I’m ten days in to this month’s challenge and so far quite enjoying it. The plan was simply to get outside and walk for at least ten minutes every day and so far I’ve not managed less than 15 minutes, not so much because of enthusiasm but more because that’s just how long the short ‘routes around the block’ take. It’s nice though, getting outside, getting some fresh air, breaking up the day.

I knew doing this in September would mean an element of being concerned about the weather, but I hadn’t anticipated some of the recent rain we’ve had. There’s been a lot of watching radar apps and trying to decide the best time to squeeze in a quick walk. I don’t necessarily mind walking in the rain, but of course it’s better not to get wet and certainly in the middle of the day when there’s potential to have to join a conference call the moment you get back in.

I’m also really loving PlotARoute.com - a free route planner where you can zoom in on your desired location and map out where you want to walk. It’s fantastic for getting a good sense of how far a route is and how long it might take, but it also shows trails and footpaths I otherwise probably wouldn’t have found, so a bonus. I think I’ve only just scratched the surface of what’s available on that site too, as there are also routes that other people have created and ways to sync and follow the route as you go out and about.

Of course, I’m keeping things pretty local and you can’t go that far in ten minutes, so it’s not like I’m about to need the Apple Watch Ultra any time soon. But you have to start somewhere!