Morning walks and my neighborhood

I recently signed for a 12 week fitness challenge from our company. It's called Step Up and the main goal is for us to develop a wellness and fitness habit by walking, jogging, or running. The more steps we make and log in a day, the company will donate a certain amount to certain philantrophic partners that cater to food and nutrition for those without access. I truly enjoy this challenge because I love walking and seeing my pedometer screen counting my steps make me happy. Add to the fact that I'm producing endorphins by exercising. 

The challenge doesn't exclude other fitness regimens because Zumba, Crossfit, Boxing, and every other workout regimens can still be logged and converted to a certain amount of steps. It's inclusive because not everyone fits into a certain workout mold. I knew then that I wouldn't want to walk in a treadmill so I decided that apart from the walking I make on my way to and from work, I'll walk or jog around my neighborhood. I've had many happy surprises on my morning walks after work. It delights me on certain days that I get to attend early morning mass or I get the church all to myself and I get to pray the rosary in a certain type of serenity that only a church can create. I also enjoy knowing about certain areas that I only see and read on the tricycle terminal signages and seeing shops among other things. I also like  looking at nice houses, it gives me ideas of what I like and don't like just in case I move out of my parents and build my own house. I even enjoy seeing plants and flowers on the roadside. These are smalls joys that make up my morning walks. There are just a number of things I've noticed though that annoys me. 

I'll be discussing those things but don't get me wrong. I Iove my neighborhood and there are a lot of things that made me call it home for the last 16 years. These are what I find annoying in my morning walks:  

1. Dead ends created by sectionings made by Homeowner's Association: 

 

These unnecessary dead ends are momentum killers! 

2. Lack of proper sidewalks: 

This is a pretty common situation in the entire Philippines. I know not much can be done especially that the houses in the area are already set on where it is constructed. This just illustrate lack of planning and foresight. There was a study I read some years back about areas without proper sidewalks and pedestrian lanes; people are fatter! 

3. A lot of cars are honking their horns unnecessarily and occupying what little piece of the road a person can walk in: 

Inconsiderate drivers who don't even think that they may have just damaged someone's eardrums early in the morning should be banned or hanged (You choose). 

I won't stop walking though. I enjoy it. This post is me "just saying you know!!!".  

I have to find a way to de-stress!!!

Roughly about a week now, I have taken to walking or jogging for 30 to 45 minutes after I get home from work. My Physiatrist recommended that I do it every other day so I don't strain myself too much since I'm a newbie in this. I won't give up what I've started though. I love walking but this is the first time I started a routine. The 30 minutes to 45 minutes I go around my neighborhood at around 6am is very precious. I work at night from 8pm to 5am and any work related stress that I go through is magnified by the fact that I work on the graveyard shift. My circadian clock and my work hours have constantly been at odds with each other for almost 6 years and I noticed a lot of changes in my my body and my well being. I know that I'm at a certain point in my life that I should know better; so exercise and a healthy diet should be my main focus. It took walking/jogging for a different reason though. When I'm walking it's my time to clear my head of any thoughts and worries. I can choose to just think of moving forward and which turn to take and all the other worries just fade. No matter how hectic my workday was I get to have this alone time and it is saving me from insanity. Since November 2013 playing two different job funtions at work certainly has its toll. It's no longer about long work hours, it's long work hours with varied focus on each role. There are a lot more deliverables and the pressure to perform well on both has had me at my wit's end. I almost wanted to throw my hat in the ring last April 2014 but a part of me can't give up. I needed a stress reliever fast. I can't help but think that maybe Fr. Robert Reyes was right when he told us about the spirituality of running. There's something in that will to move forward and learning to choose the routes that seems almost philosophical and spiritual. My morning ritual although fairly new has had some effect. I know part of it are endorphins but mostly the bit of time that I get a breather from all of it and it's such a welcome respite. When running, jogging, or walking alone it's an opportunity to have those conversations with one's self or even time to pray to God. The sound of that pounding on the pavement everytime one's feet hits the ground is almost like repetitive prayer, it becomes relaxing. My only hope is that I can sustain the routine.