HOW I
POWER
WALKED
MY WAY
TO A NEW
CAREER
BY A N NE PIK E
I
didn’t know it at the time, but when I
chose power walking as a way to turn my
softening middle-aged body into — well,
something I could be more proud of —
there was to be an unexpected side effect.
Due to a recurring injury, I’d stopped
running several years earlier, and did not
replace it with any substantial exercise
regime. And I paid for it. So, I decided
give power walking a go. My goals were to
become fitter and lighter; to combat the
stress that comes with certain life choices
(like raising three children whilst working
full-time, and building a dream home
that overstretches you financially), and to
maybe even run again.
Conquering the morning
I’m not innately a morning person, but
I have always owned dogs, and dogs are
morning people, so I use their enthusiasm
30
to fuel my own desire to get each day off
to a good start. I discovered that I enjoyed
exercising in the fresh, cool air of the
morning, taking in the wake-up calls from
the extensive bird population as I paced
through my leafy suburb.
My dogs are great exercise companions.
First and foremost, they are quiet. When I
walk with my children, there is no chance of
hearing any wildlife over their own incessant
banter. Dogs don’t talk. They leave you alone
with your thoughts, and I quickly found
myself thinking deeply on my morning walks
about how much I was (or more correctly,
wasn’t) enjoying life, and I began to tease out
what was really important to me.
Within a few weeks, I experienced an
unexpected side effect: whilst the intention
was to change my body composition, I
ended up changing my career.
Now this story isn’t about me. Or my dogs
Gisella and Newton (but aren’t they cute?). It’s
H O N E S T LY W O M A N M A G A Z I N E - S U B S C R I B E N O W