Epic Update!

Hello! Yesterday I went on a good long walk. I've decided to call it the Epic Walk of the Week. Unfortunately, that breaks down to EWW, which isn't the most appealing acronym - I could use EWOTW, but that's not really aesthetically pleasing, either. How about EWOW, I like that much better. Anyway, after last week's EWOW, I was absolutely determined to do it again, every week! To start off with, I walked a similar route to last week, but going a different way towards the end. I walked almost exactly 4 kms. I had to stop a couple of times for a minute or so after going up a big hill, but I don't feel bad about that because it was very warm and I needed some water, plus I didn't want to over-tax myself. Because it's a journey isn't it? And it won't do me any good if I collapse on the street somewhere with no-one to help me.
Anyway, that's a bit morbid, let's move on.

Here's a little section I call - photos or it didn't happen:


A walk along the yarra.


The Southbank footbridge wrapped in a Christmas bow!

When I worked out how far I walked last week and this week, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. It seemed like further. And I used to be able to walk further no issues. However, I'm pretty proud of myself for starting up my big walks again. It's a lot more effort now - I have to bring my packpack to work, pack clothes and shoes, transfer all my stuff from my normal bag to the backpack, bring a water bottle, etc. It's not spontaneous anymore. There's also the uncertainty - what if I go to the trouble of bringing all my stuff and it turns out I'm feeling exhausted after work and can't do it? Thankfully that hasn't happened yet.
I've decided to give myself bonus points for doing the EWOWs, because of all the organising that has to go into them, not to mention the real sweat-inducing, heart-pounding actual exercise that occurs! Cause let's face it, my lunch time walks are very nice, and I've definitely felt better since I started doing them, but I rarely work out hard enough to get really out of breath. In my work clothes and having to go back and be with my workmates for the rest of the afternoon, I don't want to be too sweaty and smelly! So that's always been a barrier to pushing myself too hard. With the EWOWs, I don't have that barrier. I can power on up that big hill without having to worry about being presentable afterwards. It's very freeing, in a way.
Actually, when I said I didn't have to worry about being presentable, that's just at work. I still have to catch the tram the rest of the way home when I finish an EWOW. (Obviously all my walks are designed to end somewhere along my tramline.) I've gotten some pretty weird looks from other passengers, I can tell you! But by that point I'm so high on endorphins, I really don't care.
Yay me!

In Other News ...

It was so hot today, the first really hot day of summer, and so early on! It was 38C. Just too hot for exercise. But at least I did my EWOW yesterday, so I don't feel bad. On the way home from work I stopped off at the McDonalds because I was so thirsty and I thought I'd buy a snack instead of cupboard-shopping at home. I go to McDonalds about once every 6 months. That's not a generalisation, it's true. And I realised something while I was there today. Some people are jerks. And they're jerks no matter what. You could be doing any kind of societally-approved activity, like exercising or buying a salad and a diet coke, and some people will still just be jerks to you.

Those people can fuck off.