Winter arrives and so does 'Hurricane Bawbag'

It seems that the weather will continue to throw all it can at us.  This week has seen snow, ice, winds and more flooding.  It certainly feels as if winter has arrived!





A sense of humour helped in enduring what has been referred to as 'hurricane bawbag' by some.....for us it meant power was cut off and with it the internet and the mobile phone network in the area.  Normally I would say - time to take some 'breathing space outdoors' and although I did venture out for half an hour to be lashed by the wind and rain - I'd think the wiser call was lighting the wood burner, toasting bread on it  and playing cards as daylight disappeared and night descended.


Enjoy more pictures taken locally in the calm before the storm.

Elemental

As the rain continues to pour down and the rivers swell I am glad, for once, to be indoors.  A walk earlier in the day confirmed that indoors is the best option today!  The rivers running through Comrie are all full to bursting with localised flooding, so on higher ground in the hills, the streams will all be in spate.

It reminds me of the first day of the recent mountain marathon that was held around Comrie. Wet - and higher up - very misty. A real challenge of navigation skills.

The start - incase you hadn't guessed - above St. Fillians.

The power of water is phenomenal.  In conditions like today it really is important to know how to read a map and be able to make choices about the route to suit the conditions.  Equally important is knowing that  the map will not show all the water courses, just the main ones so you can expect the unexpected.

The outdoors are a fabulous place to recharge the batteries however it pays to respect the elements too.  The hills and mountains will still be there tomorrow so I will enjoy them on a better day.  Meantime you can see from the pictures a little more of the conditions from the recent Mountain Marathon and be glad you are not out there just now. 

Something of a marathon.....

 So what were you doing when the clocks went back this weekend?  You probably enjoyed an extra hour in the land of nod, snuggly tucked up in  a warm bed.

Venue for the marathon - on a good day....

Loch Boltachan one of the marathon checkpoints of a good day

Me, myself, I......along with over 2500 other people..... had more than our fair share of breathing space in the great outdoors this weekend. For us it was a night of camping in the glens north of Comrie listening to the elements raining down on us.  To add insult to injury we were awoken at 6 am to the wailing sounds from a lone piper and a regular 'morning campers' from a megaphone.

Crazy?  Maybe.  But that is what happens when you decide to participate in the Original Mountain Marathon. This amazing event  held for the first time in hills around Comrie is a real challenge of fitness and navigation skills. The last time I undertook this event was some 25 years ago, so what possessed me to do it again?  As a fellow runner commented "it's good to do something outside your comfort zone at least once a year".  But I think it was more a case of 'just because it is there'.

Working in teams, you carry kit for an overnight camp at an  unknown destination and in our case, visit as many checkpoints as possible in a limited period of time.  First though, you have to register and confirm that you will carry the minimum kit list including tent, sleeping bag and food for 36 hours so choices have to be made as to what goes in and what stays out.

My brave team buddy exiting registration

My partner for the marathon contemplating what to put in the rucksack

All this ends up in the rucksack...

In preparation, I tried out various combinations of clothing to see what was warmest and lightest then weighed up the options on the food front to see what gave most energy for weight.  Meanwhile, my partner for the event  pitches up with hairbrush and other toiletries.  It was amazing to see how her kit eventually squeezed into her rucksack.  I must confess though, I was very grateful when we arrived at the half way camp for the cheeky wine she had slipped in. A little heavier than my choice of luxury item - yahtzee dice...

Lots of hard work goes on behind the scenes into making such an event a success so thanks to all the marshalls and helpers out there.  Maybe I'll seek them out again next year, then again, I might just seek to share some breathing space with fewer people.

How would you choose to get your breathing space?

Map reading for women

Research seems to suggest that men are better at map reading 

than women initially...but that women make better judgement 

calls and remember more about routes so are less likely to get 

lost.....

My experience, having tutored over 100 women is that confidence 

is often an issue.  This is where learning in a small group with 

other who feel in the same boat can help.  

So, come and join me on the next 

'Women CAN Read Maps' course 

running in just over a week from 1st-2nd Oct 2011. 

