"Livin' my life like its golden, golden, golden golden..."
A group of us dames decide that we are going to get into better health by walking, running, cycling, skating or whatever. A few of them decided to walk off the pounds and are engaging in a weight loss contest to win some money. I'm the weight keeper because even though I'm not a chubby dumpy girl, I'm most definitely a skinny dumpy girl, so no need to lose any weight, but 30 minutes to an hour per day of walking, cycling or skating will ensure that I never have to shoot insulin, which is my diabetic goal. And Lord knows that I am not trying to take any blood pressure meds in my old age. Time to get on the ball.
So.....off we go.
This review is of the bikeway between Golden and Willow in the LBC to just beyond PCH. The Los Angeles Bikeway meets the Long Beach Shoreline Pedestrian Bikepath. This is where we started, (Golden and Willow) heading south. Officially called LARIO (LA River and Rio Hondo) it begins at Whittier Narrows in South El Monte all the way to the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach. 29.1 Miles. Well we walked 2 miles and it looks like something that I will doing at least five times a week for as long as I'm here in Long Beach. The walk was way more than I expected. The weather was cool, the 8 feet wide berm had cyclists, dog walkers, roller skaters pushing along, polite with greetings and encouragement and there is natural wildlife to behold in this concrete, urban waterway. I spotted a salamander which I haven't seen in years. I watched him and wanted to catch it, but I remembered that I'm nearly 50, not 5. I walked with the I-pod blowing some Queen Latifah as I watched the birds bathing and splashing in the river beyond the foliage, down the embankment of rocks and asphalt. I marveled at the natural sunflowers and spotted some passionfruit and immediately thought of Robin Z, who hipped me to the aggressive plant. And yes, it was crawling and makin' it's mark.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself and though it was our first walk, we were all excited about how we can utilize this urban gym to cycle, skate as well as walk. I noticed doggy poo along the sides of the trail and even though I saw few dogs today, that tells me that folks walk their poochies there. Cool. 'Cause you know I'm taking Daisy when I go early in the morning.
And tomorrow, I'm going to buy a new bike. It is love at first sight for the bikeway and me and if type 2 diabetes is as reversable as' they' say it is.....this is the way for me! At this rate, I am going to pimp slap my diabetes! read more