Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge -Training Update 1
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Sportsballshop's participation in the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, raising much needed funds for Alzheimer's Society is really happening. We have paid our deposit to confirm our place and Charlotte and Stuart will take up the baton to complete the walk on Friday 26th June 2020.
Registering for the event is the easy part and now we have 16 weeks to get fit for the 26 mile walk, which also takes in 3 peaks in Yorkshire, much as the title of the challenge hints. We also realise that some of the clothing and footwear might not be up to the task so, have been actively looking for new walking boots, water/windproof jackets, waterproof trousers, heavy duty socks and various layers that will help keep us warm, without adding too much weight.
We are fortunate that we have access to Salomon, a leading outdoor clothing brand, through one of our trade accounts. Giving us much needed support with a decent discount, timely as it turns out, as the equipment we have clearly isn't fit for purpose. As we await the arrival of some of this kit, we must continue with our training and have embarked on a number of walks from 2.6 miles to 3.2 miles. If you would like to support us on our walk please go to our team fundraising page below:
The 1st of these was at Shotover Country Park a venue I had the pleasure of enjoying many times as a child, quite a few years ago. So we decided to make this the 1st walk of our training plan, which covers 117 hectares of ground and gave us many inclines and declines across a heavily wooded park. It was very muddy and soggy underfoot and keeping a upright was a challenge in itself. On one slope it was like I was skiing rather than walking as I slide down the final stage of the hill. Sadly my feet were going faster than my upper body and the inevitable happened as I probably found the largest of the muddy puddles on this section of the park. So, now weighing more than I did 30 minutes earlier, we continued at an average pace of 2.7 mph and covered 3.07 miles in what turned out to be a perfect figure of eight course. We also recorded an elevation gain of 561 feet, so a good test of our calf muscles.
The following day, with our boots and clothing cleaned and dried, we decided to go on a longer walk but with less hills this time. Being careful not to destroy the new knees of the family dog, Mitzi, we walked at a slightly quicker pace of 3.1 mph and covered 2.52 miles which had the benefit of refreshments along the route courtesy of The Flowing Well, in Sunningwell. More on the dogs knees in a future post i'm sure.
The final walk of the week was on Friday evening when most people decide to go out with friends or meet up for a well earned beer but no, after a busy week in the office, we decided to go up the Ridgeway near West Ilsley on the Berkshire/Oxfordshire border. This is quite an exposed trek, looking over both counties but, relatively flat with only a 69 feet gain across the 2.9 mile walk. We would have gone further but we lost light quite early, even though we walked at a brisk 3.4 mph. It was quite an exciting walk though as we witnessed a police chase across the English countryside for the 1st time. We 1st came across the farmer and his wife driving along the beaten track, as they stopped and asked if we had seen any other vehicle. No was the reply but, some moments later a 4x4 vehicle shot out of a small copse chased by the farmer in their own 4x4. As they hit pothole after pothole, bouncing along the track at pace, Charlotte grabbed Mitzi by the collar and we dived for cover just feet away from the chase. At this point the police entered the fray and looked like they were trying to chase down the farmer and his wife. I cannot confirm if this was the case though but the hare coursing 4x4 disappeared into the sunset (which by this time had already set) with the 2 remaining cars watching on. It may have been a tactical decision but we weren't hanging around to find out.
So, 3 nice walks in for our 1st full training week, coupled with a game of hockey each and 2 spin classes, we are well on the way to building our fitness levels. Maybe next week we will be breaking in the new walking boots. We are raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society as this particular walk is their charity walk. They promise us it will be demanding but exhilarating and will be in some of the most spectacular countryside in England. If you would like to support us on our walk please go to our team fundraising page below: