The Loop, a sprawling system of paved, car-free trails that encircles metro ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and follows seasonal waterways as far south as the Old Vail Road and as far north as Catalina State Park, was no match for Rick Metcalf this year.
Metcalf, a spry 73-year-old who has made a habit of setting ambitious year-long walking goals and smashing them with time to spare, says he walked the last of just over 130 miles weekend before last, when he strutted south along the Santa Cruz River to the path’s intersection with Camino del Cerro.
“I’ve always felt that staying physically active is really important to me,†the former distance runner said. “I’ve slowed down, and I’ve had to cut out some of the stuff that I did as a younger man.â€
But he hadn’t slowed down enough to fall short of his other walking resolution this year: walking an average 10,000 steps every day. That works out to nearly 3.7 million steps, and he cleared 4 million at the start of December. A few years ago, the annual goal was to clear 1,000 miles, which he said he did with ease: “That’s not difficult, you’re only averaging three miles a day.â€
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“He makes me tired just watching everything he does,†his wife, Kris Metcalf, said.
But Kris was no mere fan throughout the effort. She was often the one chauffeuring him to the far-flung reaches of the system and picking him up when he finished, a service Rick described as “instrumental.†She also put in her fair share of miles, estimating an average 5,000 daily steps.
“I definitely did walk a lot more than I ever did before,†she said with a laugh.
While a number of cyclists have also traveled every mile, county parks and recreation staff said they had never heard of someone walking every completed section of the massive — and growing — paved trail system like Metcalf.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard of it,†said Chris Cawein, the department’s director. He sent out an email to his staff to see if anyone had heard otherwise, and came up empty.
As perhaps the only person to have walked the entire Loop, Rick has a unique authority on the relative merits of each section.
In his opinion, the best stretch overall runs through the Cañada del Oro River Park, northeast of Orange Grove Road’s Interstate 10 interchange. The prettiest passes through the popular Fantasy Island Mountain Bike Park on the far east side.
“That’s really a natural, beautiful area,†he said. “No developments, you’re just walking through the desert.â€
Rick tracked his progress on a Loop map, highlighting each completed section until it was filled in. He did much of it in a now-tattered pair of Asics tennis shoes.
More than a decade into his retirement, Rick said his schedule is conducive to making and following through on resolutions.
His nearly daily routine usually starts with a short walk near his Foothills home “just to get my sore old bones loosened up,†followed by longer outings later in the day several times a week.
High school basketball and football officiating also helps, with a high-scoring gridiron match able to add up to four miles to whatever distance objective he’s chasing.
“I always try to set some sort of goal for myself,†he said.
“I’m really proud of him, and he’s always been one to set goals for himself and follow through,†Kris said of her husband’s achievements.
