Tried hard - could do better.

Sunshine! Almost forgotten what that's like.... as planned, Dawn & I decided to do a short hill walk whilst Karen and Paula spent the day researching the Wednesday Nordic Walk at Merthyr Mawr (check it out: http://www.barefootstudio.co.uk/nordic_walking.shtm). It was beautiful up on the hills - and incredibly atmospheric to see the clouds dipping over the peaks. Until the clouds overtook us on the final stretch and we walked along in the eerie silence with our pole tips the only noise, clattering occasionally over the flat stones. The ridge drops off scarily into white nothingness to the right - I don't remember the path being quite as close to the edge as that!
Dawn strode easily ahead of me for the whole route - about 12 miles. Bless her, she stopped to wait for me countless times, and I fell behind almost instantly. I was so slow going uphill - and even slower going down - all the confidence in my footing seemed to have ebbed away, my knees hurt, I seemed to have no energy, and I began to have real doubts about my ability to walk 45 miles in One Day.
Sipping hot chocolate in the car at the end, I was very quiet.
The thought of slowing the other girls up so much that we all fail to finish felt like a horrible reality, and one I didn't want to contemplate. I thought of doing the route again on Weds, see if I can improve before we all took off for the Big Weekend on Friday night - when we check out the route over 2 days.
Dropped Dawn off and before I'd even reached home, I'd had a pep talk from Karen. She winkled out of me the fact that I'd not finished working in the studio, where Al is doing a major re-fit, until 11.30pm the previous night. That I'd been backwards and forwards to Ikea TWICE with flatpack furniture, and ripped half the studio to bits during the day.....that doesn't sound like a REST DAY!!!! she said. I didn't tell her that we hadn't had time to stop for dinner either, and had made do with a sandwich and kept on working...
Massive Wake up call for me -
1. I totally underestimated today's walk - ONLY 10 miles, I'd said several times the day before. I'll be back to finish working on the studio in the afternoon, I said. I've already done the 20 milers, 10 miles is nothing!!!! hurr hurr hurr.
2. I've not managed to get my nutrition sorted and without planning and shopping I've made do - bad move.
3. Underestimated effects of Trade Fair, plus a week of standing packing afterwards and not getting enough walking in during the day. (the dog isn't happy either)
So. Monday morning. A sadder, wiser Tigger.
My body is a temple. Eat and sleep properly. Do my pilates. Don't overdo it.
Look out for the apres weekend blog, when I say - leapt up hills, can't imagine what the problem was last week. xx