SwimQuest Mathraki travel towards home

A proportion of the group met for a morning dip but I skipped this due to the tight timing of an early breakfast and boat transfer. 

The transfer by boat and minibus worked well despite both boats being temperamental at some point. The trip across to Corfu coincided with a misty haze lifting and gradually revealing the land.

The mist fading over the Ionian Sea

The reluctance of the boats added to the anxiety of those with early flights, but we did arrive at the planned time. Everything during the week ran on a relaxed, casual time but deadlines for travel were met. I chose flight times to fit the advertised connections but I'm not sure I'd recommend this as transfers were adapted to suit the participants’ flights. I'd suggest contacting SwimQuest if your optimum flight doesn't quite work to the publicised times to see what can be arranged.

I chose to wait a few hours in the airport to avoid the midday heat and moving luggage. Corfu airport was frantic, with large package holiday groups. However the various queues for security and passports worked well. There was a brief issue with passport control across Europe (unrelated to the much-criticised EU Entry/Exit System) during my wait but as far as I could tell, the staff handled it well and prioritised those needing to depart.

In reviewing the week I have had many new swimming experiences without serious travel problems. It's worth noting that there's only around 2 hours of planned swimming per day. This works out, for me, around 6.5km in total. Some of the group did extra dips, and of course, swam further on occasions, but I didn't feel a need as even this amount is vastly more than my normal swim training load. The technique, or coaching, element was personalised to ability, age and previous experience and I have made concrete, albeit small, improvements in my stroke. Cassie is a keen observer and effective communicator and clearly loves helping people learn to swim. Our guides worked at least 12 hour days to keep everything on track and make sure we had a safe and enjoyable holiday. My only criticism would be that I'd have liked more individual time on technique in a given session.

The restaurants on Mathraki are very capable of providing vegan fare and I couldn't say I'd ‘missed out’ significantly. The non-vegans (so everyone else) praised the meals too. Greece is as hot as you'd expect but the water may not be. I was the only wetsuit wearer but two other swimmers commented on being cold at the start of the week. I think a shorty wetsuit or rash vest would be advisable for many, both for warmth on the occasional cool mornings and to keep the sun from burning back and shoulders.

SwimQuest Mathraki Fifth and final swimming day

Today's weather had returned to Greek normality, hot, with only the lightest of winds through the day. We started with a boat trip into the ‘middle’ of the sea. The sea was a deep blue, with shafts of light seemingly emitted from underwater, the aureole effect. We floated, did a few strokes under water and, in my case, climbed out once cooling. I soon heated through in my poncho under the sun.

Swimming through rays of sunlight

The boats then took us to the small islet of Platja for a loop of 500m, or for some, nearly two loops. The going was mostly good, just a small rough spot at a pole of the island. My shoulder survived and I was warm enough in the 26 degree water.

In the afternoon we returned to the bay at Mathraki for some coaching observation and short videos. After half an hour I thought my shoulders had enough wear and sun. In the evening Cassie reviewed the video with us and pointed out improvements in:

• Rotation of hips
• Less elbow drop, although still obvious
• Good body line, with slightly higher kick, my heels distinctly breaking the surface

Small improvements in technique

Some points to work on:

• Keep right angles in the catch, don't make hands go under body
• Keep recovery wide, this may help avoid shoulder problems. No need for idealised high elbow recovery especially when older

My roommate, who was sleeping on the beach each night, pointed out a distinctive blood moon to me. 

Not a true 'blood moon'

It seems that this isn't a true blood moon, one due to a lunar eclipse, as they are occurring in March and August this year. Most probably the redness was due to the moon's position close to the horizon. However 'genuine' it certainly formed a memorable closure to the week.

SwimQuest Mathraki Fourth swimming day

I awoke a little earlier than usual and conscious of last night's talk about sunrise I nipped out and tried some photos before another doze.

Sunrise seen from near the hotel, just like a sunset...

Today we really did go to Arillas, a busy seaside resort on the ‘mainland’ of Corfu (the website shows how the village has become busier over the last 40 years). On the way we stopped in yesterday's sheltered spot and explored the rocky margins, including a small sea cave. Once warned of sea urchins I didn't put my feet down. We practiced rotation again before a few hundred metres into less sheltered waters. Before leaving the island we had a brief tour of its cliffs in the powerboat.

One of the boats nudging into the cliffs

Arillas wasn't great. It has bars, an ATM (which had run out of cash) and a pharmacy. It was also very hot and busy; reasons I've not visited Greece previously. I tried a walk but after a 10 minutes I just had to return to the covered bar area.

Our technique session on the beach was on ‘catch’ after a reminder to think about an engaged core. Not easy to concentrate on both. Need to:

• Hinge arms after a light touch reach
• Just do a right angle, avoid deliberately going under your body
• Only apply force under your body after a successful ‘hinge’ and follow through
• Think about leading with wrist, not hand

On the return journey we completed another island swim, this time I was brave and managed without wetsuit. In the warmer water I was more limited by shoulder discomfort more than chills. Worth noting that a wetsuit reduces the risk of sunburn too.

After a brief tour of the Church of St Spyridon by Georgios, we ate at the adjacent ‘locals’ taverna uphill of the hotel. It was nominally a BBQ but started with the usual salads and giant beans. I was served with a lovely mushroom casserole as the guides had let the cook know that I'm not keen on aubergine (they've so much to do to look after us all). The omnivores did receive a stack of various barbequed meats.

