million steps – day 8

oh dear, today has not been a good day.  I felt so tired, it was a real effort to get myself up and out of the door.   My legs were hurting too, this hasn’t happened for weeks, and yet it used to be the norm.  I managed to walk, and as I did so the pain lessened which was great. I went a different route, think I am getting bored with the same streets, and it did help to have new things to look at on the way around.

Back home after less than two miles, I was feeling hungry.  With very little fruit in the house, I really need to shop more often, I settled on cooking mushrooms, egg and a slice of bacon.  It was just what was needed. it made me wonder if I am eating enough?   I checked the scales and they are going the right way which is encouraging but I think I can increase my intake as I am using a lot of calories in walking.

Anyway the rest of the day went on as usual.  I was in our shop this afternoon, sorting and packing wonderful donations to send off to refugees.  It has crossed my mind on many a mornings walk that these poor people are walking so far and carrying all they possess, plus their babies.  I really cannot complain about a couple of miles in a morning. The fellowship and kindness shown by people to help others they will never meet is always uplifting.  I leave the shop later than planned with a happy heart.

I am disappointed with my step count today, under 14,000 for the first time in ages, but hopefully by listening to my body and keeping on keeping will ensure that all will be well. Putting one foot in front of another is not difficult, it is the carrying on that takes energy and effort. Tomorrow is another day, and I am planning a big walk on a new route that will inspire and energise me.

 

million steps – day 7 – on puddles

to be honest I have been feeling exhausted today.  I was out early this morning and completed my usual distance but it was a bit of a struggle.  I had a difficult moment in the park when an enormous dog was barking a lot and running around, I like big dogs as much as I like cows.  I managed to find myself a short cut through a hotel car park to avoid it, but this then meant I was off my route, from then on it was a struggle to get back in the walking zone.  For once I was very glad to be home.

I was just sorting the last of the chores when my gorgeous Granddaughter arrived to play. Waving off her lovely Mummy, we settled in to enjoy her mid morning snack.  The weather was looking a bit grey outside, but as the rain was not actually falling we set off for the park.  All the way down the hill my lovely girl is telling me about everyone she loves.  She loves her Mummy and her Daddy and her Nana, she loves her Aunty and she loves Thomas the Tank Engine, well to be more specific she loves Rosie who I think is a bus.  As ever when I am with her I see the world through her eyes.  Wagons thunder passed and she tells me ‘they are very noisy Nana’  she is not wrong.

We leave the main road behind us and wander towards the park.  We pass a building site and we stop to watch the diggers and the machinery, I am almost delighted to see one of the machines is being operated by a young woman.  This I feel is good for my Granddaughter who hopefully won’t grow up with the stereotypes of my youth.  As we are watching the builders the rain starts to fall fast.  It is that soaking fine rain that leaves you so wet without you really noticing.  We get a move on and are soon in the cafe in the park. Here is the soft play area she loves so much, and the good coffee I enjoy.

As I keep a careful watch over her playing I am touched by how she reaches out to the other children.  She smiles at everyone and is not fazed at all by new faces.  It makes me wonder when do we lose that, if we do lose it of course.  I am still the person who smiles at strangers, but I do know lots of other people don’t.   We build towers and knock them over and she shouts me from across the play area,’Nana, look at me!!’ Soon my coffee is finished and the rain has stopped.  Time to head out into the park.

Sadly the rain means the swings and slide are not usable just now, they are far too wet, but the rain has left other play opportunities.  My Granddaughter loves puddles.  She is suitably dressed in her wellies and raincoat and her infectious laughter as she runs from one puddle to another is attracting attention.  People stop to watch her, everyone is smiling, especially me.  We spend lots of time looking for and then jumping in puddles.  It occurs to me that I had forgotten the fun they can bring.

As we walk back home she is chatting away, ‘I love puddles, Nana’ she says. I am reminded that without the rain we would not have had any puddles, and surely this is as it is, always. If I wasn’t walking for Diabetes UK we would probably have used the car to go out and I probably would have gone home when the rain came down so much.  I may have missed out on the puddle jumping and a lovely morning of fun and laughter.

