1 Million Step Challenge- week 2

Day 12, Tuesday, took me on a walk with the ramblers group, to the Chess Valley walk in Amersham Buckinghamshire. This was led by Raj and Joyce. There were only four of us on this walk, which was not that easy for me as we had to climb up and down a couple of steep hills. However, I did manage to complete the walk and felt proud to have achieved this. Some of the scenery of the woods and valleys was very nice.

Day 13 Wednesday. It was so hot today, that I did not leave the house until late evening and only went to the shops. Consequently the walking today was not my usual and the count was low. On Thursday 14th of July, the walk was arranged around the beautiful Virginia Water parkland and its large wonderful lake. Virginia Water has some very good paths to walk on a very nice cafe near a good picnic area under some large trees.

Friday, we rested. and On Saturday 16th of July, the Ramblers group had arranged a trip with two walks in Lymington, New Forest, Hampshire. It was quite a warm day after the end of term so the roads were extremely busy and so was Lymington. The town was very busy. But the walk that I went on was for about 5 miles around the salt flats and marshlands. This area is a haven for birds and sometimes, unusual species can be spotted here.

1Million Steps Challenge-Day 1

Photo by Quu1ef3nh Lu00ea Mu1ea1nh on Pexels.com

Today 1st July 2022 is the start of my walking back to fitness campaign by taking on the 1 million steps challenge for Diabetes UK. I walked with the Windsor and District Ramblers and today’s walk was at The Thames and Winter Hill trail.

Winter Hill has some spectacular views but before climbing the Hill, we traversed across a railway crossing and over a bridge crossing the River Thames at Bourne End, where our walk had started. The route was led by our very experienced leader Joyce. For me climbing the hill was a challenge that I did not relish, but I needed to do it to get some practice for future such walks. Although I managed to climb the Hill, with a few stops to get my breath back! Slowly but surely, I will get better at this.

The descent downhill was steep but interesting too with the views of all the hills beyond and trees all around. We ended up on a flat main road, that took us to Marlow Town. We walked over a bridge across the river Thames towards a Church from where we ended up in a local park for a brief stopover for bathroom breaks. After this, we walked past the Church and down to Marlow Lock, where we took a lunch break for about twenty minutes. We were fortunate enough to see the Lock operating, with a couple of boats passing through. We had been walking for about two hours by this time and covered about 4 miles.

From Marlow Lock, we made our way to the Thames Path through some fields with wonderful views of the river and the surrounding houses sitting nicely on the hills opposite our path. The final stage of the walk was on flat land through various gates along the riverside and this took us back over the railway crossing back to our car park in Bourne End. This was a beautiful walk, interspersed with interesting vies and conversations with the group members. I’m looking forward to my next walk, which is planned for 6th July, a Wednesday, in Dedworth near Windsor.

Walking Back to Fitness

Photo by Yogendra Singh on Pexels.com

In September 2021, I decided to get my fitness back. I had contracted Covid 19 in January 2021 and had spent 10 days in hospital in an isolation ward. Let me tell you, it was scary and very unpleasant, especially since I didn’t know that I would go home. My only contact was by video calls and I found that despite spending a short 10 days in the hospital, they were like 10 years to me. It was a lonely ward. No one was able to talk to each other due to distancing rules. There were 4 separate side rooms and 3 beds. The side room patients were in a bad way and during my stay, 3 patients died.

So, upon my discharge, I was isolating for more than three months as my breathlessness was quite bad, but I was recovering slowly. I needed to get fit and be able to walk upstairs without getting breathless. By September 2021, the first jab had been administered and I was waiting for my second one. I started going out and began taking short walks. First a thousand, then two and so on until I knew that I could walk for at least an hour without stopping. And I began setting myself challenges where I would walk until I had to stop.

