Nordic Walking and the Rut!

Rutting is SO tiring!

If you are walking in London's Royal Parks such as Bushy or Richmond in the next month, or out in the countryside, you may well be lucky enough to observe the natural event known as The Rut!

 http://www.uksafari.com/rd2.htm

Many species have an annual rut, but red deer are among the most spectacular.  Living in suburban London, I feel really privileged to see this on my doorstep.

NB. This was taken before the rut. Keep your distance.

 Normally, the strongest stag attracts a following of females (hinds) and then has to defend them against all-comers.  His rivals will continuously try to separate him from his harem, either by sneaking off with some females, or by frontal assault.

Class of 2011

There have been recent media reports about deer attacks on people in Bushy Park, so it's vital that any walkers are aware of what's going on.  Never approach deer, and be aware of deer, especially stags, in the area.

Sparring Practice near Bushy House

 But, during the rut, if you see one stag, it's almost certain that others are in the area, and may be about to fight with the dominant male.  You'll also hear the bellowing.

Bracken camouflage

 Often the deer take refuge in the dense bracken.  I tend to stay away from bracken around this time of year, as it's often impossible to see what's in it.  A startled deer is not to be trifled with.

Spot the stag!

 Despite all the warnings, the Nordic Walking has been superb this week.  The cool mornings and then the hot, sunny afternoons, have made it a pleasure to be in the beautiful countryside.

Walking through the woods on Esher Common

 This group met up at Garsons Farm in Esher, and hiked across West End and Esher Commons. An energetic 3 miles, and a revelation to many of the group who were locals, but hadn't realised all this was on their doorstep.

Black Pond, Esher Common

There are many walks organised in Surrey and other counties.  Check your local government site, or The Ramblers, or search for "Health Walks", if you want more details.  The link below lists Nordic Walks in Surrey -
http://www.acsurrey.org.uk/go50/nordic.htm

If you wish to join us for walks in the Richmond or Surrey area, please do get in touch.  My colleague, Kay Speakman ( http://www.pole2pole.uk.com/ ) and I take lessons and sessions on a daily basis, with a variety of walks to suit differing needs, from fitness fanatics to recuperating patients.

Nordic Walking is a great all-over workout, that you can enjoy in company or on your own, outdoors.

Enjoy your walking,
Peter
07703-404-931

Enjoy the Journey!

Whilst reading some of the Fitness press the other day ("Boot Camp", "Next Level", "RaiseThe Bar", etc) I came across a nugget that struck me as relevant....

Walking to work....working the walk

No doubt, you, like me, have read lots of articles about fitness, nutrition, weight loss and health.  But amongst this week's insights into fat loss, fads, and fitness was a comment from Holly Rigsby, author of Fit Yummy Mummy!  

yummy mummy site

The view from the office...

Holly reckons - "Too often we get hung up on 'getting results', as if they were a fixed end point.....Appreciating the process is just as important as achieving your goals.  Enjoy the journey; recognise and celebrate the small successes along the way.  These are the changes that are key to true and lasting results."  (my italics)

Autumn sun at the Water Gardens, Bushy Park

 Well, Holly's words really struck a chord with me.  I think they are so relevant to Nordic Walking.  I often tell new walkers that it may be weeks, or months, before tangible "improvements" to their fitness is noticeable.  Some people obviously want faster improvements to whatever has motivated them to start Nordic Walking.  So, while we walk and await improved muscle tone or weight loss or pain relief (all experienced by Nordic Walkers I know), I try to interest people in their surroundings.... ENJOY the JOURNEY!

Esher Common

For example, the walkers on Esher Common are on a Fit As A Fiddle (over-50s) programme to encourage people to take more exercise.  What many of them said this week was, that they hadn't realised all this beautiful countryside was only a few yards from their regular commuting routes.  So, while they are getting fitter, they are also exploring beauty spots on their doorstep. (More Nordic Walking details below). Enjoy the Journey!

"Do you think they can see me?"  

 Back in our usual Nordic Walking haunts like Bushy Park, even our regular walkers are captivated by the changing seasons and the interaction with wildlife.  I've probably seen those deer in the photo dozens of times in the last year.  But I have never seen them looking like that.  There is always something to surprise and interest walkers.  And so, there is also a motivation to keep coming back, week after week, even if "results" aren't immediate.

Heron hunting

I also have worked with people recovering from strokes, who are trying hard to regain mobility and fitness. I've found these people are very motivated and very keen to see improvements.  But, often they compare their current fitness levels with the pre-stroke situation, and feel they are getting nowhere fast.

Heron posing

However, when I point out the progress made since they started Nordic Walking, they invariably realise that they have vastly improved over the weeks.  I use a pedometer to prove that only a few weeks before they had struggled to walk 500 metres, but are now coping well with 1500! "CELEBRATE the small SUCCESSES along the way!"

However, you don't have to wait until you have a problem before trying Nordic Walking. In fact, prevention is better than cure!   This week I have walked with people aged from 18 to 82! For my part, I have learned a great deal from people heading off to University, and from others who are retired professors! 

The key message is "ENJOY the JOURNEY".    Life isn't a rehearsal!

This site gives details of regular fitness walks for over-50s in Surrey and Hampshire - 

http://www.acsurrey.org.uk/go50/nordic.htm

If you want to try Nordic Walking in the Surrey/Middlesex area, please get in touch, or find a group here - 

http://www.nordicwalking.co.uk/

Peter

07703-404-931

David Walliams - what a man!

