Fitness Journey, 19 February

 

Not the walk I wanted!  I wanted to go into Brixton, which, as you can see, I did, but as it was a shopping walk I took my handbag, and I was also carrying a shopping bag as I had the little paper bag full of empty blister packs for recycling.  I don't know whether it was that, but my back was aching before I was half way down Acre Lane!  And I stopped to take a photo of someone's daffs, and just as my camera was coming up, the tenant came out with her dog, who promptly weed all over said daffs!  So I didn't take the photo, after all.

It's not really a good idea to shop in the afternoon in Brixton - I had to queue outside Holland & Barrett, only for a couple of minutes, and then I didn't buy anything.  Then I had to queue for what felt like hours outside Superdrug, but I did get what I wanted in there, and got rid of my blister packs.  I thought at first that the box where you put them was just advertising, but no!  

I really had had enough by then, but I did still want za'atar and also some more Dunn's River seasoning, so I thought I would investigate Nour Cash and Carry, which has a really good rep in Brixton for such things, and sure enough they had all I wanted in the way of seasoning!  Will definitely go back when I want more than just parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.... 

And then I came back to the main road and there was a 35, so I called it a walk!  It looks slower than it actually was, as the workout didn't pause itself while I was queueing, which it should have done.  But Active 10 says I did 19 minutes of brisk walking, so I'll call that a win.

Not sure whether to try to up things next week or not; I did go out yesterday, but only round Lidl (800 steps, and 2 brisk minutes not really worth counting).... I'll see.  If it's fine over the weekend I might go down to Windmill Gardens again.  

Fitness journey, 17 February

 

I never know whether to keep the tracker on while I shop - which adds to the distance and time, but slows the average pace - or to turn it off, which speeds up the average pace, but keeps distance and time shorter.  All very difficult.  

Anyway, today I'd meant to go for my walk after breakfast and before the Ash Wednesday service at 11, but - er - fell asleep, so as soon as the service was over I went out.  Checked the nearest little playground to see if it was open,

which it was, and then walked down past King's Acre and the entrance to the Estate to where used to be an adventure playground back in the day.  These days it's a little grassy space with a sports court in it - the grassy space was open but the sports court wasn't.  Thinking about it, probably only community groups or recognised teams have access, and are keyholders.  Anyway, I did try to take a photo, but it didn't come out, for some reason.

Walked back into the Estate, past where the Daughter's primary school used to be (how often I did that walk, back in the day!) and up Branksome Road to get to Lidl.

Music: Agnus Dei - Classical music for reflection and meditation (well, it is Ash Wednesday, after all!).

Fitness Journey, 15 February

 I don't know what Huawei Health thought it was playing at, but I certainly didn't start my walk where it says I did - I may have pressed "start" too quickly before it found the GPS.  Anyway, for the purposes of the walk, I started where I finished, if that makes sense.

I really wasn't feeling it today, but I knew that if I didn't go out, this fitness journey would have ended before it started, so once I had finished Sunday's sermon, I made myself walk down to Windmill Gardens (we have been here before!), where at least I could sit on a bench for a few minutes and try to make my bluetooth headband work - for some reason it simply wouldn't, so no music today and I'd been looking forward to listening to Carol King's "Tapestry", which I believe is now 50 years old.  Anyway, no joy, and sitting on the hard bench made my sciatica, or whatever it is, flare up, so I came back through the Estate.  Still no signs of spring, even though the recent cold spell does seem to be over.  

So not quite as far as it says, so slower than it should have been!  Ah well....

Fitness Journey, 13 February

 

I don't normally go shopping on Saturday, but I signally failed to go out  yesterday, largely due to the fact that the temperature in the bathroom was far too low to even think about showering, so I didn't dress, and I don't think the good citizens of Brixton would be very edified by the sight of me in my nightie.  Plus a bit on the chilly side, this weather!  So I went out today instead.

