Thirty Days of Walking
An Experiment in Well-Being
by AJ Mars
As I finally near the end of the 30 Days of Boredom, after more than six months, I am left with the task of creating a new experiment. Day 29 was about sleep, and I did not sleep last night. It was not so bad though, for I had slept much of the preceding day.
So, not having slept through the night, but very much awake this morning, aided by some Red Bull, I embarked on a 30 minute walk. I have never been in great shape, nor have I been an avid exerciser, though I do find the machine of the human body fascinating, and the disputes over its best care and maintenance nauseating.
Today I am a 28-year-old male, weighing 238 lbs and standing 5’ 7”. I could lie and say I don’t care about my looks, but merely want to be in better health, but despite claiming less of an interest in my appearance than most of the world, I actually find my shape frustrating and insulting. I don’t think it is a stretch to say that others don’t take me as seriously as I would like because I am fat; I appear a bit too jolly for my tastes.
However, this is not a weight-loss blog, nor a diet blog, not even a personal empowerment blog. This is an experiment in discipline, mind, and creativity. 30 Days of Walking is an experiment to hone my body and mind, to improve the clarity of my concentration through the lens of physical exertion. For the next 30 Days I must walk for 30 minutes every morning. I may do other exercises, but I must do my 30 minutes of walking. I do not have to write about this every day, but I must make at least one report per week. Let’s make the mandatory check-in day Tuesday, for consistency.
On this first day I feel quite good. My start time for the day was 5:30 am. I had a nice shower before heading on my walk, in a pair of shorts, tee-shirt, beat up boots and a hoodie on top. I would have worn some jogging pants I bought years ago, but my closet collapsed and I haven’t quite fixed it yet, so some of my clothes are a bit buried at the moment. I probably could have skipped the hoodie, but it’s been a bit rainy and I still have the death throes of a cold on me. Despite a few shin splints the walk went pretty well, I did a loop from the bottom of my driveway around a long curvy road and back through to my house from a development on the edge of the property. I had a little time left over, so I had to make another lap through a section of the development.
Overall it was excellent, though I think I may switch the walk and the shower tomorrow. It’s just now turning 7am and despite being a bit sweaty I am relatively clean, shaved, and had my breakfast. Now for the rest of the day. . .
