Head east from my house as the crow flies and the River Spey is one mile away. Walking, it is a few hundred yards more as you cross through Grantown on Spey’s High Street, pass the RAF’s Robson Resilience Centre I first visited in 2001 (although back then it was called the Outdoor Activity Centre), and head down the Old Military Road, established in the 1700s, which connects Coupar Angus, more than 80 miles south of Grantown and Fort George, a miliary fort 30 miles north of Grantown on the Moray Coast.

[Tim’s Notes: These distances are rough measures as I have not walked the route, and I used Google Maps - so please don’t sue me when you decide to walk it and it is, in fact, only 108 miles!]

A wooded area hugs the bank of Spey between the Old Bridge, built in 1754, and the New Bridge, constructed in 1931, and it is here that I came across one of the most thought-provoking metaphors I know that has emerged from the interaction between humans and nature. Within this wood, a small track follows the river’s path on the east side of the Spey, working its way between the trees.

As with all areas like this, trees fall, and sometimes they block a path.

This is the story of two such trees.

The fallen trees

Some time before we moved to Grantown back in 2018, the path became blocked by a falling tree. It was large enough that the trunk, now fallen, stood about a metre above the ground. Still resting on its now vertical roots, there was a decent gap under the tree where the path remained. However, the upended roots of the tree didn’t push up against the bank so there was a gap to the left. Now, people traveling this path had a choice. Their original route was blocked, yet they could still clamber over the trunk, scramble under the trunk or walk left around the upended roots. Another option was to turn back. Looking at the now present path, it appears that taking the small detour around the upended roots was the most popular option. And this remained ‘the way,’ until about 2021 when another tree selfishly fell across this new path!

[Tim’s Notes: I am not sure the tree really was acting selfishly, but hey, I am sticking to that as it helps the story!]

The new path had been forged between the upended roots of the first tree and a steep bank up to a metalled road. This second tree had fallen from further up the bank and landed on top of the first fallen tree. Now, the newer path was blocked with a fallen tree. Walking around these newly upended roots was possible, but more challenging because it would mean scrambling up the muddy bank. To continue you could clamber over the two trees, duck under the trunks, or turn back. I have no idea how many people now turned back, but the choice for our family and friends was always to clamber over (normally the adults) or scramble under (normally the kiddies). The dogs did whatever took their fancy, which quite regularly included jumping in the river!

This ‘new normal’ continued for a number of years until something unexpected happened.

The unexpected ignites the mind

In 2023, I walked the route, expecting to climb over the trunks – and someone had cut away a metre-long block of the trunk and thrown it off the path – so allowing people to walk along the updated route again.

Until this happened, I will stick my hands up and tell you that I walked this route blissfully ignorant to what this path could offer me in terms of learning.

[Tim’s Notes: Yes, I know, another acknowledgement that I am actually human and not all-seeing, all-knowing… Maybe this is a good time to revert to Chuck D’s seminal advice - “Don’t believe the hype!”]

Yet now my mind was alive with thoughts!

[Tim’s Notes: This isn’t necessarily unusual, but what was unusual was that the thoughts were useful and wouldn’t get me banned from X (previously Twitter!)]

• I stood back and looked for the original path. This, whilst much fainter than the current path, was still discernible.

• I noticed how well defined the new track was around the upended roots of the first fallen tree.

• I reflected on how many times I had, unquestioningly, climbed over the 2 fallen trees to continue on my way.

• And, I marvelled at the fact that someone had thought of and made the decision to bring what was probably a chainsaw here and cut away the second fallen truck – so allowing unfettered access, once again, along the path.

Now consider the possible actions that you could take in these circumstances when presented with a new, unexpected barrier. What would you have done?

Normally I will be someone who enjoys the challenge of climbing an unforeseen barrier or forging a new path. If I have a proverbial chainsaw I will seek to remove a barrier, particularly if it is helpful for others – and, whilst I might enjoy real life climbing over tree trunks, in business or most of my life I am self-confessed lazy sod, so am more than happy to take a chainsaw to something. And, because life isn’t as simple as what you see on social media from so-called Influencers who state, ‘I ALWAYS DO THIS!’ sometimes I do turn back.

In the end, it will depend on the situation, yet by considering these issues I am better equipped at understanding why I might act in the way that I do.

What about you?

• Would you turn back when the tree had fallen because the path was blocked and you didn’t feel comfortable or confident to forge a new one?

• Would you have clambered over the fallen trunk because this would allow you to stay on your original path?

• Would you forge a new path, looking for the path of least resistance, whilst enabling you to get to your original destination?

• Would you get your chainsaw and cut through the trunk?

It is unlikely you will be presented with such a specific barrier in your personal or professional life, yet this metaphor provides you the opportunity to consider how you respond to barriers as you journey through life.

As you get outside, be open to identifying and considering questions such as:

• Do I recognise the barrier for what it was?

• How have I reacted to barriers in my life so far?

• Do I turn back, struggle over, forge a new path or cut through with a chainsaw?

• What behaviour is valued in your team, organisation, family and culture?

What I still don’t know is why the person with the chainsaw cut through the second fallen trunk but hadn’t done so for the first trunk.

My guess is that they moved to Grantown after the first tree had fallen and the new path had been forged. Or, maybe they had only recently bought a chainsaw or got it for Christmas.

[Tim’s Notes: What a gift that would be to unwrap – preferably not plugged into the mains, obvs!]