By January 2022, my fitness was back to the old days, but I also needed to lose weight. In my previous blog “New Beginnings” I mentioned my goals, which I am still in pursuit of. I started to follow strict eating habits and took control of my diabetes status, which wasn’t that good. Fast forward to March 2022 and I took on a challenge for Marie Curie Cancer care to walk ten thousand steps a day for the whole of March for 31 days, and I am very happy to report that I did this comfortably by achieving more than the 310k target. In the coming days, I will publish more stories on how and where I achieved the 10k-a-day step challenge. I hope that my loyal followers and some more new ones will stay with me and encourage me to achieve my next challenge, starting in 01July2022. More on that later.

This is my link to the million-step challenge that I will be taking on from 1st July 2022.
step.diabetes.org.uk/fundraising/anil757

Any donation however small will be appreciated greatly. Please follow my progress on the JustGiving page. Please share the link with your followers so that we can raise money and awareness for Diabetes. Thanking you all in advance…Anil

New Beginnings-Week 1

Today, January 3rd, 2022, I have started what I said I would do, and that is to lose weight and reverse my diabetes. My current weight of 91.2 kg will be brought down to 80kg in eight weeks following Dr. Mosley’s advice in his book “The 8 week Blood sugar diet”. The book sounds very logical in its approach to weight loss and sugar control, as explained in detail by Dr.Mosley.

I am almost a vegan, not fully converted yet so I am having to amend or change some of the recipes provided at the end of the book to suit my lifestyle. But I will keep to the minimum of 800 calories and allow up to 1200 calories on bad days. Coupled with exercise and good eating habits, my target should be reached.

I’ve been a diabetic since 1992 and determined to get off the tablets completely and the two daily injections which work in combination with the medication. I managed to get in more than my 5000 steps daily target by doing an average so far of 6900 with a maximum of 9000. Light to moderate exercise daily for fitness and the all-powerful positive attitude. Nothing ventured nothing gained, right.

This is the day one log. Starting weight 91kg, Blood sugar level at 8.9mmol, and blood pressure at 115/77 with a pulse rate of 79. So a good start to the day, and have almost reached the daily calorie count of 800.

I didn’t cook today as I ate out at a family member’s house. But tomorrow will be different.

A very good start to my sugar check this morning. It was at 6.1. That made me happy. I was on track.

I was up quite early so I decided to do half of my daily walk in the morning for 15 minutes and 3000 steps. Nearly there, but just under by a few 100 steps. Not to worry because I had all day to catch up.

By lunchtime, I had run a couple of errands and then had a Greggs vegetable bake and cinnamon tea followed by a satsuma. I was warned by someone not to drop down to an 800 calorie diet as it would prove to be dangerous due to my diabetic condition, so I have allowed myself to go up to 1200 calories.

I managed to finish all my steps by 7.30pm and had walked for a total of 45 minutes. And also burned about 300 calories in the process, but I broke my target and achieved 7144 steps. Hooray for me. Self-appreciation for self-encouragement. And what interesting food did I have for dinner?

I made myself a Tofo salad. I marinated the tofu in soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and achar(pickle) masala, drizzled it with some olive oil, and air-fried them. Yum. I had the tofu with a portion of little gem lettuce, 1 tomato, cucumber, grated carrot, green pepper, and edamame beans, topped with vinaigrette. Yum again.

Now, I have to be creative tomorrow…….So instead of writing daily, I think weekly will be more digestible(no pun intended). From day three, I had to be more careful as I was constantly thinking of food and what I could eat that would not pile on the calories. I have started to munch on cucumbers, carrots, sugar snap peas to avoid the carbs and maintain my sugar levels. I was advised to increase the daily intake of calories from 800 to about 1500. That is why the weight loss has slowed. I managed to lose 1 kg, but it’s a start. The exercise is going well with the achievement of more than 5000 steps a day. I have been averaging 7000 steps and also 15 minutes on the static bike.

All in all, I’m pleased with my first week’s progress, although I didn’t lose the expected 2 or 3 kg. But positively thinking, making the start, and maintaining the momentum in the first week has boosted my confidence. I know I can do it too. Week two to follow….

