I walked my socks off this weekend and pushed myself to the max, including Thursday when I did my first 10K walk, albeit virtually. More about that event when I get the shirt and finishing medal. On Thanksgiving Day, the weather folks first hinted at that dreaded, four-letter-word “snow” beginning today, lasting into tomorrow and up to a possible four to eight inches of the white stuff. I figured I’d pick up the pace and just get it done as I was fairly close to my goal. I walked so many laps at the Park Sunday, I ran out of peanuts and had to walk in the boring walking loop away from my furry and feathered pals. It’s similar to running out of Halloween candy and you shut the porch light so no one comes to the door. I’ll write about today’s trek in a separate post also. I have walked 1,255 miles (2,020 kilometers) so far in 2020. This goal was chosen as the amount of kilometers mirrored the year … who knew 2020 would be so abysmal though?
I savored this day which was sunny and very mild and I walked endlessly. I swear I need retreads on my shoes as you can see here …
… or perhaps just break in the pair that are waiting in the wings?
You might not think there’s much difference in these slippers, er my current shoes, versus my new shoes, until you see them side by side.
The old shoes will be kept for next year’s yard work. I’ll keep walking when I can and weather permitting to see how many more miles I will rack up in 2020. Onward and upward!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
I liked the photos of your shoes. Very graphic!
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Kind of like show-and-tell! Glad you liked that Anne – they look worse in real life than the pictures, but they are not run down as they have heavy soles, so they are still okay to use. I kept thinking I needed to break in new ones before the Winter, and, of course, I neglected to do so. I will likely be in the lug-soled hiking boots for a while (although we’re not getting as much snow as originally predicted and it will be 43 on Friday so maybe it’ll be gone soon).
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It is snowing here right now — 10:30 Monday night. The temperature is falling, but the ground isn’t frozen yet.
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Did you get measurable snow Anne? We were slated for 4-8 inches of snow and only got 3 1/2 inches here in my City. And it was heavy and had ice underneath. The driveway has melted already but it is very cold here … it was a real feel of 21 when I was outside this morning.
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I used a ruler once to measure snow in NC. Several years ago we needed a yard stick to measure snow on Long Island. On Nathaniel’s birthday in February, we had 31 inches of snow.
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Oh my – I can’t imagine that because we had a whopper storm a couple of years ago (also in February) and got 13 inches and I thought that was bad. It paralyzed the City and took many days to have the streets that weren’t on the main drag plowed.
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Our street wasn’t cleared for seven or eight days.
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That’s how it was in Detroit with the former mayor, but it’s gotten better now that they hire private contractors. My street and the sidewalks after the snow isn’t nice at all – I don’t think they salted or plowed and it is icy and full of ruts and the sidewalks are as well. I hope the 40s temps the end of this week help out a bit for melting.
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I’m impressed at how flexible you are in finding ways to meet your walking goals in spite of the various challenges that keep coming your way. Well done! Love the pictures of your walking shoes. I guess replacing them could be compared to getting new tires. 🙂 Yes, onward and upward!
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Thanks Barbara and I have to admit I took a nearly one-week pause at Palm Sunday as I worried about COVID and walking at the Park, but this past weekend, with the prediction of this storm and rising COVID cases, I decided to just get it done for the year and push myself four days in a row. I’ll add any more miles to the total for 2020, but next year just settle on 2,021 miles … hopefully next year will be more normal than this one was. I thought I’d show the difference in the two sets of shoes – glad you liked how I did it. The old shoes feel really comfy and are not worn out on the heels or body of the shoe, just look like they’re really worn. They are over a year old and have about 1,500 miles on them, if not more!
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Congratulations Linda, isn’t is something to see the difference between the worn out shoes and a new pair. You really used them and that is a good thing. 🙂
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Thank you Sandra. Earlier in the year I wondered how I would fare when I had a week where I wavered and didn’t walk at all, then walked in the neighborhood for one month, but a lack of rain this Summer and a clear and snow-free November helped push up the miles. Those shoes are so comfy, not run down, but they sure look worn!
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Congrats on meeting your goal! The old shoes just look dirty but I can’t see any holes or really worn parts. My last year’s favorite sneaker has a hole at the toe. I so rarely wear out shoes that I was surprised. The seam between the rubber front and the top fabric just have aligned up perfectly with my big toenail. At first I was bummed (favorite colors) but then I found a new pair I like as much. This summer I bought my first white sneaker in decades. It’s a breast cancer edition so all white with a touch of pink.