Some chose to take the minibus back to the hotel

Tonight was full moon, we had an atmospheric walk back to our hotel, not easy to photograph well.

SwimQuest Mathraki Third swimming day

Today's plans changed. We should have done technique offshore then gone to Arillas. But, after the morning swim the currents increased so we were back to Mathraki for lunch. However,  the teaching tips for today were:

• Roll from hips into ribs and finally shoulders
• Reinforce yesterday's points on kick and arms

It was lovely to focus on technique, sheltered between two islands, rather than in a pool.

Listening to technique tips in the glorious turquoise sea

After lunch we went to an island, under the impression that it was supposed to be calmer than Arillas. In the event it was still pretty rough and discouraged me from doing much more than focusing on breathing air rather than water. Even the experienced swimmers found it rough, although they were able to spot a few fish. I was ever so pleased to reach the boat. Type 2 fun in my case, for sure.

SwimQuest Mathraki Second swimming day

A disco in the Taverna last night had the potential to keep me awake but it was quieter than the noises of the sea and air conditioning combined. We had another great breakfast at which I discovered the almond milk. The tap water stopped briefly afterwards but everyone managed to make do. The hotelier seemed to have to do some repair work offsite.

Before swimming we each received 10 minutes of feedback on our recorded swim. Importantly, Cassie explained the possible causes of the actions we could see rather than focusing on the visible issue. For instance, she noted my 'putting on the brakes' hand during reach and suggested that this was likely due to a lack of core control. I needed to deal directly with that, not just angle my arm differently. Points to think about are:

• Leading arms at 11 and 1 o'clock
• Rotation should start at hips, do more
• Avoid head lift at the end of a breath
• Keep heel up in kick, not downwards

The practical technique session considered parallel, forwards arms. I'm fairly consistent here after plentiful catch-up drills. Already I was aware of discomfort in my left shoulder. I'd start a programme of ibuprofen gel and daily paracetamol. Cassie had stressed the importance of technique in minimising injuries in swimming, and indeed that she'd had problems herself from technique that was less-than-ideal. I won't be swimming a hundred km  per week though. 

Swimmers close to the Mathraki shore

The afternoon swim was from the support boat near the harbour and across the bay, naturally I got lost on the return leg and had to be coaxed in the right direction. I'd wondered why the boat I was targeting was moving further away, still worth doing 1.6km. Comparing wayfinding approach between trips I'd say that I prefer to follow a kayak than be unsure whether to head towards the support boat or a fixed landmark. On dry land I can visualise a route readily but in the water, perhaps due to the low sightline, I often find myself slightly confused.

We ate at the Blue Dolphin tavern near the harbour this evening. Starters were great, but the vegan main course a little disappointing. A good welcome there nonetheless.

SwimQuest Mathraki First swimming day

The hotel breakfasts are really generous so it's a good job that time was allowed for it to 'settle' before swimming. However, once in the water I found it cold and suffered in the so-called warm-up. The guides noticed the shivering. They allowed me to be first to be videoed, I didn't expect to look good.

Still of the video of my first swim, feel free to critique the technique

We were given some tips for sighting and it was stressed that this is a safety issue. Cassie's recommended technique is to push down, to raise your body, for a quick peek, followed by a breath to the side. Of course I practiced during the week but this should be topped up in the pool over coming months. On some swims over the coming days I found the waves to be too high for this technique to allow me to see the destination and I had to stop and peer meerkat-like.

Before lunch we had a presentation, an overview of technique, which thankfully mirrored my local coach's advice. At least there is a consensus now. My video revealed the usual problems which I thought I'd reduced. I blame the cold. I'd learn more tomorrow.

The bad weather had brought cold water evidently, so I fought my way into my wetsuit for the afternoon swim. This was a comfortable 1.2km along the shallow coastline towards a beached yacht.

The yacht floundered in a storm a few weeks ago

Yesterday a few of us walked up the road to a small ridge to see the sunset. We were a little late so allowed more time this evening. However, we were thwarted by a layer of cloud. In coming days there'll be opportunities to have clear skies perhaps? An evening walk felt essential after 3 square meals today and only short swimming sessions. 

SwimQuest Mathraki Arrival

Last night we learnt via WhatsApp that the transfer has been brought forwards to this morning due to predicted rough seas. Lucky I was in town! I didn't need to plan a morning activity as the minibus was now booked for straight after breakfast.

Our minibus took us north, to the port, through typical Mediterranean scenery. Just over an hour on mostly winding country roads. If anything, the countryside is greener than I expected for such a hot country. The journey was an opportunity to start to get to know each other, inevitably limited by the seating layout.

Crossing the Ionian Sea from Corfu to Mathraki with our luggage

The motorboat journey was just over half an hour of bouncing across waves. Our luggage was balanced on the back seat. Most of the group were glad when we, and the bags, reached port safely. Then another short transfer, this time by a very tired minibus, along the partially paved coast road.

Hotel Paradise lies in a small cove, with a sheltered beach. The rooms are basic but everything needed, including a small fridge. Water and electricity are potentially limited on Mathraki but we only had one short period, this week, without tap water.

Hotel Paradise and Taverna adjacent to the sheltered beach

The guides and coach had joined the transfer but it was only on dry land that good introductions were made. The SwimQuest guides would manage logistics whilst Cassie would give a mix of group and individual coaching during the week. We were also introduced to the honesty bar system, many of the drinks were from Corfu Brewery, including a 0.5% beer, which proved popular at lunch times. It's perhaps worth noting that the prices for hot and cold drinks were very reasonable considering the tavern's near monopoly.

