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You might be wondering why a 100 km walk is such a big deal. Of all the things that happen, walking must be the workout that most people do.
“100 km? I walk more than that!” – some might even wonder.
Before the Journey
Covid-19 changed our lives – for better or worse. For people like me, who have a desk job, “work-from-home” changed the whole perspective of the term 9-5 job. Usually, we have fixed office time (well, mostly) and then get time to spend for ourselves and with families. But, after all this roller-coaster ride that we had, the term “job” had a significant shift. No one was sure when to start and when to stop working, that in turn made everyone be at their desk most of the time.
Most people dreaded as their livelihood was standing on a plank with vicious pandemic-pirates on the other side. Then some folks were on the cushion, glad to get some peaceful time. And then there were some, who had the security of being able to work remotely, but at a cost. The cost of people expecting that everyone would be available as we’re at home. And by “home” people thinks that everyone is free most of the time and so, here comes more work. It’s funny that most of the people that I’ve talked with had the same thing to say – “Now, as I’m not going anywhere, I guess I’ll be fat by the time I come back to the office.“
So was the case with myself. I understood that by spending most of the time in a chair staring at a screen for eternity, I was becoming fat (not that I cared, as I’m a skinny guy, so a little bit of weight everywhere, yeah! but belly fat, uh-uh!) So I decided I’ll try out some workout. I loved walking a lot and, since I’ve been so out of touch and didn’t want to leap forward, I decided to take it slow. So I added “Walk 100 km in a Month” to my Impossible List.
During the Walk
It started as a simple bright morning, with my chickens (pets) clucking and me yawning and rubbing my eyes out to conquer the day. A fuel of excitement had surged throughout me, determined to start a new habit.
Off I go, walking around my home, listening to a new podcast that I “magically” found – Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast and tracking the steps, from the sponsor of this article (I wish!) – Google Fit. Part of me wanted to walk a lot, and part of me wanted to start my work like I used to. It was tough as my mind already knew that the moment I wake up, I come and sit with my laptop checking emails and noting down tasks and follow-ups.
The first thing that I noticed is that once I got in tune, walking didn’t feel like a chore. I was like, “yeah! emails could wait” and having something else to focus on made me happier. One other thing that I enjoyed was my chickens walking along with me, thinking that I’m bringing food (sorry!). If you have pets, I would recommend walking along with them as it helps shift your worries to the present fun moments.
The other thing that I was self-conscious was about my neighbours watching me walk around the house, but that got over in less than a week.
But, in a nutshell, this challenge is one of the best things that I did. It gave me clarity and sense of excitement that I had once lost. It helped me reaffirm that I still loved walking.
After the Journey
I wanted to win this challenge, but deep down, I thought I might stop midway. What made me move forward was not the goal of achieving the 100 km target, but the sheer pleasure and excitement during the walk.
Even though it felt demanding and that I should stop and get back to work, I continued. Half of the reason is the Podcast, Music or the Audio-books that I listened to, thus losing the awareness of time and focusing entirely on the process.
There were times that I wasn’t able to walk as hoped in a day – due to rain or work that was pending/approaching the deadline. The more I got familiar, the more I wanted to get up and go. A simple challenge that started as a cue went on to become an integral process that made me feel refreshed throughout the day.
If you’re working remotely and it feels like the workplace is your world, try getting out for a breather. You don’t have to go out for hours. Just 5 minutes of walking is enough as a beginning. This 5 minutes should be for actual walking, not considering walks for groceries and other chores. If you are doing more than that, then kudos to you!
Is the end of the journey? Nope! I’ll continue, not as vigorous as this.
Habit Tracker – Walk 100 Km | Notion : Click Here
You shouldn’t let the rain stop you! I’ve found there’s nothing more peaceful than walking in the rain, maybe listening to some music, without a care in the world.
I agree. The chill feeling that we get, most of the time, is refreshing. It’s just that I’m cautious during these times not to get sick unnecessarily.