Not With a Bang, but a Whimper

[mlroseplant]

Happy New Year everybody, I am taking the last day of the year off from pounding the pavement in heels. I'm going to do this for two reasons: 1) It is snowing and windy, and 2) I made it to my goal of 350 miles for the year yesterday. That is correct, in the year 2024 I walked 350.6 (≈564 km) documented miles in high heels, beating my old record of 312.7. The reason I was able to accomplish that many miles is because, unlike last year, I didn't have any months where I walked basically none. Slow but steady wins the race.

The reason I say I ended with a whimper is not because I'm taking the last day of the year off, but rather the way my walk ended yesterday after I knew I had exceeded 350. I have been breaking in a new pair of clogs, a fairly smart looking pair of Diane von Furstenburg that I picked up for a very reasonable price. My mistake was wearing them basically unvetted two days in a row. I should know better than that by now. I should know a lot of things by now. Anyway, despite having brought a Bandaid with me, I could feel holes being worn in the skin of my right foot. I cut the final walk short as a result, and sure enough, by the time I got home, I had two blisters. Not really the way I wanted to end the year, but that's about my luck.

Whether I will go for more than 350 for next year, I haven't decided. It really wouldn't be that hard to do, but one has to stay disciplined for an extended period of time, and that's not really my strong suit. Perhaps the reason I set these goals in the first place is so that I will remain at least somewhat disciplined.

[Shyheels]

Congratulations on setting a new record! That’s quite an accomplishment. I’ve no idea what my mileage would be, but it would be nowhere near yours.

[mlroseplant]

So far, I've made up for the whimper in the first few days of 2025. I've managed to cover about 8 miles in the first 5 days of January, despite the frigid weather. It looks like in several days this polar vortex business will move on, and it will just be cold and not frigid. As an update, the blisters I got last week are just scabs now, and since I'm wearing boots with socks, it's a non-issue.

[Shyheels]

We’re getting some proper winter weather here in the Pennines. About 6” of snow last night, more expected in the next two days then clear and cold, down to -10°C. A long walk today in tall boots but no heels!

[ohnoberty]

On 1/5/2025 at 2:37 PM, Shyheels said:

We’re getting some proper winter weather here in the Pennines. About 6” of snow last night, more expected in the next two days then clear and cold, down to -10°C. A long walk today in tall boots but no heels!

Years ago a lady said to me that in snowy conditions she always wore high heels (which I can confirm she seemed to, whenever I saw her), because it gave her extra grip. Presumably the heel working like a steak in the ground.

[Shyheels]

18 minutes ago, ohnoberty said:

Years ago a lady said to me that in snowy conditions she always wore high heels (which I can confirm she seemed to, whenever I saw her), because it gave her extra grip. Presumably the heel working like a steak in the ground.

I don’t see how that works in any snowy situation. If the snow is deeper than the heel is high she’ll topple over backwards.  If it’s light powdery snow and she's walking over an icy surface she’ll go flying. If it is stable shallow snow on a firm surface she might be able to walk a short ways without doing a pratfall, but what would be the point? In no way would heels confer an advantage. Any illusory “grip”; a heel might seem to offer would be badly offset by the slick narrow leather sole. She might have walked across a snowy parking lot without suffering a broken coccyx but there’s no way she had an advantage 

[Gige]

Well, congratulations for a job well done are in order! Should anyone ask me how many miles I walked in any specific pair or all of my heels this year, my answer would be far more modest, probably along the lines of "Thursday...!" Like you, however, I am under a polar vortex and it has been rather chilly around my part of the world. And, and, AND to top that, this past Sunday/Monday, the central midwest/plains got hammered by a major snowstorm which dumped 9.5"/24cm of snow on my area. In fact, my little hamlet received the most snow of the central Illinois area. Winners! Unfortunately, the snow has hardened and turned to ice, so the areas that are not well plowed are very slick and will be for the foreseeable future.  Thus, until the spring thaw starts in about 2.5-3 month, my outdoor footwear will be my heavy-duty Timberlands or Hunter boots. I will have to limit my looking pretty to the indoors for the time being. 

