I’ve been remiss in providing updates over the past several months. While I continue my virtual Walk Across the Country, I have slowed down a bit. And I’m talking bout walking and writing! It’s not for any particular reason, but as of today, I have renewed focus in getting my walking in each day. I also hope to increase my blogging going forward as well. As you’ll see below, June through September slowly decreased in monthly milage. To be honest… October isn’t looking too good either! But I have another 10 days to jump start and have it salvageable for the month!
Walked over 705 miles
For the four months ending September, I logged in just over 705 miles. That’s roughly 5.8 miles each day. That’s up about 17% compared to my average daily milage for the months of April and May. I peaked in July with a daily average of 6.28 miles per day which I was fairly happy about. September on the other hand drifted down to just 5.11 average miles per day.
Unfortunately, October has not been a good month for my goals this year. When I look at my tracker, I’m shocked at how many days I didn’t get out there and really stretch my legs. However, like I said above, there’s over a week left in the month and perhaps with some renewed focus I can slightly improve the monthly figures. Wish me some luck!
Tracking improvement
I’ve decided I needed a tracking improvement as the number of states, miles, and averages keep piling up. Hoping the new table below helps.

Four months four states

Four months and four states for June through September. After leaving Kalamazoo WV in May, I headed west. During my 181 miles of walking in June I ventured into Ohio, stopping in Jackson. I continued west for the month of July. Columbus Indiana is where I ended up, culminating with 194 miles walked for the month. July was by far my best month for 2020 with an average of 6.28 miles a day. August had a slight southerly detour towards Kentucky. After 177 miles for the month, Owensboro Kentucky became the resting point. Lastly, Illinois was my final stop for September. Down significantly compared to July, I averaged 5.11 miles per day. Carbondale Illinois was my landing spot in the map at the end of the month.
Crossed thirteen states in nine months

So far in 2020, I’ve walked nearly 1,455 miles. My goal is now to get to 2,020 miles for the year. I’ll need to really step it up the last couple of the months to hit the target, but it’ll be fun to try. I crossed thirteen states in nine months. I indicated in my last update back in June, the number of states I can get through will get smaller as I go west across the country. The states keep getting larger and larger! Thirteen states now and growing. The state list now is:
- Massachusetts,
- Rhode Island,
- Connecticut,
- New York,
- New Jersey,
- Pennsylvania,
- Delaware,
- Maryland,
- Virginia,
- West Virginia,
- Ohio,
- Indiana,
- Kentucky, and
- Illinois
Charity update
As for my other monthly update… not so good either. I broke down in September and bought ice cream! I’m not sure it was a moment of weakness, but somehow, I was able justify getting some after 8 months of avoiding it. For more on my back story on why I wasn’t purchasing my favorite dessert, click here. In any case, I’ll continue to add to our special charity donation fund despite making the purchase. No sense in having a worthy cause receive less than intended simply because I broke down!
Through September, Mrs. P2F and I now have $450 in additional funds to donate to a worthy charity this year through my “no more ice cream in the house challenge” “less ice cream in the house challenge”!
Stay safe and vote!
That’s all I have now for the walking update for June through September. I sincerely hope you and your families and friends are staying safe and healthy as we move forward. As we approach November, I encourage you to get out there and vote. If you’re looking for info on your local elections, check out this government website and drill down to your location. No matter which candidate you support, make your voice heard by exercising your right to be counted. Really, that’s it…stay safe and vote!
What were you up to this past summer? Are you keeping up with your 2020 goals? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for stopping by.Take a moment to subscribe by email below to receive notification for each new post. You can also follow me on Facebook @Prepare2FIRE.com or on Twitter @Prep2FIRE.
Go west, young man!
I’m trying! October looks more like a stumble across the country.
inspiration abound…I am now going to walk not only on my treadmill for cardio but going to put the money that I would have spent on lunch…one day a week…aside and donate at the end of the year and start up again for the next…sometimes we need just a little guidance or some healthy competition. I will try to catch up to you in Illinois
That’s fantastic Gordon! Glad the post provided some inspiration! Keep us updated on your progress in future posts.
This is inspiring! Have you ever considered doing a non-virtual thru hike one day?
I think that would be really fun. I’d like to spend time out west hiking some day. It’s on the bucket list.