It's true. I sit here 2 fingers poised and I don't know what to say! I know this will come as a shock to anyone who knows me but I'm a bit overwhelmed at how I feel about all of this coming to an end. The Good Things About Being Part Of This Challenge:

The Bad Things..............nope....can't think of any.

Thanks to the J O Team for all of the support. XXX

What a week. I could really relate to Carolines picture with her and the children, fully kitted out for walking in the rain. Monday morning saw me bravely setting off with Mac (showerproof only!) and brolly for the walk to work. A break appeared in the clouds so I optimistically set off believing the rain would hold off for 30 minutes. 10 minutes later there I was caught in a deluge. I felt as if I was the only person stupid enought to be on the Preston Rd, there was no one around. No one to witness me stuck under a tree on the side of the road desperately trying to call Tim (engaged) to come and pick me up, no one to commiserate with me when the road became so wet that the drains didn't work and each speeding vehicle drowned me as it went past. After 20mins I gave up and just carried on walking drenched. Arrived at work feeling a bit daft, very wet but borrowed some leggings and a T shirt and went and sat in the corner launderette and watched some breakfast TV while my clothes dried.

On Thursday I drove up to Coventry knowing that my walking experiences were going to be pretty different. I was house sitting for my Sister while she was in Spain. On arrival at my friends in Northampton,(first night stop), I insisted we walked all around the village before we got to the pub but it was difficult to get above 6,234 steps. And on my arrival in Coventry on the Friday I had to don wellies and proper raincoat to hike around the Memorial Park..on my own as it was impossible to convince my old friend (who had joined me from Cheltenham) to come with me.

The next day though she was in full support and we spent the rest of the week walking everywhere and in so doing saw a side of Coventry we had almost forgotten. We had both grown up there and left in our 20s. So it was fun to rediscover the horrohs of the subways and underpasses and even got scared one night and walked along the road rather than go down under! Coventry City Center is not a friendly place for walkers.

The rain has been a real test of our perserverence on this challenge and a lesson in the need to purchase some decent walking gear, for walking to work in the Monsoon season. I will do it though...it wasn't so bad on reflection. In fact when I was standing under the tree looking across Preston Park watching the rain, it reminded me of standing at bus stops with my Mum (who didn't drive) and singing songs and playing eye spy.......which was quite nice really, they were days when there didn't seem to be so much of a rush to get anywhere.

This blog is extremely late. It was created, neglected, forgotten then lost, a bit like my motivation this week. Not motivation to walk, because that has definitely become an accepted pattern in my day, but the motivation to go on a l-o-n-g walk somewhere.

With Tim gone to the Isle of Wight with the dog (Bow), my long walk partner and the one who needs to be taken for a walk weren’t there for support and our teenage daughter has found love in the arms of a boy who lives in Burgess Hill, so she only comes home for changes of clothes.

With the house to myself I found that when I wasn’t walking to work, shops etc, I just enjoyed the peace and caught up on domestics, finished a couple of books and remembered what it was like to be lazy. Yes, I easily reached 10,000 steps a day…...when I left the house! But on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the mini trampoline (bouncing while the kettle boils) and stamping on the spot while ironing, didn’t really get me to target.

This has demonstrated to me how the challenge has really challenged me, the 50 + woman with no real pulls on her time other than the ones she chooses to make. Without a young family and the kind of social life that has you out of the house every night it’s easy to become too……. relaxed and I was in danger of ‘losing it if I didn’t use it’

The Comedy night out at ‘Grand Central’ was my only night out that week. Alison (fellow walker) and her friends were brilliant, the energy was palpable. I loved it, Alison and I walked home to Preston Park at 11.30pm, that took me back in time.

Finally photos! As a record of some of the things that have caused me pause for thought and pain during the challenge including the one recording the folly of choosing style over comfort! Apologies to my good mate Mel for these awful images.

LOOK AWAY NOW MEL

  

Ploy of the week: Walk the same journeys but taking them the long way round.

If you check this site's journey planner www.journeyon.co.uk you will be able to map out all of your usual walks, such as: to work and back, paper shop, school run etc and check out the ‘Most Direct Route’ and the ‘Flattest Route’. This being hilly Brighton, the flattest routes are mad. E.g. to walk to a friend’s house in Maldon Rd, the direct route: ½ mile, 10 mins, using 48 calories and taking 1006 steps. The flattest route: 2.05 miles, 41 mins 195 calories and 4124 steps! The latter involves walking into town and back.

The route to my paper shop took me past Preston Park Cricket Ground; I watched a bit of cricket and am still convinced it is a sport invented by madmen.  

Mae West of the Midlands! (My sister)
I can call her that, safe in the knowledge that she lives in Coventry, is 71, doesn’t use the internet, she won’t read this.

I’m a bit concerned. She is an active woman, has two dogs that she walks daily, does Line Dancing and Keep Fit, so does her bit for walking.

However her hip has been giving her a lot of pain and has curtailed her activity. She finally convinced her Doc’ that ‘the drugs don’t work’ and she would “like to have a physio’ appointment…NOW.. please”.

The Consultants appointment came round last week. She was thrilled.

