Tuesday, December 26, 2017

no go

As you may have gathered by now, based on the date/time stamps of my previous blog posts, I'm not walking out to Incheon. This is for several interconnected reasons. First, I simply haven't done much walking for the past two months, which has led to a disappointing amount of weight gain, not to mention radical deterioration in cardio fitness. These days, I'm out of breath after walking up three floors. Second, a major consequence of the lack of exercise is that my feet are in no condition to pound out thirty kilometers a day. I went on a long walk last night, and for a short while, I toyed with the possibility of just strapping on a small backpack the following morning and hiking to Incheon, anyway, but saner voices in my head convinced me otherwise. Third, I've still got that pinched nerve, which means an aching neck and aching elbows and shoulders. While that's not enough to prevent me from walking long distances (as I said, I did a long walk last night), I think it would be a problem over the course of a four-day hike. It's a bit early to say anything definite, but I think the pain is just beginning to recede. I won't consider any long walks until I'm fully (or at least mostly) recovered.

This week, I'm getting back into walking and doing a bit of low-carb dieting to lose a bit of weight and get my heart and lungs back on the path to fitness. Not exciting, but I have to start somewhere. If I do get a chance to do a long walk at some point, I'll be sure to write about it.



3 comments:

King Baeksu said...

I was out and about for a two-hour walk today and I must say the icy air is harsh on the lungs.

Anonymous said...

Your walking is essential for the New Kevin to remain healthy. Difficult goals pursued and accomplished give us a better sense of ourselves and reality, and our ability to deal with it. Part of the dividends from your walk across Korea, was the dealing with the problems and finding you could.

Peace,
Bill

Kevin Kim said...

Scott,

I hear you. Luckily, I've got one of those protective masks that make you look like a criminal. That's a huge help when it's below freezing. One of my Christmas presents from JW's family was a nice neck-warmer, so I've added that to my winter wardrobe.

Bill,

Good points. Thanks for the reminder of what it's all about.