My Emotional State -Revisited

The last time I wrote about my emotional state was way back in 2017. Almost five years now, and the rollercoaster of emotions is still in full flow. For everyone, and myself and my family, the past two years have been very difficult indeed due to the Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

Going backward, I talked about my wife who was very ill and had been given a maximum of 5 years to live. Unfortunately, she passed away in August 2019. And then about 9 months later, my eldest sister passed away, at the end of April 2020. Many other relatives have died too, but sometimes,in times of your own grief, even this is difficult to talk about. It was already a difficult time and losing family members at the very difficult time of the Covid 19 lockdown was harder as people were not allowed to say goodbye to loved ones in the hospital. Added to that, funerals were a maximum of 10 attendees. My emotional state in 2017 wasn’t revealed fully. As humans, we often can’t open up fully about our emotions and when they are heightened, then it’s even more difficult. I was hoping that I wasn’t going to use the word”depression” or “depressed”. Owning up that there is something seriously wrong with your mind, and body and feelings don’t come easily, because acceptance of that fact by the self is the first step. I wanted so much to open my mind to someone professional or even a close friend or a stranger even. Things building up needed to come out, but the bottle top was tightly shut and wasn’t budging. The days going forward got harder and I was putting on the biggest pretense of my life. I was behaving normally every day, and little did people know what was really happening inside. I should have won an Oscar for my performance from 2017 till even now in 2021.

When I look back and analyze what was going wrong, it makes me too emotional. I was dealing with a lot of traumatic incidences in my life, and also learning to be a full-time carer to someone who was the most active, exuberant, lively, happy-go-lucky person that I had the pleasure of knowing and being a husband to. When someone, whose personality I have just described goes into a serious illness and isn’t able to even look after her basic needs is in a more emotional upheaval than yourself. So then, how could I have shown my softer side that was also killing my thought process? It was killing my feelings. It was killing how I interacted daily, especially when I had to put on an act. It was killing me physically too as I wasn’t taking care of my own health. And the heart problem I had in 2016 was a reminder of how quickly one’s life can take a drastic turn. It could have been fatal, but I survived.And thankfully too. Because I always think, about how my wife would have coped if I hadn’t been around. I am forever thankful to God for saving me and making me be a carer to someone, whom I had loved with all my heart and spent 40 happy years with.

You know, watching someone die daily in front of your eyes is extremely hard. Because you feel so so helpless. You can go about your daily life, wishing, praying, looking for a miracle, and knowing that it’s not coming.

Back to my emotional state. Back in 2017, I was in a bad state, and now in 2021, I am in the same state, but coping better. Losing my wife was tough and every lonely second makes it tougher. I am quite a strong-minded person and usually deal with all my problems, even though I know that I need to get that help, which we all know is out there. I took that step once, guided by my elder brother, who took it upon himself to book me a free session. I went to the counselor. Before reaching her office, I had my trepidations but went there anyway. I sat opposite her, having been made comfortable and relaxed. As the questions came, with an invitation to say what I needed to, without being led there, I had already broken down into my second or third sentence. I tried to compose myself. It was no good. That pent-up emotion was bubbling out fast, making me hurt even more. I couldn’t carry on. I had to excuse myself, to use the bathroom hoping to go back and start afresh. No way. It was not happening. I thanked the nice lady and decided to leave. When I sat back in the car, I broke up again. I knew what was wrong. I knew what was getting into my head. I knew this was the path to take. Cry. Weep. Sob, whatever, just get back in there and start again. Instead, the demon that has been destroying my insides, won. I drove off.

Can you imagine how I was feeling of late? If I can’t talk to a professional, then who?

I know that what I have bottled up needs to escape from within. It going to hurt something crazy. But I have to do it, or the pent-up emotions, feelings, state of mind are going to destroy the essence of my soul.

