lokakuu 2019 – My Journey to Kili and Back

Finding high places – Repovesi National Park

27 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

Suspension bridge was under renovation and not in use

I was so happy I was feeling well enough to go for our planned hike to a National Park fairly close to our home for a day trip last Saturday. I have been wanting to go there for a while now as apparently it has good views and nice ascents.

The suspension bridge at the start of the trail was being rebuilt so they had a boat ride that took you to the same spot where the bridge would. This was the start of our trail.

Right after the suspension bridge there was very good spots for barbecue and picnic on the lakeside.

Area for barbecue and picnic after the suspension bridge

After the suspension bridge we headed to the forest and towards our first ascent and found these stairs all the way up to the top of the cliff. The stairs were a bit slippery because it was raining and surprisingly long, but took you all the way up so no need for poles.

The rock formations along the way were amazing and some of them looked like they are about to drop off.

We took a few necessary view photos at the top and returned to the route I had uploaded earlier to my watch. We were a bit tight on time due to sunlight and last boat ride so did not want to linger too long at any spot.

Besides we would probably not be able to do the whole planned route anyway so decided to go as far as we can (and as many times up as we can) and head back the gravel paths as fast as we can. This proved to be a good plan later on although not waterproof.

View on the other side of Kuutti bay where a part of the rock has crumbled down

Our route took us through the forest to lakeside with view to the other side where a part of the rock had practically crumbled down.

At the end of the Kuutti bay we found another barbecue spot called Kuutti canal with an old duct rebuild in the 90’s originally used for log floating.

Here you could find firewood, tables, a little cottage and toilets also. Many seemed to be camping there and around the area for the night. We came back through the same route which is in between two lakes and pretty much the only way unless you want to go around either of the big lakes.

After Kuutti canal there was a forest section which went at the top of the crumbled cliff then down to an actual road with a few cabins so apparently you can get there by car from somewhere too. We wanted to find a quiet place to have a bite to eat so ended up in this spot called Olhava used for rock climbing.One of the best spots in Finland they say.

And it did indeed look like it was just a straight wall up. Again a nice barbecue spot with a campfire to warm up while having a picnic.

We were running out of time so calculated that if we are quick with the ascent we can make it up to the top of that cliff called Olhavanvuori for some nice views and then head back.

The ascent which began just before Olhava barbecue spot (which was a dead end anyway) was shorter than we thought and all the practice we have done has made a difference and it did not feel that hard at all anymore.

It was quite rocky so poles would be helpful here!

Top was at 141 meters and such beautiful views with Autumn colors!

Observation tower at the top of Mustavuori

Intention was to climb atop Mustavuori still which was on the way back so walked along the road a bit until we found the path up there. Again really good ascent and incline. Poles would be useful on this ascent too so rocky and fairly steep in Finnish scale.

At the top you can find an observation tower taking up up to 127 meters. This is a good spot to see an almost 360 view around the area. So many lakes and perfect spots for a summer cottage!

After taking a few selfies at the top of the tower (see feature image at the top of the post) we realized that we should really head back to the boat now so we won’t miss the last one.

Path to Ketun lossi ”Fox ferry” from the suspension bridge

Luckily the direct path to the suspension bridge from Kuutti duct is gravel so we walked briskly the whole way back to where the boat would leave.

What we had failed to double check at some point was the timetable. The last boat had gone an hour earlier so after we realized this, our only option was to walk to Ketun lossi, Fox ferry 1,7 kilometers along the lakeside. See the U curve on the right hand side of the track 😀

This ”ferry” moved with man power so pulling yourself to the other side was the only option. It was fun and we were at our car just when it got pitch dark.

Caught beautiful sunset on the lake though…

Sunset on the way to Ketun lossi ”Fox ferry”

Next time do not forget the head light and remember to double check the timetables! Then again next time the suspension bridge will be open again so we would not have one of the problems anyway. Still good to remember the light as it is getting darker earlier and earlier in Finland.

