February Wrap-Up

Here are my February #mileawhile milestones ...

Miles Walked on Purpose in February:  33.8
Total Miles Walked by End of February:  60.4

High/Low Temps for Walks:  60/13 degrees, lots of days in the 30s (didn't track fastidiously)

Longest Walk:  3.4 miles

Coolest Walking Spot:  I've lived in my town for seven years and never walked through the middle of the Elmhurst College campus (which is very close to my house) so that's something.

Insights & Observations:  

January was about getting out there, and February was about keeping it going and challenging myself to some longer walks.  One thing that worked really well for me was walking on purpose for a purpose.  For example, twice I had money I needed to drop off to others (one envelope for a coach thank you gift, one for some raffle tickets).  I walked to deliver the money.  I wasn't tempted to quit early when I had a specific destination and purpose.  With temperatures hitting 60 degrees a couple of times this past week, I decided to walk to and from tennis, which is at least 3 miles, depending on my route.  The added bonus of walking to tennis was that I couldn't drive through Chick-fil-A afterwards as is my habit.  I also took a nice walk on the Illinois Prairie Path, which took me into a different town.  It wasn't that far, but it's a cool feeling to travel to a whole other town on foot.  

Looking Ahead:

In January, I vowed that I would spread the news about my #mileawhile challenge and would start inviting friends and family members to join me on walks.  Well, my family members have been finding their way to Instagram and following me there without my having to ask, but I have really only talked to one friend about the challenge.  I did mention this project on my book blog, but as I don't publicize that either, I don't think that alerted many.  I'd like to walk with others for the pleasure of it (though I also enjoy solitary walks) so I will start reaching out, especially as the spring weather shows up more reliably.  The Instagram @mileawhile and this blog are tools for me to stay accountable to myself and to practice my writing and photography.  I welcome readers and followers, but finding them is not my top priority.  So, goals for February:  invite two friends to take a walk and take at least one five-mile walk.