Kelly KleinOn June 16, 2019, I embarked on a physical and mental challenge. My then-boyfriend and I left just after midnight, to walk from one end of our charming little city to the other. People thought I was crazy. Perhaps I was, a little. This challenge meant more to me than just doing 100,000 steps. It was about facing my fears and demons. It was about sticking to something until success. It was about obstacles and dealing with failure along the way. If I could do this, I know I would be able to succeed in anything I put my mind to.
A lot was riding on this.
I had a refreshing shower, then downed a bottle of Mountain Dew Voltage for the caffeine boost. We had a quick snack and then we were off!
Now, before I get into the nitty gritty of the walk, let me preface it by saying that I was used to regularly doing 20,000-step days, with one 50,000-step day a week. I trained for this. This isn’t something you can embark on without building up to it. Trust me, you will get sore.
So, as we left, I felt a little energized, but worried about what I was getting myself into. I had the motivation to finish. We had already planned our route, and made sure we would always be on a bus route in case we had to abort, or we got our 100,000 steps before getting back home again. After reaching that goal, who would want to walk the rest of the way home?
Also, we made sure to pack light. He offered to carry a backpack with only the essentials : Paper and pen (to record my thoughts along the way), phones and chargers, extra socks, cash, credit card, and two bottles of water. We planned to stop at gas stations along the way for more hydration and snacks.
Early on the walk, I found a tiny horse, far away from any houses or businesses. It looked like it was there for a while and it came off a pendant. This will sound cheesy but I always felt a connection with horses. The horse means so many different things to me but most notably – strength, freedom, and positivity. I took it as a sign. A sign to continue on. Push forward. A sign that I got this.
It was nice to spend time together, just chatting about nothing in particular, in the dead of night, nary a person to be seen. It was magical when we watched the sunrise, taking one more step, and one more step. We ate breakfast at a local grocery store – they had a section set up with tables for eating at the deli. We didn’t have the healthiest meal: macaroni and cheese, cinnamon buns, Reese’s Pieces, chicken strips, chocolate cookies, and cream soda. But there was a lot of quick energy in those items. We felt perked up a bit and ready to continue.
Not much of note happened except talking and laughing until we were walking along a road that follows a lake. I saw a dead beaver lying on the bank between the guard rail and the water. What a sin!
My legs were really feeling it – especially my calves. I was thankful for my running shoes. I don’t run often, but I will never wear another type of sneaker. They are super comfy and supportive. My feet weren’t feeling it at all!
We had a slight break mid-morning because I was starting to go loopy. And a little dizzy. Mostly because of dehydration. So we stopped at a coffee shop so I could get a cold drink (I don’t drink coffee), a Boston cream donut, and a rest. The stools in the coffee shop were great for my legs so I could get the weight off them and just let them dangle. I must say, I was missing road trips right about then.
I was obviously feeling tired, but I kept telling myself that I must push on. I also wondered what I have gotten myself into. I still had two thirds of the way to go. I wanted this to be over but I was committing to the end. In it to win it! I hadn’t hit the wall…yet…
The rest did wonders. My dizziness was gone and my legs felt better. The hydration really helped.
We found ourselves on one of the longer streets in our city. He kept saying we’re beginning to get close to the end, but around the next bend was another long stretch of road.
Will this walk ever end?
Pain was coming more often and I had to take it slow and rest more often. My lower back was feeling a little sore by this time, but my feet were fine. My hips and pelvis were starting to feel it. My ex-boyfriend was managing, but not doing as well as I was. He had the wrong footwear – steel-toed shoes!
I was getting really tired, needing a break…but where to sit? We finally got to the end of this long road and to a grocery store, about a half hour later. This was where we had our longest break. I felt like aborting, but wouldn’t…at least not yet. I didn’t know if we were able to make it, but I wanted to get as far as I could before giving up.
His feet were feeling it the most…for me it was my thighs. But after the rest for about 45 minutes, we continued on. A while later we were approaching my mother’s steep road, where my son was hanging out while we embarked on this challenge. We stopped there for a quick rest.
