Two frosty walks.

So yesterday I got a (late!) Bat Call and had to rush out for work, then it was get home, do horses, back out for dog training class, back home, collapse into bed.  A Wednesday Bat Call does actually give me an excuse for a missed blog!

It was tough old day and I was quite glad that no work came up for me today (back out again tomorrow though).

I decided to give myself more miles and less difficulty by taking the boys out separately.  Sometimes they are a little full on together, especially if you need to put leads on at any point so it is nice to take them out on their own.  It is good for them too, to not be reliant on the other one all the time.

After sorting the horses mid-morning I took Hugo for a before lunchtime walk.  We went back to the path we had tried the other day, I was still curious and wanted to get a bit further along it.  The verdict is that it is a frozen day walk or a very dry summer walk.  It is VERY muddy all the way along.  It was nice today though.  Hugo found a tennis ball to carry and try to rip apart for a bit.  The river was very high too!

I took Oscar out after a late lunch and raced the sunset around our usual woods.  I walked this walk a lot faster and did a bit of light jogging to warm myself up as well.  Oscar had a whale of a time and was particularly keen on bashing through the undergrowth today – I think he liked the crispy frozenness of it!  He managed to cover himself in burrs though, including about 15 in his ears which kept sticking his ears together at the back of his head.  Crazy boy!

I’ve decided not to put too much pressure on myself regards training.  If I make a firm plan it lurks in the corner being menacing and I find that if I then look directly at it I get freaked out and depressive!  So I am just going to gently increase what I do and casually sidle through a vague kind of plan without making eye contact with it.

6 miles walking in total today – with the second 3 miles involving brisk walking and jogging.  It all felt light, fresh and easy.

A happy day and two tired doggies in the house tonight!

Some Days.

Some days it is all I can do to get out of bed, eat, make sure the animals are looked after through the day and go back to bed again.  It just happens, I get less worried about days like this these days (although they are still very frustrating when I really actually want to be Doing More Stuff) and just take them a minute, an hour at a time and hope the next day is better and it generally is.

So today was low key.

I dithered all day about where to take the dogs for a walk and whether I should in fact push myself to do a run.  This meant, of course, that I left walking them until it was almost too late to go at all.

I decided to try somewhere new in the end.  I’ve been eying up this walk for a while on the map and had high hopes for it.... a good 3 miles of bridleway alongside (but not right next to) a river, enclosed from any fields where there could be livestock but opening up into woods with networks of tracks in other places.  I wondered if the woods were accessible but even if they weren’t thought that the bridleway would make a nice walk anyway.  Sometimes trying something new works out, sometimes it doesn’t.

It started off very promising as there was a free car park next to the farm park place, right at the end of the track I wanted.  There was even a sign saying that the path was a “dog walk”!  Brilliant thinks I.   Unloaded the boy and set off down the track.  As I got a bit further along I saw what I thought was a Golden Retriever on the path.  I called the boys back intending to keep them close until I saw that the “dog” had an owner who was ok for them to meet.  However I have discovered that walking in my glasses (rather than my contact lenses) in fading light is not really a good idea!  It wasn’t a Goldie at all, it was an entirely unexpected sheep. 

I got the boys on lead quickly and ended up struggling along the very muddy bridleway (with the boys in full Monochrome Chaos mode attached to me by a lead) for quite a long way as it turned out a big field next to it wasn’t as closed off as it appeared on the map.  There was a wall and a fence but in such a state of disrepair that the sheep were wandering through it freely and it wouldn’t have even discouraged the boys and it doesn’t take much of a fence to provide a barrier for them if I keep an eye on them.

It annoys me because I do my very best to ensure my dogs don’t bother livestock and it would be nice if farmers were as bothered about the safety of their animals as I am!  I choose my walks carefully to avoid problems and am considerate when crossing farm land so it’s a bit annoying to have a walk made very difficult because a farmer can’t manage to sure up 200m or so of fencing.  They are probably totally jaded by loads of inconsiderate dog walkers though!  It has to work both ways at the end of the day and so often doesn’t.

ANYWAY... the rest of the walk was ok.  Very muddy and getting dark too quickly, but some nice views over the fells.

There was two sheep waiting for us at the gate to the track at the end of the walk, so we had to pass in very close proximity to each other.  Plus I nearly hadn’t seen the things due to the fading light.  Not very helpful when you are in charge of two dogs and doing your utmost to train them not to chase sheep – two trotting past at close quarters if quite a distraction!  I stuffed the boys full of treats every time they made eye contact with me as the sheep went past so hopefully it’ll be a positive contribution to their training not a set-back.  Hugo half a collie was less interested than Oscar the 100% spaniel.  I think Oscar can’t understand why they don’t fly (it’s all bird to him).  Speaking of birds he sprung numerous grouse or pheasants on this walk, obviously well-stocked woodlands, and actually seemed to be doing it deliberately.  Every time one flew up he pelted back to me saying “Did you get it? Did you get it? Can I fetch it now?”  He got quite a little working mode on as the walk progressed.  Strong instincts  -  he’s never had any gundog training.