I’ve got a set of oracle cards given to me by my daughter a couple of years ago. They are called “Messages from your Animal Spirit Guides”. I am a bit of a sceptic when it comes to horoscopes and similar types of cards, eg, Tarot cards. However, I have had surprising results on many an occasion. I saw the box lying on the kitchen counter and decided to pick three random cards after a good shuffle. And the animals that would be my spirit guides came out as “PUEO”(poo-ay-oh) which is a hawaiian owl. The short message on the card was “your spirit guides are offering guidance now, so pay close attention to signs and omens from them”

There is a full explanation in the guide book that accompanies the cards. I was quite surprised by this card as it was telling me that I was being guided by some ancestors that have died, no matter when and how old. I lost my brother-in-law on the 5th of January 2022. How odd. My wife died on 5th of August 2019. So who is guiding me . I have been in a quandary about a personal matter that I have not dealt with yet. There have been many deaths in the family in the past 25 years or so. And so it could be anyone, but I feel, it may be someone I think of daily.

My second card was a Penguin. “the period of darkness you have been experiencing is passing” read the short message. When I read the full explanation, I was again aghast with surprise. without going into great detail, it told me everything that I have been trying to write about in this emotional rollercoaster of mine. Almost to the letter, there were things in there that came up that were and have been part of my upheaval and healing process. It talked about all the hardships and challenges I have been experiencing of late. It talked about the loss of loved ones. It talked about daily difficulties. And so it went, revealing a surprising amount of what my emotional state is all about. Maybe, these words in the guide will help me do the self healing?

And the final card was a Weasel. The short note read “be silent, pay attention and simply observe with your eyes, ears, and physical feelings what is happening inside and all around you”. The detailed content in the guide talked about the stuff I have endured so far and how I should take a deep breath and another and another and then listen to my enviornment , my body, the feelings I have etc. As I had dealt myself these three random cards, and being the non -believer that I can be, I felt a little energised. I felt maybe, even though these are just oracle cards, maybe, there is some thruth in what each one portrays. For me, it was exactly what is, and has happened in my life so far. I don’t intend to pull another three cards tomorrow, but the temptation remains in the form of intrigue.

My Emotional State

So weeks have gone past and my pen or keyboard has seemed to dry up. Words started to escape me and I found it difficult to express my feelings. I worked the whole of last week starting at 5 am and finishing at 2 pm.However, it didn’t end there as I then I would start my full-time task as a carer to my wife. 24 hours in a day seem not enough and at the end of the week, time, and tiredness catch up with me. Falling asleep at every rest period on the sofa is a regular occurrence. Power naps are a part of my life at the moment and the real sleep only comes on my rest days when I can sleep in for a bit.

As I lay there in my wife’s hospital supplied bed, I kept wondering what was happening to me. I was exhausted, to say the least. I felt constantly emotional. I could not get up and get on with my daily life. I felt that a weight was on top of me and holding me back. Weighing me down.My brain was thinking one thing and I wanted to do something else. I kept wondering if I was suffering from depression too. My emotional state every day was now causing me to worry.

I have been away again for weeks. I could not carry on as I became occupied and my emotional state was getting the better of me. I am normally very good at coping with my challenging situation. Most people tell me that they find it amazing how I do things. How I cope with the daily challenges and still smile and go to work.

What people don’t know is that my life is a complete and utter mess. I want to clean this mess, that I call my life. It is the most difficult, if not impossible to admit this even to myself. Normally a strong minded person, good at dealing with difficult situations and most importantly, staying calm and focused on getting on with it. But I lost it yesterday with someone. Not my wife I must add. I didn’t want to scream at her or above all, loose my composure. Showing a weakness was extremely hurtful to me. I was shaking inside. My heartbeat was up and my forehead was full of sweat. I felt this burning feeling in my body, like when you are hot with a temperature. My hands were shaking and my palms were damp. I didn’t believe that someone could consume me with anger so much. I had to walk away, so I went upstairs and ran the bath! I was actually about to that before I lost it! I shut the door and ran the cold water tap for a few seconds to get the water colder. I threw some over my face and wet my hair. I felt a cooling sensation. Phew!! Any more time with her downstairs and I would surely have lost it completely. Mental note, “must not be vulnerable like this again.”

I just got into work. It is 21:56 pm. I swipe in. There is just me and the Team Leader in the front office reception area. He comes over as I am putting down my rucksack in the usual desk that I sit at. He shakes my hand to welcome me and asks me how I am? And lo and behold I face downwards, walk past him to the back of the partition and break up. Crying!! Never have I before done this. I don’t normally show anyone my emotional state. I am good at hiding pain!

