Taking on the #try20 summer challenge

I'm taking on the #try20 summer challenge organised by the charity Living Streets.

So what's the challenge?

It's simple.

Add 20 minutes of walking to your everyday for the month of May.

Why May? 

It's National Walking Month - the best time to start.

This may sound like a simple task, and the important thing to remember is that it can be & I believe it can be hugely beneficial for both your general and mental health.

I'm relatively active as a person but as many of us are it's not consistently on a daily basis.

I normally run 2 to 4 days a week but on the other days, sometimes when I'm working from home I don't leave the house and in all honesty I can get a bit stir crazy. 

I think most of us have at least one day that we don't move much - maybe for you it's your Pyjama sunday, or maybe that's your normal work day. You drive to work, you sit at your desk, you drive home and then you relax on the sofa.

I'm not saying this is a bad way to live but just getting 20 minutes of walking in, either to work, at lunch, or any time you feel you can could make a big difference to your life.

Getting outdoors and active always helps me relax and reconnect and I'm always happier after I make the effort.
Even on those days when I don't want to, or I'm finding it difficult to leave the house, I always feel better when I do.

So I'm taking on the challenge to try and add 20 minutes of walking a day to my EVERYDAY routine, and I'm dedicated to it!

I'll be posting weekly updates about how I got the twenty minutes in everyday, how it's making me feel & any thoughts I have along the way.

To keep myself motivated through the month I'm going to be taking some #try20 tips from Living Streets and trying a different one for each week of the month. 

Here's my plan for the month:

Week 1 (1-7th May)      :

Tip #5 - Get Snappy Happy this weekend

Week 2 (8-14th May)     : 

Tip #15 - As it's going mental health awareness week - A Mindful meander.

Week 3 (15-21st May)   :

Tip #19 - Power Walk! 

Week 4 (22-28th May)   :

Tip #13 - Lunch Alfresco not Aldesko

Week 5 (29-31st May)    

Tip #6 - Take the Long cut & discover new places.

Get involved and take the #try20 challenge yourself! 

You won't regret it.

To keep you motivated why not rope a friend in and get them to take on the challenge with you.
I've teamed up with theasthinkings so that we can keep each other on track.
Head over to her post to see what challenges she's decided to take on for week 1!

I can't wait to start on 1st May! 

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Until next time - always remember, that sometimes, freedom is only a run away.

#runyourmindfree

Stepping on to the track

Since I moved just over a year ago I wanted to join the local running club. For the last year I've been living in one place with my partner and working in another (a 3 hour commute away). I don't work here so the only people that I know that live here are my partners work colleagues and some of their partners. Until a couple of weeks ago I I've literally met no one. I don't have children so I haven't met people through other parents, I don't work here so I haven't met local colleagues. I've literally made no friends. 

Don't get me wrong I don't want sympathy, it's just the truth. I know no one here. Luckily my partner is my best friend and sometimes we both almost feel as if we don't really need anyone else because we have each other. But deep down I know that it's healthy to have friendships outside of your relationships and to socialise, even if I am slightly inept when I try. 

My first attempt at meeting people was around a year ago, when I tried my local parkrun. I thought it would be a good way to meet people and maybe my partner would come too. The trouble is I turned up that first time (to this date I've only been twice), and there was just so many people! On average there is around 200-300 people at my local parkrun. So I turned up and everyone already had their groups and their friends. So both times I went I just ran around the course and then left. I just didn't know what to say. 

I know parkrun is supposed to be a friendly local thing, but having to interrupt one of the already established groups of friends just seemed strange. I was pretty sure I would just come across as rude or weird as I'm not the great at sounding casual at the best of times. I probably would have come out with something a bit unusual to ask, or something deadly obvious, that clearly I didn't really need to ask.

(Disclaimer: Don't get me wrong I think parkrun is great, and I encourage everyone to give it a go - just if you're going to make friends maybe it's not ideal for everyone.

So long and short. I've lived here for over a year, and I don't know anyone.

That is until a couple of weeks ago. I finally made the decision to send a message via facebook to the local running club and ask what would be the best day for me to come and join in a session. I nearly didn't go, but I arranged it all and when it came to it I just made myself leave the house, and as always, that was the one thing that once I'm out, I can't turn back. To me it takes more willpower to give up once I've set my mind on something than if I just don't attempt it in the first place.

It was recommended I went to the local track session as it's one of the main club nights. One of my goals of joining a club is that I want to get faster, and to me that means track is probably going to be the best thing for me. Having structured training rather than me trying some random speed intervals myself I have no doubt will be a great benefit, so this sounded perfect.

So my first track session was on the 27th April at 7pm for around an hour, and I'm so glad I went. I'm not going to lie that first day I spoke to two people for around 10 seconds, and that's the best I did. It was awkward, I don't even remember their names (not because they weren't nice people, it's just that my memory tends to suffer a lot when I'm anxious) and they haven't tried to speak to me since, so I didn't do too great that first day socially.

Just 2 weeks on though and I've now been to two road runs & another track session and I'm speaking to more and more people each time I turn up. Sure I'm not doing great at the conversation yet, but a few people already know my name & say hi! Progress, and for me a giant leap into social situations that make me terrified, but also elated, knowing I'm getting there. 

Here's to new acquaintances, great training and a great deal of running.

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Until next time - always remember, that sometimes, freedom is only a run away.

#runyourmindfree