Rise & shine......

While many of you were probably still in bed this morning, personal trainer & I hit the streets! I guess starting a walk at 7.25 on a Sunday morning is a bit of a shocker but we wanted to do a long one & were aware of the bad weather forecast for later.
So off we went....we walked 12.2 miles in 2hrs 46, quicker than last time but I think we had more energy as it was so early. It was 6' when we started, but felt quite cold. My legs were cold to begin with but once the sun came out, it was really warm at times. So I think that an early morning walk is good practise for the big night, different temperatures etc. We are seriously considering walking over night at some point to see how we would cope with the temperature & early hours, but more of that another time..!!
We do realise that it is not how fast we walk (although, again, we do want to try to keep our pace steady) but more about building up our stamina & getting our bodies used to physically walking for such a long time. Imagine walking for 7 to 8 hours.....!! This in itself is bringing me some real highs & lows during my walks....the highs are when I feel really motivated & am walking well & do believe that I CAN do this...the lows, when different parts of my body start to ache & doubts creep into my head & I really have to push myself to carry on. Luckily, I am managing to do this but do feel I am in the middle of a bit of a mental battle at the moment. The good book tells us that over half of the preparation is in the mind, how true this is!!
I actually enjoyed the final two miles today, maybe that sounds a bit sadistic??!! The final mile really drove me on to get home & we did it in 11 minutes, don't ask me how, but it actually felt OK!!!! I wasn't really aware that we had walked it so quickly either.
So on the whole, I am really pleased with how my training is going & whilst Tracey & I are walking more than the training guide suggests at this time, for us, it is working well. I think we all have to do what is best for ourselves, it is such a personal journey & different for everyone. For me, it is so personal for obvious reasons & I do think about my illness during my walks & I think this helps me mentally. I certainly try not to dwell on my past, this has become easier as the years have gone by, but try to use it to my advantage as much as possible, try to be positive & just so grateful that I am here & able to do this. Our lives seem to be so busy nowadays but there are so many things in our lives that we should all be really grateful for & I think it is so important not to forget them, life is too fragile & precious.
Trace & Dons also walked later on this morning. They did a really tough one with quite a few hills & walked for 2 hours, so well done to them especially as they are having a few problems at the moment. I hope that they will soon start to feel better.

The good thing about walking this morning is that I now have the rest of the day to chill & relax....

XX