[mlroseplant]

We missed all of the snow somehow, but none of the cold. Evidently, you live just a few degrees latitude south of where I do, and you were in its path. My friend who lives in the Cincinnati, OH metro got hammered, but my sister who lives in east central Ohio did not. Last year, we got all of our snow pretty much in one storm for the winter. I wound up buying some fleece lined knee high boots with a modest 2 3/8" block heel because of it. I also was forced indoors with all of my high heels for a couple of weeks, at least.

[Shyheels]

We're having some heavy snow and bitter cold in Yorkshire at the moment. Definitely weather for nice warm knee and OTK boots but not with heels!

[mlroseplant]

As far as walking in the snow in heels, I do it all the time, especially if it's only 2 inches. However, I do not labor under the delusion that it gives me any sort of tractive advantage. I'm just stubborn and foolish, and I like seeing those unique footprints behind me. If it's more than about 3 inches, heels are no fun at all, and they stay at home.

[pebblesf]

On 1/7/2025 at 6:54 AM, Shyheels said:

I don’t see how that works in any snowy situation. If the snow is deeper than the heel is high she’ll topple over backwards.  If it’s light powdery snow and she's walking over an icy surface she’ll go flying. If it is stable shallow snow on a firm surface she might be able to walk a short ways without doing a pratfall, but what would be the point? In no way would heels confer an advantage. Any illusory “grip”; a heel might seem to offer would be badly offset by the slick narrow leather sole. She might have walked across a snowy parking lot without suffering a broken coccyx but there’s no way she had an advantage 

I have often "wanted to believe" this also

1 hour ago, mlroseplant said:

As far as walking in the snow in heels, I do it all the time, especially if it's only 2 inches. However, I do not labor under the delusion that it gives me any sort of tractive advantage. I'm just stubborn and foolish, and I like seeing those unique footprints behind me. If it's more than about 3 inches, heels are no fun at all, and they stay at home.

Maybe that's it, walking in snow in heels is just fun....

13 hours ago, Gige said:

Well, congratulations for a job well done are in order! Should anyone ask me how many miles I walked in any specific pair or all of my heels this year, my answer would be far more modest, probably along the lines of "Thursday...!" Like you, however, I am under a polar vortex and it has been rather chilly around my part of the world. And, and, AND to top that, this past Sunday/Monday, the central midwest/plains got hammered by a major snowstorm which dumped 9.5"/24cm of snow on my area. In fact, my little hamlet received the most snow of the central Illinois area. Winners! Unfortunately, the snow has hardened and turned to ice, so the areas that are not well plowed are very slick and will be for the foreseeable future.  Thus, until the spring thaw starts in about 2.5-3 month, my outdoor footwear will be my heavy-duty Timberlands or Hunter boots. I will have to limit my looking pretty to the indoors for the time being. 

Can't wait to wear my new Hunter gloss black "refined boots" to clean the snow.  No snow yet here in RI, just freezing cold nastiness.  

On 12/31/2024 at 6:46 AM, mlroseplant said:

Happy New Year everybody, I am taking the last day of the year off from pounding the pavement in heels. I'm going to do this for two reasons: 1) It is snowing and windy, and 2) I made it to my goal of 350 miles for the year yesterday. That is correct, in the year 2024 I walked 350.6 (≈564 km) documented miles in high heels, beating my old record of 312.7. The reason I was able to accomplish that many miles is because, unlike last year, I didn't have any months where I walked basically none. Slow but steady wins the race.

The reason I say I ended with a whimper is not because I'm taking the last day of the year off, but rather the way my walk ended yesterday after I knew I had exceeded 350. I have been breaking in a new pair of clogs, a fairly smart looking pair of Diane von Furstenburg that I picked up for a very reasonable price. My mistake was wearing them basically unvetted two days in a row. I should know better than that by now. I should know a lot of things by now. Anyway, despite having brought a Bandaid with me, I could feel holes being worn in the skin of my right foot. I cut the final walk short as a result, and sure enough, by the time I got home, I had two blisters. Not really the way I wanted to end the year, but that's about my luck.

Whether I will go for more than 350 for next year, I haven't decided. It really wouldn't be that hard to do, but one has to stay disciplined for an extended period of time, and that's not really my strong suit. Perhaps the reason I set these goals in the first place is so that I will remain at least somewhat disciplined.

Great job, would love to miles how many miles I logged last year, would be thrilled if it was 100 miles...