Marching Into The Peace Corps, pt 7: Agony of De Feet
by When I think of the “E” word (exercise), I have mixed emotions ranging from a low, whinny groan to not wanting to endure physical pain. People have talked and written about a phenomenon called an “exercise high”, but I never experienced it; by the end of my workouts, I always felt like two minutes from death. “I feel great after my workouts!” Shut up.
First I made it down the alley without losing my breath then I made it around the duck pond. I was feeling good, but not sure how long it would last, so I kept going, figuring I would make the next left turn and head back towards home. As I came up on the first left turn, I realized I still had the energy, so I kept going. After awhile, I found myself walking a lot further than I had anticipated I could. Laurie, a good friend of mine, came over to help me take care of something and I asked her to drive the route to measure it. I figured it was maybe two and a half miles, but to my surprise, it turned out to be five miles!
I honestly didn’t think I had that kind of strength in me. The next day, I tried it again, and for my effort I was rewarded with nature’s gift: my first blister. At this point in time I’ve walked twenty miles over the measured trail, and I’m guessing another six miles over a new path I need to ask Laurie to drive for me with her trip odometer set. It doesn’t take long to shed the tender foot syndrome, thankfully, or else I would’ve given up with all the blisters I’ve created.
My goal is to walk 35 miles a week, which is good cardiovascular exercise to start getting in shape with. I’m already feeling my low back, legs, and butt gaining strength. There are times when I just don’t feel I can walk another step – my feet hurt, my leg sockets beg for me to take a break, and I can feel my blisters growing in size. When I’m tempted to complain and grumble, thoughts that aren’t my own pop into my head to encourage me.
- I am glad to know I am capable of feeling pain – many who are paralyzed wish for this.
- I know I have the strength to walk, while many are trapped in bed with debilitating health situations that drain away the quality of their lives.
- I think about St. Paul ’s long journeys over thousands of miles, wearing only sandals, and I am grateful for my beat up sneaker friends and the socks I am blessed to own. It’s more than what St. Paul had!
It’s all a matter of perspective. You can choose to whine about the lemons you’ve been handed, or learn how to make lemon aide. It’s not easy to try and rise above your circumstances, but eventually the view makes it all worth while.
If you don’t like trying to find all the segments of this series, you can locate the links to them here and they will return you the exact spot on the socyberty.com site.
quazen.com articles by this writer can be found here
socyberty.com articles can be located here
relijournal.com articles are here
picable.com photographic images are here
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