Back to work today.  Well all good things have got to come to an end!


BRADFORD CITY HALL


Having said that I use this as a form of exercise.  I could, and did for many years, drive to work,  It used to be that I had to because I used my car for my job as a Visiting Officer.  When that particular job came to an end I wasn't made redundant but I went to a desk-based job.

BRITANNIA HOUSE - My office is here.

So now I was either struggling to find a cheap or free parking space each day.  Even if it is cheap it soon adds up so I thought, one day, that I would walk to work and see what happened from there.  I wasn't sure whether I would get the bus home or walk.  Even if I walked one way it would mean exercise that I wouldn't otherwise have had.

So that was nearly two years ago. I work 2 or three days per week, both ways, and I walk on Monday and Tuesday each week. Wednesday I usually drive so if I have bought anything that I can't carry home I can get it home on Wednesday.

I carry a rucksack with me so that I have a complete change of clothes and shoes when I get to work. This might seem a bit extreme for a 3.33 mile walk (each way) but I am usually very damp by the time I get there either from perspiration or the weather. It would be unpleasant for my colleagues to sit near me if I didn't change.

Today was the first walk to work of the year and it was cold but reasonable which makes for a pleasant walk.  I listen to the radio and see it as a bit of me time before and after work.

I will tell you a bit more about my walks in later blogs.

 

No running, just walking

Procrastination should be my middle name. Up early but 'doing' things. Not sure what things I was doing but they kept me busy until lunch time.

After lunch Barney and I set off for a proper walk.  Down through the village and turned off across the fields.  Now Barney has been a bit naughty on his recall lately but he really needed a good run around to let off some steam.  This was the ideal place as there are several fields with boundaries and no lifestock in them at the moment.  He was absolutely delighted to be allowed to run around and, to be fair, he kept coming back to me of his own accord.



Coming off the fields we were in the village just down from where we live.  We crossed the road and walked through the churchyard so that I could say 'hello' to Grandma and Grandad whose ashes are buried there. Coming out of the back of the churchyard and onto a small back road I realised how icy the road still was when I did a comedy slipping and sliding act until I could get back on the pathway.

A swing round to the left and it was a long walk uphill but not steep thankfully.  When I got to the top I had a choice of turning left and heading home or crossing the road and carrying on.  I did the latter.  This leads into another village where I enjoy a window-shopping stop at a florists.  They have some lovely unusual gifts in there as well as some interesting flower arrangements when they are open.

This is where I turn for home, although I know from here it is two miles to my house.  We pass a gold course, a pub/restaurant and an Indian restaurant along the way but when we get to the scrapyard Barney always ends up barking at the little Shetland pony that lives alongside it.  He's very strange that way.  He doesn't bark and run towards them or away from them but sometimes he just jumps upwards!  Anyway today he only barked a couple of times and didn't jump at all so perhaps he is getting used to it.

Anyway we trotted on up another slope of a hill and hit the moor opposite where we live.  I don't think the place had seen much sun all day as there was still ice on the track down onto the moor. 


 Up the moor and we arrived home but that wasn't the end of the walk.














This is where we then picked up Evie and carried on up the road, round the cemetery and across another field.  The nicest part is then alongside the woods and across the golf course which leads back into our village.

Barney and I had done a shave short of 6 miles in all in glorious sunshine too.

First park run of the year

I was up very early but still managed to be latish for the park run as my daughter hadn't got her act together and I was dropping her off on the way.

On arrival I found the car park full so pulled out my wild card and parked in a part of the park not normally allowed but I have unofficial, official permission to park there as I help run a disabled cycling club from there.

By the time I got to the gathering area they were already well on their way down to the start so I followed on and managed to make my way into the crowd. When the starter went I was a bit trapped by people adjusting their headphones or running slowly side by side but soon made my way through them.

Our park run is three laps and towards the back end of the lap is 'the teeny, tiny hill'. Not a very long hill but fairly steep.  Now this where the power of the mind comes in. I have always been able to get up the hill running (well if you could call it that) but when you turn off the hill there is a dip which confuses your muscles. Your mind tells you that you are now on the flat so you don't have to work as hard but it is still uphill!  That's where I used to have to start walking.  Eventually I managed to keep going for longer and one day I got all the way round without stopping.

Each week when I get to half way round the second lap I wonder why I put myself through it!  Each week when I get to the end I congratulate myself for doing it and then chat to various people who I would never have known otherwise.

No PB by a long chalk today but I got round in dead on 29 minutes.

Day 2 of Janathon

Blimey, only day 2 and my resolve is weakening on the exercise front.  Well not strictly true but it was blowing a hoolie out there and I didn't want to face it.  However knowing I was signed up to Janathon gave me the impetus to get out there.

I didn't really have a route or distance in mind.  It might just be round the block, I would just wing it and see how I felt.

