70

I've walked every day for the last seventy days, regardless of weather or what city I'm in. Today, I'm in the Portland area where it's raining. I've brought my rain/cold weather walking clothes, the sum of which is more than the rest of the clothes I packed for a single overnight. It includes spandex pants (to wear under jeans), a light-weight sweat-wicking high-tech undershirt, a ditto (see preceding description) jacket, a hooded rain coat, waterproof pants (for over my jeans), gloves, and my Jack Daniels Field Tester baseball cap. This is serious business.

Alas, however, I forgot my shoes. I did not travel barefoot but wore only my shoes for ordinary walking. I left behind the shoes for purposeful walking, or walking for a purpose. Not on purpose, mind you, I just forgot them.

And so, I did not walk to the local mall in the rain to get my after-walk treat of a scoop of ice cream. Too bad, too, as I had already decided I would have Jamoca, an exotic departure from my usual order. Sigh. Instead, I was forced (for the sake of my suede non-walking shoes and the feet inside them) to use the elliptical trainer in the hotel's workout room. Pedestrian, non-walking.

It was much harder than simple walking. And since it wasn't walking, my non-walking shoes and their occupants fared just fine. And now, back in my room, I'm considering standing out on the balcony in my rain gear just to justify having brought it. Maybe I can order ice cream from room service since, after all, I probably expended more calories not walking than if I had.

Non-walking counts as walking today, since I'm making up the rules, making today Day 71.