This walk was originally planned as a way to bookend the Coaching Outdoors Conference - a 7-mile walk from the business school to reflect, connect, and ease out of the intensity of the two-day event. We’d imagined it as a gentle way to honour what had taken place and walk our way into closure.

But the heat that began during Walk 8 only intensified over the course of the conference. All of the workshops, talks, and meals were held outdoors in rising temperatures, and by the time Friday arrived, the forecast for our 4pm start was 32°C. No one had slept well for the past couple of nights, and the idea of leading a 7-mile group walk in that heat felt increasingly unrealistic, especially after how much I had struggled physically on Walk 8.

To be honest, I’d already had doubts before the conference had even started. I was running on empty. My own self-doubt crept in the day before, and I found myself wondering whether I’d have the capacity to hold the space for a group walk in that kind of heat.

I spoke to Jonathan, and we considered adapting the route, maybe offering a shorter 5km walk instead. I checked in with the group via WhatsApp, and people seemed open to a more manageable distance. But not knowing the area well made even that feel uncertain, and it played on my mind throughout the day.

After breakfast on the day of the walk, Jonathan and I made the decision to cancel. The heat had become too much, and leading a walk under those conditions didn’t feel safe or supportive, for me or for anyone else.

This is one of the unexpected challenges of leading coaching walks: the weather matters. I never imagined we’d have to cancel a walk due to heat - in the UK cancelling due to weather usually evokes the image of torrential rain! But here we were, faced with 32 degrees and no real let-up in sight.

Still, I wanted to honour the spirit of the walk and the connections formed over the past two days. So I offered a much shorter reflective walk within the shaded grounds of the business school, a gentle 1.5km out-and-back walk along the river.

Five people joined me. We walked slowly, passing through beautiful tree-lined paths, small garden spaces, and along the riverside. For the outward stretch, I invited a reflection on this prompt:

“The river has been with us these past two days, steady, flowing, always there in the background. What’s rising to the surface now as you look back on the conference?”

We walked in pairs, reflecting and talking as we went, then paused in the wild garden to share what had surfaced.

On the return journey, we swapped partners and walked back with a second prompt:

“As we walk back, we stay with the river and let it guide your thoughts to what you’re taking with you. What are you choosing to carry forward from this experience ,into your work, your practice, or your life?”

It ended up being a really fitting way to close the event. It was a gentle, grounded, and reflective space that allowed me to transition out of the intensity of the conference without that feeling of being suddenly popped out of a beautiful bubble.

What I haven’t yet said is how much of an internal struggle it was to cancel the original walk. We’d talked about it for so long, and I knew people were looking forward to it and every part of me didn’t want to let anyone down. My (toxic) people-pleasing tendencies were in full force. I even spoke to a few people about it during the conference, and one person offered a really helpful reflection: “Maybe there are people saying yes to this walk for the same reason because they don’t want to let you down.”

And they were right. A few people told me afterwards that they were relieved we’d cancelled, because they were only planning to come along during the heat so they didn’t disappoint me.

That moment reminded me to remember the why behind these walks, not just stick rigidly to the plan. It also showed me that creating space for reflection doesn’t mean I have to push myself past my own limits to make it happen. Sometimes, doing less really is what’s needed.

As for the original walk itself - the 7 miles to Marlow, we’ve decided to hold it back and walk it next year, as the opening walk to the 2026 conference. If all goes to plan (fingers crossed), it will be the final leg of the Source to Sea journey which will make it incredibly special, and I’m sure, a bit emotional.

If you'd like to join us on our Source to Sea journey, you can find the latest schedule and link to book here.