Walking 10: “There is a marathon left in me?”

The first time I walked up the steep hill yesterday (out of the east side of Harris Park), I heard a cardinal’s song and found it just 8 - 10 feet from my nose, almost at eye level. I was quite surprised the bird was so close, and didn’t fly off while I snapped a few pictures.

The second time I started up the hill - just a few moments later - I was quite surprised again, because without really thinking about it, I began to jog up the hill. I held a steady pace all the way to the top. The extra effort didn’t leave me wasted.

“Hey, maybe there’s a marathon left in you, Gordie,” I said to myself.

["I'm behind you all the way, Gordie!"]

And maybe there is. I’ve been walking regularly for three months; I guess my legs are fitter, my wind is better, and my body wants to ‘bump it up a notch.’ 

A few minutes later, after crossing Blackfriar’s Bridge, I stopped to look north along the trail toward Oxford Street. Familiar turf. A former running path for me. Long training runs that skirted the river, on both sides, came to mind. I didn’t shove the thoughts over the embankment.

Maybe there are long hours of training ahead. Maybe one marathon left in my legs.

[Photos by G.Harrison]

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