Walking log

[mabli]

Welsh 3000s
Walking all 15 of the mountains over 3000ft in Wales,
Over 30 miles and nearly 15,000 feet of ascent
All in less than 24 hours!

I need to increase the amount of ground I cover per walk gradually and Id really like help and suggestions from folk because Im a self taught walker and being dyslexic I struggle to cipher technical information on exercise or hill walking. I also struggle with the vocabulary of exercise a bit.

At the moment I go out at least three times a week but I start a new job on 1st Feb so will have to work out a new routine.

My plan at the moment is to continue to walk at least 13 miles a time up hills and to gradually increase the amounts each week. Where I used to work I was able to walk and sometimes run a couple of miles up a hill with 1:4 gradient during my lunch hour at least twice a week. I used to try to beat the funicular up the hill but generally I lost. My new role isn’t so close to a steep hill so I will have to figure out how to maintain fitness during the week. I guess Ill have to start running on flat or something.

Yorks 3 Peaks 10 April
Welsh 15 Peaks 5 June

[mabli]

Monday January 18th
I had an interview in the morning so Pinkle the dog and I didn’t get out until around one. The road came to a sudden standstill due to snow so it added more to our walk, probably only around a mile though. We hadn’t been for a steep hill walk since the snows started but I was still really concerned at how knackered I was, this is normally one of our relatively gentle strolls. We walked up to a summit that is over 900m via another hill that is almost 800m, then turned around and retraced some of our steps, veering off slightly. The wind was OK and weather not too cold but there were huge banks of snow in places that blocked our path, as you can see from the picture of Pinkle who was totally baffled by this mass that had covered our normal stepping stones across the river.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/428 ... d7e8_b.jpg


I tend to do linear walks, so walk in one direction until Im tired and then have to walk back, this makes me walk harder. Today I couldn’t carry on because the cloud cover was too deep at the top and on these particular tops its easy to get lost (certainly if you happen to be dyslexic like me). Also I was absolutely exhausted. I dont have a pedometer but I think this is around 10-13 miles. Its quite steep in places though and I do walk really fast. When I got home my legs really ached, so did my arms actually which proves that I am exercising them too.

Tuesday 19th
We did the same walk as yesterday but parked further away because of the snow patch. This added over a mile to our walk. The first part of the walk is part sheltered by a high stone wall but towards the first plateau this changes to a fence and the wind was blasting. Im going to give myself extra points when the wind is bad, because this wind was just about as bad as I can walk in which makes the going really tough and unpleasant. I find that when it gets any harsher I get blown over and its not very nice for Pink so we turn back or go a different way.

Im going to be more scientific and actually record the time I start and the time I finish next time! I also need to know exactly how far Im walking. Ive based it on what other folk say on their blogs, but everyone varies slightly so I dont really know.

[mabli]

Today I just did a half hour workout. I just have an old Jane Fonda book which is really old but I have been doing it since I was about 15 off and on. So I did that today and then just went for a short walk. Tomorrow I will get up early, do a workout then go for a long walk up in the hills again.

I think if I can start doing a workout as soon as I get up then I will be used to it by the time I go back to work so wont be a bind if I carry it on. I used to do this a few years back so should be OK again now

I will also have to do some running though which means I need to get new trainers and Im skint

I think if I aim to be able to walk up and down snowdon twice in one day by March I should be OK, not doing that yet though Ill be knackered and its a bit too snowy.

[mabli]

Didnt get up early to do a workout, will try tomorrow I definitely need to get into the routine.

Started walking just before 9 and finished just after 3. I couldn’t do my normal walk because there had been more snow and my two fave hills were totally covered. So we took a different route into a couple of valleys , The police helicopter kept flying overhead all day, not sure why they were out on Mon and Tues too, kept thinking maybe they were after a mass murder and I might bump into him first. Then Pink got really freaked a few times and kept barking, she was really upset about something, not sure what its not like her. In the end we were both a bit creeped out. I much prefer walking on top of the mountains, walking in the valleys feels quite ominous sometimes.

We were walking around the snow line which made things hard going at times. The snow seems to mass on the paths more than anywhere else and the paths are watercourses. Some of the snow piles were around four feet deep, sometimes its firm enough to walk on top of but theres no knowing if it will suddenly give way and splash me into the little rivulet, so I walked around most of them.

Towards the end of the walk I developed a really bad stomach ache (probably stress from imagining psychopaths) and had to walk really slowly for the last few miles as I thought I might be sick. I dont know whats wrong with me at the moment, Im not getting hungry I just get faint and whiteout sometimes. I was advised that it was because Im not eating enough, that my body is going into panic mode rather than normal hunger mode. So Ive tried to make myself eat more, but it just made my stomach really hurt.

