Yesterday, I read an article about an elderly gentleman whose doctor told him he was overweight and would die soon unless he started walking 2 miles a day for the rest of his life. He did--although now he takes Sundays off--and has lost 52 pounds, and has logged almost 20,000 miles.
Wow.
That got the competitive side of me thinking. Do I walk at least 2 miles a day? Not sure. See, lately, I've been walking in the pitch dark, using my same little route that I know by heart. So I checked my pedometer. Nope, not 2 miles. More like 1.3 miles. Well, that's not gonna work. If that old guy can log 2 miles per day, so can I.
Can you tell I like a challenge? Like, all the time?
I hopped on the IntraWebs and scooted over to Map My Walk, a site I've know about for years but never used until yesterday. I got a free account, pulled a map of my neighborhood, and drew a map of where I walk. Yup, 1.3 miles. So I drew a new route that added up to 2 miles.
Hah!
So I did it this morning. Wow. I can't believe that adding that extra 3/4 of a mile made a difference, but it surely did!
Now, I have to do it. Can't let that old guy beat me.
Map My Walk is neat, as you can also log your walking workouts and give yourself challenges to meet. It's fun to see how far you really do go.
As far as the old feller goes, here's the interview with him:
Tell us about your workout.
I walk outside, 2 miles a day, six or seven days a week.
Why is it something you’ve stuck with?
Doctor’s orders. I was overweight, and he told me in 1989 that I had to
walk 2 miles a day for the rest of my life. He finally gave me Sundays
off.
How do you make the time to workout?
When your life is at stake, you find time. Sometimes I am tired, but you just do it.
What benefits have you noticed?
I have lost weight — 52 pounds. And someone once told me, “You got a good-looking set of legs!”
What is your favorite exercise? Any exercises you dread?
My favorite exercise is walking. I don’t dread it, I just do it.
What has been your favorite fitness moment?
So far, it was when I walked 65 miles in one day for Relay for Life for
the American Cancer Society at the age of 63. But my new one will be
when I log 20,000 walking miles. Should happen at the end of this year.
You can do at any age what you want to do.
You go, boy!
Dani
Alrighty then - Saturday morning and I have mapped a route that will take me 2.14 miles; the closest I could get to 2. Thanks for the Map My Walk link!
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