Time to Get Off the Couch, Potatoes!

I was inspired to begin this blog by two people. Judy Putnam asked if anyone was running the Peachtree.  I will be walking the Peachtree this year. It will be my second Peachtree. Robert Nebel has also insprired me by sharing great stories about biking in Peachtree Corners. I thought I would share my journey from couch potato to the Peachtree in the hope it will convince other couch potatoes to hit the pavement!

It was mid April 2009. I was between contracts and not happy about it. I had been slowly putting on a few more pounds that I did not need and feeling a little down and out. I don’t remember why, precisely, but one morning I dug out my sweat pants and tennies, got up off the couch, walked out the front door and headed off for parts unknown.

When I got back, I checked Google maps and realized I had actually walked about 1 ½ miles! It was easy and I felt great. That started a pattern I have followed ever since: get up in the morning, change into my walking gear, grab a cup of coffee while I feed the cats and head out the door.

Walking has really made a difference in my life.  After beginning my walking routine, I began losing weight and gaining happiness. I made some other changes that led to a new contract less than a month after that fateful April morning. And you see our community in a very different light, rather than cruising by on four or even two wheels. 

As time passed, I began extending my walk a little bit more every day. I walked along Lou Ivey to start. My initial goal was to walk from South Old Peachtree, all the way down to Bush Road and back, about 2.7 miles total including the walk from and to my home. The day I achieved that was amazing! Especially as that Lou Ivey hill is a real challenge.

There have been roadblocks. I developed tendonitis in one foot that was so painful, I could barely hobble in late summer 2009. After I recovered, my Dad (bless his heart) ran over the same foot with his power chair at Thanksgiving. Difficult to walk with a bone bruise. Then in late January 2010, I was knocked out for several weeks with the flu.

But you can’t let setbacks stop you. You pause, recover and start back again. At Christmas, my sisters, niece and brother-in-law talked me into my first 10K, the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston. Race date - March 2010. Not much time to prep. But that is another story. To be continued…

I hope to hear from other walkers about your adventures. And also from couch potatoes as you leave your sofas and hit the road. You can reach me at peachtreecornerswalker@gmail.com.

Editor's note: You may also leave a comment below in the comment box which everyone can read.