2005, a great year for Walking Portland

i've been thinking about this post for a week now and decided the next few days are probably gonna be too hectic to get the thoughts out, so i should take advantage of the downtime. i wanted to take post and look back at the changes over the past year. yes, the blog is 1 year old in January and i am excited for the coming year. i started the blog as a way to express my experience in walking the streets of portland. A. and I had pledged to walk 10,000 steps a day and wow, we did it for most of the year. granted, there were some slow days (jaw surgery does that), but there were also some great days and weekends.

Some walking statistics:
Total steps this year Brett: 2,757,560 - approximately 1103 miles
Total steps this year Anna: 4,467,357 - approximately 1786 miles
Lifetime average for steps per day Brett: 10,445
Personal Best in a day: 29,802 (11.9 miles)
Best Day (also known as Gale Harold Day): July 9 in Montreal- 29,016 steps.

one year ago, i remember mulling over a walk up to Fred Meyer's and thinking - wow, that's a long walk. now, walking downtown to NW for lunch on a sunday is nothing for the two of us. we plan our lives and our days around walking places. we've sold our cars in order to support a change in our lifestyle.

Wow, can you believe that? 11.9 miles in a day. 1103 miles in the year. oh, and there were some other benefits. one year ago, i weighed a chunky 235lbs. granted, that was post holiday weight, but let's be honest, i wasn't in the best of shape. one year later i'm at a trimmer 200lbs. and i feel great. i have dropped 2 pant sizes and my clothes feel big on me. i'm not complaining. i even got down to 190 as a result of the liquid diet.

this blog has brought us some other wonderful amenities: FRIENDS!!!! along the way, both A. and I have met some great people and I am overjoyed at the new friendships being created via the interweb. Thanks to all of you - Mikey and Bev (rekindled and new), Michael and Kamarin, Paula, Nancy and Matt, Cari, Lelo and Adri, Rigo and many more. wow, to think this time last year we would meet so many amazing souls and create friendships that are so uplifting.

so, here's to a new year and new adventures. i'm gonna try and beat my personal best and i'm gonna try and post more here about my walks. i want to venture further away from what is currently comfortable. i want to take the bus somewhere and then walk home for example. i want to grid out downtown and walk every street. i want to venture to another city and repeat our experience in Montreal where we walk 10-12 miles in a day. you know how much you can see that way?

thank you all for supporting me with your comments and friendship. wishing you a happy, prosperous, and loving new year.