During a previous chapter of my life, I walked along the bike trail almost every day in the summer. But today, after a couple of months, I took my dog for a walk along the bike trail! She was thrilled by all the new sights, sounds, and smells, and I enjoyed the beauty of walking alongside the river.
Tag: Walking
Day 21 Beautiful Things
I love moderate mild weather which makes the upper plains a good place for me to call home for most of the year. However, my heart truly belongs to the western part of my state, where I grew up. The climate and landscape is wonderful – a contrast to the eastern part where I currently reside.
I started my day with a walk with my dog this morning, and the temperature was a crisp 49 degrees. While some might argue that it’s too cold for early August, I believe it was absolutely perfect!
There were other beautiful moments: dinner with my wife, helping a client at work, and receiving my new camera. The first picture taken with it is attached.
Day 5 Beautiful Things
I’ve passed by this sculpture countless times this summer. Named Playtime, it reminds us to prioritize relaxation and joy over work and stress. I particularly love its placement with the historic State Theatre in the background.
Day 3 Beautiful Things
I used to work in downtown Sioux Falls over twenty years ago. Back then, the area was pretty rundown and deserted, especially after dark. I remember a particular day at the office when the senior partner, an incredibly visionary individual, asked us a thought-provoking question. “Do you know what really brings people to downtown areas?” After a few failed guesses, he revealed the answer: public art. It’s the vibrant art that draws people to downtowns and city centers. Sculpture Walk burst onto the scene a year or two later, and downtown was immediately rejuvenated into a dynamic, secure, and thrilling hub of activity!
I took a break from work today and decided to walk along part of Sculpture Walk, which is now celebrating its 21st year. I stopped at several of the sculptures, admiring their beauty and intricacy. One particular sculpture caught my eye. It’s titled “and…” and the artist intends for it to symbolize connection and bring people closer together.
Art has the power to be thought-provoking, mesmerizing, and uniquely beautiful. Its unlikely this is last you will see of Sculpture Walk.
The Streak
Since 2017, I have been using walking as my primary form of exercise and fitness. During that summer, I bought a Fitbit and started my fitness journey. That also marked the beginning of my obsession with steps. Over the next three years, I have walked so much that I had to replace my shoes multiple times. While walking, I listen to audiobooks and podcasts, which make the experience more enjoyable. Overall, I felt much better and healthier after incorporating walking into my daily routine.
I am determined to achieve at least 10,000 steps every day (approximately five miles). Before 2020, I used to accomplish this goal on most days. I am proud to have set multiple personal records, including 41,000+ steps in a day, 215,000+ steps in a week, and 715,000+ steps in a month. However, one record still eludes me – 365 consecutive days with 10,000 steps or more. Despite this, I am motivated to keep pushing myself and working towards this achievement.
Let me take you back to the beginning of 2020, a time when the world was full of hope and anticipation for a great year ahead. As for me, January kicked off with a trip to London, where I spent most of the month teaching a course on Brexit with a great colleague and a group of primarily enthusiastic students. Later that month, I flew back just in time for my oldest son’s wedding – a beautiful celebration with family and friends.
It seemed like everything was going smoothly when February rolled around, and the start of another semester loomed ahead. Despite the busy schedule, my wife and I had a San Diego trip planned for early March, and we were both eagerly looking forward to it. Little did we know that this trip would be one of the last normal things we would do for a while.
I totally failed my goal of walking 10,000 steps on February 29, 2020. I have no clue why it didn’t happen. That day, I went to an Augie basketball game and watched them lose by two points in the conference tournament, which was really sad. Maybe I was so bummed about the loss that I didn’t feel like walking at all.
Can you believe it’s been four years since I last missed my step goal? That’s right, February 29, 2020, was the last time I fell short, and since then, I’ve been crushing my daily target of 10,000 steps or more for 1,460 consecutive days. It’s been an incredible journey, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have made it this far.
Although my memory is somewhat blurry, I recall that I had planned to begin a new streak on March 1, 2020. I was quite enthusiastic about it because our upcoming trip would have given me a good head start on my goal. Unfortunately, what I didn’t expect was the outbreak of a global pandemic that would bring about the shutdown of society.
From the very beginning of the pandemic, I committed myself to walking at least 10,000 steps every single day until the pandemic came to an end. I thought it would last for only six months, but as it turns out, it was a significant part of our lives for almost a year. But you know what? This has been one of the most exciting challenges I have ever taken up. Who would have thought the habits I started during that unprecedented time would become a permanent part of my life? It’s exciting to think about the positive impact this challenge has had on my life.
