Moving Slower
There is a 1.5 mile loop that I used to run in my younger, fitter days. The run would take me about 15 minutes. When I started speed walking instead of running, the same 1.5 mile distance took me about 25 minutes–30 minutes (tops) if Cali was overly inclined to stop and sniff more than usual.
Now that I am 29 weeks pregnant and it looks like I stuffed a soccer ball in my shirt, that 1.5 miles now takes me about 45 minutes. Yikes!
I couldn’t believe it the first time I got home from the walk, it didn’t feel like a longer walk than usual, but it certainly took me a lot longer to complete. This distance is a good way for me to get my necessary 30 minutes of exercise per day (is it MY fault that I am slow??) and it also gives Cali a chance to stretch her legs on a semi-long walk and do all her business in the early evenings. She is now used to going out for these walks when I get home from work and as soon as I start to change my clothes and put on my socks and shoes, she goes bananas.
I was certain that I looked ridiculous waddling down the sidewalk during these walks, with my bouncing belly in front of me and a bouncing basenji waaaaaay in front of me. But yesterday while we were out and about, a young mother also exercising, pushing a stroller on the other side of the street going in the same direction we were going. She had one of those double strollers with a baby in one side and a toddler in the other. She also had two medium sized dogs leashed on either side of the stroller and she was really moving. She slowed down a bit when she came up to me and we chatted for a bit about when I was due, whether I was having a boy or a girl–you know, mommy-talk.
It was hard to really keep a conversation going because she was speed walking, cars were whizzing by and her “pack” of babies & dogs were movin’ and groovin’. She stopped for a minute so her dogs could go pee so Cali and I continued walking along. Then she caught up with me and before we parted ways, she said, “I have to tell you, you look amazing. Congratulations again!”
It was such a great compliment to receive (and from a stranger no less) especially when I feel so large and bloated these days. I’ll admit, I was beaming for the rest of the walk.
