So much for walking in the fantastically beautiful snow we’ve had around here – both me and my husband have come down with Swine flu so it’s been soup, lemsip and bed for us for the last week. Hope I’m better soon as I’m itching to get out on the hills even though there won’t be a scrap of snow left by the time I do 
I apologise for the negative tone of the post (it’ll get balanced out by the next one I promise) but no matter how hard I try, there are some things I will ALWAYS hate about walking…..
The very early morning walk
I love my sleep, I really do and as a natural night owl I’ll often work through to 2 or 3 in the morning. Unfortunately, if I’m busy the next day that means an early morning walk and I will never, ever get used to these as long as live. Don’t get me wrong, once I’m out the door I’m fine but the 15 mins before doing that are absolute torture. I now make sure that I have all my walking ‘kit’ ready in the bedroom so I don’t have to find time scrabbling around for my trainers or iPod at 6am which does make thing a little easier. The main thing is I just make myself do it – no excuses anymore. It works but I don’t like it.
The evening walk
If I miss my morning walk then I need to fit it in during the day and as I prefer walking in the dark (in the winter at least) then the ideal time is roughly at 6pm. Again, I have no problem once I’m out the door but 6pm usually comes right about the time I either pick up my husband from the station/start making supper/am in the middle of a complicated project/am just home from a long day at work myself. It’s usually freezing outside, the house is cozy, the cat is on my lap and and I just want to flop down on the settee in front of a rubbish programme. Again, I give myself absolutely no choice but boy do I bitch for the first 20 minutes.
Rain - Don’t like it
Cyclists on the path – especially when they are behind me and I have my headphones in
The way my lower back aches if I walk over an hour and a half
Trying to balance drinking enough without wanting to pee every 10 minutes
Wanting to pee every 10 minutes
Dogs – I love ‘em but for God’s sake owners, don’t let them out and about on their own especially when they bark their bloody heads off at every little thing and look like they are about to eat your leg off.
Buses that don’t turn up
I like having somewhere to work to, it gives the walk a point and gives me a sense of purpose. I try and time my walks so that I’m at the bus stop after about 7.5 miles. If however, the bus fails to turn up, I have to walk 3 miles to the next town to get a different bus or walk 3.5 miles back to my town to get the local bus home. OK, so it’s extra mileage which is a good thing but it does my temper no good at all.
Just how long it takes to walk 7.5 miles
Oh, how I love the winter! I really love everything about it from the dark mornings and early nights to filling up on wonderful stews and bangers and mash. Walking in the spring and summer is OK I guess but nothing, NOTHING fills me with such joy as getting out on the hills on a freezing cold and misty day knowing I have a big flask of cocoa and a weighty flapjack to keep me going until the light starts to fade. I’ll be posting a lot more now my favourite seasons are here just so I get to use the words ’snow’, ‘frost’ and ‘bitterly cold’ as often as I can 
It’d been a bit of a crazy past 7 days in Walkloss world so it’s nice to finally sit down with a cup of tea and some mindless telly and update the blog. Walking has been a little sporadic but I have done a couple of half hour jaunts which I feel better for – despite the bloody awful weather at the time.
I’ve accepted a job a couple of hours away from home which means staying in a Bed and Breakfast two or three nights a week, those nights mostly being taken up with other work commitments and building up my business. I’m not complaining one bit, I love my career and I know the hours I put in now are totally necessary if I want to become an expert in my industry….it’s just going to be a little bit harder to find the time to fit everything else in. Still, I’m lucky to do something I really love and have a very supportive husband who does much more than his fair share of domestic stuff so the house is kept relatively tidy while we both work long hours. I just need to get myself into a routine pretty quickly so I’m not eating total crap on my nights away from home – and I’m cooking and eating properly when I am at home. Eating sensibly and walking regularly are still far from second nature and despite the mad hours I’m putting into my career, it’s looking after my health that seems like the hard work at the moment.
You know those blog posts that pop up after several weeks of nothingness where the blogger apologises profusely for the lack of activity and promises to post something every 28 minutes from now on to make up for it? Well this is absolutely not one of of those. Uhuh, no siree. No way at all. The fact that I haven’t actually posted anything for a while but will be doing so much more often from now on is just a magical coincidence…..*cough*
The truth is that I haven’t really been walking so haven’t had a lot to blog about, you know, walking wise. I’ve been driving a lot and sitting on my arse a lot and as fascinating as those subjects are I didn’t feel the need to shout about them in a walking blog. Perhaps I should start a blog on each of those subjects though? I really would be posting every 28 bloody minutes then…..