Duration Walked: 17 hours 15 minutes 19 seconds

Week 3 Day 1 and it is my first test for fitting in the walking around family holidays.

For as many years as we have been in living in Grantown on Spey, we migrate – along with what seems like most of Grantown – to Big Sands Camping and Caravan Park, near Gairloch on the northwest coast of Scotland. Travelling across after school, we arrive and the kids quickly depart to find their friends and begin their weekend-long ritual of travelling in packs, descending on unsuspecting family members, devouring snacks and drinks, before upping sticks and moving, like a smarm of locus, to the next tent, caravan or Wigwam.

Ambling around the site with Ingrid, visiting friends and campsite neighbours, and heading to the beach for sunset, it is the shortest and slowest walk of the Challenge so far. For the 53 minutes and 34 seconds of a walk, I manage 1.5 miles. I know I will have to catch up later in the week, but it is worth it to drink in the views of the sunset over the beach and headland with Ingrid.

A good life is the main focus, with the walking fitting in and around it.

Travel: The value of returning to a known place

Travel for our family is generally about visiting and experiencing new places, yet with Gairloch it has become about returning to familiar and well-loved places. And Day 2 exemplifies this as my first walk of the day is a 3.4-mile walk with family and friends out and back along a south-westerly track to some lochs from the Falconry Centre at Shieldaig. Arriving at the second loch before turning back, we found the tracks of what were probably 5 red deer in the sand alongside the loch. At the back of the beach area, the loch has the banks of a peat bog, and there are tree trunks emerging from it. They seem otherworldly, and I wonder how old they are.

The second walk of the day is a walk back from another regular stop-off point, the Badachro Inn. Sat on the side of an inlet and sheltered cove, we sit, sup beer, eat crisps, and watch seals bobbing about in the water and waders doing their thing in the kelp-strewn rocks at low tide. Strangely, the waders don’t hang around for too long as the kids maraud across the shoreline looking for whatever they can find! Another what will become very familiar reflection is that after walking back from the pub to the campsite, I note that 10 miles on road seems much harder on my legs than 19 miles on the trails. I am certain I can rule out the effects of beers and know it is walking on roads that give me jip!

Day 3 highlights a useful point for you to note

My Challenge 52 walking diary captures my walking as starting at 3.57pm and covering 2.1 miles of walking around the campsite, yet during this day I have already done much walking and moving about as I swim and play on the beach.

If I had wanted to capture all walking that I did during the year, I would probably have based it off my Garmin for how many steps I took. However, an important aspect of my walking is that it is a deliberate practise of going for a walk to help with my psychological wellbeing. So, it is not just the steps I do between my desk and the kettle, or when I am focused on other things like catching a frisbee thrown by my kids.

This means I actually have no idea how far I walked in the year following my 52^nd birthday, but I do know how far I walked as part of this challenge.

We drove home from Gairloch on Day 4 and after helping Ingrid unpack the car (Ooh, I am a good husband, aren’t I?), I head out for a long walk at 2.08pm, planning to do the 19-mile Lochindorb loop and be back before 8.30pm. Once out, I decide to walk quicker than normal and don’t take any snack breaks, so average 17 minutes and 35 seconds per mile. I get home before 8pm and it was worth it, but the downside is that I am now knackered!

I feel very sleep tired on Day 5 and get a short, 1.7-mile walk in on the bank of the River Ness as Seb is at Eden Court. My right knee is niggling on the outside after yesterday’s shenanigans, but I am seeing Natalia, my physio tomorrow so it should be OK.

‘Not sure how this is going to go…’

My session with Natalia is in the morning before work and I start walking just before 5pm after work. The knee is playing up more, particularly behind the kneecap and it is painful to walk uphill or up any stairs on the forefoot. It is OK walking flatfooted, so that is what I do. Simples.

My diary entry for this day ends with, ‘Not sure how this is going to go…’

Day 7 sees me continue with my strength and core work and I finish the walking with an easy 3.1-mile walk that starts at our house, follows a small stream through a housing estate, before I head off out of town and walk back along the River Spey before turning left into Anagach Woods just after the New Bridge. The weather was warm, with a little breeze and it was an easy walk. The knee felt better but I noted that it was a flat route.

End of Week Reflections

Time is a tricky fish to deal with and think about, and much of how we view the world is based on a chronological approach. I broke the Challenge down into separate weeks that made up a year. I existed before, during and after this year-long Challenge. I think about when I was ‘at school,’ when I was ‘in the RAF,’ or after I had turned 50.

In Grantown we have ‘the Old Bridge’ and the ‘New Bridge.’ The New Bridge was built in 1931, and I will let you research when the Old Bridge was built. Some of you may have an Old You and a New You idea of yourself.

Consider how you create a version of yourself through how you view time and consider how this helps or hinders your development.

Every fact, every achievement, every ‘thing’ that is linked to us as individuals can be part of our biography and be used to emphasise or play down aspects of how we want to present ourselves. Nowadays, particularly on social media, our biography is called our ‘Personal Brand.’

[Tim’s Notes: Whilst many make shitloads of cash from this, and the world’s supply of Influencers tells you that you need to have a personal brand, I find it all a bit egocentric and a bit too wanky.]

Yet, for the majority of us, I know that we do construct our biographies unconsciously so it’s time to get outside and spend time being conscious about how you use your multiple biographies and take ownership of who you are. And remember that even when we take ownership of your biographies, we may stretch the truth – even if technically we stick to the facts.

