The 12-Hour Walk Challenge

I recently listened to a Good Life Project podcast episode featuring Colin O'Brady, a ten-time world record-breaking explorer, speaker, entrepreneur, and mindset expert.

In the episode, Colin talks about his concept of a Possible Mindset™, described as "an empowered way of thinking that unlocks a life of limitless possibilities." One of the benefits of developing the mindset is that it can help you overcome any limiting belief(s) you may have about yourself or your circumstances. He describes that yielding to these beliefs confines us to live a life of comfortable complacency, which inhibits our ability to dream, grow, and achieve a more fulfilling life. However, there is a solution. It is possible to rewrite the narratives to conquer our minds. All it takes is one day to invest in yourself—simply by walking. A 12-hour walk to help eliminate any limiting beliefs that you may be carrying around, and through completing the walk, you develop a catalyst to shift your mindset to believing anything is achievable.

The concept intrigued me, so I decided to give the 12-Hour Walk Challenge a shot. The challenge was simple on its surface—walking outside in solitude for 12 hours without human interaction, no texts, music, podcasts, or any social media. Having finished the walk, it was indeed challenging—both mentally and physically—but the feeling of having completed something I have never done before in my life makes it a valuable and priceless experience. If the challenge sounds exciting and you're on the fence about whether you should or can do it, I offer tips, insights, and reflections on my challenge experience to help, encourage, and prepare you.

My Condition

First, here is a little information about me for context. I'm 43 years and consider myself to be in reasonably decent shape. While I have an artificial joint that limits me from doing high-impact activities, I exercise 3-5 days a week by combining High-Intensity Interval Training, Strider, and Rowing Machine work. I also have a military background, with prior active-duty service in the Marine Corps and current service in the Navy Reserves. Before attempting the 12-hour walk challenge, the longest walk or hike I've ever completed was 21 years ago while in Marine Bootcamp, where I had to complete approximately 45 miles over 54 hours. So, while I do what I can to stay active and fit, I have some limitations, and it's been a very long time since I've attempted anything remotely close to this challenge which tested me despite my active lifestyle.

Planning the Walk

Once I committed to the challenge, my next decision was to determine where to complete the walk. Some people that have met the challenge choose to walk out their front door and around their neighborhoods for 12 hours. That didn't sound appealing, so I sought biking and hiking trails nearby that offered some lovely scenery. I found a great trail about 40 minutes away along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. It appeared to provide some decent shade and great views along the path. However, I was concerned about possible venomous snake encounters along the route after I came across a news story where a person was walking their dog along the path and encountered a copperhead snake that bit the dog. The last thing I wanted to worry about on a solitary walk was a snake encounter, or worse, getting bitten and needing help. So, I decided on another trail about 40 mins away but with a far less chance of encountering snakes. The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trailhead offered a 45-mile paved trail with lots of shade and urban and countryside views. It sounded perfect. I decided to start at the trailhead in Purcellville, Virginia, walk to Belmont Greene, a neighborhood near Ashburn, Virginia, and then turn around and head back to Purcellville. The roundtrip distance is 30.4 miles. It seemed like something that I could accomplish in 12 hours but would also be a reach for me to achieve.

My Essential Gear

Next up, I planned my essential supplies to take on the walk. Most important was to ensure I had enough water to stay hydrated. I purchased a 3-liter hydration backpack to make it easy to carry and drink water while walking. It also provided ample storage to bring food and other supplies comfortably. Here is the complete list of items I had for the walk:

What I Wore/Carried

• Ball Cap

• Sunglasses

• Moisture-wicking shirt, shorts, and underwear

• Knee Compression Sleeve

• Sock liners and moisture control crew socks

• Lightweight Trail Hiking Shoes

• Small hand towel

• Fitness Tracker

• Cellphone

• Walking Stick

What I Packed

• Socks and sock liners (4 pairs)

• Solar Power Bank Portable Charger

• Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich

• Tylenol Arthritis Pain (1 bottle)

• N! ck's Keto Snack Bars (6)

• That's It™ Fruit Bars (6)

• Organic Applesauce Pouch (4)

• Honey Roasted Peanuts and Dried Cherries Trail Mix (1 bag)

• Electrolyte Salt Tablets (1 bottle)

• Portawipes Coin Tissues (1 pack)

• Small Hand Towel

• Israeli Emergency Bandage

• Insect Repellent

• Tactical Folding Pocket Knife

• Bear Spray (1 canister)

Total Pack Weight = ~ 12 pounds

In hindsight, I probably could have done without a few items, only because I didn't end up using them—namely the Bear Spray, Emergency Bandage, and Pocket Knife—however, it's always better to prepare for the unexpected. With no prior experience on the trail or surrounding environment, I figured it was best to bring along just in case, and it didn't result in any significant extra weight to carry around. In the end, I didn't find myself wishing or regretting that I had or hadn't brought something along.

