‘2019 total so far: 220’
Hi, I am Pat Hipkiss.
February saw several walks just around Daventry and the local Draycote reservoir. I was still recovering from the radiotherapy, but I wanted to keep the mileage ticking along.
My energy meant that my walking time was limited…however when I wasn’t walking, I was already knitting Xmas toys for 2019 – raising money for Walk the Walk (see right).
I also joined Slimming World this month in an attempt to improve my eating and to lose some of the weight recently gained. February saw another 70 miles added bringing me to 113 miles.
The big event for March was taking part in the Big Half (a Half Marathon event in London). Although not an official Walk the Walk event, several Walk the Walkers met up and had a great weekend with many bra t-shirts on show. The day started off wet & miserable and to say it was windy was an understatement – we saw several mobile toilets blown over by Tower Bridge due to the strength of the wind. It was my first event walk post breast cancer so I felt a bit nervous – I walked with my great training partner Steph and my fruitloop friend Gynette. It was another great walk…although the weather threw everything at us…rain…gales…sun…and finally a hail storm as we finished!!
Gynette with the hand clappers that nearly got thrown into the Thames!
Several walks around the lovely Northamptonshire villages all added up to another 63 miles for the month – my total was slowly increasing to 176 miles.
I am a bit of an organised person & I need to have a plan –at that point, my mileage was in line with what I expected to walk in the first 3 months of the year, given my circumstances.
April was the month when I should have made great inroads into the 1,000 target…however my health stopped me fully achieving my goals. My plan was to walk 73 miles this month but I only achieved 44 (largely walking Barney my dog)… I caught a virus that literally floored me over the beautiful Easter weekend. Any thought of walking was out. I have learnt since I had breast cancer, that I have to give my body time to recover…so although I may not have achieved the mileage I am once again feeling better and ready for May.
Fundraising for Walk the Walk is going better than ever before I have to date raised just over £2,500…it’s all that knitting.
Anyone reading this & wanting to sponsor me my link is below:
https://multichallenges2019.everydayhero.com/uk/pats-2019-fundrasing
Three proud Walk the Walkers all finished…and blue sky in the background.
However, I have walked 220 miles so far this year and whilst it is not where I wanted it to be, I am still proud of what I have achieved. Will I achieve 1,000 miles…I can’t say…but what I can say is that I will give it go…if I don’t try I’ll never know…
Roll on May…and Walk the Walk’s iconic MoonWalk London – a great night; I am just about ready, a good long walk is planned for Saturday and my bra is ready…the event season is about to start…
My bra all ready for the night of 11th May - what else would a girl wear on Saturday night in London?
….and I forgot to mention 1 and a half stone lost at Slimming World…that’s 10 less bags of sugar to carry on every walk x
• Want to turbocharge your 1000 miles and have a night to remember forever? Sign up to do a MoonWalk.
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