2020km Challenge
I talked about this when I was on the Spotlight On The Artist (
When I first started this challenge on the 1st January 2020, I mainly just did it as I wanted to get fit and back in to running and hiking properly again. Plus it sounded pretty cool - 2,020km in 2020.
However, as time went on, I was hearing from family and friends about loved ones being affected by Alzheimer's, which is a debilitating disease that slowly erodes the brain, affecting memory, awareness, personality and ability to communicate. Simply put, it's horrible for both the patient and family.
More information is on the Alzheimer's Society website
Thus, the motivation for running and hiking 2,020km (combined) in 2020 for Alzheimer's Society was born, with the thoughts of my Nana firmly in my mind who suffered with vascular dementia, a form of Alzheimer's, in the early 2010s.
I have set up a Just Giving page here where you can donate or sponsor the challenge, which goes straight to the charity. Half the payout of this post on the Steem network will also be contributed at the end of the year in one big payout so thanks for your support if you follow me on there too!
Current Progress
Well, I knew this would be tough because when I was training for my marathons, I think I ran a total of about 300 miles / 480 km in training, which usually lasted about 5 - 6 months. So this year I have to run/hike basically double that and change to get through 1,255 miles / 2,020 km to put it in perspective - I've never run or hiked this far or consecutively before... but I'm up for it!
You need to run/hike 3.45 miles or 5.52 km EVERY day to get to 2,020km. What's "hiking"? I define it as "cross-country" or "cross-terrain" walking. Just going for a walk around the block isn't a hike, it's a walk (which is still good for you and you should definitely do it)! So now we know our start point, let's see how these first two months have gone using awesome graphs and data 🤓
January
Things started off well as I was getting in to the groove, acclimatising to running in the darkness both first thing in the morning and after work as I alternated the two schedules... that was tough in itself! However, my main concerns about illness stopping play came to fruition in the first couple of weeks in January!
One of those cold viruses popped up like it usually does this time of year and wiped me out for a long time (9-10 days). I did try to fight it with a hike but that was a terrible idea! You can see how it impacted my progress in the charts below.
The red line is where I would be if I could keep up with that average of 3.45 miles / 5.52 km per day but the blue line is where I actually am.
The graph above shows that my average daily km count started brightly and I was over the required amount for the first 2 weeks (mostly) and then from mid Jan onward, my average plummeted as the illness struck before starting to recover again towards the end of January. I'd never be above the red line again in these first 2 months 😟
The gap between the distance I ran and hiked compared to the distance I should have already covered was already at 33 km (about 3/4 of a marathon). February was going to have to be a recovery mission!
February
At the beginning of February, I managed to continue my hot streak beginning at the end of January which lasted 12 consecutive days of exercise before the next hurdle of a calf related strain injury occurred. It was painful, let's put it that way! I had to have a rest day and then switched up to a couple of long hikes before the UK would be battered by a series of storms every weekend, including this one I'm writing in now!
There's no way I'm running or hiking in 60mph gusts and severe rainfall so all I could do was pick moments of "bearable" running conditions. Thankfully I managed to keep going with another 7 day streak which really helped bring my average back towards the 5 km per day mark where I'm currently hovering at the end of February.
My total distance covered so far is 298 km but I should be at 331 km so still 33km away, at least that's consistent haha!
Overall
Looking at the overall stats, I'd say I'm feeling OK with the progress so far 😃 The 2,020 km target is "still within reach" and my aim was to try and give myself a fighting chance after Winter so that I can make the most of some long hikes in the Summer months. You know, make the most of the longer days and can do longer hikes after work whilst hopefully staying injury free of course! Here's a look at some more stats for you!
The table below is a quick overview of accumulative distance covered as the months go by vs the distance I should have covered, along with the % complete.
| Month | Distance | Should Be At | Complete | Should Be At |
| January | 138.78 km | 171.09 km | 6.87% | 8.47% |
| February | 298.99 km | 331.14 km | 14.8% | 16.39% |
Here's a graphical representation of what's in the table above, showing the total distance I've covered (blue) compared to where I should be if I was able to run/hike the average amount of 5.52 km per day. Under the red line isn't ideal as I should be above the red line or at least on it but along with doing this for the charity, it's motivation for the cause!
The chart below shows the daily average distance I've covered (in blue) compared to what the daily average distance required is to get to 2,020km by the end of the year. Being under the red line is not good but I'm getting closer!
So there you have it - my progress report for the 2,020 km in 2020 for Alzheimer's Society update.
I'll be back on the 1st of April with an update and let's hope I can start getting above that red line!
Catch you soon and take it easy (or at least, easier than me haha)
Nicky
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Original article: https://nickyhavey.co.uk/2020/03/running-hiking-2020km-in-2020-for-alzheimers-society-february-report/