2019: A cool dark morning before sunrise. Two of us at a rest stop. We had been walking all night – 33 kms . Legs singing in pain, sweat dribbing down our back. We had a decision to make.
❓Continue or stop ✋
My partner couldn’t continue, the blisters hurt too much. So we decided to stop. Next time, we said.
Next time was a long time coming thanks to the pandemic. When Raleigh Society announced the next edition of ‘Let’s Take a Walk’ Singapore, we eagerly signed up – this time we WOULD do the 50 km.
We started at 10pm – it was dark and cloudy. And as we started, so did the rain. The first 6-7 km was in ponchos.
No matter! We were together, and there were so many of us on the road, the kilometers went by fast. We would make it.
At 22kms, my partner started limping. The next 10 kms took us longer than the previous 22.
☹️ 2022: A cool dark morning. Two of us at a rest stop. We had been walking all night – 33 kms. Legs singing in pain, sweat dribbing down our back. We had a decision to make.
❓Continue or stop ✋
My partner decided to stop ✋?. I decided to continue.
In the next 17 kms, that decision was a decision I needed to make many times.
❓Continue ? or stop ✋?
I decided to continue. And I made it. It took me 13.5 hours.
The whole #experience really made me think of these kinds of #decisions. I’m sure you’ve had to make them – where there is a project you have put a lot of effort into already and the end doesn’t seem near. What makes you continue?
Here is what helped me continue:
Messages of support
My friends and kids sent me messages and prayers. I knew I was in their thoughts ?. #thankyouRoshini Ganesan, Elaine Victoria Yang, Natasha Dalmia
Clear criteria for stopping
Mine was if my body showed any signs of injury.
IMP: I also knew from experience to recognise injury – which is different from exhaustion.
??The #kindness of strangers
as I walked alone, people simply chatted and walked with me.
At the last 3km, when the sun was beating down on me, one of the participants of the 100km walk paused by me and encouraged me. If she was going after 97km, I could too!
And I cannot appreciate the many volunteers of Raleigh Society enough. #thankyou#thankyou#thankyou. I made it because of you.
