Getting back to proper walking has been a high priority for me lately and for this trip I planned a LOT of walking, but of course at an appropriate level to not overdo it – my feet still get very easily fatigued (which is very annoying!).
Abruzzo isn’t a shabby place to continue the foot rehab.
It’s a region full of natural beauty, a very outdoorsy place with all sorts of activities to do, from walking and hiking to skiing to snowshoe hiking (is that even a thing in English?) and whatnot.. this is one of the wilder and less touristy regions of Italy and it has everything. Where we stay it’s close enough to both the sea and city (Pescara is the nearest big city), mountains, farmlands, shopping etc. There are plenty of beautiful medieval villages to visit, some castles and other historical places, nature reserves, national parks and more. The local dish to know about is arrosticini (mutton skewers) and the primary wines to know about are Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano.
If you want to know more about the place where we stay, check this post. I have a special relationship with Italy which I’ll write about in a separate post later.
We arrived two weeks ago and it’s been a time of resting, hanging out with friends, enjoying the warmer weather, eating, drinking, walking, and doing some road trips. The first week was WARM with temps up to 30C (86F), recently it’s been cooler (which means 18-20C) with some rain, but we’re getting back to warmer temperatures and some sunshine again.
My fitness routine is obviously a bit out of whack since my normal routine is mostly gym-based, but I’m doing my best to get as much movement done as possible. It didn’t start great – during the trip I developed sinusitis, and with that in addition to no sleep and barely any proper food for 30 hours (which probably triggered it), I spent the first two days here mostly resting and/or sleeping. But after that, my feet wanted to walk!
This is a busy time here for the farmers because it’s in the middle of the olive harvest. This region lives on olive oil production and the people on the farm where we stay have about 1000 olive trees.
We’ve also walked to and in town, and visited some other villages – some a bit challenging for a recovering foot injury!
And the more challenging walks
A neighbour has been taking me along when she goes for dog walks in the mornings. These are different walks than what I usually do. They truly are off the beaten track, across fields, uneven terrain, and hills that can be quite steep although we try to avoid the worst. It has been challenging but my feet are loving it – lots of little muscles are getting to work and it’s good balance work too.
After our first walk, my husband and I had planned to go walking around a lake – the route was described as easy and “for everyone” so it seemed like the perfect Sunday walk! Or so we thought.
We found a car park and walked into the forest. It was a very nice path to begin with, but after a while it began twisting and turning with steep hills, sometimes VERY steep. After a certain point I started wondering if I should continue – I had no idea how my feet and specifically the left ankle and toes would respond to this. Then the path seemed to get easier again, so we continued happily until we came to an Indiana Jones style (at least in my head, lol) suspended bridge.
In the past I would never had dreamed of crossing a suspended bridge that MOVES when you walk on it, but with my Jävlaranamma mode switched on, I crossed the thing. Every step felt like I was going to die, but I LOVED it. It was such a wonderful feeling that I could do it! Challenging myself has become a thing, and when I can’t do it with running I have to find other ways, whether it’s with heavy weights or things I previously was too afraid to do. Sadly I didn’t think of taking photos.
My better half will try this trail again on Saturday for running, while I enjoy myself at the street market in Penne. I’m very curious to hear all about it when he comes back. I’d love to go back to the trail myself, but only when I’m 100% back to normal with the foot so probably next year.
So how did my foot and ankle react? Actually, the day after this walk, my ankle mobility seemed a lot improved and my calves were happier than before. Perhaps it was one of those challenges my foot needed!
This week I’m joining the Fit Five Friday link-up with Michelle, Renee, Darlene, Jenn and Zenaida.
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