The First Mile

Yesterday I was noticing how easy the half mile was to walk {with my cane, of course} and thinking it was time I went for a mile. I knew I could get a mile in by doubling the half mile, but I really didn’t want to walk down even a block of stinky noisy Main Street twice because I really hated doing it once in the half mile.

I was going to take my car and drive half a mile along the back streets and then I would know when it was time to turn around and come back, but then I suddenly remembered that Fred had mentioned that it was a little over half a mile to George’s house. George was Fred’s landlord for many years including the first couple of years after I moved in, and Fred would ride his bike down to George’s house to deliver the monthly rent check.  So, I decided I would walk down to that point.

Now I was a little apprehensive about this, so I took my cell phone and asked Fred if he would come and pick me up if I called him if I felt I couldn’t make it back. I was pretty sure I could do the walk but it did relieve my mind to know that I was able to get a ride back if I felt I needed it. So, off I went.

It was a lovely sunny day with a cool wind and I made it down to the little park that had two places to sit and rest—a gazebo at one end and a picnic table under a line of shady trees at the other. I walked down to the picnic table end  because that is nearer to George’s house, and sat there for ten minutes. And then I walked home again. It took me a little longer to walk back, but I did it. When I got home, I figured out that I had walked the mile at 1 and a half miles per hour! Well, that isn’t exactly record breaking or even half-way to the 3 and a half miles an hour I was doing when I was walking regularly and losing weight, but it is a beginning.

Oh, and I also did a load of laundry this morning,   and did my physical therapy exercises…

I am VERY pleased with myself and with the day!
QUOTATIONS:

"Step by step. I can’t think of any other way of accomplishing anything."

Michael Jordan

If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.

— David Viscott

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