Mid-June Check In, and a Milestone

There's no other way to put it - I hit 365 miles. That happened on June 5th, which is the earliest I've ever accomplished this goal. I have been steady and consistent about walking and riding my spinning bike, and those miles have added up. It struck me that for some reason, this year is different from the other two years I've participated in the 365 Mile Challenge. But why is that?

I began the 2018 challenge late; I was able to register in March, when registration re-opened. I wish I had a record of my miles, but they got dumped when the app I was using suffered a very large hiccup, and I lost all my data. I know I barely made it to 365 miles in late December, and I was determined to hit 365 miles much earlier in the year, and I wanted to achieve a double, 730 miles, in 2019. There was never a question that I would sign up again, and I did.

2019 started off strong - really strong! I was walking in rain and snow, and even bought skis, which I swore years ago that I would never own again, and I even got miles, not many, on them. I was willing to walk in the dark, using a headlamp - I was owning this challenge! And then I got the stomach flu, which knocked the stuffing out of me.  I was down, as in barely moving, for five days, and it took well over a week for me to get my strength back, but I have to admit - my motivation was gone. I went from going out daily to skipping several days at a time. My journal and calendar were filled with holes where I just ignored exercise altogether. Even though I hit 365 miles in late July, I dawdled around, never really regained my momentum. The double slipped away from me, and I barely made it to 500 miles on December 30th - 501.23 miles, thanks to a tandem ride. 

Enter 2020. I signed up, and I was ready to go. I wanted a neater, more colorful tracker this year. I was inspired by other participants cool-looking trackers! Some of them were so darn clever. I know that nobody was going to see my tracker, but hey, this challenge is for me, and so I rummaged around and found some colored pencils - much nicer! I decided to start this blog to record my year, and I ended up being a 365 Mile Challenge ambassador. When the materials arrived, I was happy - there was a journal, a couple of trackers, a welcome letter, and they all came in a folder, which is great because it's so much easier to keep everything in one place. My organizer-librarian-self loves that! I knew that I would continue to take pictures of my walks, and I wanted to also continue to post in the Facebook group, as well as on Instagram. I'm not trying to out-walk or out-bike anyone, but I always enjoy seeing the posts and pictures from other participants that I am encouraged and inspired to get out there! The people in this group go amazing places! They walk, hike, ride, kayak, ski, snowshoe - if there is a self-propelled mode of transportation, they/we are doing it. It is truly hard not to be motivated. 

Is there a secret to this? For me, it is being accountable to myself, through tracking and journal entries. I am tracking each day, and even if the day is 0.0 miles, I record it. I keep an accurate total going, and I record it as a fraction. My journal entries are short entries of where I went, was I walking, riding, or spinning, maybe something about the weather; I look back and often recall the day. I check in daily with the 365 Mile Challenge Facebook group, and I comment on member's entries and photographs, and I make myself part of the community. I participate in Mini-Challenges, and I've got the medals to show for those! On Mileage Monday, I often post late in the day, so I can include the Monday miles. There are all sorts of miles posted, and it can be a big range, but does that matter? We are all on our own path here.

I've got the second half of the year to get to my goal, 730 miles, and I plan to get there the same way I got to 365 miles; consistent movement, tracking, and continued involvement in the Facebook community. I'm planning on cycling more, and there is an e-bike in my future. As an ambassador, I plan on making a couple more videos about places I like to go to, and I'll continue this blog. I would encourage members to post pictures, tell us where you were, and celebrate your own story! Watch the monthly videos Val, the owner, posts - it's fun to see that snake or frog or vista picture you took flash by, and you can always check the YouTube channel for past videos. 2020, as weird as it's been so far, has been pretty darn good for me in terms of the 365 Mile Challenge. 

412.12/365