On Memorial day of this year, fresh off another year in the classroom, I decided I need to start walking again. My A1C numbers were a bit high and the doctor mentioned that exercise would help. Today I marked an important milestone, with just over 200 miles since I made that decision to start walking.
A couple of summers ago, I had gotten into the healthy habit of walking. Last summer I didn’t put in many miles at all. This summer, I once again decided it was something I needed to do, both from a mental and physical standpoint. At some point in my walking today, I passed the two-hundred-mile mark for the summer and would like to say I’m proud of myself.
Most all of my walking has been at Southside Park in nearby Conover and Lenoir-Rhyne University, my alma mater. I usually have two sessions of walking each day, one in the morning and one in the evening. During my walks, I listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. I use the “Map My Walk” app on my phone to keep track of my mileage. Since I’m a numbers guy, I also have a chart that I keep in my journal of my mileage numbers each day.
One of the things I really had as a goal was to lose some weight and that has been somewhat discouraging. I started out at 226 pounds and through the seven weeks I’ve been walking, have only lost about four and a half pounds. I had hoped the pounds would come off quickly, but such has not been the case. At one point my weight did drop to 218, but even then it wasn’t coming off as quickly as I had hoped. My daughter reminded me yesterday that muscle weighs more than fat and that my slow reduction in weight might be due to increased muscle mass.
The past week or so has been hot and humid and that makes walking a bit more difficult, but I also realize this might be the period where I’m most likely going to see the results I want to achieve. The Candian Wildfires have also lessened our air quality, but I really don’t feel myself struggling because of it. My decision to quit smoking on February 25th has also helped immensely. Two years ago when I was walking, I was also smoking and I can really tell a big difference this time around in terms of going farther and not getting so winded.
So the walking will continue as the summer continues its course. I’m thinking that when school does start back in August, I will most definitely want and need to keep up the exercise regimen. In other words, I’m going to continue to walk the walk.
David Lee
David Lee 