Waking up on June 1, I was transported back to May Day. I’d so enjoyed the month of April – being out in nature so often under so many blue skies and covering 410km using my legs as propulsion. I didn't dare imagine that May, Lockdown Month 2, could possibly emulate it. It did.
So, wow! Just Wow! A record breaking Spring. 30% more sunshine than average. The sunniest May since records began 150 years ago.
So here we are, still only at the very start of Summer. Restrictions are starting to ease a little. By the end of August who knows where we’ll be and what freedoms might have been restored. How long before ‘new normal’ becomes ‘long-term normal’? Who knows?
I do know that my new normal is going to include a mass of outdoor activities going forward. Before and after work and at lunchtime there’s time to make time ¬ to walk, run, cycle on most days.
In May I clocked-up 439.6km, my highest ever total. For Lockdown months 1&2 that’s a total of 850km. That’s crazy, but surprisingly easy. And I do believe Strava.
I loved the long evenings. I spent a lot of time walking (113 km) alongside rivers and canals that were humming with life. I saw the first swallows of summer and the trees’ newly sprouted foliage glowing and dancing in the bright sun. I also did a few DIY Park Runs and managed three Nordic Walking challenges to boot.
Covering 275 km on my bike exposed me to more warm breezes, green and yellow fields, friendly waves and pleasantries, plus, sadly, unwelcome warnings of the first HS2-related road closures to come.
The entire summer still lies ahead of us. So much potential, so many possibilities. I can only recommend getting out as often as you can for as long as you can. You’ll not only feel better, you’ll also be building resilience for the Autumn and Winter and naturally immunising yourself to fight, perish the thought, any second CV-19 wave. So, best foot forward!
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