March is almost over, and today marks my 50th day walking. This week is my 8th week of walking, and it’s amazing to me that it’s almost been two months since I began. If feels like just yesterday that I was writing a “one month in” blog post. At the same time, I feel like I’ve been at this little quest forever!

The graphs I see from my Fitbit helps to reassure me that I have developed a strong habit that I hope will continue for a long time (at least until we are put under strict quarantine and are banned from leaving our homes). I’m crossing my fingers that walks will not be banned for the duration of this crisis.

Having gone from 2 miles a day to 8 miles a day in 40 odd days, I’m hoping to reach my goal of 10 miles a day by my birthday (June 4th). At this rate, I’m sure it’ll happen sooner. My only concern is that at this stage (8 miles a day), my walk is taking 2 and a half hours.

I’d like for my per-mile rate to increase so that I am not stuck walking for 3 solid hours, or even more. It’s becoming to be quite a time sink, and I can never seem to leave my home early enough to make it back for 11am lunch (which, I guess, isn’t a bad thing…). My workday can’t start until after lunch. But then again, what have I got to do, and where do I have to go? Nothing, and no where, right?

Face

I don’t know if it’s all the junk food, stress from the Coronavirus and self-quarantine, or byproduct of walking around in all types of weather every single day, but my hair and facial skin are in rough shape.

Thinking I’ll start testing my theories, I began wearing a normal mask, and I feel like it’s already helping. I began putting sunblock on my face after wondering if the redness is due to sunburn. With a mask and hat, I look pretty ridiculous, but I’m already feeling the difference on the brittleness of my skin, so look ridiculous I shall!

Legs

The muscle pain in my calves and thighs are getting more intense. I find myself hobbling for a few seconds every morning right after I get up from bed, my calves tights and angry. They don’t keep me from doing anything, but I do feel knots in them from time to time. I’m trying to stretch and massage them, but I’m hoping they’ll loosen up with time (and more usage).

I don’t have the toe/foot pains that I was having when I began walking 6 miles, which is great. The knee pain that was bothering me is also gone.

Since we are under “Stay at Home” directive, the only times I leave the house is to walk and go grocery shopping once in a while. So I find that other than the walk, I get practically no steps in within my tiny apartment. While I feel good that I’m doing something good for myself every day, I’m also worried that maybe despite walking for 2.5 hours a day, my life is still too sedentary. But what can you do in a state of emergency, right?

Stomach

My insatiable hunger is gone, thank goodness. At one point, I felt like I couldn’t eat enough to keep myself satiated. I think I’m still eating too much junk food (chips, dried mango slices, carrot cake…), but I’m also burning 900+ calories. At a high-stress time like this, I’m glad I’m at least exercising off the stress eating I am bound to do!