I will walk 100 miles
It is true that if you commit to something in public or say it out loud, you’re far more likely to see it through. When I first signed up to the Himalaya trek, I published my intention everywhere so that I would be held to public account. I’d be mortified if I couldn’t do it for no other reason than I couldn’t be bothered to get up and practice. With it ‘out there’, I would have to get moving. However, what’s also true, is that from the day I came back from the biggest walk I’ve ever done (which, by the way, was over a year ago), I reverted to my lazy self and haven’t maintained my pre-trek habit of walking daily and staying fit. So this autumn when someone asked me to sign up to walk 100 miles in October, I didn’t hesitate. I know that I’m good at delivering once I’ve made that public commitment, and it was time to get moving.
I charged my Fitbit and on the first day of the month I went on a purposeful walk with the intention of starting as I meant to go on. But all too quickly life got in the way. The working week took over. On one day in that first week, I did just 632 steps. 632! That’s roughly a couple of trips from my desk, to the kettle, to the loo and back. I try to remember whether life was like this pre-Covid? Were we so sedate? Or is this perma-desk-bound thing a post 2020 hangover?
It was handy that I was going on a couple of trips in October that would get me moving (but they’re stories for future blogs), and so by mid-month I was actually doing ok on the 100 mile challenge. But to help the effort, I signed up to the Cancer Research Shine Walk in Leicester that would guarantee another 10km to the count.
My two daughters agreed to come with me and so we put on our fairy lights and illuminous face paint and headed into town. We registered and listened to the warm welcome which reminded us all that we weren’t only doing this for the step count, but to raise much needed funds for charity. Then, a room largely full of middle-aged women danced to Whigfield as a warm up and we knew right there this was going to be a fun way to spend a Saturday Night. We then had a big decision to make before we crossed the starting line… which group should we walk with… would we be ‘Striders’ or ‘Strollers’?
As we took our first few steps, cheery volunteers were lining the streets to encourage us on our way. About 100 metres in my youngest daughter asked how far we’d actually be walking and told us that she had a stitch. We had the answer to our big decision, clearly we would not be keeping up with the Striders.
An added bonus to our evening stroll was a brilliant monster trail - giant inflatables spookily peeking over buildings and lighting up the city in readiness for Hallowe’en. Spotting the monsters that are peppered across the city was a great way to keep us entertained and our minds off the stitch!
What’s true about going out on a purposeful walk is that as well as the obvious exercise and health benefits, you notice things that you don’t normally see or forget even exist. Doing the Shine Walk reminded us of some of the cool things about our city. As we snaked our way through Leicester City Centre, we skimmed Curve Theatre, walked the length of New Walk, made our way all around Victoria Park, the University of Leicester and the war memorial, past the Tiger’s ground, the King Power stadium and finally through De Montfort University campus. It was here that I was surprised. As a Leicester student of the 90s, this didn’t even exist when I was a teenager. And whilst I’ve driven past the perimeter many a time since, it wasn’t until I walked through the heart of the campus that I really appreciated what a place it has become.
We crossed the finish line smiling as we received our participation medals. It had been a hugely satisfying way to spend a (thankfully) mild October evening and it reminded me that I should sign up to more of these things. The added benefit was also that I’d added another 20,000 steps to my October total.
As I close out the month, the challenge is now on to make sure I rack up the full 100 walking miles. It’s all too easy to stay stuck to the laptop, wedged in the sofa, watching the days get colder, grimmer and shorter. But one lazy day turns into another and before you know it, you’ve barely moved for a week, a month, a year. And so I’m grateful for the October challenge for making me get my body moving because, in the spirit of signing up to things to make sure I keep walking, we’ll be welcoming Monty, the cutest cocker spaniel you ever did see, into our home on 1st November.
Monty will, no doubt, be the subject of many a future post.
