Category: Journey Journal

There are still more than 200 weeks before I step foot on the Appalachian Trail, but every day I get a little closer.

This week, my goal is 12,000 steps a day. For me, that is a little more than six miles every day. There was a time when I never would have believed that was possible.

It is amazing how things can change.

I did have a small stumble yesterday. Literally.

Because of my drop foot, my right foot hangs when I walk. Yesterday, it caught on a lip in the path, and down I went. It was a reminder that I have to remain diligent with every step.

No matter how hard I train or how strong I become, the drop foot will always be there—an unwelcome companion on this journey.

But I am alive. I am walking. And compared to the alternative, it is a small inconvenience.

So I got back up, and I kept moving forward.

Because forward still counts.

When I created Walk With Me, I hoped someone might eventually decide to join the journey. I did not expect the first person to teach me so much about what the idea could mean.

On the website, she is known as ROTO. She lives in Arizona, and she also happens to be my sister.

I suspect she initially joined because she wanted to support me. That would have meant a great deal by itself. Somewhere along the way, however, this became her walk too.

ROTO began with a goal of 5,000 steps per day. During her first week, she averaged 7,687. She then raised her goal to 8,000.

The next week, she averaged 7,351 steps. She did not reach the new goal, but she did something more important: she continued.

A week later, she averaged 9,403 steps per day. Her goal this week is 8,500.

That is real progress. It has not been a perfectly straight line, because progress rarely is.

She is also doing this in Arizona during the summer. I complain about the Texas heat, and with good reason, but Arizona brings an entirely different level of heat. ROTO continues to find the time and the motivation to get her steps anyway. She adjusts, keeps working, and moves forward.

That is what impresses me most.

Like most people, she has experienced valleys in life. Right now, she is climbing out of one. I will leave the details of her story for her to share, if and when she chooses. What I can say is that I am proud of the way she continues to show up for herself.

What “Walk With Me” Means

Walk With Me was never intended to mean that everyone should train for the Appalachian Trail.

The trail is my long walk. Someone else’s may be improving their health, recovering from a loss, rebuilding confidence, changing careers, strengthening their faith, or simply getting through a difficult period without giving up.

There are no rankings here. No winners. No losers.

ROTO and I live in different states. We have different goals, different circumstances, and different roads ahead of us. Yet we can still move forward together.

That is the meaning behind Walk With Me.

You do not need to be a hiker. You do not need an extraordinary goal. You do not even need to know exactly where your road leads. You only need a starting point and a willingness to take the next step.

ROTO started with 5,000.

This week, she is reaching for 8,500.

I am proud that she chose to walk with me. I am even prouder that she is making the walk her own.

Continue the Journey

Forward Still Counts

The week is halfway over, and so far, so good.

At the beginning of the week, 10,000 steps a day felt like a huge milestone. It seemed like one of those goals that would take everything I had just to reach. Surprisingly, every day so far I’ve hit it. Not easily, but I’ve hit it.

The biggest challenge hasn’t been motivation. It’s been Texas.

It’s hot. It’s humid. Most days I’m wearing slacks and, more often than not, a long-sleeve shirt for work. I’m also trying to walk everywhere I can. Park farther away. Take the stairs. Walk between buildings instead of driving. Those extra steps add up, but so does the sweat. If I’m not careful, the walk through a parking garage feels like stepping into a sauna.

That’s not exactly the professional look I’m going for.

It has led to some entertaining conversations, though.

“Why are you so sweaty?” is probably the question I hear the most.

Or after climbing a few flights of stairs and trying to quietly catch my breath…

“You okay?”

I just laugh and explain what I’m doing.

Those conversations remind me that this journey isn’t happening in secret. People are noticing. Some are curious. Some think I’m a little crazy. A few are even inspired.

The truth is, this is exactly what training should feel like. It’s inconvenient. It’s uncomfortable. It doesn’t fit neatly into everyday life. You find ways to make it work anyway.

The Appalachian Trail won’t care if it’s hot. It won’t care if I’m tired. It certainly won’t care whether walking is convenient.

So today, every sweaty shirt, every flight of stairs, and every parking lot is part of preparing for that day.

Forward still counts.

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Continue the Journey

Forward Still Counts