Every day, I kick off my mornings with a brisk walk lasting 30 to 45 minutes. Time permitting, I take another walk after work as well. Whether it’s outside enjoying the fresh air or indoors on a treadmill, I ensure that exercise is an integral part of my daily routine. I am committed to this routine, and breaking the streak is not even a remote possibility at the moment.
What streak are you starting today?
*The picture attached to this post was taken during a March 2020 walk along a San Diego beach.
Anticipation and Hope
While rewatching season one of Ted Lasso, I heard him say something inspiring to his team before a big game:
“So I’ve been hearing this phrase y’all got over here that I ain’t too crazy about. “It’s the hope that kills you.” Y’all know that? I disagree, you know? I think it’s the lack of hope that comes and gets you. See, I believe in hope. I believe in belief. Now, where I’m from, we got a saying too, yeah? A question, actually. “Do you believe in miracles?” Now, I don’t need y’all to answer that question for me… but I do want you to answer that question for yourselves. Right now. Do you believe in miracles? And if you do… then I want y’all to circle up with me right now. Come on. Let’s go.”
Last week, we celebrated the epic anniversary of the Miracle on Ice – an unforgettable moment in sports history when a group of young college men achieved the impossible by winning a gold medal and captivating a nation for two weeks. It got me thinking, does hope ever kill you? And what about the thrill of anticipation for an amazing experience? Can it ever be a bad thing? Let’s explore!
On Sunday, I was eagerly looking forward to Monday and the rest of the week. Since Monday was a holiday and the workplace was closed, I decided to take advantage of the good weather and make plans to go for a morning walk at a local nature area. After that, I planned to spend the afternoon reading and sipping tea. Luckily, the weather held up, the walk was wonderful, and I was able to finish reading my book. The anticipation and hope that I felt on Sunday turned into a reality on Monday.
As Monday slowly came to an end, I couldn’t help but feel an excitement for the upcoming Tuesday. It held the promise of a pivotal business meeting, a flurry of challenging tasks to tackle at work, and to top it all off, a thrilling college basketball game to watch. And boy, did Tuesday deliver! The day flew by, filled with a sense of purpose and accomplishment, just as I had hoped for.
As evening arrived, I was getting ready to watch the best college basketball team in the country, UConn, play against my son’s university team, Creighton. My son is good friends with many of the players, and I have also had the chance to get to know some of them. Watching them play, I often feel like I am watching my own family. However, my hope and anticipation for the game were wavering, and I began to have doubts, similar to what a long-time Minnesota Vikings fan might experience in the fourth quarter of most games. But in the end, the game surpassed my hopes as Creighton emerged victorious. It was two days where hope and reality perfectly aligned.
Recently, we have been eagerly anticipating our upcoming travels. One of the destinations we are most excited about is the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Our first visit there was on our honeymoon, and we have returned several times since then. Even though we have been there before, each visit is unique and just as enjoyable as the first one. We can hardly wait for this trip and are looking forward to having a fantastic time. Only time will tell if our hopes and reality will align.
Upon reflection after a week, Lasso’s argument may have merit. The feeling of hope and anticipation could enhance the overall experience. What are you looking forward to?
I hope you have a great week.
Day 18 Gratitude Challenge
Yesterday was a great day, I had chances to help people at work. I had great conversations with friends. I had a date with my wife at a restaurant we had not been to before.
But as wonderful as yesterday was, many of my conversations involved things that were not pleasant. One conversation talked about the dynamics of a dysfunctional relationship . Another conversation was about how to deal with aging and ailing parents. And yet another conversation dealt with the struggles of ailing spouses.
As I reflected on the day, I focused on all that have. Yet, I also thought about the situation of my friends. Like my friends, my life is not perfect. It would be easy to focus on the imperfections and flaws. Yesterday, I chose gratitude rather than negativity and it made all the difference.
Todays challenge is to do focus on health. Starting small by being grateful for air in my lungs, a beating heart, the gift of senses, and the ability to move with little pain. My health is infinitely better than it was four years ago when I started this challenge and for this I am grateful. I take time today to focus on your health and be grateful for what you have. If you can improve your health, do something today.