This two day course will give you some of the skills to use maps to

navigate in the hills.

It is set in the beautiful village of Comrie in Perthshire.

It is aimed at beginners and those who lack confidence and want

 to improve their hill skills.

The course is run on a friendly, informal basis with plenty of 

chance to try things out.  After a short theoretical input each 

morning ( and coffee) we spend the rest of the days outdoors 

put every thing into practice. 

See what previous participants have to say.

The cost for the two days is £80.

Contact me by phone or email to book a place.  

Tel 01764 670541 

fran AT breathingspaceoutdoors DOT com 

-don't forget to substitute the AT and DOT for the relevant signs.  

Walking Women on Mull

Ardalanish Beach by Ardachy House Hotel

Ordering food after a hard days walking.

Mull at any time of year is fabulous, and September is no exeption.  For the past few years I have guided a week of walking on Mull and always look forward to this.

Walks take in some of the coastal spots around the Ross of Mull.  We visit beaches you can only reach by boat or on foot.  The colours are incredible - no matter the weather as there is a clarity to the air, which combined with the sea means it is ever changing. There is always a visit to Iona and almost always Staffa too including, Fingals Cave.



If you fancy a week on Mull staying at a wonderful hotel with views across to the islands of Jura, Islay and Colonsay then you may be interested in a week with Walking Women staying at Ardacy House Hotel on Mull.



The food is fabulous and the most is made of locally available ingredients.  Sumptuous three course meals match the best of any restaurant.

Loch Buie on Mull - great for otter spotting and eagles

Mull abounds with wild life with a good chance of seeing sea eagle, eagle, otter and even whales off the coast.


If you fancy a week on Mull, then this years Walking Women week runs from 10-17 September.  Maybe see you there?

Multi-use poles

Often when I have customers for a nordic walking workshop, they ask if they can bring their trekking poles along. The answer has to be NO as the design is different in some critical respects.  I do sometimes take my nordic walking poles trekking on the hills but if I need to put them away, for safety reasons on very steep ground, they don't fold down enough and stick out of my rucsac too much which can be a real hazard to anyone within a few feet of me.  Now though, there is an answer.

At last, some multi-use poles have been designed so you can use them for walking, nordic walking skiing and snow shoeing.  Even better the price is pretty reasonable as these things go.  Nordic Walking UK have just announced their arrival.  The fact they are supporting them suggests the quality is good.

The poles are available through their website and are made by an Italian company called Gabel.  They retail for around £60.  Not the cheapest but worth it if you want poles to do a variety of things.  I'm thinking of getting a pair to trial and will let you know what I think.  I may even have them in time for the next workshop on 28th August.

Hope to see some of you in and around Comrie on 28th August for a great workout in fabulous countryside.

Women CAN read maps: Course dates

Women CAN read maps: Course dates: "Next Women CAN Read Maps course will run from 1st-2nd Oct 2011. This two day course will give you some of the skills to use maps to naviga..."

Walk for an evening with good cause

Sometimes it is good to have a target and a cause for getting fit.  I was contacted this week by Nicola Moore  who is organising a fundraiser called Walk Ten at Hill of Tarvit in Cupar on the 13th August .  According to Nicola:


"The Walk Ten brand was launched last year and is a fantastic evening event.  It involves a 10k walk through the countryside, and we ask everybody to bring along a picnic blanket and settle down after the walk for an evening of entertainment with live music, fire performers and fireworks afterwards.  It’s a celebration of our Marie Curie nursing service, as 10pm is the time that a Marie Curie nurse begins their next shift, so this also ties in with the reasoning behind a 10k walk. "

So here is a chance to make the most of the longer nights before winter descends. There is more information about the Walk Ten events on their website at www.mariecurie.org.uk/walkten with walks on other evenings in East Lothian, Inverness and Ayrshire.

Getting into routines

I've just had lunch this week with members of my local running club, Strathearn Harriers.  We tend to have a run at the end of each school term followed by lunch as routines tend to be difficult to keep once the school holidays start.  That's when I  do more Nordic Walking as running first thing in the morning does not agree with my body, whilst Nordic Walking does.