I set off down into my village, round the bottom of the golf course and up the other side onto the main road.  I turned as if coming home but then decided I was going to continue up the hill and I might come back across the bottom of the top moor.  When I got to the place where I would enter the moor I carried on.  Wasn't feeling too bad so turned off by the bakery and dropped down to the bottom of the bottom moor (lots of bottoms in that paragraph). I then came up both moors and back home.

Not covered a great deal of distance, to some it would barely be a warm up but 2.8 miles in 27.49 keeps me on track.

2015 is underway!

I got to bed at 3am.  There was no way I way going to get up early without an absolute necessity to make me.  So I got up at leisure, had my breakfast and then got my running gear on.  I had put it ready the night before so that I didn't have any excuses to not go.  The morning was mild and windy but I was going to go without a plan of distance or a need to break any records (after all it will be a PB for the year whatever).

I set off up the road and was surprised it was so mild.  I came back round the block opposite where I live, but not quite completely and carried on down a very long road. Crossing the road several times I eventually got to a little place called Drighlington. As I turned the corner at the crossroads I realised I was going to be running upwards and into a wind - great!  Never mind, that's a challenge.  I plodded on.

After getting to the crest of the hill and crossing a major road I then had a traffic free wide expanse of semi-tarmacced (is that a word?) track to run on.  However after about a quarter of a mile it becomes mud and puddles!  So it then became a case of dodging left and right to find the least wet and slippery places to put my feet.

Up past the farm, cross a road and I am on the bottom moor - mud but not too bad for most of it.  Up a short track and I am on the top moor and nearly home.  I had a touch of cramp in my right calf but nothing to stop me running.

Home, slighty muddy but not too bad, in 39.15 having done 3.79 miles.

This afternoon, my OH and I decided to go for a nice doggy walk.  It was a bit blustery when we set off but by the time we arrived at Ogden Reservoir it was bucketing it down.  Oh well we had arrived so we were going to walk despite everyone else scuttling back to their cars.

Evie a 17 year old terrier of unknown origin and Barney, a 17 month old cream-coloured labrador were just happy to be out.  Although Barney's colouring rapidly changed especially from the belly downwards as we trekked through the mud and puddles.We managed a very wet couple of miles around the reservoir before heading home for something nice and healthy to eat.




Good start to the year!

Sadly neglected Blog!

I don't know why I have left it so long since I blogged. Laziness mixed with doing lots of other things I suppose.

Since I last posted I have cycled to Germany and back for a fourth time in June this year.  However it was the first time that I cycled all the way there and all the way back without having to resort to (or be made to) getting on the van.  It was exciting, tiring, hot but mightily fulfilling.  I was the only female cyclist along with 19 guys! There were times when I felt like I wished I was anywhere but on the bike.  I also felt the fittest I have ever felt.

This year I also did my first ever triathlon.  Not a big triathlon but still a triathlon!  I had never, ever run after getting off a bike before.  It was a 400m swim in a small local pool.  I completed that in 7 minutes 37 seconds.  Out of the pool I was slowed down by not having a tri suit so had to get my swimming kit off and some cycling/running gear on which isn't easy when you are wet. 

The 14.5k bike leg was partly on an old railway line and partly on the road.  I thought I would struggle up.the hill on the road but I seemed to steam up the hill at some speed (adrenaline?).  After parking my bike up I started on the 5k run which was also up the old railway line and back.  As I said I'd never run after a bike session before so had already decided that I would be walking some of the way.  However I surprised myself by running it all.  Altogether the whole thing took me 1 hour 31 minutes.  As it was Easter Sunday I followed it up with a rather large Easter Egg!

Another triumph for me was a local 10k that I have done every year but one since it's inception.  I have never managed to run 10k without walking some of it.  Guess what?  I did it?  Started thinking I might manage it when I got to 9k but got a bit of cramp in my calf but told myself that I must keep going.  Holy macaroni, 61 minutes and I had done it!

Now 10k is one thing but a half marathon is another.  Again I had done the Great North Run on a number of previous occasions.  I had nothing to prove to anyone.  I wasn't being sponsored or anything so it was only for my own esteem that I was doing it.  I now knew I could do 6 miles without stopping so I would just see how far I could get running.

Steady away and feeling good I passed the 3,4, 5 and 6 mile markers (although I needed a wee). A very quick relief stop and on I went. Seven miles done and I was feeling pleased that I had topped my 10k success. Eight and nine miles passed and I was wondering when I would run out of steam.  Mile 10, hmmmmm, starting to struggle a little now as we passed through a housing estate and started up a long drag of a hill.  I told myself to keep going even if it wasn't much faster than a walk.  Then it hit me!  At the top of the hill I would be able to see the sea.  A downhill stretch and the last mile on the seafront was flat I could do it!  With renewed vigour I plodded on past the crowds and finished! OMG! 13.1 miles non stop (apart from a quick loo break).

