I thought it might happen. Moving away, even temporarily, from the river valley has adversely affected my walking. After 15 years, I have been knocked off the trails by a change of location. I thought I would be more insistent, and I am a little disappointed that I have succumbed to a certain amount of laziness. Of course, it’s not just laziness, or the absence of river, or even the distance from my current abode to Whitemud Ravine. It’s also a greater level of responsibility after work. With two nieces and a dog, there is not a lot of meandering time to be had. Everybody’s hungry, and I might as well just get home as quickly as possible and get things done. The walk can wait. And then it’s dark. I understand why ‘add-on’ fitness regimes fail; people have to leave to do it. It’s in addition to other activities, and it requires a level of commitment that is easily toppled by the comforts of home. Up to September, my walking regime was my commute, therefore it was not in addition to my life, but part of it. A great part, the best part of my day. I always walked on the weekends too, and on holidays, but the bulk of my walking was after work. And once I arrived home, I could stay home. Work done. Walk done. Nothing left to do but open a can of alphagetti and relax. Ah, the single life.
I did take the dog for a couple of long walks last weekend, and a short one on Wednesday, but this is far from my usual output. I’m used to 90 minutes a day. Every day, or most days. As the light dwindles and the days get colder, I can’t see things changing much until next spring. My routine is on hold, in a modified state, for five to six months. I guess this is OK, as long as I can regulate my moods (and donut consumption) in some other way. Maybe I’ll take up drinking. I am still walking, and Whitemud Ravine has yet to reveal all her secret monkey trails, I suppose. Also, it is unfailingly pleasant to walk with Maggie. I love watching her lope along through the grass, her snout hoovering up all the scents of the neighbourhood dogs and maybe a coyote or two. She’s so happy to be outside, in any weather.
Kinda like me in Mill Creek, although I haven’t loped for years.
Nevertheless, it was a nice enough walk today. Very frosty, just -1C when Maggie and I left at 2:00. Whitemud Creek is frozen, but I could hear the water flowing beneath the ice. I bet there were ice pancakes on the North Saskatchewan this morning….
4:o7PM/2C