I might not have enjoyed the walk but I think they did.  They both got very muddy and had a good run round in a new place which are their favourite things to do.  But I won’t be going back with both of them in a hurry!  Perhaps one at a time so I can actually walk when they need to go on lead. I do need to get to explore more of the path to see whether the first bit past the rubbish fence is worth the stress.

More about me.

So today has been a rest day.  My foot is bruised and I thought it best to have a day off it, and it’s been peeing it down and I’m being a wuss!

So I thought I might write a little bit more about me and my previous running etc etc.  I talked about where I am fitness wise currently in my first blog but for this one I’ll go back to the beginning, it is after all a very good place to start...

I have been kind of into running and walking, among other things, since I was a kid.  I was one of the, seemingly rare, people who on the whole enjoyed school PE and was reasonably good at most sports – especially individual athletics type events.  Team sports not so much as I was a bit over-sensitive to people being mean to me.  I always had to do more than one event at school sports days and went reasonably willingly to take part in schools cross-country.  I can’t remember doing very well but I can remember the taste of blood in my mouth from pushing myself too hard!

Outside of school we went to orienteering events a lot and I was alright at that, there are trophies, never as good as my brother was but good enough.  My main thing was always horse-riding though. And once we got a dog taking her for looooong rambles, just being out all day walking.  We used to do a bit of walking as a family too and I remember some walking holidays in the lakes (Barf was my first fell.  I picked it because of the name – happy days!)

It was during my general active child period that I did the only thing I’ve ever done that approaches Trailtrekker in scope, namely the Lyke Wake Walk.  Which is 40 odd miles over the North Yorkshire Moors.  I did it in 13 and a half hours and enjoyed myself but lost a big toenail in the process.

The orienteering tailed off when we got a bit older but wanting to get fitter for horse-riding gave me a push to pick up running again in 6^th form and I’ve have a kind of on/off relationship with it since.  Bursts of 6 months of enthusiastic training, followed by pretty much the same amount of time off.  All through a gap year in the states, an undergraduate degree, a stunted attempt at a PhD, half a year of having a proper job, and an MSc during which everything got a bit much and I ended up living back at home at the age of 26.

It was at this point that I had my most serious bout of running.  I started doing a little bit then joined a running website to record my training, started talking to people on there and it all went a bit mental.  Over the next year and a bit I went from running my first ever 10K race to entering, training for and completing an off-road 22 mile race in under 4 hours.  Then I got injured and training became less consistent but I still managed to do a 2 day mountain marathon, do reasonably well at a 6 day orienteering festival and do several triathlons the following summer as well as doing the whole starting a new relationship thing with Stu.  On the whole I was quite fit at this point.

Unfortunately I then met a hurdle in the form of starting a PGCE.  I managed to keep running in dribs and drabs and even got a 10K PB by a few seconds and completed a half marathon during my PGCE year.  But it was just so full on just getting the teacher training done I stopped running towards the end of the year.  Anyway I passed, got a job and moved in with Stu and we got Oscar who kept me busy for the whole summer before starting work.  And a month or so into the new job I managed to acquire a horse – a life-long dream, but another thing to keep me very busy!   I didn’t really get started with the running again but did somehow manage to do enough training to get round a trail marathon early the following summer.  I think the longest run I did in training was 13 miles, so not very good training really but I ran/walked it and enjoyed myself and aside from the Lyke Wake Walk (which doesn’t really count because things you do when you are 13 don’t count by the time you’re 29!) that is the furthest I’ve run/walked!

So into my second year of teaching and by Christmas it was clear that it wasn’t really working for me.  Too stressed and although I loved the actual teaching I found coping with everything else that came with it basically impossible.  I handed in my notice with feelings of sadness but also a lot of relief.  We had gained a Hugo around this time as well so I threw myself into raising a puppy for a few months and just getting over the trauma!

I started running again in about May.  I joined a beginner runner class with the local running groups and for a while really enjoyed it and progressed.  I did a 5K race slower than I ever have but felt good about it and then joined a mixed ability group over the summer, again enjoying it.  I’ve also been walking the dogs further and further as Hugo has grown up and generally feeling much fitter than I have in a long while.  I managed to up the running distance a bit again and have done two 8/9 mile trail races this Autumn.  Still run/walking and very slow but enjoying them.  But I’ve managed to put myself off running with the running class due to having panic attacks at being left trailing at the back of the group (even when I wasn’t actually) and just generally struggling with running in company and not feeling like I’ve been progressing.  I’ve also not really managed to lose much weight and have found that quite frustrating as it would really help me run faster if I wasn’t lugging an extra stone or two around with me everywhere!  A month or so ago I hit a real motivation low and for a week or so considered giving up on the running altogether...

