Walking for Inspiration
When ‘M’ my trainer at physical therapy announced a few weeks ago that Terrio Therapy Fitness was sponsoring another 5k walk and that I would be participating, I didn’t argue. There’s no point in arguing with ‘M’. He always wins. Instead, I recruited chingpea to walk with me.

This time participating in the 5k walk wasn’t about finding out if I could walk three miles and actually finish, I conquered that battle last time. I knew I could finish. No, this time it was about commitment. I enjoyed saying, “Yes, I’m walking in the 5k walk” and actually meaning it. And when the day of the race rolled around, I even crawled out of bed at 6am on a Saturday morning without complaint, which anyone who knows me, knows 6am doesn’t exist on weekends.

As chingpea and I walked the 5k course chalked out across the CSUB campus enjoying the early Saturday morning sunshine we encountered members of my physical therapy group who were also walking or running. I found their words of encouragement inspiring. They cheered me on to finish the race. That was their goal, to finish. But for me, finishing wasn’t the goal. This 5k walk was only the beginning. For me, the sunshine, the friendship, the words of encouragement and the act of pushing my body and my knees to perform was inspiring. Performance, normalcy, walking without pain that was my goal.

I was inspired to whip my knees into shape. No easy task let me tell you. My knees have been giving me a lot of problems lately. And quite frankly, I’m tired of it. I don’t know if more walking will help or hurt. But I’m going to keep walking (just keep swimming) and hopefully find more inspiration along the way.

Labels: 'M', 5K Walk, bad knees, CSUB, encouragement, exercise, fitness, inspiration, pain, Physical Therapy, race, Terrio Therapy Fitness, walking

  posted by Matildakay at 11:14 PM 0 comments

The 5K Walk and the Mysterious Lady in Red
One bright and early Saturday morning not too long ago, I met up with ‘M’ my trainer from physical therapy and NL of Noveltownand ABC23 for the Fall Festival 5K/10K run/walk at River Walk Park. Through bribery of Supreme Bean coffee, I convinced NL to do the 5K walk with me. A leisurely stroll in the park for NL, I soon learned that 5K is a lot farther than it sounds.

At check in we were given real race numbers and at 9:00 AM everyone lined up at the starting point as if it was the New York Marathon. Like Katie Holmes, I registered under an alias (my real name) instead of Matildakay.

‘M’ of coarse was doing the 10K run while pushing his son in a stroller. Show off!

There were other members from my physical therapy group participating in the race including a lady in red who kicks my butt regularly.

NL was a good friend and sport keeping pace with me when he could have left me in the dust. Even though we were among the last to finish, he had fun with his video camera and put together this little video of our 5K-walk experience.



“Go Matildakay!” ‘M’ yelled as he ran by pushing his stroller during the last half of the 5K walk.

“So annoying!”

“Why?” NL asked.

“Because he’s running 10K while pushing a stroller!”

“He’s a good trainer, he’s encouraging you.”

“I know. I just wish I could do that.”

We never did catch the mysterious lady in red from my physical therapy group, but she was at the finish line cheering me on. I managed to finish the 5K walk (just over 3 miles) in around 50 minutes, which is not too bad. And even though I was sore the rest of the day, I’m really glad that I challenged myself and accomplished the 5K walk.

“I read all about you.” NL told ‘M’ after the 5K walk.

“You read about me?” ‘M’ asked, “Oh right, I don’t want to know.”

“A lot of people read about you on Matildakay’s blog.”

“You’re famous.” I grinned. ‘M’ shook his head and walked away.

I’ll probably get double exercises for making ‘M’ famous. I thought.

But the following Monday…

“You get ‘extra points’ for doing the 5K walk.” ‘M’ said when I walked into physical therapy.

“Now you have to do the next run/walk we have scheduled.”

Oh no! What did I get myself into?

Labels: 'M', 10K Walk, 5K Walk, Bakersfield, Blogging, exercising, Katie Holmes, N.L. Belardes, New York Marathon, Physical Therapy, River Walk Park, Terrio Therapy Fitness, walking

  posted by Matildakay at 11:12 PM 1 comments

New torture devices, jealousy, and the 5K challenge
It’s a new month, which means ‘M’ has found new ways to torture me at physical therapy. More specifically, he introduced my knees to the dreaded Stairmaster machine!

In the five years I’ve been in physical therapy I’ve managed to avoid contact with the Stairmaster, until now. Stairs are challenging enough for my slip-sliding knee caps, adding weight, resistance and hills makes the Stairmaster the most challenging torture device ‘M’ has come up with yet for my knees.

“I can’t do the Stairmaster.” I argued.

“Yes, you can,” ‘M’ said. “I want to add more cardio to your program and still work your knees.”

“Oh, you’re working my knees alright!” Working them right out of their tracks. I thought.

“Climb up.” ‘M’ punched the program settings into the Stairmaster as I climbed aboard the torture device.

“Five minutes.”

Five minutes is a really long time! When I stepped off the Stairmaster at the end of five minutes I had climbed 10 flights of stairs and could barely walk.

“How was that?” ‘M’ asked.

“It was hard!”

“But you did it.” ‘M’ grinned as if I had walked on the moon.

Whatever. I limped over to a table to rest.

A few minutes later, ‘M’ handed me a flyer.

“You’re doing this.” He explained.

“What’s this?”

This turned out to be a 5K Run/Walk sponsored by Terrio Therapy Fitness on October 27, 2007.

“You don’t have to run, you can walk and set your own pace. But you’re doing it.”

“How far is 5K?” I asked.

“A little over three miles.”

“Three miles? Are you kidding me?”

“No.” ‘M’ said. “You can do this and you’re going to.”

“OK.” Did I have a choice? I wondered.

“You can get some of your friends to do it with you, its not just for Terrio patients and clients.” ‘M’ explained.

“Ok.”

So, how many of my friends out there are willing to do this 5K run/walk challenge with me? Email me or leave a comment for sign up details. Don’t make me walk alone! You get a T-shirt for walking.

“I won’t be here Wednesday.” ‘M’ informed me at the end of my workout.

“Why. Where are you going?”

“I have to help out with the Condors physicals. It’s almost Condors time, are you excited.”

“I can’t wait!”

Did he just say he was giving the Condors players physicals? I wondered.

“You’re giving the Condors physicals?”

Um. ‘M’ do you need help with those physicals?

“Yeah.”

“Tell Fukufuji it's great to have him back. I can’t wait to see him play again!”

“Should be a good season.”

Are you sure you don’t need help with those physicals ‘M’?

Labels: bad knees, Bakersfield Condors, Fukufuji, Physical Therapy, Stairmaster, Terrio Therapy Fitness, torture devices, walk, walking

  posted by Matildakay at 11:14 PM 0 comments