20,000 Steps A Day: My Exhausting 30-Day Step Challenge

So, I had been planning all week to push this challenge back to August.

My reasoning: this blog isn’t public yet, and this challenge will likely get lost behind others once I finally launch this website of mine.

That would be a cop-out, plain and simple.

Why should I care if nobody’s watching?

If I make excuses for myself not to follow through on my goals, I’m setting a dangerous precedent.

So, I decided to go for it. What do I have to lose?

That said, I got off to a bit of a slow start. 10:45 p.m. rolled around, and I had still only reached 11,000 steps.

Damnit, I couldn’t dig myself into a hole on my very first day.

I put on my fancy new running shoes and started moving.

My first big race against time was a mixture of jogging, wheezing, pitch-black sidewalks, staggering with my hands on my hips, coughing up god knows what, and generally feeling really out of shape.

11:50 struck, and I was still short of my goal.

I sprinted as fast as I could but fell short by 53 steps – or 19 more seconds of running.

I am sore and achy but full of hope.

This challenge is never going to be a walk in the park.

Digging Myself Into an Early Hole

July 5th, 1:46 a.m.

Fine, I’ll admit it: I didn’t give it my best effort yesterday.

I finished 10,000 steps short of my goal.

Oops.

It might have something to do with me staying out crazy late and drinking beer with an old friend the night before.

Who knows?

There’s no way to measure these things.

I was starting to panic when 11:00 p.m. came about, and I had taken less than 5,000 steps.

So, I did what any other exhausted, dehydrated, and hungover person would do: I got off the couch and ran across town on the 4th of July.

Fireworks crackled overhead as my dog panicked and I moved slightly slower than usual.

Did I mention that taking 20,000 steps a day is not easy?

I’ve dug myself a bit of a hole early on, but I’m excited to see how I dig myself out.

There will be more days that I fall well short of goals, but there will also be 30,000 step days.

They’re coming, I promise.

Getting Steps in at 14,000 Feet

July 8th, 1:03 p.m.

I took some quality steps yesterday, and almost all of them happened before 9:00 a.m.

On the night of the 6th, I drove up to Kite Lake Trailhead (outside of Alma, Colorado) parked my camper van, and slept.

I awoke at 3:30 in the morning, ate a cold piece of pizza, fed my dog, and gathered my gear.

I groggily poured myself out of my van and was met with a quiet moonlight.

My friends, Matt and Antonio, were waiting for me by the trailhead.

We yawned and stretched together and began our hike.

Now, these were hard-earned steps that we were taking. We huffed and puffed to the top of three different mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation: Mt. Bross, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Cameron.

My friends completed a fourth, Mt. Democrat, but I ducked out because Bubba’s paws were starting to get tender.

The first week is in the books!

I’m slightly behind pace but have more big hikes planned later this month.

My step challenge has already shown positive results. I feel lighter on my feet and full of energy at all times.

Bubba and I are exploring the world together and enjoying every moment.

Enduring the Brutal Heat of Summer

July 9th, 2:53 p.m.

I picked the wrong week to start sleeping in.

After slacking off yesterday and putting off today’s steps until 2:00 p.m., I was forced to take a run in Colorado’s triple-digit Summer heat.

I still have 13,969 steps to reach my daily goal.

Today has been a bit of a learning experience.

Did I mention my house has no air conditioning?

TIP: Start Your Steps Early!

If you’re trying to hit a personal step goal, try to complete at least half of your steps before noon, especially in the summer.

Procrastinating will force you to exert yourself during the hottest part of the day or rush yourself late into the night.

I’ve made a bad habit of doing both.

Half Inspiration, Half Desperation

July 10th, 12:30 a.m.

I just finished power-walking, jogging, and sprinting around town for 15,000 steps in the final two hours of the day.

That’s how my night went.

I feel great, though.

My new motto: ‘Half Inspiration, Half Desperation’

Trimming Up: My Midway Update

July 16th, 12:00 p.m.

Ah, the halfway point. It’s been an absolute grind.

The steps don’t care if you’re tired, burnt out, hungover, have shit to do, or 100 degrees (38° Celsius) outside.

The steps are always waiting, screaming to be taken.

The last few days, my legs have felt heavy and taxed, especially when I’m running.

My body has hit a wall. In spite of this, I have made some very noticeable progress.

Here are some of the physical differences that I have seen:

• Midway weight: 172.6 pounds | 78.3 kg
• Midway BMI: 24.1

I’m slimming up, and it feels good.

I’ve shed almost five pounds so far. My legs, although often fatigued, feel stronger and more stable.

My energy levels are up, and my stamina is climbing.

The blisters on my feet have turned to callouses, and I feel like I’m getting back towards ‘trail shape’ again.

Mentally, I feel sharper and more focused.

I can organize my normally jumbled and erratic thoughts when I’m walking or running.

Many future ideas for this website have come to me while I was racking up my steps.

Bubba is thoroughly satisfied and exhausted regularly, something I never thought possible from a yellow lab.

Instead of anxiously following me around the house waiting to be exercised, he is continually recharging for our next set of steps.

It’s safe to say that this challenge was a great idea.