 “Oh he’s so lovely, so handsome, tall, blonde, in his thirties and so kind. I had to undress and must make sure I’m wearing nicer underwear for my next appointment.  You’d like him Jan, he’s good, he has all his certificates on the wall showing that he has passed all his exam…. as a Chartered Surveyor”!!!!!!?

Is this the start of dementia? I wondered or had she just gone to the wrong office and been taken advantage of? She is an attractive woman, even the chap doing her kitchen said he can’t understand how a ‘strong woman’! like her is still on her own after losing her husband four years ago. Carry on Sis. I might have a chat with her about her choice of underwear though, or should it be ‘foundation wear’ with this particular consultants’ qualifications!

High Low and a Silver Lining! (In my hippy hat).
The challenge…well I’m not really up for a walk up the Downs these days (the knees) but Tim wanting to support me, drove me out to Kingston Lewes and hauled me up an extremely steep path to the top of the Downs, which I then had to hobble down.

Yes, the views were fantastic and I got very close to a hare but after 7,630 steps all I really wanted was a bottle of red wine and a steak…which I got at our lovely local ‘Park View’ which, incidentally was having it’s first PIP night aka: Philosophy in the Pub. Tim had to steer me away from joining in the debate on ‘Faith’ as I just wanted to sing George Michael’s’ Faith’ to them, or at least‘ God is a DJ’ by Faithless.

Talking of Doctors Appointments…great news after 18 months of high blood press

The week has been a breeze. Weather gorgeous, so the walk to and from work was not only easy but really pleasurable. I'm noticing my surroundings and the views in a way I've not really done before.

Thursday, I cycled to work and then to an appointment at Jubilee Library and I have to say it all seems a lot easier. My knees aren't so bad now and I have plenty of stamina for the hills and of course the steps at Lovers Walk. Later that evening Tim and I went up to London to see Vanessa Redgrave put in an amazing solo performance in 'The Year of Magical Thinking'. Not to be missed. It finnished at 10pm. We had 15 mins to catch the 10.16 back to Brighton and thanks to my new found fitness level, the sprint from the tube to platform 17 at Victoria was do'able. Mind you I haven't run that fast for a long time and my heart knew about it but I was really pleased with with myself and home in time for tea and toast.

My blood pressure had been a bit high when I began the challenge and now it's pretty well normal. My only gripe is that I am no nearer to losing those 5/6lb I had hoped. I can only imagine, that it really is true what they say about muscle weighing heavier than fat. My legs are definately more toned and I swear my bum is too.

Friday I was going to see the 'Product Design' students exhibition at Sussex Uni'. Diane, a friend from Coventry who now lives here and is a Tutor at the college, had invited myself and Julie, who lives in Southwick. Jules offered to pick me up to drive there. Well this is a note of thanks to her for supporting me and joining in. I suggested that we both walk from mine, across Preston Park to the London Rd Station, take a train to Falmer and return. She was more than happy to walk too, so we had a good old chat and checked out the Rotunda Cafe in the park. That walk alone added 5.900 steps to that day not including the 3,460 to and around the University grounds. The exhibition was really good some great 'inventions'. The day was stress free too, no driving in the mad traffic on the A27, no searching for parking or worrying about getting caught in the traffic coming home in the afternoon.

As my colleagues on the Challenge are all noticing, distances we thought were a 'bit to far to walk' are in fact the opposite, more relaxing and easy than driving.

This was a bit frustrating. As I look at the responses to my call for comments, I see that only my big brother Brian, friend Jane and work mate Debbie managed to register. It is working well now but in my enthusiasm I was probably a bit quick off the mark. The first comments could not go through as there needed to be a code number with each and so I send my thanks for trying and commiserations to Sue on the Isle of Wight, who waxed lyrical about the IOW Walking festival, Liz in Coventry who is looking forward to my next trip, so long as I don't drag her out on a route march, my other half Tim who won't tell me what he put! and Mel, Sharon, Pete and Elaine. Do have another go we all need the support!

The most well trodden routes have to be accomplished with the help of plasters and Pop socks (yeuch!). They are

Preston Park and town are so easy now but work and Fiveways present slogs uphill and in this heat my lovely bike is looking more attractive if only for the great feeling coming home....downhill.

Other than Saturday when I admit giving in to sloth and the laundry and having to drive to my friends new house in Hove...well North Hangleton (actually!), I managed to top 10,000 a day. Sunday the walk into town was easy but hot and sticky but it meant I'd managed 12,064 by the time I returned.

Friday was the best day as I went to the Preview of the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. I nearly walked from Victoria but the bus looked more attractive at that moment. However the trip alone and walking around the galleries and Fortnum and Mason tipped me over 11,000 steps. On meeting up with Tim he plied me with Pimms and stopped me walking him around and around Soho in search of somewhere to eat. So I fell asleep on the train home and we ordered Take away.

I also gave into the supermarket for the first time in three weeks. I parked at the far end of the car park, spent under £50....but it was all really to get those Asda Custard slices....can't be beaten.

