April random thoughts about walking in Spring

 

Spring and Lent and all things fresh

                     

Peta Bee, the Times exercise queen, March19th, at it again. Walking. Blast fat, live longer, keep ageing in check, including dementia. She's fit.

Walking fast (100 steps per minute), add top speed intervals, do hills, carry weights, aim for 12000 steps a day. 

The important one for me is walk in nature. Stepping patterns improve when we like where we are. I call it getting a spring in my heels. We do know however some like to walk on pavements.

So we went for one. Spring was late, early April.

The date said spring

the snow hills whispered winter

cold as unseen ice, silent blind sun

lone duck shivered on still mill pond

Even Credo is getting into the walking act, Pete Greig, Times, April 2nd.

Not necessarily about exercise, more self-discovery, three weeks walking 300 miles between Iona and Lindisfarne. Nothing to prove, nobody to impress, wild camping, walking in the rain, Pete listens to God and realises He is everywhere present. No need to travel 300 miles. 

Through walking, silence and solitude, he comes to terms with who he is. Or gives it his best shot.

He quotes TS Eliot, 'Little Gidding'.

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time

This is available to all, religious or not. Simon Barnes and I recommend the sit for everyday reflection. The deeper 'who am I' is tough and tortuous. I came to it through study of our billion year emotional evolution. 

Ah Peta.