Lawd have mercy...

Lawd have mercy...

I hope you were able to read the first post and catch up to this point. As you know, I was starting to fall apart. I was burned out full of meds, not to mention depressed.

In March of 2007, I began a new diet eating about the same quantity as I was allowed on NutriSystem. I was doing good and with the meds feeling healthy and full of energy. I had began exercising. I was walking up to a mile or two a day. You ever get one of those feelings that the shit just hasn't hit the fan yet. I have had that feeling once before the previous year. I went on a trip to Atlanta (which I really love). When I was about to leave things just didn't feel right and I should have stayed with my friend, but I decided to head home. It began to sprinkle, which it hadn't done there in awhile. The oil made the road slick and I lost control and totaled my new SUV (http://www.ebozman.com/car.htm). I walk away from the car with hardly any wrong with me. I should have known then that I was stronger in at least spirit then most, but I guess I needed another test or bout of stupidity.

In March of 2007, I decided to take another vacation (which is usually when bad things happen to me). I figured since I had been doing so great walking that I would go hiking. I arrived at the park around 11 o’clock and read the directions on the map. It told all about how it was a 7-mile loop trail, but I wasn’t interested in that because I only wanted to do two miles. I began speed walking and once I hit the 2 mile marker, I felt great and decided to keep walking, until I hit the 4 mile marker (which is the most I have done in a single week). I was pretty happy, but tired. So, I stopped to think about what I should do next, either turn around and walk 4 miles back to my car or continue on the loop and finish the next three miles.

As you figured, I decided to do the three miles. It was painful as hell and I didn’t think I would make it to the 7-mile marker, but I did. I was so happy and felt like passing out. I had truly accomplished more then I thought I could do, but there was one REALLY big problem. The loop did end at the 7-mile marker, but not where my car was located. To my surprise there was an arrow pointing back to where my car was located and it was called the “short-cut” route. Hmmm…say what??

As you can guess, I thought I would just die right there in the blazing sun and never get back to my car, but the word “short-cut” gave me hope, until I read it was another 5.2 miles back to my car. I was so ready to kill someone, but I had no choice but to continue. By the time I hit the 9-mile marker, my legs started to give out, so I crashed on the ground and waited there for 20 or 30 minutes. My head was starting to spin, so all I could do was walk and look down at the ground. Needless to say, after several pit stops, I finally made it back to my car around 3 o’clock. As I tried to get into the car, my legs cramped and I couldn’t get in the car. I had to wait a little longer, but finally got in and headed home.

When I arrived home and tried to get out of the car, I almost fell because my legs couldn’t hold me up. I grabbed the carport and pushed my way closer to the door walking like a little old lady with a walker. I got inside grabbed my Gatorade and turned the a/c down low. I couldn’t move. Suddenly I started to freeze because of the bad sun burn I got from the long walk. I noticed I also had bruises, from what I don’t know and blisters.

I called my friend and he came over after work. He thought I was crazy and stayed there for a bit before going to buy dinner. Trust me the only reason I had wanted to eat is because I had not eaten anything the entire day, which probably kept me from vomiting on the trail. After dinner I soaked in a hot tub and did some leg exercise to keep my legs from tighten up.

I am happy I survived to tell the tale of my 4-hour, 12.2-mile walk. It is something I look back on and realize just how strong I am as a person. I think we all have more fight in us then we realize. Well, this entry is getting pretty long so I will end this one here.