Done – and I didn't get wet

But that's only because I waited until the early-afternoon thunderstorm exited the vicinity.

You know what that means, don't you? I began my walk at about 2:30 p.m. – certainly approaching the hottest time of the day. Setting out for an eight-mile walk in moderate heat and high humidity probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done lately, but I survived. And surviving will probably only fuel my compulsivity (is that a word?) to do it again, if I have to.

At one point, about a mile from my driveway, I felt like I had tunnel vision. I've had that experience before, during the Army 10-miler in 2007. I guess, though, knowing I survived then gave me the confidence to keep putting one foot in front of the other and I made it home just fine.

Doing an out-and-back route is deceiving. I've been doing seven miles with no problem, and all I had to do was tack an extra half-mile on to the "out" part of the walk. Whether it was physical or psychological, though, I knew when I reached the end of the seventh mile on the "back" part and that last mile was torturous.

The question is, will I do eight miles again today? You betcha. I had no idea I was quite as compulsive as I am. The old me would have said, "No way," especially after seeing a 1.5-pound gain this morning. But the new me feels better, has more energy (except during the eighth mile) and gets more done when I take a walk every day.

I will, however, take it this morning, instead of this afternoon.