Walk in the Park

I packed my gym bag with my usual gear Tuesday morning needed for my afternoon exercise session at the Jewish Community Center, as I usually do two or three times a week.  By mid-morning I realized that the Center was closed for observance of the Jewish New Year.  I had already missed two successive exercise days and did not relish the thought of skipping a third day in a row.

Later in the morning an idea formed that I needed to act upon.  I would take a slight detour on the way home and walk outdoors in my favorite local park.  I knew the trails from my weekend forays with my son and solo.  Perhaps a change in routine would be good.  Previous blog entries of mine have mentioned the need to break out of the rut of the humdrum of the normal.  Here was a chance to practice what I preached.

Main Water Loop Trail

This wouldn’t be a drastic game changer, just a slight shift in the time, speed and duration for my afternoon exercise session.  I decided not to change clothes at work; I’d just walk in my jeans and sneakers.  Perhaps slow down my pace, enjoy the outdoors and take a few pictures.  A chance to absorb the beauty of the park at a pace slower than my normal weekend speed shuffles.  And that is what I did. 

I even varied the combination and direction of the trails I would take.  Park paths look different when viewed from a new direction and at different time of day.  A bright sun filtered almost vertically through the trees rather than the early morning low sun light that I normally found.  Although the summer south Texas heat has diminished it was still fairly warm.  I regretted not changing out my jeans and shirt.  Even though my pace was a little slower I still worked up a good sweat.  

One of three bridges.  This one has a rest stop

The MapMyRun IPhone app didn’t properly upload the data about my walk so I really don’t know how far or fast I walked.  In retrospect that influenced my later reflections about my afternoon walk, a small disconnect from technology.  It wasn’t about speed or distance; it was just a walk in the park.  That technology disconnect was only partial because I used my IPhone to photograph the park.  A few of those pictures are shown in this blog post. 

Geology trail

I remember bicycle rides in the park as teenager, no radios, no phones, and no technology.  Peaceful, happy days that I wish I could remember in better detail.  The next time I walk in the park after work I’ll turn the phone off and just enjoy the feel of the path beneath my feet and enjoy the earthy aroma of the park.

My walk in the park proved to be a pleasant experience that I definitely will do again.  Considering the south Texas climate I’ll maximize my effort in the mornings and save the afternoons for slow and easy walks in the park.  

Then it will be just a walk in the park.

Small native grassland area

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