Huge Walking NSV for Me

I posted this at the NS100 Yahoo! Group, so for those of you who read there this is probably a repeat, but I wanted it in a place where I could re-read it and remember the pride I felt in my accomplishments today!

My younger sister offered to walk with me the other day. I was hesitant to take her up on it because she is much smaller than I (weighing in at like 155 or so) and has been walking about five miles per day. She recently had surgery and said she needs to take things slow.

So ... today I called her and told her I was going to walk to her house. She lives around the corner and down the street from me. For me, it is a pretty hefty walk, especially since I haven't walked anywhere close to that far in over four years. She offered to walk over to my house and walk to hers with me but I told her I could make it on my own.

I started out and by the time I got to the corner I wondered what in the world I had gotten myself into. I was hurting and started to ask myself what in the world I was thinking. But ... I rounded the corner and kept going. I made it almost all the way to her house when I was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other. Next to the road was a guardrail so down I sat. I sat about three minutes until I caught my breath and then heaved myself up and on I trudged. I made it to her house in just over 20 minutes so I guestimate I walked about 17 minutes.

I sat there for about an hour, visiting and drinking a glass of ice water. Then she and her friend walked me home. Again, I made it nearly all the way. They were so sweet walking at my trudging pace. I did have to sit down on some steps for about five minutes on the way, and I honestly didn't think I was going to make it.

I was about to ask one of them to go get a car to drive me when I saw the corner and my house. Woo hoo! The walk home took 20 minutes with five sitting down so 15 minutes walking or a total of 32 minutes total. I felt bad because as we got to my house it started to rain. I offered to drive them back, but they refused. Bet they made it home in less than five minutes, but I am so darn proud of me! My sister said she was proud of me, too! That made me feel really good.

I'm learning it isn't what I can't do that is the problem. It's what I tell myself I can't do when I should be saying I won't do it or don't want to do it. I can do this. I told my sister I probably won't be able to move tomorrow... and right now I feel that is true. But ... I hope to repeat the walk again on Weds and again on Saturday. Before long, I'll be joining her for that five mile walk! Woo hoo!