As I watch my friends post on Facebook about 5Ks, 10Ks, half and full marathons, my first reaction is how proud I am of all of them and their dedication to training for these races. It is not easy. My second thought is–better them than me. If there is anything that I am 100% sure of it is that I am not a runner. Nor am I up for any flashy events that I see advertised like the Tough Mudder or anything that ends in the words “boot camp.” It isn’t like I haven’t tried to be someone I’m not. A few years ago, I trained for my first (and last) 5K. I hired a fabulous personal trainer to keep me on track and motivate me every step of the way (so to speak). And I did it. A few months later, I crossed the finish line with her by my side. I’m proud to say that while I didn’t have the fastest time, I wasn’t the last one either. While I remember feeling exhilarated that I completed the race and I consider that 5K to be a great personal accomplishment, I can honestly say that I don’t feel the need to do it ever again. I have no interest in improving my PR (personal record) nor do I want to graduate to longer races. Running is not a passion of mine. Walking on the other hand is much more my speed. I love to walk. I walk 5K races. I walk at my local park. I park my car further away and walk through the parking lot to the store. I walk around my neighborhood and at the gym. I love to walk. Last month, I logged over 300,000 steps as I raised awareness and money for childhood cancer research. I have different walking buddies and I feel just as good – if not better – about myself after a nice workout. I find it much easier to fit in a walk as opposed to a run. I can walk in my work clothes on my lunch hour. I don’t need to map out a route for my walk – I simply walk out the door. I walk at a good pace so as to break a sweat but not worry about injuring myself. Walking has a lot of benefits to both my physical and mental health. It clears my head, boosts my memory and it is a great excuse to catch up with friends. Talk about multi-tasking. So, I will cheer on my friends who go the distance, improve their PR and smile the entire time. I hope they will cheer me on as well.
