I’ve been getting closer to the 15-minute mile during my walks. I’m walking slightly more than 2.5 miles/day. Today I decided to try going 4 miles. My plan was to focus on distance, not speed.

Heh. Well so much for planning. The pace for my first mile turned out to be my best – 15:08. I was walking fast and taking long strides. For the first two miles I was pushing it but my body was not responding. My stomach was cramping, my heart rate was a bit too high and my legs were going wobbly. Oh and I ran out of water.

Luckily I had reached a little strip mall. I popped into the Chipotle for a cup of high quality H2O and sat on a bench outside for a few minutes. I felt so much better after downing the water. Clearly I was feeling dehydrated.

Something had to change before my trek back home began. Then I recalled a conversation I had earlier with my friend Miss E. She is encouraging to transition over to running. She recommended I focus on short strides, not long strides. Short strides are more efficient and prevent injuries.

So I picked up a bottle of water at the Exxon station and started my uphill trip back home, taking short strides along the way.

What a difference. I felt re-energized by the water and the shorter strides actually made the last 2 miles seem easy.

Lesson learned.