This was a big year for my walking as I’ll top my prior year mileage record by well over 200 miles.
Last year, I started dialing up my walking/hiking as a way to add miles without dramatically increasing my injury risk. I’ve found that being a strong hiker can save hours at the end of hundreds so it’s solid training in and of itself. It also gets me outside more, which is enjoyable.
When COVID hit this spring, I was presented an opportunity to take my walking to the next level. And yes, I realize how odd that sounds. When I started working from home, I took the extra hour I saved from commuting into the office and started walking most afternoons. I ended up getting a lot of enjoyment out of my daily walk and it ended up being a nice bridge between work and non-work. Overall, I will have spent about 169 hours during 2020 out walking and hiking or right at 15 minute per mile pace.
Heading into 2021, I’m planning on taking things up another notch. My attempt to run the entire Mason Dixon Trail in May will require a ridiculous amount of walking so I will want to get in a solid base ahead of that. I’m thinking to add both volume as well as intensity. Miles will do for the former and wearing a weight vest should take care of the second. All it will take is for me to carve out an extra 10-15 minutes per day on average.