67 Days Out

This morning I woke up bright and early to participate in the walk to Iraq/Afghanistan event held on Fort Stewart. To give you a little info, this is an event for the spouses, we have to log or miles walked/ran each week and give them to the group leader. The goal is for every participant to do 100 miles by April 24th. The first mile had to be done at this event, where everyone symbolically walks the first mile together. I wanted to participate because with my exercise schedule my surgeon's program requires me to do, I would be doing that distance anyway. This is my first time participating in an event with the spouses group ( called and FRG). I feel so out of place at these things, I really do, I am a veteran, and they have always been just wives. I don't really fit in, but this event sounded fun, and Joel is planning on retiring from the Army after 20 years, so I have at least 13 more years of being an Army wife so I guess I should start participating in things.

I arrived to the event 40 minutes early. It was crazy, no organization and people everywhere. After I wandered around for the whole 40 minutes, they told people to start lining up at the start. Finally after everyone started moving I found where I was suppose to register. All the walkers had already taken off and I was still filling out a paper. Finally I was finished with the papers and could start my walk. I was way behind. I had a lot of catching up to do, there was a good 50 foot gap between me and the people in front of me. I put my headphone in and pressed play on my ipod nano. I was walking alone, probably one of the only participants walking alone, but I am different so I don't have many friends here. I took off, I was walking at a quick pace. The pace you go during a ruck march in basic training when the drill sergeant is yelling at you to go faster but not to run. I passed up the people in the back, I picked up the pace a little and made it to the middle of the pact. My thighs were starting to burn but that was my indication I was getting a workout out of this. I stayed in the middle of the pact for awhile and was then ready to pick up the pace again, I passed the middle of the pact. I stayed here until the end. Not in the front with the runner, but not in the middle of the pact, I was somewhere between those two. I felt accomplished, and knew I could do the 100 miles before April 24th.

I started lifting yesterday. I'm not too trilled with the weight room at the gym on post, but its free to use so I can't really complain. I did good, lifted moderately heavy weight and my intestines didn't fall out like I feared.