What is happening? I am seriously losing it.

I walk away, into the disabled toilet. Again a cold water remedy to get me back together.

I can’t let this happen. I get my composure back, Apologise to the Team Leader, whose response was as expected. “don’t worry have some time at the back”. “We all get like this sometimes” ” Go, please get some time to gather yourself.”

But I couldn’t because I would have lost it more. I buried my head in work and started serving customers, who, luckily for me, began to come in one by one.

This time I have had two close calls. I cannot break down or lose it. I have to be the Scorpio character that people tell me I am. Not good at pretending and making up stories. For me, it has always been the whole truth or nothing else. Emotion is to me, who I am at my worst, if I am crying! Happy emotion is when I am always smiling, but these two occasions have dented my strong pride and surely I can’t be going in the downward spiral?

What next? I need help and know how and where to get it, however it’s not as simple as that. Sometimes the most easiest things seem the hardest and this is one of those situations where it is hard.

To Sleep ,Perchance to Dream

I went to bed quite late the other night. I was on a very early start for work and needed a much deserved sleep prior to facing another challenging day. As I lay in bed looking at the ceiling where luminous stars had been stuck to imitate the starry night outside, my mind kept wondering to a what if situation. I kept thinking back to 1972 when I first landed in my country of residence with only the clothes on our backs. My mind was wondering if I had settled somewhere else instead of Leicester, where would I be today. I had started work at the tender age of fifteen and a half ! I had lied to get the job and told them I was sixteen.

So I suddenly wake up, or had I slept at all even? I could not for the life of me close my  eyes and not think of “what If”.

And the what if’s of our lives can bring either miserly depression or a happiness not known to me . I kept thinking about my place of residence. What if I had moved to my choice area.But I needed consent. I was brought up in a house where even as an adult, I would seek permission do do even the simplest of things,like make a decision. A decision that would have changed my life and those around me. The stars were bright again. They shone in the darkness of the room. My eyes were open again. A quick glance at the wall clock. 03.30 am. ! Two hours and I’m at work.

Eyes closed again. Thoughts are astray, it’s that “what if ” question again. And so many of the what ifs keep trundling through my brain like a runaway train. It’s non stop. I can’t apply the brakes because  I like the what ifs. They are much better than my current status. So what if wins for tonight. It’s taking over my life tonight.

Another bright star in my eyes. It’s bright yellow. But still on my bedroom ceiling.Another wish shattered. I think a cloud should hide them stars. Maybe it should rain while I’m looking up. I’ll wake up drenched and see reality.

The time is 4.45am Time to jump out of bed as the alarm goes off in unison to my thoughts. As I open my eyes for the millionth time tonight, the over whelming” what if” comes back to haunt me. I know the rest of my sleep depraved day is going to keep the” what if” alive and well.!!

I take a deep breath. I look around. Rub my eyes and look at the ceiling. Tired, yes but not out yet. Then it suddenly dawns on me ( no pun intended) . What if this was just a dream. !

Mount Angeles

One of my pals just bought a new Subaru Outback. Naturally when one buys an adventure mobile such as this, adventure is put onto the radar almost immediately. I was happy to oblige when she asked me to go for a hike with her, and we had plans to go for a mild, chill elevation […]

Mount Angeles

1 Million Step Challenge-Week 3-4

The challenge is still in full swing and I have managed to rack up over 250k steps in three weeks, which averages at 10k steps a day. That means I am on target to achieve over 300k steps by the end of July. The steps challenge is for between 500k to 1.7 million steps over a period of three months from July to September, which I am sure to have mentioned previously. I am feeling energetic and look forward to my walks with the Windsor&District Ramblers group. The walks are varied visiting all over Berkshire and beyond. The people I walk with are different on many of the walks so there is always the opportunity to meet new people and talk about different things. The age range is quite broad. Young and old alike, but some of the veteran ramblers’ fitness levels are way beyond mine, but I think I am getting there.