The unusual weather meant that it was cool enough to walk to the island's peak during the afternoon. Subsequently, I found that it would be too hot to do this although I had intended to explore further. Remaining group members arrived on a later, much rougher, crossing at the publicised time. Adaptation of the programme to suit weather and travel requirements would prove to occur most days. For instance, today's acclimatisation swim was cancelled due to the rough sea, even in 'our' enclosed bay.

The evening meal was plentiful with salads, cooked vegetables and something meaty for the non-vegans. It was pleasing that my menu request (I had enquired before booking) was noted without any fuss which is better than I often find at UK hotels. There was no choice as such to the meals, although the mezede-style presentation gave wide variety, and we were asked to pay a fixed amount. Ultimately, the cost of the food and transfers was less than the amount given in the documentation (which is best way for things to work out). In my opinion, it would be do much easier for participants if it were included in the holiday price. 

By now we'd learnt more about each other, a mix of ages from late 30's into 70's, and of first-time open water swimmers into very experienced sea swimmers and triathletes. I'd put myself into the older age range and lower experience. Most swimmers were from England however two were from other European countries. Our two guides, one form UK, one from USA, had spent the summer working for SwimQuest and already knew the island and the local team well.

SwimQuest Mathraki My travel day

I've booked into SwimQuest's "Technique and Explore with Cassie Patten" for additional freestyle coaching and to do a little openwater swimming in warm water. Coldness has previously been a limiting factor for me. It's around 8 years since last flying abroad and I wasn't looking forwards to the travel. I flew a day early to ensure I was ready for the transfer from Corfu Town to the island.

Fortunately,  after a 3am start everything went well and I reached the hotel, an easy walk from the airport, late afternoon.  The weather wasn't as warm as I'd expected and I was even caught in a brief rain shower.  I made a small tour of the town but didn't queue for the old fortress. There were 4 cruise ships docked and I presume their thousands of passengers contributed to the busy-ness.

Alleyway in Corfu town

The town varied between busy, upmarket restaurants and basic urban areas. A few streets back there's a non-tourist commercial area where I bought bananas and water for the next day or so. I found the island's only vegetarian restaurant on the border between those areas and I ate a good evening meal. Even with the traffic noise, both cars and aeroplanes, I slept fairly well.

The Cross Bay Walk, Take 2

This afternoon we walked across Morecambe Bay, partly in the fundraiser for Grange Lido, and partly because it's a fabulous experience. Some years ago I did a 13 km run from Silverdale to Humphrey Head, this time we walked from Arnside to Grange-over-Sands. The distance was an easier 10km.

It's worth stressing that although there is a Byway across the bay, and in general much of the foreshore in the UK is publicly accessible, it's very unwise to venture far into the area without a competent guide. Quicksand areas are common and the tide rises rapidly, resulting in the Arnside Bore. 

Section of OS map showing the northern part of the bay

The 'safety briefing' before the walk was not confidence-inspiring but one had to accept that the guide is experienced and will want to get to safety as much as any of us. When we mentioned the walk to friends beforehand there were plenty of disapproving looks and comments about how dangerous the bay is. Just over 2 decades ago around 23 workers died in the bay in one night  and, of course, such incidents are remembered, and many people have 'near misses' every year. So, there is a risk..

We were blessed with good weather, perhaps a little too much sun, but really you don't want bad weather whilst in the bay. This is one of few places in England where the scenery is flat for miles and underfoot neither farmed nor industrial.

Just starting to leave the security of Arnside peninsula

The walk took just over 3 hours, including a couple of short breaks. On both occasions I've found it tougher than the mere distance and elevation would suggest. There are a few streams to wade which can vary from ankle-depth to waist-depth, dependent on the day.

Our route across the bay

The texture of the sand and its softness sap energy and give legs a work-out. Only a few walkers needed a little ride on one of the accompanying tractors and there was clearly a sense of achievement as the large party came ashore.  

I'd recommend a bay crossing to any keen runner or walker. I think a fair risk assessment is that a journey with a guide is sensibly safe, remembering that we take risks everyday, often for no good outcome (I was going to put a link in here but decided to leave you to think of your own examples!).

 

Back into progress

Three weeks ago my session in the endless pool was unproductive, and unfortunately the next day I had shoulder pain and needed to book in with the physio! With hindsight I think there was a combination of holding a streamline position at the limit of my range of movement, a general lethargy of unknown origin, and no doubt an element of overtraining. Any one of these may well have been manageable in themselves but together they were too much.

After another endless pool session, some ordinary swims, another physio session, and a less busy week I felt back on track. Yesterday's endless pool session felt like a step forwards, my lead arm is usually facing forwards, my shoulder dive to the right is reduced and with concentration my head swinging disappears. When the pool speed was increased above my comfort zone I re-adopted some poor practices. I must remember to focus on the coaching tips even more when I need the power.

Today's 'ordinary' swim was more evidence that the coaching and focussed practice is working. I recorded a 200 yard PB of 4:10 minutes and two sets of 100 yards in 2:01 minutes, so not PBs, but demonstrative of consistency. Perhaps I was a little less efficient than for my last PB as my stroke average was 13 today, although some lengths were completed in 12 strokes (which of course means some were 14!).

I like to think that the plantar fasciitis is resolving slightly but the rate of improvement is so slow that I also wonder if I'm just hoping that to be true.

