Every little step I take

Out for a rout

My walks now seem to follow the nature of my blogs for how I start out is usually not an indicator of how it would end. In many cases, I would step out of my home in a direction and constantly recalibrate my course sometimes unaware of where I would end up for charting my course back home.

Today, after my early evening nap, I woke to a weather forecast of thunderstorms at 20:00 hours, which meant I only had about 90 minutes to get my walk in. I also packed my waterproof poncho, though I was not sure how I would fare in driving rain.

Packing in parks

Out towards Ashton, I turned to Ardwick and through the Ardwick Green Park and towards Longsight and then turning to Birchfields Park that I was visiting for the first time, by which time I had done 6 kilometres and I would have done my 10,000 steps at just over 7 kilometres.

From there, I turned back towards home and though I had my stopover at St. Peter’s Square for a chat to Brian and then did some shopping, it is after 22:00 hours and still no rain. Hopefully, it would rain overnight, and we can get some cool. I only managed 11.57 kilometre and in 6 days of properly recording my walks, 91.90 kilometres.

There is still some work to do, but what matters is I enjoy this more than sweating it out in a gym.

 

Finding who all matters with

Finding someone special

You get to a point where you begin to realise what matters to you in life. Having done so many things, experienced things to relive and others to forget, priorities and reality begin to fix your perspective.

Nothing excites me more than company and companionship, especially that which emanates from love and a loving relationship. I know I have had the most pleasant and amazing times with a man called Brian. With him, I have glowed more brilliantly than the sun on a cloudless day at noon, all from the inside out.

When love spoke

I found a love that spoke to the deepest parts of me, different as it might be, is significant and completely relevant for us. We have planned to build a life together in societies where we would be free, happy and safe.

These words from Alicia Keys say everything I sometimes cannot find the words to express. Nothing means anything is everything is without him. “Some people want it all, But I don't want nothing at all, If it ain't you, baby, If I ain't got you, baby.”

That is the way I feel, every day and every time with the hope that soon, the pining and longing will be over, and we are together again.

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Walking through danger and on water

Unusual neighbourhoods

When I get home, I feel like I want to crash out after my walk and today, it was just 16.25 km in 2:42:41 hours at a faster pace than I have attempted before. I was back on the circuit of Peel Park and then to another, Albert Park before making it home.

The discovery process is one that intrigues because just over a month ago, the park was closed whilst the police searched for knives. It looked genteel enough with people of all ages at play, from children to the elderly, but what can you say about inner city places. [MEN: RECAP: Salford park closed as police search for knives]

Let’s go for a walk on water

Meanwhile, after work, I got a notification of a sermon preached by Steven Furtick of Elevation Church whose ministry I have followed for about 10 years. I do not particularly believe in coincidences, but to find that his text was the same as the one we heard in church yesterday could only mean I had another perspective to consider.

Blog - Can you abandon your experience for the extraordinary?

The title Water Walking 101 is worth another listening to for me, and the best I can do is share it, I hope you get something from it. What it affirms to me is we need to revisit these bible stories again, because unlike nature where seams of precious metal can be exhausted after mining, revelation and insight from the word of God is inexhaustible.

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I ran the tape measure around my midriff and an inch has gone. I guess I am seeing some results. I have an earlier pill time and by that an earlier bedtime too.

I won't be walking to Timbuktu yet

Once halfway, do the rest

I began my last blog to write about taking a Sunday rest from my walking exercises but by the time I had been to church, took the detour via the Starbuck’s café on Peter Street and made some calls as I watched the world go by at St. Peter’s Square and then returned home, I had already done 54% of my daily target of 10,000 steps.

Blog - Can you abandon your experience for the extraordinary?

Then, I had promised my neighbour that I would be attending our Sunday soiree which was to start at 6:30 PM. After a meal and nap, just before 4:00 PM, I was on Google maps looking for a park to walk to and I decided on Buile Hill Park which I have now learnt is the largest park in Manchester and the second oldest after Peel Park that I have visited a number of times.

Resting on improvements

It was just 5.3 kilometres away and would take about 67 minutes, I probably did it in less than that time. That was not a plan for rest, I don’t think. Unlike Alexandra Park, the circumference of the park is macadamised give a more such footing to my walk with undulating roads. I did not take time to explore the park as once I had hit 7 kilometres, I needed to return home.

Taking another route back, I had a natural emergency that left me in a rather embarrassing state for another 4 kilometres of walking home and for that walking exercise alone, I completed 14.76 kilometres and made a personal record pace of 8’46” for my 2^nd kilometre.

When I got home, I found I was only 200 steps short of the 25,131 steps I achieved on the 9^th of September 2018 and that must have been on a walk when I was on holiday in Gran Canaria. I could not miss the opportunity to beat that record today.

Measure for treasure

So, after the soiree, I set out again adding over 3,000 steps to bring my total to 28,322 steps and as the day is not yet over, there might be a few more steps, probably just around my apartment. In all, I am happy with the progress I am making, I am getting used to the long walks without much stress or pain. That all adds up to 23.03 kilometres today.

Most of my walking 92 minutes fell within Aerobic heart rate range and 48 minutes in the Anaerobic heart rate range, with 7 minutes going to the Extreme that I could avoid because that is when lactic acid builds up in my system and can cause injuries.

Whilst I can see my weight coming down, I think there is still a lot of work to do before it is close to where I want it and then, I have to keep it there.

