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!