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Thank you – I am pleased I finished so early this year, but I really pushed myself once the time change happened and since it was a clear weekend. They really don’t look nor feel bad or run down, but the treads are gone and they are shin on the bottom, so maybe not good for Winter. They are truly like slippers. The colors for your breast cancer edition sound nice. I didn’t know they had anything like that.
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Attagirl!
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Thanks Alison!
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Like yours my running shoes have a second life, after they’ve lost their spring. They become my “barn shoes” for the chores taking care of our horses. I can get several more months out of them without the risk of potential injuries when I run.
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Well Dave, I kept telling myself, go to the new shoes before Winter and of course, I did not take that few minutes to get out the box and wear them. We’re having snow right now, so I’ll be into the lug-soled hiking boots if I walk. We are warming up again the end of the week – hopefully it will all melt. It is so easy to cause injuries with run-down or bad-fitting shoes, especially if you’re a runner and even a walker.
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Miss Linda…………………………………..your “old” shoes look like my shoes…………………for at least another year!!
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I know both of our shoes have taken a beating from all the miles we put on them Ann Marie … that’s good for us walking so many miles, the shoes not so much!
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Woo Hoo Linda!!! Considering the circumstances of this year do you think you would have walked this much if you did not have this goal? I found it hard at times to stay motivated this year.
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I have to agree with you Ruth – the year did have a lot to do with it. I always set a goal and I still had a month to finish that goal, but given the weather and the COVID-19 ever-growing stats and thinking “what if we went to a lockdown” … since I had a four-day Thanksgiving long weekend, I figured I could finish off the miles earlier and pushed myself. I had a lot of angst back in April, on Palm Sunday about COVID and catching it at the Park and I did not walk as I was worried and took off about 4-5 days to think about it. I decided to just stay masked up and I do chit chat with people, but that is only a few minutes and then I move on. I have been motivated about walking and blogging, but have fallen short in motivation for getting other things done in the house. 🙂 We had such good weather in November when it could have been snowy like today, I felt lucky to keep walking. We didn’t have a whole lot of snow which was fine as what fell was really heavy, even icy here. Did you get slammed with the snow they predicted?
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I know my blog would have suffered this year if I had not committed to my 55 Things posts. I’m still a bit behind but still plan to finish them up this year. Many times I just didn’t feel like writing but having made that commitment motivated me to keep going.
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That was a lot of posts to commit to in advance and you have also written other posts like for birthdays and favorite things. Will you use a similar motivation to write posts in 2021 Ruth?
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I haven’t decided yet about 2021 but I really think I need to set some type of goal to keep me motivated. By the way we only got about three inches of snow from that storm – not the 6+ that they had forecast for us.
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You should think of a theme or goal again Ruth – I enjoyed your “55 Things” and I’m sure everyone else did. We only got 3 1/2 inches too though they called for more … I was happy for that, though it was icy as they did not salt or plow, but today it melted which cleared up the streets and sidewalks so I can walk tomorrow. Yay for that! And hopefully get down to the Park I was not sure it was clear enough to walk this morning.
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Wow! What an accomplishment Linda! I do the same thing with my old shoes and wear them for yard work. Keep up the good work! 🏆
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Thanks Sabine – I am glad I finished earlier than year-end. I did worry about the weather, COVID and a potential lockdown, though I don’t think it affects me for at the Park. It’s not like in May when they had the lockdown – kids aren’t on playground equipment and people aren’t picnicking there now. But ice and snow too … it’s just as bad on the perimeter path as it is in the street. Sometimes they plow which is great, but then there is some melting, refreezing, etc. I’m able to get there on weekends after it warms up, but not always on weekdays. The shoes are actually in good shape, despite how they look. 🙂 I always check if they are run down, but the very heavy soles do not cause them to have run-over heels, just get shiny on the bottom. I may be into the lug-soled hiking boots before the new shoes! Thanks again … I will post what my final total will be by year end.
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It’s the same here with the park. There aren’t too many people around most days except for the dog park which is fenced in. Snow and ice aren’t usually a big problem here. Good shoes are important for good walking and yours look solid!
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They are really comfortable shoes Sabine. They never run down on the heels like my original pair did. They were Easy Spirits, but after I wore them for about six months, the heels were soft and ran down. I went to the shoe store and Margaret, the owner, was an avid walker so she recommended this Easy Spirit style. She also recommended the hiking boots I got for Winter. (New Balance).
