Dedication, part 3

I’ve written about my friend Sue several times over the years, mainly because she inspires me so much with her energy and positivity. And this week, I’m picking up the story of her latest adventures – so you can share in her unending sense of enthusiasm and drive. She is quite the motivator! Here’s her story of dedication.

“Planning a walk means I always have something in my diary to look forward to. It provides me with an opportunity to spend either time alone thinking, watching or just ‘being’ or connecting with others; I like to factor in a combination.

I’ve never been or particularly aspired to be a runner so walking fits the bill for me. In using it as a means of exercise and getting fit, I’ve enjoyed the places it’s taken me; whether it’s the beauty of a bluebell walk in the woods or a snowy panorama up a mountain.

A couple of years ago, I read about a ‘million steps’ challenge and wondered whether this was achievable in just 3 months… Well, it turns out that it is, even if you have a desk job and no dog to walk. So, this year I thought I’d up the stakes and see if I could do 5 million in a year (currently on track!). At the end of the day, it’s not particularly about the numbers, but more about the conscious effort of being active.

Last year, I completed the 3 Peaks Challenge within the 24-hour period. I trained hard for the walking part and found the lack of sleep pretty tough. But with a great group to walk with and plenty of good banter on the bus, we did it.

This Easter weekend, I’ll be walking the coast path around the Isle of Wight, a distance of 66 miles, with my son for company. I’ve never walked over 15 miles on four consecutive days before so we’ll see how that goes... Hopefully, we won’t be comparing blisters every evening! It’ll be good training for my summer challenge of walking Hadrian’s Wall, which I believe will be four days of over 20 miles.

I have enjoyed walking some of the national walking trails and am just about to complete the Pilgrims Way. Where next? I’d love to celebrate my next ‘big’ birthday by taking a month off work and walking the Camino Way, although thankfully I still have plenty of time to plan and train!”

Next week, the final instalment in April’s dedication series. Who will it be?