Conquering The Mountain

After living as a Fatty McButterpants for years, I decided to straighten up and fly right in 2013. I started walking, jogging, and cycling and began tracking my progress with the Map My Walk app. It keeps track of your distance, pace, and calories burned. Throughout the year, the app lets you join challenges, where you can reach a certain amount of miles, or a certain amount of days of exercise. The most difficult challenge is You Vs. The Year.

To complete YVTY, you need to walk/jog/run/cycle 1,020 kilometers (633 miles) in a calendar year. The closest I have ever come was 800 kilometers, and that was mostly walking and jogging. This year, I added cycling into the mix, and have been riding ten miles nearly every other day since August. It did make the challenge a little easier, but biking ten miles is pretty grueling.

That said, I finally did it!

As of this moment, I’m at 1,043 kilometers (642 miles) and will continue to improve my mileage. I’m still a little heavier than I’d like to be – currently at 189, when I’d like to be 180 again – but I’m also hitting the gym every other day. I still feel great, and with the exception of the pulled back muscle, I’m good to go.