Morning exercise used to be a part of my daily routine. Swim practice forced me to leave my house at five in the morning on school days. Coming to college, I established morning walks into my daily routine to keep myself active, take some much-needed time to myself, and attempt not to disturb my roommate, who had a very different sleep schedule. Once I arrived in Oxford, my walks became less frequent and shorter. I decided to challenge myself to go on long morning walks over our secret class days so that I started refreshed and energized. Usually, carving time out for myself in the mornings makes the rest of my day feel much more relaxing. Also, scheduling early morning walks required going to sleep early, which I hadn’t done as much since starting college (and something I missed).
The following sections include my diary entries written after my walks.
Day 1 - Wednesday, August 23
Today, I woke up a little later than usual (I had some trouble falling asleep last night), so I didn’t leave Mansfield until 6:50. I decided to take a walk to the Christ Church Meadows and walked around there for a little while before I returned. The loop totaled 4.11 miles and took 1 hour and 9 minutes to complete.
It wasn’t exactly easy to get out of bed and convince myself to go on a walk when I had no other real commitments that day, but I slowly got ready, put on my “walking playlist,” and hurried out the door.
Once I got into a rhythm, I stopped thinking about how tired I was or how good a coffee would be and started noticing my surroundings.
Things I noticed on my walk:
A man was wearing running shorts and a brightly colored shirt along with a Burberry bucket hat and a wool Burberry scarf. He looked dressed up for a few different occasions simultaneously, which was quite a sight.
I saw a sign for a Pilates studio, so I went online and found one nearby. After scrolling through their website for a few minutes, I booked a class pass and scheduled my first class for a few hours later the same day!
Willow trees!! I had one in my backyard as a kid, and I used to sit under the tree in the summer because it provided shade and a place to get some quiet. Willow trees are still my favorite type of tree, and every time I see one, I think back to my childhood in Pennsylvania. This one looked almost identical, so I had to take a photo.
After my walk, I had a quick bite to eat and then went on another short walk back to go to my Pilates class. While Pilates is not my secret class, it continued my morning exercise, so I wanted to write about it here. I tried some traditional mat pilates in a small class with seven people. While I have taken some Pilates classes before, I noticed some differences between the class I took today and classes back at home. First, the instructor used a lot of scientific anatomical terms rather than words colloquially used. She also did all of the exercises herself (I am used to taking classes where the instructor demonstrates and then goes around to correct our movements as we try them ourselves). Finally, I was surprised that the class was so small. The instructor knew almost everyone’s name. Maybe that’s partially because she’s quick with names. She had my name down only ten minutes into class!
I appreciated the movement I added to my morning and I’m excited to continue documenting my walks over the next two days!
Day 2 - Thursday, August 24
Today, I got up promptly at six and quickly realized my arms were very sore (I really felt the Pilates the next day). Usually, my walks don’t have much of a plan or a destination, but today, I wanted to go to Port Meadow. I put on some Ariana Grande, which put me in a good mood for walking, but I was not expecting all the Christmas music that would show up in the playlist.
I didn’t know the area I was walking in, so I had to check my maps frequently to figure out where I was. Unfortunately, I lost all cell service about 15 minutes into my walk. Usually, this wouldn’t concern me, but being alone and walking an unfamiliar route without service made me a little nervous. I continued to Port Meadow, but once there, I realized I still didn’t have service and didn’t want to risk walking around a remote area that I had never been to before. I took a quick picture to document my stop, pet a Golden Retriever, and retraced my steps back to a familiar place. I still had energy and decided to continue exploring Oxford’s city center until I felt hungry, tired, or my feet started to hurt.
This part of my walk was boring. I knew all the streets I was walking on, I had to make frequent stops to cross the road (is pedestrian right of way not a thing here??), and I often got stuck behind people who were leisurely exploring the city and taking photos. I passed by a bakery that smelled good, a building + a fountain that felt out of place in their respective locations, and a sign for Winchester Road, which I took a picture of because it is the name of the town I live in.
Ultimately, I totaled 4.58 miles, taking me an hour and 22 minutes to complete, and I made perfect timing to get breakfast. I needed coffee after, so I took my daily trip to Society (I took a trip yesterday too, but didn’t document it) and had an oat milk latte. While my walk wasn’t as fun, I am still glad I spent my morning walking because I did feel refreshed afterward.
Day 3 - Friday, August 25
I had a long day ahead of me, so I decided to sleep in and walk a little less today to save energy for a birthday celebration (Happy 19th Ale)! I decided to go back to a (mostly) familiar route because I wanted to avoid having a repeat of the day before. I walked back to Christ Church Meadow but decided to walk by the cows this time! This was a great idea, except my walk turned into a “cow viewing session.” I probably stopped for 20 minutes, taking pictures and videos of the cows I saw along my walk. Even though the route was short and familiar, stopping to spend time with the cows and appreciating walking in solitude left me feeling at peace and ready to do my class work.
Final Remarks:
I want to continue walking, but walking for around an hour every morning with no real destination will not be a sustainable practice for me. Walking to town, grabbing a coffee, and bringing my laptop to get work done might be a better idea. I would still get some walking in, and when I have plenty of time, I will go on long walks. On days when I have a lot of work, I will have to accept a short loop to get a coffee. I also enjoy my post-dinner walks with friends, which also tend to be quick. Combining the two shorter walks will allow me to turn my walking practice into something I can find time for each day. Blocking out an hour(sometimes more) each morning to walk can be daunting, but splitting it up into two blocks and shortening the time commitment should make it easier.
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