As you may be aware our Ian is heading off to deepest Africa soon to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro. He has obviously been pondering life and has come up with his thoughts on his Nordic walking career. Have a read – it’s very entertaining!
So as I move to 4 years of Nordic Walking, this much I have learnt:
Definitions
- Nordic Walking is a total body version of walking that can be enjoyed ……. as a health- promoting physical activity or as a sport for athletes. Wikipedia.
- ditto – with cake. North Cheshire Nordic Walking.
Walk Leaders
Bev: boundless enthusiasm, astonishing fitness, with a peerless bounce and swagger.
Peter: rarely seen other than on Men – Only Mondays; only two speeds – fast, and very fast.
Amanda: in awe of her warm-ups and cool-downs which are master classes in poise, elegance and grace.
Ian: all of above*
Walks
Wow, what an amazing choice of circular walks our leader has devised for us; from a hour and half stomp around Tatton right through to 3/4 days trips. You can opt for a fast or steady walk, flat, lumpy or hilly and short, medium or long. And all in great company!
A word of caution here; time and distance tend to be elastic concepts on the longer walks. So when Bev says “Just round that corner and about another 10 minutes, 15 top” can mean anything up to another 3 miles and 45 minutes.
And, please note, if I’m leading and I put in a little tweak from the normal route it doesn’t mean I’m lost …… or does it?
Conversations
An awful lot of chattering, nattering, rabbiting and even ranting can be heard on any walk. In fact a “chattering“ would make an ideal collective noun for we North Cheshire Nordic Walkers.
Perhaps the more common subjects covered include; Soaps, Brexit, hot flushes, skiing, golf, Boris, Jeremy, holidays, Kate and now Megan, immigration, great walks completed and yet to be tackled, Bridge, aches and pains, Crown Green Bowling (very popular on Men- Only Monday’s), wines – and need I go on.
Perhaps the most obscure was a discussion on the correct meaning/pronunciation of the word ménage/manege. That killed a couple of miles.
And don’t you just love that passing wag (always a man) shouting out “ Oi, you’ve forgotten your skis”. The correct response to this is to smile at the originality of his wittiscm; Unclip; Punch him.
Gear
Clothing should be in layers, always layers. Even on the coldest day there is no need to dress as Michelin Man, or if you do you’ll soon regret it.
The jury is still out on those really useful but equally annoying trousers that can be unzipped midway up the thigh to leave a pair of shorts shorter than is commonly decent.
A small rucksack is always useful to carry the various layers, gloves, water, sunscreen, etc. Pack carefully but remember you are only out for a couple of hours, you are not crossing the Empty Quarter. Hair straighteners are not absolutely necessary.
Trainers v. Boots. The eternal discussion. But remember, this is Cheshire, green Cheshire.
And for 2018? A swift glance at the website shows there are walks for everyone and more are being devised and added all the time.
Check this: “Walking with Nordic poles requires coordinated movements for balance and stability, strength and endurance, varied cardiovascular efforts, agility and visual acuity. Added benefits includes injury prevention, enhanced nervous systems reactions to move quickly with precision…. The best health benefit is having a long active life.” www.humankinetics.com
So regardless of the weather, keep walking!
See you soon,
Ian
* in my dreams
North Cheshire Nordic Walking 