As I mentioned in my introduction, the military is brilliant for providing examples of where people go to the extremes in this. Some ex-military, when you ask them what they did they will shrug their shoulders, raise their eyebrows and say, “Not a lot really. Normal stuff, I suppose.” Speak to others and even before you finish speaking, they are looking over their shoulder to see who is around, lowering their voice as they lean in to you and say, “All a bit Top Secret. Know what I mean! Lots of places that I can’t say. Just think Andy McNab and Tom Marcus.” The first group are quite common, and don’t necessarily want or need to advertise their military background. The second group of people can be defined as ‘Throbbers!’ for which you can guess the meaning. Other people call them ‘Walts’ (after Walter Mitty).

Let’s look at a couple of examples from my own background where I present things I have done in contrasting ways to consider how this works in practice.

Ultramarathon God!

‘In 2013 I completed and won what has been described as the hardest running race in the world, the Cyprus Ultra. Held on the gruelling trails of Cyprus in July with temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius and high humidity, I beat allcomers and set a record time that has never been beaten (as of writing in 2026).’

These are all facts.

Every sentence is factual, although, I would argue against the ‘one of hardest races in the world’ bit, even though that has been said by the organiser. If I used this statement to describe myself in a serious way, I would immediately have to classify myself as a Throbber! And let’s consider why.

To remove myself from the Throbber category, we need to consider other things in relation to these facts around why I won the race and why I still hold the record.

I have been a good runner in the past, there are shitloads of runners who have been and are better than me, yet they have not run the Cyprus Ultra. Second, since 2013 the 50-mile race has only been run on one more occasion and only 5 people started. Based on these considerations, and to keep me out of the Throbber category, I am happy to have the following as part of my biography:

‘In 2013, I won a 50-mile ultramarathon in Cyprus and set the course record of 10 hours 39 minutes.’

Academic Success!

Compare the following two statements:

‘I got 2 Cs and 1 E in my A Levels. At university I mostly ran for my degree and got a 2:2.’

versus…

‘Focusing on the challenging subject combination of Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics for A-Levels, I was awarded the School Prize for Academic Excellence in Science and became the first person in my family to attend university where I combined my academic and sporting talents to graduate with an Honours Degree from the Chelsea School of Human Movement, University of Brighton.’

Questions you should consider include:

• Which one would you more likely see on a LinkedIn profile?

• Which one would any Influencer choose?

[Tim’s Notes: Influencer, aka Throbber.]

• Which would you be more comfortable using in public?

• Which one would you use on your own CV?

As I said, both statements are facts. Yet they seek to convey very different perspectives, and throughout my 52-week challenge, these are the type of questions and reflections I took out walking with me.

I fully engage with this on my own website, when I present 2 very different versions of my biography, and I am sharing them shortly. Both are factual, both represent ways in which I can create my biography.

Take yourself through both of these and think about which sits best with you.

Which approach do you take with your identity?

And why?

Tim Artus - Biography 1

I grew up in Bristol. My Dad was a Lagger and worked away a lot, as I remember. My mum started work as a cleaner and progressed through promotions and changes of employer to lead a section in the local council working on social care benefits for the elderly. My mum loved her job, whilst my dad hated his job and wanted to be a hairdresser when he was younger. I have an older brother who got a partial financial scholarship at a public school. I wasn’t as clever and went to the local comprehensive. My brother had enough of school by 16 and left to work, whilst I stayed on and I was the first in our family to go to university. Some say I ran for my degree because I studied Sport Science! I didn’t enjoy studying when younger and got a 2:2. I left and went back to Bristol for a year before joining the RAF.

I spent 6 years in the ranks before commissioning and ended up with a 17-year career as a Regular. I was initially commissioned as a Fighter Controller but failed the training and went on to become an Intelligence Officer. I spent time on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan but stayed within the wire, and when I was in Afghanistan (Kandahar Airfield), my wife was closer to the action, operating out of Camp Bastion in Helmand Province! The last 3 years were the best of my commissioned career, where I worked at RAF College Cranwell, starting as a Leadership Instructor, and going on to lead various programmes and teams. I was lucky enough to be sponsored through post-grad study in Leadership yet wanted to know more about psychology. I left the RAF and studied for an MSc Psychology whilst taking on the role of Daddy Daycare for 1, then 2, kiddies, whilst my wife went back to ‘paid work’ in the RAF.

After 3.5 years, we did a job swap and I returned to paid work with my wife becoming the stay-at-home parent. I returned to uniform, as a Fulltime Reservist, again working in leadership and management, but this time with the RAF Air Cadets. I then took a role in Higher Education as a Senior Lecturer on Degree Apprenticeship programmes. My final role before setting up Coaching & Development: Simplified was with Police Scotland as a Leadership & Talent Manager.

My passion and purpose are coaching and helping to develop individuals and teams, and I am lucky to be able to live in such a wonderful area, where I can combine my love of being outdoors with my passion of coaching and development.

Along the way, if you value to know such things, I have bagged some credentials and qualifications, and have postgraduate qualifications in leadership, psychology and coaching; I am a Chartered Manager, Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society, and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I have loved running since I was young and have run quite a few marathons and ultramarathons. I am fortunate to still enjoy and be able to run marathons – even if the legs don’t let me go as fast as I used to. Previously, I won the British Polytechnics 3000m steeplechase – making me, technically, a British Champion (not that I would class myself as such), and won the RAF Marathon champs in probably the slowest time in the history of its winners! I previously attempted the world record for fastest marathon carrying a 40lb backpack, and whilst I beat the old record, I was beaten on the day by someone else – so never held the record!