Good trails even a bit off the main gravel paths

The paths in the park were mostly wide and gravel, but ascents were at times more rocky and rugged. At least during Autumn it was pretty wet and slippery, but good hiking boots and you are fine.

Then again if you only take the gravel roads you can get to nice picnic spots without climbing too much. So this kind of option would be great with kids for example.

If you do decide to climb up to one of the tops with views beware that there are sudden drops down so with smaller children it is good to know and in case you are scared of heights stay further from the edges.

If you have knee problems just skip the biggest climbs and enjoy the lakeside or give it a try on one of them with the help of poles!

The route took us 4 hours and 26 minutes, but it is not really comparable as we walked so fast the last bits. I would reserve a day to come here. Come early in the morning so that you can enjoy the views, nature and relax without the pressure of sunset. Generally calculate 2,0 to 3,0 kilometers and hour as the average speed depending on your fitness level plus time to stop, take photos and eat.

I totally fell in love with this place and we will surely visit it again now that we know how ”close” it is to our home. Definitely recommend!

Total

17 kilometers
Ascent 276 meters
Descent 276 meters
Highest point 141

Training

Training W42 – Getting back to it slowly

23 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

Finally the flu seems to be subsiding and I have been slowly getting back to running. I still have not dared to do any HIIT training, but normal run 5,5 kilometers felt pretty OK. Unfortunately after that my nose was blocked again so put running to halt again for a few days, not that I would have had time either.

Gospel Helsinki (my current choir) had two concerts short ones at this new shopping Mall of Tripla opening which is apparently the biggest shopping mall in Scandinavia!Check video/post; FB post and FB video

So two evenings went there, and I could not even sing properly on Thursday so I was pretty down again thinking that I won’t be able to go to our planned hike on Saturday to Repovesi National park with my husband. Again decided to take it hour at a time and decide when it would be time to go.

I felt ok in the evening so we decided to drive there. It is one of the best high places in Southern Finland they say so I have been wanting to go there for a while. After the hike at home in the evening I suddenly got this feeling that hey I’m fine. The bug is gone and I feel good, finally! So it took three weeks to pass this virus or whatever it was.

Looking forward to next week, finally normal execise routines and writing a blog post of the visit to national park! Life is winning <3

Total

1 run 5,5 kilometers
1 walk 3,6 kilometers
Indoor climbing once
1 hike 17 kilometers

Target

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Training

Training W41 – Flu continues, training at stand still

19 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

There is really not much to tell about training last week. I did go to the Gym and a short walk after the Lake District challenge hike, but that was pretty much it. There was a lot to catch up at work and I still had some cough and runny nose so decided to just rest to make sure it does not go worse.

I unfortunately also managed to get an infection to my skin which I did not notice until my lymph node started to swell. It did not seem to heal so had to go to the doctor and I am on antibiotics now.

All in all feeling is pretty down and useless after the injury from orienteering, then the flu and now this infection. I have not been able to train properly and have been physically feeling bad for so many weeks now that I truly hope I can get back to training soon, my mind needs it! The fundraising bit has also proven to be really hard as it is not that common here.

Positive thing is that my leg is almost completely healed now so I was able to go to the gym, but did not put full weights yet. The gym session itself was not a triumph either. I was aching from everywhere and my body just was not working as it normally would so did not want to push myself. Maybe I should have.

Anyway since there is really nothing I can do about this but wait, that is what I will do. Wait and hope that next week I will be better.

Total

1 hike 6,4 km, Third day of Lake district challenge
1 Walk 5 km
1 gym session

Target

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Kilimanjaro Challenge, Three Peak Challenge,UK

In my head – How Team Ubuntu formed

17 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

Arrival

It was exciting to arrive to Manchester with only photos of people and their voices to look for at the airport arrivals hall. I got a message from our UK team that they are still 25 minutes away with the minibus and if I could look for the Spain, Austria and Switzerland team mates as they should land soon also.

