27 January: Not All That Glitters Is Gold

I have my first Coast to Coast injury. I was just taking toast out from under the grill at breakfast time yesterday and something went at the bottom of my back. I don't know what caused it, but whilst the toast was the trigger it seems unlikely that it was the cause. I could have pulled something in the gym Friday, or it could be bedroom related, or it could be old age. More likely it is a repetitive strain injury caused by a week of washing the pots by hand. That's it. I blame the dishwasher, I've never really got on with it, and last week after a couple of engineer visits it was condemned. So until we've selected and had fitted a replacement it's washing up by hand or dining on take-aways. And I can't push that too far because Carol doesn't trust food that has been cooked by strangers. I regard this as a compliment in favour of my cooking.

The injury wasn't initially so bad that it stopped me walking. I popped a couple of pain killers, rubbed on some muscle relief and set out for my long Saturday walk as usual. It was an enjoyable if slightly testing afternoon actually. With the snow-thaw well underway the already sludgy fields had turned into mushy slushy swamps, and for a change I had selected a route that was almost entirely off tarmac. Good exercise, although I was pleased to get home. During the walk I developed a nagging pain in my foot, and the condition of my back had not been improved by exercising. I'm not worried about the foot. It's sure to be too much walking on hard surfaces or over-correction to ease my back injury. By last night though the back had almost entirely seized up and I was popping codeine just to help me get comfortable in any position. This is not good.

Not such a good week then, with a few niggles. Some may consider my resulting mood to be a return to normal after several weeks of persistent optimism and upbeatness (?). To set my week off I had another run-in with my TV, phone and Internet provider. Please read on to see if you can make the link between this and Coast to Coast.

A couple of months ago we changed our provider. For many years we had been with the one where you need a dish on the side of the house, and were pretty satisfied. The service gave us everything we needed, it rarely broke down, and when it did they were generally helpful and quick to fix. Then I was seduced by the witty advertising interplay between the record breaking athlete and the famous airline executive, and the promise of the best way to watch TV in the world ever. I should have known better. After all, I was a victim of NTL in the bad old days.

Anyway, after making the mistake of calling overseas to family at Christmas (humbug) and running up a bigger than average telephone bill, in their wisdom my provider decided to act in order to protect me. To prevent me from running up a large debt they blocked some of my services so that I couldn't spend any more money. What I found out is that this protection in fact stops me making any telephone calls at all, even ones that are free as part of the package for which I have already paid in advance. The only number I can dial gets me through to them, which has been kind of handy this week. In addition, this protection not only stops me spending any more on movies but it also blocks all On Demand TV, even services that are free or for which I have already paid in advance.

All I have to do to stop them protecting me is to hand over a large wodge of cash that is enough to pay off not only my entire telephone bill but also cover in advance for my base services until sometime in March. It is indeed a very neat scheme. In addition to the clear benefits to me it also boosts their cash flow. I think it's what they call a win-win.

Despite this I politely declined to make an advance payment and so will continue to receive protection until my direct debit is paid in a few weeks. I was then advised that they will go on charging me for the services I am not receiving. I feel well and truly protected.

The moral of this story is: Not all that glitters is gold. You have been warned.

And the connection to Coast to Coast is ..... Backs. I hurt my back, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back! Well almost. Whilst I can claim some sort of moral victory by resisting their demands with menaces, I have in reality retreated with my tail somewhat between my legs. Faced with a hefty cancellation fee and the hassle of changing providers yet again I threatened but in the end stopped short of using the ultimate sanction.

19 January: Introducing my Team

Winter has arrived. Snow all around. Woohoo.

 

Decent walk today, after a fashion. Out for nearly four hours, although it has to be said that I was only properly walking for about half of that time. The rest was spent at the park sledging, or rather dodging the manned missiles sliding down the slopes and helping my grandson back up with his sledge after each run. Anyway I feel comfortable with this routine of walking most days. Feeling good. 

Kenilworth Castle Today

 

I won't be doing the Coast to Coast alone. Sure, I'm the only one planning to walk every step from west to east, but I will have some fantastic support from a core group of family and close friends along the way. Actually, when I "went public" with my idea I got a really positive response from the people I know. Many expressed interest but couldn't commit to anything specific, whilst others wished me well and asked to be kept informed.

 

What follows is an introduction to my core team. Those closest to me who are prepared to commit in advance and put their own plans on hold for a time to help me out.

 

My brother Dave was first to volunteer, with sister-in-law Ali and my mum quickly following. It's apt then that the three of them will be my support team for the first part of the expedition, getting me up to St Bees and on my way east.

 

To say Dave isn't really a walker is being a bit diplomatic. I've invited him on trips several times over the years and I've always had a straight refusal. Occasionally saying he'd love to but he's just picked up some obscure injury, but mainly just telling me not to be so silly. Given this ambivalence to what I choose to do for fun it is all the more impressive that he's put his hand up for these first hard-yards.

