Posted by: Lois Lindemann on: January 1st, 2020 
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I’m making 2020 a year of 52 mini-adventures. These might be new experiences, fun things to do or challenges to complete. Will I reach my goal of 52? Hopefully, but the most important thing is to have an interesting time trying new things.
Country Walking magazine’s Walk 1000 Miles challenge is a brilliant idea. The idea is simple: clock up 1000 miles on foot during 2020, either in 366 very short walks or any combination of shorter and longer walks. Walking, the chance to be outside, hopefully improving my level of fitness and a manageable challenge seems a great combination to me, so I’ve decided to try it.
I’m really lucky, I live on the edge of the Peak District, a place so gorgeous that large numbers of tourists come here on holiday. I love walking and we get out to walk regularly, but I am certain that I did not come close to covering 1000 miles last year, so this will be a challenge.
Every walker has a favourite place, an area that they return to again and again, re-walking the same paths and enjoying it even more than the first time. For us, that place is the area around Longshaw and White Edge in the Peak District. It has everything: dramatic views, lots of wildlife to spot and some surprisingly varied terrain for such a small area. We love it, so what better place to start our journey of 1000 miles? We joined the Bank Holiday hordes and headed out to complete a chilly lap of Longshaw. Our 1000 mile challenge has started. Now we just need to keep going.
Badge image © Country Walking magazine/Bauer media
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What a great plan. I usually set myself cycling mileage goals for the year, but I subdivide it into bronze, silver, gold, platinum. Strava on a smartphone could help because it can track your walking distance and altitude too.
My example: https://www.strava.com/athletes/302052
It’s set me back to 0 miles again ready for 2020.
I like the bronze, silver, gold idea – I could use that to give me some manageable intermediate goals.
I’ve been playing with Strava and Runkeeper to track things. Runkeeper seemed determined to talk to me to offer encouragement, then when I turned off the voice it pinged notifications at me. Grr! I know I when have stopped, I am usually admiring the view, or taking a photo, or even having a coffee halfway round – I don’t need a reminder! It also seems to think I have finished circular walks at a higher elevation than when I started them, despite being back at the same point, whch is bit odd.
Strava seems more suited to what I need – and has also logged my circular walks as having the same elevation at the finish as at the start, which makes me think it may be more accurate than Runkeeper, even though both are getting the same GPS data from my phone.
And more! I just followed the link to the walk1000 page and it’s so interesting I’ve copied it on to a couple of other folk!
Even more: My sister has now signed up for 1000 miles and is already on the case.
She’s here: if you want to track/friend her! See her first few Essex 3 milers as well.
https://www.strava.com/athletes/15800504
Brilliant! Will do that. Think I’ve decided on Strava rather than Runkeeper (Runkeeper nags rather a lot!) but hadn’t considered using social aspects of it. Might be good to keep me going.