I would walk 500 miles

...or just 2, if we are being serious. At my new job here at UNE (been here four months as of yesterday) employee wellness is like Ron Burgundy- "kind of a big deal." Human Resources held its 2nd annual (if its such a big deal, why were there only 2 of these? hmm) Fun Run/Walk, where employees could wear obnoxiously colored t-shirts and run or walk 1 or 2 miles. Offices were encouraged to close for the morning hours and have all people participate. Walking for a good cause, and being out of the office for a few hours? Sign. Me. Up. Given the state of my joints, running the course was out of the question, so I signed up to walk, determined to do the 2 miles.

Don't tell my PT Chris, but since I have graduated his program, I haven't been keeping up as much with my home exercises. I'm not making any excuses, I know its laziness. I'd rather come home and have a drink and dinner and unwind from my day. I get some kind of work out in at least once a week. And Ethan and I have been active all summer- I'll do better this winter when I am cooped up indoors. Because of all this, I was scared about the walk; I didn't want to wuss out after the 1st mile. My other worry was that I'd do the 2 and not be able to walk the next day.

Get this, babies: I DID IT and lived to tell the tale(I also got two free shirts and a water bottle out of the deal. Yay for UNE swag!). I was only mildly sore Thursday (the day after) and a bit stiff, but I didn't get the 2 day ache that comes two days after a work out. I am a champion walker; I can't run and therefore have perfected the art of walking. Do they have walking races? Some kind of speed-walking race or distance walking? The longest walk I think I ever did in one swoop was 3 or 4 miles with a friend, in flip-flops, at night. Oops. I was definitely sore the next day, but I made it. I need to take up Olympic walking.

I thought for sure my right hip would feel the burn, but as it was, the next day, it was no more sore than expected. Maybe I can put off cortisone or surgery longer than I thought. This seems like victory. I have two weeks off for Christmas this year, and I won't be on crutches like last year. I plan to sleep and bake and shop and build snow forts.