Summer heat has altered the way I sleep & I've found myself stiff in the morning. I decided to add walking to my exercise routine. I need the exercise & walking helps me work out stiffness I'm experiencing.
I plotted my course with Google Maps. I didn't take everything into consideration, like a really annoying hill & a couple of loose dogs. I walked fairly early so it would still be somewhat cooler. My feet & legs were getting sore towards the end, but I managed to pull off a mile walk without huffing & puffing.
I was surprised with my time. I made my mile in 16.48 minutes. OK, a nearly 17 minute mile is no record breaker, but it was faster than I had expected. I am very pleased with my time because:
- I am fairly overweight
- I have not walked a mile in over 2 decades
- I did not plan to take on a hilly road
- I had to slow down to deal a mad dog, a needy cat & some litter in my drive
- 16 minutes is still considered to be in fitness walking range
- That was walking at around 3.6 miles per hour
- That burned off 130 - 150 calories
I have revised my map & plan on seeing what my time will be like without the hills & the dogs. At this point, I'm just bench marking. I want to start with a 10 minute walk to replace my morning exercise routine 3 times a week. I go shopping in the morning twice a week & get plenty of walking there. I can do so stair work on the remaining days.
The only things I really see preventing me from continuing this are illness, the temperature getting too high in the mornings & my own laziness. At least one of those I can try to overcome. I really believe in recognizing your accomplishments & I think this deserves some recognition. Woo Hoo to me!
Cya...
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