Off the Hook

Check the time.   I’d have to go back and review the old blogs, but I’m pretty sure this is the latest I’ve finished a walk.  Oh, what a day.  I had a much-needed massage at 4:00, met a friend for dinner at 6:30, and then met up with some friends who'd just returned from Colombia.  Southbound 35 was slow-moving with lots of emergency vehicles (I think it was construction-related rather than accident -related) and by the time I got home, pulled the collar over Banks’ neck and walked out the door, it was 9:20 

Since it was so late, we stuck close to the well-lit commercial district up and down South Congress.  I’ve noticed that Banks doesn’t seem to see well when it’s dark, and Stacy Park, as well as St. Ed’s, gets very dark this late.

It’s been weeks and weeks since we took this route.  I’d almost forgotten the very specific workout that South Congress provides.  The sharp, steep hills off Stacy Park can leave you gasping for breath.  The mile-long slope from Riverside to Oltorf results in a sustained, controlled burn, both for your muscles and your lungs.  The massage therapist, upon hearing of my five-mile project, had lectured me on the importance of “mixing up” my footwear, so on this trek I opted for my sockless canvas shoes. My feet breathe when I wear them.

I made a momentous decision this morning.  Remember when I gloated about the size 10 jeans I tried on yesterday?  I couldn’t wait to weigh myself upstairs in the health clinic this morning, and guess what?  I’ve gained a pound.  Yes, I know all about “It’s not the number on the scale, it’s how your clothes fit,” and “Muscle weighs more than fat,” but I can still get obsessed by that number on the scale.  And that can result in some unhealthy tendencies, like gearing up for the 1^st of the month by eating very lightly for a couple of days before then, and then indulging after weigh-in.  No.  I’m going to let myself off the hook and avoid the scale for a while, monitoring myself by how I look, how I feel, and yes, how my clothes fit.  This is not Weight Watchers.  This is Five Mile Walk with a Piebald Pit.