bendoeslife.tumblr.comBen Does Life.

Twitter Facebook Email Ask Subscribe Archive High Res Update after three years. I now weigh more than 400 pounds. I’m down 22 pounds though and weighing in every morning at https://twitch.tv/bendoeslife - so, follow there if you feel so inclined. September 13, 2019 63 notes I walked from Los Angeles to Boston over the course of five months. This is what it looked like through the lens of my camera. Instagram: http://instagram.com/bendoeslife Order the book: http://benwalksamerica.com August 1, 2016 81 notes I’ve entered Kansas. 1,260 miles down. Starting to lose my mind and the only cure is the Mulan soundtrack on repeat. With all the force of a great typhoon. http://Instagram.com/bendoeslife to follow along. April 30, 2016 83 notes The walk, so far: Q & A. I’m 1,139 miles into the 3,035 mile walk which puts me at 37.5% of the way from ocean to ocean. I feel that gives me a sufficient enough sample size to be somewhat of an authority on long walks and, given my extended break, am answering some of the frequently asked questions I’ve gotten both online and from people I’ve met along the way. What inspired you to do this? A variety of things. My grandmother, Meemaw, and her adventurous life. Me getting out of a long term relationship and it being an opportune time to do a big thing. Once I had the idea I was scared that if I didn’t do it, one day in the distant future I’d regret the hell out of it. I think, in general, I just think it’s a cool and exciting thing to do. My good friend Guy , attempted to do it back in 2005 and on some level I probably wanted to do it maybe to succeed where he failed (which isn’t as bad as it sounds if you click through that link and read a little about it.) What have you learned about yourself so far? It’s entirely cliche but I’ve learned to appreciate the small things and not take things for granted. Maybe not permanently–I’m sure my baseline will gradually shift back to where it was but now, when I’m out on the road, everything is magnified and the simple life is enough. I’m more satisfied on a daily basis; when you expect not a lot, not a lot becomes more than enough. How many miles per day? 23.72 is my official miles per day over the entire walk, but that includes days off and early days of 18-21 miles per day. On days I walk now, I’m averaging between 25-27 mostly depending on if I’m going to be in a town at the end of those miles. Have you found that it’s easier or harder than you imagined it being? A lot easier, for sure. When I was planning the walk, it seemed a little scary, and it certainly has been at times, but for the most part I’m having such a fun time out there, easily one of the best things of my life. There’s nothing really physically difficult about the walk itself. After a couple weeks, your body is used to it and it’s just a matter of waking up and starting to walk each day. You take breaks, and eat when you want, and then continue walking. The hard parts are the isolation and being away from loved ones, particularly in my situation of starting a new relationship right before heading to Los Angeles. That’s been hard, but, in the general sense, I’ve been surprised by how “easy” and exhilarating it is. How do you charge your phone? By far the most popular question. I have a portable charger that when fully charged gives my iPhone up to eight charges. Link here . What do you do to pass the time? Music? Podcasts? Audio books? I do music occasionally, but a lot of the time I don’t listen to anything. I really don’t get bored and I can’t explain why. I just think a lot. Like, really a lot. What do you eat? Beef jerky, dried fruits, trail mix, peanuts, pringles, Arizona iced tea, oranges and bananas. Have you ever felt unsafe? There was one time in Riverside, CA where a man was following me and yelling at me at 4 in the morning. I ended up running away from him. I feel scared almost every night I sleep outside; I’m still not used to it and I’m not sure I ever will. Are you going to shave your beard? Haven’t decided on that yet. For now, I’m just going to keep it, but I’m not sentimentally attached to it. How do you plan your routes? Google Maps has walking directions that are pretty good. Right now, in the prairies, there’s only really one route to go anyway, so I just walk east. Other than a few stops in major cities, I’m going the shortest route that Google offers. Are you planning on hosting meetups along the way? Yeah, starting in Kansas City next month, for sure. KC, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati (maybe), Philadelphia, New York City, Boston. When do you plan on finishing? Tentatively it’s looking like July 23rd in the Atlantic Ocean in Boston. There will be a big party that night somewhere in Boston and everyone is invited. Pa will be there. April 19, 2016 81 notes High Res Just hit mile 200 on Route 66 in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I’ll update here at Tumblr periodically but I’m updating daily on Instagram http://instagram.com/bendoeslife March 8, 2016 96 notes High Res Day 7 has come to an end here in Joshua Tree. 130 miles are done. Many more to go. Instagram is where I’m doing most of my updating: http://instagram.com/bendoeslife March 4, 2016 69 notes Day Three: complete. Let me first say that day 3 was, by all accounts, a huge success. My feet had been the big problem days one and two but it appears that they are beginning to callous, which is heavenly. Mile 18 today, about a mile from my finishing point, I made my way into Sycamore Wilderness Canyon park. The name alone should have tipped me off to whether or not I should attempt it with Charles the Stroller. Needless to say there were some ill-fated attempts to cross some sketchy-ass trails, a lot of loud cuss words, and a shameful walk back to the main road after losing an hour or so of daylight. It could have been worse, but it was frustrating as hell. All told, 19 miles were completed and I’ve scouted out a solid camping spot here in Eastern Riverside. Back at it bright and early tomorrow morning. February 29, 2016 89 notes Thanks, dude. “It’s weird I’m not going to be doing this with you, dude.” That’s what Pa said to me an hour ago as he left me on a street corner here in Corona, California. “This is the type of thing we do as a team. It’s going to be hard not to be here with you.” I held it together as we hugged and said our goodbyes, but when he hollered out his window, “love you dude!” as he headed off back to Arkansas, I choked up and a tear or two streamed down my cheeks. Last summer when I told him about the idea to do this, he said, “I won’t be able to do the whole thing, but I’m damn sure seeing you off.” He made it work out where he could walk the first two days with me. That’s what he does. It’s what he’s always done. Over the past 48 hours, we’ve trekked 37 miles together and laughed until we cried several times. It’s so hard to keep going without him, but I’m going to. Calling him dozens of times per week, undoubtedly. I love you, dude. February 28, 2016 99 notes Logistics & Strategy. My friend Caitlin asked on Instagram if I could make a post detailing some of the how and why about the walk. I covered some of the why in the previous post ; the rest of the why will reveal itself I’m sure over the course of the 3,000 miles. Logistics and Strategy Timing: I waited until late February to start in an effort to avoid any truly cold temperatures. I’m still going to hit some low 20′s in the desert at night, and I can survive down to 0*F in my sleeping bag, but for the most part I’m going to be dealing with mild days and cold nights. Then summer hits and it’s just surviving the heat. Distance/Time: The goal is somewhere between 15 and 20 miles every day. Roughly 3 miles per hour while moving with a few breaks for rest. The idea is that if you stagger a few breaks in, you’re able to go a little longer than if you just go all at once and rest all at the end. I’m sure there will be days I take completely off for vari...