These past couple of weeks have taken me on many new and well-trodden walks from my previous ones.

I have walked in quite a few places in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire as well as a walk in the Hampshire town of Lymington, near the New Forest. Every time I went on a walk with the Ramblers or on my own, I felt I was discovering parts of the South that I never knew existed. I made mental notes about which walk would be my favourite, and quite often had to keep changing my mind as all the walks were in places I would love to visit again, going through woodlands and trails that have been rediscovered by the Ramblers all over the UK and made accessible to the public and I believe some 49000 miles of public access routes have been mapped through fields, private land, and the National Trust sites, gardens etc.

If it weren’t for the wonderful work of the Ramblers and other walking organisations around the UK, these paths and trails and wooded trail walks would not exist.

These are some of the photos that have helped me to reach the first milestone of 310k steps

I’m into August now. And the steps target of an average of 10k per day is still on. In my next instalment, I will cover the number of steps achieved and where I have been to reach the daily goals.

1 Million steps Challenge- Day 7

This is the pond at Burnham Beeches. It was part of our walk through this parkland which has a rich history.

We started our walk from the Beeches cafe and went north as guided by our very informative and knowledgeable Chris. She explained the route we were going to take and where there would be interesting sites to see and learn about. For me personally, the walk was a little tough because I am not used to hilly climbs, but did manage to finish the whole course. I will post pictures rather than words, which are self-explanatory about the beauty of this historic place. I also managed to add just over 10 thousand steps on this 3.8-mile walk towards my diabetes.UK challenge of a million steps by the end of September 2022.

From next week, I will do weekly postings so as not make this journey boring and too lengthy. I’m hoping that all my followers will keep supporting and liking the blog so I can grow and write about more diverse topics as well.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/burnham-beeches/

1 Million steps challenge- Day 6

What a day. Today’s walk was a new area for me, which I was going to do with the Windsor & District Rambler’s Group. I have been doing these walks with the group since June 2nd 2022. We had a walk planned in Dedworth near Windsor, taking us into Fifield through fields and farmland with public access routes. The weather was just right. Not too hot and a slight breeze that kept us cool. We walked through fields of broad beans and also where some grains were growing, a variety that I am not sure of.

The above photos show some of these fields. There was a lot more to see on our 7 plus miles walk. We went through polo playing fields where quite a few polo ponies were grazing and some were being exercised. And also through a small pig and sheep farm.

As we went through all these wonderful open spaces, we came across a lane where there were some nice houses with wonderful gardens. And one of them, the owners were tending to their very large but well maintained garden, and were kind enough to invite us to take a look. They were an extremely nice couple and were very proud of the way they had kept their garden so well

.

And finally, before we made our way to the last stretch of the walk after more than two hours of traipsing through fields and lanes, crossing some roads as well. we ended up at Oakley Green Cemetary. This was a route through to the main road that would take us back to Tinkers Lane from where we had started our walk. More pictures …

Now, this was the final leg of the walk, no pun intended! After more than 7 miles, a little worn and with some of us with aching feet, we made our way to the starting point, from we said our good-byes and departed, each to their own, until the next walk. And not too distant either as it is taking place at Burnham Beeches. More on that tomorrow!

Harmondsworth Moor – A Rural Idyll under a Flightpath

I’m always on the lookout for new places to walk my dog. I have the attention span of a toddler and crave novelty. I am also an inveterate picker-upper of leaflets and at my library I took some about the Colne Valley Trail. I had been to some of the places before but hadn’t been […]

Harmondsworth Moor – A Rural Idyll under a Flightpath

1 million Step Challenge-Days 2-5

The Precipice Walk by Jeff Buck is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

After my fruitful and enjoyable day 1, I had to take it easy and catch up on my life’s daily issues. But I still managed to walk 5383 and 8223 steps respectively. These were easy to achieve as I did some tending to the garden on a beautiful sunny day and caught up with tidying up.