I got myself something to eat, a latte and sat waiting at a cafe for the others to arrive. I spotted the Spain members first, then, Austria and a bit later Switzerland member arrived. The UK team minibus driver got lost as there is so much construction going on close to the airport, but eventually we found each other and the whole Team Ubuntu was united for the first time.

I felt really tired, the flu was still in the background so slept most of the bus ride to Keswick. It though helped enough so that I could join the others for dinner after we had checked into the hotel.

Time difference was affecting me a bit as it was 2 hours more already in Finland so dinner started ”my time” at 11 pm. I very much wanted to get to know my Team Ubuntu colleagues and was glad that I was able to stay awake until the end of the dinner.

During dinner we all introduced each other in round table style and learned to share how our day went. This debrief became very important to all of us and I began to look forward to these sessions and to hear how the day went for each and everyone. We are going to spend a week on a mountain in very difficult conditions so it helps to know each other and how we are doing.

I went to sleep that evening happy, intrigued on what was to come and interested to get to know everyone in the coming days. My mind was open and I got a similar vibe from everyone that we are here to create a team that can reach the top together.

Only worry was the lingering flu, but decided to take it one hour at a time and go as high as I can go the next day or go nowhere at all if I feel too bad.

First day

I woke up in the morning I would say full of enthusiasm, but not necessarily full of physical energy. That enthusiasm carried far and thanks to it I probably got through the day.

After breakfast our guides helped us with the back packs and we got info on what you should have with you and how to pack everything.

Kirstin from our team surprised me with a request to interview just before we left with a minibus to the starting point of the first hike. You can see it from the smile on my face. It’s happening! Check twitter post.

Morning started with a sudden interview from our lovely and always smiling @kirstinstocker <3 #learningonthewayup #iknowwherethepolesgonow https://t.co/L7tGih5FfA
— Kati Kaarila (@Kati_Kaa_) October 4, 2019

At the starting point our first official Team Ubuntu photo was taken with the Autovista Kilimanjaro Challenge banner and Unicef UK shirts. (See feature image at the top)

Right after we started climbing up everyone began to chat and there was a nice kind of atmosphere and feeling of unity. We are in this together and everyone was eager to get to know each other.

I had to concentrate on my own performance more than usual to make sure I don’t overdo it and kept monitoring my HR and general feeling. My heart was touched how every now and then someone asked me how are you doing realizing that I am struggling a bit. Conversations were formed with most of the team already on the first day.

When we got down and the climb of the day was over there was a sense of relief. Many were positively surprised they could do it, me included. I felt strangely OK considering how I had felt the day before.

The debrief in the evening before dinner helped to understand how the day had been for all and we learned to check our oxygen saturation and evaluate other symptoms that might indicate that it’s time to head downhill. Feeling was accomplished, tired but happy. After dinner we pretty much headed straight to bed since we had another similar climb the day after (14 kilometers with over 900 meters of ascent).

Second day

I slept like a log and woke up in coma-like state. My younger son called me in the morning and since it was 2 hours ahead I was wondering why he is not in school until I was kindly informed it is Saturday.

I don’t think I was fully awake until we started walking after breakfast, but luckily the start of the walk was pretty flat and there was again chance to talk to people and before I knew it my body was awake again.

When we got to the beginning of the ascent it was clear that we would not be able to chat that much. The incline was pretty steep and first symptoms of going up and down started to appear in the form of knee problems to some of the team members. We got some really good advice from our guides and I was happy follow each tip they gave on how to proceed and dress at each point on the way up.

We proceeded with steady and slow pace in a queue up the hill which was a really good tactic. There was some discussions, but the path was a bit too narrow to walk side by side and the slope so steep that everyone was concentrating more on individual performance than the day before.

