Racing Narrowboats?

The dreaded shin splints returned today when I went back south to Little Britain. First real pain in a month and they lasted four kilometres. Once they passed, I was walking efficiently enough to overtake narrowboats on the canal. I beat one called Willow to the Toll House and Malt Shovel Pub at Cowley Lock, wondering if a dead Muntjac deer that had been floating there had been removed since we saw it earlier in the week. I think this the warmest day so far this year; it felt over 30 C but TV will confirm later.

Having walked another 10 km today, I have just 8 km left to walk to reach my personal training goal of 650 km. Here's an interesting aside: current Walkmeter statistics tell me that I will have been out walking for 140 hours and used 41000 calories. These seem like big numbers to me.

WANTED: SPONSOR FOR 10 KM

Evening Stroll

A walk of duty to top up the mileage before a busy week. Set off down the canal through the evening haze of midges. Past the former Cowley Lock toll house, a photo of it from 1932 on a noticeboard letting us know it's a listed building. Around the coot-calling, parrot-screeching, cygnet-ringed waters of Little Britain and then across to the roaring M25 and north along it to Elk Meadows in Iver. Lots of water birds in plain sight. Songs of the passerines and others proof they were there too. Plagues of rabbits fleeing the threat of the lone rambler. The noise of the motorway wasn't as annoying as the mapped paths that led to private ends, forcing returns. But I shouldn't complain. The myriad venous rights-of-way allow remarkable access for which all wanderers should be grateful (and fight for their preservation).

Lots fragrant Black Locusts (false acacia), the white racemes of which transform even the Uxbridge High Street for a few weeks every year. Admittedly the fragrance has been hijacked by the air freshener industry but far better the airs of a clean rather than a dirty toilet while shopping.

The lush leaf-full canopy blocked the GPS and Walkmeter dropped a few km. Two and a half hours for 13 km. A bit slow but enjoyable and still bright at 2130.

WANTED: SPONSOR FOR 13 KM