I live in Grantown-on-Spey with my wife, Ingrid, and 2 kids: Anna-Lena and Sebastian.

I have always sought to understand how my experiences have helped me get to where I am today and I am always happy and willing to share my learning and reflections if it can help others with their journey.

Tim Artus - Biography 2

I grew up on an inner-city council estate in Bristol and went to the local comprehensive. We never had much as a family, but never went without. I joined the RAF in the ranks and after 3 years as an RAF Policeman I volunteered for and successfully passed the arduous selection for special employment in Northern Ireland. Two years of working undercover followed, operating across the Province. These were challenging times, yet I excelled in this unconventional environment. We worked hard and played hard, and at the end of my tour I applied for and was commissioned, becoming an RAF Intelligence Officer. I continued to be operationally focused, heading off to Basra, Iraq, and Kandahar, Afghanistan. Rocket and mortar attacks were a constant danger with many being injured, and suffering PTSD.

After an operationally-focused career, my talents for leadership were recognised and I was selected to be a member of staff at RAF College Cranwell, responsible for training the RAF’s future leaders. I progressed quickly and later led the Leadership Department, responsible for all leadership programmes across the unit.

After going deep into leadership study, I wanted to know more and left to study psychology – something that has maintained my interest ever since. Later, I returned to uniform as Head of Leadership Development for Adult Volunteers with the RAF Air Cadets before a calling to academia led me to a Senior Lecturer role, developing and delivering Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship and Senior Leader MBA Apprenticeship programmes. Being able to connect theory with day-to-day leadership and management practice was right up my street and my students benefitted from the no nonsense approach that I had honed since my days undercover in Northern Ireland and through my operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have grafted to gain recognition across a broad range of organisations and societies, with many recognising my capabilities. I gained a distinction in my MSc Psychology, and achieved postgraduate qualifications in leadership and executive coaching. I am a Chartered Manager, Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society, and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

As well as excelling in leadership and management, I have excelled in sport, having been a British Champion at the 3000m steeplechase and RAF Marathon champion. I have won the Cyprus Ultra, a gruelling 50-mile trail race held in the scorching heat of July, even after collapsing on multiple occasions with cramp, screaming in pain – before getting up, dusting myself off and cracking on with it. My course record still stands today.

I finished the Belfast Marathon in 1999, having torn my Achilles tendon at 14 miles, hobbling my way to the finish line in just over 3 hours. I attempted the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon carrying a 40lb backpack, having lost the previous 8 weeks of training to an Achilles injury.

Pain and injury are part of the challenges of life, and I use all these experiences to support my coaching and development programmes.

Duration Walked: 17 hours 21 minutes 59 seconds

When I stand on my left foot, my verruca makes it feels like I am standing on Lego every step, and whilst I have just finished the treatment, I am really not sure it will be fixed any time soon. However, on a positive note, it is only every other step as my right foot is OK and it does stop me thinking about the plantar fasciitis that I have been managing for a while!

However, what arrives on Day 2 in the post reminds me there are more important things to worry about than a verruca. Because I am now over 50, every 2 years I get a wonderful opportunity to send my poo off to NHS Scotland to be tested for bowel cancer. This is purely optional, and no-one is obliged to return a sample of their dump to be tested, and many won’t because they feel it is awkward and a bit shameful. All I can ask is to consider whether it is more of a shame to send a sample to the doctor or tell your loved ones you have cancer too late for it to be treated.

I chose the first and share this picture on LinkedIn to highlight why preventative screening should be a must for all!

Go early! Go big!

I start the week in a way that becomes, from a psychological perspective, the familiar and safe approach for me: I walk big miles in the first 3 days (Friday – Sunday), easing the pressure to chase miles in the latter days (Monday – Thursday). The first walk of the week is an adaptation of the 12.1-mile walk I did on Week 1 Day 1, where instead of turning right towards the ruined croft, I turn left at the most northerly part of my route and do a loop back. This becomes the Dreggie-Gorton loop, one of 5 staple walks that I will do throughout the year and is a half marathon (13.1 miles) distance.

Now that I am underway, I choose to get going on social media and, with positive intentions, I DM 4 sports stars and 1 TV presenter, all of whom have a public persona of being interested in mental wellbeing. One replies and promises to meet me in later weeks to walk in Bristol!

Awesome news!

An anniversary and a poignant reminder

Social media also brings me a reminder on Day 3 of a big reason why I am doing this year-long challenge, when an ex-colleague, Jase, reminds friends that another ex-colleague, Scottie, committed suicide 8 years ago today. As well as raising awareness of the benefits of walking and being outside, I am raising money for the Samaritans, and I reflect on the fact that not everyone will be able to manage their psychological wellbeing by themselves, and some may need external support. And here, the Samaritans are, for many, the last line of defence against suicide.

A strange reflection arises in me on Day 4, during a 5.4-mile walk along the River Spey and the local woods, where I note how comfortable I am feeling walking alone so much – and the more I walk alone, the more I want to walk alone and retreat from the world.

‘Too much of a good thing?’ I ask myself in my diary.

Day 4 also brings the first Swallows and House Martins (not Amazons…) of the season to Grantown, and they will be walking buddies for most of the next 5 months.

