Saturday: Trent & Mersey

Distance: 33.5 km (20.85 mi)
Time: 6 hours, 38 minutes (including lunch break)
Average speed: 5.05 km/h (3.13 mph)
Soundtrack (chosen by RNG): Signify, Candlelight in Fog, Live at Katie Fitzgerald's, Communion (Disc 2), Travelling Wilburys Vol. 1, Supernatural (Disc 2).

This was the first of the 20 mile warm-ups, or 32.2 km if I'm being consistent. As the longest so far this year, I decided on a mostly flat route so the Trent & Mersey Canal was ideal.

I headed north out of Stafford on the Sandon Road. On the edge of Sandon I picked up the canal and headed towards Stone. This first half was pretty uneventful.

It didn't seem too long before I reached my intended half-way point, bridge 102 in sight of Barlaston. After a couple of minutes on the bridge itself looking around I headed back the way I came.

Between Stone town centre and Aston I saw something rodent like swimming in the canal before reaching the far side and hiding under a tree stump. At the time I thought it was a stoat or weasel, but it was all brown without a white chest so Goggle Images reckons it was a mink.

At Aston I left the canal, just to vary the journey back. A short leg along the side of the noisy A32, then down a quiet lane to a public footpath I'd used before. There was one change this time. Stretched across the middle of one field there was a single wire. I walked up the wire and looked along it both ways to see if there was a stile I'd missed before I clambered over or under it. It was then I noticed the large car battery at one end with the flying lead going to the wire across the path. I detached the croc clip, climbed under then had a brief internal debate before reattaching the battery. Aren't they supposed to put up a) warning signs and b) someway for walkers to cross safely?

The far end of the footpath is at Marston village. As I was passing through the last field I met a nice gentleman who remarked that he didn't often see people walking across his fields. Maybe I should have told him the reason for that, but we just had a little chat. It wasn't his electric wire, it was his neighbour's.

From Marston I followed the road to Beaconside, then along the Common Road back into Stafford.

I felt a bit tired, and had a nice blister on the side of my right heel. By the time I took my boots off it had already burst, taking the decision away from me.

The current plan for the Easter weekend is Shuttlingsloe on the Sunday, then with Mick and Gayle on the Tuesday.