The boyfriend gave up at this point. I made the difficult decision to continue on without him. My mother drove us back to our home, and while he rested and recovered, I added more steps to my day. I was at about 65,000 steps, and it had been about 14 hours. Keep in mind, we were slowing down in the later hours, and taking more frequent breaks. There was officially less to go than I’ve come at this point! The only way to go was up!
I did another 5,000 steps. My feet were starting to feel swollen. I stopped for a quick break on a bench, and even dozed off for about fifteen minutes. When I opened my eyes, I was motivated to keep going. Let’s crush the last 30,000 steps! Just keep on truckin’! Step by step! One step at a time!
80,000 steps and I felt myself hitting a wall. I was hoping I could work through it. My mind was made up. I was too close to give up now.
90,000 steps and I was starting to tear up. So close! I had to get there! I couldn’t give up! So much was riding on this challenge!
The last 10,000 steps I wouldn’t take a single break. I wouldn’t rest for a second, for fear if I sat down I may not get up again. I was going to try for that last 10,000 steps with no breaks. Too close to give up now. My feet were seizing up and in pain. I would probably need to be on bed rest tomorrow.
I was in zombie mode, but also deep concentration.
And then…suddenly…at 22:17…there it was…
100,000K steps!
I did it!
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I did it!
This walk was definitely not for the faint of heart. It was difficult trying to keep up my morale.
It was a test of human endurance. I set out to prove to others (and myself) that I can set out and achieve something I set my mind to. It was a physical and emotional challenge, and felt like a dream. I was overwhelmed with the emotions that popped up.
The last 10,000 steps, while a relatively small amount, was the longest and hardest. I am so thankful for my body being able to do this; I certainly pushed it to its limits. I felt disbelief that I got this far and that I can do something so demanding to the human body.
The whole day was a blur. I was finding it difficult to remember the day…luckily I wrote notes along the way. Some memories flowed through my mind, like an 80s movie montage. I felt like Rocky!
I also had a certain clarity. I felt like I finally grew up. I learned that life is awesome and beautiful. It truly is. We saw all kinds of sights that normally fly by when we’re in a car.
One thing I noticed that I found funny was my left shoelace always unties everyday without fail, but stayed tied the entire 100,000 steps. Go figure.
The next day was written off, for sure. My feet were swollen, my calves were sore, and my thighs were sore. I will say this: the running sneakers really helped. I couldn’t have done it without the proper footwear, as well as proper training. I also had a lot of fluid before, during, and after the walk.
Some questions answered…
How did I prepare? I was already used to doing 20,000-25,000 steps per day. I did one 50,000-step day per week for several weeks leading up to the big day. And a lot of positive self-talk.
How did I feel along the way? I felt stronger than I thought I was – both physically and mentally. I felt like if I did this, I could do anything. I had so many emotions and thoughts especially as I neared what I thought was my breaking point.
What did I learn? The human body is a wondrous thing, especially when pushed to its limits. And you can do anything you put your mind to
How did I feel at the end of the walk? I felt amazing. I just couldn’t believe it. It is a rush that I could never explain to anyone. I had more energy as I crossed that finish line, believe it or not.
What would I do different? I would have paced myself better. I might have taken a slightly different and more interesting route. I would have trained harder. I would have taken more photos and videos to document the journey, because I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do it again.
Any advice? Just keep going. Once you hit momentum, it’s just another step…and another step…
Conclusion
It’s like a metaphor for life. Working hard, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. This lesson can be applied to any area of your life.
It also reminds me of a quote famously said by Will Smith, “The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be out-worked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things you got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple, right?”
To finish off my blog post, here’s the timeline of the longest walk:
- 10,000 – 1 ½ hours – 10%!
- 20,000 – 3 hours – 1/5 of the way there!
- 30,000 – 5 ½ hours
- 40,000 – 8 hours
- 50,000 – 9 ½ hours – halfway! – Oh, we’re halfway there! Ohhhh, living on a prayer! Take my hand, we’ll make it, I swear. Oh, living on a prayer!
- 60,000 – 13 ½ hours
- 70,000 – 15 ½ hours
- 80,000 – 18 hours
- 90,000 – 20 hours 100,000 – 21 ½ hours
Be awesome and may your life be passionate!
