I couldn't go like that at present mate ........ you are doing the right thing building up. If I got back on now I would be ignoring my stats until I was good enough to get benefit from them.
On my long-distance walks I've occasionally ended up doing over 20 miles, including on 1 occasion 26 miles along the Cheviots ridge on the Pennine Way. Most of these walks start off with a full English in a country pub somewhere, then a stiff climb up high throughout the morning, followed by lunch either from my rucksack or from a pub/cafe. If it's a pub, a couple of pints go down well. In the afternoon a nap for an hour is in order, followed by (terrain permitting) another pub or two. Early evening (daylight permitting) usually involves an early meal, yep, in a pub, followed by another climb up to start looking for a campsite. Tent up after 22-25 miles, as it starts to get dark. The entire process takes 12-13 hours. On such days I often think of marathon runners and marvel at their fitness, but then they don't get to experience the nature as I do. I do so miss those days.
I could almost get the buzz back ............ 2 in 2 days, two years ago. Find myself asking "how the F did I manage that?"
Walking is all I can manage at the moment but my son and daughters are enjoying their runs. Tbh, taking the dog out us the highlight if the day, usually when theres work/normal routine etc it gets rushed apart from on a weekend.
Out of interest what kind of bike would the experts recommend for someone who would be going on roads but would like to be able to go off as well around the bridleways of Barnsley? Not bothered about breaking the landspeed record or anything but also wouldn't be just tootling around at 1mph.
A hybrid. Me and my mates started about 10 years ago with the intention of doing the coast to coast route from Whitehaven to Sunderland, a route that is just that - a mixture of road and off road gravel paths etc. We asked the local bike shop what bike would be suitable and they recommended a hybrid, so that's what we all got. We did that ride and a few other similar rides over the years. We've now graduated to road bikes and mostly do that round where we live.
It's easy if you train properly for it. People are just too lazy and unhealthy to get off their backsides.
Thanks the reply, I'd read about hybrids but don't know too much about the different types of bike. When I was a lad it was mountain, BMX or racer. What is the benefit of a road bike over a hybrid if I end up doing more road than random paths?
A road bike will normally have drop handlebars, no suspension and a frame set up that's only suitable for riding on fairly smooth roads, they will also be lighter on the whole and have different gearing ratios. But that will give you more speed than a hybrid or mountain bike would which are built for comfort and manoeuvrability off road. Nowadays there's also cyclo-cross and gravel bikes to consider which are like road bikes but with enough clearance in the forks to take wider off road tyres. Bit of a minefield really. I've currently got a Planet X "Maratona" carbon road bike and a Planet X "London Road" bike, which is aimed at commuters but built with pot holed roads in mind - the London Road it's named after being the one in Sheffield, so given that it's not bad for a bit of off road riding as well.
I spent a few days on holiday at Wells-next-the-sea last year and really liked the whole area - that's a nice little route.
Very good! But not the case. After I finished my degree in Chemistry my first job was with a company called Pye Unicam in Cambridge and there was a woman who looked after the lab glassware called Gladys. She and her husband were shareholders at Cambridge United so we talked a lot of footy and obviously I was enthusiastic about the Reds who were in the process of getting promotion from the 4th division. As a student I was a long-haired hippy type and my hair was still a bit on the long side, she christened me "The Barnsley Brush".
We do though I think - there are road marathons but also trail marathons, which are cross-country where you are jumping over stiles, etc. Then there are ultra-marathons, which are again rarely road-based. I particularly enjoy these because they are stamina-based, like your long distance walks. I've done a few of these, e.g., a 2-day 66 mile run along the North Downs Way. You even get to stay in a tent. Obviously because the distances are challenging, you drop your pace to a very slow jog, about 10 minute per mile pace, and as the challenge for normal people is to complete the distance, you aren't racing as such, there are regular walking breaks and food/aid stations. Patience is the name of the game with these things, as men in particular are prone to go out too fast in every race and you just know you'll pick most of them off later.
