Image Up Advertising & Design

16 OUR YUCAIPA | DECEMBER 2015 When most of us go for a walk we stick to a familiar route — our own personal rut. We stroll our own neighborhoods for a half mile or so, rarely stepping outside our comfort zones. But walking enthusiasts Jill Castanon and Jill Caballero are getting a little wild. The two women are making their exercise routine into an adventure, by walking every street within the Yucaipa city limits. The Jills, who have playfully coined themselves "Jill Squared," began their trek around town in October, and have already walked all of Chapman Heights, the Dunlap area, the upper Crafton area, the streets above Bryant, the North Bench area and Stanley Ranch. In December, they plan to walk the areas east of Bryant from Fir to Wildwood Canyon. The routes are planned carefully on a large map hanging in the local school district office, where the two work together in the human resources department. "We really get excited about where we are going next," said Caballero. "We love seeing the different streets, houses, dogs, donkeys, goats, horses and sometimes even tarantulas!" The Jills started the project when the health benefits department at the Yucaipa-Calimesa School District office began a walking challenge. Employees, most armed with FitBits, were challenged to take a least 10 thousand steps a day. The Jills began walking during their breaks, during lunch, and even after work with the original goal of losing weight. And it worked. Castanon said she lost 30 pounds in the first three months, and Caballero was not far behind with 20 pounds lost. Caballero said to keep it interesting she came up with the idea of walking every street in Yucaipa. She said the minute it came out of her mouth she knew Castanon would jump on it. "She's very goal oriented, and the minute I said it out loud, I knew we would actually have to do it," Caballero laughed. "It was a great idea," said Castanon. "There are so many little parts of Yucaipa that you just don't see when you live in your own little world, so I was excited to see different parts of it." The walks are three to eight miles at a time, the Jills said. They usually walk four days a week, with Saturday morning walks being the longest, sometimes up to 26 miles at a time. The duo once walked from Yucaipa to Cherry Valley to have breakfast at Flos. Another time they walked all the way to Riverside. That walk took eight hours. "Our stamina improves every day," said Caballero. "You just keep putting one foot in front of the other and it's amazing how far you can go." The two estimate they walk a 16-minute mile now. The Jills said they will have seen every part of Yucaipa on their walks most likely by March, when they will complete the project by walking from Flag Hill Park all the way down Yucaipa Boulevard. They feel that walk is necessary so they can be sure they haven't missed a single inch of the Boulevard. They are conscientious about every inch of every street, in fact, and make sure they even walk every street within every Mobile Home Park. "If it has a street name, we have to do it," said Caballero. The Jills said they have enjoyed seeing gorgeous views from places they'd never even seen before. They've also enjoyed seeing the many beautiful homes in town and have a whole new appreciation for landscaping and the pride people put into their homes. "There are some older parts of Yucaipa that have really pretty older homes that have a lot character," said Caballero. The Jills also said they have been pleasantly surprised at how safe they've felt. "We haven't encountered any mean people or even mean dogs," said Castanon. "We were worried once when several large dogs came out of a gate and ran right up to us. But they wagged their tails and licked our faces and then went on their way." The Jills hope their walks will inspire others to get out and walk. "We are proof you can get healthy without spending a dime," said Cabellero. "We have both wasted money on gym memberships we never used. But walking is fun, beautiful and free." The Jills invite the public to walk with them anytime. Their routes and details of each walk are posted on their blog at theadventuresofjillsquared.blogspot.com. By Natalie Palmer Walking Yucaipa

• Cover