Walking on the treadmill....

I must say - I really forgot how boring it was using a treadmill.  Blahhh!!  Good thing I had some "America's Next Top Model" to watch this morning.  I did 3 miles (in my new shoes!!) and then just finished another 4.25 miles on the treadmill while watching the end of "Avatar".  At least I can stream TV on my laptop and watch some distracting shows....because its way too cold to walk outside!!

I have decided to keep the Vibram Five Fingers.  There are kinda different to walk in and my feet are a bit sore from walking differently.  But I like them.  There is no rubbing or blisters and they don't even smell yet (no socks)!  And they are pink - what's not to love :) 

Now its time for bed.  I gotta get up early to try to do a bit of a walk before going to the camp for 2 days.  Def. not a lot of walking up there.  Even colder!!!

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My new shoes!! Vibram 5 fingers

I just bought these!! Anyone else have them?!? I am gonna try them out on the treadmill for a bit. They might be my second set of shoes for the camino!!!

WOW!!! It's cold!!

So - it's been a while since I been on here.  I'll just say it was a rough trip to the US.  Lots of cancelled flights - a night at the airport and a final flight that was re-routed because of massive wind.  People were throwing up on the airplane.  Very bumpy trip.  But I made it to my final destination eventually.  Only took about 40 hours.  I could have been somewhere cool (or warm like Australia) but the UP is good for now :)

But its super super super cold here.  So I went for a bit of a walk yesterday.  A little over 2 miles to my grandma's house.  Today I got up my courage and did 7 miles over Pine Mountain (which sounds a lot bigger than it really is).  I walked down the steps and just fell on my ass once at the bottom (its super slippery)!!!  Next time I'll attempt walking up the stairs (about 400 - I think).

So I had a nice walk - although super cold.  So cold that by the time I got home I had ICE in my water...it started off room temperature when I left and had ice chunks in it by the time I got home about 2 hours later!!!  Good thing I am going shopping tomorrow so I don't have to go walking out in the cold ;)

Countdown: 42 Days

Oh my!!!  Things have been really busy lately!  I am trying to get everything done before I head to the US on Thursday.  So sorry about the lack of updates and the lack of walking :P

If you are following my blog you'll have seen the pictures I posted over the weekend.  I had a beautiful day of hiking in Devon on Saturday.  The sun was shining the weather was mild.  It was wonderful!  We went about 11 miles (a very slow paced 11 miles with lots of stops and sights).  I was hoping to do a walk on Sunday but the weather was back to being miserable and raining.  The people that did go for a walk spent 2 hours in the driving rain and gusting winds on the coast to go about 2.5 miles.  I was much happier in the pub with my burger and fries :)  Especially as it was a 4 hour drive home after that and I needed all my energy!

I did a bit of walking yesterday.  I had huge ambitions after I met a friend for lunch in Canary Wharf I was going to walk as far back towards home as I could.  But of course I got really lost (to be fair my friend pointed me in the wrong direction to start).  So after wandering around for like an hour - I finally gave up and got on a bus and took public transport home.  I got a few miles in though anyways.  And it was interesting wandering around an area I had never seen before (and will probably never find again!)

But that's probably all the walking I'll be doing until I get back to the US and settled at home.  So probably not a lot of updates for a few days!!!  So enjoy the posts I have made and the pictures from the weekend!

Me and the sea!!!

Here I am! :) looking hot in my hiking gear!

And a rainbow!!!!

One more picture :) it just appeared!!!

More pics

A couple more pictures during the lunch break!!

I think I duplicated it!!

Walking in Devon!

I thought I would do a quick update while I remember!! Its a beautiful sunny day for an 11 mile walk around Devon!! I think these pictures are the ones I just took :) I am still not very good with finding my BlackBerry pictures!

Countdown: 48 Days - (6.5 miles...yesterday)

Well, I was a bit lazy about posting yesterday.  I just posted the lovely picture during my break in Richmond Park.  But I had a great walk yesterday and the sun was shining and everything was happy.  I went about 6.5 miles - so that's all well and good. 

I also learned that there are like green parrots flying around the park!!  I think they were following me!  I saw them everywhere.  I tried to take some pictures on my Blackberry - but they didn't turn out very well.  And of course I can't figure out how to find pictures on my BB after I have taken them.  I had this figured out a few weeks ago - but they are all lost again.  Maybe someday I'll find the picture of my little green parrot friends and upload them :)

So that was yesterday.  Today I have had another extremely lazy day.  I walked about 1.2 miles which was the return journey to my GP.  After that strenuous walk - I immediately collapsed in bed for an hour.  Oh and then I walked to Tesco and bought some pizza - and had another nap after that.  So yea - I am writing today off as a slacker day.  And sadly Thursday and Friday will be slacker days as well.  But this weekend I am going away to Dorset for some hiking.  So hopefully I will do a bit better then.  Unless of course its raining and then I won't do anything :P

What a beautiful day!!

Its a beautiful sunny day in London! I am having a quick snack break in Richmond Park and thought I would share it!

Countdown: 50 days - (3.0ish miles)

I did at least 3 miles today!  I went to the Chinese New Year celebration in central London this afternoon.  It was ages and ages of fighting through huge crowds of people.  Interesting but I don't have to do that again :)

Then I had a nice Italian lunch (yea - the Chinese places were way too busy for my major lack of patience).  Then a nice walk along the Thames from Waterloo past Vauxhall when I got tired of walking and being battered by the wind and I took a bus home.  Now I am tired and ready to enjoy my last night with no flatmates!

