Why We’re Taking a 300-Mile Walk (Hint: Sex, Creativity, and Brain Food)

You might think we’re a little nuts to take a 300-mile (500-km) walk just for the heck of it. And of course you’d be right!

But we’re not walking The Lycian Way, a network of ancient trails between Antalya and Fethiye, Turkey, and named one of the world’s 10 best walks, just for the heck of it.

We have 3 very good reasons for challenging our bodies, minds, and spirits with a strenuous hike:

1. Sex
2. Creativity
3. Brain Power

Let me explain.

Exercise for Your Sex Life

Now that we’re in our 40s, we’ve started noticing the gradual decline that comes with approaching middle age…at least when left unchecked. But over the past 3 years we’ve made some remarkable strides in improving our health, and they have paid off in bigger ways than smaller butts and guts.

That ho-hum sex life has gotten a second wind. (Don’t worry; I’ll spare you the details.) But there is no doubt that regular physical activity and avoiding the gut-busting meal at dinner will leave you far more energetic for nighttime adventures (or daytime, if that’s your thing). There are numerous studies that back up the claim that regular exercise together will improve your sex life and your relationship…though I didn’t need a researcher to tell me that!

So in a way this adventure is a big investment in our sex life, though I imagine we’ll be relatively stinky at least half the time and probably have less sex than usual.

But it’s an investment in the future, baby!

Exercise for Your Creativity

Creative moments typically don’t happen when you want them to. You can wrack your brain trying to find an answer, but it won’t come by force. Walking in nature gives your brain time to process all the inputs it’s received and come up with a brilliant strategy to solve a problem, create something new, or just finally have an understanding of something that’s been eluding you.

It’s being away from the problems at hand that helps clearly see the solution, and getting your sweat on seems to bring out better ideas.

This walk is a way for us to get some clarity and vision around the kind of life we want to live and business we want to operate in 2014 and beyond. We have 3 projects on the list for 2014…one of which is a doozy and I don’t know how we’ll pull it off. I’m counting on Mother Nature and some digital detox to boost our creativity.

As for how creative it gets, I guess you’ll be the final judge!

Exercise for Your Brain Power

It’s no secret that regular exercise like walking and hiking will transform your body and health.

But what you may not realize is how good physical challenges are for your brain. Regular exercise can expand the hippocanthus region of your brain as you age, fighting off the cognitive impairment many people face as they get older. In short, when you exercise your body, you’re also strengthening your brain.

John J. Ratey, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of the book, A User’s Guide to the Brain, credits exercise in enhancing “mood, vitality, alertness, and feelings of well-being.” He also compares it to “Miracle-Gro for the brain” when talking about its ability to stimulate nerve growth.

If you’re like us and want to keep your body and brain functioning well into midlife and beyond, you can’t ignore this overwhelming evidence in favor of an active life now. This hike is a giant dose of Miracle-Gro for our brains..

Details on the Lycian Way

As you read this, we’re on a bus to the start of the walk in Fethiye, Turkey. We’ll enjoy a nice Turkish bath and some relaxation before we start walking on Tuesday, and you can follow along with our daily schedule below if you want to Google map it. It’s a beautiful part of the world, and we can’t wait to share pictures, videos, and insights from our journey with you.

Stay tuned to the website for our regular schedule of posts, weekly emails, and podcast episodes - we worked ahead so you wouldn’t miss a thing! And if you’re a fan on Facebook, the talented Meg Rulli will be managing the page for the duration of our walk, so go by and say hello to her and see what kind of secrets she’ll be revealing about us while we aren’t here to stop her.

We’ll be back to digital civilization on November 20…see you then!

• October 15: Ovacik to Faralya
• October 16: Faralya to Kabak Beach
• October 17: Kabak to Alinca
• October 18: Alinca to Bel
• October 19: Bel to Gavuragili
• October 20: Day Off
• October 21: Gavuragili to Xanthos
• October 22: Xanthos to Akbel
• October 23: Akbel to Patara
• October 24: Patara to Kalkan
• October 25: Kalkan to Bezirgan
• October 26: Day off
• October 27: Bezirgan to Gokceoren
• October 28: Gokceoren to Cukerbag
• October 29: Cukerbag to Kas
• October 30: Day off (meet up with Sherry Ott, who will join us for the rest of the walk)
• October 31: Kas to Liman Agazi
• November 1: Liman Agazi to Bogazcik
• November 2: Bogazcik to Ucagiz
• November 3: Ucagiz to Cayagizi
• November 4: Cayagizi to Myra
• November 5: Day off
• November 6-8: Myra to Finike
• November 9: Finize to Karaoz
• November 10: Karaoz to Adrasan
• November 11: Day off
• November 12: Adrason to Cirali
• November 13: Cirali to Beycik
• November 14: Beycik to Yukari Kuzdere
• November 15: Yukari Kuzdere to Goynuk Yayla
• November 16: Goynuk Yayla to Goynuk
• November 17-18: Goynuk to Hisarcandir
• November 19: Hisarcandir to Antalya by bus…FINISH
• TURKISH BATH, ASAP!

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