Loveday Writing

Around this time last year, I set myself a new years’ resolution, a challenge, Year of the Fun Walk, as an effort to exercise and challenge myself as a walker more.

This month, I successfully completed the challenge by completing 13 runs (9 virtual, 4 real world) and even a virtual cycle.

I said at the start of the year that the Year of the Fun Walk would consist of mostly virtual runs, as well as real world ones. As stated above, I completed a good mixture of both virtual and real world runs, although mostly virtual as they are easier to find.

All of the runs raised money for great causes, both nationally and internationally. The varying distances were great challenges, some I was completing for the first time. My January run, Azri’s Brave Run, was the first time I completed a half-marathon distance. One of my February runs, Tokyo 2019, was the first time I completed a marathon distance. My other February run, Run It In With 5, enabled me to complete Parkruns for the first time in my home town of Wagga Wagga. These runs had an element of difficulty in completing due to the extreme heat Wagga Wagga experiences in the summer months.

My first autumn run for the challenge was also my first real world one, Run Devonport. It was also a run that was part of another challenge I set myself, my Fun Walking not Running Tour. I managed to complete this run whilst battling the common cold.

My London 5k run was my first international virtual run as it was the first virtual run I completed through a site based overseas.

My May run was another real world one and the last run as part of my Fun Walking not Running Tour.

My June run wasn’t actually a run and technically broke the rules of my challenge. Virtual Cycle Live was my first virtual cycling challenge. I chose to complete Virtual Cycle Live as I was having some issues with my foot, to the point it was being investigated, so I felt it was best to avoid walking/running however I wanted to keep my Year of the Fun Walk challenge going.

My August run was another real world run and a local one, the Wagga Wagga Trail Marathon. This event was the first run I completed in Wagga Wagga since the famous Lake to Lagoon in 2007.

My September run was another real world and the most significant of the Year of the Year of the Fun Walk challenge, the Lake Run and Ride (formerly known as Lake to Lagoon). The Lake Run and Ride is currently the longest distance I have completed in my four years of fun running/walking as I completed the 10km course and it was a 12-month goal I managed to meet. I was very proud to complete this run in just under two hours, as my training for this event didn’t go to plan.

After 12 months of determination and hard work, I completed 113.23km of fun running/walking and 40.23km of cycling in total. Overall I’m happy and proud with this achievement, especially as I completed more running/walking than I thought I would.

Throughout this challenge, I completed distances and runs I never thought I would, I used a fitness app for the first time, and found inspiration for other fitness challenges for myself. I also had a hell of a lot of fun.

I would thoroughly recommend fellow fun walkers/runners set themselves a challenge like this for themselves, it’s fun and well worth it.

The pictures of my finisher’s medals that I received throughout my Year of the Fun Walk challenge can be found below.