 

Dave and I share an unusual and unique sense of humour. It's kind of hard to define, but there are some things that only he and I find funny, and we'll be chuckling along together whilst others in the room didn't even notice the event or line that tickled us so. It's the kind of sense of humour that means you end up laughing alone quite often, and sometimes laughing alone in public places.

 

Dave is the first of two Dave’s who will be playing a big part in supporting me, so to avoid any potential confusion, from here on in this Dave will be known as Sherpa Dave (because he will be transporting me and my gear around for me – not because he has a lifetime of experience climbing in the Himalayas).

 

Unlike Sherpa Dave, Ali does get why I'm doing it. She was an enthusiastic supporter from the off, and straight away I privately pencilled her in to walk the first two days with me, or at least one of them. At the time she was preparing to walk the Great North Run, and my secret plan was looking good. Then it all started to unravel. Ali completed her walk in triumph, but in doing so undertook never to do it again. Since then she's shared with me harrowing tales of broken and blackened toenails, of sore feet and legs and pain that last for weeks afterwards, and other discomforts still clear in her memory.

 

So, I've opted for a short-ish and easy-ish first day in the hope I can talk her round. We'll see. Realistically I think I have to accept that I'll be doing most of day two on my own, maybe meeting up with the three of them for the final few miles into Borrowdale. That second day is one of the hardest on the route.

 

Not too long ago my mum would've done the whole lot with me. She loves the hills like I do, and we climbed Haystacks together a couple of years ago on a beautiful cold early spring day, with snow and ice still thick on the ground. A memorable experience for both of us I think. She walks most days but the Coast to Coast would probably be a bit of a stretch. There is no doubt though that she will walk some of the way on these first two days, and this will be one of the highlights of the expedition for me.

Buttermere March 2010

Saturday is changeover day. Carol arrives for the weekend on Friday night along with Simon. The two of them worked together some time ago but have stayed in touch along with a small group from that time. I've kind of become attached to the group through walking: They meet each month or so in the warmer months and walk locally, and socially. With a Sunday morning walk usually followed by a pub lunch. It was during these outings that Simon and I compared notes and realised that we had a shared interest, especially with regard to the Lake District, and we undertook to do something together. Well, to cut a long story short this will be the first time. There always seems to have been a reason why Simon couldn't make our trips, and I was starting to think he was trying to tell me something? In fairness the last time we attempted to get together he was pretty committed. On this occasion we called off a wild camping trip at the very last moment because of storms in Cumbria. Sure enough the area hit the news that evening with reports of flooding and associated chaos.

 

As Sherpa Dave and crew head home Carol and Simon will walk day three with me, and probably part of day four on the Sunday. These days aren't too tough and run through the heart of the Lakes. Given some half decent weather it should be an excellent weekend.

 

Carol and Simon will head back to the midlands sometime on day four so the descent into Patterdale on this day, and the long march over the High Street range to Bampton on day five will be solo. This will be my first completely unaccompanied section, and one of the harder days. It is likely to be the first big test of whether I can hack it. It is across perhaps my favourite part of the district though and I have visited most of the route before. I should at least be able to survive!

 

The prize after my five day crossing of the Lakes from St Bees will be a night at the Mardale Inn in Bampton. When planning my route I had two pre-defined stop-off points: The Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge, much later in the walk, and the Mardale Inn. Love this place. Here I will be joined by Ash, who will accompany me through the unexplored territory between Lakes and Dales.

 

Ash and I are long term friends, and have been best man for each other, godfather to children, etc. Our initial meeting was completely by chance in that we were placed in lodgings together as wet-behind-the-ears first year students at Sheffield Polytechnic (a university now of course). There are many many stories I could share about Ash, but discretion leads me to stick to those that are relevant to his role on Coast to Coast.

 

If Ash had been around in days of old he would have been Wolfstan the Anglo Saxon warrior, yomping to Stamford Bridge to take a thrashing from the Vikings and then summoning what’s left of his army marching back down south to do the same again at the hands of the Normans. He is unfazed by adversity and simply doesn't know how to give up.

 

We did the Lyke Wake Walk together a couple of years ago. The Lyke Wake Walk is a 40 mile trek across the Yorkshire Moors, following a very similar route to the final stages of Coast to Coast as it happens. It involves total ascent and descent of something like 6,000 feet and takes you across all manner of terrain, the highlight (lowlight?) of which is several miles of peat bog mid-route. The idea is to complete the walk in less than 24 hours. We first attempted the challenge in the January, with little in the way of support: Basically my cousin's mate drove us there and offered sympathy at the meeting points along the way. Walking across the frozen moor through the night, lit by the moon and stars is still one of my lifetime walking highlights. Navigation is not all easy on the Lyke Wake though and the lack of daylight at that time of year eventually ended the attempt as we went into the second night!

 

We returned later in the year for a second attempt. My son Rob joined the walking team, and my good friend Dave (who will become Walking Dave – see later) provided outstanding support. This is how to be a support crew. The rest of us had to do nothing other than walk (and take care of bodily functions). Dave looked after everything else, the highlight being hot homemade soup at half way just before dawn. Dave had set up stove in the middle of the moor in complete darkness to make us this meal. The four of us have remained a close walking group over several years now. Much more about Dave and Rob later.

