Monday, March 12, 2012

Walking Can Be A Pain

I walked to work this morning for the first time in a year and a half.  It's a two mile walk.  I didn't walk because I wanted to but rather because I had to.  I used to enjoy my walk - - our town is beautiful, and in spring the colors are bursting.    Of course, it's too early for there to be much color yet, but I don't think that would have mattered anyway.  I didn't really want to walk, the skies are gray and threatening rain, and I am so out of shape that I knew - - I just knew - - that it would be a painful way to start my day.   I was right.   When I was walking to work for pleasure, I was in great shape, I could wear cute clothes (that's important!) and I walked with confidence.   This morning it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other.   Before I was even half way there, my knees hurt, my hips hurt, and at one point even my rear end hurt.  I felt like a crippled old lady (which I am not).   A couple of senior citizens were out walking.  They were behind me, but soon passed me and soon after that were out of sight.  Humiliating. 
  I don't want to do it, but I know that if I want to ever gain my pride back and be able to beat those two old ladies, I need to keep walking.   I guess my aches and pains are nothing that four or five ibuprofen won't cure.   I just need to keep telling myself that, though, because right now my nice comfortable car is calling me . . . . all aboard!

17 comments:

  1. Sometimes discipline will kick in and you will be rewarded. I have been considering a bike for my work journey, just can't face riding it back home at 9:30 in the evening. Good luck.

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  2. I don't even walk to church (about 5 blocks, mostly uphill) because I know I'd arrive all gross and sweaty. 2 miles to work? Who cares what your pace is, I'm impressed!
    And those old ladies were probably all hopped-up on Geritol or something.

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    1. Jewels, you crack me up! Thank goodness it didn't hurt to laugh!

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  3. I have a lot more catching up to do, and it's going to be a while, but "hi!" :)

    I take pre-emptive ibuprofen sometimes. Before I even go. Music and earphones help too.

    My newest gadget is a pedometer. Always wanted one, but just never bought one. Now I'm a bit obsessive about seeing how far I've walked each day. How many steps... It's become like a challenge to myself. "What? I didn't hit that number today? I hit that number every other day! I need to get in one more walk!" I've heard this phenomenon is common. People with pedometers walk more because it becomes a kind of personal challenge. - We'll see how well that holds up when I get home!

    Congrats on walking! -And if you can't wear cute clothes, maybe some antennae will do?

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  4. You will limber up as you get to walking more. That's what I told. I have yet to prove it to myself. It's an excellent thing to aspire to though.

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  5. I get up in the morning. Does that count?

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  6. Good for you! I should do more walking myself but I work over 20 miles away. At least with Daylight Savings time I can walk in the evenings through the neighborhood

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  7. This one totally hit a nerve--two summers ago, my 70-year-old mother-in-law was visiting and we went to the "Pennsylvania Grand Canyon." We started down one of the easier trails into the canyon and I (wisely and, yet, humiliatingly) gave up about halfway down because it suddenly hit me that what goes down would have to come back up. I waited on a bench partway down. Not only did my mother-in-law make it all the way down, on the way back up she was leading the pack. Ahead of my teenagers even.

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    1. Some day I want to be like your mother-in-law :) Right now I'm a bench sitter.

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  8. I did not walk to work today. I went outside and the wind and rain was going every which way, my umbrella turned inside out, and my skirt flew up to flash the neighbors. I went back inside, regrouped, found my keys and drove to work. Too risky and I didn't have time to change my clothes!

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  9. I had a great aunt that used to say that she walked because if she didn't she wouldn't be able to anymore.
    She was a wise lady.
    You will be back in shape in no time.

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  10. I am so ready for spring and warm weather, to get out and take short walks. I substitute my treadmill for cold and wet weather and those walks on that thing are blah. I like to see the flowers in bloom and listen to the sounds around. Walks for me start out with me, hubby and our Chihuahua, Ms Elizabeth Taylor; and end with me carrying the dog by the time we get back. :)I think the biggy is to make sure that your aren't overdoing it, which could be why I end up carrying my dog. :)

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  11. I totally sympathize... Fond it do tough and paiful to het started... But once you get over this first hurdle you wiil be flying b4 you know it!

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  12. Wow, way to go! You have more determination then I would have!

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  13. Annie and I have walked together in the mornings, since 1985. That's one reason we WILL survive this current fiasco. Baby steps, Judy. Better to start small, and not end up at work. I like what you said about having a beautiful town. Things are always more attractive when viewed at a slower pace. Walk on, Judy!

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  14. I feel your pain... or I did. In January 2011 I began walking two miles everyday with my dog. Through snow, ice, drizzle, sleet. And it was AWFUL. I took up writing small stones at the same time-(http://www.writingourwayhome.com/p/small-stones.html).. I loved writing small stones. I wrote through the pain and cold. And now a year later I can say I really am not myself if I don't walk. I wished you lived nearby, I would walk with you..nice and slow. xo teri

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