October Outside

October outside

100 miles on foot, and 100 miles by bike, during the month of October.

October 2020 arrived along with extensive travel restrictions for almost a third of the population of Wales, due to the illness that shall not be named (so that this page doesn’t get censored!) Since regaining freedom in late summer, I made the most of it and spent every possible moment in beautiful places, and sharing amazing outdoor experiences with great people. However, as the days rapidly shortened, the weather made itself known and I found myself unable to work again, I decided that I needed a target to stay positive, keep motivated, and to keep fit, so that when I could eventually get back to work I’d be ready. I set a goal to walk 100 miles, and cycle 100 miles during the month of October.

Week one

There was almost incessant rain, and a lot of mud, and memories of training for my Lowland Leader qualification a few years ago came back to haunt me! But it was good to get out on days when I’d usually only make it out for a very short dog walk. It was also good to test my kit in some proper weather and make sure it is all still waterproof after a dry summer! I saw some fantastic wildlife including a family of choughs, rabbits, peregrine falcon, and lots of migratory geese. There were still some Swallows hanging around too.

As for the cycling, it was a new experience riding my road bike on wet lanes where new potholes appear almost by the minute with the huge amount of water running down the road, fallen leaves, and plenty of thorns as the hedges are being cut. For once I was going faster uphill than downhill!

Distance covered: 30 miles on foot & 38 miles by bike.

Half - way

Just over half way through the month, and thankfully there was some really beautiful weather. I made a real effort to get down to the beach for sunset which lifted my spirits no end. The week started grey and my mood matched the weather, but having this challenge made me drag myself out for a few miles along the coast, and I was lucky enough to spot the mum & baby porpoise again, which was such a gift! It was up and up from then, and I had a really lovely week. On top of the walking and cycling I also went out for a beach workout with a friend, a swim in the sea and two paddleboarding expeditions to a hidden sea cave. Indications were that there was to be an even tougher lockdown coming (I had been in local lockdown for almost 3 weeks, unable to leave my very small county), so I made the most of being able to join up with friends as much as possible for this challenge as we had no idea if we’d be able to do this on the strict lockdown. What times we’re living in.

Distance covered: 56 miles walking, 92 miles cycling (and 2 miles paddling!!)

Almost there

So the strict National lockdown was announced and as feared we were not to meet up with anyone outside our families, even outdoors. This combined with some pretty rough weather and having my children home for half term slowed my progress to just a few miles per day, and I felt my enthusiasm waning, though it was great to have an extra push to make the effort to get my girls involved. We went on three 3-mile walks and to make it fun we used the map & compass - which they effortlessly picked up even at just 6 years old, making my brain feel very old in comparison! We also went on an Autumn leaf treasure hunt, identifying 10 different types of trees from their leaves.

Distance covered: 100 miles cycling, 90 miles walking. 10 miles to go, 3 days remaining!

Last cram and thoughts

With three days left to go, I became fed up with having the whole thing hanging over my head, remembering why I no longer set myself targets or challenges - it became a chore and took the enjoyment out of what I love! So I decided to do the remaining 10 miles walking in one go, and actually ended up walking a couple of miles extra with two days to spare.

In all, by the end of the month I felt that the challenge had been good for me physically and mentally, and it is definitely a tool I will keep up my sleeve for times when I foresee I might need some motivation and a reason to keep getting outside.