My big toe on my right foot feels damp. The chill sets in. Several yards later my left foot feels the creep of cold water that permeates my sneaker. It’s raining on New Year’s Day. It’s 37 deg (3 for everyone not in the USA) and the snow on the ground creates a fog throughout the neighborhood. The mist from the rain makes the distance look hazy and white through the leafless trees. The only greenery before me is the hardy pines that raise their virtual middle fingers at the winter. That said, the snow becomes them.

 

My good Hokas are inside the closet at home. I’m wearing my Asics because these sneakers are old and are now trash, and I’m okay with water destroying them during the winter and on rainy days. Yes, I actually have shoes planned out for walking conditions. No one should be out here in this weather. It’s cold. It’s wet.

 

But I’m a heart patient. So I walk.

 

The coefficient of thermal expansion dictates how much a material will grow or shrink based on temperature. It is expressed usually in millionths of an inch/per inch/per degree F. When questioned if this has any real significance, I often describe the discussion with engineers in my metrology lab at work. I tell them, “You’ve specified that the detector for a CT Scan machine must be located within two thousandths of an inch in any direction. If this room changes 10 degrees, then sitting 40 inches away from the patient’s head that detector will move by five thousandths of an inch.” While five thousandths of an inch is a mere fraction of a spark plug gap, compared to the tolerance applied to this detector – it might as well be 5 miles to the machine. Temperature is important in my world.

 

You don’t have three sets of walking sneakers because you thought you might take a stroll tomorrow afternoon. You have three sets of walking sneakers because you walk on a regular basis, and they all serve a particular purpose. I made a promise.

 

I promised that if my surgeons fixed my heart, I would fix the rest of me. I promised my wife that I would not waste a single penny I spent on exercise equipment or accessories for my health and fitness. I promised my kids I would be here for them when they grow up. I promised my friends I would be here for them when they need me. I promised you that I would set an example and when I get knocked down, I would get back up and I would still be here. Moving forward. Maybe not flying on a bicycle. Maybe not running. Maybe not walking. Maybe just barely crawling. Maybe while crying – But I promised I would be here moving forward. I have written checks I have no idea how to cash.

 

So, I walk.

 

Jocko Willink says the only thing keeping you in your bed on a cold morning is your mind. David Goggins says the only reason you quit pushing forward is because your mind tells you you’re done. However, your mind is telling you to quit when you’ve only used 40% of your physical capacity. So on New Year’s Day when it’s early, it’s raining, and it’s cold, I’ve got a pair of shoes dedicated for a day like this. I’ve told my mind it’s time to do this.

 

On days when a 40-inch-long aluminum trailer brace is 13 thousandths of an inch shorter, I’ll walk. It’s New Year’s Day. Some made resolutions to be healthier and to get fit. Some decided that it’s not worth the effort. Others are athletes from long ago and are used to getting up early since high school.

 

The musty smell of mud and decay in cool wetlands traverses the dark wooded area to my left. In NH coyotes have interbred with wolves and domestic dogs to produce larger creatures that leave big pawprints in the snow and slush. The prints are often mistaken for bears, but while large they are vastly different in shape. The coyotes like to populate this part of the woods and sometimes I find a print.

 

As I climb the gentle slope, I think of people who’ve posted about exercise and moving like their doctors have suggested. Athletes already have a plan to climb a higher mountain. Those who’ve given up already, have already given up.

 

But – Those who have taken a step out of nowhere.

Those who are struggling to hear a single voice that tells them it’s possible to change.

Every one of them that wonders if this can get better.

Every one of them that has slipped off course during the holidays and missed some exercise or cheated on their diet.

 

I think of them, and I want to tell them they can do this.

 

My feet are cold, and my pant legs are wet. Water trickles from my visor and cascades before my eyes. The fog hugs the snow close the ground creating a scene like that of a scary movie. A tiny leaf is surfing. It rides the stream of water from one side of the road to the other. It bobbles and dances along the way. The majesty of this outing is the doe standing frozen in the thicket. She shoots off and blends into the surroundings before I can snap a photo.

It’s cold. It’s wet. I am encased in mist and my feet are cradled in freezing water. Nobody should be out walking in this. Except, I made a promise. Goggins and Willink showed me how to keep it and I don’t intend to let you down.

 

So, I walk.

 

Besides, if I was in bed or working on drywall, I would miss every glorious moment that has passed before me this morning. Happy New Year.