Allan Crow (the Editor of the Fife Free Press and the Glenrothes Gazette) is in training to walk the Coastal Path before joining Bob’s Walk next month. Follow him on Twitter using the hashtag #bobswalk
SO, I’ve signed up to walk 108 miles – much to the mirth and disbelief of friends and relatives.
Immediately, they start trying to work out the last time I did any physical exercise of any sort, and quickly come to the conclusion I did play a round of golf circa 1996, but, beyond that they were stumped.
I guess their incredulity wasn’t helped by the fact my plan to start training in January was put on hold by the snow.
January then became February, and as the frozen conditions remained in situ, so did I. On my sofa.
February became March. See above.
With April already filed as ‘history’ I did think I ought to get started, but it was a bit wet and windy out there, so I banked on May being a belter. It wasn’t, and so, in June, I figured if I didn’t get started I’d have to do this off the cuff by turning up on day one with my trainers in my rucksack, no waterproof gear and no idea of what lay in store.
So, walk number one was a genteel stroll to Seafield Tower and back. Hardly ‘‘one giant step for mankind’’ and all that but the first piece of coastal path turf now held my footprint. Or boot print …
Job done, I rewarded myself with a beer in Society and figured this walking lark was a dawdle … so I ventured back out, this time to Kinghorn and back.
Discovered a fab wee café in Kinghorn too – Nicola’s Cupcake Café! – figuring man cannot live off Mars Bars and water while he tramps this earth!
I then went in the opposite direction to Ravenscraig Park, through Dysart and on to West Wemyss.
Once you get beyond Frances Colliery and inch towards the sea, the route into the Wemyss is wonderful – I love the artworks on the old stone walls just as you hit the village.
I’ve since done the route a couple of times, although I must admit I cheated last time round – well, the bus was parked outside the Walk Inn (great sandwiches there!) and it seemed to say ‘‘c’mon, hop on!’’
I was back in Kirkcaldy in around 15 minutes … could have sworn it had taken me hours to get there!
Kinda put my distance into perspective!
Still a lot of ‘the path’ to cover …
Fife Coastal Path at Seafield, Kirkcaldy – photograph courtesy of The Fife Free Press
