The difference a day makes......

2 Days, 2 different experiences, and the difference.....me and the lurg.

But first, a subtle rant. As this blog progresses, these rants will become more common.

I got a mail today from an old work colleague, who I haven’t spoke to in at least 3 years. And what was it for? A call out of concern for my heart attack he’s just learnt about? A shout out for getting out and about? No. It was to let me know he’s been made redundant, so to 'Find Himself' he’s going on a 3 month bicycle tour of Europe, so could we all donate to help him upgrade his 2 month old bike for the new one that’s 5 gram lighter. Errrrr....no.

However, This has prompted me to register for 'Buy Me A Coffee' which as the sentence says, lets people donate to keep me caffeinated and fuelled up for whatever this is. If anyone wants to support me in this madness, you can do so at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Draconusde

Back to the blog....

So, after the shocking weather, followed by a week of late shifts, ive been lacking in my walks. So yesterday I mad a consolidated effort to get back out properly. Thanks to a great little site I found, https://stocksbridge-walkers.org.uk, I have a whole host of new options to try in coming months I hope. The first one that caught my eye is what is called on the site as the Fox Valley inclusive walk (?). What this actually is Stocksbridge to Deepcar via the all-new paved pathway. About 3 miles there and back, its a pleasant and easy route, following (very roughly) the old path I used to walk down 30 years ago to go both fishing, and to a certain pub down there (or 3)

The new oaths make it a breeze to walk compared with the claustrophobic overgrown path it used to be, and the route is great for families, dog walkers, or those trying in vain to get some movement back into his packed up shell. Route wise the only thing to watch is in the first stretch, as you cross a bridge....you need to cross the new estate road, and over the train line to carry on.

The route brings you out on the road connecting Deepcar and the haunted bypass, and in my case it made sense to go up onto the main road and walk back to the starting point. A great run, and next time I'll get some pictures now I have my bearings..

So onto today.....with a slight interlude.

So in order to motivate me, even though it’s counter intuitive in one sense, I have stared signing up to walking challenges. i.e - pay x amount, walk x amount , get a medal. And it;s really working for me. I don’t know if it’s a case of I’ve paid the money, I’m not going to waste it, or the childish delight of getting a medal, but it works so bring out the bunting. So far I have completed 3, 2 at 20k, and 1 at 80. So much so that I’m not going to sign up to the 20k ones for daily motivation, as I’m now doing 20k in 3 or 4 days, so there’s no motivation there. I am currently doing a 100 mile one, and when I looked this morning, I had just under 8 mile left to complete it. So, because I'm not right in the head, my thought process went like this......

If I go on my regular walk, to Underbank along the bike track between there and Fox Vally, that takes about 5 mile. So what if I do that, but the reverse direction to normal, then carry on from Fox Valley to Deepcar, stop off in the pub there, and come back. I can do the perfectly reasonable two days walk in one, and finish the challenge. No. No I can't. Maybe when it’s warmed up a bit, and more importantly I wasn’t full of something in between a bad cold and mild flu, perhaps. And on a day it wasn’t after work. And when I was used to it more.

Long story short, I made it on the usual track, and managed to make it home without collapsing but feeling very sick and woozy. So hopefully will finish the challenge tomorrow. On the walk itself, it was quite unnerving doing it the opposite way to normal. Going along the main road from the centre of Stocksbridge, across the reservoir overflow, and up onto the track which runs parallel to the haunted bypass was a pleasant change, and remarkably easier for me, lurgy or not, due to the slightly easier gradient up to the highest Points. Although the much steeper decent into Fox Valley was a little uncomfortable on the back of the legs, but easily doable . The pleasant woodland walk is let down a little by the noise of the traffic as it thunders along the road just the other side of the trees, but if your walking with headphones this isn’t a distraction. It is interesting to note the damage done by the recent weather, with broken trees everywhere you look.