-trek to get a feel for all the kit I have recently purchased. Since spring has finally decided to make an appearance, what better place to go than the Chilterns?
The Chiltern Hills are in the Southeast of England and stretch from the Thames in Oxfordshire to the ancient woodlands of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, and it is said to be home to some of the finest countryside in the United Kingdom. The area is nationally protected with a variety of walks throughout: http://www.visitchilterns.co.uk/ We opted for the Ridgeway walk, after stopping off at an old steam train station for cream teas.
Pace Maker
The walk was amazing with fantastic views of the countryside. Bionic woman rushed off, leaving me and Mimi (bionic woman’s teenage daughter) to plod along, which suited us all fine! It really was a glorious day, so glorious that 90% of the southeast had the same idea as us, or so it seemed, and all ascended or descended on the Chilterns. Bearing in mind that there are some 324 square miles of fantastic countryside, we somehow all seemed to have picked the same mile.
Each to His Own
So there we were, slogging it out with man, cyclist and beast for a piece of the countryside; it was like Christmas Eve on Oxford Street! I should have felt right at home, however the worst that can happen on Oxford street is you get mowed down by a group extra-zealous bargain hunters, or at worse a gang of chuggers*, which is nothing compared to being kicked by a galloping horse or sent flying by speeding cyclists in very tight Lycra.
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| Ascot anyone? |
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| Tight squeeze |
Thank God no such collisions occurred, with the reason being that there was a strict code of conduct at play: the horses took priority for obvious reasons, then people, and then bikes. It worked a treat and everyone was friendly and appreciated the need for cooperation; everyone you we met on the walk said hello and they were more than happy to point us in the right direction when we missed our trail. We ended up doing a 5 mile walk in 3 hours, factoring in lots of cosy chats and a break for a sandwich.
Outcome
Despite all my training (DAILY), I was still a little out of breath during the ascents. I also found out that I got dehydrated very quickly, and my walking clothes were way too hot and I ended up stripping down to my vest. One would hope that the weather in the Andes is significantly better than it has been in the UK. If I’m hot over here I imagine I’ll be as hot as the hinges of hell out there; I need to rethink my wardrobe!
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| Tending to my flock |
Training
I am constantly aching, but not in a bad way. If I’m honest the aches are a constant reminder of what I need to achieve. I now workout 6 out of 7 days per week, and alternate my routine so my body never gets used to the pace and keeps working harder. I have put on half a kilo and am now able to increase my weights. Ill be working out at night as Barry is home next week and I don’t want to miss out on any family time.
STILL NO MRS. CARTER TICKETS Has anyone brought tickets off Ebay before ? was it a good or bad experience? I am so tempted to go down that path.
*In the UK paid street fundraisers have been nicknamed “chuggers”because usually their tactics of fundraising is viewed as aggressive or invasive (a portmanteau of "charity" and "mugger").
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