I have been walking for three weeks now as a form of exercise from my online walking class and my legs hurt. In fact, it started with shin splints on the left leg, needless to say that at the end of the first week, I felt as if I had just lost my virginity with the pains I was feeling in the ball joints of my hips. It is the third week now and thankfully, those pains are gone, but new pains developed like the sprout of a new seed in the garden. This time, my right knee hurts, my laps feel tired, and I just feel like giving up, but I cannot.

When I started three weeks ago, it was my first time on the treadmill. When I entered the school gym (by the way, I pay for the gym in my tuition but never use it) there were two girls on the treadmill. I asked one of them to help me. I told her, “I don’t know how to use the treadmill. It is my first time.” She was nice to me and decided to show me. First, she asked me to step on the side by putting my legs at the edge of the treadmill before starting the machine. She said, “Press the Quick Start” and it will start, then you can step on it.” I did then the machine asked for my weight. At this time, I entered my weight and started walking holding the bars in front of me for dear life.

My pace was about 17 point something and I completed one mile in 22 minutes. I walked for three miles, which I completed in 55 minutes, but when I looked in the exercise specification, my walking was poor because I was supposed to complete my one mile in 14 minutes and three miles in 35 minutes. Three days after, which was a Monday, I went back to the gym. This time, I asked one of the front desk assistants to help me. I even asked her how to make the machine go faster. She showed me and I was going at 5.7KPH. I held on so tight onto the bars, as I was going so fast on the machine. I thought I was going to pass out on the machine. I had gone a little over half a mile when my instructor entered the gym and came to me. Looking concerned as if one of her students was about to commit suicide on a treadmill, she stopped the machine and said, “You are not supposed to hold on to the bars. It is also too fast, you have to be able to walk without holding on.”

I was short of breath, I was panting. I was light headed. My legs were jittery. I was hot and sweating. Then, I tried to speak. Struggling to get my words out I said, “I didn’t know that. This is new to me.” I felt like sitting down, I rested my back on one of the bars of the treadmill. After a short moment, I felt a little better. Then she said, “You can use the treadmill for your weekly training log, but not the walking assignment. You have to walk outside or on the school walking track.” Well, every week, we have to log in our walking exercise in an excel spread sheet that she provided for us, but then, she also asks us specific question about walking on a separate sheet that we have to turn in every week.

When I started this class, I knew that walking was a good and light form of exercise but never knew that it is a form that can help with burning calories and losing weight. It’s been three weeks and I have lost close to 10 pounds. Although, I drink a slimming tea which has also helped, but I noticed that the walking has helped to tighten my abdomen and I feel really light in my body.

Two days ago, I decided to walk outside since the weather was nice. The winter snow has melted. The brown soil is showing and the trees just lay bear with no leaves or snow. In fact, the ponds have melted too and there were ducks and geese swimming in the pond along the Mississippi Regional Park Wedgewood Trail in Coon Rapids. I walked almost a mile and half with my son, Sam who was riding his bicycle. On our way, we met two dogs – a nice white little dog, called Bailey and a black not so nice dog. The black Labrador was in a fenced house and he could  not help himself but bark at us on our way back on the trail. Meanwhile, while we were going, we had met Bailey and her owner walked past us. On our way back, Bailey looked like she wants to say hello, so I looked at her and said, “hello!” in a soft voice. Then, I turned to her owner to ask, “Can I pet her?” He said, “Yes.” I bent down and pet her on the head and under her arms and Sam left his bicycle to come and pet the dog too. Petting Bailey lasted about a minute or two and we continued to head back home facing the wind as I walked while Sam rode his bicycle. At the end of the walk, my laps and right knee hurt. As for the right knee, I guess it is because it has not healed from hurting when I fell in the icy snow four weeks ago in front on my apartment.

I have not reached my goal, but I am not giving up. I have improved in my pace and complete time, but is not at 14 minutes yet. I have five more weeks to go to reach my goal. I hope to bring you good news at the end of this class and exercise. I just want to encourage you today not to give up on whatever you want to achieve. It may take long, it may not, but just keep going and you will achieve it.

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Bye for now, until next time.