No mentions of Nordic Walking today.  A sporting achievement in Teddington has eclipsed all else!

As some of you may seen, David Walliams swam the length of the River Thames last week.  On Sunday, he arrived at Teddington Lock at dusk after swimming 21 miles that day.  The equivalent of crossing the channel!

 The crowds were so huge, I and many others couldn't cross the bridge to see him arrive at the Lock.  However, David crossed the bridge to the Teddington bank, and got into a waiting car which whisked him to a nearby hotel (the Lensbury?   www.lensbury.com)

Resplendent in his white towelling robe, like a boxing champion, David strolled through the cheering crowds and paused for autographs.

Eventually, he made it to the car and a good nights rest, before starting the next, and last, day's swim at 6.30am!

He swam the 15 miles to Westminster to finish at County Hall in front of more crowds and TV cameras.  What an achievement!!  140 miles in 8 days!

He was doing this to raise money for Water Aid and Sports Relief.  If you want to donate to this cause go here -
http://www.sportrelief.com/whats-on/the-bt-sport-relief-challenges-walliams-vs-the-thames

If you want to see more photos and videos of David at Teddington, please go here -

http://www.teddingtonpeople.co.uk/Teddington-roars-support-David-Walliams-Thames/story-13314484-detail/story.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Peter

Nordic Walking on the Yorkshire Coast

Much of the Yorkshire coast is linked by a long-distance trail - The Cleveland Way.  It covers about 110 miles around the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and then along the coast between Saltburn and Filey.

The North Yorkshire coast

 In a previous trip, I had walked from the start at Helmsley to the clifftop village of Ravenscar, leaving about 20 miles to complete the trail.  The path is mostly on the top of steep cliffs, with the occasional steep gullies taking you down to beach level

Plenty of warnings, but no fences

The scenery is uplifting with views of about 20 miles on a clear day.  Wave action has eroded the cliffs, exposing 200 million years of fossil records.  It's very similar to the Unesco World Heritage site in Dorset - The Jurassic Coast - with much the same chalk and shale rocks, but without the crowds!  Most visitors seem to stick to the resorts of Filey, Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington.  But there still several tiny, pretty places, like Robin Hoods Bay and Staithes, that have avoided over-commercialism.

Millions of years of history on view.

There's also good public transport links along the coast, so our walk started at the bus stop in Ravenscar.

Ravenscar information    This is a very unusual village - planned by a railway company in the 1900's to become a thriving resort, but never attracting people despite roads, sewers and some houses being built.

You can still evidence of the pavements and drains in the middle of fields!

Ravenscar - a deserted village. Roads built but not used!

Hard to get lost

Our route took us through Scarborough - "The world's first seaside resort".   About 400 years ago, crowds flocked here to enjoy the spa and sea water, and again when the railway arrived in the Victorian era.

So, as well as brash modern seaside attractions, the town also has a large legacy of elegant and historical buildings.  The Grand Hotel was the largest in Europe in its day, but we didn't stay there....

Scarborough Castle with Flamborough Head, in distance

South of Scarborough, a steep path leads the walker up to the top of the cliff, past the massive landslip of a million tons of earth.  The Holbeck Hall Hotel used to perch on top of this cliff, until June 1993 when the land under it moved down to the sea.  The hotel was immediately wrecked, and is now demolished.

Climbing out of Scarborough

Further along the coast, there a few wide sandy bays, near where Billy Butlin decide to build a new destination - the Filey Holiday Camp!   It was used by the Army during World War 2, but reverted to providing holidays for the masses for decades afterwards.  A different era!

Some people put plaques on benches.....

The path continued on grassy clifftop, or sandy beach ....

Scarborough in distance

... until the cliffs at Filey Brigg came into view.  This becomes a very narrow spit of land, jutting out into the North Sea, with marvellous views in all directions.

Cliffs at Filey Brig mark the end of the Cleveland Way

This was the end of our trail - The Cleveland Way.  For more details of this National Trail, click here,
http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/clevelandway/

or feel free to get in touch.  

The end of the Way

This was the end of our Nordic Walking.  But, we couldn't ignore the other attractions in the area.  Having walked along the cliffs, we'd noticed the occasional bird, and wanted to see the famous gannet colony at Bempton Cliffs, near Flamborough Head

Gannets nesting, Bempton cliffs

Many of the young birds (and the puffins) had already left the cliffs and had headed out to sea, but there were still several thousands precariously perched on tiny ledges.  An amazing spectacle!

A day out for the ferret

An even bigger surprise awaited us at nearby Bridlington beach.  An animal-loving man was giving his ferrets their exercise on the sand!

Bridlington resident, waiting for chips

All too soon, the ice creams were finished and we had to head home.  Yorkshire is superb for walking, with 2 National Parks, and many beautiful areas.  And the bonus of exploring by Nordic Walking, is that you can sample the local food (and beer), knowing that the extra calories will be used up while Nordic Walking!!

If you'd like to try Nordic Walking or join others in regular forays in Bushy Park, Middlesex, please do get in touch with me, or enter you postcode here to find an Instructor near where you live.
http://www.nordicwalking.co.uk/find

Peter
07703-404-931