I completed The Michael J. Fox Foundation October miles challenge
31 miles in 31 days!
That was the challenge The Michael J. Fox Foundation set up for the month of October. I usually don’t do things like this but this one seemed very doable; plus it would give me the opportunity to get some much-needed exercise. Win/Win!
The idea was also to get people to donate to your challenge which would raise some bucks for the foundation and help their cause in eventually curing Parkinson’s Disease. Well, I admit that I’m not big on doing that, never have been, but I like to write about these things which hopefully will raise awareness. Maybe someone will read one of these pieces and will pop up with a bit of cash…maybe. But again, Win/Win!
I began on October 1 with mile number one. It was just a walk around the neighborhood. Pretty simple! It took eighteen minutes. It was a good start. In fact, almost all the walks were in my hood, doing the same few laps, day after day after day. There were a few days when it rained so I took my walk to the local mall…along with about fifty others who were walking there for their own personal reason.
I also took the challenge literally. I saw others in the challenge blow past the thirty-one-mile mark in the first week. More power to them! I took it slow and steady. One mile plus thirty-one days equals thirty-one miles! My arithmetic teachers would be so proud.
Today was the final day of the challenge. I ended it the way it began. I walked around the block a few times. One point one mile. Eighteen minutes and twelve seconds!
So, what’s next? Will I keep going? I honestly don’t know. While the weather was great in October, it usually gets cold in November. I admit I won’t be walking when the temperature is in the twenties…and probably not when it’s in the thirties, either. But, it’s not going to be that way tomorrow, so I’ll be outside somewhere walking for a mile. If you see me, wave and say hello. Or better yet give a buck or two to a Parkinson’s group or the foundation of whatever horrendous disease you support. It’ll make you feel good…almost as good as walking a mile each day for thirty-one days.