A Walk in the Country

On Friday I posted about how I had a major holiday non-scale victory wherein I got up and went for a walk on Thanksgiving morning. Here's a little more on that story....

I was spurred on to consider walking while on vacation when I read a few weeks ago about a virtual 5 K Turkey Trot going on that day. People were going to commit to running (or walking) 5K/3.1 mi. Thanksgiving morning. I knew I was going to be visiting my grandmother and not going to be responsible for the entire Thanksgiving meal, so as I read that post I wondered why I didn't try to commit to walking the Turkey day 5K myself.

I knew why...

Because I knew me and me doesn't get up and walk while on vacation. Me likes to indulge on vacation in every sense of the word - eating treats, lazing about, etc. etc.

Well, apparently that is the old me, because the new me committed to walking on vacation by telling my friend Stephanie I would do it, packing walking clothes and my Garmin and then setting the alarm to get up to walk every morning.

And the new me did it.

It was kind of cold, but I was out for a walk by 7:15 am every day and enjoying the long quiet country roads that make up my grandparents "neighborhood".

Saturday, the 3rd morning, I didn't really want to get up, but I made myself. There was too much bothering me. Like I still needed a photo of the road and my son had told me the night before he'd get up and walk with me in the morning. :) Plus there was the fact that I knew I'd feel better after my morning walk. So, I got up and my son joined me - all bundled and full of chit chat.

While my eating wasn't all that great on our vacation the fact that I made good on my commitment to exercise was HUGE. It was a reminder that change IS possible. It may take a while and we may have so many failures along the way that we think the only option is to quit, but it's not.

It's often said, "baby steps" and it's so true, because eventually those baby steps add up and you find yourself doing things you never thought you could or would - like going for cold morning walks while on vacation. :)