Things I love #4, Walking

I have always been an athlete, as long as I can remember. I grew up in rural Canada, in a small farming/fishing village. Much of my time was spent out of doors, doing chores, hanging out with friends, playing games, etc. In school I was on every team I could get on, soccer, basketball, badminton, and more. Lots of youthful energy.

As a young adult I got into distance running, but an injury sidelined me when the children were small. I turned to bodybuilding to rehab myself. That eventually gave way to powerlifting, combined with mountain biking, and, well, you get the idea.

In recent years, since acquiring four dogs, I have discovered the joys of walking.  I love breathing deeply, the sun on my back, the breeze in my face, moving swiftly with long strides across the face of the earth. Walking allows my body to take over and let my imagination take a stroll of its own. I don’t need to focus on the task, psyche myself up, or anything, just walk and enjoy.

Today for example, I took the boys out as usual. There was a cool breeze off the water, yet the sun was still warm. As we headed down a dirt road I was able to push my pace a bit; they had no problem keeping up. Soon we reached open fields of tall grasses with an ocean view in the distance.  As they raced about, snuffling everything they could find, I climbed a small rise to stop, catch my breath, and enjoy the magnificent view.

After a while I whistled them in and we headed for home. Again I set a strong pace, enjoying the freedom and movement of my body as I swung along, the boys trotting along beside me. When we reached the house I was breathing deeply, sweating, and feeling as alive as I have ever felt. I love it, walking, good for the body, good for the soul.