100 Miles in 10 Days: Or the Power of Baby Steps

If you follow my IG (@adiajamille) then you know I started 2022 by walking 100 miles in 10 days. If you don’t, then I started 2022 by walking 100 miles in 10 days. So I thought I’d share some answers to common questions and maybe some tips for achieving movement goals, or actually any goals, that have worked for me.

First thing, why?

Like many people, quarantine and COVID shifted the way my life looked. Prior to quarantine, I had just had a baby a few months prior, and I was finally getting a routine. Z was big enough to leave home, my husband was recovering from his amputation and we’d developed a system to keep his functionality up. During this time I was going to the gym 3-5 times a week. I’d do a couple classes, or some cardio, get a massage, and a steam. It was glorious. My skin was glowing. My hair was poppin. And I was on my way towards my health goals. Then COVID hit and I haven’t been to a gym since. Then we were forced to move, which meant the loop wasn’t as accessible for me. Then with the shift in our income, and trying to just get by, my movement wasn’t really happening. Which meant I gained an uncomfortable amount of weight. Uncomfortable, to be taken literally. Even the most average movements have become difficult and sometimes painful for me. I’m not ok with that.

Next thing, how?

So back in November, after our most recent move, I got out again. We now live within a decent walking distance (for exercise, not leisure) from all the important things in my life. I started making a point to walk. But it wasn’t enough, and I was still making excuses for not doing things. So in December I started thinking about the new year, as we do, and decided that I wanted to walk 100 miles again. (I had done this previously with Girltrek in 2018. Collectively we were walking 100 miles in 10 days in honor of Harriet Tubman, and so many others, who ran away from enslavement. The founders of Girltrek, with a group of Black women, walked their 100 miles along the underground railroad.) I spent December preparing by walking 50 miles for the month. Then I rested January 1st, and then I got started on the 2nd.

What’s it like to walk 100 miles in 10 days??

EX.HAUST.ING. That’s partly due to the weight gain and lack of activity for two years. But it was exhausting when I did it 30 lbs lighter and way more active. But it’s also mentally invigorating to watch yourself do something that feels nearly impossible. Every day starting out was daunting. Then around mile 5 you get a second wind. Then around mile 7-8 you get a third wind. And then you know you’re almost done for the day. And it was the same for the days. In that order. The thing you need to know is that some days you’ll walk faster and some days you’ll walk slower. I think my slowest mile, that wasn’t because I was at the zoo or something like that, was around 27 minutes, my fastest was around 16. I didn’t have time restraints, but I want to be realistic about what it looks like. The other important thing is that I planned my day around my walks. I walked to work, I walked to the garden, I walked to activities, etc. But once I got home, that was it, I was done for the day. LOL The first couple days I would just fall right to sleep, but on day 6 that stopped, and that’s when I knew I was getting results.

Any tips?

Baby steps. I think a lot of folks think that baby steps means little by little, be cautious, etc. But to me that’s not what baby steps means. To me baby steps is waking up one day and saying “today is the day I ______” and diving in. Baby steps is trusting yourself to do something new even though others around you may be terrified you might fail or get hurt. It’s about taking big steps and falling over and over until one day you don’t fall anymore. And one day you realize you did it. And then immediately deciding which new thing you want to try. It’s always leveling up. It’s about finding balance and strength, literally in some cases. When we take baby steps we need to just commit to the act and dive in. And it doesn’t have to be 100 miles. It can be anything. It can be a job change. It can be learning something new. It can be whatever it is in your life that you want to make better.

While I’m nowhere near my health and fitness goals, my movement goals for 2022 will definitely get me there. This last 10 days were just the catalyst to get me moving and reminding that I’m strong and that it’s not as hard as it seems some times. So now I get to go into 2022 feeling powerful and energized and proud of myself for doing something that is truly difficult, even under better circumstances.

*I did make daily videos of my walks (the beginning is me walking and then end is photos from the day) if you’re interested in viewing those you can watch on my instagram IG: @adiajamille or tiktok: @adiajamille