My regular readers *waves* will know my grand plan of walking 2 hours every day in 2009 was disappointedly cut short on what seemed like the 2nd day of January by a chest infection from hell. Looking back, it seems I had a touch of untreated bronchitis which developed in exercise-induced asthma and I’ve been enjoying the glamorous world of chest x-rays and inhalers ever since. Attempts at walking more than 50 feet have seen me either wheezing like an old bagpipe or seriously fighting for breath so a decent daily walk has really been out of the question. However, after a bit of trial and error I’m now on a Seretide inhaler twice a day which is definately helping, yay!
I’d like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who been emailing to make sure I’m still alive including the Goddess-like Shauna at Dietgirl who remains a major inspiration. I’m ready to begin the challenge again so expect LOTS of posts about blisters, bad weather and lack of sleep when I’m out and about at 6am to fit the walking in. You lucky people 
I saw this on another blog and it looked like fun (it also fills a gap until I have 5 mins to write a proper post…..).
1. Are you wearing a hat?
No.
2. Bottled water?
I buy them for the bottle and then refill with glorious Yorkshire tap water.
3. Do you have a crush on someone right now?
Mark Kermode – I love that quiff haha
4. What kind of computer do you have?
A PC & a laptop – the lack of either wouldn’t make life worth living.
5. Do you prefer writing in pen or pencil?
Pen – black ink only though
6. Who was the last message in your inbox from?
A Domain Name purchase confirmation
7. What’s your favorite season?
Winter, winter, winter, winter, winter.
8. Does your best friend have a boyfriend or girlfriend?
Yes
9. Do you like Tea?
I drink one cup a day – weak, milky, no sugar, thanks for asking
10. Favorite radio station?
Radios 2, 4 & 5, TalkSport & BBC Radio London for Danny Baker.
11. Type your name into Google. What’s the first site that appears?
A profile of an American soul singer.
12. What’s your favorite song at the moment?
Too busy catching up with old favs on Spotify to listen to new stuff
13. Coke or Pepsi?
Coke – diet.
14. Favorite subject in school?
English & history.
15. Last concert?
Never been much of a concert goer – might have been Madonna in 1990.
16. Next concert?
Can’t see myself ever going to another one.
17. Last magazine you bought?
Country Walking.
18. Last book you read?
Adventures on the High Teas by the marvellous Stuart Maconie.
19. Do you prefer cats or dogs?
Cats all the way.
20. Is there someone you want to punch right now?
The silly cow who insists on parking right outside my house in MY parking space.
21. Favorite sports team/sports person?
Burnley FC / Roy Keane.
22. Country you most want to visit?
Canada
23. Are you a Blogger addict?
I guess LOL
24. When do you shower?
In the morning.
25. What’s your dream job?
I’m doing it. Failing that, an air traffic controller.
26. What kind of car do you drive?
A lovely silver Kia.
27. What word in the dictionary best describes you?
Complicated.
28. What’s your blog address?
http://www.walkloss.com
29. Worst TV show at the moment?
Life’s too short – just turn the TV off!
30. Are you a better talker or better listener?
Listener I think.
31. What your favourite color?
Purple & all variations of.
32. What is your favourite animal?
Cats.
33. Are you afraid of the dark?
Nope.
34. Is there something lacking in your life right now?
A wardrobe full of size 10/12 clothes.
35. What do you miss most about childhood?
Nothing to be honest.
36. How many times did it take you to pass your driving test?
Three sodding times.
37. How many kids do you want?
None, I think. I do want an Aga though.
38. Are you good painter?
Hell no.
39. Can you cook?
Oh yes – I make a mean banana bread.
40. Are you a cheapskate?
No, I wish. Then I would actually have some money.
41. What would you do with a million pounds?
Pay off my mortgage and travel. And buy an Aga.
42. Have you been to Disney World?
No, perhaps one day.
43. How many days a month are you online?
Everyday
44. Last time you went bowling?
Never – bores me to tears.
45. Hot or cold weather?
Cold.
46. How many pairs of shoes do you have?
Not many – 5 or 6.
47. Are you a shop-a-holic?
A little.
48. Where were you yesterday morning at 10:30?
In front of the PC.
49. Are you afraid of the dentist?
Yes
50. Were you bored or entertained by this survey?
Entertained