So 2014 has been a rather successful year for my physical challenges.  

The Rochdale Canal

It's been a long time since I came onto this blog!  Just over a year in fact.  I was going to write up about my 3rd charity ride to Germany and back but never quite got around to it.  I have no idea why.

A few weeks ago I got the chance to cycle the whole of the Rochdale Canal on my own.  I parked my car and my end of the canal ie in Sowerby Bridge near Halifax.  My partner, Peter, was working in Manchester so he dropped me off at the other end.  Well actually it was further than the other end.  He actually dropped me off on The Bridgewater Canal.

Me - at the start of the ride

It was a very gorgeous sunny day.  I set off with instructions to take the left hand fork when the canal splits in to two different directions.  When I got to this fork I found there was a 'towpath closed' sign. Hmmm, I took a little track off and waded, head height, in nettles and brambles only to find a dead end so had to wade back again.  By this time another cyclist had arrived at this fork.  He had no idea about a detour either but a fisherman said that he had seen various cyclists still using the towpath and he thought we wouldn't have a problem.

This seemed to be the case until we came across another 'towpath closed' sign.  I thought this must be the other end of the closure so thought no more about it and carried on.  About a mile or so on we were on the other side of the canal from Old Trafford, Manchester United's football ground!  A little further and the towpath really was closed.  The other cyclist wasn't at all talkative but we both seemed to be in this together.

So we rode back to the last closed sign.  We came off the canal and so began a little tour of an industrial area.  After weaving around a few trucks we concluded we had to go back to where we came off the canal and then I spotted a detour sign.  I waved the other cyclist over and pointed it out.  After following several of these signs there was one that pointed left and into Old Trafford's car park!!!  Okay, if that's where we have to go.

Riding round the car park I couldn't work out where the flipping canal was at all.  The other guy seemed to just follow me, so I rode up to a flag seller and enquired if he knew.  He was actually really helpful and pointed us in the right direction.

After riding on the wrong side of the road and on pavements (both things I hate to do) we eventually found the canal and an open towpath again.  So off we went again.  I still hadn't got to the start of the Rochdale Canal by this stage.  Not very long after this we came into a canal basin and I had to check the map to see which branch I needed.  I was dismayed to find that the one I needed disappeared under a building.  The other cyclist also disappeared without a word!

Right, off I went again searching for the canal again.  I asked two people but they didn't know and I rode up and down car parks, round hotels and offices until I remembered my map printouts.  Standing on a fairly busy road I worked out where I was on the map and thankfully relocated the canal.  At this point I had done about 6 miles in 90 minutes.

I was re-assured to find a sign that said 'The Rochdale Canal' and set off along the towpath to be greeted by big, bumpy and uneven cobbles.  For the next mile or two I was constantly slowed down, stopped or chucked off the path by steep rises or dead ends!  It wasn't easy by any means.  Thanks Manchester for 'helpfully' not putting any signage up to help towpath users find their way.

I was also dismayed to see the amount of rubbish in the water in the town.  Very ugly!!!

Long after I should have been on my way I really got going.  I had only brought one bottle of water with me as I thought I would be able to find burger vans or shops along the way that I could easily get some at.  My water ran out quite soon with it being warm.

As with most canals, there were some fabulous buildings along the way.  One very impressive mill conversion caught my eye in particular.  I love the changing scenery, industrial, urban, rural, old cottages, modern suburbs etc.  I was amazed at the amount of fish I saw in a couple of places.  No idea what sort they were but they ranged from a couple of inches to about 10 inches long.

There were quite a few babies on the water with their parents too.

After some time I came to a point called 'Summit' to which I had walked from the other end of the canal, in different sections, whenever I had a free day.  It was around this point I started chatting to a fellow cyclist who was much more interesting than my previous companion.  We compared cycling stories etc and it took my mind off the fact that I was getting quite dehydrated and hungry by this time.

Arriving at Todmorden I decided I had to go in search of refreshment.  I said goodbye to the other cyclist and wandered into the town.  After squeezing some brass out of a cash machine I found a bakery that was still open.  I ordered a cheese and ham toastie and a coffee and then meekly asked if she minded filling my water bottle from the tap.  She was happy to oblige and while my toastie was cooking I drank a full bottle and she kindly topped me up again.  I took my goodies with me back to the canal side and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Last leg now (not on my last legs though).  I knew my whereabouts now so knew how far I had to go.  I enjoyed this part as I was no longer hungry or thirsty.  I arrived in Sowerby Bridge and back at my car, after a 40 mile ride.  Having done it in 4 hours 45 minutes actual riding time.  Should have been a lot less than that but I spent so much time trying to locate the flipping canal at the start.  I was tired but not exhausted.  What a wonderful ride it had been.





Some of the later photos were taken on a previous occasion when I was walking the canal from my end of it with my two dogs.  Evie can be seen in one of the photos.