I found out that its good practise for the 3,000 to split the walk into 3 and do each at a time. So, Im going to see if my ex bf will walk the Carneddiau part with me in a couple of weeks, probably wont tell him just how far it is until we halfway.

Still need to work out how far Im walking!

[mabli]

Half hour workout.

[helmut]

sweet!! what does the t shirt look like?!

your walks sound amazing!

and make sure you're fuelling yourself i have fallen in to the trap of not eating adequately and have been suffering for it. snack! snack! snack!

[mabli]

and make sure you're fuelling yourself i have fallen in to the trap of not eating adequately and have been suffering for it. snack! snack! snack!

Thank you! Im having to increase my food because Im just hitting extreme weakness rather than hunger so I have no choice its dangerous in the mountains especially in winter.

[mabli]

OK, today I just did my 30 min workout and a 3 mile run.

The run was along the cycle path that hugs North Wales coast, its a pretty good resource here in such a hilly country as its really flat. I ran with my youngest daughter who bounced along in front of me keeping the pace and of course Pinkle the dog. Tomorrow Im going walking again.

[helmut]

and make sure you're fuelling yourself i have fallen in to the trap of not eating adequately and have been suffering for it. snack! snack! snack!

Thank you! Im having to increase my food because Im just hitting extreme weakness rather than hunger so I have no choice its dangerous in the mountains especially in winter.

i know that feeling :s as ha once said 'eat big to train big'

[KaliBaby]

The run was along the cycle path that hugs North Wales coast...

mmmm can imagine a beautiful scene! I'm thinking about a HM in Wales in July. I like how detailed your log is, makes for an interesting read! keep up the good work!

[mabli]

I'm thinking about a HM in Wales in July.

Yes come to Wales. Of course Im biased but I think its the best little country in the universe. We have amazing castles, wonderful beaches, incredible lakes and perfectly formed mountains and the people are great too although possibly a bit nosey at times. You always need to carry a rainmac though

[mabli]

Today we walked 9.5 miles on a relatively easy walk around the lakes of Lyn Crafnant, Llyn Geirionedd and Lyn Bychnan. This is one of my most favourite easy walks, it follows part of an old roman road over a hill to Capel Curig that suddenly opens up to an incredible view of Moel Siabod and part of the Ogwen Valley. I guess folk have been spell bound by that view for around 1,500 years. Its really important to me that Im walking in the footsteps of so many generations of people and possibly sharing an emotion with them through time.

Weather wasn’t too unkind although it did hail for a while but at least it wasn’t the near vertical hail that hurts your face. My legs are killing from running yesterday, Im really surprised at how much harder sustained running is compared to walking fast up a hill.

[mabli]

30 min workout and short walk, Im being lazy.

So I start my new job next Monday and will need to have a good training regime that works around my job. Ill be based near a flat promenade that is around two miles long and has a big rocky outcrop at the end. My plan is to run along the prom on three nights a week, gradually increasing the length of the run to eventually include part of the rockyness. I will also continue with my daily workout and wonderful long walks every weekend.

Im really, really going to miss my midweek mountain walks, its great having a whole mountain to yourself, a dog and a few ponies.

[mabli]

30 min workout and a run, my legs kill and so are my shoulders and neck!

Sod this running its soooo boring, Im going to walk up a big hill tomorrow!

My new job is only about 15 miles away along the North Wales bike path, I suppose I could try riding in the summer.

[mabli]

I meant to walk from Llyn Crafnant to and up Moel Siabod today, but completely forgot and went a different way instead, I remembered half way when it was too late to change course. Im really annoyed, I always do this sort of thing once I dropped my daughter off at the wrong school (obviously she told me before she got out of the car)

Anyway, it was a great day to be out, the rain was the gentle type that doesnt hurt my face and moves in lines across my vision. I had sooo many layers on but still by the time I got back to the car my fingers were too numb to get my plastic pants of brrrr

I saw a cormorant on Llyn Gerionedd which is a bit sad because there are no fish in that lake.

Im going to add some pictures tomorrow. I was by some really cool derelict old industrial buildings that are dotted around the hills here and some great caves too. The distant views werent great because of the cloudy rain.

11.5 miles, walked at a far too leisurely pace to really count as exercise and a half hour workout. Oh God Im dreading having to start work again, Im going to miss spring by being tied to a bloody desk

I should do some running tomorrow because I find it so very hard and I need to crack it, but I really want to savour my last days of freedom in the quiet of a Welsh January in the hills.