Manning up

We’ve heard a lot in recent weeks about the effects of lockdown on mental health and anxiety. As you probably know, I have had some issues before in this respect, and a pretty serious bout of the concoction of anxiety and depression about eight to ten years ago, as well as a couple of brief flare ups since.

People say: ‘Pull yourself together’ or ‘man up’. If only it was that simple. You try to put it out of your mind but it takes over your whole life. People talking with you helps but ultimately you have to both accept where you are, take that help and work hard. Moreover, when you feel the weakest and you need to fight the hardest battle of your life, your mind is growing the most because you are forced to learn fast. At the same time, you feel weak because of the mental effort you have to expend to get better. Being aware of this helps tremendously.

I’m not saying that I’ve solved the problem. I know a few people have worried about me recently because of what’s gone on in the past and I’ve been worried myself, getting anxious about getting anxious, if you like. But actually I’ve been ok, even better than ok. Perhaps it is because we’re all in this together; it’s not just me.

Indeed, maybe social distancing and self-isolation suits me easier than for many others. I have never been especially sociable, hate social gatherings and don’t mind my own company, or just to be with Pammy. I do not mind life being slower, I am comfortable taking time thinking by myself and have always had a pretty high boredom threshold. Perhaps that’s also why I took so quickly to long distance walking. It certainly helped immensely with mental health.

At least there was an almost faultless social distancing performance from the people of Sarisbury, Bursledon, Sholing, Bitterne and Thornhill today. A 10 mile walk in 175 minutes on a pleasant Sunday morning had its moments, mainly of sharp pains in my left thigh, seemingly hamstring related, in the last couple of miles walking up Sarisbury Hill. It is probably a result of sitting for long periods during the week and not many stretches. A busy calendar didn’t help at all but it’s my own fault. You have to take responsibility for your own health and fitness and if you don’t help yourself, you can’t blame anyone else. But I’m not going to beat myself up over it, and instead go again later in the week. I’ll have a good stretch or two before then.

No bleach required

President Trump’s advice has not gone unheeded. Some lovely sunlight this afternoon for my walk, now only the disinfectant and bleach to come. I’ll have my milk first and see how we go.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were as intense a set of three successive days as I’ve had for a long time and, while I’m not for one minute suggesting it’s anywhere as tough as being on the very front line of the NHS, I did deserve a Friday afternoon walk. I have started to use our gym after work and have already felt the benefit, both physically and mentally.

As a follow-up to Activ8, we now have ReActiv8 from 20 April until into June. Much less competitive and much more a social thing but it is taking time to achieve a firm footing with participants. I am more into keeping up the 20 minute minimum exercise each day, and so far have thrashed away on the cycle in half-hour chunks. But give me fresh air and a walk of a fair distance any time.

Once again, a mixed story in social distancing. The vast vast majority of pedestrians are really good and doing their very best. It is nice that young women who, in normal circumstances, wouldn’t grant me a second look, are now smiling more than a synchronised swimmer at an Olympic trial. The very small minority just make life a bit difficult by making no effort at all to play their part, especially annoying when it would seem to be easier for them than me.

One woman in particular was seemingly desperate to exercise her human right to walk exactly where she wanted, irrespective of anybody else. I would suggest that she was one of those people who would benefit from wearing a mask, at all times not just during these times, as she embarked on a demonstration of passive-aggression I haven’t seen since that teenage boy asked me for a fiver to look after my car while I was going to watch football.

A good 11.5 miles on a warm afternoon which peaked at over 20 degrees. Enough to raise the heart rate, break into a reasonable sweat and stretch a few muscles. A contribution of 199 minutes to my ReActiv8 account. No bleach required.

Monet problems need sorting

I chose the hottest part of a pretty warm day to walk today. There was method in my madness as, if I am going to restrict myself time wise, I might as well push myself reasonably hard. It was noticeable that there were few runners on the road. I assume that they had decided to wimp it out in the early morning in the cool. 11 miles for me (to and from Stubbington Ark, different routes) and though these are all really half-distance walks now, it was a bit tiring near the end as I did my best to maintain a reasonable pace.

I was also out of water by the end with me not particularly wanting to go into a shop. Yesterday I noticed a fish and chip shop open in Hedge End, serving customers from the front door. I was not tempted, especially when I saw the customer and server exchange cash in both note and coin form, and neither wearing any gloves. Likewise, nearer to home, two blokes entered one of my local shops without gloves and one letting out a throaty cough as he pushed open the door.

So still feeling apprehensive about going out but I can at least keep myself to myself when I am walking, and 99% of people are very considerate and social distancing sensibly. I get the impression many others are as nervous as I am, but if there is one thing I really miss, it’s having 30 minutes with a coffee and a newspaper mid-walk. We aren’t even buying newspapers at present, due to the possibly of infection. I am a shield and I am not bothered about being on the risk averse side. We are getting enough news from other sources, thank you very much, and actually want a break at times from all the grim stuff.

