When you commit to walking every day - or getting some exercise of some sort every day you start looking for ways to keep it interesting, to keep moving and add natural opportunities for walking. At least that is what I do. I heard today of a very large (morbidly obese) man (Stephen Furst - Confessions of a couch potato) who was diagnosed with diabetes and figured he couldn't do anything about it - he was just too heavy and it was just too overwhelming a task. But then he thought about it some, and decided he could probably get up from the couch and change the channel instead of using the remote, and after a while he found he could walk upstairs to fetch something instead of sending one of his kids, and after some more time he found he could walk outside, and then down the block and after a while he found these activities became easier and all told he lost more than 100 pounds...just by getting off the couch - well that is how it started - just moving. So, today I walked to the Library. It is under a five minute drive and with a little messenger bag over my shoulder I could trek down and back comfortably.
One thing I wanted to talk about, was the fact that I wanted to blog about being a walker and that it is excellent exercise, and that is absolutely true. So now I am going to talk about something else - and that is I have done a little running. It isn't that I don't think walking is exercise or that running is somehow superior - neither of those are true. What the running is about is me trying to get it done faster. No, I am not bored and hoping to accomplish this is less time. What I mean is that I am trying to beat my time - and add aerobic capacity and muscle strength and this running is new territory for me. I've never been a runner - I have always been a walker and I will always be a walker but in addition to that maybe I can do a little running.
A few days ago I ran - and more than a mile. That was uncharted waters for me - I had officially trekked off the map. Then a couple of days after that I ran for two miles. I never even knew I could do that. But yet I did. Still breathing and my legs didn't collapse or anything. I had no idea. What is interesting is that I use different muscles and absolutely need to stretch afterward - this is different than walking. And from everything I understand good for your bones and lungs so I may continue doing some of that.
My race a few weeks ago was pretty speedy for me - but not as fast as when I had been training for the marathon (5 years ago) now, though I have run 2 miles and done it at a pace I've never managed before while walking. I've recorded my fastest mile ever (so says my Nike iPod - that I've been wearing for a little over 2 years) and I've been keeping all this exercise up for 48 days. I think I am well on my way to developing a habit of daily exercise.
42 to go.
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