On reflection….now I’m finished.

You may have noticed that a bit of time has passed since I finished my last walk and therefore since my last post (excluding the one I just sent by mistake which was unfinished!!). I’ve been meaning to do some sort of summary or reflection back on the year but I have to say I’ve found it harder than I expected. I was actually really sad that it was all over come New Years Eve but then come New Years Day I felt very much as if I was ready for the New Year and keen to get on with my new challenges. I guess I must be rather more action-orientated and less reflective than I thought. Who knew?

Anyway now that a bit more time has passed I will give it a go. First of all then a few facts and figures for you.

Number of walks completed 67

Number of people sharing my walks 99 plus 1 baby, Libby

Total miles walked 335.2

Average number of miles per walk 5

Amount of money raised for charity £2000+

Number of blog followers 43

Number of blog post views 6257

Most popular walk post Barefoot at Curbar Edge

So how does all that compare with what I thought when first thrashing the idea out with Pete way back in Dec 2012? Yes I completed way more than the 50 walks I set out to, we raised way more money than I ever imagined we might and I completed the entire Cotswold Way, which I never dared mention in writing at the outset because I really wasn’t sure I could do it within the year. The most amazing thing though and what I really am blown away by,  is everyone’s generosity of both time, enthusiasm as well as your contribution towards our fundraising. You may recall that when I started this I said I just wanted to DO SOMETHING. So I did and just look what happened? Incredible really and I’m so glad I did.

From here on in these reflections are probably going to get a bit more random but here goes.

Which was my favourite walk? I couldn’t possibly say. I honestly feel every single one of them has been like a little gem- special and perfect and I wouldn’t change anything about any of them.

Oh come on. Surely there’s something I would change? Well…..maybe that bit up on freezing cold Cleeve Common where I used the immortal words ‘I am completely lost, I have no idea where we are, the path has disappeared.’ If I remember rightly Jane didn’t take that too well…

Which was the toughest walk I did? Physically it’s a toss up between Haystacks where coming down my legs had turned to jelly and then The Dolphin Trail where the climbs up were pretty relentless in the heat. However, for unpleasantness that has to be back to Cleeve Common again walking into the face of the biting cold wind.

What have I learned? Well where shall I start?
1) Just saying ‘yes’ without hesitation can lead to something wonderful. In my case reconnecting with Leera after all those years.
2) It’s never too late to try something new and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. Barefoot walking…go on…..try it!
3) Camping – it’s great but don’t expect to get any sleep. However, hearing the sound of a cuckoo and an owl for the first time ever was worth it.
4) Fitness and fatness are not the same thing. Yes, I am way fitter than when I started the year but I am also now fatter than I’ve ever been. About 3 months in I decided trying to be sensible was not going to work. This was probably about the time I posted that picture of myself eating that enormous slice of Lemon Meringue Pie in Grasmere. Oh well, we can sort that out this year!! I had way too much fun last year.
5) Walking and talking is good for the soul. I have to say this is one of the best outcomes as I’ve found that my walks have helped me be more ‘mindful’. In other words focusing on ‘being in the moment’. It’s been fantastic to help switch off from work. I think it’s made me better at listening and connecting with others. I’ve learned that what might be difficult conversations are made easier by walking because you walk side by side …not face to face. Try it.
6) Nature is an incredible resource right on our doorstep and no matter where we are its a big adventure waiting to be discovered. Get out there- there’s probably a Geo-Cache waiting to be uncovered.
7) Blogging has made me realise that I have quite a lot to say. You may have noticed this already….I do really enjoy writing and I found that it helped give me focus. It was great to hear other people were enjoying my posts. To be honest I’m a bit sad that I’ll be stopping until we go to China later this year. I’ve also enjoyed following other peoples blogs who have set their own walking challenges.
8) Jane is a star. She came on an unbelievable 43 of the walks with me and she doesn’t even like walking. I know that I couldn’t have done any of this without her support, encouragement and understanding.

That’s enough reflecting…what about the future. Well of course it’s already here. 2014.
Naturally, we’re not really going to stop walking and in fact have in mind to do some more county bagging (which I will probably blog about) but it is nice to be able to say ‘no, not today….thank you’. In fact I did this yesterday and it felt quite liberating…sorry Joyce! I would really like to do some more high Lakeland Fells and maybe one day another long distance footpath.
Meantime this year I have enrolled on a Mindfulness course that starts in February, we’ve started a strict diet regime for January and I’ve even taken my bike in to get new tyres…..that’s funny because I remember somebody saying to me ‘oh next year you can start cycling and blog about that’. Well maybe I’m not quite ready for that…let’s see if I now get the bike out of the shed before the end of January first eh?

So to finish I’d like to to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who said ‘Yes, I’m up for it’ and who walked, talked, contributed, followed and generally encouraged me.  See what we have achieved together. I thought  the two pictures below are lovely. The first  is a famous Pooh /Piglet conversation which just reminds me to make the most of EVERY day. The 2nd was a small sign on a bench outside the pub on the walk I did with Carol and her  Mum. This one sums up my 50th year of walking. Thank You.