Last bit to the peak was the steepest with lots of loose slate rocks and I could sense that it was an achievement to get to the top. It was very windy up there and we could hardly see anything. The clouds kept coming and going sweeping the peak. Then suddenly the clouds disappeared and amazing views appeared. You could see all the way to Scotland! This was definitely the high point so far. We did it again, together.

Path down was more like a highway so wide and easy to walk so we got to talk to each other more. I learned so much of what everyone does at work, what hobbies they have, how their family is doing and where they live.

Knee/leg problems and tiredness were the general issues, but general feeling was good in debrief in the evening. Everyone felt like they had achieved something and we learned again more about altitude sickness and symptoms. We were emphasized that nobody knows how you feel unless you tell them. It is vital to be honest of what you feel no matter how strange as there might be a reason behind it.

At dinner I could clearly feel how something had shifted during the day. Everyone seemed more liberated, more familiar with each other and the amount of laughter! I have not laughed that much in a long, long time.

That evening Team Ubuntu was formed.

Third day

When the third morning began we were all feeling a bit sad already knowing that all this will come to an end soon.

Two previous days there was so much laughter and we could all feel and see the bonding happening. It was amazing to notice how especially on the second day when there was a bit more challenge it sort of jellied us together even more.

Back packs were carried for others, equipment borrowed to help out and a lot of ”Are you doing ok’s?” and ”How are you’s?” were exchanged.

This time we took a boat ride to the start of the hike on the other side of the lake. Route was only around 6,5 kilometers and ascent only around 332 meters as opposed to the days before it when it had been 14 km and over 900 meters.

This was the ”rest” day and everyone was more familiar with each other so talking was easy, but truth was we did not want to go home yet. Debrief confirmed this, many of us would have wanted to do a few more days. We had just began to know each other and it felt like we were ripped apart just when we got to know each other.

After the debrief the minibus took us back to Manchester. During and after dinner there was again so much laughter. We have a great team was on everybody’s mind.

Fourth day

This was the last day together. No climbing but a team bonding training and general knowledge of climb to Kilimanjaro. One of our colleagues who had already climbed Kili shared her story and something in that made think. She said that by the time they got close to the top nobody wanted to be the first after all so they all went together.

This is not a competition, this is not a game. This is team work and everyone has their part to play.

With this almost poetic ending I finish my post. I look forward to Kilimanjaro climb with these amazing people. I feel more secure and confident now and I will do my best to support Team Ubuntu so everyone can reach their best, what ever the altitude.

Go Team Ubuntu and may we be united again in Tanzania! Miss you all <3

Would you like to support our fundraising cause?

We also discussed why this challenge is so important to us during the three days and it’s not just the climb, it’s the helping others while doing it that matters. We all feel very passionate about the fundraising part and are determined to reach our goal and beyond and this way help as many as we can.

If you wish to sponsor Team Ubuntu you can do that by visiting the team JustGiving page. Every pound, euro, dollar will help us reach our goal of fundraising for @Unicef_UK.

Thank you for reading and sponsoring us.

More on individual hikes

Three Peak Challenge,UK, Training

Training W40 – Highs and lows with a lot of hiking

11 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

This was the long awaited week when we went hiking to Lake District. Unfortunately I got the flu so was a bit unwell in the beginning of the week and not sure if I could even join the climbs.

Luckily the worst was over and I managed to get myself to Manchester and up all the three fells we had on agenda. Our pace was slow and steady so my HR did not get too high and kept monitoring it all the time with my sports watch. Normally it goes down to around 48 at some point during the day so as long as it would stay close to there was no need to worry.

I felt OK after the first day, I mean tired, but OK so the virus had already passed and I was on the mend. Taking it one day at a time and allowing yourself the option to quit at any point was a good tactic.

Hopefully this cough will pass soon so that I can go for a run because my motivation is really high now and I want to push myself harder. Every breath counts and I need be able to take as much oxygen out of each breath as I possibly can. I will probably do a bit different training plan for the coming months than I have so far. Not quite sure what yet, but I need to consult a few professionals on this (like my brother who is running a gym called SCROK in Kokkola, my hometown).

