The One Habit That Fixes a Lack of Quality Time — Day 2002 of Running a Lap of the World

Day 2002 of this streak. 20,020km logged. 20,055km still to go before I complete a full lap of the world on foot. And today I want to talk about something that has nothing to do with running pace, mileage, or training plans. It is something far more fundamental, and honestly, I feel a little awkward admitting I only recently appreciated it properly.

It is going for a walk with someone.

I know. Bear with me.

For years, my oldest son and I had a Sunday run together. What I noticed during those runs was that the conversations we had were different. Deeper. More honest. We were away from the house, away from screens, away from the noise of everyday life. There was nowhere else to be and nothing competing for our attention. Just the two of us, moving through the world, talking. The quality of those conversations consistently surprised me.

But somewhere along the way, as life got busier and circumstances shifted, that habit drifted. And during a period of injury recovery — when I was walking rather than running — I rediscovered it, this time with my wife.

We went for a walk together recently. Nothing planned, no agenda written down, just the two of us stepping outside and moving. And what happened in that hour or so was the kind of conversation that simply does not happen at home. Not because we lack communication. We do communicate. But at home there is always something pulling at your attention. Something to cook, something to clear up, emails to respond to, kids to sort out, tomorrow to prepare for. By the time the house is quiet and the children are in bed, you are so mentally drained that meaningful conversation is the last thing you have energy for.

Outside, none of that exists. It is just two people, moving forward, talking.

What struck me was how straightforward it was. No technology required. No booking a restaurant. No finding a babysitter. No planning a weekend away. Just two people walking out of the front door and choosing to be present with each other for a short period of time.

I think there is something about walking side by side that removes the pressure of eye contact. When you are sitting across from someone, there is a formality to it. A kind of performance. When you are walking beside someone, you are both facing the same direction, moving at the same pace. It feels collaborative rather than confrontational. Conversations come more easily. Thoughts surface that might not otherwise. You say things you might not say sitting at a kitchen table.

This is not a new idea. Aristotle apparently used to walk while he taught. Steve Jobs was well known for his walking meetings. There is real research behind the idea that movement supports clearer thinking. I am not citing that to make this sound more significant than it is. I am just saying that what I experienced on that walk was consistent with what I have noticed over 2002 consecutive days of running — movement changes your mental state.

And the lesson I took from it was actually quite a humbling one.

I have spent five and a half years running every single day. I have logged 20,020km towards a target of 40,075km, the circumference of the earth at the equator. I think a fair amount about consistency, about showing up, about discipline. And yet somehow I had allowed one of the simplest, most effective habits for maintaining a close relationship to slip away.

Not through negligence. Not through not caring. Just through the constant pressure of life filling every available gap.

The fix was not complicated. It required no equipment, no cost, no great restructuring of our schedule. It required stepping outside together for thirty minutes to an hour. That was it.

What I am taking from this is that consistency applies to relationships just as much as it applies to running. I talk a lot about the value of showing up every day. Small, consistent actions compounding over time. The same logic applies here. A regular walk with your partner, your child, your parent, your closest friend — not a grand gesture, not a special occasion, just a regular, simple habit — will do more for that relationship than occasional large efforts ever could.

I do not know yet whether I will manage to make this weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. I am being honest about that because I think pretending otherwise would be slightly dishonest. Life is complicated and I am no different from anyone else in that regard. But I know the value of it now in a way I did not before, and that matters.

There is a broader point here that ties into why I run every day, why I am chasing 40,075km, and why I am working towards raising £1 million for children's causes including Great Ormond Street Hospital and BBC Children in Need. It is about being present. It is about showing up for the things that matter. The mission I am on is ultimately about children — about giving children the best possible chance. And that starts at home. It starts with being present with the people around you. It starts with something as simple as a walk.

20,020km in. 20,055km still to go. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, a walk with my wife reminded me of something I should not have forgotten.

If there is someone in your life you have been meaning to properly talk to — not a quick check-in, not a message, not a promise to catch up sometime — just book a walk with them. Ten minutes. Half an hour. It does not matter. Step outside together and start talking. You will be surprised where the conversation goes.

Thanks for reading. If this resonates with you, please share it. The more people who find this content, the more we can raise for children who need it most.