I was a avid walker/hiker . I did the Marsden March which is 15 miles from the Marsden hospital in Chelsea to the hospital in Sutton. I hiked at Box Hill, Leith Hill and I was working towards doing the Surrey Three Peaks 35km.

However, the separation and the breakdown of my marriage changed everything. Walking became overwhelming. Hiking, especially longer distances, felt really emotional. Hikes I had done loads of times before became so difficult to complete. My body just felt heavy. The legs that carried me for 15 miles in heat and after falling over and getting back to the car, up and down hills, just couldn’t. It wasn’t a physical issue no pain no muscle tightness but a complete mental block of not being able to continue. The only way I could get through them at the time was to count my steps. Also tell myself just focus on getting to the next tree then the next one, then a bush. Any joy I had whilst walking had completely disappeared. It was torture.

It has taken doing tiny walks at lunch, going out with my dad or meeting up with a friend, to want to get out there on my own again.

I am finally ready after 3 months to start hiking again but I am starting slow and short. No time limit and short distances just to get my body and mind back in it. I need a reminder of why I do it. Why I get up at 5am on the weekend and why I put my body through pain.