Bleurgh!

I have done no training now for a couple of weeks. I've been got by the lurgy. I've had the most vicious sore throat and I've completely lost my voice. Also, getting even slightly out of breath starts me off on a marathon coughing fit, and going out in the cold does the same. So going out in the cold to get out of breath would just be stupid really wouldn't it!

I've been doing my usual walk to and from work though. I tracked that on WalkJogRun and it is just short of a mile - which if you include walking from the door of my building to my desk, and getting along the train platform, is probably just over a mile. And I do this twice a day, four times a week (I try and work from home one day a week).

Other than that, I've probably gone backwards. But I'm going to start making a concerted effort in the New Year to ramp up the training, and I'm going to start wearing my pedometer all day long, not just on walks, just to see how far I actually walk.

4th December - Millenium Bridge river walk

Another lunch time walk, in one of my new pairs of 1000 mile socks - I've got a wash, wear and spare now. I started the walk with a blister, and ended it with that one burst and another formed underneath it. So that is 3 blisters all in the same place in the space of 5 walks. Obviously the trainers (and my dodgy skin), but does anyone have any ideas for prevention?

Anyway, I left the office and went over Lambeth Bridge and along the South Bank past the Eye, Oxo tower and Tate Modern etc. I walk this side of the river quite often so didn't see anything new today. I walked over the (not so wobbly) Millenium Bridge to the north side of the river and back down to the office, past Cleopatra's needle and Houses of Parliament. Only stopped twice for photos.

This was my route, just over 4 miles apparently, which I did in 1 hour and 10 mins. So a little faster would have been nice, but not too bad. I did this walk alone and it did cross my mind that the actual Moonwalk is going to be 7 times longer than this one. Shit!

27th November - London Parks

I was going to walk around the river today up to the Millenium Bridge. But with a booze cruise booked for the weekend, I needed currency, so I changed my plans.

I walked up to Parliament Square, up to and through St James' Park, over to, along and through Green Park, then back past Buckingham Palace up to Victoria Street. The currency shop is on Victoria Street so halfway down I had to stop to get money out and change it to Euros, then it was back down to the office.

According to the internet, this was about 3 miles. It took me just over an hour, but that included LOADS of tourists, an ATM queue and a currency shop queue. So I'm not sure if that was good or not.

The bad news was that I got a new blister underneath the exact spot where I burst the other one. So this is obviously my trainers rubbing and the 1000 mile socks aren't helping. I guess I just try plasters until it beds in :-/

And as part of my new resolution, here are the photos taken on todays walk. Views both ways from the bridge in the middle of the lake St James' Park, and one of a greedy little squirrel.

WalkJogRun

I've been reading a few other people's preparation blogs recently, and have come across http://www.walkjogrun.net/index.cfm

This site is brilliant, you literally just trace your route. So now I know that I walked a smidgen over 4 miles on 27/11/08, and here was my route.

First Outdoor Walk

I decided to tackle the outside world for todays walk. I put my trainers on, with my 1000 mile socks and clipped my pedometer on (which I still haven't set to manual), wrapped up warm and met up with my husband for a good long walk (well as long as my lunch would allow).

I walked from Millbank over Lambeth Bridge, then along the south side of the river past MI6, Vauxhall Bridge and up to Battersea Power Station. I didn't realise you couldn't walk in front of it, so we had to walk all the way around the back of it, past Battersea Park and on to Chelsea Bridge. Found the headquarters of QVC which made me chuckle, then we walked over the bridge and followed the north side of the river back to Millbank. I think it must have been about 4 miles, and it took me 1 hour 15 mins. I wrote down the number of steps I did but forgot to write down the distance, although that would be measuring under anyway. I also couldn't get walkit to measure it for me as it only allows one 'via' location so you can't do circles - if that makes sense.

My legs did ache a bit about 3 miles in, but for the last half a mile they had gone through that. Surprisingly I wasn't stiff in the evening, even though I came back from my walk and sat at my desk for the afternoon. I burst the blister I developed last week, but thanks to my 1000 mile socks, I didn't develop any new ones. So I think I might have to get a couple more pairs of ebay.I have also decided that I will take my camera out on as many future walks as possible. I walked further along the river than I have before so saw new things and I want to collect some photos for my scrapbooking

Breakthrough Generations

I followed a link of someone else doing the Moonwalk, to the Breakthrough Generations website, and now I would like you to follow mine. You may be doing the Moonwalk for a reason, I ask you to take your reasons to the website and see if you could possibly join the study. I sent off my application forms yesterday.

http://www.breakthroughgenerations.org.uk/

The First Walk

I thought it was about time I got cracking with a bit of training. It was my birthday last week and the neighbours bought me a walking survival kit. Consisting of scarf, hat, gloves and a brolly LOL It also had a WW pedometer in which will be very useful (and so will the other things if the weather doesn’t change!)

So I packed my new walking trainers and my pedometer in to my work bag with a view to going out for a wander at lunch. But the heavens opened and showed no signs of closing, so I went down the gym and did it on a treadmill instead. I set my pedometer up to ‘average’ for a female of my height, but judging on the results that won’t be accurate as I will be power walking, not pottering around. And it came in at ¾’s of what I walked so I will need to do the manual measurement I think.

I did a warm up and then walked a couple of miles (even though the treadmill measures in kms – grrr) I did the first mile in 16 ½ minutes and the second mile in 15 ¾ minutes, and then cooled down. I didn’t think that was too bad, my aim is a constant 15 minute mile through the whole walk, so it’s going to be my stamina I have to work on, not my speed. Hopefully.

By the time I had set my pedometer up, warmed up, walked two miles and cooled down, I figured I ought to head back to the office. My feet were a bit sore so I’m going to take my 1000 mile socks next time. But apart from that it wasn’t so bad. Watched ¾ of Wife Swap whilst I walked so that passed the time a bit, once I’d got the hang of the screen controls anyway. I go to aerobics classes quite often but it’s a while since I went in the actual gym.My aim is to walk 3 or 4 miles twice a week until Christmas, then I’ll start to build up the distance a bit I think.

Got the trainers

Well step one of the Moonwalk is complete - buying the trainers LOL


There is a shop near where I work called Run and Become. They suggest trainers for you, and then make you run up and down the street in them to assess whether they are suitable for you. Always an amusing site watching suited and booteds running up and down in bright white trainers.

Anyway, I digress. I went in and explained my needs - a wonky little toe which means I basically walk on top of the toe and squash it in to a blister over any distance (why this didn't occur to me when I hit apply, I've no idea), very pronated ankles, and a lingering wobbliness from the sprained ankles I had a few months ago. She got me a few pairs out and made me walk up and down in them, and I settled on these
























I'm wearing them round the house a bit to break them in. But I'm really pleased with them. I've also bought some 1000 miles socks based on a couple of recommendations, they sound very clever so hopefully they will prevent my blisters.


Now I just need a pedometer and a bumbag and I'm ready to go.

Welcome to my Moonwalk

Hi! My name is Paula, I'm 28, and for some unknown reason, I have signed up to do the Playtex Moonwalk.

This blog will be my training diary, partly for to keep track of what I've done, but also, hopefully, to inspire others to join in and Walk the Walk.