Training!

I am in training. Oh yes!! Devonshire tea, or clotted cream tea if you are in Cornwall.
At Fudge'n'Good Coffee in Sheffield.

In August, my fellow wanderer, Sheryl, and I are off to do a very, very long walk in England. It is called the South West Coast Path and will take us along the dramatic cliff-lined coastline of Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall and Devon - the home of the Devonshire tea, although Cornwall would dispute that. 

When we finished our last multi-day walk, the West Highland Way in Scotland, Sheryl fatefully said that she wanted to walk 1,000 kms! And I recorded that statement here: Wandering Walkers 10-11 over celebratory apple crumble in Fort William, after only 155kms. 

Recently I typed up my journal notes from that UK trip, all 60,000 plus words, partly because a few people suggested I should write a book but mostly just to reminisce. I don't think there is a book in it.  I was shocked by the number of times I had written, "had coffee and cake" and "good scones today". These things are not part of my normal diet at home. I was also shocked by the number of times I had written "took ibuprofen" for my hamstrings - the ones I tore off the bone in 2016. 

Me waiting for the luggage van in Italy to take me to Switzerland while every one else walked.

So, today I tried to convince myself I was walking in England. Green rolling hills, English trees, contented cows, even a few hedges...

But there were quite a few gum trees and warbling magpies. And there is the familiar Mt Roland in the distance.

I walked 7.5km from my home at the foot of Mt Roland into the town of Sheffield, enjoyed a Devonshire tea for my lunch, had a look at the new murals from the recent International Mural Competition, and then walked home.  

A total of 15 kms, a fairly average day on the SWCP. My feet hurt. My hamstrings burned just a bit going up the hills. I massaged voltaren gell into my feet and took ibuprofen when I got home. I need to do more training which obviously must include cream teas and cake!