So how come I’ve ended up signing up for this Trailtrekker madness then?!  I think I’m just going to blame Dave as it is probably the easiest explanation.   Well Dave and Alix had already asked us way back in June time when I was feeling keen, so we had already kind of agreed to it.  They asked us again just as I was feeling utterly rubbish about running and I had a good long think about it, especially as my main worry about running in general is my lack of pace and Stu, Dave and Alix are all speedy people.  But in the end I have decided that it’ll get me motivated to get training and if it doesn’t then there’s no hope for me at all.  And it’s the kind of event I enjoy, longer distances over variable terrain with no obligation to run any of it but where you can run as much of it as you like.  And a team event – I always enjoy races more when they are done with good company... my running highlights have probably been the mountain marathon I did with Stu and the first 22 mile off-road event, again with Stu and the first half with our friend Heidi.  Fond memories both.  I’ve enjoyed the races I’ve done alone but not anywhere near as much, even though I liked completely setting my own pace.

And I really want to raise some money for a good cause as well.  I don’t do nearly enough.  I’m loath to ask for sponsorship for normal races, even marathons, just because they don’t (to me who has essentially been running all my life) feel like a challenge worthy of asking.  Although I should make clear that I don’t apply the same criteria to other people and am quite happy to sponsor others to run half a mile if I like the cause and respect what they are doing!   But yes I feel that 100km isn’t something I do every day or even every month or so, so I feel justified in raising a bit of money for Oxfam alongside training and taking part in this one.

I kind of left my “life” side of the story hanging there, what do I do with myself these days if I don’t teach then?  I said in an earlier blog that I’m Batman.... I’m not REALLY Batman, I’m now doing supply teaching.  Which is very much like being Batman, except you don’t get to Pow or Wham anyone and you don’t get a trusty side-kick who goes “crikey”.  It’s working so far though and I get to do some of the good bits of teaching with less of the bad.

I appear to like waffling on about myself – I do hope it has been vaguely interesting reading and not utter drudgery.  I am going to stop now though.   Here’s hoping my foot feels a bit better tomorrow!

Buttermere

Me and Stu took the boys for a walk today.  We were thinking about going to an orienteering event but after a bit of a slow start to the day we decided that a lap of Buttermere would probably be the best option.  Just under 4 miles and essentially flat it wasn’t taxing.  But it was very, very pleasant.  Plus my foot where Poppy the horse stood on it yesterday has bruised and swollen and was hurting where my shoes bent at the toe so I didn’t really want to push it.

We didn’t even get rained on, although there has clearly been a lot of rain down, the gills were full and the lake was high.

The boys had a lovely time racing round off-lead along the far side of the lake and were really well-behaved, not getting too far ahead and returning promptly when called, sitting and waiting nicely by the side of the path for a runner to go past and greeting nicely (Hugo) or just ignoring (Oscar) a rather nervous Pointer girl and a very serious older Labrador with a big stick.  Walks like this are nice because you see nearly 2 and a half years of patient and consistent training starting to pay off.

Having said that our big bug bear with both of them, mostly Oscar, is walking on a lead.  It is entirely our fault but we always prioritised getting as many places as possible over getting places without pulling... I’d make the same “mistake” again given how un-flappable and used to everything they both are but it does mean having to play catch up with the lead walking now they are well socialised.  And that is an ongoing and, at times, deeply frustrating task.  It is something I desperately want more under-control by the time Trailtrekker rolls around though,  having dogs that will walk nicely without pulling even when they think they should be off-lead and running around will make taking them out on the course with us a whole lot easier.  Plus I’ll feel better about leaving them with our support crew if I know some more robust lead manners are in place!

So far I have got them walking ok through the village at home without constant input from me and/or treats under their nose.   And they are both hit and miss in the local towns... going from hit to miss quite rapidly if I haven’t been very conscientious with training it for a bit.  And totally useless out on walks where they think they should be off or are going to be off soon.  But I have been working hard at it....

And today there was a glimmer, well a big glimmer – like a great big shiny light at the end of the tunnel glimmer – of the work paying off and that we might actually have a hope of having it nailed in six months time.  They had to go on and off the lead a couple of times around the top of the lake on a permissive path and through a field on the near side with some sheeps in.  I think they got a bit more settled into the idea that the lead happens.  We decided to try and see if they would respond to us stopping still when they pulled and work out that they needed to move back towards us and create a loose lead before we moved forwards again.  Something which works in the village but I wasn’t expecting it to work out on a “proper” walk.

 But miracles do happen!  Now Hugo was a bit all over the place (boomerang dog!) but Oscar astounded us, after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing  he just settled and started walking as if he never ever even dreamed about pulling on the lead!  It was such a revelation.

Will it ever happen again?  Hopefully!  I was so pleased with him though.

Buttermere is lovely; we are planning on doing quite a bit of training over that way.