Tuesday 18 November 2008

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

Tuesday 11 November 2008

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.