Nearly there

I have now ditched some weight. Eating less, painting more.

I am off today to the sea where, tomorrow morning, I will perform the final training walk before the Big Walk. It's nearly upon us and I am going shopping for essential items such as socks and a water bottle. Then I'm all set for the journey oop north and my first detour which is Beverley. This isn't part of the walk but, seeing as I'll be so close, it seems a shame to miss it.

Am I excited? You bet.

Splash

Time for a bit of cross training - a leisurely float in the swimming pool. I haven't been all week because it was half term and I just couldn't face the prospect of swimming through child soup. I like to be contemplative on my swims, at one with my God whilst counting lengths and fighting with my leaky goggles.

Conscientous effort on the diet front has been pretty unrewarding so far but then I did have a Ben & Jerry's ice cream eating contest with the Apprentice last night. And two cupcakes. And a Twirl (both bits). And wine (both lunch and dins). I need a bit of motivation.

Painting steps

I have put some lovely soothing balm on my feet and they're a bit better now. I was so good this morning; I ran out of grey paint for my lions' feet and, instead of leaping into my car and whizzing off to the paint shop, I walked. Luckily I only needed a tiny tin so walking back was fine. The number of times I have walked to places then had to drive back later to pick the shopping up, I have now learnt.

Gosh it's hot today. Lovely and glorious but I am trying to work and the paint keeps drying too fast. I can't go walking because of work and heat.

Fat and Spotty

Am I really really exhausted from that huge walk or from that stupid hangover or from my arduous drive to Northampton and back yesterday to collect three lions for painting, or is it just the glorious hot weather? Maybe I am tired because I got up very early this morning and walked the dog. Whatever it is I am quite ready for an afternoon nap. You won't tell anyone will you?

I am having a little weight problem at the moment. Something has gone terribly wrong and, despite walking miles and miles, I have piled on about a stone. I think it's because I have been sneaking bread into my body which is something I don't normally eat. I will not have any today and I will drink plenty of water and no wine and jump up and down a bit more. I really don't want to do my Big Walk lugging an extra three stone around with me plus my backpack. I have two weeks til kick off so it's concerted effort diet time for me. Also I must squeeze in some more training. My feet have been behaving very badly lately. I think I'm allergic to my boots or maybe they make my feet too hot so I get prickly heat but it's too late to break in a new pair so I am stuck with itchy red spotty feet across Britain.

Flying along

Wow what a walk. I am exhausted. I walked from Kingston to Heathrow on the London Loop with guidebook in hand. I didn't know I was walking to Heathrow but, after Hounslow Heath and following the river Crane for many a mile, I came up to a road to be greeted by lines and lines of British Airways striking planes; I mean their staff are on strike rather than some sort of air attack over Middlesex. Actually, the planes fly so low over your head you find you duck spontaneously.

My walk started at Bushey Park which is quite lovely. The deer are very tame and eat from your hand. They live off an exclusive diet of sandwiches and crisps. There were little skylarks nesting on the ground and a family of swans with 6 cygnets, a treehopper and moorhens and coots and many a beautiful flower and plant and tree as the rhodedendrons are doing their thing.

This walk was very very long and I was pretty near to expiration by the end. I started to get a slight headache so drank gallons of water then needed a pee, as one does. Of course a jogger appeared just as I was about to take my knickers down - there hadn't been a soul around for miles and miles and wasn't afterwards either. Perhaps that Shewee thing would be a good idea after all.

I came back by tube from Hatton Cross. On the train was a visiting Russian couple with two dreadfully loud irritating little boys who couldn't sit still for a second. There was a nasty moment when one of them produced a toy gun ... how the heck did they get that through airport security? I can only assume theirs is someone laxer than ours. I can't wait for them to go home with that in their hand luggage!

Lost walks

I had a walk in mind but I've lost it. I didn't return the foldy page back to its folder of 1001 Walks in Britain after I walked the walk on the other side. I have to find it. Maybe I will walk a different walk but the other ones I have found are in Gloucestershire, Cornwall or Dumfries & Galloway. It's that sort of a book - much geography for small walks.

It looks like a perfect walk day: Weather looks clement, day looks uncluttered, I'm feeling walky. All I need is a destination and I'm off.

Walking books

I'm just about recovered from Friday's walk and am now planning another big wun. I have several walk books. I have 1001 Walks in Britain, but they can be a bit tricky to follow though I have done a few. Then there's the Capital Ring and I have done all of those, some twice. My current favourite is the London Loop featuring huge long walks through suburban London - that's the one I did on Friday. I also have the Thames Path but, to be honest, you don't need a book to follow the Thames. The question is which shall I attempt next? Eeeny meany miney plod.