 

This time we were successful, or at least Ash was. I stopped two miles from the end in protest at the madness of the challenge, swearing at the same time never to visit this part of Yorkshire again, let alone set foot on its’ footpaths. How things change?

 

Anyway, during those final few miles I was nearing exhaustion, and had pretty much shut down every bodily function that wasn't essential to putting one foot in front of the other. Let's say I was not terribly chatty. Ash on the other hand went all motivational on me, leaping around the path passionately making the case to me that we were on the edge of something magnificent, something life changing, something we would tell our grandchildren about. We just needed to keep moving for another couple of hours. Together we would succeed, crossing the line arm in arm to a rapturous welcome from locals in awe of our achievement. I think I told him to get lost, or words to that effect. I couldn't work out why I was in so much pain whilst he seemed to be moving with ease and energy to spare to taunt me in this way? The man ran the final yards to the finish for goodness sake!

 

Within minutes he collapsed into a heap. I saw then that he had been in just as much distress as me, it's just that instinctively he wouldn't allow himself to falter. He would have kept going even if we still had another ten miles to go. We are different. I manage my limitations to get the best out of myself, Ash just blasts through to the end no matter what and pays the price later. Of course, this could be an interesting cocktail when we meet on the Coast to Coast. After five hard days crossing the mountains I will probably be ready for a bit of a coast (no pun). I suspect Ash will be raring to go and ready to dispense some more of his motivational coaching.

 

Ash is due to leave the walk at Kirkby Stephen, leaving me to my final solo leg of the journey. This is day eight, to the half-way point at Keld. Here I will be joined by my son Rob, who will walk with me for the second half.

 

Being his Dad I'm probably not best positioned to provide an objective view on Rob. Basically though he has grown into the sort of man I always wanted to be. He is stronger, brighter, more likeable, and a better person than me. But then I would say that wouldn't I.

 

I like to feel we have a good relationship and are mates as well as father and son. In fact Rob is my original walking partner, and he still rarely misses out on an expedition. It's a real shared passion, although I sometimes feel he may be getting impatient as he keeps on having to wait for me to catch up! My big wish at the outset was that he would walk the final steps into Robin Hood's Bay with me. Not only has he committed to this, but he has managed to carve enough time away from work and university to do the final week with me. I'm made up.

 

A day later Dave will join us for a three day stint, covering the transition from Dales to Moors. Dave is a great mate. Supportive, non-judgemental, and always always positive. He has a tremendous capacity for fun, and for beer.

 

He is also prone to bouts of creative brilliance. I worked with him for a while and I felt we were a pretty formidable combination, with his gift for generating great ideas allied to my ability to turn the best of them into something. I really hope we get to do it again sometime.

 

I'm pretty sure he enjoys hill walking these days. This wasn't always so and his induction was difficult for both of us. Being someone who embraces new experiences wholeheartedly he didn't hesitate when I first invited him along. Pretty quickly though the burn of that first ascent took hold and the novelty wore off. It was also unfortunate that most of his first outings seemed to coincide with some pretty foul weather conditions, although this was probably a useful learning experience for Dave as he discovered just how bad it had to be before I'd call off a walk!

 

On one of these early walks I also got us spectacularly lost in the hills around Coniston. The murk came down to such a degree that visibility reduced to just a few metres, the wind wound up furiously causing the rain to come up at us rather than down as it blew off the ridge. In the storm even with our bulk Dave and I could barely keep our feet, whilst poor old Rob was blown around like a twig, coat turned inside out and rucksack torn from his back. My GPS became waterlogged and trying to open a map in the conditions was futile. Staying put wasn't an attractive option. I tried to navigate by instinct and memory, and recalling cliffs close on the right kept us a safe distance to the left. Too far as it happens and we ended up in the wrong valley! I can't print most of the things he said to me on the long trudge into Little Langdale (yes - look at the map!), but I'm pleased he didn't manage to catch up with me until we found a pub.

 

Dave has revolutionised our wild camping experience. At first Rob and I used to survive on Pot Noodle and lug full packs at all times. This included on one sweaty early summer day a full traverse of Scafell with 40lb packs! Dave talked us into base camping on his first expedition with us, whereby we walk to the vicinity of our target hills, set up camp, dump our gear and head for the summits. This is now our norm. Our menu has also taken a boost, to the point where Dave has now perfected vacuum-packed-home-cooked meals. Accompanied by squeezy-tube cheese and crackers and washed down with a little Jaegermeister. Lovely.

 

This Dave will now be called “Walking Dave”.

 

So you've met my three walking muckers. Great friends and companions all. I will remind Ash and Walking Dave though that only Rob has put his hand up to walk with me on my birthday. This happens to be longest toughest stage on the walk. We have a fair few people joining us at Blakey Ridge in the evening. I hope to be in a fit state to celebrate with them.

