After being sick and becoming a little inconsistent in the days before the big day, I rode the bus to the Heart Walk. It was a wet, muddy morning but I made it to the finish-line and beyond. The 2.9 mile walk was only a part of the distance I walked on foot. With lots of walking before and after the event back to public transportation and from the subway station to home, I think I walked more than 4 miles net that day.
I arrived to see CACI's CEO, Paul Cofoni, talking at the microphone as the walkers started out on their course. He later lapped me. I met strangers who were so friendly. A friend from a church we used to attend recognized me but I was confused because she was wearing a shirt from my employer. She happened to be a friend of another employee. The three in her group and I walked together for most of the walk.
The first lap was so much fun. I could not keep up with the super fast walkers but I wasn't the slowest either. One coworker wore this giant heart costume and his friend carried a boom box with the perfect playlist for the occaision. People kept coming up to take photos with him. My church friend started dance steps to popular songs as we walked and many others who were close enough to hear the boom box joined in. That was my favorite part of the walk.
The second lap was a surprise at first because I thought there was only one lap and that people were leaving. We moved ahead of the giant heart and the boom box so we could no longer hear the music. The sound system near the start/finish line played music loud enough that people could hear it on about a third of the course.
About a quarter mile or so before the finish line, just after I managed to catch up with my CEO and speak/walk with him for a minute, my ankle began to hurt and I struggled to walk normally for many weeks to come.
The training of biking 5 - 6 miles added to the 1.5 miles I had been walking at home a few days each week should have been enough to prepare me for 2.9 miles but I didn't factor the mud which made unforseen demands on my feet and legs. I thought I had done enough on the first lap on the mall and could have gone home but I felt good and believed that I would not have done justice to my hard work if I left at the halfway mark. Many others left after the first lap but I kept going. In retrospect, I've learned my lesson. Plenty others kept walking just like me but I could have sat down and/or gone home.
I stayed after crossing the finish line and visited the tents where free food was being prepared for the walkers. I sampled some healthy, hot greens and okra/tomatoes. I picked up a fresh apple and banana. They hit the spot! I almost forgot about my hurting ankle. I saw more people I knew from work and stopped to talk before we all departed from the mall.
After resting at home most of the remainder of that day, I walked with a cane in the days that followed. It occurred to me to make an appointment with my physical therapist, so I did. As I began writing this entry, my pain had diminished and I had begun to walk much better. On my first physical therapy visit after the walk, I hurt so badly that they put ice on my ankle foot and leg and sent me home without any exercises. I was still in bad pain when I had my second visit after the walk. They stopped my exercises early and sent me home.
Mr. Lee told me that I would improve and be back to normal much sooner than I thought. That's how badly it hurt. But, I did start walking for exercise again over the Christmas holiday and feel much better. Maybe two or more visits with Mr. Lee will be enough, if my Doctor approves them. I also need to get into the habit of doing the exercises independently and consistently.
The new year marks the beginning of my next phase of making paces.
Do something beautiful for your heart today.
~ Cheryl ~
