Get your glow on ...

This miserable heat wave persists, but mercifully, more seasonable temps will return in a few days.

Well, hurrah for that news.

I was a little conflicted this morning. While I prefer to walk when it is cooler outside, on Sundays or holidays it is always somewhat deserted in the neighborhood, so I opted to hang out in the cool house a little longer and I set out later on my walk.

Once on my journey though, within a matter of minutes I regretted that decision, and ended up just putting in three miles, then taking a load off my feet for the rest of today.

I think you are supposed to relax on Labor Day anyway, aren’t you?

Soon enough, the sun will rise later, so early a.m. walks will no longer be the norm. I’ve been walking five miles if I have the time, or it is the weekend, but most days it is just four miles. I don’t race walk, but just stroll at a moderate pace and five miles takes me about 90 minutes; four miles 65 minutes. I thought that was about average … that is, until today. I heard Governor Snyder talking about his ability to do a five-mile jaunt in a hair under one hour. Oh. Well, that burst my bubble for sure.

The occasion to discuss the Guv’s walking stats was because the 58th Annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk commenced at 7:00 a.m. For my out-of-town followers, some info and pictures of the event may be found here: http://www.mackinacbridge.org/annual-bridge-walk-7/

Traditionally, the Governor always leads the pack, usually about 40,000 walkers. This morning there were only 30,000 because of a light drizzle when the walk began. When interviewed this morning on both local radio stations, Governor Snyder said he regularly walks to keep fit so he was hoping to keep his pace to finish in about one hour.

Well, that makes me think I need to pick up the pace a tad.

But, up ‘til now, that snail’s pace has served me well. I guess when it cools down a little, I’ll start walking faster or taking bigger steps … maybe I can surpass the good Guv’s walking stats by this time next year. In fact, maybe I’ll make those stats my goal for next Labor Day, which will also mark five years of my walking regimen.

I am reminded, however, about some advice the local health expert, Dr. Frank McGeorge, gave on “Live in the D” recently. He said “you gotta sweat to have a good workout; you cannot just glow and glisten.”

Okay, doc … gotcha! So, I’ll pick up the pace to get more miles done in less time, get that heart pumping and I’ll sweat a little to ensure I’m getting a good workout, even though everyone knows that ladies aren’t supposed to sweat … just perspire and glisten.

On this Labor Day, whether you’re sweatin’ over the grill flipping burgers, or sweatin’ to the oldies to keep fit, remember the hard workers who have toiled through the years to make this country better from their labor. Happy Labor Day! I leave you with this quote:

Hard work is rewarding beyond gold. Sweating is living. ~Terri Guillemets

You can catch up on my blog posts before I started blogging at Patch in August 2013 by going here: http://lindaschaubblog.net/