Ash, Walking Dave, Ian & Rob. Ullock Pike November 2009

Carol returns to the walk at Blakey, and will stay with me for the rest of the journey, walking some sections and maybe spending some time at the coast. It wasn't so long ago that she was only happy walking when she was going to the shops. Bit by bit though she's started to appreciate walking for it's own sake. And she's pretty accomplished too.

 

She is very patient with me if I'm honest, including on one occasion when we camped in the rain in a tent that was cosy even for two people as close as we are, and then walked up Skiddaw the long way. She didn't complain once. The one thing Carol draws the line at is running (in my case, jogging). She says it's for convicts and stupid people. Well, I'm not on the run from the law as far as I know!

 

We met through work in 1995 and each have our own version of who moved on who. Since then we've been pretty much inseparable. The nine days between her stints on the Coast to Coast will be the longest time we've been apart. I will miss her very much.

More snow and freezing temperatures forecast over the next few days. It must be the kid in me but I like it. Somehow the fun element outweighs the inconvience to daily life it can cause. The snow also makes walking a bit more challenging. Got to be good practice.

 

14 January: Wainwright Said Adapt

Chilly tonight. We had some snow overnight and during the day, but then it melted somewhat and the roads are now clear. Started my walk tonight in sleet but by the time I finished it was clear and cold. Expect it to freeze overnight. I like the snow and I like being outside in the snow, so I will be perfectly happy if we get more this week. I'd welcome walking in different conditions to the dark damp mid-winter flatness of January in Warwickshire I've experienced so far. That said, I'm pretty sure to be building a snowman with my grandson the first time we get proper snow.

 

It would also be false to say I'm not enjoying the walking, because I am. It's just not the same as walking in the Lakes. Actually I'm rather pleased with myself. I've exercised most days since New Year's Eve, and most of that has been walking, including several long-ish outings. I did get a bit foot-sore by the end of my long walk on Saturday but I'm recovered now and motivation remains high.

 

I'm also pleased to report that Carol has joined me on one or two of my walks, including some in the cold and dark. My wife doesn't really do cold, so I feel very priviledged. I'm really enjoying walking with her actually. It feels like we really get some quality time together without other day to day distractions.

 

I went to see a podiatrist the other day. I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe some sage advice on how to avoid blisters, or magical ointment for the treatment of bruised soles, or something, anything. I didn't, although she did tell me I seemed to be doing the right things. I thanked her for this and handed over my £32.

 

Anyway, some thoughts on route planning. When Wainwright published his guide he was careful to entitle it A Coast to Coast Walk, and not The Coast to Coast Walk. He made a point of encouraging walkers to devise their own variations, to adapt his route. This is all the encouragement I needed, so I've been spending most of the evenings so far this month doing just that. I've so far planned my route for 11 out of the 15 stages. I'm now in Danby Wiske. 

 

I can't lie. This has been great and whilst early on in the process I was rushing to get the work done now the end is in sight I'm a little disappointed it's almost over, and will be spacing the final four days out so that I can enjoy each one. I shouldn't worry - still plenty more lovely planning left to do.

 

I'm glad I've done this. By stepping through the route mile by mile rather than simply following one of the very good guidebooks I feel I have kind of rehearsed the walk, and have a greater knowledge of it as a result. It has also heightend my sense of anticipation. It's also meant that I've been even more anti-social than usual.

 

For some of the sections there really isn't much point in varying the route from Wainwright's original. In others though I have taken a fair bit of license and also taken some practical steps for example to tune my route to suit the people who are walking with me or the exact places I will be staying. For instance on the Rothswaite to Grasmere section I was wondering whether to take the valley route down Far Easedale or walk along the ridge to Helm Crag. My accommodation in Grasmere is to the north of the village so it makes sense to do the high level walk and drop down off the ridge straight to the B&B. The Osmotherley to Blakey Ridge section takes the same course as the first half of The Lyke Wake Walk. Having done this twice I think a change is very much in order so I have introduced a significant variation. Not that I have any issues or anything.

 

I've used a number of sources in this process, and would recommend them all to others wanting to do a similar thing. I have of course read Wainwright's original guide, although to be honest whilst this provided my original inspiration for the walk I found other more recent guides more useful for route planning.

 

I very much like Paul Hannon's Coast to Coast Walk (Hillside Guides) and this has probably been my primary printed source. It is convenient that his chosen route is very similar to mine by coincidence. It focusses only on the route and is a readable mix of simple maps and commentary, and is clearly written by someone who has experienced the walk. It also includes ideas on route variations. I will probably carry this book with me.

 

Coast to Coast Path by Henry Stedman (Trailblazer Series) is also a good source and is written in a similar style. He includes some wise and witty tips and hints borne out of experience. There is also an extensive section at the front of the book covering planning and preparation, and within the route section there are details of places to stay and eat. I found the town plans very useful in helping to locate my accommodation. A book to keep in my kit bag and reference ahead of each day.

