I'm Walkin', Yes Indeed

My latest circumstances just go to show that the Law of Attraction can at times come back to bite you in the ass. You'll recall my disdain for public transit. Well about a week later, the Marine's car completely crapped out which means I am now without a vehicle. Lord knows it's a nice to have for me, not a must have like it is for the Marine.

I signed up for zipcar to tide me over, and I'm going to see about getting a car in the spring. I've been doing some research to see what I could get and I think I'll definitely get something smaller.

I'm looking at this as a character building exercise. One of the things I prize above all is my independence, particularly of the vehicular variety and I hate to be without it. At the same time, I keep thinking about polar bears that have to swim so much further than they used to because the icecap is melting and the fact that right now, I can easily walk or transit to work.

Which brings me to two of my promised missives: A Journey of 10,000 steps begins with but a single pedometer and What a difference a shoe makes...

A couple of weeks ago I treated myself to a new pair of running shoes from the Running Room. The other ones I had were good, but they were cheap ass, some addidas shoes I'd picked up for a song at a Sears sale. Walking on the treadmill was starting to crush the outside toes on my left foot, culminating in my ankle swelling up so badly that I couldn't strap on my sandle. Hurt like a bugger too. I decided that some bargains just weren't worth it.

The sales attendant brought out four different pairs and it was amazing how different they all were. In the end, I went with the first pair, Asics, that literally make me feel like I'm walking on a cloud. At the same time, I bought a pedometer and determined over the course of the next few days that to get to the recommended 10,000 steps per day, I essentially need to walk to and from work, or just over a mile.

I was doing quite well until the bladder infection kicked in, so I'm anxious to get over this sinus infection/cough thingie I now have and get back into it. I need to regain some sense of physical strength. I remember a time when I biked all over the city without a second thought, or breath for that matter.

But despite feeling crappy and having work bear down on me as I prepare for vacation, I'm finding I'm not giving in to old habits. I'm still on my gluten free diet and I've been able to cut out quite a bit of milk as well. I'm trying to get back on the allergy avoidance wagon. Between that, my continued recovery from anemia and some rest this coming week, I'm confident I'll feel better. Even tonight, when I'd had a long day and felt like I'd been hit with a shovel, I walked to the grocery store and got transit home. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but for someone like me for whom the simple can be herculean at times, it was nice not needing to hail a cab because I was exhausted. It was nice to feel that I wasn't letting things slip just because the road has gotten a little bumpy lately.