When I planned the first walk of March 2014 I’d hoped there would be sun, or at least no rain for once. When I checked the forecast that morning it didn’t look like I was going to get home dry though. The route was around thirteen miles, give or take and it looked as if they were going to be mostly wet ones Continue reading A March march – first published 2 March 2014
February 2014 and the first day with no rain for what seemed like forever found me trying to walk to Lakeside. There were a few worries that it might be flooded when I got there. I made it as far as the airport without rain or flood stopping me, although there were a few damp patches where the river and the stream didn’t seem to know their place. Despite the grey skies there was a definite feel of spring in the air. Continue reading Planes and boats and trains – first published 19 February 2014
The beginning of 2014 was mostly about rain so when my weather app told me 19 February was going to be the best day of the week I figured I’d get out walking while I could do it without getting soaked. Finding a route wasn’t easy. The river and the shore would be too wet after all the rain, the woods too muddy and I didn’t fancy getting hit on the head by a falling tree. In the end I decided to take the hilly route up Midanbury Lane and then head towards the airport. After that I’d try Lakeside, if it wasn’t too flooded or Eastleigh if it was. Continue reading Walking while the sun shines, almost – first published 19 February 2014
27 April 2016
The Southampton Half Marathon was over and Commando and I were both chilling over a cup of coffee. He’d run thirteen point one miles and I’d walked more than half that trying to spot him. In fact I’d even run a little bit but I’m keeping that to myself in case he starts expecting me to run all the time.
“Have you got my race pack and my medal,” he said.
“I haven’t even seen it,” I said with a sinking feeling. “You didn’t leave it in the pub did you?”
“I don’t even remember having it in the pub. I thought I’d given it to you.” Continue reading A slight cock up in the medal department and a ten mile walk
19 March 2016
Commando’s first ever race was the Eastleigh 10k back in 2012. Today he was acting as 55 minute pacer, a bit slower than he’d have liked but a nice easy run for him. Of course I went along and not just to have a look at the special pacer’s dressing room or get a Costa either. Obviously there’d be no chance for a great deal of walking or exploring but I did enough of that yesterday and races are always fun to watch. Continue reading Pacing the 2016 Eastleigh 10k
It was Satirday, it was mid July 2013 and the plan for the day was to walk the Itchen Navigation to Winchester, find the Winchester rhino and get the train home. Obviously that meant an early start and the hope it wouldn’t get too hot before I got there. Not feeling too sure about that I packed my water bottle with ice and water and took my sunglasses as well as my glasses. Seeing properly is relatively important I always find. All in all I felt it was a good plan and I was fairly confident of success. Continue reading Winchester or bust – first published 16 July 2013
During my Moonwalk Training I’d spotted a trail at Mansbridge called the Itchen Navigation. Once I’d even attempted walking the start of it but had given up after a short while because it was muddy, overgrown and I got a bit scared. In June 2013 I found myself in Bishopstoke looking at it from a different vantage point and, taking my courage in both hands, decided to have another crack at it. After all, what was the worst that could happen?
Continue reading Stumbling upon the Itchen Navigation – first published 15 June 2013
22 September 2015
Once the working week was over it was time to think about driving again. Usually it’s walks I plan during my free time but, at the moment, driving has to take centre stage to give me some much needed practice of being out there on my own. There was a shopping trip with a very brave CJ and a successful bay park at the top of the hill on Sunday morning when Commando was out running. In the afternoon Commando sat in the passenger seat and talked me through multi-storey car parks at the Swan Centre in Eastleigh. Apart from a slight disaster when I stopped too far from the ticket machine and had to reverse and move closer it too was successful. As I’d never driven to Eastleigh on any of my lessons and only knew the route from my walks, it felt like an achievement. Continue reading Driving in my car
As April 2013 was drawing to a close I had one more long Moonwalk training walk ahead of me. This was the big one, twenty-six point two miles. The longest walks or runs on most marathon training plans stop at twenty or twenty-two miles. The logic being, if you can make it that far, you can do the whole marathon on the day. This is not something I’ve been comfortable with and, for both my Moonwalks, I’ve trained to the full distance. Whether this is a sensible approach or not remains to be seen but it does at least leave me confident I can finish a marathon. April 26 was the day of the long walk…
Continue reading The last long walk…almost – first published 26 April 2013
25 August 2015
The forecast for Tuesday was cloudy but fine until about two o’clock so I decided to go out early and have a wander along the Itchen Navigation. There was a side path I thought I’d seen that might, or might not, lead me into the centre of Eastleigh without the need to walk all the way to Bishopstoke Road and back again. From the map it looked walkable and, if it was, it would cut off about two miles to the Swan Centre and make another bail out point from the Navigation should I ever need it. According to my calculations I should be able to walk there, have a quick coffee in the Swan Centre and walk back before the rain started. It sounded very much like a plan when I set off. Continue reading surprises and weather forecasts