Al's 1200-mile Challenge in 2004
	DATA 2004 Miles Graph Complete Walking Statistics

I started 2004 with no real goal in mind for my walking. I was trying to get some walking in as often as I could, but there was no set amount that I was striving for. My journal shows that I had finally set the goal of 1200 miles for 2004 by June 5th. However, I had already gone through 5 months of the year by that time, and I was over 2 months behind where I should have been at that time. It left me with some catching up to do.

WALKING DATA SUMMARY FOR 2004 MONTH # OF WALKS AEROBIC POINTS * MONTH'S MILES YEAR'S MILES GOAL MILES JANUARY 21 115.8 45.2 45.2 100.0 FEBRUARY 33 179.9 68.0 113.2 200.0 MARCH 42 254.5 109.7 222.8 300.0 APRIL 38 261.9 111.0 333.8 400.0 MAY 19 159.8 63.4 397.2 500.0 JUNE 57 318.6 137.1 534.3 600.0 JULY 7 36.3 16.8 551.1 700.0 AUGUST 43 260.6 102.9 654.0 800.0 SEPTEMBER 70 426.9 171.2 825.2 900.0 OCTOBER 58 385.1 152.8 978.0 1000.0 NOVEMBER 26 176.6 70.3 1048.3 1100.0 DECEMBER 51 387.5 151.8 1200.1 1200.0 Total Miles Walked: 1200.10 Number of Walks Taken: 466.00 Hours Spent Walking: 326.27 Average Speed (MPH): 3.68 Average Minutes Per Mile: 16.31 Average Miles Per Walk: 2.58

January started out with snow, but I did get some walking in. My exercise goal at the time was to get in at least 30 Aerobic Points* each week. By the end of the month I had averaged 26 points per week. This was one of only two months that I did come up sort for Aerobic points.

Later in the year I decided to set my goal for 1200 miles in 2004. In order to be on track for that goal, I needed to average about 3.28 miles per day. In January I averaged 1.46. That was less than half of what I needed, but at least I was walking. I should have hit 45.2 miles, which ended up being my total for the month, on January 14, and so that left me 17 days behind schedule on January 31.

I did walk 21 times during the month. So, although January was not a great month, at least I was moving.

February was a much better month for walking. For starters, I walked 11 more times than I did in January. Next, I earned about 45 aerobic points per week on average, well over my target of 30. I walked a total of 68.0 miles for the month. With one exception, on February 26th where I did a double walk (for 4.7 miles) due to circumstances unplanned for, each of my walks that month was less than 2.6 miles. After two months, my total for miles for the year sat at 113.2. I should have hit that number on February 4. So, I was 25 days--nearly a month--behind the curve already, but I didn't know it yet.

March was a good walking month. I nearly doubled the number of miles that I had walked for the year by getting in 109.7 miles. I averaged over 57 aerobic points per week, nearly doubling my goal of 30. On the 13th of the month I measured out, and walked for the first time, the 3.1-mile loop around our neighborhood that I was going to use many, many times for the rest of the year. It included two stop lights that I later cut out by taking a slightly shorter (3.05 miles) route, but other than that, it was an excellent walking path. I finally was geared up to do some longer walks.

By getting in 109.7 miles, I had averaged 3.54 miles per day, and for the first time, walked over 100 miles in a single month in 2004. At the end of the month I had 222.8 miles in, and I should have reached that number on March 8. I was still 23 days behind schedule.

For miles, April turned out even better than March had. I ended up walking 111.0 miles for the month, catching me up to where I was only 19 days behind schedule. I got twice as many aerobic points in as I needed also.

May I slowed down a lot. I only walked 19 times all month, and I only got in 63.4 miles. I did get in my aerobic points, which was good, but at the end of the month I only had 397.2 miles in. I was 31 days behind schedule.

June is when I decided that I would set my goal for 1200 miles for the year. I had 8 months of walking to get into 7 months of time, but I thought I could do it.

I got out and walked 57 times during the month, and got in 137.1 miles. That earned 318.6 aerobic points for me, nearly 2.5 times as many as I needed. My total miles moved up to 534.3, cutting my deficit back down to 19 days. Things were looking good on paper.