 

If there is a limitation to both of these books it is that they tend to provide a "zoomed in" view. In their own styles (Hannon uses commentary, Stedman uses diagrams) both give very good detail of each twist and turn of the route, each style, fence and bridge. I found however that they are less good at providing a macro view. I'm not saying that this is missing from the books, but in my view it is not done well and it's not easy to keep in mind where you are in the walk, or where you are in the section you are walking. 

 

For this I used maps. The main source has been Bing Maps. This is a great resource and includes 1:25,000 OS mapping, which flips dynamically to 1:50,000 as you zoom out and vice versa. It also allows a switch to road maps for locating places in towns. View it using an iPad with a decent internet connection and it's as if the paper map itself was in front of you, but with no folding or covering the whole room or switching maps along the route. This has given me the macro view that is important if you are going to plan your own route.

A note for the purists: I do have proper paper maps for the whole route and a proper magnetic compass too. I will be taking these with me.

 

Finally I have an old copy of Memory Map on my PC with 1:50,000 coverage of the National Parks. I've been able to plot my course using this, and then check distances and ascents, the walk profile and even do a 3D fly-through. Probably not essential, but in straying from the guidebooks I can't use their pre-canned distance and ascent information. Memory Map has filled this gap. Being based on OS grid references I've also been able to note down the co-ordinates for key naviation points on the route.

 

Well it all works nicely in theory. We'll see later whether it works for real.

 

 A note for the purists: I also have a GPS, which I will also be taking with me. Ha.

 

 

 

9 January: Beer & Pies

Good week so far. I've exercised most days, mostly walking but I've been for a run (in my case, jog) tonight. Feeling OK.
 

I'm off beer and pies. I'm participating in the annual national January ritual of living a more healthy life for a month. Anyway, it's a couple of things that don't contribute much to my Coast to Coast preparations and cutting them out for a short while can't be a bad thing. And, I'll feel better about myself (maybe).

 

 

I like beer and pies. If I'm honest going without beer for a short time won't be too much of a problem. I don't really drink often and when I do it's usually in moderation (?). Pies are my problem. I can't walk past a pie shop. It's rumoured that my local bakery is going to name a pasty after me. This will be a real test.

 

 

Looking ahead a few weeks I'm reminded that I will be staying at or near some of the finest inns in northern England. Beer and pies of outstanding quality will be available to me at every turn, not to mention that other weakness of mine, the full English breakfast. Should I have a beer, pie and breakfast strategy so that I can manage my consumption of these indulgences so they don't hamper my walking performance, or should I just fill my boots until I've had enough? In the case of pies this moment might not come, and I tend not to make good food choices. Faced with a nice grilled fish with couscous and steamed green vegetables or steak and chips with the full works there is only ever going to be one winner for me. Maybe I do need a plan.

 

 

Another challenge will be the company I'll be keeping. I will be walking some of the sections alone, and also will be on my own for some of the stop-overs. For much of the time though I'll be accompanied by friends and family, each person or group doing a few days with me before returning home and being replaced on the walk by others. Most of them will walk for two or maybe three days, and having probably taken time off from work will regard this as a sort of holiday. In addition to the walking they will be want to let their hair down a bit with a few pints, a special meal and a good breakfast to set them on their way. I know I'm not going to be able to do the same day in day out, am I? Or would it be rude not to?

 

 

Maybe I do need a plan. Knowing my tendency to consume now and pay later I will need to control what I eat and drink. Perhaps I should pick some points on the walk where I can reward myself with a bit of a blow-out, say at the end of logical phases, especially where they fall before an easy day. The ones that stand out are Bampton, Richmond, Blakey Ridge and of course Robin Hood's Bay. Sounds like a plan.

 

 

As I read back through the material I've written over the last week or two I'm conscious that I've placed a big emphasis on the challenge of Coast to Coast and how I'll prepare myself for it physically and emotionally. It's true that I do enjoy the challenge of endurance exercise and would probably get something out of walking on a treadmill in a darkened room if I could turn it into a worthwhile challenge. I also enjoy the planning and preparation almost as much as the event itself (this may be becoming apparent in my writing?). If I had been on the Everest expedition in 1953 I'd have been Hunt rather than Hillary or Tensing (Hunt was the bloke who led the expedition but was never in-line for an attempt at the summit).

 

 

The Coast to Coast is much more than the challenge though. I want to enjoy the whole of the experience. I know how being out in the hills makes me feel, even when I'm out there for just a few hours or a few days. This will be for long enough that it will become part of my routine. How fantastic is that. I want to give myself chance to appreciate the beauty and bleakness of my surroundings, the time to breath in the fresh air, to experience whatever the weather has in mind for me.

 

 

I'm also looking forward to the non-walking time, assuming that I won't be slumped in a dribbling heap after each day's exertion. As with most people my life is busy, always rushing to combine work with stuff you have to do and stuff you want to do. On the Coast to Coast I will have nothing to do but walk and prepare myself for walking tomorrow. This will give me some great time to think, to read, to maybe have a go at an interest I don't normally have time for, to meet other people, and to take the time to do these things properly.

