Let the fitness preparation begin…

As the start of the season commences, Jane Wright, one of ATG’s most experienced tour leaders tells us of her fitness preparation for her upcoming ATG walking holidays…

Ironically for a bunch of outdoor types such as myself and my fellow ATG tour leaders and managers, we’ve all been stuck indoors for the past couple of days, locked in discussions of the walking holiday season to come. No wonder cabin fever has set in, signalled by an eruption of giggles into an earnest account of the importance of social media to our travel company.

As I enter my 20th year as a tour leader with ATG, I’ve noticed our March meeting invariably coincides with the first real stirrings of spring: primroses, cherry blossom, a trumpet voluntary of birdsong and a whole half hour of jacket-shedding warmth in the sun. All this always acts on me as a massive mood-booster out of all proportion to whatever else is going on. In my mind, I’m getting ready to leave my winter life in London once more, take the road south to Italy and France and get walking.

The metaphorical blister in the boot before any ATG trip kicks off, which affects this particular tour leader, as much as any ATG client I’m sure, is that little pinprick of anxiety: am I fit enough? Every enjoyable year with ATG is a double life, Spring to Autumn is flowers, food, art and history on foot through the Dordogne or the Dolomites, but in Winter there is no particular preparation for the ‘on foot’ bit. In fact, the most energetic part of my winter if this week is anything to go by is walking enthusiastically around the British Museum and running for a bus!

A number of weeks ago in mid-March, the first ATG Saturday Walk of Spring, kickstarted my season. This is a separate programme in the UK to raise money for our conservation charity the ATG Trust. It was a 12-mile South Downs circuit starting from the delightful Sussex town of Steyning.

Happily for my purposes it lived up to the promise of any English Downs walk by seeming largely uphill (Ironically the word ‘Down’ is from the Old English ‘dun’ meaning hill). Moreover, I managed it twice in two days: as it was a new walk for ATG, I had to learn it on Friday before walking it with clients. The second time, on the Saturday, was easier, although I’m not sure if this was good news for my fitness or simply the distractions of an enjoyable group experience?

Afterwards I confess I suffered slight start-of-season stiffness and an actual blister, but this was nothing compared with the energising hilltop breeze by the Iron Age fort of Chanctonbury Ring. Aswell as real appetite for the group’s cream tea at the end of the walk (a vital part of any fitness drive!) and the two best nights sleep I’ve had all year.

I’m encouraged, but with the start of a season being imminent, will I keep this up?

Keep an eye out for Jane’s next installment soon…