Cycling up the hill

This was Wednesday . . . 

. . . and this was yesterday . . .

To say that it rained would be an understatement; it simply poured for several hours non-stop.  Yes, it watered the garden (again) and filled the water butts up (again) but it also threatened to wash-out something we had been really looking forward to.

Ryde was hosting the first leg of the cycling Tour Series (some good action photos on the official site) and along with a few thousand other locals we braved some dodgy weather conditions to watch and cheer.  And we weren't disappointed - it was great.  There were team time trials in the afternoon, each team of 5 (ten teams in all) aiming to post the fastest time around 2 laps of the circuit, and then the main race in the evening.  The start-finish line was on the Esplanade, and the course involved a bit of a climb up one of the main shopping streets in town (I try to avoid walking up this particular street if possible ;o ).  Watching pro-cycle road racing on TV doesn't really prepare you for the live spectacle; it is quite thrilling to see the riders racing flat-out uphill on each and every circuit.  I tried to get some action photos but to be honest, they were whizzing past me so fast, the pictures were a bit of a blur.

In the end I gave up and simply enjoyed the occasion.  As well as the 9 professional teams, there was a guest team made up of local riders, who received huge cheers of encouragement whenever they flew past.

Rounding the corner from the Esplanade, the pier in the background

The lead pack on their way up the hill

Thankfully the rain just about held off for the race to finish in the dry.  The event was incredibly well supported by locals - it's not often we host something like this - and the atmosphere was fantastic.  Pounding music, great commentary, enthusiastic spectators and incredible athletes.  It would be great if the tour returns next year; apart from the kudos of hosting, several parts of the course were re-surfaced in preparation for the race.  Good to see the back of a few potholes.

A new mantra

Forgive me if I witter on again about the walk on Sunday but I am still elated that I completed it - and it's a tick off the Bucket List.  For several days beforehand I had something of a confidence crisis and was convinced that I would have to drop out en route, and it wasn't until I had actually started walking that I felt the pressure i had put on myself begin to  ease.  As I passed each checkpoint my confidence increased, I was feeling pretty good and the task seemed more doable.  Walking for 8 1/2 hours non-stop gives you plenty of time for reflection and I did quite a bit of that.

I was amazed, and still am, that I didn't have one blister as a result of my 26+ mile jaunt; paying very careful attention to my footwear really paid off.  The walking socks I bought last week were so comfortable and cushioned my feet wonderfully, and I wore trainers rather than walking boots as they were wider and allowed my feet to swell without pinching which would have resulted in rubbing and then the dreaded blisters, so I was pretty chuffed that my preparation paid off so well.  Apart from sore hip joints, I don't seemed to have fared too badly.  I found the secret is to keep moving; if I sit down for too long, things tend to seize up ;) 

Anyway, it's all back to business this week, and I seem to be energised by my success.  Lists are being compiled and steadily worked through; things are getting done.  I recently came across a phrase on a blog I read (and I wish I could remember or had made a note of which blog it was so I could acknowledge it) which really resonated with me.   "Doing it gets it done".   Simple, obvious and so very true.  Why try to complicate matters?  If I want something done, I need to get on and do it; it won't get done if I only think about it or just talk about it, I need to action it.  So that is what I am trying to do now, and it seems to be working.  

It's bright and light by 5.30 in the mornings now, and we're up and about soon after, making the most of these wonderful long days.  By 9.30 we're looking for our mid-morning cuppa, lol!  Lots of work in the garden, and I'm making a start on some of the odd jobs in the house that were put to one side in the renovations last year.  It's quite a long list but breaking it down into small tasks makes it much more manageable, and I keep reminding myself that 'doing it gets it done'.  And so it does.

Putting my best foot forward

 

I went for a walk on Sunday.  A very long walk.  To be specific, 26.5 miles from one end of the Island to the other, through some of the best countryside you will see.  I was not alone; there were several thousand of us, all putting our best foot forward to raise money for our local hospice through the annual trek across the Island.  

I have never tackled the whole walk before, although it is always something I have wanted to do.  We have done the 'Flat Walk' on three occasions, joining with grandchildren and grandparents on an 8-mile, less arduous route (although still a test when you are 5 or 82!), and last year N and I did the first half of the main walk.  My son managed the full walk 10 years ago, and a couple of years ago, N's daughter did it.  It was time for me to step up to the mark, too.