In July I ran into a brick wall. I started getting abdominal pains and I was not sure what was causing it. I thought the walking was making it worse, and so I slowed way down. I only walked 7 times, and only went 16.8 miles, and earned an anemic 36.3 aerobic points. Suddenly I was 45 days behind schedule.

I rebounded in August, because I knew if I were going to make my goal, I would have to start moving my total miles up in a hurry. I walked 43 times, and covered 102.9 miles. I was still 44 days behind, but at least I didn't make it any worse in August.

In September I got the word that I was not suffering from anything dangerous with my abdominal pains, and so I set to work with a vengeance. It turned out to be my best month all year. I walked 70 different times during the month, and went 171.2 miles. My aerobic points total jumped to 426.9, which is 3.3 times as many as my goal! My total miles for the year moved to 825.2, leaving me only 22 days behind schedule.

October followed in a similar vein, although one not quite so rich. I walked 58 times, and got in 152.8 miles. I earned 385.1 aerobic points, once again giving me a large surplus. My total miles for the year were up to 978.0, leaving me only 7 days behind. I was feeling like I was in the driver's seat at this point.

November proved me wrong. Dotti and I both got a bug that took a couple of weeks to get rid of. With the fever and other symptoms, I did not feel like walking, and for 12 days I didn't. On November 16 I tested the water by walking 1.0 mile. I didn't feel too bad afterwards, and so on November 17 I kicked in the afterburner, walking a total of 8.7 miles. By the end of the month I had only walked 70.3 miles, but I didn't feel too badly about it. I had only had about half a month to work with.

It left me with my total miles at 1048.3. I should have had 1098. I was still 15 days behind schedule.

December was the final test. I had to walk 151.7 miles, or I wouldn't make my goal. There were no more months where I could carry a deficit and still have a chance. It was now or never.

I got out there 51 times to walk during the month. By the 15th of the month, I was up to 1131 miles. I still had to do what I had done the second half of November plus a bit more.

I arrived early for work and walked a few miles. I walked at lunchtime. In the evening I walked some more. When we headed towards Mom's house on Christmas Eve, my total was sitting at 1167.8. On the way we stopped in Canyonville, so Dotti could wrestle the one-armed bandits at the casino, and I took a 3.3-mile physcial walk, while my mind strolled down memory lane. (Canyonville is the closest town, of any size, to Milo Academy, where I went to high school.) It moved my total up to 1171.1, and I had less than 30 miles to do, with 7 days left in the year. For me not to make it at this point, I would nearly have had to have a leg fall off. My new goal: make 1200 miles before we had to leave for home on Tuesday December 28.

I walked 3 times on Christmas day. In the morning, I did 4.2 miles by myself. In the afternoon, I took two walks with Mom. One was very short (0.63 miles), but the other was 4.22 miles long! Considering the fact that Mom had triple bypass surgery just a few months before, that is really impressive! My total was sitting at 1180.1 as Christmas ended.

On Sunday we went to town, and so did my walking shoes. While Dotti and Mom did some shopping at the mall, I walked 3.0 miles on the streets of Roseburg. After lunch, while they were perusing the aisles of Wal-Mart, I walked another 6.0 miles. My total was up to 1189.1, and I was feeling really close.

Monday my knees were feeling a little sore from my walking the day before. I knew that I could do 11 miles in one day if I had to, so I was not in a hurry. I took two walks. In the morning I walked with Mom for 3 miles, and then in the evening Dotti took a 2-mile walk with me. At the end of the day I was only 6 miles short.

Tuesday I decided to close the book on my 1200-mile odyssey. On Monday Mom had said that she would like to walk the last mile with me, but on Tuesday she said she wanted to do the last 3 miles! I got up early and walked a fairly quick 3 miles as a setup for the finale. My total miles were up to 1197.1, and I picked up Mom for the final 3-mile stretch. She got all bundled up, because it was in the mid 30s for temperature, and we set off up river. One hour, 5 minutes, and 2 seconds later we crossed the finished line! Mom gave me a big hug, and then Dotti did too.

* Aerobic Points.