h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just applied to join the Ramblers' Association. They do have a local group, but their shortest walk is five miles! I can walk that far, but it usually involves a walk to the high street, some gentle shopping followed by a sit down and a to prepare for the return home. That's about five miles, but I often take nearly three hours. I'm not sure I could just wander around for that length of time. I'll try it for a year, and if I don't like it, or don't keep to it, I don't have to sign up again.

I'm determined to get fit, and although a friend of mine keeps telling me that I should go to the gym because it's better for me, I think walking is more suitable. It's weight-bearing for my bones, I can take the dogs and my son (although I'm worrying about taking him on too many walks because I don't want him burning off too many calories. He's supposed to be putting on weight, not taking it off!), and I think it's exercising every muscle in my body - and I can add my leg weights when I've had a bit more practise. I used to wear them all the time when J was younger and I walked a lot more places, mostly pushing a buggy and dragging the poor dog. Winter might make me change my mind, but I hope not.

I've been reading that we only need to walk 30 mins a day for health - I walk that when I'm at work, even if it is only between public transport and the buildings, but for weight loss apparently I need an hour a day. I can't always manage that, especially the days I'm at work - although with J being out of school now and I haven't got to sit down with him to make sure he does his homework I'm hoping to walk more in the evenings so that I can do my hour. And I'm still counting my steps as well. Today's score is so far 6947. I've made a little chart on a spreadsheet, but only really for fun. Although I can see I'm obviously knackered by Wednesday, because of the four weeks I've been counting, that's usually the crappest day.

I forgot to say that of the month I've been doing this, I've only hit my target on six days. I do blame work for that, although it's no excuse, because I can see from the spreadsheet that in the weeks I'm working I don't hit it even once, although I do hit over 7000 most days. Hmm, that's a porky. Let's say I hit 5000 most days, and 7000 at least half the week when I'm working. I've been off this week, so I've hit the target three times.

Eventually I'll be getting it every day without even noticing!

"Eventually I'll be getting it every day without even noticing!"

*snigger*

Well, that walk of 5 miles shouldn't take much longer than an hour, providing there ain't any breaks in it I'm used to walking a lot though

I'm hoping to get it in the woods most of the time. And also I'm hoping to get it when I'm on holiday in Scotland.

Five miles in an hour? I don't think I'm up to that standard yet - it takes me around 40 minutes to do two miles.

Well somewhere between four and five miles an hour is a 'good' walking pace, if you've done a lot anyhow.... I'm not so good as I used to be, but I used to do a lot of hiking, often with darn great huge rucksacks you'l get there eventually

"you're walking. and you don't always realize it, but you're always falling. with each step you fall forward slightly. and then catch yourself from falling. over and over, you're falling. and then catching yourself from falling. and this is how you can be walking and falling at the same time."

walking & falling Laurie Anderson

Good luck with that and try to teach them to be polite.

They walk around here along the Wandle River and often force me off the path, never say thank you if you stand back for them and are very rude indeed!

Where I grew up in the West Country, ramblers never behaved like that, it was quite shocking to see their behaviour. We are taught respect though for farmers fields and loads of other rules and stuff, which I doubt they bothered with here, they just march through like they have a divine right.

Rant over!

You could always take up golf...

Loads and loads of walking in that (especially if you're a beginner ). I'm trying to convince my eldest to join me on the local course some afternoon get her interested in something outdoors in the bright sun rather than pouring over her books all day.

Though I guess I *am* proud she loves to read so much.

I'll try Kaz, that's townies for you I guess!!

I'm not sure I'd like golf Jimi - I listened to 'alternative' comedians too much when I was younger and I've sort of absorbed a weird hatred of it. Young and impressionable I was!!

I like it that J reads as well, although he needs to get outside, for vitamin D if nothing else! Why not buy her a wildlife book? Get her outside identifying birds , insects or plants . She's got the best of both worlds then.

I spent my childhood in the garden identifying and studying insects etc and I still do it now, its a good habit to be aware of and understand the world around you!

I've always loved walking but loathed golf: I don't know who it was
who said that 'it's a good walk, ruined'.
I think the longest walk I have been on is about 20 miles. At the end of that your hands are swollen and your feet sore, but you feel like you've accomplished something. And that first pint in the pub tastes SO sweet.
Some tips if you're know that at some point you'll going out on a long walk for the first time. First, harden your feet up by swabbing with some surgical spirit each night. Second, get some surgical tape from Boots and tape your heels and the balls of your feet to avoid blisters. That ought to cushion the impact upon tender feet more used to running up and down stairs.

This is a splendid book for getting to know the countryside:
http://www.summertimeltd.co.uk/experience/countryside.htm

Ramblers should have extra incentive to behave like grown ups..... I think the longest walk I did was on the Coast to Coast walk, towards teh end, we were running out of money as we'd spent a lot of it on booze anyhow, we had our return train tickets from the end of the walk, so the last four days were something of the ilk of 35 miles, 25 mile, 40 miles and 25 miles, and we was somewhat absolutely exausted by teh end I remember wehn we arrived and came into the town, and headed straight for this shop and bought a ton of choc and then collapsed by a wall and stuffed our faces with the choc till we found the energy to get up and find the train station doubt I could manage even just 25 miles in a day now

I like walking

The people at my new job were all coming up with whacky ways in which I could avoid tacking a 20 minute walk onto my work journey each way. There's no way I can make time for a 40 minute walk into my day otherwise, and I'm really unfit now, so I'm actually quite pleased about it (I may not be when it's cold and wet, of course ), but they just couldn't understand this.

There's nothing quite like a really, really long hike taking all day, either. And you get back home thinking, that was so good - I could easily do a bit more! ... and then conk out into the world's deepest sleep .

J might want to eat more if he's exercising more, too.

I'm finding that living in an attic flat..and the associated stairs..is forcing better cardiovascular health on me whether i want it or not. At least I hope it will soon. Lugging the groceries upstairs by myself in one go really makes me feel unfit

I think I got a dinky little step counter from a Walkers crisp bag hanging around here somewhere, I'm curious now to see what I walk each day. The funniest thing I saw when I first got to Scotland were all the handwritten signs on the McDonalds saying that they were out of the step counters they had on promotion. What lifestyles won't people pretend to engage for a freebie, eh? Hehe.

Oh it certianly boosts ones appertite I relaly don't think I oculd do thos e ten to twelve hour long days of hicking anymore, at least not with a stone and a half rucksack on I'm so unfit these days... cpmaired to what I was when like 16 or 17 we did a lot of cycling and connoeing/camping trips too maybe I should look see if theres a local rambling association round here I've still got my relaly expensive pair of hiking boots, though they're remained in teh cupboard the last few years I must have walked hundreds apon hundreds of miles in those boots My Brother is a good walker too though he's taller than me and I have to struggle a bit to keep up with his long strides

Yeah, you could award him with something calorie dense like a milkshake (or if we're thinking health, a fruit and frozen yogurt smoothie or something). Trouble for me would be resisting buying one for myself..

How do you manage walking with being blind? It must be difficult.

Well, all that hiking I did was when I could still see, so I could do all the map reading etc.... Now of course I'd need a sighted person to do all that kinda stuf I can get meself round the areas I know, urban areas on me own, as I know them but wouldn't be much use on my own out in the great outdoors