Lion's Head: Training Walk, Week 1

Date: 6 November 2010

Location: Lion's Head

Walkers: Michele & Helen

For more about my "training walks" see here.

All walks in Lion's Head are here.

The plan: This was my second "training walk" in week one of my new get-fit programme. Michele has been persuaded to join in! Today we were tackling Lion's Head, and our intention was to walk steadily for an hour and see how far we got. Last time we were here we ambled along extremely slowly, stopping all the time to look at flowers. There would be none of that today!



Before: Although it doesn't come naturally for me to exercise first thing in the morning, I was feeling good and eager to walk. Michele had had migraines in the week so wasn't feeling super-strong, but was also ready to get started. We set off at 8am and the weather looked nice for exercising: cool and still, with some sunshine and a bit of cloud about.



The walk: The first part of this walk, the trudge up the fairly steep gravelly path, is never easy - but we soon got into a rhythm. Neither of us walk quickly (and I doubt we ever will) but we managed to walk steadily without too much trouble, although Michele did feel a little light-headed at times. We had a couple of short stops to drink water. These pauses also gave me the opportunity to take out the camera out to capture the incredibly lovely clouds out over Robben Island and the harbour.




After an hour we had reached the plateau area. We decided that this was far enough for today... we'd got the heart rates up and a bit of perspiration going but the rain clouds had gathered and were on their way towards us. So down we went. I usually hate walking downhill, but today was a breeze.



After: Desperate for a cup of tea but otherwise great! And good decision to come down when we did... it was soon bucketing down with rain. This walk was the perfect amount of exercise. As we need to get used to walking several days in succession we planned another walk of similar duration and intensity for tomorrow.

On the way down I couldn't resist a few photos of flowers! Morea tripetala.



Bright Watsonia borbonica. Goodness me, remember last year!



Leonotis leonurus. And a mystery blue flower... an aristea perhaps?



And lovely Watsonia marginata. Such a pretty pink.


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