Endless disappointment

After some months of feeling an increasing confidence in both my freestyle stroke and working in the endless pool, today's session was a disappointment. I arrived on a positive note with documented evidence on improved distance per stroke and pace, helped along by a trouble-free journey to the pool. The session was in a different sequence which didn't seem to be a problem at first as I'm fairly happy to swim with the snorkel now. I noted an absence of head wobbling, which is a positive to take away, although my shoulders felt tired very soon.

Quickly, we moved onto some kick drills with my arms as much in a streamline pattern as they'll allow. I think this is where my problems started as even now, 10 hours or so later, I can feel my shoulders as unduly stressed. With fins off, my legs felt so heavy and ineffectual and I couldn't reconnect with good form in my arms. A few minutes with a pull buoy restored a little improvement in form but even then my legs felt to be a massive anchor. It's always tough to swim without fins after wearing them for a few minutes but today it seemed impossible. 

Altogether, today wasn't a productive session, fortunately I've enough positive experiences in the pool to consider this an 'off day' but must keep a weather-eye for overtraining. I've certainly been there for running, and with a current running injury I must be careful not to go down that route for swimming.

Progress being consolidated

This afternoon's swim session was a little busier than usual, which makes me try a little harder so as not to be a blockage in the lane. In the past, that effort seemed to be pointless arm spinning with little effective impact on pace. Today however it felt, and measured, a bit different.

My 200yd set took 4:16 minutes which must be a PB, I doubted my reading of my watch as I peered into the screen without my glasses. But it is uploaded and crystal clear. I did some catch-up drill sets and focussed on reach to catch transition on some lengths. All whilst trying not to bob my head. With a good time and some 'work' under my belt I tried a 100yd set. I pushed, but not too much, I knew that form had to exceed effort. 

1:56min for 100yds

I was rewarded with a clear sub-2 minute set. Now that's 10% less than 200m, at the same pace I'd have hit 2:07 minutes for 100m. To achieve 2 minutes for 100m, each 25 yards must be completed in 27.4s. That goal pace is looking achievable. As mentioned previously I don't trust my sub-2 minutes achievement in the 18m pool...

More video analysis

The videos of last week's endless pool session arrived this evening. My technique has clearly improved, most importantly stability of my leading arm. However, progress is insanely slow and I can still see all-too-common faults. On the positive side, I am noticing improvements in pace, and probably more important for long term success, I can now 'feel' effective pressure on the water. This 'feel' acts as instant feedback on technique and is one of the few ways a swimmer in the water can critique their own stroke as they swim.

Still obvious elbow lead associated with lack of a vertical forearm

Things I need to think about:

• I'm still bobbing my head side to side, especially as workload increases 
• My right arm is tending to curl towards the surface as I reach, 'putting on the brakes', seems to occur as I roll onto the lead arm. Elbows up!
• Still some elbow lead even though it's higher
• My left arm is now often looking tidier than the right now I've largely resolved the crossover and wide stroke tendency

Perhaps a PB that indicates solid progress?

Yesterday I was back in the endless pool, or 'The Tank' as I've come to call it, where I was able to report that I could feel improvement in pace, stroke count and that so elusive feel. Today my first set, theoretically a warm-up,  illustrated that.

Less than 4:20 minutes for 200yds is a personal best

For some weeks this first set has been around 4:30 which is fine. Today, I didn't push, but tried to focus on the list of points for good technique. It appears to have paid off, and I believe that this is represents a personal best. I'm not counting my nominal sub-2 minutes for 100m in an 18m pool as I believe the push-offs compensated for poor swim pace, and I'm not even sure that I believe the timing.

But back to today. Importantly my average stroke count was 12 strokes per length across the 8 lengths. Reviewing previous data, in November I swam an opening 200yds in 4:50 with 14 strokes per length average. A year ago I had a 200yd set in 4:36 but with 15 strokes per length. I can't expect these gains every week but it is harkening to see such an increase in efficiency.

Shipley and Saltaire strolls

I'm in Shipley this weekend for the Saltaire Recorder Weekend (radical!) where I know I'll be struggling to keep up with others. However, on the footpaths around here I can be confident of being a brisk, confident walker even though I still can't return to running.

The principle paths are, of course, the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and Shipley Glen. The latter has been a popular tourist destination since Victorian days. I didn't manage a ride on the tram as it only runs during Sunday and I was being musical then. Around these very popular paths are routes farther into the Glen and along Baildon Bank. Although there are Rights of Way I found many additional paths so even in this semi-urban environment GPS mapping was useful.

Ruins of Milner Field Manor

Most of the 20km route was unexceptional, a pleasant day in good weather, but I enjoyed looking at some remains of the ill-fated Milner Field Manor. I'd heard that there is a risk of dogs, and perhaps people, falling into the cellars so I was very limited in my exploration and didn't stray from evidently solid ground.

Still progress with freestyle

The evening coaching block finished last week and I'm eager to sign-up for another block should there be one early summer. I've found this to be an excellent support for the intense sessions in the endless pool. The coached sessions allow more drill and equipment use than is usually permitted in a traditional pool environment but keeps the basic structure of 'lengths'. Importantly, both coaches pick up on the same points of my stroke and appear to have similar goals in mind so I'm not split into whose advice I should follow. This hasn't always been the case with swimming teachers in my limited experience.

I can't say that I enjoy the endless pool sessions but I've definitely become accustomed to the water flow, noise, and absence of a pause every 25yards or so. I'm even becoming used to the snorkel. Even so, the situation allows checks on technique and the continuous nature means that the stroke development is hindered by turns. Last session I had more trouble with my legs than previously which I think was due to too much kicking which in turn pushed my legs under the flow, needing more kicking etc. Not a problem with the stroke, more to the mechanics of the pool.