So away from the news in Spiceboy Towers, one 1,000 piece jigsaw all sorted into the right order, and now into a tricker 750 piece one, featuring a number of paintings by Claude Monet. This is our main joint activity at the moment, sorting out our Monet problems……

Milk, sandwich and Bargain Hunting

Despite being a shorter week this week, due to the four day Easter weekend prior, this has been a tough one. Remembering as always that I am in the fortunate position of still having a job and being fully paid, I have sensed from others as well as myself that the novelty of working from home every day is wearing off, as reality is really kicking in that we will be working remotely from home for some time to come. It ain’t easy for anyone at the moment, even those like us who are not going to be seriously financially hurt.

I mused with a work colleague that we were actually becoming anxious even to leave the house to go shopping, or for me even to go walking. Shopping, yeah, confined space, you don’t know who’s touched that, not everybody social distancing to perfection, it’s a get in get out as quickly as possible feeling, and then wash and disinfect all the shopping once home. Walking, nice to get out, fresher air, social distancing is easier, but it’s difficult to relax and get the most out of the exercise if you’re always looking out for the next problem (pedestrian) halfway down the road in front of you.

What I am really missing, like so many others, is that direct social interaction you get from going to work. In tandem with that is the conversation that leads to pointless exchanges or the true gold that is pedantry. Yeah, you can take all the “data are” and “you don’t pronounce the final s in the plural ‘croissants'”, “the sun is always shining even if it’s cloudy” and “it’s Tesco not Tesco’s”, “PIN number” or “MOT test” but….my favourite piece of pedantry was many years ago when in a football chat, one of my mates trotted out the well worn joke that a certain much-travelled manager (Tommy Docherty in case you’re wondering) had had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus. I pointed out that The Doc had only managed 13 clubs while golfers were allowed 14 clubs in their bag, and why would they have fewer? I love that second or two’s silence after good pedantry where everyone else is carefully thinking it through before venturing to doubt the pedant. None of that is quite the same via Skype.

Sorry, that was me with a touch of the Ronnie Corbetts and going off at a complete tangent before returning to the subject in hand, yes, my walk today. Sufficient mileage and kilometerage to tie up the loose ends of the Easter 50 Virtual Challenge. Not quite the real thing but a medal will be winging its way to my home address, firstly for the packaging to be left for a few hours, sprayed with disinfectant, and then opened to reveal what will be undoubtedly the least worthy medal in my collection. 

10.5 miles and probably the most enjoyable walk since government restrictions took hold. Apart from two separate instances of people walking towards me mid-pavement oblivious to anything other than their phone, even after I had moved a metre or two into the road, that is. At least I felt as if I was testing myself a bit with a couple of hills and some speedy-ish sections. These 10-ish distances do leave me only half-satisfied, with only a decent coffee between me and another 10 or 15. But I am being reasonable in the circumstances. A big mug of milk and a sandwich, watching Bargain Hunt, will have to do for today. Looking to go again tomorrow.

Fizz on an afternoon walk

As it dawns on us that no-one has a clue when this semi-lockdown is going to end, it is clear that cricket ain’t happening this year, not yet anyway and possibly not at all. My Southern Premier League league ladders will have to stay in the drawer for now. But I can reveal that cricket is going on in a parallel universe and, engaging the power and might of technology, I can follow it on Ceefax. Ah the joys of waiting for scores to update, and through a number of screens for the same page. As one who, before widespread commentary of every one of our games, endured 90 minutes on Ceefax watching Pompey grind out a 0-0 draw at Derby, I have been there. This is the one place where cricket moved quicker than footie. Ah, another run, oh, no, it’s a leg bye. This is gripping.

It must be hard for children to be stuck in the house. If it was me, I can’t even say I’d be playing loads of subbuteo cricket with my best friend because I wouldn’t be allowed in his house. I also did have the subbuteo football game but was traumatised when my Spurs lost to his Chelsea after an own goal by Steve Perryman when I didn’t even have my hand on Pat Jennings’ rod. I would be more than happy to play table football, monopoly, snooker (I had a very mini table about 2 feet long), and any number of card games by myself. If I’d been given school homework I’d have been doing that, as I was what was known as a ‘keano’. We had a small garden so there was scope for some limited playing outside, despite having neighbours on one side who complained as soon as we made a squeak of a noise.

Fortunately I am allowed out now and again to go walking. This afternoon, amid what now appears to be becoming over-zealous social distancing (though better over- than under-zealous, the latter more evident in Tesco this morning), I trotted out another 11 miles. To avoid other pedestrians, I think I crossed more roads than the proverbial chicken has in all-time joke telling. Staying south of Sarisbury throughout, the roads and paths fairly quiet, this was recently paced most of the time with a couple of speed walks thrown in. On one road, I was momentarily distracted by a girl bouncing up and down riding a horse. Reminded me very much of Fizz in Eldorado. This was a time when I really wanted my light-reactive sunglasses so she wouldn’t see where I was staring. Perhaps I’ve been stuck in the house too long.

Back to the 1,000 piece jigsaw for a few minutes now. I know that will soon turn into a couple of hours. On the accompanying flier, I note there is an 18,000 piece puzzle available, clearly for people with a much larger table than we have. Blimey, give me Ceefax any time.