Vigor...

Barb and I,
8:00 am Saturday August 20 2011 in High Park — pre-walk.
Full of vim and vigor — really!

As in vim and vigor!

My word of the week from Andrew.

Vigor would be me, Saturday morning, generally at 8:00 am, in High Park with my walking partner Barb. Barb and I started out as running partners and met at a marathon training group, Jeansmarines, and that was eight years ago. Neither of us had been runners, and took up the crazy idea of running a marathon - yeah, the whole enchillada, 26.2 miles. We did it. Barb had completed her marathon the year before I joined the group. Well, as the years have moved on, many races have been completed, and our bodies have spoken to us, we are now quite happy to be walking briskly together, rather than running.

Barb may complain about the 8 am start time, and I may dread the humidity, particularly this summer, but we ultimately feel full of vigor each Saturday. We meet in the parking lot of the Grenadier restaurant, look at each other bleary eyed, moan that it was hard to get up, and get moving, but know we will feel better for making the effort. 

We both enjoy getting out, moving, and sharing our time together, and feeling healthy. We note the swans along the lake front, how quiet or ferocious the lake can be, have skirted the ice and sleet in the winter, dodged the puddles in spring, listened for the peacocks calling out from the High Park zoo, and savored a clear blue sky. We have spent many hours out on the paths, sidewalks, streets and trails together. Much has been shared about our lives, families, friends, work and travels — all while feeling full of vigor.

When I first started the whole running thing, I couldn't imagine running a marathon, then I couldn't imagine not running at all. I'm now content with walking each week on Saturday with Barb. I'm no whippet, and running never came naturally to me. I was always a fast walker, and have embraced it. I keep track of our distance and pace, and more importantly, calories burned, each week. I am happy to say that walking has allowed me to feel full of vim and vigor.