1234 and beyond
On February 29, 2020, the first death related to the coronavirus in the United States was reported. At the time nearly 3,000 people worldwide had died. Less than 100 confirmed cases existed in the United States. Little did any of us know how our lives would change over the next few weeks, months, and years.
This post isn’t about the pandemic. This post is about something else that happened on February 29, 2020. It was the last day that I took fewer than 10,000 steps. I don’t recall why I took a break from my standard step regimen that day but I did. Perhaps I was tired.
I recall that I resolved to start a new streak on March 1, 2020. My original goals were to 1) beat my old streak (which escapes me but I think was about 180 days), 2) keep the streak alive for at least 365 days, and 3) keep the streak alive for the duration of the anticipated pandemic – however long.
So here we are over three years later and the streak continues. To be precise, one thousand two hundred thirty-four days have one and gone since the last leap day. 1, 234 is a number that is orderly, progressive, and linear. A number that stands for so much.
I have faced many obstacles during the streak, including work, illness, weather, travel, and motivation. I have learned much about myself and achieved more than I could imagine. Mostly, I have learned to believe in myself and work steadily each day. I am proud of the streak.
Earlier in the streak, I averaged over 20,000 steps a day. My current trend is averaging 12,000-13,000 steps per day. So the pace is slowing but the drive to keep it going is not. Someday, the streak will end. Yesterday was not the day it ended. I have no plans to end it today either.
Day 26 Gratitude Challenge
Yesterday I was reading about tapping into intrinsic motivation. One idea from the reading was the idea that sometimes you need to look back to move forward. Often we focus on how far we have to go rather than how far we have come. Looking forward can be overwhelming if you have a lot of work ahead. So sometimes, one should look back for motivation.
Today, I look back. I look back to February 29, 2020. It was a Saturday. The pandemic was about to hit the United States with full force. I was planning a trip to San Diego with my wife. She worked for a bank three hours away and I worked for a non-profit organization. Neither of us was particularly satisfied with our professional lives. My health had much room for improvement. While I have no recollection of what I did that day, I know one thing I did NOT do that day. I didn’t take at least 10,000 steps.
In the summer of 2017, I became a walker. I took long walks because my schedule allowed me to do so. At my peak, I would walk about 22,000 steps most days. This is approximately the equivalent of 10 miles. But, sometimes life happens and I wouldn’t achieve my daily goal of 10,000 steps. I think my longest streak was bout 200 consecutive days with 10,000 steps or more. Usually, a streak would end because I was sick or traveling.
However, when I awoke on the morning of March 1, 2020, I resolved to walk at least 10,000 steps every day until the pandemic was over. At the time, I thought this would be no more than four months. Yet, we all know the story, it lasted longer than four months.
Yesterday was a milestone day in the goal. Yesterday, the streak reached 1,000 days. Looking back, it is quite impressive. 33 consecutive months. Three months more and it will be three years. While the early days were easy because walking outside was one of the few “permitted” activities, the last 200 have been a challenge with a career change, increased travel, and an illness. If I was looking forward to another 1,000 days, it would be easy to be overwhelmed.
Looking back, I took over 10,000,000 steps and walked more than 4,000 miles. If I had set that specific goal, it would have seemed overwhelming. Instead, I took it one day at a time. Looking back, it is remarkable and I am proud of myself. Today, I am grateful for the opportunity and the ability to accomplish this goal. The challenge today is to take a walk, preferably outside, and start working towards a fitness goal.
Day 24 Gratitude Challenge
Today is Thanksgiving. Many have the day off from work. Many will gather with friends and family to overeat, watch football, and tell stories. What a fantastic tradition to gather In gratitude with those you care about.
Today I am reminded of past Thanksgivings. Growing up we shared Thanksgiving with close family friends. I have many great memories from those gatherings. In more recent years, our family gathers at a local club for amazing food and disappointing football (my youngest is a Detroit Lions fan). We gather again with a larger group (three generations) in a couple of days.
Today, rather than blog to start the day, my faithful companion took me for a walk. During the walk, I took time to think about all the things I am grateful for. I am grateful for my family and friends. I am grateful for my health and the health of those I care about. I am grateful for my home. I am grate for the opportunities I have. I am grateful for my job, my coworkers, customers, and organization. I am grateful for so much more than listed here but this is a start.
Todays’s challenge is to make a list. Make it a long list. What are you grateful for? Include everything whether big or small.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading.
Sireadh Toileachas 
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