Moe Excercise

For the past year I have been trying to get Yoko to get up early with me to exercise. We purchased a treadmill while I was receiving chemo treatments as diet and exercise were to be an integral part of my road to recovery. There was only one thing wrong with the plan. It required that I find the time to do it on regular basis...and I have a pretty full schedule during my waking hours. The only time for exercise that would makes sense for me is early morning.

Unfortunately, I have never been an early riser. A few years ago I purchased bicycles for Yoko and I in the hope we would become regular early morning riders. Predictably, neither of us could get out of bed early enough to get dressed and fit in a vigorous rided before I had to be at work. So the bikes gathered dust in the garage. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I pledged that I would begin some sort of exercise routine. I bought the treadmill with the thought that I would roll out of bed and jog. Yeah, right. What was I thinking?

My latest plan to do regular exercise is working. In my desperation to find an exercise solution I decided to adopt a dog from the animal shelter. Besides saving a dog and making room in the local shelter, the need to walk a dog is a good incentive to get up in the morning.

Yoko and I went down to the animal shelter and looked at every dog they had. To say the least, Yoko was not in favor of getting a dog, but relented when I promised I would take care of her. The dog we selected is a 60 pound boxer mix. We named her Moe, based on the selection process we used -- inny, meany, miney....

When we got her a few months ago Moe was 10 months old and 60 lbs of licking and loving affection. And I was right. You can't ignore a 60 poung animal that wants to go out. Every morning Moe comes into the bedroom and licks my feet letting me know it is 6:30 AM and time to go for our daily walk. At first I kind of dreaded getting up at this hour, but it only took one time of ignoring her pleas to go to convince me I can't ignore her any more. I have gotten into the habit of getting up every morning, throwing on some clothes, hooking up my i-pod and taking Moe on a three mile walk. I take her on a shorter walk in the evening when I get home.

I am using the 3 mile walk as training to participate in the Free to Breathe 5 K Run/Walk planned for Punta Gorda on October 31st. Right now it takes me about 40 minutes to walk this distance. I am hoping to develop my regular walk into a run over time. Won't you join me?