Morning Walks

Three years ago several friends and I would willingly drag ourselves out of bed to meet at 5:30 am at our high school track so we could start our days with some exercise. It was also a great way to catch up and keep up with what was going on in each others lives.

For almost two years we were able to keep this up. We walked in the wind, rain, sleet, snow, fog, pitch dark and in the early morning light. We listened to the birds chirping and the cows bellowing to remind the nearby farmers it was breakfast time. On many occasions we were blessed to watch the sun rise above the mountains to wish us good day. It was glorious on those days, which made up for the miserable ones. There were many memorable mornings, like when we walked through snow drifts on the track. Then the next day the Nor’easter blew such cold air that the drifts froze so we walked over them. I’ll be honest the majority of the mornings were miserable weather wise, but being out there with my friends made it worth it.

Starting my mornings off with a walk is also a huge mood booster for me. I know that exercise is scientifically proven to boost serotonin levels, but it was more than that. I felt accomplished. That feeling of accomplishment would propel me forward throughout my day. It would help me push through difficult tasks because if I, a self proclaimed night owl, could muster the grit to drag myself out of bed at 4:30 in the morning to walk in some miserable weather, then shower and get ready for work in a girls locker room, I could accomplish _______________.

Unfortunately like a lot of things in life, we slowly let go of this routine. For a little while, I was able to still make myself get up and go to the workout center at school and get in some sort of workout and then get ready for work, It was pretty convenient that I worked in the high school office.

Then Covid hit and we could no longer use the facilities at school. During that time I learned that I need my walks with at least one friend. Someone that I am accountable to. Someone that I can talk to and laugh with, even if it’s a silly subject. I need someone who will tell me that I’m a loser for not getting up when there was nothing wrong other than I was being lazy. Of course those words would be spoken in love.

These walks are medicine for my soul. So this week I am celebrating that my friend and I walked every day, most days 3 miles and one day only 2, but that was the dogs fault. Now that we’ve started again, I pray that we will be able to continue this routine.

Check back for updates on our walks with our beloved dogs, Remington and Gus.