by Sue Burness

Created on: June 29, 2008

This is the story of how I walked 30 km. between Hamilton and Burlington (two cities on Lake Ontario) why I did it, and what I learned from it.

As a former recreational runner, I was excited to discover that long distance "Power" walking is being promoted as a viable athletic activity. I started training through the Running Room in October 2007 in preparation for a half-marathon event at the beginning of March. The training (even during this past harsh winter) was amazing! Everyone in the clinic developed confidence, had tremendous amounts of fun and learned to laugh at freezing rain, snow and slippery slopes. We (five of us hardy souls) completed the Chilly Half-Marathon in Burlington on March 3rd, tired but elated.

At the urging of my daughter (a dedicated runner) I registered for the 30 km. Around the (Hamilton/Burlington) Bay race, scheduled for March 30th. Actually, my loving daughter "gifted" me with the registration for my birthday!

As race day approached, I was pretty ambivalent about my commitment to participate. The circumstances in my life had shifted dramatically around the middle of the month, which meant my training pretty much went downhill. Although I did make the effort to continue walking most days, the enthusiasm was certainly lacking.

On March 15th, my sweet gentle husband left for work at the usual time and didn't return. Because he has a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I knew immediately that he'd gone into what's known as a Dissociative State and that I might not hear from him for weeks or months. He's described it as "being in a fog". Although people in this condition appear to function just fine on a cognitive level, they are "split off from their emotions" and their current reality. In their minds, they're back in the time when they were traumatized. I didn't know when or if he would "snap out of it" and return.

Of course, I administered heavy doses of EFT to myself and gratefully accepted support from friends and family. I tried to focus on a positive outcome. Nevertheless my heart wasn't exactly jumpin' for joy at the thought of that race.

Ultimately, I decided to participate. I'm not sure why, except that I had also decided to carry on as much as possible with my "normal" life. I made another decision. I would look at this event as a kind of spiritual journey and it would bring me strength.

As I began the walk, waving to my daughter and her boyfriend, I fought back tears. I also told myself that by the end of the course

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