Luckily though my leg doesn’t hurt at all anymore and the ”hard lump” where the stump hit worst is almost gone too. Orienteering season is over anyway for me and let’s see next spring if I will give it a try again.

Total

Running 13,8 kilometers
Hiking 24,55 kilometers
No other sports due to flu

Two of three Lake District hikes were on W 40 statistics and the last one will be on W 41.

Weekly training target

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Finding high places, Three Peak Challenge,UK

Finding high places – Lake district challenge, Cat Bells, England day 3

7 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

Third day our walk started from the jetty at Hawse End where you can get to by boat from the town. The boat runs regularly but not too often so you should check the timetable in advance.

It is also good idea to time your hike so that you will be back on time for the planned ferry as otherwise you may need to wait for a while for the one.

You could of course also walk from and back to town, but the boat ride is a nice event on its own.

The first part of the path takes you through a magical looking green forest with moss covered trees until the path starts to climb up after the car park.

First the path is clear and rock covered with fairly good incline right away. Path keeps going steadily up until about 330 meters where there is a bit more even section before the final climb.

Cat Bells consists of two little tips and again just when you think you are the top the actual peak appears.

There is a steady smooth incline at the top all the way to the end where you will reach another section where hands are a better tool than poles and you get to use your climbing skills.

There tends to be another way around these sections too so you could very well come here for a day walk with children and did see even smaller children on the fell. Or you could just come up the way we went down which was perfectly good for everyone even with minor knee injuries.

Picture towards the lake around 330 meters

This was definitely the most busiest hike we did and there was a bit of a rush hour at the top and no wonder because the views to the lake were absolutely amazing. This route is completely on the opposite side of the Lake than the previous days walk was so different perspective to the town of Keswick.

Route down was easy and passed this old cave for mining and a waterfall after which it straight on the side of the fell until we reached the parking lot where we started climbing again.

I would recommend this definitely with kids and it is exciting for them with good views, but naturally it is good to be careful on those a bit steeper sections or use our route down to go up.

I would not recommend this with knee issues as some of the steeper sections had pretty weird positions you had to place your self to climb up using your hands, but if you are up for a challenge this might be your hike.

Then again taking our route down both up and down would be an easier option to see enjoy the views.

Total

6,8 kilometers (about, forgot to turn my monitor back on coming down so missed a few hundred meters). Ascent 332 meters, descent 269 meters, highest point 452 meters

Finding high places, Three Peak Challenge,UK

Finding high places – Lake district challenge, Skiddaw, England day 2

6 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

After day 1 I was pretty knackered to start with, but a good night sleep helped a lot.

Still the morning started a bit disoriented because I could not find my iron pills and I was sure I packed them and then my son called me and I thought why is he calling this late should he not be at school until I was kindly informed by my #teamubuntu colleagues that today is Saturday 🙂

I woke up too early and fell asleep again so I tried to eat and pack as fast as I can and ended up being first ones ready outside to my surprise ready to roll again.

Our route today started from the hotel so walked through the town to the starting point (of the route map) from where I started tracking the hike. First few kilometers were around 100 meters above the sea level through farm lands among sheep. Until we reached the start of the ascent.

Ascent was pretty steep right from the start so the poles became a necessity. We paced our queue steady and easy which really helped to keep my heart rate down (use less energy = use less oxygen) and not get too excited again.

The views were great already from there to the village at around 500 meters. Path was good gravel path a bit steep, narrow and rocky at times, but generally manageable especially with poles.

We stopped for lunch at around 726 meters at this saddle between the path up to Skiddaw and the path that would lead down through Long Side. Some great views to the Irish sea and Scotland from there!

Views towards Scotland and the Irish Sea

After lunch break we still had over 200 meters to go and here the path turned into a really steep slate covered path. The slates practically slid under you at times and we had to move really steady and almost synchronized up. I loved our team work here as we went along like little ants up with our poles in sync.

