Do the Walk....The Walk of Life
29th of July 2015
I love getting outside. Being inside gets claustrophobic. However, once winter comes around, I hate being in the cold. If it's below 45 degrees, I won't be outside for long periods of time unless I have to. I've shoveled driveways before, but I much prefer mowing the lawn. When it comes to favorite times of the year, it's when I don't have to wear clothes to keep me warm. I love the warm sunshine and the activities that go with it. Many walks and runs take place, and I do my best to take part in them.
I take advantage of the trails that Iowa has to offer. Soon, I will get a bike, and I will start riding them. It's been a while since I biked last, but it's time to get back in the groove of things. Maybe I will ride my bike to work.
Speaking of walks and runs, I have done 3 already this year, and I have 2 more coming up. I did the Heart Walk, which raised money for the American Heart Association. I walked for my mother, who passed away last year from heart disease. I have a form of heart disease myself, but it hasn't bugged me....yet. If you would like to donate to help fight heart disease, you can do so on my page for the Heart Walk by clicking here.
The Color Run was more of a "do it for fun" run. While they do partner with a charity, I don't know how much the charity gets. I heard they don't get that much. Regardless, I participated just to get off my butt.
The most recent one I did was the Underwear Run put on by a local radio station, Lazer 103.3. Morning Moose is the deejay behind putting it on. It's a 5K run or walk that went through Downtown Des Moines. I did it last year, and I decided to do it again this year. Of course, I'll do it again next year. What makes this run so much fun is not only running in my underwear, but I met so many great people. I saw some people I haven't seen in a while as well. Everyone has fun with it, too. A lot of people are in costume for the costume contest. The best part is having pictures taken with others in the race. It's a great time had by all, and it raises money for the Children's Cancer Charity. Last year, I won the costume contest, but I learned not to go with a 20 pound chain around my waist and shoulders. It was quite the time.
To the left is last year's winning costume. I called it the Electric Banana as the concept came to me from listening to the song "Mellow Yellow." This year, as you may have seen from the above picture, I was a leprechaun. It was a sort of dedication to my mother, who was proud to be Irish. Next year, I won't tell anyone. Some might already know what I'm going as. Keep it secret. If you've never done an Underwear Run, give it a shot. It's a lot of fun, and you meet lots of great people. If you're worried about how your body looks, don't. Nobody will judge you. Hell, some people will ask to have their picture taken with you. I was nervous at first, but a few beers later, everything was great. You can walk, but you'll probably be one of the last people to show up at the finish. And that's ok. I did both times. I hope next year, I'm able to run more, but I know what to do for that. It's a lot of fun, and the two times that I've done it were always in the El Bait Shop parking lot. So there's beer before and after. Plus, you get to be in your underwear the entire time.
My next run will be the Color Vibe. I don't know how it's different from the Color Run, but I'll soon find out. Again, I'm doing this one to get off of my butt. There's only one more I've got, and that's the Race for the Cure. Last year, it was a terrible time since I did this one while I was sick. I should have stayed home, but I went anyways. I felt I made a commitment, so I stuck it out. If you would like to donate to help fight breast cancer, donate to my page on this link.
When I do walks on my own time, I like to take pics along the way. They're not the greatest pics, but I do get some reward out of it. I like to take pics of pretty much anything. Trees, houses I find fascinating, etc. Taking pics is one thing that gets me off my butt as well. One of these days, I'll start running. Not run away from something, but run towards something. Good day to you all.
