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

Canal Lunch

Snow White, Bashful and I walked down the canal to Little Britain where a burned out car reminded us that the apparent tranquillity is just a veneer. We also watched some swans, the cob harassing horses to protect their cygnets while the pen kept an eye out for other trouble. 

And today is a day for some statistics.We walked 10 km because we have to continue the training. I have just passed 600 km and only have 50 km training to go. FatBoy lost 33 lbs which is amazing as is the money he is raising. Our funding total has jumped to over £11,000 which is incredible (and still rising).

THANK YOU IRENE!

By way of Little Britain

Lots to hear today. "Hello? I got your number on Google?" she said with confidence as crossed the road oblivious to the bicycles. "When you said you wuz goin on oliday I thought you wuz goin sumwhere nice." said one hi-viz jacket lying under a tree among several others. "Nah, just Itly mate!" replied the guy with his head pillowed on an empty water bottle. "Thanks mate" said the policeman hurrying down the tow-path on his bicycle.

It was a beautiful day on which to walk beside the Frays River through Frays Park and on to Fassnidge Park and then all the way down to Packet Boat Marina. Across on the Slough Spur of the Grand Union Canal and back up along the London Loop through Little Britain and beside the River Colne.

Just over 10 km and then up 5 stories in 32 seconds. OK, I admit that was a bit extreme but I'm beginning to enjoy the odd celebration my new found fitness.

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

Little Britain

Over 10 km down the Grand Union Canal to the Packet Boat Marina, Little Britain and back. Just Bashful and I went out today. Lots of talk about maps, blogs, tax, pensions, walking, shin splits and sunburn among others. Fundraising was still on my mind having spent 30 minutes bullying people into buying raffle tickets to (perhaps not) fly with BA to Europe business class for two.

The areas we passed through ranged from canal quaint to urban blight, from used car storage to canal barge marinas, pretty bricked walls to razor wired metal pickets and duckling lakes to festering pools. The pools had car parts sticking up from the monimolimniotic ooze (some word that!).

Some 700 calories were burned walking at the fastest pace in the training so far. The trusty WalkMeter reports that we walked fast enough to cover the 100 km in less than 16 hours.

THANK YOU DARLENE!