ジャッキーの これ、やってみよう  What if I ...

会社までの道のりを５つに区切ったうちの第３区間　JACKIE HOFFART PHOTO

The office building I work in is exactly 1 mile (1.6 km) from the nearest train station, and there is a dedicated minibus that ferries us back and forth every 15 minutes, which I used to take every day.

For my latest challenge, I decided to give the bus a break and walk both ways, which is roughly 3 km per day, every day for an entire week — no exceptions.

I work in quite a remote industrial park (a long way from central London) and I had previously assumed the walk would be too complicated or dangerous, but it turned out that there's a pretty simple route from the station to my office that doesn't involve running across expressways or jumping over fences.

It takes about 20 minutes at a fairly speedy pace, 25 at a more leisurely pace. That might not sound like much, but it's hard to resist the temptation of a free ride on the minibus. Not to mention that it's not the fastest way to get to work or to the train home.

I strategically divided the walk into four five-minute chunks in my mind. The first chunk is cutting through the parking lot of plain-looking office buildings, which remind me of the TV sitcom, The Office. There are some beautiful cherry blossom trees as you exit, which make me a bit nostalgic for Japan.

The second section is a downhill (or uphill) stretch past the firehouse, more offices and a cheap hotel. There are a few blackberry bushes and daffodils next to the sidewalk, or pavement as they say here, that add to the scene.

The third is the long section after the underpass beneath the roundabout, a little path for walking and cycling. This is the most pristine section, but it's also the most secluded, so if I'm walking alone and listening to music, I take one earbud out just so I can feel safer.

The final section is a straight walk from the end of that path to my building. I work in a very large industrial estate made up mostly of warehouses and offices associated with my company so I can see my building all the while I walk toward it. I feel a bit proud once I make it onto the estate, self-consciously seeking praise for not taking the minibus.

Physically, it was harder than I'd bargained on. The first few days I would get short of breath midway, and be all puffy and red when I arrived at either end. Maybe it would have helped if I had "proper trainers," or good sneakers. My work shoes put a strain on my shins and weren't very good for the walk.

Nevertheless, I got through my week's challenge — well, almost. I was lucky that it wasn't cold or rainy the whole week. It also helped that I had friends to walk with. But that friend-factor cut both ways. On the final day of my challenge, one of my walking buddies decided to take the minibus back to the station and I joined her. I thought of this bus ride as a reward for myself, but I did feel lazy.

I'm going to keep walking as much as I can — most days, most ways — that's my new goal. The real test will come when we hit a rainy patch of weather, but for now, I just feel happier when I walk. Why don't you give it a try? Let me know how it goes for you!

Next time: What if I ... "disconnect" for a week?