100 Days Of Walking

On December 22, 2015 I made a goal to myself: I’d walk every day a minimum of 10,000 steps. I don’t stick with workout goals too well historically (does anyone?), but some how this one stuck. And today on March 30th, 2016, I celebrated 100 days of walking. 100 days. It was never a goal, but as I passed 30 days, 50, 70 and on…I suddenly knew I could make it.

In 100 days time I learned a lot.

Walking 10,000 steps takes time. It is 4 to 5 miles a day.

You won’t sit as much. This is a bonus. I now sit for 3 hours less a day (and often I don’t sit down till the evening). Celebrating my 100th day on the Green to Cedar Rivers Trail this morning:

You must carve out the time. I am fortunate that I am self-employed. I can make my own hours. But I must still work around my three children, and their schedules. So I have found that I walk as much as I can when they are gone at school, and fill in with local errands, when they are home. This has been good for all of us – the two youngest can walk up to 3 to 5 miles now with no rest.

You will walk some days in the dark, with pouring rain, just so you make your count. It will suck so much. Especially when it is also a wind storm, and all you want to do is go to sleep. But somehow, knowing you will blow your record, you go out.

You will drive a LOT less. I only drive now one day a week on average. Or when we need a big grocery trip. For everything else, I just walk. I take the kids in a stroller if need be. They ride when tired, I have room for groceries……side bonus, it seems everyone in town knows me now.

Some days it will be so easy you do 20,000 steps:

(Tip? Get your steps in as early as you can. If I can make 10,000 before Noon, the rest are easy bonus steps!)

You might even make a personal record:

(Tip: Find a really long one way hike that is flat.)

You might lose weight. You might not. I found my legs looked so much better, I got definition back. My decade long lower back pain went from daily to only a day or two a week. It encouraged me to do other things as well. I did 5K training. I even ran for the first time in 15 or more years. I found I went from 2 mph to 3 to 3.5 mph. My gait lengthened.

Your feet may hurt. You may burn through shoes like nothing.

But the best part is it is free, outside of shoes. You just start walking. Eventually you will notice if you can’t walk during the day, your legs will ache for it, wanting it.

In the end…how much did I walk?

1,405,145 steps

651.08 miles

I’ll take that. And I’ll see you hopefully at Day 150, 200 and well…maybe 365! If you want to see my daily post on my workout goals & weight loss journey, follow me on Instagram.