J.W.P

I am walking to work regularly, I haven’t been to a big supermarket for 2 weeks and I make myself walk up to Five Ways, which are my nearest local shops, for everything.

I’m trying to make a real difference to the old ‘Carbon Footprint’ and my petrol bills. The great bonus is, that, yes, shopping locally is really making a difference to our food bills. I can’t carry too much and I do have to shop more frequently but it is giving me reason to keep on walking.

I can hear my Mother applauding me. She brought up 6 children over 25 years, didn’t drive and didn’t have a freezer so had to shop every day on the way home from work. No wonder she was fit enough to have 2 of us in her mid 40s!

I tried my own route to Five Ways and the www.journeyon.co.uk route back:

Preston Park Hotel, Harrington Rd and then Bates Rd and up the 76 steps (heart pounding!) between Balfour Rd and Osborne Rd, cut up Dover Rd and down to the Co-op on Ditching Rd. My route: 1128 steps.

Co-op to Preston Park Hotel just walking down Preston Drove and Harrington Rd by Journey on ‘journey planner route: 1427. Downhill thankfully.

Not a lot in it really (and less steps than predicted on the journey planner) but I find it far more interesting to return from any trip, a different way.

Anyway as I said I was looking for inspiration as I had no big trips planned and friends were coming over from Cheltenham.

I didn’t want to bore them to death with my walking routines (you unlucky readers).

I remembered that we‘d been given a leaflet when we started this challenge, called ‘Six Urban Walks’, which are all based around Brighton City Centre.

We managed to do nos: 2,3 & 5. 2&3 are basically 2 walks along Brighton seafront starting at the Brighton Centre. Easy really as they are typical tourist routes on a Sunday morning. No 5 we did on Saturday evening as we went to see the fabulous Guillemots, at The Dome which was the starting point and did a bit of a pub crawl around that route afterwards.

Those 3 walks which can be found in the "Six Urban Walks" leaflet, totalled just over 6000 steps. So for the first week I have managed to walk just over 10000 steps every day……well except for Sunday when I only managed to walk to the local garage for a packet of wine gums, well they are low fat!!! .

The week’s real activity started with Monday night ‘Beginners Ballroom’ class and to mark the opening this week of the SATC film I have attempted!!! to write the blog in the style of the wonderful Carrie Bradshaw.

Can a 50+ woman spend an hour doing the Tango and Slow Rumba with young men she has just met, who are leading  “with their thighs” (at the order of the instructress)! and stop her thoughts a-wandering where they shouldn’t!?
Yes Janette, because you can be confident that the experience of such close physical contact, with said young men and any fantasies you may be harbouring, will be diminished by:
1. efforts to avoid stepping on their feet,
2. concern about that ‘hot flush’ looking suspicious to your partner of 20 years. 
3. wishing you’d held back on the garlic at lunchtime.
Do you have to give up wearing fabulous but inappropriate shoes for walking during this ‘challenge’ and try to wear shoes, that resemble ‘Cornish pasties’ and (God forbid), ‘trainers’! and maintain any sense of style?

Well it seems if you want to walk without the hobble of a ‘crippled from birth’ Geisha and set a good example to those wanting to follow in your footsteps……….YES.
 Is it possible to complete ‘The Mini Challenge’ and still have a good night out? The most frequent car journey (Taxi) that I could replace by walking, but don’t want to!  is going into the City for an evening of entertainment. Today it was the gorgeous Seth Lakeman at The Parlure Spiegel tent but when it came to it I couldn’t face the walk back. I’d had a busy/active day (see below) and the hot evening meant having to consume more Guinness based cocktails than usual, so:

I decided it was best to meet the challenge half way and cycled from home to the gig at York Place. I calculated: distance, cost saving and calories at the www.journeyon.co.uk site for both. I know, it’s not the same but here’s the result:

Journey - Preston Park Hotel to York Place:  
Steps - 3203
Miles - 1.48 (walk) / 1.52 (cycle)
Calories - 147 (walk) / 100 (cycle)
Cost - 'Nada' for both

Our route differed slightly to the ‘journey planner., We shortened it by getting off our bikes and walking down Trafalgar St, rather than going the ‘one way’ route. I promise I will walk the same trip before the end of the week and record those stat’s as well.
Can it really be possible that this challenge could make you feel better? happier and even make work more enjoyable?
Well, Wednesday was my best day. I walked to work, then to Norfolk Square to take a bus to Portslade village for the launch of the new ‘East Hill Park’ Health Walk, organised by Julie Stacey of the ‘Health Walks’ team. I wanted to meet her, (for work). One suggestion for increasing the amount we walk is to have ‘walking meetings’. So another goal achieved! It was a gorgeous day, great to meet new people and I found out more about the work of the ‘Active for Life Team’ and discovered another lovely part of Brighton. Al Fresco Lunch at Emmaus was good too; ‘Deux Oeuf et Frites’ has never tasted better.
Yes, after all that and walking home from work later, I clocked up 12,231 steps.

I am not only feeling a little smug as I averaged 8,000 steps a day this week but I’m also more energetic, had some great days, met new people and I am beginning to build a better relationship with my ‘trainers’!!!! Might have check out those designer MBTs.