Going Outdoors (hey, it's a stretch for me!)

I'm not an outdoors kind of person. Even when I was young, if I had a choice between going outdoors to play or reading indoors, I'd always choose the indoors activity. It's not that I don't like being outside; it's just that it doesn't occur to me to go outside when there's so much to do inside the house. Of course this affects my health. There is a lot more of me than there should be, and my doctor keeps telling me I need to exercise more.

This summer when a high school friend posted on facebook that she wanted to start a morning walking club, I knew I needed to join her. Not wanted - NEEDED. I need to move. So this summer we logged a lot of miles, sometimes walking the beautifully shaded Kent Trails, and sometimes hiking up and down the hilly rural roads through Jamestown. It's been really wonderful reconnecting with her. Dawn and I were good friends all through grade school, junior high and high school. We went our separate ways after graduation, but now live only a few miles apart! Our children are about the same ages, so we've had a lot of the same experiences. So we have a lot to talk about on our hikes.

My daughter has inspired me to walk in 5K events, and so I have to walk regularly to be able to complete the entire distance without falling over. We recently signed up for our second "race" to take place at the end of the month. She told me that in order to get an official time, we have to complete the course in 45 minutes. Oh boy. That's going to be a much faster pace than I take now!

Sometimes it's hard to squeeze walking time into my crazy schedule. And when Dawn went on vacation last week I walked only once. But I need to do this. The three or four hours a week I spend walking are work, but they're necessary. And the benefits are endless. I feel so much more energized after walking, and I've spent time with a dear friend. What could be better?

I took the picture above during our walk yesterday morning. It was a foggy day, and we passed a farm with some very friendly horses! I guess they need their exercise, too.