My stroke is clearly becoming more powerful and efficient based on the timing figures from my own pool sessions where I'm not manging 4:30min for 200 yards and 57s for 50 yards. Not great but better, and reproducible. The videos still show:

• Elbows low on catch, especially left
• Left arm wandering outwards on pull
• Drooping of my arms on reach, right a bit more often

The first two are very much involved in not generating ideal backwards force. The endless pool provides instant feedback on every stroke as an effective one pulls you forwards towards the mirror and weakness results in a backwards drift. This is very helpful as it does help to develop the feel of the optimum arm position.

A backwards step for foot pain

This morning I woke up with the typical pain of plantar fasciitis for the first time in many weeks. This feels like a major step back in my healing. Let's backtrack slightly. My foot pain first came to my notice as something other than a one-off niggle in early March, but I believe the onset was in February. After a few runs with background pain, and worse the day after, I stopped running. My walks continued as practice for the Peak Pilgrimage and didn't seem to trouble my foot. I also started to include some slow jogs to the weekly strength and conditioning session. 

Uphill from home was a little uncomfortable, but the session and the return uphill section were fine. By this week the physio suggested that as my 2 x 8 minute jogs were basically comfortable, try 2x 5 minutes on Wednesday as well. Yesterday that seemed to go OK after a very mild discomfort 3 minutes in on the first section.  I was pleased with that and was looking forwards to the rest of the return to running plan I'd been given.

However, this morning has been a painful indicator that the tissue isn't as well healed as we'd thought. I'm back to the plantar pain and tenderness and discomfort through the Achilles tendon and into my calf. Oh dear. Why yesterday should have caused so much irritation is unclear. Second in the week? Different shoes? Different route? Swim in the middle? The advice was to not repeat the run if the pain reappeared so that outcome was partially foreseen. Back to walks and more calf roller time as the muscle tightness seems to be re-establishing itself as a negative influence.

Peak Pilgrimage Day 4

I didn't expect to walk any unfamiliar paths today, but the route held a surprise for me close to the end. We had a sunny 17km to walk from Baslow, starting with the ascent to Baslow Edge, and then along Curbar Edge.

The edge becomes wooded towards the north

Despite walking along frequently, the distance between Curbar Gap and the main road always surprises me. The steep descent through Hay Woods was a reward with its bluebells and hints of temperate rainforest. Once in Grindleford, after the obligatory refreshments, the path turned back southwards towards Froggatt.

A variety of trees and a millstone grit wall

The guidebook offers a choice of routes from Baslow, the longer steeper one we took, or a much shorter route between Baslow and Carver. Whichever you take, you miss a church, unless you add a detour onto the edge route. We elected not to do this as the sun was hotter than expected and we didn't want to risk missing our bus home.

Stoney Middleton is a larger village than first appearances suggest and it has a rare octagonal (Wikipedia lists 11 whereas the guide suggests there are only two in England) church, in this case dedicated to St Martin of Tours.

Strong sunlight providing the atmosphere

The final walk was over 'The Cliff' towards Eyam. We've never walked on this ridge even though it is central to the historic story of Eyam as 'The Plague Village'. The boundary stone between Eyam and adjacent Stoney Middleton is near the summit of the ridge and marked the border of the 17th century lockdown. 

After visiting the last church on the route in Eyam we had a wait before the bus was due and found The Miners Arms close to the bus stop.

Summary

Over the 5 days we've recorded walking 73km, including 5km from home to the railway station, with an ascent of around 1700m. The 4 and a bit day schedule has been fairly easy going and due to the well-made paths should be within the reach of many. We were fortunate with the weather in being dry throughout and only briefly rather hot. The weather forecast was for a prolonged dry period beforehand so we took the risk on taking only lightweight waterproofs. This saved a fair bit of weight and volume. In view of the mild weather and lowland nature of the pilgrimage we packed lightly, each using 20 litre rucsacs. Our pack weights were under 5kg and 8kg, mine being the heavier due to a 1litre water bottle (there are many spots to fill-up should it be needed), a camera and various oddments such as USB charger, first aid kit and FRA-style survival bag.  

Peak Pilgrimage Day 3

Today was our longest walk on the pilgrimage at 21km with 400m of ascent. We also moved into an area we are more familiar with. Just on the outskirts of Monyash we took the path down Lathkill Dale. Over the next 5 km the dale changed from dry and grassy, to damp, narrow and oppressive and eventually to deep with a significant river.

Small falls along the river

Along the way various streams emerged from the valley walls and floor to strengthen the flow. In the valley near Over Haddon there used to be mills powered by the water. It was a fair ascent up to Over Haddon village and its welcoming pub. Along the way we passed the church on a small level piece of land. Once on higher ground, and fortified, it was a short walk to the exceptionally busy town of Bakewell. This is a handy place for provisions for the last quarter of the journey, should they be required. The church is on the far side of town, up a rather steep road.

Once again, sunlight highlights detail in a church

From Bakewell we were on a route we knew well, across the ridge to Chatsworth. We were relieved to see the village of Edensor as we descended from Calton pastures knowing that we had only a few kilometres to walk into Baslow. The guidebook suggests that one might like to detour into Chatsworth House and its gardens. We've been a few times over the years but I'm not convinced that a stately home visit sits well in a pilgrimage, in whatever way you wish to experience a few days of peaceful walking.

