Five Reasons This Is Taking a Long Time

 

When I walked from the northwest corner of Washington state to Miami, it took me about 20.5 months, which included a few weeks in which I walked less than usual after I was run down by a van. Now, I am walking back across the country, and I started almost 22 months ago, and I am hoping to finish in another 20 months. So why so slow? I have a few excuses.

1. More steps to cover the same distance. On my last walk, I measured my steps and then translated the number of steps into miles, using 2,000 steps per mile. I had calibrated that number when I lived in Snoqualmie, and I walked on trails that were marked every quarter mile. I counted my steps as I covered a quarter mile (more than once), and I consistently counted about 500 steps per quarter mile. Then, by the time I started this walk, I had a new phone that measured both miles and steps, and it thinks I take 2,200 steps per mile. Maybe my steps are getting shorter, maybe the phone apps are different. In any case, I only move about 90% as far now for each step I take.
2. Missed days. Before October of last year, I decided not to count days when I was involved in another activity, such as a bridge tournament or a vacation, and wanted to focus on the activity rather than on my walking. In the second half of 2023 alone, I did not count half of August and September, nor all of October and November. In 2024, I left out 28 days, mostly for bridge tournaments. Starting last October though, I started counting every day, because it is easier.
3. Other activities. Most of my previous walk took place during the Covid pandemic, and walking was my main focus. Bridge is a big focus now, and on tournament days, I rarely get more than a few thousand steps in. But there are other things, like getting ready to move, or I have an appointment, or the weather is terrible. I don't try to make up for those things anymore.
4. Getting older. I am only four years older than when I started the last walk, but I think I have less energy. I look back at my Miami walk, for example December 2022, when I walked more than 13,000 steps average for the month, and I cannot see doing that now. I just checked my March step counts, and I walked more than 13,000 steps three times. And that was a really good month.
5. This path is really long. If I were using Google Maps again to walk from Delaware to California, instead of following the American Discovery Trail, I would have just crossed out of Utah today, into Nevada, and I would only have 650 miles still to go. Instead, I am less than halfway across Nebraska and 40 miles from halfway across the country. I have 1,645 miles to go before I reach the Nevada state line, and another 874 miles from there to get to Point Reyes. I guess the "Discovery" part of the American Discovery Trail means you get the chance to wander all over.

Just a few more days, and I will start the second half.