Update on My Journey to 100,000 Steps in a Single Day

Well, it's been 5 months now since I set this ambitious goal, and while it has taken me longer to get there than I originally thought, the dream is still alive!

Before setting a date for my first full-on attempt, I thought it would be good to start with a smaller goal of doing 50,000 steps in a day, and see how I felt after that.  If I was literally on my last legs and struggling, then I would know I was not ready to attempt 100,000.  If, on the other hand, I was still in relatively good shape, I would know that 100,000 may be realistically in my grasp.

My first 'test' was in early May.  I packed 3 different running shoes, and my trusty Blundstones.  I had changes of shirts, shorts, long running pants, plenty of food and liquids, and even a 'medical kit' with blister pads, anti-chafing gel, first aid, and Tylenol.  I was prepared!!

I decided that to make things as realistic as possible, I would start at 4:00 am, just like I would need to when attempting the full 100,000.  It was cold, drizzly, and blustery that morning.  One of my early challenges was navigating wooden walkways which were covered in ice from the freezing drizzle.  That's Newfoundland May weather for you!!

Nonetheless, the first 25,000 steps went pretty smoothly and I was in high spirits.  I had changed footwear and socks several times along the way and thought that would help prevent any rubbing or blisters.  But then before I got to 30,000 I suddenly started developing painful blisters on the sides of my heels and the balls of my feet.  It seemed like the heat and friction just reached some kind of tipping point and... instant blisters.  I ended my experiment at around 30,000 steps and realized that my first hurdle that needed to be overcome was this blister problem.

My next trial run was conducted in mid-June.  For this attempt, I purchased several pairs of specialized running socks, and selected the jogging shoes that I felt had been the most comfortable.  I also changed up my route a little bit, getting away from simply circling the same lake over and over again.  I thought if I varied the terrain a little bit and incorporated some slight up slopes and down slopes, the pressure points on my feet would vary some and delay the onset of blisters.  It did work to some extent.  This time I got to about 45,000 steps before painful blisters shut me down just short of my intended 50,000 steps.

Hmmm... clearly the problem was not yet overcome.  However... I did have a new idea.  Perhaps plastering the susceptible areas of my feet with Dr. Scholl's moleskin prior to starting the walk was the key.  Up until now, I had brought it along as a treatment for blisters developed during the walk.  But once you have a blister, I now realized it's already too late.  It's blister prevention that is the key!  I got my chance to test this new theory in the Tely 10 - a ten mile road race that I participated in on July 23rd.  Prior to the race, I plastered my feet with the Moleskin, and then for good measure, wrapped duct tape around the whole thing.  Then, I put on my socks and runners and headed out the door.  Crossing the finish line (at about 20,000 steps), I was a little disappointed to find that I still had blisters - just not in the same place.  I managed to avoid the ones on the balls of my feet, but incurred blisters on the sides of my feet and heels at the seams where the moleskin ended and my feet began.  Some of the duct tape also became dislodged during the race and caused blisters of their own.

So... that brings me to my most recent test - this time incorporating ArmaSkin's anti-blister socks that my wife ordered for me from Australia.  These special socks have a sticky interior that plasters itself to your foot to provide an extra durable layer of 'skin'.  The outside of the sock is slippery to reduce friction, the synthetic material wicks moisture away from the foot.  Eliminating friction/heat, and moisture should eliminate blisters!

So, on August 19th, at 4:00 am, I set out on what I hope to be my final test run.  The goal was to finally crash through the 50,000 step barrier relatively unscathed.  I was excited to find out that the new anti-blister socks worked... for the most part.  I still got large blisters on each of my pinky toes.  In addition, I was experiencing pain in the muscles of my lower shins that lift up your feet as you walk - presumably because of the extra resistance caused by the compression socks.  Nonetheless, I was largely recovered by the next day, so I am reasonably confident that I can push myself harder with no long term effects.  And I ended the day with a new personal best 55,000 steps!

So... with everything I've learned, I think I am ready to give it a real full-on attempt.  I've tentatively set Saturday, Sept 16th as the big date, although I will need suitable weather... which really means no significant rain.  I know I have to steel myself for a lot of suffering in the second half of the day, as every step becomes more and more painful. That's where the support of family and friends come in.  Can I really do it?  That's still an open question and one that I can't wait to answer.