Well, how has your start into 2024 been? Have you walked well into the new year, yet? Have you caught up with the old?
As the last photo challenge fizzles out (last stragglers can still catch up with it at healthunlocked.com/active10... ) which was the theme “white”. Quite fitting actually as I woke up yesterday to a white wonderland, but annoyingly work was so heavy that I didn’t manage to get out at all for the whole day! But maybe some of you UK walkers enjoyed the white walking winterland?
So last year, we had an amazing year on A10, collectively walking through different themes and challenges. We took pictures of numbers, of things big and green, of critters and our shoes. As a sort of book club of the walking world, we challenged ourselves to walk more consciously and try different things, from walking backwards, following a river, and listening to our walking, to combining with foraging or walking while singing. The challenges are all still available from healthunlocked.com/active10...
So, what shall we challenge ourselves with in this shiny new year in 2024?
Here are my thoughts, but I would love to hear your ideas or suggestions. And offers of guest hosting our monthly challenges are always welcome, it brings so much motivation to all of us when we hear different voices exploring all sorts of aspects around walking.
- + - 2024 A10 Themed Challenges - + -
I would suggest we have one challenge at the start of the month. (The two different challenges were, at times, confusing for me, so not sure how others felt?).
But to keep the opportunity of both having an active theme and the opportunity to snap some pics on walks, we will merge the photo and themed challenge into one!
Themes can come from any sources, books, magazines, or something that someone has come across in their readings about walking. My themes will probably focus on a chapter or even just an idea found in a paragraph within a walking book. I’ve got quite a few on my night table that have helped me keep my walking motivation and I will continue to draw on them for ideas for themes.
But guest posters can also draw ideas for themes from anywhere, as long as they can be linked to an active walking quest, something to try out on a walk, to test or engage in. And then a call to take some pics on those walks with a related theme.
The challenges will be posted around the first week of every month.
So we’ll start in the first week of February!
I hope that sounds all good, but I would love to hear your ideas, so here are some questions to ponder about on your next walk and report back here by reply:
★ 1) Does putting the photo challenge and the themed challenge together in a monthly quest post sound good to you?
★ 2) Should we call it a “quest”, a “challenge” or something else? Will it matter what we call it?
★ 3) Is the beginning of the month the right time to post these, providing some additional motivation to get out there through that month?
★ 4) Would you like to host one of these? And if yes, let us know by reply to this email, and we can keep a list of walkers who are up for hosting a monthly challenge or quest.
★ 5) What are the kind of readings about walking you do, or are interested in? On my nightstand are at the moment both books to read anew, re-read and discover from scratch, including: Ramble on, by Sinclair McKay; In Praise of Walking, by Shane O’Mara; and of course, 52 Ways of Walking, by Annabel Streets, which I still dip into here and there. There are also always some walking guides to various regions, towns or cities, some from the library, some from my own. Currently: Peak, Scotland, Glasgow, Edinburgh. And some old walking magazines, as well. So, what is on your reading list? Are there any materials we can draw some motivational and inspirational ideas from? Let us know!
Anyway, enough rambling, let’s get rambling. 👣👣👣🥾
Happy walking!
(photo credits: @perchance)
