Keep walking, just keep walking.

Sometimes my mind is not communicating to my feet what it really wants to do.

As if there is a kink in the system and the two are belonging entirely to two different people.

Pure and simple, my feet hurt. But my head is not believing it and wants to push on.

On Valentines Day I bought new shoes, new brand, new style.

Big Mistake, incredible big mistake as they gradualy started to make my feet hurt.

I also worked at a trade show for 4 days with concrete floors and stood for hours at end and walked.

Come last Monday the pain was so intense it felt as if I was walking on pebbles.

I've had these issues (Plantar Fasciitis) on and off last year and they went away with therapy and exercise.

Also lots of ice.

I laced my shoes up anyway on Monday fully realizing the shoes were wrong and I should just give in and wear my 'old' shoes.

But my head was stubborn and I set out anyway.

When will I learn?

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday were horrible walks. I felt like screaming about the way I felt.

Disheartened, ticked off at my self for being in pain.

I iced, did my exercises and on Friday took the Pain-Causers and chucked them back in the box.

I'm going to return them.

Friday I took out my Brooks's and walked a great walk with a friend.

Saturday was 1.5 miles with TEAM. I started off a little with pain but told myself to 'walk it off and trust my 'old' shoes.

Before starting I had decided I'd start at the head of the 'pack' or at least very up front as I've noticed I'm being too social and chatty and it slows me down.

Again the head messing with the feet. The feet want to go but the head isn't listening.

I've learned that endurance training is all about positive attitude. It's pretty easy to be down on oneself and mess up what could have been a prefectly nice walk.

By mile 2 we had stretched and my feet felt pretty good, no real sharp stabbing pains. They felt as if they were warming up and my calves were somewhat loose too.

And then I felt it, the 'love' for what I was doing. I had the stride, I had the concentration I had been lacking for the last few weeks.

Did that ever feel good!

It helped that we were walking somewhere familiar and that I remembered the little signs of where we were.

The underpass at mile 2.5, the railroad crossing at mile 3.

I started to enjoy the surroundings and the views, egrets fishing in the stream. The geese eating grass and I even saw a red tailed hawk.

Cherry trees and Acacia trees are blooming, other trees are starting to bud.

In the end on my trusty old Brooks's I walked 5.04 miles in 1 and a half hours.

Tomorrow is the end of week 3.

I'm looking forard to week 4.