Uphill log

[mabli]

OK, Im starting another log... we’re coming to the end of this summer and it seems a good time to start goals for next summer, mine are in order of importance:

Be able to walk very fast (possibly even run) up a mountain without getting out of breath

Walk very much further very much faster

Improve flexibility

Learn to climb

This need for an action plan stems from 3 of us taking part in a hill walking challenge of 50km with ascent of 1,800m in 10.5 hours, last Saturday. We would have been faster but I cant breath when I go quickly up hills so was much slower than the other two. We try to show how fit vegans are and wear vegan t shirts so folk associate being fit and being vegan, but quite frankly I dont look very fit when I walk up hills.

Errm, not too sure how to proceed but initially Ill go for 30 min skipping a day, Ive got some exercises to improve flexibility and Ill try to schedule at least 3 mountain days a week with minimum of 15 miles plus good ascent, for climbing Im going to start on a climbing wall to build up my strength etc, my youngest daughter also wants to get better as she's done a few bits n bobs over the summer so we’re going together.... I should also get better at swimming but perhaps Ill concentrate on that later. I might see if I can overcome my prejudice against gyms cos I think Id probably see quicker improvements

[mabli]

30 mins skipping, its really, really tough.

definately joining a gym when i get back from Thailand so i can get a bit of help with what im doing

[mabli]

Short walk of 12.5km with 864m of ascent, was really to practise rope skills but might as well log it. Thought about carrying on to the top of Snowdon but I wimped out cos it started to rain and I'd got cold. There were very, very few people around in fact I only saw 6 people in all the time I was there.

Only odd thing that happened today was seeing some motorbikes riding up Miners Track that goes up Snowdon.

Then I did my skipping, my calves ache a bit and its knackering but hey ho, guess Ill overcome my breathlessness eventually if I keep on at it! 30 mins is starting to seem excessive and will soon get boring.

[mabli]

Well Ive been keeping up the skipping for the last few days, seems to be helping with the breathing when I walk up hills so all good.

On Saturday I headed up to Scotland with someone who bags "munros" for a hobby. Munros are hills over 3,000ft Scotland has 283 of them and we were meant to do 9. Turns out I dont function in cold and Im rubbish at carrying a rucksack for 17 miles up 7,500 ft a day so embarrassingly we had to change the itinary and we did 5 instead.

I'd kind of hoped to find a good exscuse not to go so hadnt taken any account of where we were heading or even bought a map... when I eventually looked at the propsed route it looked like a kid had gone mad with an etcher sketcher, a mass of close contour lines littered the page. This translated to hard work, ridges and scree paths with breathtaking views cos the sun shone on Saturday and Sunday and we could see for miles and miles.

So we walked from Glen Etive up Ben Starav, Beinn nan Aighenan and Glas Bheinn Mhor. Then on Monday we walked up the lost valley and up Stob Coire Sgreamhach and Bidean nam Bian

I really, really enjoyed the hills, Im just not quite fit enough to do the intended routes with a rucksack but Ill get there

We didnt start until 4pm on the Saturday, when we got up Ben Starav I very suddenly became massivley cold and useless so we had to stop near the summit for the night. In retrospect Im glad of this cos my gung ho companion wanted to continue along a ridge down and across loose (ish) boulders then up Beinn nan Aighenan in the dark with bits of ice on the ground which Im probably not that good at.

Ive got a massive cold now, climbing lesson starts on Saturday then Im off to Thailand on Sunday... yay!!

[Johnboy74]

Good to see a log lass!

I was up around the borders of scotland this weekend and got a cold for my troubles too!

It was quite cold saturday night!

[mabli]

Yep, it was very cold last Saturday... Ive spent the week too ill to do much this week but today I had my climbing lesson and tomorrow Thailand!!!!!!!!

[mabli]

Yesterday I swam for half an hour, today I skipped for thirty mins and had a thai massage for an hour, felt like every bone in my body was clunked into a new position

[Starling in a cage]

Hey, I just googled vegan walkers and found your website.

Good luck with the walk later this month. and hope your cold is better.