Back On Track

All right, even though I’m still dealing with the remnants of my partially debilitating illness, I came off the disabled list last Monday and am now fully back into training. I felt good enough last week to walk on Wednesday and Thursday over the lunch hour, plus walk around a nine-hole golf course on Friday with a bag of clubs over my shoulder. Man, the sun was beating down, I was walking up and down hills...it was tough going, but you know, I'm doing it all for the boobs.

On Saturday, I met some of my walking teammates to walk 14 miles around Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. It was an absolutely gorgeous summer day – not too hot, a slight breeze, and barely a cloud in the sky. As expected, the walking and biking paths around the lakes were filled with people jogging, rollerblading, biking, or just enjoying a leisurely stroll.

There were dozens of thin, athletic women (and men) wearing extremely minimal clothing – one might think they were environmentally conscious, as such tiny tops and shorts must require far less energy to manufacture and transport. There was the overtly lesbian couple, both of whom adorned with colorful tattoos, walking their two small dogs. (Hey, who am I to judge? Either one of them could have kicked my butt without breaking a sweat.) And then...there was an older gentlemen – in his early 60s, I’d guess, but in very good shape – who, God bless him, was jogging without a shirt and with his brown shorts riding a tad low on his hips, showing…oh I wish I could get the picture out of my head…the top of his butt crack. My eyes! Oh, my eyes!!!

Other than having to see my walking partners’ blister-covered feet during our lunch break, the 14 miles went quite well. The longest training walk I’ve done this summer was about 9 miles, so I was a little surprised at how good I felt, even towards the end. In fact, I think I could have gone another three or four miles quite easily. Even though it doesn’t feel like I’ve been training enough (at least on the weekends), my “extra” walking during the week over my lunch hour must be helping. So far, I don’t have any blisters or other aches and pains that often turn up during the long weeks of 3-Day training. Here’s hoping that trend continues!

After spending Saturday evening at a friend’s lake cabin, I was up and at it again Sunday morning. I met some different members of my team at Bunker Hills Park for a 10-mile walk, on yet another perfect summer day. The walk was uneventful, though the conversation was enjoyable. Three of the ladies are new to our team this year, although two of them have walked the 3-Day in previous years. It was good to share new stories (and jokes) with different people; that’s one of the things that keeps me going, when I start to feel like I’d rather stay in bed on a weekend morning or cut short a walk when I’m out by myself.

I’ll be taking a couple of vacation days this week, after the 4th, but the training continues…even if some of it may take place on a golf course. Hey, at least I’m carrying my clubs!