My Walk

I hit the trail at sunrise. It was a cool 69 degrees. I was pumped about the challenge and eagerly looked forward to coming across new scenic views along the way. I encountered dozens of people along the trail during the first few hours. Some were joggers, but the majority were cyclists. Most were in the zone and had earbuds on, so walking in solitude and not engaging in conversation wasn't a problem. The acknowledgment of others on the trail happened with a smile, mutual head nod, or a quick wave. It seemed that everybody was on a mission. They were putting in work towards their fitness goals or kicking off a likely busy day with some "me time" before hurrying off to work and other commitments. I scheduled my walk during a week of time off from work—my first break in approximately eight months—so it was nice to know that I didn't have anywhere else to be or any other obligations for the entire day.

I walked and enjoyed the scenery for about 1.5 hours before I even had the urge to see how far I'd gone. To my surprise, I was already at a little over 4 miles in, moving at an average 3.1 mile per hour pace. I took a moment to check in with myself physically, assessing how my feet and legs felt. Everything felt good; my feet felt slightly tender as I continued my stride, but no intense discomfort. I made sure to stay sufficiently hydrated several days leading up to the walk, so within the first couple of hours, I didn't find myself very thirsty but did sip through my hydration straw approximately every 15 minutes. Every 45 minutes to an hour, I would also pull out a snack to refuel on carbohydrates. As I continued walking, I became more aware of each step as my feet became more tender. I didn't stop for my first break until about 3.5 hours and walked almost 9 miles. At this point, I took off my socks to inspect my feet. One of my biggest concerns going into the walk was that I would get blisters, making it far more challenging to complete. I knew I must keep my feet dry and change my socks as they become damp. I was relieved to see they were dry and blister free. After about 10 minutes of rest, I resumed walking along the trail, which now had me in Leesburg, VA.

Over the next two hours, I notice a significant increase in the tenderness of my feet. On a scale of 1 to 10, they were a 7.5, which was concerning, considering I hadn't even arrived at my turnaround point. I still had about 5.5 miles to go. At this point, "limiting beliefs" started to creep in (more on that later), but I continued to push through, taking shorter and more frequent breaks. Along the path, I got stopped by a construction worker who indicated that there was some rock blasting ahead and I would have to wait until it ceased to continue onward. It would only take about 10 minutes or so, and then I could continue on my way. At first, I thought, no problem, I'll wait it out and take a break. However, after a few minutes of assessing how I felt and how far I still had to go, I decided to look at the impediment as divine intervention. I may not have reached where I was hoping to go, but I had come far enough and decided to take this as a win and head back to Leesburg for rest and lunch". So, 14 miles into my walk, I began the trek back to my starting point.

It took about 2 hours to arrive back at Leesburg. Along the way, I took several breaks to rest my aching feet. I found a little park area off the trail path that offered covered seating. I pulled out my sandwich and some snacks for lunch and pulled off my socks to air dry and relax my feet. I also checked my hydration pack to see how much water was remaining. It was about 1 pm, and the temperature was around 85 degrees with the sun shining brightly. With my foot pain and the higher afternoon temperatures, I knew it would be slower and tougher going back. I rested for a good 30 minutes. When I decided it was time to move again, I was shocked as I could barely move my legs to stand up and walk. My feet were hurting, and my legs and hip flexors were very stiff, especially on my right side. At first, I could barely move one foot in front of the other and relied heavily on my walk stick to inch me forward. After a few minutes, the stiffness went away, and I could establish an almost normal stride. In addition to my feet, I had pain and discomfort in both quads and my right hip. With approximately 5.5 hours remaining and the physical ailments I was enduring, more limited beliefs began to fight for dominance over the thoughts running through my head.

The remaining trek back was physically and mentally challenging. My pace slowed as my pain and discomfort increased. Each break I took along the way was both welcomed and distressing—a brief reprieve followed by a painful struggle to get back into motion. I became more aware of the changes in elevation along the path that I overlooked during the onset of the walk. I sensed every minor and major incline and decline as the pain in my lower body responded to the changes. I was also more observant of the areas of the trail that were shaded and unshaded, with the sun bearing down on me for several stretches and contributing to my exhaustion. The time of day also brought less activity on the trail, as I didn't encounter any more joggers, but only cyclists who would startle me with the ringing of their bike bells or voices saying, "on your left," as they quickly sped by me from behind. As the final hour approached, it motivated me to power through, knowing that the end was in sight. When I finally reached the starting point, I felt a powerful sense of accomplishment with completing the challenge. The experience was everything I thought it would be—physical and mental challenges that stretched me. It reminded me of who I am and what I could do if I focused, put in the work, and, most of all, had the right mindset.

