Stumbling into Sustainability: The Walking Commute

Every year as spring slowly turns to summer, and the weather warms up, I give myself lofty goals of: I am going to exercise 5 days a week, I am going to walk everywhere, I am going to ride my bike for coffee dates! How many of you do the same? You’ve spent winter all cooped up and now you are going to go WILD! I don’t know about you, but I basically never make any of those lofty goals happen, let alone ALL of them. This summer I decided to set a simple goal: walk to and from work as often as possible. Living in Minnesota, I knew the weather would throw curveballs, but I figured with solid food prep and some determination I could make it happen. Spoiler alert, my enthusiasm has been more consistent than my execution. Here’s how the first part of the experiment has gone.

One Manageable Goal > Big Plans

Before I even attempted to start walking, I knew food (lunches and snacks for work) would make or break this plan. Walking means carrying lunch, staying hydrated, and not wanting to buy expensive or unhealthy options on the way. I brainstormed a big list of easy, make-ahead items that could stretch across the week with minimal containers and thought.

• Tuna or chicken salad

• Egg bakes

• Overnight oats

• Yogurt parfaits

• Salad dressing for fresh veggies from the work farmstand

• Hard boiled eggs

• Shredded meats (beef, chicken, pork)

• Pre-cooked noodles

• Protein balls

• Peanut butter, hummus, guacamole

• Cottage cheese

• Cream cheese-based dips for veggies and crackers

• Air-fried chickpeas, broccoli, and sweet potato

Food prep: hard boiled eggs and tuna salad. Photos by Liz B.

I also planned to add a large bottle of coconut water every week for hydration. The goal was batch cooking on weekends so I could just grab and go. The goal and the outcome were very different.

Barefoot Life vs. Logistical Reality

I also knew walking that much meant I had to be careful with my footwear and wear supportive tennis shoes which is a struggle for someone who yearns to be barefoot all summer long. I lived in Las Vegas for 20 years, so the opportunity to always walk barefoot across cool, green grass is something I do not take for granted. Something else I considered was being that “weird” person walking along with a backpack and a lunch bag…and whatever other accouterments I felt the need to carry for a walk to work that (from the outside) looked more like the journey of a cross-country backpacker.

I like to walk and workout in a good pair of cross trainers. I like a lot of support and cushion, but a lighter shoe. Photo by Liz B.

Week 2, on April 20, I finally attempted to start. I got dropped off at work and walked home twice. The weather was mostly cold and rainy, Minnesota spring. I tried walking to work one more day but it was simply too cold, though I admit my tolerance for cold when I think it should be warm is closer to the tolerance of a toddler screaming for candy.

The Weather Prevails, But I Persist

Week 3 brought more rain. No walking, but I kept refining the plan. I have been in the rain often enough to have come the conclusion that I am in fact, not the Wicked Witch of the West (I’ve yet to melt), but walking in pouring down rain when I HAVE TO is not my idea of a good time, I would rather choose to dance in the rain on my own time. April 28 was another washout. On April 29, I woke up to beautiful skies but had zero sleep and no energy. I didn’t bring fresh lunch because I’d packed enough the day before, food prep wins in this case. I threw in an apple with dip and some loaded mashed potatoes to take advantage of the cheese and bacon calories. Balancing what I want to eat with what I need to eat is an ongoing challenge, as I’m sure it is for many people.

Week 4 (specifically, May 5) greeted me with snow. Still no walking, but I kept packing lunches. And then, on May 11, it finally felt like summer walking season. I left the house at 7:50, stopped for coffee on the way, and arrived at work around 8:30. I was recording the timing to figure out exactly what time I needed to leave home to get to work on time. I tend to read a book or listen to a podcast and my power walking skills get lost in a sea of distraction. I am also the type of person that if I see something cool while walking, I need a closer look. The walk was a success! The lunch packing was not so much; my DIY salmon snack packs leaked in my bag. Lesson learned: double-bag anything with strong smells.

The next few days were disrupted by travel and training opportunities for work. On May 14, I walked to work again and deliberately didn’t bring food, knowing there were leftovers from a work event the night before. It felt good to use resources already available and prevent waste (more of my stumbling lessons that come in handy). Late May supplied beautiful weather and another successful walk to work. I had hoped to walk home too, but thunderstorm warnings rolled in and I determined a ride home was probably the better option. The rest of that week had other obligations, both social and professional. It was a great reminder that “making exercise a priority” sounds easy until real life (and Minnesota weather) gets involved.

The Chase of Feeling GOOD

June 2 turned out to be one of my favorite days so far. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I headed to the gym for a light workout. Then I showered, walked to work (with the usual coffee stop), and still arrived early!  By mid-morning I noticed this incredible buoyancy in my attitude, a calmness for work and work challenges and obligations, the kind I rarely feel. I realized it came from getting two solid hours of movement in before the workday even started. That feeling alone makes the whole experiment worth it. I had packed chicken salad with avocado for lunch, but carrying it while walking wasn’t ideal. Unfortunately, it looks like I should pack a week of food in advance and maybe be dropped off on Monday morning…

Coffee stop reward/bribe in all the morning glow glory. Photo by Liz B.

Epic Fails and The Wins That are Worth It

Not every day works. Mondays are double-job days that often stretch to 14 hours and walking feels like it would drain energy I need later. Long days and looming rain forecasts have also gotten in the way. Food prep is an ongoing experiment with constant evaluation for what does and does not work. As of early June, I’d call the walking-to-work goal an “epic fail” on consistency… but the days it does happen feel disproportionately good.

I’m tracking this across three parts of the summer to see how it evolves. Right now I’m heading to Bentonville, Arkansas for a 10-day summer event, where I plan to use my roller skates as my main mode of transportation. It should be interesting!

Are any of you doing summer walking commutes? I’ll be back with Part 2; until then, keep stumbling forward, even imperfect progress counts.

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