Okay, so Jerry and I get to the mall last night about 1955 hrs. He looks a little worried but I asssure him we can complete our 2 mile - 2 lap circuit before the stores close so we can go back through Books-A-Million where we came in.

I started off great, strutting my stuff! By the time I made the first turn (less than a quarter of a mile into it) I was thinking, "Oh HELL no! One lap is just gonna have to do it tonight!" I didn't say this to anyone, it was just the dialogue running through my head. Next big turn comes up (about 3/8 of a mile) and I'm thinking, "I've REALLY gotta pee. when I stop, I'll stretch too. But one lap is going to have to do for tonight." Again, just internal dialogue because Jerry is going strong and I'm steppin' and fetchin' to keep up. Turns out he was trying to stay ahead of a trio of older gentlemen who walk every night at a pretty quick pace. The things competion will do to ya...

At last, my potty break and the halfway point through the FIRST lap. So I'm about a quarter finished with my usual walk. I took a week off to regroup after getting sick. What a difference a week makes!! I used the handicap stall so I would have room to stretch and when I did, I thought my back would snap! I was going to go out into the food court and tell Jerry to go and get the truck and I would wait for him there. But it was nauseating... he was up and ready to move before I even got to him!!! Well, I COULDN'T and WOULDN'T let my partner down so I kept my mouth shut and decided to "walk off the pain."

We stayed ahead of the trio and when we stopped for me to stretch AGAIN, We had almost completed one entire lap. "Ahhhhh" I was thinking. "I'm almost done!" But we got to the entrance of Books-A-Million and I honestly believe that Jerry sped up. He denies it but I'm pretty sure he did! I was sucking wind at this point and couldn't get enough air to gasp out, "I need to stop now. I can't do this anymore." Not that he would have heard me through his headphones...

So now we are beginning lap two at a breakneck pace that is taking all that I've got and everything I can borrow just to keep up. Jerry is smiling and greeting fellow walkers. I'm STILL sucking wind! At this point, my feet hurt, my shoes pinch, my ankles feel wobbley, my hips ache and my back is throbbing and spasming. I won't look at my demon husband now! I won't let him know he's beaten me!!! So I just focus on the beat of the music and keep putting one foot in front of the other. I keep telling myself, "When I get to _________ I'll take another stretch break." But I couldn't and we didn't. We just... kept.... walking... And the trio? They passed us up a little more than halfway through our second lap. For Jerry, that was "hitting the wall" and he seemed to lose all of his steam all of a sudden. He looked beaten and defeated! Was I compassionate? Oh HELL no! I heckled him, prodded him, nudged him, encouraged him and harangued him when all else failed. I regaled him of the times he was by my side when I was delivering our sons and he would tell me I couldn't quit, I had to keep pushing. I would assure him that I had nothing left to push with and shriek at him to BURN IN HELL for doing this to me AGAIN! He would squeeze my hand and I would attempt to squeeze all the blood out of his hand and together, we worked, him pushing me; me pushing out another big baby boy. You know, he actually smiled when I was telling him that. So our pace was slowed a bit, but WE FINISHED!!! it was a moment of triumph! I felt like Rocky Balboa and wanted to raise both my arms and dance around in a little circle in the book store!

The upside of walking with a partner? You don't want to let them down and will do almost anything to keep from it. When one of you can't go on another step, or you think you can't, the other steps in and mentally pushes you along because you can no longer push yourself. When both of you cross YOUR finish line, your victory is shared and you share the awareness that you wouldn't (and probably couldn't) have done it alone! So to my walking partner, my best friend, my lover, my husband, my partner in life, I owe a huge debt of gratitude. And a massive pat on the back ~ he says he'll settlle for nice, long, leisurely back rub. I'm good with that! WE earned it!!!