Blisters plastered and feeling better, but with a new pain in my heel and a general weariness, I decided to have a lighter day, so took two separate walks, totalling 11km. My first day of not beating my daily count. Hobbled back to watch Boris at 8pm (Rosa (age 8) said, following the announcement, that this was the first good thing BoJo has ever done, ha).
And, pause:
With a heavy heart, and despite some defiant ‘no, I can still do this!’ punch the air moments, I am going to have to pause this challenge, due to this new lockdown.
On one hand, I figured, we are allowed to exercise... so can walking for 3-4 hours a day count as essential exercise? Yes? No?
And by local, would that mean I could only walk in circles around my own village? Or could I walk from village to village as I normally do?
I mean, I hardly see anyone, and can easily do it alone or with just one other, and can socially distance quite safely from anything (cows, sheep, people, newts....).
But when they say ‘You must stay home’, then, can I not? Should I not?
Is this essential? Yes, we need to raise funds for a cure. But right now? No.
After a night of back and forth (I can be stubborn as hell when I’ve put my mind to something) the turning point was the thought of home schooling and entertaining all three kids for the next seven or so weeks. They deserve the best of me. They have been amazing throughout all of this.
Full time work, home schooling on my own, lockdown rules, needing to cheer up the kids, and the huge amount of time this challenge takes just make this, sadly, not doable right now.
But I will walk again! Fear not. This challenge WILL start again post lockdown, most likely for the month of March now. Which gives me a little time time to train, and hopes for sunnier skies. Thank you so much for all the sponsor and support so far. I will update you again soon! x x x
Jürgen Heckel (1970)
