So, I have decided to pack my bags and get to walking.... to a tiny town called Troutville, VA. It's population doesn't even break 1000, and I don't think it even has a traffic light! (The last part is unverified lol).
Why on earth would I WALK to Virginia?! Well, it's not a
REAL walk, folks. My friend Amy and I needed some motivation. She came up with the idea, and I just helped expand on it and set some guidelines. So, from her tiny town in Ontario, and from my big town in Florida, we've decided to "
walk" and "
meet" each other halfway between our homes.... which happens to be a tiny town called Troutville, VA.
The purple icon is our halfway point.
We are walking the direct route, the red line.
There are a few guidelines to help us along the way, since this was such a spur of the moment thing.
To meet in the middle by December 31, 2013, we must walk at least 3.5mi/5.6km each day. This might seem outrageous, but we have some exceptions and substitutions to this rule, because after all this is just for fun and really it's to help us incorporate more exercise into our daily lives!
Exceptions and Substitutions:
- Our daily "normal" (non-exercise) walking can count, but only for UP TO HALF of the daily total
- Sweat-inducing exercise can be substituted, at 30 minutes for one half of a mile. (30min = 1/2mi), and can only count for UP TO TWO miles.
That really was it. So even on a day where I'm at the gym, I can only really count up to 2 hours of sweat time, which would make up 2 miles. Then, if I did no exercise walking, I can still hit my 3.5 miles for the day. The system is designed so we don't fail. It's not to see who can get there faster, or who does more exercise in the day, it's to help us move MORE and MORE but EVERY DAY!
So, it's Wednesday, only 3 days so far are counted in this challenge... how did I do?
Sunday: 1.43 miles
Monday: 2.17 miles
Tuesday: 3.5 miles
Total: 7.10 miles
Goal: 10.50 miles
Deficit: 3.40 miles
So, I'm already a full day behind. Today I have the day off, so I won't get much done as far as "normal" everyday walking, but I have housework to be done, and nothing makes me sweat more than cleaning and dancing my butt off around the house as I go. Plus, I am making a delicious dinner tonight so I have to stay under in calories today to make up for the not-so-healthy dinner I have planned! (ok, it's kinda nutritious... but there is one part I can't substitute a healthy option for... more on that later!)
As of today, I'm not even out of the city yet. So, daily updates will end up being boring. But, tune in to our Sunday "Roadtrip Review" and see where we've landed! Maybe we'll show up in some crazy places! :-D
By the way, if you haven't yet, go see Amy. She's over at
Diary Of A Fat Girl. And also, share with your friends! Help us get some cheering going as we start this long trek!
“There are no safe paths in this part of the world.
Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now,
and in for all sorts of fun wherever you go.”
-from The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