I went to Tulse Hill Sainsbury's, which is slightly further away than Clapham Common, and I thought didn't have Smart Shop (found out, too late, too late, that it does).  I made sure I went a way that avoided the Sainsbury's Local on the corner of Lambert Road - I could, and arguably should, have walked home that way, but I was a bit tired, so caught the bus.  Proved to me that I'm not yet able to do the walk I really want to do, which is down to Brockwell Park (the bus stop where today's walk ends is at one entrance to the park) then across the park and catch the bus home from Herne Hill or Brockwell Lido.  One of these days.  

Again, next week's goal is 3 walks of at least 15 minutes each.  

Fitness journey, 10 February

 

Just too far, really.  I wanted to go to Sainsbury's (I did turn off the tracker while I was in there), and it's a great circular walk, but without the possibility to stop for a cup of tea, or even a sit-down, it was just that much too far!  Oh well, it will get easier.

What's more, Sainsbury's didn't even have what I wanted, so it was a wasted journey in that sense, although not from the walking point of view.  And the weather was lovely - it's very cold, but bright.  The Swan Whisperer has gone for a long walk - it's unfair to ask him to walk at my pace at the moment, or I'd have made him come with me as far as Sainsbury's, and then he could have gone on over Clapham Common to Battersea Park or wherever...  

Fitness journey, 8 February

 When my alarm clock went off, the bright and chirpy weather forecaster who greets me by name informed me that it was -1 and snowing.  And going to snow.  Accuweather said it was going to start snowing in about an hour.  So I thought I'd better go out while the going was good, dressed quickly, and headed out about 8:30.

It was very cold, so I thought I would just go to Tesco and back - walking into the wind on the way there, and, more comfortably, with my back to it on the way back.  Over the weekend, I bought a headband with bluetooth headphones hidden in it, which worked very well, so I was playing the egregious "Let's have a party" album - think songs like Agadoo and the Birdie Song, but excellent to walk to!  I must see what else I have that increases one's pace without trying.  

I failed to turn off the tracker while I was in Tesco's because I thought I hadn't switched it on properly, so was surprised to find that it paused while I was looking for ras el hanout in the spice rack.  They had it last week, when I didn't need it, but I had less than I thought....  oh well.

I did think of catching a bus back, but there wasn't one due for 3 minutes, and, in fact, I'd nearly reached the next bus stop by the time it arrived.  I'm glad I walked!  And so home to a belated breakfast!

Fitness journey, week 1

 Not exactly travelling - but who knows when, if ever, we will be able to do that again.  Right now it's illegal - illegal!!!! - to go on holiday.  I'm beginning to wish I'd never bought the new motor home; I'd sell it if I didn't think I'd lose so much money on it.  And the Swan Whisperer says we will be able to use it again sometime.  I hope he's right.  

But whether or not we can travel, we can at least stay fit.  I have got extremely unfit lately, and have decided to try to get fit by walking for about 30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week.   I started this last Monday, 1 February, and did 3 walks last week, all of which involved about 20 minutes' walking and then shopping, as we are only supposed to go out once a day.  I have been posting these walks on Facebook, but think it would be better not to bore people there, so will post them on here instead, with a link to Facebook.  

So, this week's walks.

Monday 1 February

I went along Acre Lane, down Baytree Road (there was a blackbird!) out on to Brixton Hill, and then back up Porden Road and so to Tesco's.  Then I got a bus back from Tesco.

Wednesday 3 February

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I had been going to walk to Tulse Hill Sainsbury's and then bus back, but ended up in Sainsbury's Local on the corner of Lambert Road and Brixton Hill.  Was feeling a bit breathless and my back was aching.  Had walked down Strathleven Road and along Lambert Road, then into Sainsbury's.  They didn't have Za'atar, which is what I'm out of!  Anyway, I then got a bus as far as Lambeth Town Hall, walked up Porden Road to the bus stop on Acre Lane, and then bus home. 

Friday 5 February

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Up Strathleven Road, Glenelg Road, Kildoran Road on to Lyham Road, then through Blenheim Gardens but I was getting tired, so cut through to Lambert Road, walked up Branksome Road back to Acre Lane and thus to Lidl.  Breathless again and my calves ached!

I am going to repeat Week 1 next week, weather permitting - aiming for 3x15 minute walks.  I've now acquired a bluetooth headband, so may be able to listen to music while I walk, which will help.