Winter Blues

The end of 2022 and the start of 2023 saw colder, darker, shorter, snowier days which coincided with a heavy work schedule and busy winter season in the chalet. Weekends became pretty much the only opportunity to walk and motivation was at an all-time low. Over time I have realised that if I don't go out walking first thing, but instead put it off until later - then guess what - later generally never arrives. I always begin the day with the best of intentions to ensure that I get out, but as the day progresses the motivation levels wane somewhat and I manage to find other things which miraculously take priority. Maybe evidence as mentioned earlier, that I am inherently lazy! I didn't find walking quite so enjoyable, often wading through deep snow, trying to avoid slipping on patches of ice and as spring approached squelching through ankle-high slush. It was cold, wet, at times uncomfortable and heavy-going. However, I persevered and have found that I never feel any worse for having been for a walk and in fact often feel much better for it, even if returning home cold, tired and wet.

Having completed the last few days at work in early April, Easter weekend saw a trip back to the UK for a wedding and a much-needed catch-up with family and friends. The last visit ‘home’ was almost two years ago, also for a family wedding. This had been a trip plagued with Covid challenges, including us having to quarantine on arrival for 10 days, although managing to get early release after 6. Thankfully it was August and the weather was hot, hot, hot, so most of the time was spent in the garden, in between answering regular official phone calls to check up on our whereabouts and to make sure we were still isolating.

On arriving back in the UK this time, a punishing (self-inflicted) schedule meant free time was at a premium with little opportunity to get out walking. However, a regular early morning programme was quickly put in place, just to ensure we kept active. Although not walking for long periods of time, I wanted to introduce the self-discipline of getting up early, getting out of the door and getting active, in spite of how enthusiastic I might be feeling about it once the alarm went off; which was usually not. The plan for the Camino will be to get up quite early (time TBC) and get most of the day’s walking completed by early afternoon, ensuring we have time to rest and recharge and also to avoid the hottest parts of the day if temperatures are on the high side. As mentioned in a previous post, I do enjoy early mornings but I don’t normally combine these with 5-7 hours of being active every day, so we’ll have to wait and see how that pans out.

In fact I have just received the above link from my sister regarding the weather in Spain this week! Although the article does seem to be more focussed on the centre/South of the country whereas we'll be walking in the Northern part.

Living in the mountains, it’s easy to forget just how beautiful the rolling, green countryside of the UK is. We walked in various locations albeit usually in the rain and the wind! We walked in Richmond Park (with the deer), on Epsom Downs (with the racehorses), on Wimbledon Common (with all the dog walkers), by the River Thames (with the Canada Geese and swans), in the Malvern Hills (with the cattle), along the River Severn (with my sister-in-law's dog!) and in the Cotswolds (with the sheep, lambs, pheasants and hares careering across the fields in the early morning mist and dew). We had also planned a trip to the Forest of Dean but unfortunately this was scuppered as we ran out of time and, to be honest, energy. It was a busy time, with us sleeping in 6 different beds in two weeks; we quickly began rating them based on 4 criteria: hardness of mattress, size, overall general comfort and how good a night’s sleep we had. If any of our hosts would like feedback, I am happy to provide a copy of our summary ;-)

Being Spring, it was a beautiful time of year to get out and about; witnessing everything coming to life. However, I had forgotten just how windy the UK can be and one day walking in the Malverns (which admittedly are very exposed) was almost blown off my feet. It was difficult to stay upright and I gave up trying to use my walking poles as they were blown sideways before I could plant them. One difference I have found between walking in France and the UK, apart from it being much windier in the UK, is that I normally keep the same layers of clothing on in France for the duration of my walk. However, back in Blighty I find myself starting with 3 layers, very quickly going down to 2, then 1, then back up to 3, several times in just a couple of hours. No idea why, maybe a difference in humidity levels or experiencing 4 seasons pretty much all in one day in the UK?

Although managing to fit in a fair amount of exercise, the downside of visiting family and friends and enjoying amazing hospitality is that I feel I have eaten my way around the South East and South West of England for a full two weeks. Not a day has gone by without enjoying a much-missed take-away (generally fish & chips or curry), wonderful home-cooked roast dinner, desserts, brunches, at least two cream teas and numerous stops for a ‘quick cup of tea’ when out on a shopping spree, which was inevitably accompanied by some type of highly-calorific chunk of carbohydrate. In fact one breakfast time following an early morning walk, cold and hungry I found myself tucking into a large slice of Lardy Cake, very aptly named, as this is exactly how I’m now feeling as our trip draws to a close.

I am writing this post on a DFDS ferry, mid-Channel, on the way back home; tired but happy. We have a few busy days in front of us before heading off on Friday for the Pyrenees, with a walking start date of Monday 1st May. So far the weather forecast for our first day up and over the mountains into Spain is looking quite favourable, but we all know how quickly things can change in a week. So it’s back to a load of unpacking from our UK trip (after fussing over our much-missed cats), getting the washing machine going, packing up again for a trip which will last 2½ months and getting our home ready for the arrival of our house sitters on Thursday, who will be looking after our chalet and aforementioned feline friends in our absence.

Following a few months of pure excitement at the prospect of our walking adventure, I must admit to the arrival over the past few days of an ever-increasing nagging doubt as the start date approaches. Intrusive negative thoughts have begun popping into my head, usually focused on my level of fitness, my resilience, my niggling aches and pains and the lack of comfort and control we’ll be experiencing during our journey. I’ve even woken up during the night on a couple of occasions in a cold sweat, following a bad dream about being a complete failure and things going spectacularly wrong. Maybe I'll just tuck into another chunk of Lardy Cake to console myself . . . . . .