Here’s to the second half, where I must now average 21,437 steps a day.

A Furious Finish Ahead

July 25th, 1:20 p.m.

So, I have some good news, and I have some bad news.

Let’s start with the good news: my girlfriend recently got back in town from China.

She’s visiting for three weeks, and we’ve been having a great time!

We even went to Las Vegas and ate at our favorite restaurant in the world.

Now, for the bad: Since, Las Vegas, I’ve put my steps on the back-burner.

They haven’t been a priority, and my averages have dipped severely.

I’ve dropped down to an average of 17,894, which doesn’t sound bad (but really is bad this late in the game).

During my last week, I will have to average 26,912 steps a day, which I have only surpassed once this month.

I anticipate lots of late-night sprinting and early morning jogs.

My sleep will suffer, but I will reach my goal.

Maybe.

This Step Challenge is Brutal

July 29th, 12:08 p.m.

My calves are shot, and my legs are jelly.

Pain is shooting up my IT band.

My dog thinks I’m crazy.

We’re exhausted.

I reached 30,000 steps for the first time this month (just as I promised I would).

A few days ago I’d felt utterly pessimistic.

I thought I had dug myself into a hole too deep, but yesterday’s total gives me new hope.

I feel like a different person than when I started this challenge, but I guess that’s the point.

In years past, I’ve gone months without ever running.

Now, my days feel incomplete without it.

The late nights exercising alone in the darkness are soothing and therapeutic, and I’m beginning to see how people get addicted.

Three days left — time to finish strong.

Never. Stop. Walking.

July 30th, 2:43 p.m.

This morning I paced back and forth around the light rail station as I awaited my train.

I followed that up with more aggressive marching around Union Station as I stacked up steps waiting for my bus.

I looked like a madman with a million things racing through his head, furiously storming around and trying to make sense of it all.

And who’s to say that I’m not?

I have 32 miles (51.5 kilometers) left these final two days to reach my goal.

Sometimes I’m just going to have to act like a lunatic along the way.

IT’S OVER.

August 1st, 12:23 a.m.

That’s it.

Thank God it’s over.

My exhausting step challenge is done.

This last week my existence was consumed with reaching my goal.

If I wasn’t working, I was walking. If I wasn’t walking, I was running — steps, steps, steps — all day long.

The grind is over, what a relief.

My legs are spent, and I’m exhausted.

I’m going to bed.

Bring on a new challenge.

Daily Step Log

July 1st: 19,947 July 2nd: 21,158 July 3rd: 17,357 July 4th: 9,915 July 5th: 29,263 July, 6th: 12,885 July 7th: 23,348 July 8th: 5,311

July 9th: 25,850 July 10th: 20,662 July 11th: 20,750 July 12th: 15,751 July 13th: 16,769 July 14th: 20,665 July 15th: 18,952 July 16th: 23,225

July 17th: 21,232 July 18th: 11,574 July 19th: 20,596 July 20th: 10,054 July 21st: 8,639 July 22nd: 23,506 July 23rd: 14,037 July 24th: 20,168

July 25th: 27,148 July 26th: 23,103 July 27th: 19,580 July 28th: 35,793 July 29th: 18,675 July 30th: 37,093 July 31st: 27,627 Average: 20,021

Noel: Before and After

Without question, I took more steps this month than I ever have in my life.

This challenge forced me to break out of my sedentary routine and get out in the world.

I now feel lighter on my feet and healthier.

My mind slows down, and my creativity blossoms while I’m on my feet. I lost five pounds, trimmed up noticeably, and created better habits for myself.

My future goal will be 12,000 steps a day.

20,000 steps a day is a bit much for now.

I want to be active, but I don’t want my life to revolve around steps.

Balance: that’s what I’m looking for.

Noel Before the Challenge	Noel After the Challenge
A roundish figure, sluggish, constantly staring at the computer	Active, energetic, and physically fit
Ran sparingly and inconsistently for short bursts	A daily runner with the best stamina in his life
Bored, unfulfilled, and under-exercised dog (Bubba)	Bubba constantly experiencing the best day of his life
Had a hard time focusing, jumbled and disorganized thoughts	Clear mind, natural and flowing creativity, focused
Unsure about achieving the goal, lingering self-doubt	Confident, motivated, and goal-oriented

Noel’s Step Stats

Total Steps Taken/Average Per Day	620,637/20,021
Kilometers/Miles Traveled	480.89/298.81
Most/Least Steps Taken in a Day	37,093 (July 29th)/5,311 (July 8th)
Time Challenge was Completed	11:17 p.m. on July 31st
Weight Loss	5 pounds | 2.3 kg
Calories Burned	19,880
Total Mi Band Battery Recharges	Two

Try Your Own Step Challenge

I recommend the 20,000 steps a day challenge to anyone who wants to become more active.

Steps are effortlessly countable, easy to achieve, and take you places you may never have gone otherwise.

You’ll notice changes both mentally and physically and will find yourself out in the world, thinking clearly and moving freely.

Some days the challenge will feel more like a chore.

You may doubt yourself and struggle at times, but you will come out on the other end, a stronger and more determined person.

Even if you look like a maniac as you pace around the occasional bus station.