This leg was hard and even a bit scary at times as the possibility to simply slip was higher than previously. The slope was also a lot more steep ascent than before. We managed this really great and by the time we got up it was so windy we could hardy stand up.

Due to this particular section I would not recommend this route to anyone without poles and if you are scared of heights. You are pretty exposed here and the slope is steep and long.

When you finally get the to the top, the saying the kids often use on the longer car journeys would fit which is ”Are we there yet?”.

Nope we are not there yet! Still down a bit a another short hill and up and _then_ we are there.

Steep slope up to Skiddaw on the left hand side top corner after our lunch break

It was so windy at the top that I could hardly hold on to my camera so it would keep still and the mist/fog kept coming and going sweeping the top so quickly that we had hard time getting the cameras up and then there was another misty cloud again.

When it did clear up again the views were worth climbing to all directions.

Down hill it was again very easy and wide path with a few steeper sections, but nothing too bad. Again the poles were are a must to anyone with knee issues to help take the weight off them going down.

On the way down we had more time to talk and get to know each other which was really great as the way up everyone had concentrate so much more that we could not really chat that much.

Second ”lunch break” was held at around 550 meters with spectacular views and this cute dog who decided to rather stay with us than follow his master probably because we had food!

And last but not the least the best view from the toilet I have had for a while below!

Tomorrow a bit easier last day up to Cat Bells!

Total

14,5 kilometers, ascent 855 meters, descent 829 meters with highest point at 931 meters.

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Finding high places, Three Peak Challenge,UK

Finding high places – Lake district challenge, Grag hill, England day 1

5 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

The morning was full of excitement as we all gathered for breakfast looking forward to the coming day. The weather forecast promised cloudy, part sunny and possibility of a bit of rain so that was a lot better than the day before when the possibility was I think 80% of rain.

Our guides Mike and Christine helped with the back packs as water bladders, clothing and yes the walking poles! No I finally know where they should go on the back pack. See tweet here

We started off around 100 meters going pretty steadily up and it started to clear up so we had to take off a layer of clothes fairly quickly after start and get our sunnies out for a while. Of course the higher we got, the fog rolled in again and we we changing clothes… Again…

This seemed to be at least for me the job of the day to keep changing layers either it was too windy on the other side of the ridge or then you got too hot climbing up. Self note for tomorrow take the other windproof jacket in addition to the waterproof.

I kept being mindful of my heart rate also all the time considering I had some sort of bug just the day before so stayed in the back more in the beginning just to see how my feeling evolves.

Steep slope to the right around 500 meters

The paths were rugged but well worn. It was though a bit wet and rocky so you needed to be careful with your steps. The slope to the right was very steep down, but the path was wide and easy to walk. At the end there was a bit of ascent to our first lunch stop at the saddle before we went up to peak Sail on the right.

The ascent to Sail was rather steep and the path kept zigzagging which helped with the elevation gain and certainly easier than going straight up. But we did reach top of Sail with nice foggy view.

Image from top of the first peak Sail 773 meters

Just around the corner continuing a bit further we reached today’s high point Grag hill 838 meters. It was so windy, cloudy and rainy there you could not get any scenery to the image so here a photo at the peak close to the pile of rocks.

From here our path continued down a bit and we got some really nice photos when the clouds cleared a bit from the valley. You could see all the way to the Irish sea and the wind mills there.

We descended from there to around 600 meters and then back up to Grisdale Pike 791 meters. After that it cleared up almost completely and we were really lucky to see the fells surrounding the area.

Before starting our descent we had our second ”lunch” break with a pretty nice view opening up down to the valley.

Start of the descent was again windy, very steep and rugged but oh such a great view! The best of the day I think.

Start of the descent with an amazing view!

