The Games We Play

I did NOT want to walk this morning.  The highs that I get from discovering a new route, or simply getting excited about the process again, can last a few days, or a few hours.  This morning was, once again, hot and humid, even at 5:00AM.  I laid in bed, and kept trying to figure out a way to put it off, which was going to be well-nigh impossible, because I had a full day of work, followed by having some friends over for dinner.  I played these head games:  I'll work through lunch, get home at 4:30, and walk til 6:00 (they're not coming over til 7:00).  But where would I fit in cleaning my house?  I could do it over the lunch hour (ugh!) but then I'd be sweaty and my hair would be a frizzy mess.  I could wait til after dinner and after everyone left and have a super late walk.  But then everyone would be focused on that, and feel like they had to leave and let me be on my way. 

I was hit by a random thought.  Never once, in my 6 1/2 months of walking five miles a day -- NEVER ONCE -- have I regretted having taken the walk.  But there have been plenty of times that I have regretted not doing it, and then scrambling to catch up. 

I pulled myself out of bed.  Took Banks on his walk, took him home, then started to replicate the walk I had yesterday.  One of the best parts of walking through Travis Heights is looking at the fabulous houses and dreaming of owning one some day.  For some reason, today was harder, and even though I had intentionally skipped a 5-minute section to bring the mileage closer to five, I actually got home 10 minutes past my hour and a half, rather than the 7 or 8 yesterday.  So, on the way to work, I decided to drive the route to gage the mileage accurately, but had to give up, because I realized halfway down Live Oak that it becomes one-way -- something you just don't notice on foot. 

So, by 7:30AM, my hair was washed, the coffee was ready and some laundry was thrown in the wash.  I did work through lunch, and I'll be home by 4:15. I'll clean my house (it's very small), have time to pick up dinner (I don't cook, remember?) and life will be relaxing and fun -- not rushed and stressful.  And I will keep reminding myself:  Walk five miles.  You will not regret it.