Wednesday, 11 April
Altitude spin tonight. I'm still having to do the standing up bits sitting down because of my ribs but I'm not complaining because it makes the workout even harder as I still use the gears I should be in if I was standing up. It's just good to be able to do something that doesn't cause any pain.
Total 'distance' - 22km
Thursday, 12 April
I went for a 3.5 mile walk with Ruby today, just to test out my new walking boots. I have finally decided that now I'm more of a walker than a runner, I really should have the proper kit but it feels really weird to be wearing heavy boots (the boots themselves aren't actually heavy, just heavy in comparison to wearing fell trainers). I've been wearing them around the office for the past couple of days trying to get used to them before venturing outside in them, rendering them unreturnable, but I decided to bite the bullet tonight and just get out there. They actually felt OK, although I did have to stop to make a couple of lacing adjustments.
I made sure I went both uphill and downhill in them to see how they felt and when I was going downhill I did notice my toes sliding down to the front a bit too much so I had to adjust the laces again and this sorted it out. I'm planning on doing my weekend walking in Ambleside in them but that's going to be a lot more than 3.5 miles so I'd better take a pair of fell shoes too, just in case.
Total walking distance - 3.5 miles
Friday, 13 April
I got the train up to Windermere today and, rather than getting a bus to Amebleside, decided to walk there using part of the Windermere Way.
The route starts by climbing up to Orrest Head. When I did this route last year it was in thick fog and I couldn't see a thing when I got to the Orrest Head viewpoint but today it was a little better. It was still foggy but I could see the lake, unlike last time when I could barely see a few meters ahead.
After Orrest Head, it all started to go wrong. I remember last year the the directions were a little questionable in places but this year it was even worse as some tracks had been messed about with around a farm and a signpost was lying on the ground and so not pointing in the correct directions. I spent about half an hour wandering aimlessly around various farm fields with a huge herd of sheep and lambs following me around (literally only a meter away from me) baaing very loudly as they must have thought I was their feeder. Eventually, I decided to just walk down the farm driveway and by sheer luck ended up coming out exactly where I was supposed to. I am my own worst enemy because I actually had an OS map in my bag but it was raining and I had the rain cover on and I couldn't be bothered messing around trying to find the map. Yeah yeah, rookie mistake - I should have kept the map close to hand. I was in no rush though so it didn't matter how long it took.
The footbridge is still out at Troutbeck so I had to walk the long way round along the road. Once I got onto Robin Lane behind the Post Office, I decided to have a sit down and a bit of flapjack and, whilst sitting on the bench, noticed this stone on the ground in front of me which reads 'TO REMEMBER THE SHEEPDOGS OF TROUTBECK 2006'
Another picture of Lake Windermere (which actually just looks like another cloud), taken from Robin Lane...
Instead of just dropping down into Ambleside, the route goes over Wansfell. I have to say that if I never do that descent from Wansfell into Ambleside again, it won't be the worst thing that could happen. It is a horrible descent and I was actually jealous of all the people going in the opposite direction which, if you know me, is pretty surprising as I much prefer going downhill than uphill. It appeared that I was the only person doing it this way around as it's just not a nice way to go down, especially when it's wet as some of the rocks are pretty slippery.
'View' from the top of Wansfell towards Ambleside...
On arrival in Ambleside I quickly found a cafe where I just intended to get a coffee and a sandwich but then I spotted a cake which I just couldn't resist trying out... Dandelion and Burdock cake!!! It was as tasty as it sounded.
I had booked to stay in a B&B for three nights (yes, I know I own a campervan but I like a bit of luxury now and then!) and it was described as having a 'mountain view'. It certainly did, however with a garden centre obscuring most of it...
Total walking distance - 9 miles
Saturday, 14 April
Breakfast is only served at my B&B between 8.15 and 9.00 but, being an early bird, I was wide awake by 6.30 and wondering what to do with myself so decided to go for a little run up the hill behind the B&B. I didn't actually realise quite how steep a hill it was and I was absolutely knackered just a few minutes in. It climbs up a very narrow lane and then goes into Skelghyll Wood to Jenkin Crag. With the length of time it took me to run up, together with stopping to take a load of piccies, it was soon time to start heading back down for brekkie as I was absolutely starving.
Can you spot the duck shaped topiary?
Total running distance - 2 miles (wow!)
After breakfast I wandered along to Waterhead where I had booked a sit on top kayak for a couple of hours.
It was lovely out on Windermere, so quiet and peaceful (surprising or what!). It felt like I had the whole lake to myself. I went along the river a little bit, although when I could see that it was getting quite shallow I turned around out of fear of becoming 'beached'.
