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“A little simplification would be the first step toward rational living, I think.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

8th Jan

The program I am following has been developed by the British Heart Foundation,* I have a reasonable level of fitness and stamina (not brilliant, but reasonable) so opted for the 100km / intermediate plan. It takes you from a standing start to multiday, double digit kilometre walks over 16 weeks and works on cardio and strength at the same time.

So far, so reasonable.

Saturday was the first ‘long distance’ walk. I put that in air quotes because this is a standard dog walk for the other half. It is a couple of hours. I had to gird my loins and mentally prepare for it. She needs to put some dog biscuits in her coat pocket and whistle for the hound. I am so out of shape.

But the plan calls for a 2 hour walk initially, so with my new boots (already broken in, she wears wellies,) and a heavy wax jacket, in the pouring rain, I set off with #dogbeast at 10 in the morning.

The route was really familiar to me, inasmuch that for all my hilarious self-deprecating humour, I have taken #dogbeast out on most of it on a number of occasions**.

The thing about this hill is that it is really steep to get up. It doesn’t matter which angle you attack it from, although some slopes are considerably more challenging than others. Within minutes of setting out, I decided to alter the route that the app suggested. A frontal assault would have me gulping for air within 30 steps, whereas, walking around the side of the hill and attacking the slope in a Swiss Switchback style, whilst adding half a mile to the total distance would mean that I wouldn’t fail at the first hurdle.

The frontal assault is steep for the first third, steeper for the middle third and insane, brutal, ridiculous for the last. The other half, of course, attacks the hill head on.

To give you an idea, this is the slope profile

I was elated getting to the top, a real sense of achievement, which is ridiculous, because I had done this so many times before, most recently on my last trip to the pub. (2 days before the 100 day drought, so not feeling guilty.) But my brain pan was in a different place. This was for a purpose. (Other than to get to the pub, which is righteous enough in itself.)

The rain stopped after an hour, we met a number of people out for their morning constitutionals and once I had my breath back, it was really enjoyable. Seriously. The route took us places on the hill I hadn’t seen before, so I was pleasantly taken aback when I rounded a corner to discover that we were already over halfway around, an hour in and taking the route back.

#Dogbeast was having a great time, there were a number of other walkers about and all in all it was exhilarating.

Total distance: 5.5 miles

Total time 2:10 hours

Next up is Cam Peak to Uley Bury and back, a round robin of some 6 miles which should be doable in 2.5 hours as the plan is asking for. There are (from memory) 2 big climbs on this one, so with the software on my smart watch now updated and a map in my pocket, #dogbeast and I are bagging that one next weekend.

“Better we raise our skill, than lower the climb.” – Royal Robbins.

*Walking and trekking training plans | BHF

**Dursely yum yum (osmaps.com)