Exercise Buddies

It's so frustrating to me because most people that I know don't exercise. How am I supposed to get healthy if everyone around me isn't into a healthy lifestyle?! I mean, even my little skinny friends eat crap and don't exercise.

Yesterday I went for a walk by myself and I enjoyed it. It's interesting to walk alone because I see and hear things that I typically wouldn't see or hear if I were walking with someone else. I walked past a pine tree and was overcome with an overwhelming scent of "mountain", even though I wasn't in the mountains. I heard people talking to their babies. I listened to mothers calling out to the family to come out and have breakfast. It was really interesting.

But I also have learned over the past couple of months that I tend to participate more in healthy lifestyle patterns if I have people around me who do the same. Last year I had a roommate who was a vegan and I started picking up some healthy eating patterns from her. I also had another friend who was a vegan and who was really into meditation and fitness-her good habits rubbed off on me as well.

Sadly, both of my role models have moved to San Francisco and I don't really have many other friends who are into a healthy lifestyle. I do have one of my clerks at work who walks and exercises, and also eats well. Yet I don't want to get too close to her outside of work because I am her boss.

Well, I do have my boyfriend who has been graciously walking with me. However, he also takes his mom on a walk every morning and I don't want to burn him out with taking me walking. At some point I also need to find other exercise buddies or learn to do it on my own because I can't depend on him forever.

So, what am I supposed to do? There is a local walking and running club about fifteen minutes away that is designed to prepare people for the Los Angeles marathon. However, I don't think that they are accepting any more new participants at this moment because the deadline has passed. Maybe I should check into that again.

This morning I went onto meetup.com and I did a search for both "walking" and "hiking" near my address and up popped a walking club and two hiking clubs. But I am shy and I am scared to join them-go figure! Although I am very outgoing, I am also somewhat socially shy and don't mingle well with new people. I am afraid that I am going to join the group and it will be a tight nit clique and I will feel excluded. Well, I won't know until I try it-right? Stay tuned.

P.S. If you are in Southern California and are near the Inland Empire area, let me know if you want to go out walking. I will even drive an hour from my house to your house if we go on a walk of a decent amount of time.