They are sturdy and have thick lug soles but it took me forever to adjust to the high cuff which rubs against my ankles. The first year or so I had them, I used bubble wrap all the way around my ankles.
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Good sturdy and comfortable shoes make all the difference in walking. I’m glad that you found the right fit for your feet. 🙂
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These are very comfortable Sabine and I have recommended this style to lots of people. They were recommended by the store’s owner who started walking with her husband after he had a heart attack. So I have stuck with her advice since I started walking.
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Congratulations again on meeting your goal over a month early! Way to go!!! I think you should reward yourself with a new pair of walking shoes. I do the same thing with my old running shoes. When one pair wears out, I start on the next pair and use the old pair for kicking around. Then the pair I used for kicking around becomes my pair to do yard work in. The pair I used to do yard work in gets thrown out!
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We are the same and it becomes like an assembly line of shoes! I had well over 1,500 miles on these as I didn’t use new shoes this year – last year I think in the Summer. That is great and no blisters. I like the style and have two more pair in the closet – I was/am afraid they will discontinue the style so didn’t want to worry about finding a new style … crazy, I know!
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Congratulations Linda on meeting your goal, and so early too! Your new shoes look so sparkling white!
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Thanks Joni – I am excited to finish early and really put got my extra steps in over the holiday. They had predicted this snow storm before Thanksgiving already. And I figured if we got the 4-8 inches, I would not be walking any time soon. Yes, these shoes do look bright and white – too nice to dirty by walking in them! The last few months, I kept thinking I should wear them and break them in, although these Easy Spirits, same style I’ve worn since 2012, never give me blisters … they are comfortable, but I like the feel of old shoes better, especially if there is any precip on the ground. I will likely be wearing the hiking boots until the snow completely clears up.
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Way to go Linda! I knew you would do it but not a month early…..amazing! I love that you buy the same shoes for next year, I do the same thing because when you find shoes that work, you stick with them right? I love when they have buy one pair and get one half off. Yep in the closet the new ones go for when I need them. Congratulations!
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Thanks Diane – it looks like we were both breaking records weren’t we? I decided the weather might turn bad, COVID might be too much risk (though it’s not crowded there and easy to social distance), but I am happy to have gotten it done. Just in time as we have snow and also some ice on the roads and sidewalks. Too bad as no more snow in the forecast through next week. I did that with the shoes I showed, plus I saw them on sale this past Summer and got two more pair. I won’t need shoes for ages, but my shoe store I’ve bought them at since I began walking went out of business last year – the woman retired and closed out her merchandise. So, I am set, plus I bought some waterproof walking shoes last Summer after we had so much rain all Spring and early Summer.
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Congratulations Linda! You deserve a big crow cheering you on! The new shoes look longer than you old shoes? Yes,one pair per year! You can’t use a pair of shoes from the previous year…..bad luck from the last year may follow you into the new year!
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Thank you Wayne! I had to cheer myself at the end, then write about it the next day to make it fully real I guess. My shoes look old and worn but they are very comfortable. They have been my shoes the last 1 1/2 years, so I did take them into 2020 with me. The last shoes I got about 1,500 + miles and likely the same with these. Maybe I need to make sure I don’t pull the old shoes out anymore for a while.
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I bet If you featured your shoes specifically in a post the company may provide you with a free pair each year?
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Funny you say that Wayne because the first pair of shoes I wore out a little more than those and had estimated how many miles I had on them (more than 1,500) and wrote Easy Spirit and told them about walking, sent them a picture and never heard from them. Maybe I should try again.
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If they didn’t bite the first time they ain’t about to on the second. Send them a letter complaining how their shoes caused you grief and I bet you’ll get a answer!
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Wayne – I was disappointed they didn’t write back and thought that was poor form on their part. I was giving them kudos for a great product – go figure. You’re right of course and now if someone plasters a bad review on their Facebook page, even more reason for them to contact you!
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most companies now a days have bots to answer people’s questions. That way they don’t have to hire people and save money!
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Very true! I wanted to find out why AT&T raised my landline $6.00 because $1.00 would be bad enough, but $6.00. I tried the chat box and the bot kept giving me ideas how to rephrase my question … it was a straightforward question: why is this $6.00 more expensive than last month? I had to call customer service and the guy said “ya, the bots aren’t much help at all sometimes.”
