Walking

I’ve said it before and it’s still true: walking could easily be my religion. I’ve walked myself out of funks both big and small. It’s easy to just step out the door, and almost always it makes me feel better.  And it’s also very easy to ramp up the “fun” component, by listening to something good or by going someplace different, or both. Unlike losing weight, walking is very much under my direct and conscious control, with no mysterious “metabolism” effects impacting results. So immediate rewards seen on my scorecard!

I’ve been moving up my daily steps, almost daily setting out on deliberate walks of a mile and a half or more. I’ve also increased my incidental steps, taking the dog to the corner or around the block, or bouncing for a few minutes on my little trampoline. I’ve been doing this consistently enough I’m starting to feel the effects, feeling my legs and my stamina increasing.

For the second Sunday in a row, I got up before sunrise and headed to a great walking spot - in this case, Hain’s Point in D.C., near the mall and monuments but surrounded by water. For the first half of the walk I saw a total of three others on foot, and maybe a half dozen bicyclists. Very easy to keep distance. The road was closed to cars. It got more crowded towards the end, and the place I parked was thronged when I got back to my car. But it was so terrific to hear the water lapping, to feel the wind off the river, and enjoy solitude in a different place - one I hadn’t walked in more than a dozen years. And it’s totally flat! If I get on the bike, I’ll strongly consider coming back.

I saw two hammocks slung between trees with people in them, and I grinned when I saw two Vespa-style scooters, laden with backpacks, parked with them. Explorers? Had they been there all night?

When the alarm went off, I rolled over to sleep more, but then I smelled the coffee I had set up the night before and got myself going. I hope I keep this weekend trend!