The step count today is less that on previous days but I have still done almost six miles, some of it making precious memories with my gorgeous girl.

 

million steps – day 6 – counting

when you sign up for a challenge to walk a million steps you certainly need a way of counting every step you do.  In my practice weeks, (remember the blisters?) I downloaded a pedometer app for my phone.  It was fabulous.  Counting every step, converting them to miles and telling me how many calories I have used.  Perfect I thought.  For everyday checking on your fitness this would be great, but there are, as I discovered, some difficulties in a phone app.

Firstly you have to have your phone on your person at all times or steps are missed.  I often walk in clothes with no pocket, so tucking a phone into my underwear was the only way forward.  It is quite difficult to check your step count when your phone is hidden in your undies and you are in a public place.  Secondly your phone needs to be charged.  This is not usually a problem, but the battery died on me halfway around a country walk.  When you really want every step to count this becomes a problem.  So despite it being easy to use I was seeking another method of counting steps.  Now I have a whizy wristband holding a lovely little pink counter, I love it.  Every step will count, and I can get all sorts of information on my laptop too.

It has made me think about just what I am counting, and why.  Clearly to complete the challenge I will need to prove I have actually walked a million steps, but there is so much more to count.

There is no gizmo that can record the energy I am feeling, or that can count the benefis of the freedom of movement I now have and the joy of being able to walk everywhere.  There is no app to count the fun to be had chatting and laughing when walking with friends.  The support for each other on the steep inclines and the help when coming down again counts for everything, taking care of each other we are making memories all the time. I can see my weight decreasing on the scale, but there is no way of counting how good it feels to wear jeans again.  I have found a whole new world.  When I walk to the supermarket I am bumping into old friends, stopping for a chat, patting their dog and catching up on news.  I am noticing things so much more.  Most of all I am noticing me and I am making every step count.

million steps – day five – and hubby came too

Today we decided to do a walk together, my hubby and I.  He is a lovely bloke, enjoys being outdoors and spending time with me, his rapidly becoming obsessed wife, so it was all good.  We live in the middle of beautiful walking country, but I have a pathological fear of cows, which limits the across the field walking we might to be able to do otherwise.  I know, you are going to say cows are fine.  They are not.  Did you know cows kill on average three people a year!!  I am not taking any chances, cows and me don’t mix.

Anyway walking avoiding cows means sticking to bridle paths and tow paths and public roads, which is fine most of the time.  Today we picked a new bridle path south of where we live and looking at the map for at least five minutes, we decided on a route. Off we went, the wind was whipping around and the sun chose that moment to hide behind cloud. No matter, we were there to walk and walk we did.  After a few miles on the path we are both starting to feel a bit bored, the scenery is gorgeous but unchanging, we were also wondering if we could find a cafe and a nice cuppa tea.

We know this area quite well, have often driven around the roads surrounding the bridle path and we know there is a lovely village not far away.  We leave the bridle path and make our way on the road towards the cafe.  Hubby reckons it is a half mile or so down the road, so we continue walking in hope.  After a good while it is becoming obvious that the village has either moved or we have misjudged the distance.  No matter we have come too far to turn back.  The road is quite busy and has no footpath so we cling to the hedges as tractors and farm trucks vie with cars and vans to avoid us.  By now I am feeling fed up.  Why am I doing this, how long do we need to walk?  We start discussing getting back, being clear that every step forward will also have to be repeated in reverse eventually.  Perhaps we could get a taxi back, or maybe a bus??

At the point I was thinking of just sitting down and waiting for something to happen, we spot a road sign, the number thirty in a red circle indicated the village actually is, this time, just around the corner.  We pick up pace and are soon settled in a comfy cafe, tea and crumpets in front of us.  How quickly we have forgotten our weary walking.  How happy we are to be at our destination at last.  We both understand, without discussion that there will be no taxi or bus, we can do this, we can walk back up the scary road and back to the bridle way.  So that is what we do.

