The Walker With Heart

There is a good reason to leave the blogging of a long walk a week and a bit, the highs are less high and the lows are less low.  The born-tired weariness has left the body, the blisters are well on the way to healing, and the clothes are in the wash... So, I have notes from each day and some bits I will be emailing the guidebook people and the mapping people... Day 1 - Aviemore to Nethy Bridge 12 miles, a gloriously sunny day that was only marred by Scotrail being very uncomfortable and late. A simple walk along a disused railway, alongside a working steam rain (to Boat of Garten) and then a wander through Caledonian forest and plantations.  The views in places were superb... Looking back there was still snow in the corries of the mountains, and as I wandered I saw my first deer of the week. The walking was easy trails, navigation was fine - apart from the pylons having moved since the book was written... Nethy Bridge took me to the Lazy Duck hostel, imagine ...

Why do I write gear reviews? One of the things that annoys me about some gear reviews in magazines is that the boots are worn once, the tent slept in for one night and waterproofs are worn new... not 2 years old and battered as hell.  Some magazines do better, and some online gear reviews better still... However, my gear is my gear bought out of my pocket, therefore to a certain degree any failures or problems are mine... From the bottom: TNF Lightwave.... Good balance of weight, sturdiness and decent grip.  The gore-tex lining was needed on the wet and muddy days and its usual sweatiness on the hot days. The fabric at the heel (internal) has gone at the seam (a normal weak point in shoes for me) and the grip is showing signs of wear.... The blisters, well I'm not sure I can blame the shows for them - 26 miles on a hot day on hard ground, with me and a backpack... one of those predictable things. Socks - Lorpen and Bridgedales - the ultimate compliment, I didn't notice...

The first blog of the trio that the Speyside Way deserves... And the easiest to do... Although getting Garmin to talk to the blog site has been a trial... Aviemore - Nethy Bridge Nethy Bridge - Cragganmore Cragganmore - Tomintoul Tomintoul - Cragganmore Cragganmore - Fochabers Fochabers - Buckie   The blisters, penultimate day - hard paths and a warm day are just about healed... Which is good - Peak District for a wander Saturday! The second blog - the gear - and the third - the walking and photos - should be up over the Bank Holiday... TTFN Paul

Bugger... I was meant to be doing a fifteen mile marathon training run this weekend... However, I have a large dent in my knee, a left over from last weekend - when it looked like this: So, the fact I'm still moving is a bonus, though unsurprisingly if I put any running weight on it, it objects strongly... So no running for a week, just walking... Ok I was in the Peak District for three days this week so not too bad ;-). However, it has blown a bit of a hole in my marathon prep. The plan this time has always been to combining a one run through of the miles; I was doing reasonable halves, so a couple of 15s, a 20 in early Sept and some toughening up stuff... Losing a 15 miler now isn't too bad, given that I'm heading north at the end of the week. Three days at the Fringe - museums open at night (with booze), a history of porridge (with tastings), some comedy (disability flavoured and others often just wrong), some Shakespeare (Othello by an all female troupe) an...

It's been a day... A long day... A trip to work's office in Basingstoke is never particularly straight forward but... BUT!!! The first train at just before 6am - decided to tell us there was a signalling fault, and sat at the station for five extra minutes... and then crept into Liverpool. The Virgin down to London was for once only 10 minutes late - or ON TIME as we've come to accept it... The Tube, for once worked like a dream... And then Waterloo... At this point I feel duty bound to say I have a fair grasp on my faculties, and am capable of walking significant distances... Platform numbers weren't showing, so asked one person in uniform, got sent to a platform where the train wasn't going to Basingstoke... So asked another, different platform.... still not going to Basingstoke... Ask a third... and he checks his app... Get on the train... and the guard tells me I'm on the slow, stopping train... and there was a f...

A couple of people have asked for my tips and tricks for running for charity in the last couple of weeks, so I thought I'd write a summary of my sage advice... 1) Some charities have places in run, others don't, some put on their own events.  If a charity has places in a big run, then they will have paid for it (and on top of the cost the run would charge you there may be an admin cost from the race organiser for bulk bookings, the admin of managing finding the runners etc). If they don't then see below. If they put on their own event then expect the events to be more fun and more loved than others - my favourite 10k, the Mad Dog, is run by the local rotary and supports their good works.  It's not the cheapest 10k run I've done, but its one I've done every year since it started. 2) Fundraising targets - check, check, check... If a charity is giving you a target then be honest, will you make it?  As a minimum please cover costs (and try for aw...

I've said bits of this before, but a month after submitting my last assignment is about right for some more serious reflection. I'm a scientist whose pretty much worked in science for the last 20 years. I'm not a bench, lab or field scientist (though I've dabbled with all of them), I'm an applied scientist. Sometimes working in my specialty, sometimes working from first principles. So why do a course in religious controversies... A332 is it's code number. Why not? Is my first response... My more considered, with that wry smile my friends know and fear, is I'm doing this OU degree for the challenge, the fun and to regain some of that love of learning that it's so easy to lose. I'd also classify myself as a confident, but not overly strident atheist, frankly I don't care what you believe, I do care if you foist it on others or make people live by your rules. I'm by inclination and training I'm an analyst, but I'm an extrovert wh...