Moving to the afternoon and evening slot

Until Week 2 Day 6, the latest I had started a walk was at midday, and today I embarked on my first evening walk. Once again, I fitted the walk in around family life and got out later than planned because Anna-Lena needed to go to Aviemore during the day for a Covid jab. Sadly, she couldn’t get one as the team had booked her on to an adult clinic, so the plans changed. At 6.25pm, I headed out into the warm, still air. There were a few patches of light drizzle, but mostly it was a wonderful walk where very few people were about, and I had the woods and river to myself.

Bliss!

Having completed 51 miles already after 6 days, I needed to up the ante on stretching my left hamstring and getting stuck into the arch of my left foot with a lacrosse ball to ease out the plantar fasciitis. Many of you, I am sure, might use a tennis ball to ease out aches and pains in the arches of your feet, yet a lacrosse ball provides a much greater range of pain that you can offer yourself! Where a tennis ball, worked hard under your foot, will collapse and split, however hard you try with a lacrosse ball, you will never damage it!

And, after going at it with the lacrosse ball, I considered whether standing on Lego was actually such a bad thing…

End of Week Reflections

I knew Day 7 would be very easy, and it gave me to the opportunity to remember – and practice – what this Challenge was all about: making the walking part of my everyday life and commitments. And so, I took the opportunity to get a short, 2.6-mile walk in before spending most of the In-Service Day with Anna-Lena, Seb and their friend, Eilidh. The weather was great and was both sunny and warm. (At least in terms of Scottish weather, anyway!)

Week 2 complete, and as for tomorrow I feel I should (not for the last time) rely on the words of David Stirling, Commanding Officer of 22 SAS, as portrayed in SAS: Rogue Heroes…

“We go again!”

This might mean you pull out a paper Ordnance Survey map or road map and look at the destination. Maybe you would go straight to Google Maps (other software options are available, obvs…). Maybe you would get in your car and input your destination into the SatNav.

But what if you don’t know where you are starting from?

Imagine SatNav didn’t tell you where you were to start? How do you start navigating if you don’t know where you are?

This is a major problem with many self-development programmes and courses that provide ways to develop towards a goal, yet don’t provide the tools to determine where you are at the present time.

Walking for 17.5 hours a week give you a lot of time to think

When I walked for 17.5 hours per week, particularly when I did almost all of it by myself, without listening to any music, podcasts or other content, I had a lot of time to think.

A lot of time to think about who I am.

A lot of time with nowhere to hide from my thoughts and myself.

[Tim’s Notes: If you are panicking just by thinking about doing this, spending so long alone without tech and other external influences, 100% I understand this concept may scare the shit out of you. If it does, don’t necessarily jump straight into it. Make a plan to go little and often, wean yourself off tech and ‘doing,’ and start to dip your toe into the waters of ‘being.’ Spend time being with yourself, outside.]

‘Why can’t you keep a boss?’

Over a year before I started this challenge, I decided to leave my employment and start my own business. If you are or have been unhappy at work because of your manager, this causes significant stress and impacts your psychological wellbeing. And this is exactly what had happened to me on numerous occasions leading up to my decision to start my own business.

When I told Ingrid, my wife, I was going to quit my job (again), one question stood out. “Why can’t you keep a boss?” she asked. When she asked me, I had no idea and the question didn’t make sense, so I took the question for a walk. I walked and I thought deeply about why I had left 4 well-paying, secure jobs in the last 5 years. And Ingrid was right – I couldn’t keep a boss.

A common factor was my ‘boss,’ but more importantly, and something I couldn’t hide from was that the biggest factor in all these jobs was me! As I walked, I asked myself what was it that meant I couldn’t keep a boss?

Everyone who knows me, and has worked with me, understands that I have limitations.

[Tim’s Notes: Apologies to all readers who, up until this point, thought I was 100% AWESOME, superhuman, and invincible. Please email me for a refund on this free publication, to state the level of compensation for the hurt and psychological pain you have suffered, and I will gladly take the time to respond to you and tell you to bugger off!]

I know I am far from without guilt when it comes to engaging effectively with bosses. Yet, the more I walked and the more I pondered, one thought solidified in my mind. As a leader and manager, I set a high bar for how I treat others, particularly those who have less power than me – be that within my team or outside it. I expect someone who is my boss to be as good as me and hopefully better than me. Therefore, when a boss – in my eyes – fails to meet this standard, I have been unable to work for them and have moved on. After the walks I explained to Ingrid that I saw two choices: get another job and very likely go through the same stress in the future, or set up my own business, where I have only one person to blame if I don’t like the boss! ME!

[Tim’s Notes: There would be some proper post-grad levels of self-loathing going on if I hated myself as both boss and subordinate, and I am glad that I am level-headed enough not to have to go there…]

As I was setting up my own business, I continued to walk and continued to consider who I was, and what my purpose was. I continually asked myself, “Who am I?” If you are fan of the Kung Fun Panda film series, you will know that Master Oogway sat in a cave for 30 years asking himself one question: “Who am I?” If you are not a fan of the series, I highly recommend you watch the first 3 films. Probably the cheapest and best 6-hour leadership and self-development programme you will ever undertake! And this would be significantly easier and more acceptable to your loved ones than packing in your job and sitting inside a cave for 30 years pondering who you are. However, I do propose you spend more time outside asking yourself that question because before you do this, and get a decent answer, then the rest of the self-development work you want to do will be wasted effort.

