Ok a little more detail at moment I am on a short break in noth wales trying to improve my walking. Hence irony number one as I have trouble walking any distance without it affecting the following few days.Just to add a goal to achieve we were planning on tackling Snowden yep thats right a gentle walk up a mountain. It normally takes around 6 hours return trip but had allowed 10.
But then the problems started when I decided to have a gentle walk on the and dunes and got a little diverted. A gentle 3 miles turned into around 6 miles . So snowden is postponed.
Ironey number 2. For the last few weeks I have been doing a volunteer walk leader job. I qualified a couple of years ago after a lot of help. It has been great to put it into practice but I explained to them that for someone who has trouble walking any distance this may not be an ideal job to do.
Their reply stunded me but made sense. They explained that people were reluctantto join a group and have to keep up with normally fully fit walk leaders. I would be able to set a more realistic pace.
Dont you love it when others see the bigger picture. Just thought I would pass this little gem on ...for no reason ..maybe because of the strange weekend I have had, any way hope you enjoyed my little piece of irony.
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paxo05
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it is good, isn't it, to be able to wave a flag in this time-pressured age, for the fact that living life at a million miles an hour actually isn't always the best way to be. OK so we might have learned the hard way, but our stories can really make people stop and think - and who knows, may prevent the odd catastrophe as a result.
You are the ideal walk leader to set a slower pace that others can cope with : )
I have to go at the pace of my spasticity, this gradually gets slower as time goes on and muscles get more tired.No way could I consider walking with a 'normal' pace group.I used to do some hillwalking in the past with a rambling group- even did the Yorkshire 3 peaks a few years ago.Probably wouldn't make it halfway up 1 now ! : ))
Still, we are mobile and must be grateful for that. Snowdon will still be there when you are ready : )
I'm happy to walk with my dog locally on the park etc these days and I can set my own pace : ) x
I think it's great to know I'm not the only one "put off" joining walking / hiking group for that very reason - that I would think everyone else would be superfit and I would be puffing behind - would love to know if local groups would have a more realistic pace.
Probably the same for any bike group I've seen advertised here in Cambs - they "expect " you to be able to do 12 miles minimum - wherease I would like to bike maybe 3 miles and see how I felt ....
Same goes for the gym I belong to ( I swim regularly - tho less often than before BI) - gyms seem to be full of fit/slim people - whereas I would like a " get fit " class ....
When I was with the ramblers they had 3 categories of walks :
Group A,where you practically ran long distances !
B, that covered less distance at a more moderate pace and
C, that had a gentle scenic stroll for a few miles.
Perhaps you could look into it.I would have considered it myself but as I slow down to a minimal waddle I think I would be hard pressed to maintain even a C pace ! x
It sounds wonderful! Sometimes I look at job positions, activities i think I could not possibly be competent to fulfill, enjoy or take part, but if we turn it to 'lateral thinking' and go for it, often the result is positive. Congratulations! As others have stated, I am sure there are many people who would want to enjoying a rambling club, but due to work commitments etc, their fitness is not optimal for high level 100 miles hikes, it is great for you and them! I guess the saying 'if you don't ask you don't get' fits the equation. Post BI life has made me slow down and I often have more time to appreciate the the sea view I live right by for the last 20 years but have been too busy to appreciate!
Thing is I cant remember asking about becomeing a walk leader. Infact I know I didnt ask because they have admitted I was sort of talked into doing it.
However it happened I am glad it did. Unfortunatley it is not improving my walking like I hoped it would. Still takes a day preparing and at least another one or two days to recover.
Even so I feel great being part of something. I only hope it continues although I have warned them I struggle in the winter. Thaks for your encouragement.
It is great to be part of something. I found it gives me purpose and structure to my week. I volunteer for a charity housing trust, and like you I rest the day before and I am wiped out finishing at 4 pm (and that is with a 10 am start and an hour lunch break), and spend next day or two recovering, but I have over a 10 month period that my fatigue has improved.
Little steps I was advised, and perhaps for you too, though not literally in your walking :). I am not so great in the winter too, my spascitity worsens, but I think we are better in when the weather is better, would you not agree? The parks and walks are busier when weather is bright. perhaps time will improve your walking?
My yoga is restorative I attend and most ladies are retired. I was useless to begin with and felt a fool because I could keep up with instructions or I would wobble or fall over. I felt quite embarrassed and nearly stop attending, but ladies started talking and gave me encouragement to attend. I still fall over a lot
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