Walking

My alarm is set for 6:45, a bit less than 2 hours from now. I am committed to walking with a friend. I really wish I wasn’t awake right now.

I asked this woman to walk with me when I realized she lived very near the walking path I frequented, not frequently enough. She agreed and we started walking Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning as she had another fitness commitment on the other days.

At the offset I told her I wanted to walk at a brisk pace but I had a tendency to meander. I didn’t actually stop and point at dust particles but…you get the picture. I didn’t want to make the intensity of our walk her responsibility but asked her to speak up if she realized we were lagging. A couple of times she did and then I would gladly pick up the pace. Neither of us really enjoyed walking but the commitment kept us doing it and the company helped pass the time.

A few weeks into it her neighbor joined us. This chick could haul. On our first time out my hip was hurting and then my foot, I knew they would warm up eventually, which they did but by then my lungs were shot. I kept going but at times a step behind them as if I was slightly subservient. I pictured myself just dropping by the side of the road and asking them to come back for me in a car. I kept walking. At the end I was drenched in sweat and felt great.

The next Tuesday it was just Tracey and me again. We walked briskly but I didn’t find myself inventorying what organs I could jettison. I asked Tracey if I was holding her back. We both laughed about what a fast walker her neighbor is.

That Thursday I was waiting on Tracey’s front porch when she came out in a robe. “I can’t walk today. Sorry, I forgot to call. Oh but look there’s Rhina. You two can still walk.” I turned to see her neighbor sprinting towards us and then whispered, “She’s going to kick my can!!!”

We set out. We kept a good pace, but I wasn’t dying. We had a nice talk and a good walk. As we approached the end I told her how glad I was that she had come out.

“I used to walk all the time but I haven’t this summer and gained some weight. It is so much easier to do it when you go with others. Although I knew you guys are only in your 30’s so I was concerned about keeping up.”

!!!!

The woman is 42. I said. “Look sister, you have nothing to worry about. We were busting it to keep up with you.”

We took a couple weeks off for a variety of reasons. Two days ago we got back on it. All of us had had crappy nights of sleep so we were on the same page – good pace, same distance, no heroics.

I have been awake since before 4. What if they are sleeping peacefully?

Insomniacs unite and pray!