The first few days were fine, the later days were brutal. Not the actual walk itself, but how it was sucking the life force from me! It was a crazy week weather wise. We walked in a blizzard and we walked in a heat wave. On the same week. It was ridiculous trying to figure out what to wear, and because some days were actually cold, we weren't hydrating properly. I went to bed two nights in a row with a headache ... but I was too tired to put two and two together!
Today I walked with water. That should help. And I don't feel quite as exhausted as I did even yesterday -- when by late afternoon it is hard to even hold my head up!
Now, I know we are going about it completely wrong. You aren't supposed to kill yourself, and I know there are all these theories on training, cross training, blah blah blah. I don't care. Nope, I don't care. I can tell it is getting easier and soon enough we will be able to extend our six miles to even longer. Not that we need to -- but I love to distance walk ( and so do the dogs!)
Yesterday we treated ourselves (after the walk of course) to pedicures. Oh, it felt soooooooooo good to have them massaged. OHMYGOD. We decided we have to do that at least once a month. That in itself is enough incentive for me to keep up the hoofing.
Once school is done, we can kick it up by going to different places, but right now the routine of meeting at the same place every morning is working. The first few mornings I had trouble getting dressed and ready by 7:00 -- which is when I have to leave. I was all discombobulated and out of sorts, but in one short week it is now quite easy to jump into walking clothes and go. (It also helps that these two days of this week have been hot, versus a snow storm!) Shorts and a T-shirt are easy; trying to decided if I need boots is a whole 'nother ball of wax.
It is amazing how much the path has changed in a week -- all the buds on the trees have transformed into leaves and the trail is now enclosed in a canopy of greenery. Gorgeous. The bugs, of course, have come on full force, and while I hate to do it, the bug spray must go on.
Oh! Good news! For the past week, whenever I had to get out of a chair, I would be all crooked and cramped and shuffle like a little old lady for a few minutes as everything creaked into place. The phone just rang (and of course the one on my desk was dead) and I had to rush to get to another one. I walked erect immediately! I just love progress.
It's a good amount of daily exercise for all involved; the old dog (going on 12) doesn't look any more tired than the younger dog (pushing 3). They are both sprawled across the front lawn looking quite dead! (I must admit though, that I look quite closely to see if the older dog is still breathing!) She made it quite clear last week that she wasn't going to be left behind. When I opened the door to let Lucy in, she came barreling out of nowhere and jumped in and looked at me as though she dared me to make her leave! I said fine, you want to go you can go, but you're going to be sorry later. The past few times that I had taken her on long walks, she had had a hard time getting up afterwards and was really stiff.
Well. She proved me wrong! You'd never even know she's been on a walk -- other than being tired and sprawled on the lawn! -- because she keeps going and going and going and seems fine. I think it has actually helped with her stiffness, which only goes to reinforce you are never too old to do what you love to do. And I figure, if she drops dead on the trail, she's gone as one happy dog!
Now I am off to plant sunflower seeds everywhere. The ones I planted a few weeks ago are starting to come up, which has prompted me to put in more. It's going to look so cool! And it's also time to thin out my lettuce seedlings and plant the peas. (I know, it's kind of late for the peas, but they will be fine.)
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