 

 

I think this may also be a good strategy for the walk. The idea of walking 190 miles or more is a bit intimidating, although I know I can walk 8 or 10 or 15 miles in a day. Focus on each day as it comes in the knowledge that ultimately that will get me there. Also I'm a pretty driven person and always striving to get to a result. In this case that trait may be counter-productive. If I walk each day with the only objective being to get to the end I think it will become a chore and I will miss out on much of the enjoyment of doing the walk. I must teach myself how to enjoy the journey without worrying too much about getting to the destination. That will come provided I keep putting one foot in front of the other and heading in more or less the right direction. Unless of course it's pissing down with rain!

5 January: Marathon Spirit

A good day. A solid three and a half hour march in conditions that couldn't be more different from the rain and wind of the other day. Sunny and very pleasant, and I had some good company too - my wife Carol walked with me. I didn't get to talk into the machine today, but we did go some way to putting the world to rights, or at least the world of social services. Carol is going to reform the management of the service and there could be a nice little outsourcing contract in it for me!

Still doesn't feel like training though and I wonder if I'm on the right course. With running (in my case, jogging) each time I extended my long run I felt it, and needed some time to recover such that the next step up would be no less than a fortnight away. I guess the objective here isn't really to push myself for a single event but to prepare for walking every day.

Maybe I'm taking it too seriously? The thing is, my main concern about the Coast to Coast is the cumulative effect. Most of the days are within what I have done on day trips in the past, and only the walk across the moors to Blakey Ridge is a genuinely long trek. But stringing them together is something I've not done before and it plays to what I see as my main weakness.

I feel that my stamina is good on any given day. I'm not fast (slow in fact) but I can keep going with the best. I conserve energy well, I'm skilled at managing myself to the target distance, and I like to think I have good strength of character. But what happens after four or five testing days?

I have a history of reacting badly to over-training - a result of pushing myself too much over a period of time. My mechanics aren't the problem, they stay pretty much in tact: Fingers crossed I don't get many injuries. And other than a bit of "deadness" my working muscles also hold up OK. But my energy levels drop through the floor, and I tend to come down with minor ailments. The loss of vitality gets to my state of mind. Exercising becomes a chore and my belief in my ability takes a hit. This is a killer because my endurance is based on strength of mind rather than strength of body, and I spiral. Sounds depressing doesn't it, but hopefully this explains why I'm so keen to put in the effort in advance to try to avoid this happening during Coast to Coast.

On a more positive note, when I focus sufficiently on something I tend to succeed. I have a tremendous passion for this adventure, and as I've stepped up my preparations just lately I've felt the focus build. There is a fine line between single mindedness and obsession, and I get the feeling I could be treading that line before too long. I've been there before.

It feels a bit like 2005, when I completed my one marathon. I had always admired anyone who could run this far, but thought such a distance was out of my range, even though I'd done half marathons before. In 2002 I suffered from a serious knee injury and the surgeon who operated on me recommended that I avoid high impact exercise such as running, or face walking with a stick by the age 50! Somehow being told I couldn't do something I'd always taken for granted made me more determined to hang onto it. I did a proper job of recovering, engaged a good physiotherapist, joined a gym, built up my leg strength to compensate for my weak knee, and within a few months I was running again.

A year after the operation I competed a 10km race in Amsterdam, just to prove the man wrong, and with no intention of taking it further. I enjoyed the experience so much that undertook to do the half marathon at the same Amsterdam event the following year. I finished that half marathon easily, and in a fast time (for me). As we rode the tram back into the city after the race I declared to Carol that I'd decided to enter the Amsterdam marathon the following year, 2005.

This was my time. My chance to do something I'd always considered beyond me. I was within striking distance of the marathon. In the run-up to the event I worked like a Trojan. Pushing myself to the limit time and time again week after week. There were times I'd sit at the roadside completely shattered and unable to go on. Every time I found some way of getting up and finishing. And whilst my body struggled under the strain I never once doubted that I'd succeed. In fact, as soon as my race number arrived I had it tattooed on my arm, such was my compete belief.

Maybe this time too? And this spirit with a good walk strategy will see me through. I believe I can do it. And let's see if I am walking with a stick by the time I'm 50?

Carol is snoozing after her long march today, and its time to read my grandson a story.

4 January: Planning

No training for two days. I have a cold (or it could be man-flu?). Not quite the start I was aiming for and I’m determined to get back to it with a long walk tomorrow. It doesn’t really count until the first full week of the new year anyway – who heard of starting a training programme on a Wednesday?

 

Not long to go now – only 11 weeks to the off. Today has come around quickly. When I started putting down plans 2013 seemed to be in the distant future. Good job I started planning early. Those who know me will say I’m something of a keen planner. I suppose there is some truth in this, or maybe I just hang around with people who don’t have a clue and by comparison I’m some sort of planning superstar?