I started walking at 7.30am at Bembridge Airport and finished at Alum Bay just before 4pm.  With the exception of a couple of short 'comfort stops', I walked non-stop; I knew if I sat down at any time, I probably wouldn't get going again.  Many times I was reminded just what a beautiful place it is we live in, although towards the end I was concentrating so much on just putting one foot in front of the other that the scenery was almost overlooked.  I had planned to take lots of photos along the way, but soon realised that it just wasn't practical to keep stopping to get a picture, not with so many other walkers - and quite a number of dogs, too - to consider.  I did make a point of getting my progress card filled in at each of the check-points, though.  

Unfortunately N wasn't able to walk with me.  It became clear, on some practice walks we did earlier this month, that the damage he did to his knee at the end of last year meant he simply couldn't undertake a walk of anything like that length.  So I walked on my own and he provided invaluable support via the mobile.  And I must say that there was huge support from all the marshalls and check-point volunteers along the way, which was great and much appreciated.

Tennyson's monument

The coloured sands of Alum Bay, and a glimpse of the finish

The blue and white archway, the official finish line - a very welcome sight indeed

The final leg from Freshwater Bay up and over Tennyson Down was tough.  It's along steady climb to the monument on top of the Down but the walk is still far from over.  Right out to the far westerly tip of the Island before doubling back down to Alum Bay; I had to dig deep.  But at last there is a glimpse of the finish line, and a final push to the end.

I crossed the line and had a 25th anniversary medal hung around my neck.  I found myself quite emotional for a few seconds, but elated.  I had Walked the Wight.  And not one blister!

You don't know what you can do unless you try.

And now the counting starts ....

. . . but first, some shopping trials ...

Some days, I potter along very productively, getting things done and feeling that I have achieved.  I had high hopes that today was going to be one of those days.  Hmm, perhaps I was being too optimistic ;)  We had planned a shopping trip for a number of items, and all was fine at the first shop - exactly what we wanted, no problem.  Onto the next stop, where I discovered the item I was after wasn't made in the length I required; you didn't get a choice of lengths in the smaller or the biggest sizes.  The item in question is a pair of jeans and I was really pleased to find some that actually have a pretty good fit on me so I went ahead and bought them anyway, using a giftcard I'd been given for my birthday, and I'll just have to take the hems up myself.  OK, we press on.  The haberdashers didn't have any magnetic bag catches, they sold out yesterday *sigh*.  I'll have to go back in next week.  Next shop, and after a lot of deliberation and consultation with the assistant (who was very helpful), I bought what I wanted, some walking socks to replace my very old ones which now have holes in them.  Next up, another birthday gift card (I was spoiled this year) to be spent on some toiletries/cosmetics.  I hadn't got more than 4 steps inside the shop before I was accosted by the assistant who bombarded me with questions as to what I wanted.  Now, if I have to go shopping, and it's not my favourite pastime, I like to do it on my terms.  If I want help, I will ask for it.  Needless to say, I did not buy what I intended to, indeed I walked out without buying anything.

Back home, and I spent some time outside trying to finish off a gardening task that has been hanging around for a while.  It should have been straightforward  but, as so often happens, it was being anything but, and it's still not completed.  It did seem to be one of those days.

I decided, late this afternoon, that I ought to try on the walking socks I bought.  First pair fit beautifully and are really comfy.  Second pair are about 2 inches too long in the foot.  They are a completely different size, maybe mens 9-11, not ladies 4-7.  I am not happy.  Not at all.  Back in the car, back into town, back to the shop.  Grrr!  The assistant agreed that the socks were not the size stated and found me an alternative.  I now have a second pair of socks of the style I wanted, in a size that fits.  Hurrah!  

Today was also election day.  I dutifully toddled off bright and early to cast my vote - votes for women were very hard fought for (and, indeed, died for), so I feel it is important to use mine.  My daughter is being a polling clerk in her local constituency today, and at the 1997 election, I was a counter of ballot papers after the polling stations had closed.  It was a fascinating opportunity, but I was surprised just how nerve-wracking it was.  I think it made me aware, possibly for the first time, that elections are a serious business, regardless of personal politics. I remember feeling a real sense of duty, and when there are party agents prowling around the counting tables, demanding you recount the papers because they think you got it wrong, it can actually be a bit scary. (I didn't count incorrectly, and they knew I hadn't, but they just wanted to unnerve me.)  We will probably stay up for some of the results, and I will be thinking of all the people working through the night to get the results in.  And I shall sympathise with any constituency that faces a re-count!