Although Baslow is a substantial village with 3 hotels I found very few spaces when I booked. Ultimately we were not impressed with where we stayed, especially in view of its price. On the bonus side, there are two little shops that supply chocolate bars and bananas into the evening.

Peak Pilgrimage Day 2

We were on our way bright and early today as we breakfasted ahead of the group. There were also no church stops along the path so the focus was on the route and the surrounding nature. Unfortunately, the few kilometres along the Tissington Trail to Parsley Hay were bitterly cold, despite the sunshine, due a strong wind blowing across the railway embankment. I suspect this area is often colder than its surroundings from comments by the B&B owners.

It's clearly limestone country

After a coffee break at the junction we headed off the trail across limestone-walled fields and soon reached Monyash. Today's walk was only 14km so we had plenty of time to explore the church, the village pond and the Bull's Head pub. The weather was warm and sunny so it was pleasant to watch the local heron hunt fish in the pond. "... Nature, red in tooth and claw ..." etc.

Forget-me-knots adorned many gravestones

The Sheldon House B&B was also generous and let us check-in early. We'd thoroughly recommend this as a luxurious place to stay. Likewise the Bull's Head was very welcoming and served excellent food. It was working out well to have a substantial breakfast and then a few snacks in the day before a dinner. 

I suggested that we could have walked twice the distance today but it wasn't a popular view! There's also the issue that there are actually limited places to stay so there aren't many permutations of mileage possible.

Peak Pilgrimage Day 1

The pilgrimage is designed to travel through villages with small churches, open to the public, where one can collect a bible verse and be contemplative. I left Christianity over 45 years ago but am happy to sit (briefly!) in the shelter of a quiet church, especially if it requires a walk through a new area to reach it. Even though we walked yesterday, the route officially starts today, and fortunately any rubbing shoes and stiff shoulders have resolved overnight.

Most of today's 18km was along the River Dove, with a detour uphill to Alstonefield around midway. The morning was in the ever-so-popular Dovedale, but despite pleasant weather we found the dale generally peaceful. After coffee and snacks from the popular Polly's Cottage we headed uphill to the minature Milldale Chapel.

Sunshine through the chapel windows

The route continued through farmland to Alstonefield before descending into Wolfscote Dale to rejoin the river for a few more kilometres. Here the limestone gorge is wider than in Dovedale, not so dramatic, but also usually less busy. After a few field paths that felt longer than they really are, we reached Hartington YH. 

Ropes into the belfry at St Giles Hartington

St Giles was reportedly a cave-dwelling priest, perhaps a hermit, with the power to heal animals. Other saints regarded locally are from caves which perhaps reflects the significance of caves in this limestone area?

Once again there was a school group in the hostel, who although quiet, caused some disruption to the catering which struggled with the combination of a large group meal and the varied orders of other residents. If I were to stay here again I'd be tempted to book a meal in the village if a group was eating in the hostel.

Peak Pilgrimage Day 0

We've planned to walk the Peak Pilgrimage  over the next 5 days. This will give us an opportunity to explore parts of the White Peak and perhaps have time for quietness and reflection. Our timetable is relaxed, taking 4 days to cover the approximate 70km. Our schedule can be seen here which you may copy and adapt to suit your own goals.

Today we travelled to Ilam, the start of the route, and hard to reach by public transport. We took an express train from Sheffield to Derby and connected with a local bus to Ashbourne. The bus had minor mechanical problems but completed the journey largely on schedule. At the time of writing, there are two bus routes between Derby and Ashbourne. One, is a little slower and direct from the train station. The other is more frequent, ten minutes faster, but has to be found at the bus station. Other buses travel to Ashbourne from, for example, Buxton.

Such is the difficulty in reaching Ilam by bus, that the guidebook recommends walking from Ashbourne, an easy 8km. We set our pace for the journey by pausing for a coffee in Ashbourne and taking 2.5 hours to cover the gentle field paths and riverside walk to the Youth Hostel. We had time to explore the grounds and adjacent church before eating in the restaurant.

The medieval St Bertram's bridge across the River Dove

The hostels seem to serve a standard menu which is fairly good value with adequate, but not generous, portions. They are mostly licensed for alcohol sales nowadays as well. The hostel was fairly busy as it was hosting a school party, but as our room was in an annex, and the children being tired from an afternoon of playing in the grounds, we had a quiet night.

Bluebells 2026

This morning I walked between The Ford and Eckington once again in my pursuit of traversing all of the local Rights of Way (RoW). I've visited the Eckington Park area several times now as there is a dense network of paths across a relatively small area. 

Today I ascended through Ladybank Wood and was impressed by the bluebells which were in full flower. The colours were far richer than those I saw in the nearby woods a few days ago. 

The woodland carpeted with bluebells

The area seems to be popular with dog walkers although the dogs I met were all well-behaved. There are many paths around field edges and through the woodlands in addition to the RoW so I had to keep my eye on my map to ensure I wasn't tempted to follow the plentiful desire paths.

Plantar fasciitis

For the last five or so weeks I've noticed pain in my left sole. The physio confirmed my suspicion that it's likely to be plantar fasciitis. Unfortunately this has an uncertain origin and more uncertain timecourse of healing! I'm aware of perpetually tight calf and hamstring muscles on that side, which may well be a predisposing factor.

Walking doesn't seem to irritate my foot so I've been off on walks of various lengths to keep my legs moving. It's well recognised that connective tissues heal best with a non-damaging degree of load and hopefully the walks, with occasional slow jogs will provide a suitable load.

