Fifteen Miles

Yesterday was my fifteen mile training walk. Chloe had a soccer game in the morning, and so I didn't get started until 12:30pm. It was also raining, and so that meant another walk at the mall.

The first three miles were oddly hard. I just kept thinking that if I would just keep going, it would get better.

It did eventually. I just sort of blanked out on how much my back hurt. (I pulled my back out when I was in my third trimester of the twins' pregnancy, and now it seems like I can pull it when I'm not even doing anything! And, of course, I pulled it two weeks ago.)

I just kept listening to my audiobook and walked, walked, walked. Make that "walked, bobbed and weaved, walked, tried not to plow (said person) down, walked, bobbed and weaved." The mall was packed. I even got to see a health expo - eight times - where oddly I got potato chips and coupons to McDonalds.

Halfway done

I finished at 7:30pm - seven hours. I did pretty well until the last mile or so. Somehow I jacked up my left knee badly and pulled something in that thigh. I literally limped the last half mile. People kept giving me the most pathetic looks - I'm sure because I looked pathetic. IT WAS ROUGH. Sooo different from my 12 mile walk two weeks ago.

So Friday's party was a huge high, and Saturday's walk a big low. I finished, yes, but the idea of having to walk eleven more miles... I could not have done it yesterday. I would've kept going, yes, but I'm pretty sure that I could not limp faster than the sweeper van at the Walk. (If you're going too slow, the sweeper van picks you up.)

I did not walk today, even though I was supposed to do 7 more miles. I decided to rest my body. I am feeling more level today. I mean, yes, I am super sore, and certain directions I turn my knee hurts like fire, but I'm back to believing that I can do this. I'm encouraged by the fact that I did not get a single blister - hoorah for the runner's knot! I also think the bobbing and weaving at the mall put a lot of unusual stress on my body and specifically my knee. Plus I was exhausted from a week's worth of lost sleep as I prepared for the party. I'm choosing to believe that I can do this!

Are you with me? Any donation to the Avon Walk would help - $10, $20, anything you can. Not only would my tired feet thank you, but those courageous cancer patients would too if they could. To donate, see the link on the right side of my blog. And, please! Don't forget to pray for me and my team - especially for our health and fundraising!