Day 3/5 🥾 The Two Saints Way, Staffordshire and Cheshire

Jun 27
5 min read

Updated: 7 days ago

The Two Saints Way continues with another hot day on the trail. Day 3 was all about settling into a rhythm, adapting to the heat and being reminded of the difference between being fit and being truly hiker fit ahead of the GR5.

ℹ️ Stats

Weather: sunny & hot 🔥

From: Kings Woods

Start time: 6.27am

To: next to Wychwood

End time: 7pm-ish

Accommodation: wild camped 🏕️

Terrain: canal paths, roads, forests, gravel, grassy fields

🥾 Km: 36.61

🥾 Miles: 22.88

🦶 Steps: 47,211

Total Distance: 60 miles / 96km | 64.4% Done ✅

💰 Costs

£3.60 – water & Ribena

£2.50 – 4x Snickers ice cream

£5.64 – 2 litres of water & Ribena

Subjective Feeling Out of 10

Enjoyment: 7/10

Fatigue: 4/10

Ease of terrain: 3/10

⭐️ Highlights: Solid morning, great walking, an afternoon nap in the sun and the Snickers ice creams were amazing! 🍦

🏔️ Challenges: Some of the paths were not in a good state. I picked up scratches from brambles and stings from nettles, which were really destroying my legs.

💭 Thoughts: I need a plan for dealing with the heat in Europe. I'm going to have to start getting up at 6am to make the most of the cooler morning walking.

Two Saints Way: Day 3 – Finding My Trail Legs Again

An Early Start

I had a relatively okay night's sleep. One of the wonderful things about camping in woodland is that when you wake up, there's no condensation on the tent, so everything is dry and incredibly easy to pack away 🌳.

I woke up around 6am, put my socks and trainers on to go for a wee and, once the shoes are on, that's generally it for me. I'm up for the day.

I was packed and walking by about 6.30am, which is an unusually early start for me.

I didn't eat breakfast straight away. It's simply too early for me to eat first thing in the morning, so I waited until a little later before having something.

Making the Most of the Cooler Hours

The day started beautifully with a lovely wander through the woods, followed by a little bit of road walking.

I had a really solid start and covered around 10km in roughly two hours before stopping for a short break 🥾.

Even by then, you could tell the day was getting hotter.

The heat is definitely something I need to think about more carefully before the GR5. Europe has been experiencing a heatwave, and I suspect July and August are going to be very warm when I'm out there.

I need to have a proper think about how I manage that.

The good thing is that the week before I leave, I'll be dog sitting and the dogs get up at around 6am every morning. Hopefully, that will help get me into an earlier routine because I think starting to walk by 6.30am each day could work really well.

Then, during the hottest part of the afternoon, perhaps between 1pm and 3pm, I could stop, find some shade and rest.

The Perfect Afternoon Break

In fact, I did exactly that today.

I found a lovely park, lay in the shade and had a little snooze 🌳.

It was absolutely delightful and exactly what my body needed.

I also managed to resupply a couple of times, refill my water bottles and stopped at a large Tesco to pick up a few bits and pieces.

Navigation today was a little more complicated than the previous days. Not difficult exactly, but there were lots of little turns, public rights of way and paths that weren't particularly obvious.

There were also a few other small detours and wrong turns throughout the day, so there have definitely been a few extra steps here and there.

A Plan for the Final Miles

I've also finally sorted out my plans for the last section of the trail.

Tomorrow I'll walk to around mile 77, which will be approximately 17 miles, and then I'll catch the bus into Chester and stay in the accommodation I've already booked.

The following morning, I'll get the bus back to exactly where I left off and complete the final 16 miles into Chester.

I've accepted that there is simply no way I can comfortably finish this trail in four days.

Not this time.

And that's okay.

Fit vs Hiker Fit

The reason is simple: I'm fit, but I'm not hiker fit.

There's a huge difference.

When I'm hiker fit, I can wake up after a big day on the trail and barely notice the miles in my feet, legs or body. The challenge becomes more mental than physical.

Right now, it's still physical.

My feet are throbbing a little.

The fronts of my shins are starting to ache.

My back muscles are working hard.

None of it is concerning. In fact, it's all completely normal 👍.

I know from experience that after around 10 to 14 days of walking, something changes. Everything suddenly clicks into place and my body simply adapts to life on the trail.

That's when I become truly hiker fit.

Could I do this trail in four days if I had just come off the GR10 or the GR20?

Absolutely.

Could I do it right now?

No.

And that's not a bad thing.

I don't need to be super fit before heading off on the GR5.

In fact, it's probably better not to be.

Exactly What This Hike Was Meant to Be

These shorter shakedown hikes are incredibly valuable. They help me get used to carrying a heavy pack again, remind my body what long days feel like and expose all the little things that need tweaking before a much bigger adventure.

This trip is exactly what it was meant to be: training.

The weather has been absolutely amazing and I feel incredibly spoiled to have had such beautiful conditions ☀️.

Once I finish the trail on Wednesday, I'll probably just get the train home 🚂.

I briefly considered walking home from Chester as well, but even I think that might be taking things a little too far!

Maybe that'll become a future training hike instead.

Looking Ahead

For now, the plan is simple:

Finish the trail.

Get home.

Recover properly.

Spend some time on the acupuncture mat.

Do some stretching.