I am walking! I am physically walking – pounding the streets and the Countryside of beautiful Suffolk. Using a virtual walking app I am walking from John O’Groats to my Sister’s in Devon VIA Lizard Point at Lands End! I need to walk 1000 miles as that is the challenge I have set myself for 2017! This means on average I need to walk 2.7 miles a day. I am doing the “boots on” challenge so I have to actually put my walking shoes on and walk rather than counting my every day steps and mileage which considering work is 200 metres away and Hypnotherapy and all my other holistic treatments do not add up to a lot of steps, I really had no choice but to pound the streets!
Now! Obviously! I need to get as many miles in as soon as possible, for many reasons.
The first one being I am verrrry excited and full of enthusiasm as we start this challenge. This could change at ANY MINUTE. Literally! So one has to walk and walk and walk while I am in the mood!
2ndly. I need to get fit and healthy and I love walking!
3rdly! I can walk!
4thly I am amazing company when I walk by myself. I have such funny conversations with me! More on that later!
In the last seven days I have walked 35.5 miles. I have a lot of healthy credit in my miles bank (wish the same could be said for my bank bank!!) I am aiming to walk for an hour a day, if that is difficult half an hour a day. There are no excuses. I work on average a 12-13 hour day. I probably eat 18 hours a day! I shout at the children for eleventy billion hours a day and I run around the house panicking that the place is a s**t tip (not allowed to swear anymore) and not actually doing anything about it for 4 hours and 37 minutes a day. So! If I walk for an hour a day that means it’s an hour less shouting, an hour less running around in a panic because the house is a s**t tip, an hour less eating because let’s be honest eating and walking is just being a piggy!! This is achievable at this present time. Even if I have a 12 hour day at the clinic I get up an hour earlier and pound the paths of Kesgrave (with street lamps) and build up my miles.
It is great fun. I normally walk with a friend at the weekend so I have had to get used to walking on my own during the week. I have actually found my own company quite entertaining. I am not sure what people think when they drive past this mushroom-shaped person with a woolly hat and a pom-pom on the top that is bigger than my head – and my head is ENORMOUS. My tinsy winsy legs are walking nineteen to the billion and I am not getting anywhere very quickly because they are so short. I imagine I look like those people who have a very high gear on their bikes and are pedalling really quickly but are at a stand still! I chuckle to myself all the time and mumble away, conversation after conversation in my head but using all the body language so arms going everywhere. I also like to listen to what is going on around me and there are a lot of very noisy birds about so I also spend a lot of time looking up! Just looking up and talking to the trees with the noisy birds in! I walk about 3.5 miles an hour when walking on my own.
I also have scenarios that go through my head. When walking on my own. I am obviously more aware of safety issues. I only ever walk the pavements, I always have a phone, keys and a high-pitched alarm. I of course have a very loud no-nonsense voice. I am also HIGHLY trained in Karate!! HAHAHAHAHA! So! If anyone stupid enough decides to attempt to mug or attack me this is how it will go. They will obviously come up from behind. My expert radar will know this (I don’t wear ear phones when walking because I lose all my senses. It is not safe) Back kick, turn, heel kick to the kidneys, reverse punch as they start to double over, then sit on them. Now, in my head, I am the karate kid. Quick, sharp, reactive, all over in less than a second. In reality, the first kick – the back kick will result in me falling flat on the floor. That is fine also, because I will probably fart with the shock. Game over, they will be off like a shot.
I am also full of creative ideas when I walk. It is a great time to meditate. I know a lot of runners who go into a trance like state when they are running. Always aware of what is going on around them but totally meditating. I definitely do that, it is so relaxing and I probably tend to walk a bit faster. My mind relaxes and that is when the ideas burst forth amongst all the bubbles and flowers that are always in my head! Walking meditations are also great when it is raining. In my case when it rains I am even more visually impaired than normal because my glasses get rain drops on them and steam up so I have to take them off and my eye sight is appalling. You have to concentrate a bit more which is then easier to go off into a trance like state because I can shut off unwanted noise.
So anyway, I am only a week in to this challenge. Another 51 weeks to go. I am enjoying it and there really is no excuse not to get out and do it. I know some people will say, yeah well its easy for you but I have to do this this and this but you know what?! You are right! It is easy for me. Why? Because I choose to do this. I choose to find the time to do it for my own well-being. If I have to get up an hour earlier to get a walk in then I will. If I choose to park a mile away from where I need to be so I can get a walk in then I will. I could very easily find excuses. I could clean the house, change the beds, do some more of the dreaded paper work, cook a meal, scream at the children and create more and more anxiety in my somewhat stressed and busy mind. The world is made up of too many martyrs and other people making excuses as to why they can’t do something and then we listen to them whinging about their lives! No excuses. Just do it. JUST DO IT! Your mind and your body will thank you for it.
Leave a Reply