At 268 miles, with some of the toughest ascent in the country, I think the Penine Way may be a bit more than I can realistically take on. Besides this, the sheer length of the route would make logistics very tricky ( especially as I almost certainly wouldn't be strong enough to carry any camping gear), but the key factor for me is the weather. Whilst I don't mind ( and even expect!) a bit of rain during the British Summer, it's the wind that does it for me. My last walking weekend away ended in diasaster when we attempted a ramble in a howling gale. I literally couldn't stand up against it, and managed only ten paces at a time before being blown over into the heather. In the end, a strong gentleman had to take me by the arm and escort me most of the way home. As many parts of the Penine Way are exposed and remote, high winds would likely be quite an issue at times. Clearly, I have to get some more ballast first! As such, I won't be attempting the Penine Way this summer. But I haven't given up on my dream to walk it one day; hopefully it will be a splendid way to reconnect with the real world again after writing my thesis!
So, it's going to be Offa's Dyke instead, a 177 mile route that roughly follows the English-Welsh border. It may be a considerable drop in distance, but it still packs in 28000 foot of ascent, roughly the height of Everest. I will be starting a page soon detailing my planned stages and I have an exciting training walk lined up in the Lake District in May/June so will be posting on that soon, if only so you can avoid your holiday on the same week as it's bound to rain!
But I would like to extend an invitation now to all of you who have had the care and compassion to follow this blog to join me in walking any of the sections of the trail. If you fancy a day's ramble in the glorious English-Welsh countryside, it would be wonderful to have your company. I'm prepared to go it alone, but I have learnt that recovery is a journey that may start with yourself, but that will ultimately involve so many people.
Meanwhile, I had a bit of worrying news last week....according to my last blood test, my blood glucose levels were abnormally low at 1.8 ( normally, it should be at least 4) . And yet I hadn't even fasted, having eaten my usual breakfast. At first I dismissed this, thinking it was a mistake but then I began to wonder....perhaps those little things that have been nagging me for a while now - feeling a bit nauseous sometimes in the mornings, my heart fluttering a bit if I get up too suddenly, feeling so tired at times that I just slump against the wall at the bottom of the stairs- perhaps these weren't simply due to lack of sleep after all. It has unnerved me as one of the conditions for my return to my PhD is that my bloods are stable. M suggested it may be because I eat a lot of fruit, and fructose can cause a spike in insulin levels. It's something I'm going to have to keep an eye on. Fingers crossed the next test will be clear.
I hope you are enjoying a restful weekend, ready for the week ahead. Thank you for reading.
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