I've not been on any new rights of way as I'm conserving fuel (whilst Israel and America bomb Iran) and aren't keen enough to catch the bus out of town.

Sunrise over the trig point at Oxstones

Today I had the opportunity to be at Oxstones for Easter Sunday sunrise. I'm sure I was the only person on that part of the fell and was lucky enough to spot a few Easter bunnies.

Endless pool #3

This morning felt to be a step forwards once I'd settled in after the usual frantic 'warm-up. The focus was on increasing my forearm catch, largely through control of my elbow. After some practice I was aware of increased pressure on my palm. With a paddle, it seemed to be pressed into my hand and not needing stabilisation with my thumb. Without paddles I tried to reproduce that feeling of power on the water, sometimes I could see a 'power stroke' that accelerated me towards the mirror briefly.

Trying to press through my hand

It helped to visualise leading with my hand with my elbows up, rather than the reaching over a beach ball. However, the video shows that I'm still leading with my elbow, although my forearm is in an improved position which will at least be generating more power.

I also needed to be reminded to keep my head steady in the centre, rotating my body around it on the reach. It's helpful to look yourself in the eyes in the mirror! A good reach felt more powerful and seems to encourage a longer stroke before recovery. Reaching forwards with a steady head may be helpful in avoiding crossover too.

My left arm drifts across my midline

In this photograph, crossover is obvious, the video shows that initial entry is inline with my shoulder but then my arm slips. Here there isn't much body rotation, when I was able to do a more forward reach with rotation the crossover was often avoided.

 

Freestyle skill

I've now been able to review the video of my second endless pool session. In 'catch-up' I'm managing to reach further and keep my head more stable, although I still find the snorkel oppressive. There's clearly more power to my stroke even with a habit of dropping my elbow. Observation and video are so important as I really thought that I achieved high elbow catch consistently. In a way it's a positive sign to see that I don't, as this gives me a skill to develop which once (if I can) mastered will surely result in a more efficient stroke.

Dropped elbow evident during catch-up drill

Looking back at video of swims stretching back nearly 10 years I'm saddened to see only slight improvement in technique. I appreciate that my mobility is less than optimum but I also believe, unfortunately, that I haven't always been given effective advice.

Evening swim coaching

At last I've been able to sign-up for a 10 week freestyle coaching block at the local pool. This will hopefully complement my sessions in the endless pool, some supported practice with fewer opportunities to reinforce poor technique.

I was a little nervous beforehand, fearing it would be too intense or that I'd be unable to cope with the drills. We were split into two groups, the known fast and powerful squad and 'the rest'. The latter had a  range of ability from a new freestyle swimmer through a range, perhaps with me being towards the more experienced. We did some classic drills, but not too much, and some observed swims, with individual feedback, all done in a supportive way.

This is quite a budget option, at around 2x a basic pool entry fee, and with a fairly small group size, excellent value for money. This is a far better option than the block I completed recently as we all received technique tips, which in my case, I know to be areas that I need to continue to work on.

I told you I was ill

Fortunately I wasn't as ill as Spike Milligan but I was very much out of action for exercise for almost a week. After last week's recorder lesson (maybe there should be a whole blog on that?) I faded and spent much of the weekend and beginning of this week under a blanket. I postponed Monday's circuit class until yesterday.

Swimming was also out of the question until Wednesday and I took it easy then. The common cold is a trivial illness but feels far worse than it deserves to. I'm still not 100% well but have managed some activity without falling back into bed. I've noticed that my resting heart rate (RHR) mapped my underlying lethargy remarkably well.

RHR from my Garmin's optical wrist sensor 

It's 'well known' that RHR increases by up to 10bpm in mild infections although serious evidence to support this isn't easily found. I spotted that my RHR dipped below its average on recovery and I suspect that this might be due to reduced physiological stress in the absence of medium length runs, aka sitting around at home!

I'm not going to make this into a larger analysis, but if you are thinking of doing that, this report is a great example of the "quantified self" movement (which may well be beyond its apogee).

Incidentally, I submitted heart rate data to my GP this week and the RHR of 40bpm caused some concern as it's a threshold of severe bradycardia. I'm booked in for an ECG next week, no significant NHS waiting list there! Personally I don't believe I've a sinus problem or heart block as my heart rate adapts rapidly and predictably to exertion and rest just as it should do. 

Coal Aston paths

Today has had lovely spring weather, a far cry from the months of rain that characterised the start of 2026. I took the opportunity to complete another small section of my rights of way project, focussing on some paths to the northeast of Coal Aston that I'd missed in previous visits.

A region around Birlehay is now completed

It's a mixed area, mostly arable farm land but interleaved with small woodlands, villages and paddocks. The fields around here accumulate water in wet weather and don't seem to drain at all well, so paths are often wet and muddy. Paths across fields south of Povey Farm seem to be in the process of being lost. There were historical arguments that walkers should walk around crops but nowadays the law is quite clear that cross-field paths should be cleared. In some places even the stiles are lost or the hedgerow unbroken. A wet-weather task might be write to the local highways authority.

Trees in a hedge between two recently-sown arable fields

The terrain could be described as 'rolling countryside', so there aren't any significant hills but even on today's fairly short run there was nearly 500m of ascent. Much of that was slippery mud, so not an easy circuit.