Today, the 4th of July, American Independence Day. I decided to go on a walk near my house which I had wanted to visit many many times but never got around to it. And I was in for a treat. This place has been here since 2000 and was developed by British Airways, which owns Harmondsworth Moor. I have reblogged an article from Hillingdon Libraries to enhance the true essence and history of this beautiful parkland. I hope that the information and historical data are interesting for my readers.

As you can see, how beautiful the scenery looks under a shiny blue and white sky. This was my starting point and as walked along the paths, I saw unusual plants and grasses that grew wild all over. As I had never been here I was walking blindly as there were no clear signs or route markings. But discovering new places is a great feeling right?

and above is proof of that natural beauty. I was stopping intermittently to take in the sites and take photos, instead of walking the [aths for my step challenge. Who wouldn’t? I was awestruck by the beauty so I couldn’t help it. I have had a really great evening walk. My step count photo shows that I achieved my goal for today.

Also very happy to report that my total so far toward the million steps challenge is 43,063. Still on target and looking forward to discovering more of this beautiful country. Keep following for more of the same.

Walking Back to Fitness..Part 1

My journey to walk back to fitness started in September 2021. I am on a mission to get my life back, enjoy every moment along the way and never give up. When a person becomes so ill, he or she may give up thinking they can’t carry on anymore. I probably felt the same in the beginning but I’m not for quitting. I always make an attempt at completing any task I take on and walking back to fitness to regain my life after getting Covid 19 was number one on my list.

Here I will tell you about my challenges and walks since September 2021 and then I will write about the first major challenge I took on in March 2022. I will share some pictures of some of the wonderful trails and walks that I have already completed. And then in part 2, I will write about my new challenge for Diabetes.co.uk where I will attempt to reach a goal of half a million steps between 1st July 2022 and 30 September 2022. The challenge is for a million steps, but I have chosen a realistic half a million steps. Anything I achieve over my target will be a bonus.

My first walk to get fit took place inside my house! Yes, I was able to walk from the lounge through in dining room and back via the kitchen into the lounge. I went round in circles walking as fast as possible and started with a five-thousand steps goal. It was difficult but I managed it and slowly moved into the garden where I did the same thing, creating a trail of circles on the lawn! This had to change so I started visiting the local Pippins Park where there was already a track laid out for walking or running. There is an outside gym which I also started to use. It was not long before I was achieving over five thousand steps during my walks. Somedays, when it was cold during the winter months, I found it difficult but not impossible, and I always had the house to fall back on.

My walking challenge took me to various National Trust sites and Runneymead and the Magna Carta park were my favourites. The paths are well laid out and walking beside the River Thames is always a great bonus. I visited Claremont Gardens in Esher and Bookham Common in Maidenhead. The one I enjoyed immensely was Cliveden House. This place has great gardens but the house and Thames Path behind the big house is a beautiful place to visit. There are 45-minute boat trips taking in some spectacular scenery of the tower on top of Cliveden House, which has a golden glow when the sun shines on it. I visited many places of beauty and interest. And during the final week of March 2022, I visited FAro in Portugal where I completed my 31-day challenge. Phew!

I have already mentioned my first challenge for Marie Curie Cance Care. That started on 1st March 2022 with 10k steps a day.

This is in Laleham near Staines where I walked along the Thames path towards Ashford Middlesex, where some of the views are really beautiful as well as the Riverfront properties which have some spectacular views.

The above photos are a sample of some of the places I visited. Walking not only improved my health with a significant weight loss but my mental health improved as I had the time for a lot of self-reflection and it gave me the opportunity to assess my then state of mind and where my life was headed. I would recommend walking to anyone that has the physical ability to do so. Although I started my walks alone with a good Audible book or some music, I found that joining a group called the Windsor and District Ramblers, which are part of the Ramblers.org site, gave me the chance to interact with like-minded people and have discussions along the way on many a varied subject. This made my walks interesting, and enjoyable. They recently celebrated 27 years as a local Ramling group.

Some more photos from Faro in Portugal.

From Tomorrow 1st of July 2022, I am starting my million-step challenge for Diabetes UK. I hope that my followers and new ones will support and encourage me along the way. See you all in the next chapter.