The weather has it in for me

Port Glasgow, looking across the Clyde

I just walked five miles, most of it in the rain, to reach my goal of 50 miles, a week early! As I sit in my room looking out of the window, an hour after arriving home, I cannot see a cloud in the sky. This has been a common occurrence lately, with the bad weather coinciding with my decisions to go for a walk.

The recent rain has taken it's toll in the areas I walk, with tracks submerged under muddy water or slippery. Even when it isn't raining, my hiking boots are still getting soaked. I've not been mountain biking lately as a result; not because I dislike riding in the rain, I really don't mind it, but I cannot really be bothered to clean my bike afterwards. Hopefully things dry up again soon and I can head back out into the hills by bicycle.

With a week still to go, I've reached the goal I set myself of walking 50 miles (exercise; not including walking to/from work, shops etc.) in a month. It was an enjoyable challenge and motivated me to head out into the hills more. The exercise certainly helped me, and it's encouraged me to get back into mountain biking as well.

Carrying on from the previous challenge, I'm going to set myself another. Starting tomorrow, I'm setting myself the goal of walking, running and mountain biking 100 miles in a month (finishing on September 17th). As before, this won't include commuting. I'm really going to have to rely on my bike to rack up mileage this time around.

Really, 100 miles in a month is nothing. Heck, two years ago I'd cycle that in a week! I'll get back there, sooner or later...

33/50

Looking across the Clyde, from the Greenock Cut

Since I set my goal of walking 50 miles in a month, I've walked almost 33. I've got over 2 weeks to go, so I see myself reaching this goal easily. Were it not for foot ailments which set me back a bit last week, I'd be very close to finishing already. It's not all bad though; a short break from walking gave me the chance to get back into mountain biking. My strength in the saddle is slowly increasing; I'll be sprinting up hills again in a couple of months!

Yesterday I walked the Greenock Cut, an aqueduct which runs around the hills behind Greenock. It was a good 8 mile hike and it stayed dry for most of the walk. I've lost count of how many times I've been around the cut (either by foot or bike), but yesterday was possibly the first time I did the entire walk clockwise. It was pleasant; from a distance, Greenock looks quite agreeable. Part of the trail overlooks what was my high school. It's hard to believe it's been 5 years since I finished there - time has fair flown by.

The weather forecast looks quite reasonable tomorrow and I'm hoping to get a walk in on my lunch break. I've been walking around Kelvin Park quite a bit this summer and it's amazing how quiet it gets on wet or overcast days. I've seen it going from packed on a sunny day, with not an unoccupied bench in sight, to completely empty the next; just because of a light shower.

Tomorrow will be the start of my remaining three weeks at work. It's been an interesting summer, although I'm already getting a taste of adventure for my short break afterwards. I'm planning a couple of camping trips and breaks away. Arran will definitely be visited, just so I can finally hike Goat Fell and get it off my to-do list. Depending on what else is in the area, I may camp in the glen and do something the next day as well. Inspired by something I was reading earlier, wild camping with a couple of Munros in the Crianlarich area is also a possibility. I have three weeks to decide...

Google is taking over my life

Having received an invite to the new Google Music service, I've only just realised how much I rely on Google and their services. My best friends are on Google Plus, my work is on Google Documents, I rely on Gmail for communication, I plan with Google Calendar, my open source projects are on Google Code, I use Google Scholar for research, I use Picasa for image storage, and now my music collection is on Google Music. I hear they have a search engine as well...

Edit: Also Google Maps, another product I use almost every day (mostly for GPS tracking bike rides and walks).

I've been impressed with Google Music in the few hours I've used it today. My music is almost uploaded to the service, which has taken a while with my awful upload speed. The idea is that you upload your music to the cloud, allowing you to stream it anywhere using a browser or the Android application.

Streaming has been flawless; no buffering or waiting for tracks to load. The interface is also nice to use. It's still in a restricted beta-testing phase so I'm unsure of what they have planned for the service, however at the moment I see it more as a way to listen to your music anywhere, rather than a music discovery service like Last.fm and Pandora.

I had a quick cycle in the rain earlier - good times! Hilly mountain bike rides are never easy, especially given my current levels of fitness. Nonetheless, exercise is exercise and I'll hopefully regain fitness quickly. I'm 7lbs lighter since I last weighed myself earlier in the month. Water weight aside, this is a very positive start! Progress like this is going to spur me on to better things over the coming months.

Mountain biking at sunset

My heart is still racing, and I got home half an hour ago! A short ride up and over the hill was enough to remind me of how long it's been since I cycled regularly. Watching the sun set over the river was as stunning as always. The thrill of flying down rough ground with abandon was as exhilarating as always. Alas, the only thing to have changed is me; boy have I gotten unfit!

Last Sunday I mentioned that I set myself the goal of walking 50 miles in a month. So far, so good on that front! I've walked over 17 miles in my first week, despite an irritating blister on my left foot. I'm hoping that by tomorrow it leaves me along so that I can tackle another long walk over the hills. Some of that distance has come from walking on my lunch break at work. Not only am I getting some exercise, but it's helping to clear my mind and help me focus at work better.

I've been using the Endomondo Android app to track my walks and bike rides. As impressive as the app is, it's the accompanying website that makes Endomondo great.

In the last week I feel like I've made a lot of changes; I'm eating healthier (and counting my calories!) and exercising a lot more. Really, I should've made this lifestyle change months ago, but I know only too well the difficulties of getting started. I went through it 4 years ago, losing over 70 pounds. I'm embarrassed that I let myself slip a little, but I'm determined to undo the past year of stress and laziness.

I'm angry at myself for how I've let myself go this past year, but I'm determined to become fitter and healthier. I've passed that "breaking point" and I'm going to give this all that I've got. I'm not going to try to make a change, I will.

Pitlochry, hiking and fitness

Pitlochry, Scotland

It's hard to believe that it's been three weeks since I last posted. Time sure has flown by, largely due to work becoming increasingly busy. In that time I've also enjoyed a short trip to Pitlochry with my girlfriend. It was a perfect short break; I sure needed that time to relax, and really enjoyed the scenery. I'd love to return there soon to do a bit more hiking.

We enjoyed a walk around the dam and a short hike through the woods and countryside, but Ben Vrackie in the distance was so tantalising. The town sits close to the edge of the Cairngorms, a mountain range I've only been able to enjoy from afar as the snow-topped peaks sat on the horizon. After my research projects end, I should have around three weeks of holiday before starting 4th year of university. I'm hoping to get away again in that time, even if it's just to camp, and the Cairngorms are a possibility.

Another place I'd like to get away to for a night or two of camping is Arran, although I'm sure that if I set out early enough, I'd cover all of the hills there which interest me in a day. Goat Fell has been on my to-do list for far too long!

I've known for a while that I need to get back in shape, but I've lacked that drive to do something about it. This time I'm determined to succeed and I'm relying on some technology to provide me with accountability. I've started to use Endomondo for tracking walks, runs etc. through their Android application. I don't expect this to help me succeed; obviously that rests on me alone. However, I think that being able to set myself goals and trying to beat my previous bests will help motivate me to keep going.

I've challenged myself to do 50 miles of walking in a month (not including walking as part of my commute) so I'll be reporting back here between now and the 24th of August. It's a lovely day today and, despite having already been out for a short walk, I fancy another. I may as well enjoy the sunshine while it lasts!