northernvicar walks – January 2017

In 2016 my son Harry ran 1,000 miles for the charity Changing Faces – website. We have never worked out where he gets the running gene from, but we are proud parents. Here he runs back to the Vicarage having completed his challenge. If he can walk 1,000 miles surely, I mused, I can walk 1,000 miles. That is only 2.74 miles a day. I don’t want to start counting every footstep, just measuring the walks. Will it be possible?

On Sunday 1 January I walked to St Matthew’s, Darley Abbey, and back. That’s just 1.4 miles, so I’m 1.34 miles down by the end of day 1.

Monday 2 January was a gorgeous Bank Holiday Monday (not a phrase you write very often). We went to Carsington Water – website. Julie browsed the shops, I walked 5.5 miles. It was lovely.

On Tuesday I managed 1.9 and on Wednesday had a lovely hour’s walking along the old Great Northern line at Mickleover – 2.9 miles. This line last saw use as a British Rail test track – website. Now it is the start of the Pennine Cycleway from Derby to Berwick – website.

On Thursday I walked to a funeral visit in Darley Abbey, a pub lunch, a hospital visit, and back to Sainsbury’s. 5.8 miles.

Another mile on Friday and a couple on Saturday through Birmingham and Oxford. I can claim 21 miles in week 1 – so I’m a couple of miles over my target.

Week 2 was a failure – the weather was grot, I wasn’t feeling brilliant, and all I managed was a couple of miles in London on Friday. In Week 3 I managed 1 1/2 miles to school one day and 2 1/2 miles with Hannah on Saturday.

Week 4 was a holiday week – lots of time to walk! 2 miles in Melton Mowbray, 4 miles in Cambridge. Then a mile on 30 January.

So I have walked 34 miles in January, and I should have walked 85. Perhaps I should be a Proclaimer – “I’m Gonna be the man that walks 500 miles”

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