It is clear that walking back is so much easier and quicker than the route forwards.  In no time we have galloped up the road, without incident, save for the moment when a huge red tractor seemed to be heading straight for me.  I did the whole scene in my head, ‘the young man driving had clearly been told by his wicked step father that the farm was being sold to a neighbour and there was not a place for him in what had been his home.  He storms out angrily stealing the tractor and heads off down the road in a temper.  He has headphones on and is not expecting pedestrians.  I am doomed’. Actually none of that happened he merrily waved as he passed by safely.  Hubby said I read too many books, my imagination is working overtime. I say imagination is a good thing, so is reading books.

Safely back on the bridleway we only have to contend with cyclists who luckily use the tring tring of their bells to warn us they are approaching.  By now the sun is warm, the wind has dropped and we are savouring being in the midst of such wonderful countryside. I stop to photograph calves with their mothers, the black and white patterns  across their backs are in stark contrast to the green grass all around.  The dales rising in the distance, it was a timeless picture.

Soon the car park is in sight and we are at the end of our adventure.  Legs are aching but hearts are happy.  We head for home.  Tonight I asked hubby if he would do it all again,  he said he would but not every day.  Together with my morning walk I have done over twelve miles today, the most I have done in a day so far.  This walking thing is ever more addictive.

Million steps – day 4 – the F word

by now you all know that I am attempting to walk a million steps to raise cash for Diabetes UK and along the way help myself to fitness.  Well I cannot write any more before addressing the real motivation behind this crazy challenge.

I have managed to become incredibly fat. There, I have said it, the F word.  Fatter than I have ever been, fatter than when pregnant with twins, fat, fat, fat.  And with all the fatness I have also had aching limbs, clothes that don’t fit me and a struggle to tie my laces.  Really I don’t understand how this has occurred.  It is true that for the past four years walking has been difficult. Joint pain, previously diagnosed as Fibromyalgia, meant that some days any exercise was out of the question, but did I really have to spend the time sitting down eating??

Right, enough was enough and a couple of months ago I decided not to be fat anymore. Now I am not saying that being fat is wrong or bad, some people maybe happy and healthy. I am saying I was not.  A week of extreme dieting using shakes instead of meals broke all my bad habits, and when I went on to introduce food again I only chose the healthy options.   It was hard at times, and now two months in it is still difficult.  But, I am proud to say I am still doing it.  And I am less fat, a whole lot less fat.  My limbs are not aching anymore, I believe the Fibromyalgia was actually a reaction to wheat, since stopping eating tons of bread the pain that has blighted my life for four years is no more.

So, then walking became an option, and it is fast becoming a way of life.  I don’t ever leap out of bed declaring how much I am looking forward to a three mile walk before breakfast, but I do it anyway.  Some mornings I am tired, the rain is falling and bed is calling me back, even on such mornings  I have dressed, donned my faithful trainers and walked. Clocking up the steps is addictive.  Seeing the world before everyone else is awake is magical, knowing that with every step I am helping myself to fitness and health and raising much needed cash is my motivation.

Day four and at the end of the morning walk I called into my GP practice as they were opening for early morning surgery.  There is the scales, the very ones where I finally recognised just how fat I had become.  I don’t go there often, maybe once a month is enough.  Today I slipped my trainers off and popped on the scales.  I was very happy, my not fatness is really happening, the scales say so.

 

Million steps – day three

Exciting news today I have more sponsors for my challenge, so very grateful to people for giving their cash to inspire me to walk more, I just know it is going to help so much

Anyway, this mornings walk was a good one.  I allowed myself an extra hour in bed, as it was Sunday, and took off just after 8am for my usual circuit.  So happy my feet are doing well now, blisters have all but gone and my trainers are very comfortable  at last, so glad I didn’t give up with them.  It is great that I ironed out all such problems in my practice days leading up to the challenge.

It was a bright and sunny morning and I walked through the park, delighted to notice baby ducklings following their Mum towards the lake, I wonder if I saw their very first swim? Home for breakfast and chores to be done.  Later I need to shop, this drug of walking is strong, I am resisting taking the car to the supermarket.  Luckily hubby is around to collect the shopping so I get to do more steps.

