Making Good Decisions

I REALLY didn't want to go out power-walking tonight. I haven't been getting more than 5 to 6 hours of sleep daily and my left foot hurt and ... Well, I would've been totally justified if I HADN'T gone out. Seriously. My foot could have used a rest day actually. (It started really hurting on the trail - more on that later.) It was still 95 outside - and while that doesn't normally bother me, getting past the mental block was harder than it should have been. But I just pressed forward one step at a time until I found myself parking and getting out of the car. One of the main reasons why I was successful is because I believe in the value of what I'm doing - in its power to change.

But looking back, it was the right decision. And I was rewarded in several ways. First, I saw a small green heron right by the water about 8 feet from me. Beautiful sighting. Second, a family of three was walking toward me and the father was checking his email the entire time and slowing his family down to boot. It reminded me of those diabetes and heart meds commercials talking about diet and "exercise." Then they show some overweight guy tooling his bike around or rowing a row boat. While general non-taxing exercise is better than nothing, and movement is certainly important for general health, the type of exercise these commercials display - and the kind this man was doing (but not engaged in) while reading his email, does not push the body beyond the comfort zone and thus does little to improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

Back to the foot. It was the weirdest thing - minimal pain while walking at full pace, and then AS SOON as I slowed down to a casual pace - BAM - I felt sharp pains emanating from my left big toe middle section. I mean it hurt so bad I was limping. As I continued walking, it started faded into the background and then, just as suddenly - BAM - the pain was gone and I resumed a normal fast pace. Very weird! Hasn't hurt again like that since.

STATS: 60 min; Max HR: 148 bpm, Avg HR = 130 bpm; Equipment: 3-lb hand weights, 12-lb weight vest; Trail type: asphalt, Innsbrook Corporate Trail Loop.