Friday, July 8, 2011

The Walk, Or Maybe She'll Run

She steps outside the front door, ready to take a walk. The heat of the day wraps itself around her. She is on a mission, a mission of exercising. She knows if she doesn't do this now, she won't walk at all today. Then she will spent her evening feeling guilty that she couldn't even manage to complete a simple goal she set for herself. So simple. Just a walk.

It's hot. It's humid. It's 98 degrees.

She decides she is going to walk a previously ventured path; the road that circles around the neighborhood. She will walk amongst trees and on the outskirts of the golf course. As lovely as this is, sometimes she wishes she could just 'pop' into the gym, just get the workout done. Then she would return home to relax, knowing she did a good deed, and eat some yogurt - followed by those homemade oatmeal cookies! Eating habits are another story, another issue she is continuously working on improving!

In California, the gym is where she does most of her health-benefit exercising. She is definitely not obsessive about the whole thing, but she knows that when all-is-said-and-done, she really does feel much better. She has made exercising a part of her routine; you know, like, say, reading a book ...occasionally.

When she arrived in Arkansas, as she was being driven to her summer home, she took note of the fact that gyms here are pretty much obsolete. There doesn't seem to be a chain; you know, specifically 24-Hour Fitness, or even a gym, any gym on every corner like the West Coast provides to all us want-to-fit-into-cute-jeans and slim-fitting t-shirts Californians. She realized right then and there, on that open road, that her gym days would be put on hold. She was going to embrace a one-with-nature attitude.

She takes a few steps down the road, only a few, when she tells herself  "Screw it, just run!" And run she does. Then she walks. Some more running. She's feeling hot; the heat is getting to her. She circles around the first bend. Some gentlemen - retired, she's sure - wave to her as they pass by on their golf cart. She walks up the hill they just motorized up, wishing she had some gum to chew on, to keep her throat moist. When the road decends she begins to run; much easier to run down than up, that's for sure! She waves to a woman who seems to be organizing plants near the front of her home. The road curves again; another hill. She walks.

She knows she is almost to her destination when she begins asking herself if she should cut off the road and take the golf cart path a little north. If she does this she knows it will be a bonus workout because of the super steep declines and inclines she would encounter. "Yes." "Nah." "Just do it." "Ugh!" She's getting closer. "Fine!"

She veers off the road, running along a flat surface. She feels hot, tired, and is wondering "What the hell am I doing?" She's wearing her red sweat pants; her favorite workout attire. Yes, most would say that wearing sweats is ridiculous in such heat, but not for her. These sweats comfort her. She feels like a go-getter in her red Victoria Secret boyfriend - which really just mean baggy - sweats. She runs down the steep decline, walks up the steep incline. One more to go, one more steep moment ......... Well, of course, then she will need to turn around and do it again. She does. Geez! She thinks she must have really burned some serious calories. She may just have seconds at the dinner table tonight. Maybe.


She walks through the front door, face red and sweaty. She grabs the bottle of water that seems to be saying, "Drink me! Now!" Drink she does; Well, more like guzzle in 3 seconds flat! And ... just as important, mission accomplished!

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