 

Anyway I’ve planned my route in advance and booked accommodation along the way. This is really driven by having a set amount of time off work, I have to co-ordinate with others joining me along the route, and I want to get to a certain point on the walk in time for my birthday. And maybe because I’m that way inclined?

 

To give myself the best shot at hitting a fixed schedule I’ve tried to keep the daily distances moderate. My 15 day schedule seems be somewhere in the middle of the range of difficulty, with timetables commonly running between 12 and 18 days.

 

Wainwright prescribed just 12, but I’m told he never did it this quickly. Compared to his documented route I’ll be crossing the Lakes in five days from St Bees Head, adding an overnight stop at Grasmere and finishing this stage at Bampton. This is largely because I know the village and have stayed there before at a very nice inn. I’ve then added stops at Orton and Danby Wiske breaking up two of the longest stretches.

 

I’m planning to cross the North Yorkshire Moors to the east coast in the same three days as Wainwright but following a slightly different strategy. I’ll be staying overnight at Osmotherley rather than Ingleby Cross, but this is only a slight variation. Then, coming off the back of a short day I will undertake the longest leg of my walk, 21 miles and a fair bit of ascent and descent across the moors to Blakey Ridge. This happens to be my birthday (something to do with proving that I can still do it at such a grand old age maybe?) and is also the same route as the first half of the Lyke Wake Walk – a path I have trodden twice before, on both occasions at night. It will be nice to compare the views in daylight. My final stop will then be at Grosmont, finishing at Robin Hood’s Bay on day 15.

 

Here is the full schedule:

 

Day 1	St Bees Head to Ennerdale Bridge
Day 2	Ennerdale Bridge to Rothswaite
Day 3	Rothswaite to Grasmere
Day 4	Grasmere to Patterdale
Day 5	Patterdale to Bampton
Day 6	Bampton to Orton
Day 7	Orton to Kirkby Stephen
Day 8	Kirkby Stephen to Keld
Day 9	Keld to Reeth
Day 10	Reeth to Richmond
Day 11	Richmond to Danby Wiske
Day 12	Danby Wiske to Osmotherley
Day 13	Osmotherley to Blakey Ridge
Day 14	Blakey Ridge to Grosmont
Day 15	Grosmont to Robin Hood’s Bay

 

Finally for now a word about Suzi’s Taxi Service of Keswick.

 

When I tell people that I’m planning to walk from the west coast of England to the east they are invariably impressed, and make an assumption that I’m going to make the journey unsupported, carrying my own gear and camping along the way. When I explain that I’ll be staying at B&Bs and Inns they become a little less impressed, and then as I confess that I’ll be using a courier service to ferry most of my gear from location to location they look at me as if I’m some sort of wimp. Whatever – and by the way, which of us is walking from one side of the country to the other?

 

Anyway, without any service yet having been provided I’m really impressed with Suzi’s Taxi Service. Her response to my (really quite detailed) questions was great and she has put together an all-in plan for the various baggage transfers for me and others, and for ferrying people back to cars after they have walked their sections, all for a fixed price.

 

2 January: Training

It’s the evening of 2^nd January and I’m taking the opportunity between work and dinner to do another training walk. I’ve not really got into much of a routine yet but my basic aim is to walk most days between now and the start of my Coast to Coast.

Coming up with a training plan is something I felt I should do based on my past experience of preparing for long distance running (in my case, jogging) events – the closest point of reference I have to what I’m planning to do. In the world of running you’re taught that training is everything, and there is wealth of material to support you in this. Training philosophies; strategies for all ages, abilities and ambitions; and sample training plans abound, along with warnings of the dire consequences of not training properly.

Having successfully completed a number of events from 10km up to marathon I also have some solid experience in following a training plan for running (in my case, jogging). I know what suits me, how to find the balance between under and over training, and I’ve experienced the dire consequences of not training properly.

By contrast I have found very little useful material on long-distance multi-day walking, and have limited relevant personal experience. I don’t know how to go about it, and I don’t understand the consequences of not training properly, dire or otherwise.

So, I’ve had a go at putting a schedule together based on the material I did find along with my own experiences with running (in my case, jogging). The basic principle I’ve followed is the one that’s worked for me in the past, and that is to train specifically for the event. In other words, most of your training time should be spent doing the thing you are training to do rather than training generally across a range of disciplines. Cross-training should be supplementary and not core.

Applying this to my Coast to Coast this means: To train to walk a long way every day, walk a long way every day.

I am going to have to compromise though and make the best of what I have. For instance replicating the terrain and conditions of the Lakes, or even the Dales or the Moors in leafy Warwickshire isn’t feasible. In particular I find the burn of that first ascent after several weeks away from the mountains always catches me off-guard. No number of repetitions up and down the stairs, or up and down the local hill, or time on the stair-climber in the gym can prepare you for this. I may get to walk up some proper hills a couple of times between now and March, but this can’t form a core part of my training. I also work for a living, and walking long distances takes a lot of time. I will have to use my weekends to do the longer distances and be satisfied with shorter walks during the week.

