Water, water, everywhere...

Date: Sun 6th July

Distance: 17.6 kms (10.9 miles)

Location: Hertford, Bengeo, Waterford, Stapleford

Conditions: OK

Weather: Very wet

Participants: Wol

What started out as a very wet day, ended the same. After spending 6 hours in the rain watching one of my sons play in a football tournament, I had some brief respite at home watching the end of the grand prix (nice one Lewis), although I couldn't get away from the wet stuff as it was chucking it down most of the time at Silverstone.

Water in a different format was the next stop - the kid's club championship down at the swimming pool. After watching them race, I wasn't really in the mood for a walk - 7pm on a drizzly Sunday evening - but with less than 2 weeks to go before the big event, I felt the urge to stick to the training plan and get some walking done.

Rather un-imaginitively, I headed off to familiar territory with the objective of just completing the necessary 3 hour walk. I needed to deliver a birthday card so headed from the pool, up Port Hill and wound my way through the streets of Bengeo until I arrived at the top, near Sacombe Road. By now the rain was quite heavy and was already regretting my decision, but pressed on anyway, across the fields to the quarry and to Bullsmill - picking up the riverside path to Stapleford Church and then through to Home Farm and Wooodhall Park where it joins the A119. For a split second I considered going on to Watton-at-Stone, but quickly dismissed this idea as it was still raining and I knew I'd gone far enough away from home to meet the 3 hour requirement.

Homeward bound was particularly un-inspiring, walking along the footpath next to the main road, back through Stapleford and Waterford, picking up Molewood Road to take me back through Hertford town and home.

No stops, no snacks, no water (other than that falling out of the sky), no stretching - terrible preparation and execution of a walk. but at least it got done. Not one to remember...

Wol.