walking to save women (aka having cancer made me get off my ass)

Some of you already know I have cancer, and that I recently got the news that I am in remission.  Hooray!  Only three more years until I am declared officially cancer-free.  I know I'll get through it though, I'm in remission, and I'm staying there! 

Within days of finding out I was in remission I walked into Shoppers Drug Mart and saw the pamphlet for the Weekend to End Women's Cancers walk.  I picked it up and browsed through it... a 60km walk over 2 days where the proceeds go to finding a cure for breast cancer and gynecological cancers.  Hmmm.... I have gynecological cancer....  the walk is on my birthday weekend....

I decide that it can't be simply co-incidence that I just went into remission, this walk is fundraising for gynecological cancers, and it's on my birthday weekend.  I bring the pamphlet home with me and promtly sign up for the walk.  Then it hits me.  The realization that I have just agreed to walk 60km.  I don't mind that I've commited to raising a large sum of money for the cause, that I can deal with.  The problem is that I've been sick, for a few years now.  I've been home.  Sitting.  Puking.  Playing video games.  I'm not sure of the last time I walked 1km, how in the world am I going to manage 60???

Since signing up though I've been following my coaches advice.  Start small.  I started out walking 1.5km, then 2.6km, 3.5km, 4km, all in the comfort of my home on my manual treadmill.  Then on Sunday I participated in an official training walk for The Weekend.  It was a 5km walk around the mall before opening hours, so we even got to do a little shopping with no other people in the mall.  That in itself is a fantastic experience, especially if you're like me and can't stand the crazy crowds usually associated with downtown shopping malls. 

The 5km itself was just fine.  It made me realize that walking longer distances really isn't that hard when you've got something to distract you.  Walking on the treadmill staring at a wall makes time drag on for an eternity (although on a side note I've recently realized that I'm talented enough to play my Nintendo DS while walking on my treadmill...wooo!).  In fact after finishing up the 5km I walked another 2.5km.  Yay me!  Of course I paid for it that night and the next day.  I still get so rundown sometimes, and it seems to take me forever to recover from anything.  Unfortunately the effects of chemo stay with you for way too long after you've finished.

Now my problem is that it is soooo beautiful outside, that I want to start walking outside.  Plus the coaches said that only walking on a treadmill is not a good idea because you're feet have to get used to walking on pavement.  That's all good, I want to be outside roaming around my part of the city... but I have no idea of distance.  How am I supposed to know how far I've walked?  I thought of thinking of it in terms of time, but I don't know how accurate that would be because what if I slowed down to enjoy something that caught my eye?  I really wish I had a better sense of distance.  I really have no idea how far things are.  If anyone has any advice on this I'd really appreciate it.

Right now I'm off to go pick up some Lego (oh Lego how I love you!), and then I'm going to try to get in my first outdoor training walk.

Oh!  Stay tuned, I'm going to be starting a new blog with my home/cancer/health/family posts.  Posting about cancer walks on my gaming/book blog seems counter productive.  Procrastination and motivation just don't mix.  Once I start it I'll post the link.