I'm currently troubled by plantar fasciitis in my left foot and the physio has speculated that it may be aggravated running in mud, where forces can be higher and unpredictable than on a well-made path. My habitually tight calf muscles probably don't help either. Some online advice promotes stretching and roller/ball exercises and like many runners I'm aware these can benefit mobility but tend to neglect them.

Endless pool #1

In my ongoing quest for freestyle coaching I'd been following up on local coaches. A personal recommendation never replied to me, a local group is full with a waiting list, and others are some distance away. I did find a fairly local coach with an endless pool who had a short notice cancellation and does one-off bookings (as well as blocks) so I drove over there is morning.

The pool was larger than I'd expected and nicely pre-heated to a pleasant 30 degrees. After a brief chat I was in and on a warm-up swim. Despite the warnings not to race the flow, I did, and ended up with a scrappy short stroke, head-up and feet banging on the bottom. The coach tried to reassure me that everyone starts off badly!

As is so often the case, my initial problem is a falling leading arm which I'm aware of and can control better at a relaxing pace in the local pool. However, this showed that it occurred when stressed, which is probably the case for many, especially in tougher open water conditions. I then did catch-up drill with a snorkel, which gradually went from tough and claustrophobic to relatively comfortable. Even with the snorkel I was nodding from side to side until I focussed on watching myself in the submerged mirror.

Despite my self-belief I was also stopping the stroke just below my waist and so losing the last bit of power that I could use. With small paddles I then had to repeat the catch-up, with a full length stroke. Without a rush! Every few strokes I was aware of a 'good' stroke where things came together and after a few minutes I was bale to manage with a faster flow rate. The flow is a hard task master, any relaxation in pace and you're pushed back, moreover there isn't the momentary rest, and big breath, that occurs at every end of the pool. 

The last drill was catch-up with fins, again, I was aware of the variable quality of strokes. I was also starting to tire. Although I was setting the pace, fins and paddles increase the physical load and in combination with the relentless flow I found that I had to pause fairly often.

We finished with a swim which felt very hard work, I was tired and in the absence of fins my legs were leaden. In the hour the coach had covered a lot of ground. Some video and commentary will be emailed to me but I'm summarising key points while I remember:

1. Focus on keeping leading arm high and forwards when breathing, don't rush;
2. Look straight, no nodding;
3. Extend the power stroke backwards as far as possible;
4. On recovery focus on reaching forwards to avoid submerging my head, actually keep reaching after each entry!;
5. High elbow is good, but not breaking the water, visualise the catch over a ball and keep the upper arm at that depth;
6. Count strokes and rest with fresh focus if it rises rather than retrospectively looking at data.

Swimming lesson #6

I've completed the block of 6 lessons that I'd booked and have mixed feelings about the time. Today I narrowly missed the 2minute/100m goal but I think it's fair to blame that on other people in the pool who I had to avoid. For some reason there wasn't a lane booked for my session, especially important as the pool was busier than usual, presumably due to half term. 

So how have I found the, rather expensive, sessions? On the positive, my sprint pace in an 18 metre pool has improved but I believe a significant proportion derives from faster and more powerful turns. My evidence for this is that my pace gain in a 22 metre (i.e. 25 yard) pool is far more modest. I have additionally noted that my arms tend to enter the water rather wide and should be streamlined better. Also to breath more promptly and not turn to the side for too long. 

However, I feel the 'intensity' of the coaching has been low. I've barely received a teaching tip per session and those I've had, I've followed-up myself on YouTube to gain more insight. In my opinion, I've spent rather too much of the time on 200 metre sets from which I've developed few insights. Overall, the sessions seem more as though I've swum with a critical friend rather than a professional coach. The former is OK, especially when I don't have an effective swim buddy, but not entirely what I had hoped to be exposed to. The coach himself was very personable and a pleasure to chat with between sets. In retirement it's helpful to meet someone early in their career and making plans for the future. I still have plans but they tend to be shorter term!

I fully appreciate that as an adult learner it's my responsibility to develop, and I have fulfilled that role. I've listened, watched videos and re-read sections of swimming books I've got. Likewise there are physical limitations in my strength and mobility, but as before, I've looked into flexibility exercises and continued with practice swims and my circuits classes.

My data shows a modest improvement in sustained pace which is great, but unfortunately it's not as marked as I'd hoped for. Perhaps it's unrealistic, but I'm still thinking there's a near magical technique tip out there that will break my plateau.

Burbage loop

This morning's weather forecast was for crisp, cool sunshine. The first dry day of 2026 perhaps? I'd planned a 20km route into the edge of the National Park with a friend. There'd be a few km at each end, to and from home. That would give me the longest run (or run/walk) I've done in many weeks. 

The forecast was spot-on and we were blessed with a fairly still day, with a little ice and even a thin layer of snow on Burbage Moor.

On Burbage Moor (with Thanks to A, I carried a camera but failed to deploy it!)

The ice caused us to be  cautious of our pace, some rocks were slippery and puddles camouflaged by a hard coating. The lovely weather had encouraged many people onto the moors so we had to pay extra attention to thread our way in places without disturbing others.

Our pace was gentle, partly because of the ice, but largely due to our shared lack of fitness. Ice and hills gave many opportunities to slow to a brisk walk but with my eye on the clock we couldn't slacked too much. I'd promised that we'd complete the 20km in 3 hours. Towards the end I was aware of light cramp in my left calf and hamstring, as tends to be the case.

The Porter Valley is fairly deep and steep-sided for an urban park

I also found that I was generally tired and found the descent and ascent across the Porter Valley on my home especially tough. Once I'd reached Greystones road it really is all downhill.