Every graveyard is full of indispensable people

Many years ago, I was told something that has stayed with me ever since, has helped shape where I focus my time and energy, and helped me prioritise my family and my health. The statement is:

Every graveyard is full of indispensable people.

People that thought of themselves as indispensable still died. People who didn’t take all their leave allocation or continually went to work when they were ill still died. People that sacrificed time with their family or time to do exercise, to work still died. They died – just like everyone else. So:

• Who are you when you strip away your job title?

• Who are you when you have stopped being a winning sportsperson?

• Who are you when the kids grow up and leave home?

You cannot answer these questions if you are always keeping busy. Maybe this is why you are keeping busy? So that you don’t have to ask these existential questions of yourself.

Our identities are always in transition

When I was about 14 years old, I ran with a group of athletes as part of Westbury Harriers in Bristol. We were coached by George Blackburn, an Irish international runner. At that time everyone else in that group was much older than me, and one of the runners was a man called Rod Cornish. Rod was a very good marathon runner, with a PB of around 2:20 as I remember – and he was as rough as a Badger’s Ass! He looked rough, sounded rough and was hard as nails when it came to racing and training. Rod hardly ever got injured until one day when he was in his 40s, he got an injury that stopped him training for months. I didn’t’ see Rod for over 6 months after that, yet when I did, Rod was dressed as a woman, was very softly spoken and had changed her name. She was happy.

It came out that Rod had used his hard training and racing to keep his thoughts and feelings suppressed. Only when he could not run and spent time being with himself, did she realise who she was. Sadly, many people choose not to find out or not accept who they are and end their lives. And this is why I do not recommend going ‘Full Oogway’ and spending loads of time alone if this is not what you are used to. Ease yourself into these periods of thinking and being alone outside. Maybe take someone else out with you to start and agree quiet time when you are not talking, yet know you have the person there in case.

Know yourself, lead yourself, serve others

Walking, thinking and reflecting gave me an answer to who I am in terms of what I wanted to do in business – and that was to coach outdoors and help leaders and teams. Walking thinking and reflecting helped me understand my own principles for leadership, which are:

• Know yourself

• Lead yourself

• Serve others

I have benefitted greatly from walking outside. It has helped me understand who I am and helped me strengthen my psychological wellbeing. I enjoy and thrive on being alone in my own head.

However, I understand this is not for everyone, and for many it may be too much.

If this is the case, please speak to someone else – a friend, a colleague – take them for a walk outside.

If that isn’t possible then contact the Samaritans, another charity or a professional therapist. Please.

Duration Walked: 18 hours 38 minutes and 52 seconds

It is 3.30am on 19^th April 2024, my 52^nd birthday. It is raining and it is dark. I get up alone, intentionally without fanfare or announcements, and I leave the house and walk to a lamppost that is working. I record the start of my year-long journey because it is too dark to do so outside my house. I laugh to myself because it is raining and wonder if there could be anything more Scottish than embarking on a journey in the cold, dark and rain of the Highlands. As I write this, much later, I am still wondering this and chuckling to myself. I turn left out of our street and head up on to the trails that stretch north from Grantown – trails that remain, unlike the famed Cairngorms, far from most people’s minds and legs.

This is the way I like it!

As I mention in the video, I am doing this challenge to raised money for the Samaritans. What I forget to mention is that I am doing it to help promote being outdoors and moving for our physical and psychological wellbeing.

It is the small distances that feel important

I start the week with 12.1 miles on the trails for Day 1, completed in 3 hours 56 minutes and 49 seconds. It’s a very familiar route and one I have undertaken many times, so I know my way in the dark and refrain from using a headtorch or other light. Out and back to a ruined croft that lies just under 6 miles north from our house, and as I return, I take a short detour around the houses to make my first walk just over 12 miles rather than just under.

On Day 1 of 365, getting those extra tenths of a mile feel important.

It’s light when I finish, and the sun has broken through the clouds. Some might say this is auspicious, yet my body is still recovering from illness, and my left hip is tweaking a bit: something I will need to manage and strengthen if I am to walk for the next year as pain free as possible.

I get home in time for birthday cake with the kids and Ingrid.

Injuries and niggles

I know full well that I have embarked on this year-long journey with some minor injuries and issues, and I do wonder how they will manifest themselves in the coming days, weeks and months. I am recovering from what seems to be a low-level viral issue that has caused a swollen gland in my neck and a sore throat. I have a long-standing issue with plantar fasciitis in my left foot, a verruca that is being treated on the ball of the same foot, and a general weakness in my left hip that tweaks and leads to soreness in my ITB.

Yes, it appears that I have a weak left side!

A new possibility emerges

Day 2 sees a new possibility arise in my mind, strangely one that I didn’t consider before stating this challenge. Just yesterday, my challenge had been to walk 52 miles per week for the 52 weeks of the year that I am 52 years old. Whether I did that in one walk or 52 separate walks mattered not – it would be the miles that counted. Yet, having walked just 3.6 miles of Day 2, I start to wonder whether I should get out and walk every day as well as achieve the miles? Flexibility and the ability to adapt will be important for the challenge to succeed and I recognise it is never too early to adapt to new ways.

I do my first stretching session for a while and feel it!

Day 3 is the first of my big walks – the Lochindorb loop. Heading out on the same trails as Day 1, I follow them to the same ruined croft and continue north to Lochindorb, approaching it from the north and travelling its easterly shore. I meet loads of wildlife, including deer and sheep (most of whom thought I was their farmer and going to feed them!) and birds such as the recently-returned Curlew, Stonechat, Greylag Geese, Black Grouse – and a pair of Black Throated Divers on Lochindorb! Routing back over the hill to the south of the loch and across the Dava, I head home with blistered feet.

