Day 49 of 70.

Today was an amazing day.

I started my morning by getting my 50 sit-ups out of the way first thing. One box checked before the day really even started!

I let my husband sleep in a little, and around 10 AM we finally got moving. First up was a quick trip to the store to finish the last of the back-to-school shopping.

Then it was time for what I was really looking forward to.

We hit the trail. 🥾

A New Favorite Trail

This was a completely new trail for us, so we really didn’t know what to expect going into it.

It ended up being probably our second favorite trail we’ve done so far.

We spent just over four hours hiking and finished with a total of 8.6 miles.

That four hours included stopping along the way to take pictures, enjoy the scenery, and actually appreciate where we were instead of treating the entire hike like a race to the finish.

Even with the distance, I’d call today’s hike a moderate effort.

And honestly?

I loved every minute of it.

There’s something about being outside on a trail that just hits differently. You’re getting a workout without constantly thinking about the fact that you’re working out.

You’re just moving, exploring, talking, laughing, taking pictures, and suddenly you’ve gone almost nine miles.

I’ll take that over staring at the treadmill clock any day.

A Busy Week Ahead

This coming week is going to be a busy one.

My daughter’s birthday is coming up, my son’s football season is now in full swing, and normal life certainly isn’t slowing down just because I decided to do a 70-day challenge.

But we’ll find the time.

That’s becoming one of the biggest lessons of this entire challenge. Life isn’t going to suddenly clear my calendar and hand me two hours every day to focus on myself.

I have to find the time and make it work.

And speaking of making questionable decisions involving large numbers of miles…

I’m also planning to run a half marathon this week.

Yep.

13.1 miles.

So stay tuned for that adventure.

It’s Official!

There’s one more pretty big update.

Remember that six-hour endurance event my husband and I tested the course for?

The one with the 2.1-mile loop and that absolutely ridiculous uphill section?

We officially signed up.

There’s no backing out now!

That means over the next several weeks, you’ll probably start seeing my workouts shift toward preparing for the event. More hills, more incline training, longer hikes, and more time on my feet.

I’m excited.

I’m nervous.

And I’m probably going to question this decision several times while climbing that hill.

But that’s exactly why I’m doing it.

I wanted to push my limits. Now I get to find out where those limits actually are.

Today was 8.6 beautiful miles outside with my husband.

Tomorrow, we keep moving.

Day 49 complete. 21 days to go. 💪🩷

Real miles. Real mom. No filter.

– Shannon