Walk This Way

My attention has turned, in the last couple days, to getting myself back in shape. My doc wants me to be moving my arm more, and doing so has made me concentrate on what I can do, as opposed to what I can't. And I can do a little more each day. I appreciate every little step to a degree that is probably unreasonable.

As far as fitness, one thing I can do is walk. Yesterday was a big walking day for me. Amy (my trainer and friend) offered to take me to Blacklick Park to walk. This is absolutely my favorite place to walk, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity. Amy was teaching a "Boot Camp" type class and I was free to walk for 2 hours. I was very slow and I took a few breaks, but I was able to get 3 miles in. Before you scoff at that, remember that one short week ago it was a big feat to dry my hair and sit in a restaurant for a couple hours. So, as far as minor accomplishments go, this was major.

It was a perfect evening in the park. It was warm and sunny (but not hot). Two deer crossed my path. Not unusual, but it doesn't happen every day. The honeysuckle was in full bloom, lightly fragrancing the night air. Many early wildflowers were beginning to bloom. It was truly, truly lovely.

I wish I could've walked further, but the edema in my hand had gotten so bad that I thought my skin was going to burst. (hey - it can't ALL read like a Disney movie) Also my back and feet were hurting. I've spent the last month basically in a chair! This is not a huge surprise! When I start bringing in money again, first purchase is a couple new pairs of walking shoes.

In keeping with the walking theme of the day, I registered yesterday for the New Albany Walking Classic in September. This is a really lovely 10K that I've participated in for the past 2 years. This year they've added a half-marathon. I'm just going to do the 10K again this year, but I'm hoping that with some training I can be prepared for the half-marathon in a year or two. My original goal had been a marathon by the time I was 50, but that's only 5 (4 1/2) years away and I'm still significantly overweight. So I'm gonna alter that goal a little and say half-marathon in a year or two and take it from there. We shall see.