Fifteenth of September. That's the date for this year's Edinburgh Kiltwalk, and once again I'm going to be doing the intermediate distance (about 15 miles) and hoping to raise some funds for Advocard. Last year I wrote about what Advocard does, at least from the perspective of one of their volunteers, and this time around I'll try to fill in a bit more detail of the work we do. And yes, I will again be pestering people for donations as the date gets nearer....
Last September I completed the distance in near enough four and half hours dead. And was still capable of walking like a reasonably normal human being at the finish line. So this year my aim is to knock at least a quarter of an hour off that time, weather conditions permitting. To that end I'm starting my practice walking a bit earlier than in 2018, and today was my first attempt at getting my feet and legs accustomed to the plodding step. Anyone unfamiliar with Edinburgh's geography may want to skip the next few paras....
A bus out to darkest Musselburgh, and down to the shore to get under way. The coast of the city curves around to the west, the threatened rain scurries off and it's going to be dry.
Past Musselburgh harbour, back over the city boundary, through Joppa and on to Porty Prom, quiet on a Thursday.
But even on a quiet day there's always something to see down there, be it dogs chasing their tails, children on trikes, joggers, walkers, strollers, amblers, people eating, people drinking, people getting sand in between their toes, and a corpulent blue bathing suit emerging from the sea topped with a bright red swimming cap. Or just a couple of people swinging their legs off the breakwater.
Beyond the prom, at the back of the bus depot and the interminable, impetuous car dealers, I saw my favourite sight of the walk. Sea, sky and a good book - what more could you want?
On through Seafield, complete with infamous stench, past Rabbie's statue and on to The Shore. They're finally working on dilapidated decks of what used to be Cruz, so my walks will give plenty opportunity to keep tabs of progress in the coming months. (It's supposed to become a luxury hotel, but time will tell....)
Then up the Water of Leith, a bit slower now, up the steps (clump, clump) to Newhaven Road, and home. About seven miles, just over two hours. Must try harder! But there's no blisters, no more aches than I'd expect at my age, and I'm looking forward to the next one. The plan is do something every week. Maybe.
All of which is enjoyable enough, a bit of challenge, a bit of a goal (us oldies need goals). But I'm also keeping in mind why I'm doing this. In the post I linked to above I described some of the things I do in working with our service users. It's about providing people with a voice. This week I saw a woman who, for now, wanted some help sorting out her own internal voice, to better understand her own aims and options. She had recently lost a custody battle for her daughter, largely because of her poor mental health in the past being used against her in court, despite having been given a thumbs up since by the psychiatrist. If she left feeling a little clearer about what next steps are possible, and who she should try talking to, then I feel I've been of some help (which is far from always being the case!).
Further updates on my promenading progress (or otherwise), and experiences at Advocard, to follow across the summer. The begging for money will follow on inexorably.
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