and something else is now off my "bucket list" (if I had a bucket list, and if that bucket list included things that are extremely pointless and painful)

So, I recently did a walking half-marathon. Not really sure why I agreed to do it. I have very persuasive friends I guess.

If you don't know me, I am NOT an exerciser! I don't enjoy doing anything that requires significant physical effort.

Now, I do like to try and be healthy, so my above-mentioned persuasive friends encouraged me to join their gym last year. I was talked into such tortuous things as "Boot Camp" and "Spinning". Seriously, what were they thinking? What was I thinking? Well, they were thinking that I would ultimately love it. I was thinking...well, I still don't know for sure.

So, the next apparent step to joining a gym is to walk a marathon. I did put my foot down and would only agree to do the half-marathon. I know...really strong statement.

Realize that I had probably never walked more than 4 miles at a time. Also realize that about 2 months ago I developed an "overuse injury" of my hip (not related to training for the walk). Training for a 1/2 marathon doesn't go well when you have a hip that needs to be rested. And when even rest doesn't help said hip, well...any effort at training will have a tendency to go right out the window (at least that is what I have heard).

So, I walked a half-marathon with one of my very dearest friends.

(there were others in our group...some were really crazy and did the full marathon, and others just started at a different time than we did)



Ready to start walking!



With basically no training.

    

                                        

Along the route



With a hip that hurt every time I took a step.

Sculpture garden

One mile left!

And I DID IT! Yep, one more thing off my list. Never need to do that again!
(Seriously, I really did just fine. One blister on my right "index" toe (what else do you call your 2nd toe?), a slightly more sore hip, and some general aches and pains.)

Not too bad for just walking for over 3 1/2 hours!



But still, never NEED to do that again.