unrecognisable

the manfriend is convinced that miracles do happen.

back from swaledale and once we regained mobile signal, i started tappitytap-ing on my phone to tell him all about it. part of this conversation may or may not have included how we walked for 6 hours, up about 500m and over 15km. it also may or may not have described how after walking what seemed like the whole day, i chose to walk the additional 3km to the pub (instead of hop on the bus), joined an impromptu yoga session back at the bunk house, woke at 7am the next day for a powerwalk, and bathed out of a small teapot after.

he then asked a series of questions to ascertain that i was indeed the girl he is going out with, before asking if anyone had been pointing a gun to my head the whole time.

pre-UK, i was probably the most inactive person on the planet, second only to the morbidly obese in florida who sit in their motorised chairs, surviving on soda and ice cream. was outdoor averse and would never do any of the above exertion on my own volition. but now, oh now, i'm keen as can be and can't wait to get out there again. 

on the downside though, i was in agony the day after our long walk, an agony that no one else seemed to feel! oh how fit the lot of them were, bounding up the hills and even carrying weighted backpacks because there'd be no challenge otherwise. in contrast, i had to hobble down the stairs in the morning, hobbled the whole day and am still aching now. plus when we were going uphil for what seemed like forever and a day, i felt a remorse like never before for my daily bag of wotsits, kitkat bars and jelly donuts. why oh why do i eat so much junk, only to have it bite me in the backside when i go against gravity. methink these walks would be a lot easier if i was a wee bit more careful with what i eat. 

but speaking of eat, the organisers fed us really well! we'd chilli con carne for dinner,  carbo-loaded for breakfast, followed by ham and cheese sandwiches with two candy bars, a bag of crisps, apple and banana for lunch. the maltloaf that was making its rounds was also a energy rush to the head. yay for sustenance!

am also more than a little embarrassed that i got my sleeping bag wrong (long story) and froze on the first night. it takes lots of effort to sleep in the wrong end of the bag, so please withhold judgment. figured it out in the morning and was snug as a bug in a rug the second night. mind you, this is the very same sleeping bag i got wrong when we did the machu picchu in winter 2009. ever gallant, the manfriend let me have our good bag in the sub-zero temperature (i was complaining enough as is being made to trek for 3 days...) but because i didn't know how to use it, we both froze regardless. key difference now: i'm walk uphill voluntarily

so this pleases the manfriend no end because he finally has a willing partner in grime. miraculous, isn't it.