In April 2013, I started walking laps around the church auditorium while studying or reading. I found this helped me to focus better, and also it was a good way to be a little less sedentary while at work.
Each lap around the auditorium is approximately 74 yards:
- In 2013 I walked a total of 5,608 laps, which amounts to a total distance of 235.8 miles. As I mentioned in my report at the start of 2014, that is basically the equivalent of traveling from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Kansas City, Missouri on foot.
- In 2014, I walked a total of 10,497 laps, or 441.4 miles, which got me from Kansas City, Missouri to the outskirts of Joliet, Illinois.
- In 2015, I walked 9,774 laps, of 411.0 miles, which got me all the way to Cleveland, Ohio.
- In 2016, my walking decreased somewhat, as I only amassed 7,288 laps for a total of 306.4 miles, which got me slightly past Hagerstown, Maryland.
- In 2017, I had my highest total to date, with 14,023 laps for a total of 589.6 miles, which got me to the small town of Hampton, New Hampshire.
- In 2018, I walked 13,028 laps for a total of 547.8 miles, which got me to Lake Placid, New York.
2019 was a year of transition for me, as we moved midway through from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Searcy, Arkansas. Not only did this transition lead to a lot of busyness, affect my routines, and alter my reading (and walking) habits somewhat, it also changed the size of the auditorium that I walked around, so moving forward, my number of laps will be much smaller. The total mileage remains a constant measurement, though.
Without further ado, here are my totals for the year:
Total Laps, January–May 2019: 5,075 (approximately 74 yards per lap)
Total Laps, June–December 2019: 3,217 (approximately 118 yards per lap)
Total Distance in 2019: 429.1 miles
Total Distance to date: 2961.1 miles
In 2019, I went from Lake Placid, New York down to Syracuse, out to Buffalo, and finally stopped in Erie, Pennsylvania.
My rate of walking decreased slightly after moving, but this also reflects the time of year: I always get less walking done in the summer because the schedule of youth ministry has me out of the office more during that time. On the whole, though, I did less walking in 2019 than in 2018, and I think that was just a reflection on having to devote more time to other tasks.
My goal for 2019 was 500 miles, which I did not reach. I think that is a good target to aim for in 2020.
January 17, 2020 at 3:49 PM
Nice work Luke! I feel like I’m a better thinker on my feet. Also, some large corporations are new encouraging “walking meetings” rather than sitting in a conference room or an office. Either way this works well for you, so kudo’s!
January 24, 2020 at 3:40 PM
Marion,
I have gotten to where I prefer to talk to people (on the phone or in person) while walking. I think it helps me focus better. So, the “walking meetings” totally makes sense to me!