The #200 Rambles Challenge

At the end of 2021, I decided to set myself a challenge – to walk 200 rambles throughout the year with each ramble lasting at least 30 minutes.  On first impressions, this seemed relatively easy for someone who walks regularly anyway but with losing a few weeks to COVID and the flu not forgetting bad weather, walking 200 rambles in the year was certainly challenging.  Indeed, I was definitely under pressure in the week between Christmas and New Year with ten rambles completed in the last four days of 2022!

At the start of 2023, I took a moment to reflect on the 2022 rambles and to think about the benefits of the challenge.

• My physical health – I’m definitely fitter and burned some calories as a result.  The motivation to complete the challenge made me walk even on days when I didn’t feel much like walking.  Afterwards I always felt better for taking time out to walk.
• My mental health – being out in the fresh air and closer to nature definitely benefitted my mental health.  It was good to take time out and give myself a little bit of self-care.
• Social benefits – sometimes I walked alone, sometimes I walked with family members and sometimes I walked with friends.  Instead of meeting a friend for a coffee, I often walked and talked my way around Hillsborough Lake or Lurgan Park.
• Photography skills – as I took a photo during each ramble, my photography skills have improved slightly as a result.
• Encouraging others to ramble more – as I shared each ramble on Facebook, I have hopefully inspired people to walk more and to explore parts of Northern Ireland that they hadn’t visited for a while.  Thank you to everyone who liked or commented on a photograph – every like and comment definitely encouraged me to keep going.
• A sense of achievement – by completing the 200 rambles, I have a great sense of achievement.  This was especially true in May when I completed the Belfast City Marathon Walk and then the Action Cancer Breast Foot Forward Walk in June.
• Fundraising – £200 was raised for Action Cancer as a result of the rambles – £1 for every ramble.  A big thank you to everyone who donated.

There is no doubt that the #200rambles challenge was beneficial for me and for others.  But the big question is will I do it again?  Please let me know what you think by commenting below.