Worn in or worn out?

I chose to start the challenge with warn-in boots, yet quickly learn there are different levels of ‘worn in’ and mine had passed from worn-in to worn-out! 18 miles of walking with blisters leads to very bloody socks, and I decide to bin the boots and order a new pair. I share photos on Facebook and a few days later a surprise package arrives from friends Georgie and Sam, containing 2 pairs of 1000-Mile walking socks that Georgie swears by. Fortunately, my legs feel much better than on Day 1.

By the end of week 1, I have walked every day and completed 56.2 miles, well over the 52 needed. After the big 2 walks at the start, I finish with shorter walks around the local woods and get in 3 core and upper body strength sessions. Day 6 sees ‘a sack of spuds carrying a sack of spuds,’ (as I note in my diary) because I stop by at Rosie’s, our local grocer, to carry home a 5kg bag of Roosters! (They make THE BEST roast potatoes!)

End of Week Reflections

I reflect that the week has set a pattern that I want the challenge to achieve – that it simply (OK, not always simply…) fits in to my daily life around work and family, and I find myself completing 4 x 1-mile walks to and from Anna-Lena’s school: the first 2 miles going to and from Invigilation duties, and the 3^rd and 4^th miles being done when collecting Anna-Lena from swimming.

As I finish the week, I reflect on a week that started out raining and finished with me being soaked because the weather was (noting exactly what is in my diary) ‘Fucking snowing and raining! And sunny (a little bit!!!)’

I started with sore legs and bloody blisters, and finish with a verruca that is playing up even though it is undergoing treatment.

Such are the small challenges when your start date is set in stone, and you go with whatever comes by.

Get this right, and the journey will take place where it needs to, in the way you need it to and in the way you want it to.

The question to ask is this:

Even if you feel you are in peak condition, both physically and psychologically, would you be interested in the following?

• Improved quality of sleep.

• Improved self-awareness.

• Reduced levels of obesity.

• Reduced cardiovascular disease.

• Reduced anxiety.

• Reduced depression.

• Improved long-term planning capabilities.

• Feelings of having more time.

• Feelings of there being less stress about the here and now.

If you are interested in at least some of these, would you be willing to act? Would you, for example, be willing to go to your doctor if you could get one pill that did what it says above?

Well, guess what? You can’t, so dry your eyes, Princess!

What you can do is get outside and move!

The one thing you can do, that is associated with all of the above excellent benefits is getting outdoors and moving!

OK, so maybe that’s two things!

Two things that you can do, that are associated with the above excellent benefits!

So why are you not doing more of it?

“Yeah, but no, but… I need to check my emails… I am too important to be away from my team for so long… It’s raining / too hot / too cold / [insert another crap excuse].”

Maybe it’s time to look back at that list and consider telling your loved ones that you know these things but choose not to do anything. That they aren’t important enough for you to make a change and get outside and move more?

Consider that it is likely that you are part of an organisation. Maybe you are an employee, maybe an owner, maybe a volunteer? You might be a student at a school, college or university. Imagine you could book a programme of learning and activity that provides all of the above benefits? Maybe you are a Learning & Development professional who wants to stretch away from the mundane, run-of-the-mill ‘trainings’ that you offer your organisation? Maybe you are a Director or member of the Senior Management/Leadership Team who wants to really make a difference to your organisation’s wellbeing?

This is your opportunity to make a difference to your own and your organisation’s physical and psychological wellbeing. So:

• Share this post with your friends, colleagues, managers, and that bloke who hangs around next to the watercooler just a bit too much.

• Tell them to get outside, move, and be intentional about their psychological and physical wellbeing.

This is where your journey starts.

I’ll see you next Sunday when we start the journey proper!

I was inspired by Albert Liebermann’s book, Ganbatte, which is an amazing book comprising of 50 short chapters that hold so much learning that I wanted to try and emulate it.

But, as always happens, reality crept in. I got bored by my own writing and gave up on several occasions; such was the distain I had for my own work.

• How would I write about something that I have done for a year – day in, day out – that needed constant planning, commitment and the juggling of life’s priorities, yet which is, by most people’s views, as boring as [please insert your expletive of choice here]?

• How was I supposed to create learning from something when it was mundane, being achieved as part of my everyday activities and didn’t need my life putting on hold for a year?

These questions weighed me down and stopped me in my tracks as I struggled with even considering the idea of writing about my year of walking.

The typical storyteller of a year-long physical challenge

Consider the stories you know about that would take you on a journey through a year-long physical challenge. Consider the people who write these stories.

You will likely imagine yourself stood in front of bookshelves filled with books where people have remortgaged their home to climb mountains, sold their worldly possessions to run 401 marathons in 401 days, walked non-stop, unsupported to the South Pole or run the length of Africa.

Why would anyone look at and want to read about some middle-aged dude who chose to undertake a year-long challenge using the slowest mode of transport possible, i.e., his legs, and was so boring that he wouldn’t even run but walked – just to make it even slower!

Someone who would do almost all of their walking around the same 5 routes!

What The Actual!

And yet, maybe that’s the point of this journey because most of us live in the type of world where I walked.

• A world where we don’t remortgage our home to be our own version of Forrest Gump.