Today's achievement

Breaking my steps record from September 2018

Can you abandon your experience for the extraordinary?

Learning to trust beyond experiences

I sometimes consider my situation with amusement, for I had yesterday said Sunday might well be a day of rest. I cannot say it became the day of expected rest for in the morning I made for church after a night the tracker said was better, but I appeared to struggle through trying to get more sleep beyond vivid dreams.

The message at church was based on trust and being saved from situations and disaster as depicted in the narration where the disciples saw Jesus walking on water in the middle of a stormy sea. The majority of disciples being fishermen would have known the reality of stormy seas. Small boats at the mercy of billowing waves, the fishermen caught between life and death, terrified at their helplessness. [Romans 10:5-15 (NKJV)][Matthew 14:22-33 (NKJV)]

Beyond that, even if the fishermen were strong and able swimmers, it is doubtful that when hit by a storm they’ll just jump in the water and swim to shore and safety. Besides, they might also know other fishermen that would have perished at sea without trace lost forever in the deep as a lingering memory of the dangers of their trade.

Don’t let it be too strange

It is in this context that they saw a man, the man Jesus walking on water and obviously from their experience at sea would immediately think it impossible and suppose they were seeing a spirit. Their being tossed about in their boat was compounded by the fear of the incomprehensible.

It is then that Jesus said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Yes, he told them, and of the many translations, I like the God’s Word Translation the best, "Calm down! It's me. Don't be afraid!" [BibleHub: Matthew 14:27]

It was as if Jesus was saying He knew they had never experienced this before and it was time for them to experience the incredible and add it to their wealth of personal experience and the full recognition of his authority on earth. You could not have witnessed this and remained the same afterwards.

How our experiences rob us of the divine

Whilst they were busy processing that information, Peter said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” To which Jesus simply said, “Come!”. At the point Peter did step off the boat with all his fisherman experience in the middle of a stormy sea and walked on water towards Jesus. Until it dawned on him, fishermen don’t walk on water and he began to sink.

We can agree he was far enough from the boat not to grab it and near enough to Jesus when he cried from help and Jesus stretched out his hand to catch him, they both walked back to the boat, and the storm ceased.

For all the additional perspectives to add to this situation, there is one evident thing, your worldly experience limits your ability to experience the wonder and power of God. Then, if you do go against every knowledge you have to listen to and act on the one-word command of Come, you will experience the power of God and when your personal experience begins to cloud that godly experience, you only have cried out to be saved and brought to safety, whether you have little or great faith.

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” [BibleGateway: Romans 10:13]

That was the depth and beauty of the sermon in church today

Wandering briskly into suburbia

Ashton before time

I just barely made it home in once piece after 17 kilometres of walking. I did not feel like going back to Alexandra Park today, though from my tracker, I found out that walking the circumference of the park was just over 2 kilometres long and I did 4 circuits yesterday before returning home.

My plan was to walk towards Manchester City stadium and round the city ring road, but I found a footpath that towed the course of the River Medlock then through some estates into Beswick, before I was on to Droylsden and then on to Ashton Moss, slightly short of Ashton-under-Lyne before turning back.

Unlike churches in the city, the ones I saw as I walked into suburbia still had sprawling graveyards. We sometimes forget that life, living, dying and death all used to revolve around the church.

A break for safety

At the turn, I had put 11 kilometres, and by the 16^th, I got on the tram because the route back was not that safe to walk. At St. Peter’s Square, a man was remonstrating about his girlfriend canoodling with another man on the benches, rolling over with abandon that it was getting tense.

I quickly made a getaway before things turned dangerously bad. I might be getting used to walking now. My sleep after two nights of observation is under review, and I a definitely not getting enough deep sleep. I need to review the recommendations.

For music, I had Alisha Keys, Justin Timberlake and Luther Vandross, all that made for a different pace of walking. Sunday might well be a day of rest. Though that might break the trend for a badge celebrating 21 days of doing at least 10,000 steps.

The science of sleep and walking

On the levels of sleep and slumber

My Honor Band 5 tracker has been a revelation of knowledge and science that I hope I will find useful as I find out to utilise the features paired with the Huawei Health app on my phone.

This morning I got a good idea of how I sleep, something I need to study more, but I seemed to have a lot of REM sleep, which explains my usually vivid dreams, just about enough light sleep and definitely not enough deep sleep. The graphical illustration of my kind of night sleep at least put paid to the idea that I am a one-hour sleeper, according to Brian.

There is still much more to learn on the science of sleep, and I cannot draw any conclusions on just one day of data. I will observe the trends and with that hopefully look for ways to improve my quality of sleep. That I was able to get just over 6 hours of sleep with waking up once overnight was quite a surprise.

Every kilometre a sign

Today, I was able to set out my workout plan, or rather document it properly, working with my band, I could chart the route with announcements every kilometre of how long it took and what my heart rate was, mostly in the aerobic and the fat-burning ranges. I was able to get in 16.52 km of walking in 3:17:40 hours and an average of 105 steps per minute for 20,941 steps.

For the day, I got in 22,348 steps and that was just before a trapped nerve signalled its presence in the groin. I did not know that sleep under 3 hours is called a nap. I need to choose a day for complete rest, and I hope I begin to see changes in weight and girth soon too. I could do with a deep sleep tonight and a lie-in for Saturday. On the whole, I am happy, I can do this.