I wake up with early sunlight streaming through the window of my hotel room. The view over the Menai Straights is almost too beautiful to be real.
In my hurry to take a photograph, I leap out of bed, and stumble to the floor.
Owwww! I’d forgotten about my leg.
Funny how I was completely pain-free all night, and now I can barely hobble across the room.
Doctors are notoriously bad at self-diagnosis. My first thought is that I must have a deep vein thrombosis. But that would hurt all the time and my leg would be red and swollen, which it isn’t. It’s probably a stress fracture then from walking too much, or maybe it’s myeloma or an osteosarcoma or a malignant secondary cancer from somewhere or… (deep breath and calm down) … or maybe just a pulled muscle.
Sadly, I realise walking today is out of the question. I have two choices.
- Cancel the room I’ve booked for the next two nights, lose money, and drive home.
- Do something today that doesn’t involve walking and hope my leg mends by tomorrow.
I decide on option (2) and do something I always meant to get around to doing one day if I ever had the chance. And now’s my chance. I decide to go for a ride on the Welsh Highland Railway.
It’s a glorious train journey, running from Caernarfon to Porthmadoc and passing through the incredible scenery of Snowdonia. The track takes you right under the shoulders of Snowdon (which today was covered in cloud) and through the most wonderful countryside. As the track curves around the slopes it’s possible to take a photo of the engine from my carriage window.
It’s a five-hour round trip, with a 90 minute stopover in Porthmadoc, just long enough to limp to the pharmacy and buy some pain killers.
Limping was difficult yesterday, but I’m beginning to get the hang of it today. And I discover if I limp properly, I can now go down slopes without (much) pain. But going uphill… well that’s still very difficult.
Please leg, be better tomorrow.
Ruth's Coastal Walk (UK) 
Get well soon Ruth
Thank you Baz.
I hope you managed to continue quickly. One of the big differences between your walk and ours is that we always take time out to do the ‘sights’. This is probably why we are progressing much more slowly!
Hi Jane. It’s perfectly OK to progress slowly. The important thing is to enjoy the present moment and the place you’re in. Sometimes I forget that.
Hope your leg is soon better, Ruth. Love the photo of the mallard/boat, second right! I’m enjoying reading about your travels. Keep them coming!
Hi El. I’m hopeless with boats, but glad you managed to recognise it from the photo.
I very much enjoyed the mountain railway so glad you got to ride on it, but a shame about the circumstances that led to it.
I think it was you who recommended it to me, Jon. I filed it away as something to do when I had the time. So, in a way, I’m glad I was forced to make the time.
You don’t even need to resort to Google to frighten yourself with various diagnoses! Trust it was just the pulled muscle.
As I’ve got older I’ve been surprised how my walking/cycling performance has not yet dropped off. But one thing is for sure: I now need to stretch (gently, preferably after exercise) whereas before it wasn’t necessary.
Perhaps it is something I should be doing, Tony. Thank you for reminding me. I used to stretch in the early days of walking, because I was so stiff afterwards. As I got fitter, I got lazier about stretching.
Injuries are, quite literally, a pain, but at least you did something productive. Nursing Commando and his broken leg (which even the doctors didn’t manage to diagnose for five weeks!) I’ve got very behind with my reading. Now he back to work and running so I’m slowly beginning to catch up.
Hi Marie. Yes, I was so sorry to read about Commando and his leg problems on your blog. At least my injury healed fairly quickly although even now it still twinges from time to time.
Fantastic! I’m really pleased to see you were able to experience the Welsh Highland Railway! 🙂
It was a wonderful treat and a good way to spend the day.
Having gor up to date with your walks I found this post in your ‘miscellaneous’ section. The Welsh Highland Railway looks a fabulous way to spend a day off.
Indeed it was 😀