Another month in Lockdown. Some of us saw a return to routine and work in this time, while for others, true ‘Lockdown Life’ may be ongoing, even with the ease of certain rules and restrictions.
May 2020 was the month in which I started running. I’m not talking Ultra Marathons or even a 10k Challenge. I bought a pair of Barefoot-style running shoes and I began a habit of running for 5km (about 3 miles) as often as possible.
01/05 – 10.5 miles – Mendip Hills, Somerset
03/05 – 3.25 miles – Wick St. Lawrence, North Somerset
04/05 – 3 mile RUN – Wick St. Lawrence
06/05 – 3 mile RUN – Wick St. Lawrence
08/05 – 3 mile RUN – Wick St. Lawrence
10/05 – 3 mile RUN – Wick St. Lawrence
12/05 – 3 mile RUN – Wick St. Lawrence
15/05 – 3 mile RUN – Wick St. Lawrence
19/05 – 3 mile RUN – Wick St. Lawrence
24/05 – 12 miles – Chew Valley, North East Somerset
25/05 – 11 miles – Priddy, Mendip Hills
31/05 – 9 miles – Wedmore and Nyland Hill, Somerset
Total for May 2020 = 66.75 miles
I’m impressed, in reflection, to see that I ran (most of) 21 miles across seven days in the first month of my running “career”. Progress was halted by a return to work, a struggle to re-adjust to that work/life balance and the return of an old injury. I’ll write about why and how I’ve started running in a separate post. In to June, I can confirm that I’ve picked up the habit again.
All of this running has meant that I haven’t spent as many days or miles walking, even after the rules were relaxed, allowing us to “travel for the purpose of exercise”. But I don’t want to drone on about the Coronavirus, Covid Life and its effects – the internet is overflowing with that.
I started the month off with a good familiar walk across the Mendip Hills; from the depths of Burrington Combe and gradually to the heights above Cheddar Gorge. It was quite a chilly and windy day at times – quite a contrast to the past week or so.
Before May ended, I was able to squeeze in three really good walks; each one not much more than a thirty-minute drive from home. There was a walk in the Chew Valley, just south of Bristol and north of the Mendips. I met up with someone for this and we practised social distancing throughout.
On the Bank Holiday Monday, I drove up to Priddy on top of the plateau and rambled on alone. It was one of those days where the car parks were overflowing and people’s lack of respect towards outdoor spaces sadly began to show… But I still had a good walk, mostly all to myself.
Very recently, I drove down to Wedmore (near Cheddar) and set off across the Somerset Levels. I may write about this one in the near future.
Current total for 2020 = 250 miles
Thanks for reading.
Walks With Olly 