After that it was just downhill. Got some really good stretches of downhill training for myself. I still did not run, but tried to pick up the pace a bit to see how it goes. During the lunch break my heart rate went down very quickly so I was not really worried that the hike was too much after the bug or whatever virus I had.

Start if the descent with the whole #teamubuntu

Descent was with great scenery and nice pace. I really enjoyed the going down part as I usually do as that comes more naturally to me and I feel like I am good at it.

I would not recommend this route on very rainy or windy days as there are parts that are really slippery and rugged. With children this is too much up and down I think, but teenagers would then again love the views. Due to so many ups and downs and loose rocks I would not recommend the route to anyone with bad knees as the descent is fairly hard on your knees unless you are used to it.

Total

14 kilometers, ascent 932 meters, descent 952 meters. Wohou my longest ascent I think!

Today was not about exercising as such, but doing it slowly and steady. I tracked time around 5:26 minutes and tried to stop the clock for the stops so the time was at least 40 minutes more actually.

It was great to be with guides who just told you where to turn, when to take poles out, when to put more clothes on and when to take some off. It was actually surprisingly relieving not to have to watch the map all the time and actually change to windproof _before_ ”the other side” where it hits and the you try to get everything when it’s so windy that everything is flying! So I willingly took their advice and just did what I was told and it seemed to work and too that one extra bit of your mind so you could just concentrate on your own progress and achievement.

All and all really and amazing day with an absolutely smashing team. We had so much fun at dinner. Eating what else than traditional fish and chips! Now to bed and we shall see how tomorrow goes! Weather forecast promises surprise, surprise rain again 🙂

Would you like to support #TeamUbuntu cause?

Please sponsor us via the below link. Thank you everyone for your support and for following me <3

Oh and congrats to our team mate Kristy for achieving her target of 2000 GBP! Wohou!

Three Peak Challenge,UK

Lake District 3 peak challenge here we come!

3 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

Almost there. Passport packed and at the airport. Jiggles in the tummy and of course sore throat which I hope will pass with a good nights sleep. I do have a bit more in the suitcase than these though 🙂

Last few weeks with this leg have not been that good. I clearly need my dose of exercise or otherwise the house of cards seems to start falling. I’m too used to doing the same routine that now when I was forced to stay still I get very frustrated.

But now I am at the airport, made it here and off to Manchester soon. Never been there so I am very excited and not only because I get to climb high up again, but because…

I get to meet my #TeamUbuntu colleagues!

Feelings are a bit mixed as I am going to spend three days hiking with ”strangers” and the original enthusiastic feeling kind of disappeared with the hurt leg, sore throat and the possibility of not being able to go at all crossed my mind. I am still not sure if I can go up the hill tomorrow it depends a lot on how today turns out.

I hope this sore throat won’t get worse and that all goes well. Weather forecast looks like it is going to rain (surprise, surprise) so we shall see. Rainproof gear is packed anyway so let it pour!

Here in Finland it is already as cold as it seems to be in Lake District but of course going upwards 1000 meters it will be colder and more exposed.

Just to add some color into this post here a few pics of Finnish Autumn in its beautiful color palette <3

Talk to you soon with a report from Keswick, United Kingdom!

Training

Training W39 – Licking my wounds

2 lokakuun, 2019 Ei kommentteja

Last week was definitely the low point of my training so far. My leg was really hurting and I was not able to walk properly for a few days. It was clear that no training for at least a few days and gym was out of the question for the whole week.

Bruise was massive and there was bad hemorrhage under the point where the stump hit so I had all the colors of the rainbow on my leg. I was worried if the leg will heal by the time of the Lake District 3 peak challenge and if the hard bit in the middle will stay there forever.

Thought I would put as feature image (the image at the top) a view from atop a hill to where I did the orienteering as the views were great!

Total

The total of the week was sad, but expected. A whopping 6 kilometers of running nothing else. Hoping that next week will be better. Especially since we need to climb three peaks in UK!

Target

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