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Congratulations, I knew you could/would do it!! Those shoes served you well. I’m like you, once I ‘wear’ them out on the road, I use them for gardening shoes. It’s hard to part with faithful shoes! I hope your next year’s goals don’t bring on snow and pandemics, can you ensure that?! 😉
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Thanks Shelley – I decided I was so close and had four days so just pushed myself a little harder plus I walked in a virtual 10K – my first one, so excited for doing that. I wouldn’t normally sign up for a 10K as they are usually in June or July and I’m not used to walking that many miles early in the year … especially if we had a rough Winter and I didn’t walk regularly. So I decided to do the equivalent of a 10K every day — happy to finish up in case of bad weather later this month. These are comfortable shoes, though they are heavy and clunky looking. They are not run over in the heels, but are sturdy and make great gardening shoes!
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You’re welcome. We tried a 4 mile walk yesterday and gave up because it was toooooo cold!
It’s important to have comfy and sturdy shoes, especially with the # of miles you put on them. Way to plan ahead and have a spare pair at the ready.
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It was cold yesterday and today as well. I thought I was dressed warmly enough, but still have not warmed up. The wind is brutal sometimes! I do recommend Easy Spirit “Punter” – I have never had a blister or uncomfortable shoes with this style.
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Thanks for the tip on brand/style!
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You’re welcome – I’ve never had a blister or sore feet in all my miles walked.
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Those are great shoes then!
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At least you got your moneys worth.
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That’s for sure! I used to buy them on sale as well and I actually started wearing this old pair last Summer (2019) already. These are Easy Spirit “Punter” brand and they last forever – they look bad but feel like slippers!
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That’s what I heard about Easy Spirit…comfortable.
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Yes, I will vouch for that … no blisters, sore feet since I started using them. They are really heavy shoes and long-wearing.
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Hi Linda, did you get the exact same pair again?
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Hi Jeanine – I did get the same pair again – I have used this style since I began walking. They are Easy Spirit “Punter” … I have never had a blister or sore feet and these pair were about 18 months old – they had at least 1,600 miles on them! They are like slippers to me. I bought some hiking boots four years ago – they are up to the ankles and it took me a couple of years to break them in. I had to put bubble wrap around my ankles … I won’t buy that type of boot again, although they feel sturdy, not wobbly, for walking on snow.
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What well loved shoes you have there Linda 😁. Well done on your amazing achievement so far. ❤
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Thanks Zena and we did get that snowfall the next day as expected, but not as much as predicted which was good. The snow melted and it’s clear again until this coming Saturday, then rain and snow. I think I’ll be able to get more miles walked in December but next year will just be 2,021 kilometers or 2,156 miles. (Someone challenged me to add about 60 miles to my prior total for 2019, so I did it to equal 2,020 like the year … even though 2020 is unforgettable.)
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Good going!! That’s a lot of miles and time outdoors.
Hope the winter doesn’t get too bad there, so you can continue to enjoy your walks. And if you do, will Parker and his friends still be there to greet you?
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Thanks Esther! It is a lot of miles and as of today, I’ve put another 26 miles past my tally. I used to keep walking and then add one more mile next year to the final amount, but I won’t do that for next year. I already added 50 or so miles to make it 2,020 kilometers for the year 2020 (thus the 1,255 mile goal). Next year will just be 2,021 kilometers. I do see Parker who greets me when he sees me – sometimes at the beginning of the path, sometimes along the way if he is on the other side and sometimes he’ll zip over to my car to ensure he gets more peanuts before I leave. 🙂 I don’t always take the car, I usually walk as it’s a two-mile roundtrip from home so I opt for that. I hope we don’t have a bad Winter either … they say since it is a La Nina Winter, we will have a lot of precip (snow or worse … freezing rain).
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Really commend you for walking those miles! Walking is so peaceful and refreshing. I miss strolling around NYC when I was a student. Nowadays walking is an endurance sport to keep the kids in line and to constantly reply to their never ending questions and complaints.
Keep walking for joy! Your squirrel buddies love ya and it’s beneficial for your health. 🙂 Go, go, go Linda!
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Thank you Esther – I have even put a few more miles since then and I’ll “report” them at the end of the year. We had that snow storm and it fizzled out and the 3 1/2 inches of snow melted away within days (thankfully). It is my best and most-calming part of my day, so I look forward to it … as you say walking for joy. I do enjoy my encounters with the squirrels … no more pets for me, so I have adopted all of them! I do “get” that you likely walk as much as I do, but it is not as enjoyable. You have to set a pact with Chris that you can set aside some time to walk alone in the evening after dinner/dishes, etc. if that is doable … once it is light again in the evening. You have awhile to iron out your details.
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