My Walk Mindset

As I described earlier, I went into the walk with a very positive and motivated mind. However, the further I went, the more obstacles impeded my progress. Going into the walk, I expected two specific physical ailments to pop up—foot pain and knee pain. Surprisingly the knee pain did not manifest during the trek (but it did the days following). I suspect this was due to wearing the knee sleeve. The foot pain wasn't a surprise, but how quickly it intensified was. What surprised me the most was the pain I started experiencing in my right hip. I mentioned earlier that I have an artificial joint. That joint is my left hip, which I replaced several years ago due to a loss of cartilage from arthritis. I had no issues with my artificial joint during the walk; zero discomfort or pain. So when I started to feel my right hip area hurting, that became very disturbing. The new pain catalyzed those limited belief narratives that began to flood my mind. Things like "Something is wrong; you've never had any issues with that hip. You should probably stop and go get checked out", "You're not going to be able to make it in the condition you are in," and "Maybe it wasn't a good idea to push your body doing something you have done zero training for." I was at war with my thoughts. Each painful step was an opportunity to succumb to or override my thoughts. I choose the latter.

In the book Can't Hurt Me, retired Navy SEAL David Goggins provides compelling examples of how he mastered his mind to defy and overcome seemingly impossible odds. While undergoing SEAL training, Goggins described how he had to callous his mind to get through training, explaining that the obstacles of our minds are more challenging to overcome than those of the body. This is illustrated no better than when he callouses his mind to control his thoughts and actions to push through training with broken legs. Broken Legs!? Goggin's experience was a reminder and inspiration for me to get a handle on my thoughts. I stopped thinking about the pain and focused on the basics—simply moving one foot in front of the other. While my thoughts were trying to convince me that something was wrong due to pain, the reality was that nothing was wrong with my ability to place one foot in front of the other. I still controlled that ability just like I controlled my ability to quit.

This reminded me of a core pillar of stoicism philosophy—we can't control things that happen to us, but we can control how we choose to respond. I couldn't stop my pain and discomfort, but I could control how I reacted. There were only two options—continue or quit. I told myself that if quitting was indeed on the table, I wasted my time attempting this challenge. Growth can only be achieved through the completion of the walk. With this view, I trekked forward armed to combat negative thoughts and limiting beliefs. I also drew inspiration from a famous Stoic, Marcus Aurelius. He stated in his book Meditations, "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way", or put more simply by author Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle is the way. The pain I felt, the 12-hour challenge, and my limiting beliefs were all obstacles, but if I didn't quit and faced them, they also served as my solutions. I needed to meet them head-on possessing the right mindset to overcome them. Once this realization came about, I took control of the narrative in my mind. I told myself that I hadn't endured anything today that would seriously injure or kill me, and I could persevere. All the negative thoughts were just noise, distraction, and resistance from what I set out to accomplish, and if I give in to them, I will rob myself of the fulfillment and growth opportunity the challenge presented. That perspective was all I needed to win the day.

Recovery and Closing Thoughts

When I arrived home after my walk, I could barely walk. So I used the walking stick as a crutch to hopple up the stairs and into the house. Upon seeing me hobble like an elderly man, my young son immediately spouted, "See, Dad! I told you it was a bad idea to go on that walk!". I laughed and told him it was worth it in so many ways that you can't yet understand. However, I was wholly exhausted, having burned over 7,600 calories, so I focused on recovery over the next 72 hours. Unfortunately, the top of my right foot was swollen, and I had a case of extensor tendonitis, which lasted about a week. My legs and hip flexors were also very stiff, which made moving about challenging. But with plenty of rest, Tylenol, and many applications of BioFreeze, I bounced back to 100%.

As I reflect on my walk experience, I feel gratitude and accomplishment. It is an experience I know I can draw from in the future whenever I face physical or mental adversity. Moreover, it is an accomplishment that I can be proud of considering the current stage of my life—older, mid-career, with a family and a slew of responsibilities. The 12-Hour Walk Challenge was something I needed that I didn't know I needed until I experienced it. It will remind me to seek challenges and push myself beyond my comfort zone. In the book Peak Performance Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness detail how some of the world's best performers follow a common pathway toward continual growth. They pursue challenges that create discomfort and stress and then follow up on these experiences with recovery and reflection. This is known as The Growth Equation; Stress + Rest = Growth. My 12 Hour Walk experience was stressful but achievable, and as I reflect on the experience, I've learned and affirmed two things--I am made to do hard things, and I can do hard things. That's the dominate mindset required to overcome trials and obstacles to unlock personal growth.

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