The final week has come and I am feeling pumped! This week is going to really test endurance. One thing I am struggling with this week is time management. I have six classes and the homework is really starting to pile up. Yesterday, I did homework for 10 hours and I swear I’m not lying. I got home from class around 1:30 and was sitting at my computer until 11:30ish at night. Then, on the weekend, I work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You can say I am feeling a little tired.

Luckily, my walks are providing a kind of calm in the midst of my hectic days. It’s time away from my phone and computer that I really enjoy and need. Well, that’s not counting listening to music on my phone, but I mean time spent not staring at a screen. By the way, if any of you have any playlist suggestions, please send them my way! I’ll link mine below. It changes often, but lately I have been listening to a lot of classic rock like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Check it out and let me know what you think! I think it does a good job of waking me up for my walks.

I am glad I have these screen breaks because I think my excessive screen time is starting to affect my mood. Without my walks, I think I’d be really unhappy. Let me know in the comments if anyone has any other suggestions for reducing screen time or methods to combat the negative effects of it.

Everyone make sure you’re continuing to take care of yourself during this challenge! Follow my tips in my first blog post for ways to prepare yourself for success physically and mentally. Also, never feel ashamed if you need to skip a day or modify your distance if you’re not feeling on top of your game. Sometimes, pushing yourself is great, but if you’re not feeling your best, it’s not worth the stress. Hey, that kind of rhymed.

Okay, this week I’m taking you along with me for my first five-mile trek! I am going to walk around my neighborhood loop a few times. Once around my neighborhood is about a mile and a half, so it took a little under three and a half loops to reach our five-mile goal. I didn’t include my neighborhood on the map from last week for privacy reasons, but there are plenty of great options there that I have explored if you’d like to check them out.

I have been using the AllTrails app to track my walking distances each week and I recommend trying it out. It’s really simple to use and is pre-loaded with local trail routes nearby.

I will say, filming and talking to the camera made it a different experience. It felt like I had my walking buddies there with me to talk to! I encourage you all to try this out yourselves or watch my video when you attempt your five-mile walk for the first time and we can go through it together. If you do end up filming your walks, please send them to me! In the meantime, check out my mini-documentary on my first five-mile attempt:

Let me know in the comments if you had a similar experience this week. Do you feel like you’ve improved? Could you have done this a few weeks ago? I love hearing from you all!

Anyways, that’s all for now. I wish everyone good – no, forget good – GREAT luck for this week. We got this! We’re almost at the finish line! See you next time!