Wednesday 1st April

Just a quick post today as I only managed a quick walk. I had planned to do a 5 mile walk up to London Bridge and back, but when I realised what date it was and that that would be a little too close to the protesting for my liking, I decided to do the 5 miles on a treadmill. However, it’s been a beautiful day and it seemed criminal to go to the basement that my gym is based in. So I decided on a middle ground of a couple of miles around the river between the two bridges near my office. So I did one lap and it was only just over 1 mile, so I did another lap and by the time I got back to the office I had done 2.49 miles in 40 minutes. I would have gone again but I’d had a busy morning so was late setting out, and I had a meeting I had to get back for. Still better than nothing.

I decided to give my proper walking trainers a last chance, but I’m not getting on with them. £70 down the drain but at least the blisters aren’t so bad anymore. Apart from the ones on my little toes, every step I took felt like they were on fire. I think I might have to wrap them in plasters on Friday and Sunday and hope they heal between walks. Don’t think I learnt any lessons today, other than, if you are going to walk fast, and you know this when you get dressed in a morning, wear a suitable frikkin bra!

A few little walks under the belt

I've done a couple of small walks recently, but lack of time and the recent weather have been thwarting my efforts.

I did 1.5 miles round the river, from my nearest bridge to the next and back, on a couple of lunchtimes. I was still seeing off the remains of the last blister and on each occasion I came back with a sore area around the blister, but probably only because it was sticking out IYSWIM.

Thursday night I walked from work to Primark (cheap tops needed for my hols), I went via St James's, Green and Hyde Parks which meant there weren't too many people getting in my way. I didn't think it through though as I work from home on Fridays so had to do the 2.7 miles with a rucksack on my back containing my laptop, leads and paperwork, and boy did I feel it towards the end.

This was my route, it took me 45 minutes, but I had a heavy rucksack and seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time at traffic lights.

I had done just under 4000 steps when I got to Primark. But then I forgot to take off my pedometer, and by the time I had got back to my house in Ashford I'd done over 7500, which was a bit of a surprise. The side of my foot was a bit sore, but that may have something to do with the fact I had lost my temper with the residing blister and burst it and pulled the skin off. Oops. But a new one hadn't formed. Yay. I did also have that burning feeling in the balls of my feet when I got off the train, so I'm not sure if that is to do with the new liners, but if I have to wear 2 pairs of 1000 mile socks, then that's what I'll have to do.

Here are the mandatory pictures. One of the remains of snowmen left in St James Park

One of the frozen lake in St James. Not a sight you will see very often.Then as I was waiting at a crossing between Green Park and Hyde Park I turned round and realised what a nice picture the arch made, and then realised that I look at all the lovely views in front of me but forget the ones behind me. Note to self - turn round more often LOL.

18th January - Home to the gym

This weekend I went for a walk in Ashford. My husband was off to the gym, so I thought I could walk there from our house and meet him for a sauna/steam room. I also thought I would try walking in my cheap trainers that I use for the gym – not a blister!

This was my route

I went down a road opposite my estate which I have never been down before. Because I spend a large proportion of my time in London, I probably know my way around Central London better than I know my way around Ashford, and I’m hoping my Moonwalk training will help to rectify that situation. The walk was 3.4 miles (I think) and took me an hour and 10 minutes, however, it probably took that long because a) I got lost when I realised the way I was heading wasn’t actually going to get me back on to the main road, b) I then ended up on the muddiest path EVER jumping from side to side and sliding backwards further than I was jumping forwards, and c) getting back on to the main road not that far in to the walk and deciding I was knackered.

However, I did find Singleton Lake, which I didn’t even know existed until last week. Look at this
And all within 15 minutes walk of my house. I am shameful. Anyway. I got back on the main road and walked along that, up the dual carriageway (Ashford has more hills than London!) and down to the motorway roundabout. That took some crossing, and then I was on to the leisure park where the gym is. I timed it quite well as I’d only been in reception for 5 mins when Steve (my husband) came out of the gym and we went through for a relaxing sauna and steam room.

I’m taking my trainers back to the shop where I bought them from in the week to get some advice on what to do with them, I’ll keep you posted.

15th January - River/Pimlico/Victoria

I went on my first proper walk of the new year today. As in, more than 3 miles and dressed for the part. Here is the route I took and I went out on my lunch.

The weather was quite dry and not too cold so pretty good considering the recent weather we have had. I walked 3.4 miles and it took me dead on an hour which was pretty good I think. Didn’t really see much interesting as I was walking through residential areas and shops, and missed one of the turns on the route and had to go down a parallel road past Victoria Train Station. Too many people – aaargh!

I did take a photo of the chess board flats near my work though, I’m not sure if they have any particular significance, I just think they are weird.

I am, though, a little cheesed off, because I went out in my trainers and I have got yet another blister in exactly the same place as all the rest and I am really at a loss at what to do now. I did last week’s walk in my crocs as it was an impromptu one, and not one blister did I see on my feet. I’d do the whole flippin walk in my crocs if I didn’t know how bad it was for my ankles. My left foot is absolutely fine, it’s just the inside of my right heel which gets the blisters, and it had all healed up over Christmas so it wasn’t weak or anything. And it’s not rubbing either, so the 1000 mile socks aren’t making any difference. I honestly don’t know what the problem is. I think I’m going to have to go back to the shop I bought the trainers from and ask them for advice, and possibly end up shelling out for more. Which will annoy me because a) I can’t afford it, and b) apart from this one thing, they are perfect. As it stands though, I can’t walk 26 miles in them. HELP!!

First walk of the New Year

Unless you count the mile in and mile out of work each day.

Today I met two other Moonwalkers, which was quite exciting. They are both members of the Facebook group for the Moonwalk, one from the next estate to me, and another from Hythe. It's made it all seem a little more real somehow. Eek!

We met at a coffee shop at the Ashford Designer Outlet and had a couple of drinks before Amanda had to leave, and myself and Diane walked home. Diane walked a third of the route with me before branching off to go to her own house. So I walked 2.6 miles in 40 minutes. Not bad for saying how long it is since I did and walk and the absolutely freezing temperatures. I just need to get in to some sort of proper training routine now.

And here is the route that I did

and as promised to myself, the photo a walk I will be taking. As it was dark there wasn't much to take photos of, other than the grass on the edge of my estate just to prove how cold it really was!

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.