• A world where we need to work, where we have commitments as a mum, dad, sibling, grandparent, carer.

• A world where we don’t get to ‘follow your dream.’

This is the reality for most of us.

We need stories of inspiration, but are they out of our reach?

We do need to read and hear the stories about the exploits of people such as Nims Purja, Ben Smith, Preet Chandi, and the Hardest Geezer because they show us where our limits might be – what is possible. Yet many of us, more simply, want to be able to enjoy work, to be able to raise a family, support our kids and partners, and be part of their life as a present parent and partner.

This journey is therefore my version of an achievable and sustainable challenge.

Something that acknowledges the inspiration and vision that the above people can provide whilst committing to something that brings ‘challenge’ into your life and connects you with what is possible.

Should I bullshit you with tales of pain and struggle?

I’m ex-military, or at least I’m ex-Royal Air Force… And the ex-military community usually operates between the extremes of “I didn’t really do much,” and “Can’t tell you - all top secret. Just think Andy McNab or Ant Middleton and you’ll get the drift.”

I considered:

• Should I bullshit and tell you how hard the year was, how many legs I needed to have amputated, how many pints of blood I lost, the mental challenges I faced? Or,

• Should I tell you how it was just a year where I walked every day and completed at least 52 miles per week for the 52 weeks of the year that I was 52 years old?

If you want a story that lays out how difficult this year was, how I struggled throughout with mental anguish but pushed through …

(AND SO CAN YOU!!!)

how I cried because of the pain in my body, yet carried on…

(AND SO CAN YOU!!!)

… then I propose you piss off to the places that tell stories about life in the Special Forces.

If you want to read, mull over, learn from and know that you can fit a big challenge into your life and achieve something worthwhile for you and others, then this is what this journey offers.

Some meagre insights into how you can challenge yourself, in your own way, without running off around the world, and make challenge part of your everyday life.

This is what my journey offers you.

On 19th April 2024, I began a year-long journey to walk 52 miles a week, for the 52 weeks of the year, that I was 52 years old. Now, 2 years later, I am revisiting my journey and sharing learning that came from the time spent on the hills and trails around my home in the Scottish Highlands, and the other places that my legs took me. Join me on this journey of walking and learning.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

It is titled ‘Slow Progress.’

Just as I only achieved my year-long challenge through daily walking, so I believe that real, long-lasting development takes time and continued deliberate practice.

Therefore, if I can ask one thing of you, it is that you stay on this path, alongside me, for at least 4 weeks from the 19th April. How long you stay on this path after is, as it should be, your choice.

If, after the 4 weeks, you reflect on the journey along our path together and you haven’t grown or developed your capabilities in a way that you want then your path should diverge from this path.

Maybe, our paths will cross once more in the future. Who knows!

Who is this for?

This Substack is for you if you are:

• Recognising that real learning doesn’t emerge from a classroom workshop, and understand it is about ongoing daily practice.

• Drawn to the Scottish Highlands, its sights, sounds, unpredictable weather and inspiration.

• Seeking learning that emerges from being outdoors.

• A leader or manager who wants to support your team members and your organisation’s performance.

Or, more simply, it is for you if you are willing and able to take responsibility for your own learning as you engage with my journey and make the lessons and learning your own.

If you are looking for life hacks, ‘Top 10’ lists and a Playbook approach to life THIS ISN’T FOR YOU.

What to expect on this journey

Acknowledging the importance of date for this journey, I will start sharing my diary reflections and learning pieces from Sunday 19th April 2026, two years after I began my walking. Each week, I will share two insights into my journey:

• Sundays: A weekly account of my miles walked and reflections as they emerged.

• Wednesdays: A deeper, reflective, stand-alone piece around learning and growth that emerged in my thinking as I walked.

Before this, I will share 2 preludes into the journey to provide a little more context.

How will it be shared with you?

Each piece will be shared as a written piece and an embedded audio file recording. This recording will then be pushed to my podcast channels on YouTube Podcasts and Spotify. That way, you can choose how you share this path and journey with me.

• Choose Podcast and you get to hear my voice speaking to you each week (you can decide whether this is a good or a bad thing…) but you miss out on the photos.

• Choose Written and you also get access to the audio recording (same as podcast) so that you don’t have to hear the Paranoid Android reciting my words.

• Choose Both and it is ‘Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!’

Why is it all free to access and not behind a paywall?

I rate my own work and capabilities in this area, so join me on this journey for 4 weeks, take the ideas and questions from the walking diary and the deeper pieces outside with you, and I am 99% certain you will be a more capable person (you get to choose what this means for you).

Yet, I am not charging, and the reason is simple.

I want to encourage and support many more people to get outside and take responsibility for their own learning. That’s you and your learning.

I believe in the wide-ranging benefits to our physical and psychological wellbeing from being outdoors and moving, and I want to support you in making outdoors a daily practice.

I cannot achieve this by charging you.

What should you do next?

As mentioned, stay with me for 4 weeks on this journey from 19th April and notice your development. You will need to be the person doing the work, and I am here with you.

So come join me on this journey and let’s get outside and make learning, and physical and psychological wellbeing a daily practice!

Join the journey and receive my posts direct to your inbox.

(Warning: As with my daily language, there may be a swear word or two in my writing.)

I am Tim Artus and this is Slow Progress: A Year of Learning Through Walking in the Scottish Highlands.

Please join me from Sunday the 29^th of March to consider where this journey might take us.