And no, this isn’t about setting a (be it a belated) Resolution. This is about the realisation that after just over a month into 2018 I have faced and fought, fought and (sometimes) lost and lost and re-found my own sense of strength.
If you are a regular reader you will know that this year started with the sad loss of my first guide dog Vicky.
But with the sadness of loosing her; along with the adjustment of ‘just having Fizz’ I found a passion.
A passion that has always been in me, but for one reason….. Or rather one EXCUSE or another I had forgotten it.
It is so easy to forget those simple passions that can bring such pleasure when ‘life’ keeps getting in the way.
Anyway, I digress……
When we said goodbye to Vicky I suddenly realised how much I loathed being at home. How I couldn’t bare the ‘silence’, the little things about her like hearing her dream.
It also took me several weeks to ‘forget’ to say hello to her when we came in.
One of the strangest things was coming home to a silent house! Because for the past 3 years I have always left on the tv or the radio to keep her company, so she didn’t feel alone.
So, as painful and upsetting as returning to a quiet house was, sitting in one was even worse!
And this is where my passion reignited.
When the children weren’t home (because of school or being with their dads) I disappeared off for a walk.
The beauty of a walk is that Fizz could always come too. The beauty of a walk is that I could just ‘stomp’ out my upset.
The other beauty of walking is that I could track it all on my Apple Watch, to judge the distance, to track my pace and after several weeks to gauge how my fitness had improved, because the very same walk from my house to town isn’t taking as long!
The other bonus of my walking is that I could feel free. I don’t need to rely on another person to walk, I don’t need to rely on any equipment or memberships.
I just ‘harness up’ Fizz and head out.
Sometimes we get the bus to the beach, sometimes we take a different route into town. And other times we enjoy a stomp through the muddy bridal ways en route to the pub with friends!
Your probably wondering why I am telling you all this in this post? Well, you see I have decided to make this walking count.
I haven’t finalised the details yet, but with a group of friends I am looking to complete The Three Peak Challenge in late Summer. Its just over 26 miles and with a tour guide is a walk that is set to take between 9 and 12 hours to complete. And for obvious reasons (such as exhaustion, concentration and distractions) it is one walk that Fizz won’t be completing with me!
But that doesn’t mean that she can’t help with my training !!
And why I hear you ask……..
Well, you see ReSound have just made a massive development with their hearing aids, having raised just over £1,000 for them, I want to ‘earn’ the remaining £2,500 towards enabling me to purchase the new and improved LinX 3D (an improvement on the LinX 2 that I had previously tried.
So, one the challenge is set up you can show your support with words of encouragement, pennies to help reach the target OR by joining in on the walk yourself.
Domation can be made via the Just Giving Page Help TINK Hear