This is the second time I've gone kayaking recently and I really enjoyed it. It's quite tiring though as I'm not used to all the work in the arms. I definitely need to refine my technique as I'm not sure you're supposed to get quite as wet as I did without actually falling in. I also have a lovely blister on my hand from holding the paddle.
Total kayaking distance - 5 miles
I walked back to the B&B along the track I had run over this morning through Skelghyll Woods and, by now, the day was shaping up pretty well...
It was now around noon and I decided to get my shorts on and go out for another walk, this time just a reasonably low level one around Loughrigg. I say low level but it starts with quite a steep road climb out of Ambleside, which is the same way out as Spring in Lakeland will go tomorrow.
The route then drops back down again, coming out at Loughrigg Tarn, which I descended to and sat on a rock to eat my lunch. It would have been rude not to.
Onwards and upwards I continued on the circular route which goes through Loughrigg Terrace which has lovely views across Grasmere to Helm Crag.
I then dropped down to Rydal Water and made my way through Rydal Park back into Ambleside, where I went to yet another cafe for yet another piece of cake, this time sticky chocolate orange cake.
Total walking distance - 7 miles
Action packed day!
Sunday, 15 April
Spring in Lakeland today. This is the fourth time for me on this walk, albeit only the second time officially. I first did the actual challenge walk in 2016 but, about a month later, I did it again with YJ as he wasn't able to take part in the actual event. This was the day that my foot injury flared up big time and YJ had to drive my van back home again because I couldn't press the clutch pedal through the pain. The third time I did it was on my own last year because the event itself was cancelled but I liked it so much that I did it anyway.
When I did the event back in 2016 I ran it, as I did all the LDWA events at that time, but this year I'd just be walking, in my new boots of course which had now done around 19 miles and my feet so far remained pain free.
At the start I saw Albert and Mark who were both taking part in this event for the first time. I knew I wouldn't see them again though as they'd be running it so would finish ages before me and be long gone by the time I got back.
I also saw a lady I recognised from other walks and we had a chat before the start, trying to work out what clothing to wear it was actually quite warm but had been raining and it was tricky to decide what to set off in. I was in shorts but had the zip-off legs in my bag in case it got cold and I had a thermal base layer, a t-shirt and a long sleeved lightweight hoody on, with my tissue paper thin waterproof jacket in my bag.
After a couple of miles, I ended up walking at the same pace as the lady I had been chatting to earlier and we then spent the majority of the rest of the walk together. All was going well until she announced her utter hatred of cats (using the phrase - 'too many cats, not enough recipes'). Ah well, each to their own I suppose.
I always forget how long the section from High Tilberthwaite to Coniston takes. In my head, it's just a climb up and a winding descent down but I always forget about the bit in between which goes on for quite a while. I was ravenous and couldn't wait to get to the checkpoint at Coniston. Once there, I wolfed down a bunch of cheese and pickle sandwiches, plus a couple of cakes and continued on my way, leaving my new walking companion at the checkpoint.
I'm really not very good at taking selfies. I'm not ashamed of that though.
There is a bit in this walk where you come to the end of a lane and have to immediately turn back on yourself down an enclosed path which descends steeply to a car park and then climbs back up again alongside Tom Ghyll up to Tarn Hows. I noticed last time I did the event, and after speaking to others on the event, that a lot of runners tend to miss this bit out, instead staying on the road so they don't have to drop down and back up again. I can't understand this as it's such a pretty section and is part of the route so why miss it out to run along a boring old road?
As I was climbing up Tom Ghyll, a couple of other walkers on the route were coming back down the other way, saying they had made a wrong turn as they had veered off too far from the waterfall and I had nearly done the same thing. I ended up staying with these walkers right to the end, with my earlier companion catching up with us after a short while.
As with all the previous times I have walked this route, the directions for the last section just didn't make sense. I got to where I was supposed to be going, but whether I got there the right way is anyone's guess. It just doesn't add up and I'm not alone in thinking this as my other companions couldn't make head nor tail of it either, nor Mark and Albert.
My clothing choice worked well for me as it was pretty warm and dry, except for the very end when the heavens opened for the final five minutes of the walk but at this point I couldn't be bothered digging out my jacket and just decided to get wet, knowing that I would soon be warm and dry indoors.
As for my boots, they get a big thumbs up. My feet and ankles did feel a little strange and slightly achy in the evening but I'm guessing that's just because they're not used to this type of footwear.
Love this event and will definitely be back again.
Total walking distance - 22.75 miles
Wow, most exercise I've done for ages this week!
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