I did in fact start training in the autumn. My plan was to use running (in my case, jogging) to build my basic fitness and then transition to walking at the turn of the year. I set myself the target of reaching half-marathon distance by Christmas, and initially this went well such that I reached 11 miles (in one run, not cumulatively) by November. I’ve not passed this high water mark since, with work commitments, poor weather and Christmas preparations being my prepared excuses. So I’m a bit behind where I wanted to be but I don’t think it’s a major problem, and I’ve now switched phase. From now on my training objective is to get used to walking most days.

Home already. The route tonight was a bit short and after an hour I don’t really feel like it’s been much of a test. Maybe I should switch to early mornings to increase the pain and misery?

31 December: Why?

It's new year's eve, 31st December 2012. I'm marching out of Kenilworth into the pretty, and pretty flat Warwickshire countryside. It's a typical British winter day: Wet and windy. Properly wet and properly windy. The only souls I've seen this morning are the bin men rushing to complete their rounds before the new year festivities, and some wet and unhappy looking dogs accompanied by some even wetter and unhappier owners, probably straining to recall why it was they decided to get a dog in the first place.

As I walk I'm contemplating the prospect, for two weeks, of having nothing else to do or think about but travelling from one place to the next. I love the idea of a road trip. A chance to live a journey over a period of time, to immerse yourself in it and really become part of it. The alternative being to turn up, do a bit, and go home - that makes you a visitor. It's not just the travelling but the bits in between - arriving at a new place, the down-time, the people you meet, planning the next leg - it's the whole experience that appeals.

For me it has to be a road trip under my own steam. I don't know why (really, I've thought about this and I don't) but I get something out of endurance exercise, and to do this over multiple consecutive days is an ambition of mine. So in practical terms this means cycling, swimming, running or walking, or indeed a mixture. Well, I'm a really bad swimmer and only do it in the swimming pool when I can touch the bottom and sit on the side when I need a rest. In open water my journey would be over within the first hour. I don't own a bike, so it's running or walking. Whilst I enjoy running (well, jogging) and do it often I'm not very good at it and don't think I could do long distances over several days. So, I'm going to walk.

The Wainwright Coast to Coast walk, from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hoods Bay in North Yorkshire has always held an interest for me. I love to walk in the Lakes, a love inspired by the great man's books. Indeed I love all three national parks crossed by the walk even though my knowledge of the Dales is shallower than the other two. And the concept of walking from one coast to another, dipping my toes in different seas at the opposite sides of the country adds an element of symbolism and provides a clear start and end to the journey.

Until last year I'd never really considered it seriously. The time commitment always seemed too great. It would eat up too much of my holiday entitlement. It would mean a lot of time away from my family. I did come up with a couple of daft schemes to condense the amount of time taken, such as walking non-stop in a relay for four or five days. This failed at the first hurdle when the first response from my usual walking pals was underwhelming. I guess it would have missed the point and much of the enjoyment. I also read about a group of guys who ran the route over seven days. Again a non-starter for many many reasons. So I postponed even thinking about it until sometime in the future.

I'm in my 50th year, and the obvious thing would be to have a big bash to celebrate the big day. I've been to several landmark birthday parties over the last few months, all of them very nice, and in each case the party girl or boy seemed to have a ball. Big parties aren't really my thing though (don't read too much into that - or rumours that I'm a bit grumpy or solitary). I wanted to mark my half-century with something significant, and something different. As I passed my 49th, Coast to Coast all of a sudden become the obvious and only thing to do. 

My timescale for the walk is rather dictated by my birthday. I guess I could have done it at any old time during 2013, but it makes much more sense to do it on or around my birthday. This means I start in 11 weeks, and I’m tramping around in the rain and mud today because my training schedule told me to!

And as with every good training session I’ve learned something today. Several things in fact:

The first is to do with mud. After squelching around in the fields for a couple of hours I’m soaked up to my knees in the stuff. On the walk I’ll be wearing each pair of trousers for several days (don’t worry – there are other items of clothing that I expect to change daily).Whilst fashion consciousness won’t be a particular priority, keeping multi-day trousers reasonably clean and dry does seem like a good policy. I think it might be an idea to wear gaiters, at least for the days when I’m expecting mud.

The second is to do with water. I’ve spent a fair amount of time today dictating into the voice recorder on my iPhone. I’ve decided to publish my thoughts over the next few months and through the walk on a blog (this blog). I’ve actually found talking into the machine to be quite a therapeutic thing to do whilst walking – and having taken the trouble to make the record it seems a shame to leave it at that. Anyway I’m not sure how many more hours my iPhone will continue to function with the sort of drenching it’s taken today, so a waterproof case may be in order.

Finally, and to give you an insight into the inner workings of my mind, I’ve also worked out today how many High5 energy drink sachets I need to take. This stuff is great, and perhaps the closest thing to a performance enhancing drug I’ll be using.