Hello, it’s me again. Yet another attempt to consistently write a blog! I’ve spectacularly failed for the last 5 years, so let’s see if I can do better for the next 5 years before I hit 50.

I hugely regret not writing a blog for my Dip a Day challenge in 2023, and as we start 2025 with a new challenge, I want to avoid any more regrets. Now I don’t think for one minute that this challenge is anywhere near as exciting as my dip a day, but just in case it gets exciting later in the year, I’m starting writing now. The plan, write a blog post every Sunday, detailing the weeks activities. The Challenge, to exercise for at least 20 minutes a day, recording the activity on my sports watch.

I am also hoping that by writing a regular blog post, it will get me back focussed to continue writing about my 40 Things in my 40s. I have about 5 unwritten things, and until I’ve written about them I am reluctant to carry on with the bucket list. I need to get my act together on that as I am now 45 and not half way through the list!

Ok back to this year’s challenge. Week 1.

Like the majority of people after Christmas, I was feeling very motivated to get fit, and decided to set myself a challenge. Last year, despite running the London Marathon, I did not exercise for very many days. Here is my 2024 calendar of exercise:

Having seen so few coloured dots, I decided this year that I would get a lovely coloured dot on every day of the year!

Day 1: Wednesday January 1st. I started the year off with a bang and attended the local parkrun at Cycle Route 43, Ystalyfera. I was going to walk the 5km course but as it was so wet and raining hard I opted to ‘jeff’. Jeffing is run/walk, and I used the 30:30 ratio. Running for 30 seconds then walking for 30 seconds and repeating the whole way. I haven’t done much running at all since April and I was pleased with how it went. I didn’t feel like I had lost too much of my fitness. I completed the run in 43 minutes and 36 seconds. Another goal for this year is to finally get my time below 40minutes.

Later that day, I took a dog that I was looking after, Delilah, for a walk around Diamond Park. Pitch black but I used my new head torch from Lizzie and it was fantastic. We walked for 25 minutes. Bonus.

Day 2: Thursday January 2nd. The day started with an earlyish morning walk with the dogs, Honey, Motsi and Delilah. We walked for 45 minutes along the cycle track up Cae Hopkin. The temperature was zero degrees, frost on the ground, and the path slippery.

After the walk I drove over to Spring Valley Lakes in Glynneath to meet my friend Judith for a swim. Air temp 2°, water temp about 4°. It was so beautiful, the sun was shining, blue skies, but the lake was still in the shade of the mountain and the bouys were all covered in frost. It was such a lovely swim, I didn’t even notice the cold. Swam for 20 minutes. Unfortunately my GPS went AWOL so the recording isn’t accurate. The trace in the water is the correct part that we swam.

The day wasn’t done there. I had to whizz from the lake back to Rhiwfawr for a dog walk with Ralph the cocker spaniel. We walked all the way down Rhiwfawr hill which was quite terrifying due to the path being covered in ice, the hill being so steep, and Ralph pulling on the lead. I have no idea how I stayed upright and on my feet. We then walked down to the Ffynnon Well , up the steps and then back up the hill. Only 25 minutes but that hill is a workout!

Day 3: Friday January 3rd.. My last proper day off work and I wanted to make the most of it. Decided on a walk with the dogs up Penwyllt. Honey, Motsi and Delilah. This was the most amazing walk. Perfect weather. Blue blue skies, sun shining, air temperature 2° but felt so much warmer. I was only planning on an hour’s walk but I was loving it so much I just kept on going. I really didn’t want it to end. Ended up walking for 10kms, and 2 hrs 50 minutes. Mostly up hill, and one path was really steep. Great workout for the lungs. The dogs had the best time too, perfect way to end the holidays. The views from the top were breathtaking, I could see for miles and miles. I highly recommend Penwyllt for a walk.

Day 4: Saturday January 4th.. Parkrun day again! This has come round quick because of the bonus one on NYD. For the first time I gave the first timers welcome brief. I enjoyed welcoming everyone to CR43Y Parkrun, and then decided to walk instead of run. My friend Sarah was there with her dog Digby, and I had Honey with me, so we walked together and had a good chat as not seen much of each other for ages. It was a really cold frosty morning and we were lucky the parkrun went ahead, as many across the country had been cancelled. The path was slippy in some places but overall pretty good. Not the quickest I’ve walked but we came in just under the hour.

Day 5: Sunday January 5th..

A really wet miserable day. I had to work for a couple of hours at Sunday Social and I got so wet and muddy that I really couldn’t face doing any exercise in the rain. But, I did. Actually a wet walk was more appealing than the indoor exercise bike. So I grabbed my giant golf umbrella, drove to Tesco, and walked around the cycle path that loops round the playing fields and the school. This is my favourite circular walk locally and I don’t get to do it very often. A 25 minutes walk and another day ticked off.

Week 1 down, although it was only 5 days. Feeling great for getting out there. Back to work tomorrow so this is where it will get tricky, and probably boring haha.

See you next Sunday 😁