The town I live in celebrates carnival this month and today was the first event.  The Wells Dressing is a Derbyshire tradition and is always good to watch.  Hubby and I walk over the market place this afternoon to join a small crowd of people at the first well. There are children in beautiful dresses, a local band and lots of marshalls with two local clergymen we walk from well to well blessing and giving thanks for the waters.  This is a powerful event, it makes me think of all the people in the past who relied on the local wells, as well as the success and fortune the spa brought to the town.

We really enjoyed walking with them. and then through the park which was very different from that I had seen in the early morning.  This afternoon it is full of people enjoying the sunshine. Children are playing on swings, people are sitting chatting and there is a band getting ready to play. How English it feels, how ordinary, how summer.

Today I have completed 17,166 steps, and almost all have been in the sunshine.  I feel so fortunate to be taking part in this wonderful challenge,  it is living proof you don’t know what you can do until you try.

 

 

Million steps – day two

Day two of the challenge and the woman who has not exercised for 10 years is doing ok   17,000 odd steps under the belt for yesterday,  I knew today was always going to be a challenge. As  we are driving back from Wales and I will be in the car for two hours or more, sitting still

I was out  before breakfast, my usual romp around the caravan site increased to 6 laps this morning which was a great start.  Then came the driving.  I arrived home and straight on to the busy day in our little shop  Lots of backwards and forwards loading and unloading added a few steps on but not enough.

It was evident I needed to do an evening walk  This is my least favourite time to walk, simply because there are so many people about, I often have to stop and chat, how I have changed  In my previous life, standing chatting was just the thing, now I am impatient, there are steps to be done!!

I am surprising myself every day at how far I can get and how calm it makes me feel. Putting one foot in front of the other is so simple, why did I not do this sooner?  By the end of today  I have added 11,823 steps to my total  Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

on my million steps towards a healthy life day one

Yesterday was the first of July, and the day I began to walk a million steps to raise money for Diabetes UK.  Well Diabetes will benefit from the cash my sponsors will donate, but the biggest winner here is going to be myself.

I am soon to be a whole decade older, and given I have taken almost no exercise for at least ten years, walking anywhere was going to be a challenge.  I started in June, to practise for a few weeks and soon found 10,000 steps a day was difficult but doable. Walking early in the morning soon became the best way to start the day, and as the first of July approached I was feeling confident.

So, yesterday, I am in Wales, with my very good friend, who has sadly lost her husband of just a couple of weeks.  We filled our time dodging the showers and walking in the sunshine.  I began, as ever, with an early morning walk, clocking up 4,000 steps.  Later we drive to a tiny town, tucked in the midst of Snowdonia and start to explore.

The first bridge we crossed  passed over the torrent of a river in full flood.  We stood watching the water crash against the rocks, swirling and foaming, slamming against the bridge and working its way angrily downwards.  We crossed the bridge and from the other side we saw the waters emerge into a calmer river, the foaming breakers settling into gently lapping waves.  It seemed to us that this was very like life itself.  My friend commented that she had, at times, felt as if she was in the midst of the angry waters, and it was comforting to remember that everything does calm down eventually.

With a further 5,ooo steps under my belt we are once again back in the car, this time heading through the mountains towards the sea.  The rain started falling heavily, so we headed to one of the fine Welsh castles and spent and happy hour in the dry, looking around the fabric of long dead people’s lives.  Thankfully the weather cleared, the sun shone and we were able to walk around just a bit of the beautiful gardens, finding surprises around each corner.  A water lily pond over here, a fountain over there, all surrounded by flowers and foliage of every colour and tone.

Once back at our base I checked my step counter to see I had managed to complete over 17,000 steps towards my million target.  I had walked almost eight miles, and enjoyed every step.

So, day one is done.  Spent with my friend who is living through her own challenges, I have just another 998,300 odd steps still to do.  I wonder where they will take me?