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

Buckinghamshire Golf Club

Grumpy and I headed up the Frays and across to Buckinghamshire Golf Club. An overcast, humid day, our progress impeded by the nettles and dock along the river. A herd of calves ran from us between the canal and Denham Park. Herons, squirrels, woodpeckers, stag beetles and ducklings were all around to see. The annual gift of wisteria has transformed Denham. All quite rustic once you pass under the M40.

Grumpy was excited by the golf course, retelling adventures from the recent past including playing it while his house was being burgled (an unhappy coincidence). Without Grumpy, I wouldn't have recognised John O'Leary sitting chatting in a golf buggy.

The common woes of shin splints and policeman's heel were shared without resolution as we trudged our disappointing 7 km distance in an otherwise very pleasant walk. I took some comfort from finally breaking the 200 km mark; only 450 to go.


Sponsor wanted: 7km

Uxbridge Common Again

Exam weather - a beautiful May day. But such pain in my shins - the shin splints are worse than ever - it's probably time to do something about it. Classic symptoms, the pain goes eventually. The problem is that eventually is longer on each walk.

I ended up travelling back along the willow drooped, dog pooped, mallarded and cooted Frays River. Hemlock and hogweed. Another 6 km covered but I'm falling behind my goal.

The bake sale seemed to go well. Samosas and scones, cheesecakes, angel and carrot cakes. I saw one scone paid for with the change taken from a Kangaroo scrotum purse.

Sponsor wanted: 6km