Not a good six months

 This year so far has been plagued by injury and illness. 

On New Year's Day I slipped at the bottom of the stairs. I only missed one step but ended up in a heap on the floor thinking I must have broken something. I hadn't, but my ankles were in agony and couldn't take my weight. So for a while I mainly sat around, watched the snow fall, and joined in an online embroidery course to keep me occupied.

Slowly I recovered, trying each week to walk further and for longer. By the end of February I was getting back to normal, apart from having lost a certain amount of stamina from having spent so much time resting.

Then I caught Covid.

More quietness. More resting. No walking. Getting increasingly unfit.

We went to Cambridgeshire for a very quiet break in a Canopy and Stars cabin by the river Nene. Sitting relaxing was good. Walking less so. 

Throughout May I tried to get fitter with short walks at local places with good footpaths - knowing the terrain I'd be facing was important; the bluebell walk at Calke while hardly uphill was exhausting. 

By the end of the month I could walk round Calke gardens to see the wisteria  and to Tissington to see well-dressings. Still only around 5000 steps at tops but getting better.

I felt fit enough for another short break - this time to North Wales to see the laburnum arch at Bodnant Gardens - but the week before, without quite realising it - I twisted something in a leg. I dismissed it as a twinge and carried on. Not a good idea.

From comparative inactivity I went to 10,000, 16,000, 9,500 steps over Saturday, Sunday and Monday. My leg ached but I was on holiday and wanted to be out and doing things. We came home and midweek I wanted to go out to Ashford in the Water well-dressings, then decided to round off the day with a walk by Cromford canal. Nearly 6,000 steps. A big mistake following on from the weekend. 

The next day I couldn't move. Or the day after. So it was back to taking things quietly. Gradually I improved. Then I twisted a muscle walking down stairs! How?! 

So, altogether, another three weeks with no walking. 

Honestly, so far, this year seems to have been one of bad luck. My plans for getting fitter, and hopefully thinner, have all had to be abandoned. I am back at to feeling almost recovered though, and this time intend taking the next stage more gradually.