May is a great time to embark on a new challenge, and if like me, you are into your fitness. You might want to consider a marathon. Now before you start laughing at the thought of me, someone who’d rather have a colonoscopy than run a marathon, taking on this challenge – hear me out! My plan is to walk/jog/run a marathon distance during the month of May. Yes, I’m 100% skipping the jog/run but you get my point? Although it might seem like a daunting task, it is entirely doable if you set your mind to it (and like me, you walk it 😜)
One mile per day
The standard distance for a marathon is 26.2 miles or 42.1 km, and while that might seem like quite a long way, you can hit this target by walking just over one mile per day, on average. Just think now the days are longer, the weather is getting better and so this might be a good way to boost that vitamin D that we are all being told we are deficient in.
There are so many benefits to walking, from improved cardiovascular health to increased mental clarity and focus. I also like to have the perfect excuse to need to leave the house, just at the point the dishwasher needs emptying. I mean, I have to get the miles in for my challenge and who’s going to argue with that!
Walks around Warrington
We are lucky in Warrington that there are plenty of paths and trails that you can take to achieve hit the marathon distance without just pounding the pavements.
I’ve linked a few of my favourites at the end of the blog. I’ll probably save these for weekends and then during the week might clock up some miles having a walk around my local neighbourhood with the kids when I finish work. Not only will this add to my mileage but it also gives me chance to switch off from work and catch up with the kids without a device in sight.
If you don’t like the idea of walking on your own, you could try walking with a friend or join a walking group to help you stay motivated. Apparently, walking a marathon distance can be a transformative experience, both physically and mentally, so why not give it a try? You might surprise yourself with what you can achieve.
Charity challenge
To help me stay motivated and achieve my marathon goal, I’ve decided to set myself a second challenge of raising some money for charity; Women in Sport.
Women in Sport is a charity campaigning to tackle gender inequalities, to empower more women and girls to be active.
So I’m pledging £26.2 in May. A pound for every mile that I walk and hopefully some of you will join me too!