Bluebells, and a tail-less visitor

The sun shone yesterday (at least until late afternoon, when it rained again) but we took full advantage of a break in the weather and went for a walk.

The bluebells are just beginning to fade a little but a woodland carpeted with blue is still a lovely Spring sight.  

 Our walk took us to the top of a steep hill and to this memorial, built by a local land-owning family to commemorate the death in WW1 of one of their sons.  I've driven past it so many times but this was the first time I've climbed the hill to see it.  The views across the Island from the top are pretty far-reaching, but my camera sadly doesn't do justice to big landscapes.  I could see for a very long way, though.

Today has been so windy, all day.  It was also rubbish collection day, so we've had wheelie-bins and assorted rubbish flying around.  The guttering came adrift from the shed roof, necessitating an emergency repair, and at one point I had concerns for the conservatory roof - some very ominous whistling noises could be heard.  There were 'white horses' on the Solent and I'm rather glad I wasn't on the ferry.  More of the same tomorrow, apparently.

We've had a little visitor in the garden for the past week or so, this baby blackbird seems to have taken up residence with us.  He's very recognisable as he has no tail feathers at all, and consequently looks a bit stumpy.  He hides under the water butts and once somehow managed to get himself trapped inside the small meshed raised bed - N had to come to his rescue and show him the way out.  Hopefully those feathers will grow soon; he looks a little forlorn without them.

Brrr - it's Bank holiday weekend

Bank holiday weekend, so it goes without saying the weather is cold, wet and windy.  Actually, it's really cold, or certainly feels it, we even joked (I think) about putting the heating back on.  We didn't - phew! - just dug out an extra layer or two instead.  The rain has, of course, been great for the garden and replenished the water-butts again, so I shouldn't complain too loudly.

Unpacking the shopping bag (home-made) after walking into town and back (saving petrol), fruit in home-made produce bags (so no plastic bags) and yes, it was cold enough for gloves (handmade) in May!

It's been a weekend for pottering about the house and keeping an eye on progress in the garden.  I have some knitting on the go, a small sewing project cut out and pinned, and a quilting project being calculated on the back of a used envelope (where else?)  I've also spent some time altering a pair of walking trousers, and by the time I had finished it might have been easier to make a new pair from scratch.  The waistband came off, two pockets removed, another pocket replaced, side seams taken in and waistband lowered and replaced.  All in all, a lot of unpicking and fiddling about but the end result is a pair of trousers that fit better and doesn't look two sizes too big.  And it hasn't cost me a bean.

And now it's May

May.  One third of the way through the year - good grief!  

I had a lovely walk yesterday, clocking up about 8 1/2 miles in just under 2 1/2 hours; the pace was a bit fast and as it was all along pavements and tarmac surfaces, my feet did complain a little by the end.  I think I should slow down a bit next time.  A good walk, nevertheless, there's so much greenery about now and everything just looks fresh and new.  

At the end of each month I've got into the habit of looking back over the month and looking forward to the next, and it's been quite an interesting exercise.  Unlike the first three months, April didn't really have a focus or particular project, and that may be why it has seemed a bitty sort of month.  It was a time to take stock, I guess, and see where we were heading next.  Lots of odd bits were sorted out and we finished off most of the garden projects we had planned and the veg planting is well under way. We had a lovely holiday in Spain which we made the most of.  There have been some things that have required our attention and made us stop and consider, and that has been quite thought-provoking.

So if April was a stock-taking month, then May is time to move forward again, and to that end I have a list again.  One project remains in the garden and that will be done this month.  I have a long-outstanding task (which has been cropping up on lists now for several months to no avail) which I will do this month.  I have some sewing projects that have reached the top of my craft list and I intend to at least start those this month, too.  And there is a personal challenge I have set myself this month.  Quite a few other bits and pieces besides, but I shall be more than happy to achieve these specific items.  And along the way, stuff appears that wasn't expected or planned for, and that needs to be factored in, sometimes at the expense of something else.  That's how it goes.  That's life.  It's all about the balance.