“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz
Croton Aqueduct: Power Walking For Worldwide WP 5k... The walking path
Croton Aqueduct: Power Walking For Worldwide WP 5k...
Croton Aqueduct: Power Walking For Worldwide WP 5k... Croton starting point
I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. Michael Jordan
In case you’re wondering what all the hoopla is about, today thousands of people around the world participated in the Automattic Worldwide WP 5k or WWWP5K. We buckled our shoes, tied our sneaker laces, strapped on our roller blades, and headed outside to get in shape by doing a 5k walk/run/skate (The skate is my fantasy). The original goal of this wonderful health event, fondly known as WWWP5k, was to “Get all Automatticians from 79 cities & 24 countries to run/walk a 5k on the same day!” Last year, Matt and team planned this as a company wide event to kick off an exercise routine before summer time and, soon enough, they included all of us bloggers in their grand scheme… a positive approach.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mahatma Gandhi
Croton Aqueduct: Power Walking For Worldwide WP 5k...
Croton Aqueduct: Power Walking For Worldwide WP 5k... Weir Chamber in Sleepy Hollow
Last year, I walked around the beautiful Scenic Hudson Park in my neck of the woods. It was fun to do and because the weather was quite nice, my friend, Esme, and I enjoyed watching the ducks and passing boats as we walked along the Hudson trail. I kept up my walking for the rest of the year, and continued walking with greater determination in 2012; this time on the Croton Aqueduct trail which runs from Croton all the way down to Yonkers and into the Bronx; the Old Croton Trail extends for about 26.2 miles. No, I don’t cover the entire length of it, only the portion that extends into 2-3 villages near me. I walk quite regularly in addition to taking gym classes. Fortunately for us on the East Coast, winter never fully showed her face, and so we enjoyed mild temperatures which meant we could keep on walking… and I did. I was thrilled to find out that Automattic’s Worldwide WP 5k was scheduled again for 2012. I was ready.
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Jim Ryan
Croton Aqueduct: Power Walking For Worldwide WP 5k...
Croton Aqueduct: Power Walking For Worldwide WP 5k... Bridge over route 9
This year, for the annual WWWP5K, I decided to take a 10k power walk on The Croton Aqueduct. No I didn’t double my effort to prove anything. I simply power walked a 5k route from my home and did the same distance on my return… All for good; to stay healthy and enjoy the blessing of a beautiful sunny day. What is a 5k? As per the data provided in Sara Russo’s post on WWWP5K, a 5k is roughly equal to: 3.1 miles, 12 laps around a track, approximately 6000-7500 steps, and approximately 50-60 minutes of brisk walking. So, I took about 14,000 steps on an 85 minute power walk. If you are interested in learning how to power walk in a safe and productive way, Livestrong has some great tips to share. It’s important to warm up before each walk, and stretch at the end. What about you? What did you do for WWWP5K. More below! 
