Remember last Sunday when I did that indoor race for the Red Cross? Well both Ania and I thought it was such a good idea that we are motivating each other to do this at least twice a week now. Ania actually runs a lot of it (indoors!), but I am just walking, so far managing about 5300 steps each time (rather than my usual 10,000 on my river walks). I am doing about 4000 steps upstairs on the terraza (that’s my rooftop walking route in the video) and then the final 1000 inside. Then I do a set of my lockdown workout.

Ha, anyone remember that one? When I said A MONTH AGO that I was going to set my phone timer while sitting at the computer desk, to make sure I got up every 45 minutes and moved around a bit? Well, never happened. I mean, I have been doing my mini-workouts, but not as often as I’d intended. Why not? Fucked if I know. I mean, it’s not like I’ve been busy doing anything else. But somehow I just couldn’t work up any motivation. I dunno, maybe it had to be a progression. Of what, I still have no idea.

But even after only a couple of 5000 step walks at home, I can see this working out. And, look what I found yesterday! I’d forgotten I had this cord attachment doohicky that allows me to hang my iPhone around my neck while walking (and counting steps – don’t have a fitbit or iwatch). And although it may sound silly, today I organised my “workout/walking clothes” so that I make the mental shift from hanging around the house in hanging-around-the-house clothes and get into fitness mode.

And it turns out I’m not alone. Since doing this I have spotted my next door neighbour also walking around in circles on his terraza, and Ana across the street is often out there tending to her plants and enjoying the fresh air, and even my downstairs neighbour is coming up to the roof to sit in a beach chair and take the sun. Also, “balcony life” has also been happening more in the past couple of weeks. Unlike in the past (almost) three years I’ve lived here, I hear my neighbours chatting to each other during the day, out on their balconies, and not just during the evening Balcony Applause. Something lovely is happening in the midst of all this mess, and it’s something I am trying to hold onto.