Countdown: 51 days - (10.1 miles)

Yea!!  I woke up and went for a walk!!  I feel like a super star!  Its cold and windy and grey but I still made it 10 miles!  All the way to Wimbledon Common then on to Richmond park and a lap halfway around and then up to Richmond station and home!  And now its only 2:30 so I have the rest of the day to relax and do nothing!  I am going to go and take a long bath and watch trashy TV!!  Happy Saturday :)

Countdown: 52 days - (0.0 miles)

Again!!  Shame on me!!  Another lazy day.  I was thinking it had been a long time since I had a lazy day, but looking through the blog there are lots of 0's!!  AHH!!  What a slacker I am.  I guess that's the nice thing about this blog - I can remember what I actually did vs. what I think I did.

But tomorrow I will make up for it.  Well, hopefully.  The weather is kind of miserable right now.  I don't know if I want to walk a million miles (total exaggeration) if its windy and rainy and horrible.  Oh well - we'll see what happens.  I better get to sleep now so that I have a chance of waking up and going out walking!!

Countdown: 53 days - (6.0 miles)

Hola (today was my Spanish class)!!! 

I was quite lazy today!  I stayed in bed until 11:00 this morning.  I was actually up to go to my workout class - but the 9:30 classes aren't on Thursdays anymore.  Oops!!  So I'll have to try to go tomorrow...but this was a good excuse to stay in bed.  I finally forced myself to go outside because it was such a beautiful sunny day!!  I just had an easy walk around Clapham Common and Wandsworth Common.  And then came home and had a lovely bath and a nap!!

Then I had to hurry up and get ready for Spanish class.  I walked both to and from class!!  Which is quite impressive because its really cold and windy now!!  I hear the wind whipping by outside.  Its pretty miserable walking home alone at 10:00PM at night in the dark and wind.  Boo!!  But I did it!  Now I can go to bed!!

Buenas Noches!

Countdown: 54 Days - (5.5 miles)

So I have decided to start a countdown to when I leave (March 28).  So there are 54 days until I leave!!  WOO HOO!!  That sounds a lot longer than I thought.  I have heaps of time to walk.

Today I decided to walk to Wimbledon Common - which is really quite nice.  Sadly I have never spent much time in Wimbledon.  Its not very far from Clapham Junction either.  I guess I always thought it was a lot farther away for some reason?  Strange how things seem when you only take the underground places.  So anyways - I found my way to the Common and took a wander through the park.  There are SO MANY TREES!  I felt like I was back home again wandering through the woods.  It was so quiet and the trees and paths were really nice.  I did get a bit nervous that I was lost because I spent quite a long time wandering through the park.  But eventually I came to the Windmill Museum and figured there must be a town centre nearby somewhere.  So I wandered towards what I thought might be Wimbledon and lo and behold - there is was!!!

Now I am really in love with Wimbledon Common and Wimbledon.  It was a nice walk down to the centre.  And the best bit - the department store was having bonus time for both Clinique and Lancome!!!  So I bought all the supplies I needed and got 2 packets of free gifts!!!  And then I stopped in Pret and got a tuna and cucumber baguette!  What more could I ask for?!   And its only 1:30!!  I am going to have a nap and then off to the grocery store to pick up supplies for the wonderful dinner I am going to make tonight!!  Have I mentioned how much I love not working!?! 

Pre-trip: Day 20 - (?.? miles)

So - I went to the Embassy to get apply for a second passport today.  My appointment was at 8:15!  What was I thinking on my first day off of work!?!  I had to wake up earlier than normal days!!  But it didn't take too long and I was out by about 9:00 AM. 

I was of course too tired to go for a walk then - so I decided to have a wander over to Oxford Street for some shopping.  I hadn't been to Primark (super cheap clothes for those of you that don't know) in ages!!  And its impossible to go there on weekends but at 9AM on a weekday - it was practically empty!!  PERFECT!!  I bought a big comfy bathrobe so that I can lounge around for the next few months in style and comfort!

So then I had a wander down Oxford Street and into a few shops - but nothing to strenuous.  Oh - a big portion of my walking this morning was me getting lost.  I don't function very well that early in the morning.  So I got off the bus WAY too early and walked in the wrong direction for like 10 minutes before I realized that the Embassy couldn't possibly be that way.  So then I had to walk back and get back on the bus and after getting lost a few more times to and from the Embassy I think I walked a couple miles right there :P

But yea - I was home by 11:00 with a great baguette sandwich so I chowed down lunch early and then had a lovely loooonnnngggg nap!!!  I woke up just in time to make myself presentable for when the cleaning lady arrived and have been sitting on the couch ever since.  Well, I did have to make a quick trip to the post office.  It appears the passport people needed my old second passport.  Even though it is expired they have to physically have it so they can cancel it before sending me a new second passport.  Oh well, the quick pop outside made me feel better. 

Now I am just waiting for the cleaning lady to leave and I'll have a lovely glass of vino and watch a movie until its time to go out and meet some lovely friends for dinner and drinks!! 

I may not have gotten a lot of walking practice in today - but I have really enjoyed my first day off and feel like I have accomplished a lot :)  Maybe tomorrow I'll work-out/go walking!