the quirky brunette: Sunday Summary

Happy International Women's Day!

This week, I have mostly been...

Reading

is all I'll say. I just cannot connect emotionally with this book. I think the issue is that there's no conflict. Everything goes too swimmingly. Shame, because from a title that involved bookshops (squee!), I expected more.

Walking

I'm about to commence Week 5 of training for the London 2 Brighton Challenge, and my groove, my mojo, my stride, whatever was lacking when the Lurg was in residence, is properly back, babies! I'm wearing this badge with pride:

On Friday I changed up my normal Shepherds Bush—Clapham yomp with a segue – yes, friends, a segue, not to be confused with a Segway –

through Brompton Cemetery. And it was a gorgeous, mindful diversion (so mindful I even turned off my iPod) so I enjoyed a slightly slower, more contemplative meander through...

...before rejoining my normal route and heading off across the Battersea Bridge.

Then, yesterday I took the train (albeit a glacial service) down to Lancing, and walked for three hours to sunny busy Brighton. 12.15 miles were hitherto clocked up, which would explain the delightful niggling in my back and my heels.

And in spite of my preparatory plotting and scrupulous writing-out of directions, and very grown-up purchase of yet another OS Explorer map, somehow, somehow, I still managed to take a wrong turn on the outskirts of Shoreham-on-Sea, and end up in No-Man's-Land, or, that sticky-outy-dockyardy bit of Shoreham from where you just cannae get back onto the mainland without swimming. #fail

(All right, there may have been a bridge somewhere but I didn't spot it, mmkay?)

Kindly see below some photographic highlights. Incidentally, I can't help but wonder whether an imitation Go Pro or other hands-free recording device might save me time in stopping and taking photos along the way. I can't be doing that on the day but I know I'll spot things worth snapping. Hmm.

{Starting off in Lancing | Gorgeous day for it!}

{Lunch spot in Shoreham (after the deviation...), looking
over to where I'd gone so wrong...}

{Shoreham Harbour lighthouse}

{Surf Shop, dude! | Portslade}

{Beautiful beach huts at Hove}

{I'm here! It's the Pier!}

{Done, and done!}

In total it took me 3 hours 9 minutes (with stops discounted) from Lancing to Brighton, and would have taken less time had I not made that wrong turning. Still wiped me right out though.

The amount of time I spend training over the next two-and-a-half months (whaaat now?!) will only increase weekend by weekend until the 10-hour trek crux and the 100k walk itself.

So if I don't socialise on a Saturday night, or post the Summary on a Sunday, it's because I'm in a walk-coma and I'm issuing pre-emptive apologies for no-shows now.

Which brings me to ...

AN INVITATION!

YES! I am inviting you, my loyal readers, to contribute to the Sunday Summary as guest QBs on a one-off basis, when I'm too horizontal to function post-walk or walk-training.

(Quirky Redheads, Blondes and Raven-haired-ones also welcome to apply.)

Want to find out more? Drop me a comment on the quirky brunette's Facebook page.

Weekly Weblinks

Literary Linkage