A little bit of me time!

Woke up feeling frustrated at my seeming lack of ability and time recently to be able to get out and about to walk or to take pictures. Its due to my time being pulled in all directions to satisfy the needs of everyone else! However a quick texty conversation with MartinTheHills an appropriate metaphorical kick up the backside reminded me how accessible the best walking country in the UK is for me, and that I didn't actually need to commit all day for a walk. The kids would survive without me being on their back for getting homework done. A quick, 10 minute drive up the road is all it takes for me to be on the Hadrians's Wall path, one of the UK's best known National Trails. 

Photo taken in August 2013 from Highshield Crag looking east.

So I packed up a limited amount of kit, a map, a dog biscuit or four, my Nordic Poles should I feel the need for a "burn" and my favorite hat. I bundled Welly into the Pootmobile and off we went.  Sunny but blustery and a little bit of a rain drizzle threat, but it felt good knowing that I was going to get a blast of fresh, Northumbrian air.

I fairly quickly decided that I wanted to walk around the Brocolitia Fort area as I have not visited that part yet and wondered what sort of archeological monument it was. So I parked the car in a layby, climbed over a stile and onto the route there. Welly managed this stile fine as it was a stone one with nice broad steps.

 We headed west into a very strong head wind and into some very boggy fields. Then I wished I had paid more attention to my kit and put my gators on!

Fortunately there were no sheep initially which meant Welly didn't need to be on a lead, so off he trundled, eating as much sheep poo as he could stomach and scratching up mole hills looking for the elusive creature that  makes them! Ears flapping, he was undeterred by the wind!

We had some challenging stiles to get over which were definitely not constructed to aid dog walkers (but this is sheep country so I forgive). I tried to show him how to cross the stiles by patting the steps, but he clearly felt that I should lift him over in places. Refusing to do this, generally he got over in a panic that I might leave him behind. And when there's gravy bones in my pocket this was definitely not a position he wished to be in.

Welly got the hang of the ladder stiles eventually.

This area is not the most dramatic part of the Wall to walk, and my mission was not to indulge in photography. It was purely to get a blast of air and get the old legs back into shape for the forthcoming Challenge Walks that I have been commissioned to photograph for a second year. 

If you are walking the Hadrian's Wall National trail from the west though, this pretty level section will probably be a welcome relief after the ascents and descents of the Steel Rigg and Houseteads area. Its interest is the massive landworks the Romans built - huge ditches to protect their border - it is incredible that they moved so much earth and stone! It certainly thwarted Welly and I from getting back to the car, as we were stuck on the wrong side of them after going off trail for a little peak!

I didn't Nordic Walk in the end either.... camera round neck, dog on lead, and far to many bogs to trudge through to contemplate getting in the zone!

 

Get those endophines going!

• I was chatting to my work colleague today about how giving Welly (my dog) a cuddle and a stroke before I got up in the morning set me up right for the day. "Its all about the endorphin release" I commented, to which she replied "if only we could bottle cuddles with our dogs, we'd be rich!"
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• Which naturally led me onto the other things that help me lift my mood, especially in the winter. There's chocolate and the first taste of wine from a glass, that give me a rush of satisfaction.
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• However the effect is very short lived! But walking, in particular Nordic Walking, really has immense power to make me smile and has a long lasting feel good effect! Even in the winter, heading out first thing for a brisk hour long walk completely changes my whole outlook on the day. If it's fresh and frosty all the better. Walking for well being is definitely backed up by research too.
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• Walking and other exercise leads to the release of the body's natural happy drugs -- endorphins. Walkers who walk at a higher heart rate pace will notice this effect more than those who walk at a slower heart rate pace. But even at a slower pace, most people notice an improvement in mood.
• Many physicians recommend adding regular walking and exercise as a natural treatment to relieve a bout of depression. The cause of depression is related to brain chemistry. By getting your brain to release more of the happy chemicals -- the endorphins -- you achieve naturally what many prescription drugs and herbs try to do artificially.*
• Walking gives you time to think, as well as time to get away from stressors. Getting out of the stressful environment, breathing the air, and feeling your body move is natural stress-relief. Other ways walking can relieve stress:
• Put physical and mental distance between you and the stress-causing environment.
• Many people carry stress by tensing their muscles. By getting into your correct walking posture and form, you un-knot those muscles and put them to work. Nordic Walking enhances walking posture by increasing your core strength, elongating your neck and making your shoulders move correctly while you walk. 
• Observe the environment around you; enjoy the trees, flowers, birds, gardens, sky, storefronts. Green exercise has enormous benefits. 
• Feel your body in motion and reconnect with yourself.
• Wear off stress-eating calories.
• Take time to work through problems and possible solutions as you walk.
• Talk and laugh with your walking partner to relieve the stress. Walking with an organised group also increases motivation.
• Let off steam and vent with your walking partner.
• Lower your blood pressure and your heart health risk, which can be increased by stress.
• So why NORDIC WALK rather than walking normally. Nordic Walking increases the effort and intensity of the walk and therefore increases the beneficial effects of walking. In addition learning a new way to walk, and especially with new acquaintances you may meet in a group, enhances enjoyment of the activity. It is very stimulating for the brain to learn new things, and doing so increases a sense of achievement. All the more reason to SMILE!
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• Nordic Walking with Janey Monks of Shepherds Walks
• For more photos of Nordic Walking in Northumberland click here.
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• * If you feel you are suffering from stress or depression, Pootle recommends that you visit your GP. 

Time to Resurrect the Blog.

A whirlwind year has passed with as many ups as downs, a few achievements and a fair share of set backs on my new(ish) life in Northumberland.

This time last year was hideous. 

But 2013 developed into a year where I actually started living in the present, rather than bitterly trying to retrieve the past, purely because it was known.

So these are what I consider to being my small, but significant achievements of the year:

• Achievement no.1 - qualifying as a Nordic Walking and Fitness Instructor.
• Achievement no 2 - having a photographic commission to document Challenge Walks for Shepherds Walks in addition to other commissioned photography.
• Achievement no. 3 - Gaining employing as a UK travel consultant with Shepherds Walks Holidays
• Achievement no. 4 - Looking healthier (ie yes I finally put on some weight).
• Achievement no. 5 - returned to the classroom as a supply teacher on an occasional basis AND enjoying it! (occasional being the essential element here)

I have not blogged during the year at all as there were so many mixed up variables and "u" turns that really any readers would have got quite dizzy (and I would not want to inflict my dizziness on others.

However I still am working on my next main step, which is the overall goal. I have the bank account and brand name. I have equipment and contacts. I still need a website however, and this I hope will be the step that opens up my window of opportunity to actually earning a living in the fitness and leisure sector.

If you have been watching my progress and waiting for the big launch... it is coming. I promise. You have been very patient! But all the little things I have done have been my little steps. You can only take little steps sometimes in life, but they can add up to a huge journey eventually!

Why not visit my Facebook page for a gallery of images here.