There is something amazing about long walks that I am not sure anyone who has not taken one can really understand. I did 14 miles this morning in just under four hours as part of my training for the Jimmy Fund Marathon Walk on September 9, and while my legs are tired and–like last weekend–my feet ache a bit, I am amazed at how good I actually feel mentally. The endorphins, while not quite as powerful as after a long run, still leave me with a sense of peace and well-being that is awfully special. The frustrations of yesterday are still there–they just don’t have the edge they had when I started.
I won’t have another really long walk for about three weeks. Next week, even if the workout sheet called for something longish, I would have to pass as I will be running a 5K for Dana-Farber up in Franklin. Running even that 3.1 mile course will put more strain on my legs and lungs than today’s effort. I won’t be running too hard–at 60 the days when I could compete with the young are long gone. But if I can manage a series of 11 minute miles I will be more than happy. The heat and humidity will determine how hard I push myself.
But the next few weeks of the training program call for somewhat shorter walks done at higher speeds before a dress rehearsal in mid-late August. This will make my feet happy, though I have to admit my brain will miss the thrill of finishing those longer distances.
Periodically, I have to remind myself that everything I do now is more of a Marathon–or an ultra-Marathon–than a sprint. Walking with Jane can only be built one brick at a time or–to keep the metaphor from mixing–one step at a time. We’ve barely been at this 15 months and there is still a ton of stuff to learn–and another ton of stuff to do. At 15 months a baby has just begun to walk and talk. It isn’t ready to debate with Socrates or run the Marathon. At 15 months Walking with Jane is a precocious little thing. We have done three Relays For Life, designed three t-shirts, two bracelets, a water bottle, a button, and a pamphlet, become a corporation with our own checking account, checks and stamp, and become a sought after partner in the fundraising-awareness dance.
And we have some areas of expertise that many start-ups do not have. We know a lot about marketing and public relations. We have people doing art and graphic design who are enormously talented–as are the people who designed this website I get to play on every day. Most importantly, we have a clear vision of what we want to do and a well-conceived plan for how we are going to get there.
Our next two goals are to reach our Relay goal–we are just under $500 short of that–and to get the Marathon Walk project well and truly launched. If you want to help with either of these efforts it is as easy as hitting the link.