Early morning is also a great time in the school holidays to get things done.  It is before the teens have even thought about disturbing their beauty sleep so I can still get some exercise and work done before spending time with them.  Or at least being taxi driver...

When the summer holidays are over, the kids are back at school and routines start returning, you may want to start thinking about your own fitness.  Take control and get into good patterns in preparation for the winter.

To help you on your way, I'll be running a couple of Nordic Walking workshops on 28th August 2011. One for those who have been before and fancy a brush up and a good workout and the other for newcomers.

Brush up session will start at 10 am and be finished by 12 noon( Cost £12).
Newcomers session will start at  1:15 pm and finish by 4:15 pm (Cost £20).

This might go from Auchingarrich where there is a lovely view across Strathearn as you will see from the picture taken by Felicity Martin on a recent walk. Walking through Auchingarrich features in a book by Felicity( a great wee series of walks around Perthshire's  'Big Tree Country'.

There is a great cafe to finish at for any walks from Auchingarrich - so think about it.

Booking is essential so contact me by email or phone 01764 670541 to book and get more details.

Navigating championships

Lots of activity in this area this weekend as the Scottish Orienteering Championships takes place close by.  The event parking is at Cultybraggan - a former army site and prisoner of war camp now owned by Comrie Development Trust.

If you are looking to improve your navigation skills, orienteering is a good place to start.  The event taking place on saturday has course suitable for beginners as well as those at the elite end.  You can turn up and have a go on the day with a range of courses available to cater for a spectrum of expertise.  The event itself is centred on the woodland and hillside around Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre where there is a newly built cafe with stunning views across Strathearn.

So, if you are wondering how to spend your saturday - here is a chance to brush up skills and be part of a larger event with some 600 others competitors.

What's it worth now?

So, we have our new politicians installed with a historic majority in the Scottish Parliament, and the potential to tackle some of the BIG issues of our time.  Top of the agenda in recent elections has been the economy. 

Interesting then see an email today from the  Business 7 group highlighting the impact of poor mental health on the workforce and economy. They are encouraging support of the Dismissed? campaign being run by the Scottish Association for Mental Health. 

A new report by them, What’s It Worth Now? suggests mental health problems cost Scotland’s economy £10.7 billion per year, and that £2.15 billion of that cost is incurred by employers through sickness absence, lost productivity and staff turnover. At any one time, nearly 1 in 6 employees is affected by a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety.

 With mental health affecting so many of us either directly or indirectly, it is good to see some practical solutions proposed for encouraging a mentally healthier workforce.  Amongst the recommendations are to:

 'Wherever possible ensure staff have access to sunlight and fresh air at regular intervals. ' 

A further recommendation is to:

 ' Encourage staff to take their full lunch break, and to leave their desk during their break' 

I couldn't agree more.

For those who have tried Nordic Walking, you will recognise that this is something that can be easily fitted into a lunch break with the added benefit of you getting access to sunlight and fresh air! Another report out today sings the benefits of nordic walking.

Even if the working week is very pressured, it is good to build in small steps to keep yourself fit both physically and mentally.  Half and hour a day can really help keep that Doctor away.  This doesn't have to be all in one go, try two lots of 15 minutes or three lots of 10 minutes if you are pushed for time.  So promise yourself a daily dose of fresh air. Give your self some breathing space outdoors.

Changes

Today,  change is upon us.  Gone are the blue skies and balmy weather of the past few weeks as rain moves in and reminds us we are still in springtime.  Changes are needed though and without the vagaries of our seasons we would all live in a poorer world.


As votes are cast, I can't help but wonder what other changes may be afoot.  Will it be a Gray day tomorrow or will Salmond run the river again?


Which ever way it goes, I do hope we see a commitment to our great outdoors from the next incumbents   of our Scottish Parliament.

Meantime, if you are looking for a change then come along to the next nordic walk on Friday 27th May 2011.  It is a great way to get some all round fitness and enjoy some fresh air.