Day 8

Yesterday the water playscape in town opened for the year. It's free, at a park, and the kids have been playing with the backyard hose all week, so we decided to take them there this afternoon. I'd hoped to get a walk, but first I had to go to the car and feed the baby, and then I just sat on a towel in the grass with him, watching the older kids (and M!) playing in the water. We eventually went over to the regular playscape, where I sat on a bench and watched them play. It was getting really hot, and I was having no fun at all. Eventually M said he'd take over if I wanted to sneak off for a quick walk.

I thought I'd just see where the trail was, but I ended up walking it. I couldn't find anywhere how long it was, but M guesses maybe a mile & a half, and I know I walked at least another half mile on little side trails. I really felt good to be walking again. You can't imagine how weird that is for me to feel--I'm used to never exercising and never wanting to! Anyway, as soon as I got back to the play area where I'd left M and the kids, I found them walking towards me with the stroller in tow, planning to find me and take a walk of their own. So, although we stopped quite a few times along the way, we all walked the whole trail--the second time for me. Honestly, it was more fun the first time because the second time, the kids were occasionally fighting and whining, but it was also nice to walk together. As we started to head back, I noticed that one way led to another walkway along a dam, and K and I went that way and walked about halfway over the dam before turning back and meeting up with the rest of the family. In all, I must have gone 4.5 or 5 miles today!

Two not-so-fun things: (1) As K and I were coming back across the dam walkway, he took off running, and I decided to jog the rest of the way myself. It was a very short jog, but even after all the walking I've been doing, it left me breathless and feeling like I was about to pass out! Here I was hoping I was getting at least a little more fit! And (2) I'm having problems with my feet, and I think I got a blister on the bottom of one of them today. I hope this doesn't prevent me from keeping up with my walking!