Walking my neighborhood is a welcome change from my daily ride on an exercise bike and strength building exercises. It’s difficult for me to traverse the uneven sidewalks but I don’t let that stop me.
This morning being a trash day, my already challenging environment included trash cans and recycle bins scattered on their sides all across my path. Who doesn’t love the smell of garbage on a humid late July morning? I know the buzzing flies sure do. I may not have seen them, but I sure heard them and sensed them dive-bombing me as I passed by, either to ward me off their buffet or attracted by my own sweaty menu.
One house is either doing an episode of Hoarders or moving, with lamps, chairs, at least thirty boxes, a mattress and three sides of a crib stacked two deep along the curb.
Of course I would also time my route with that of a trash truck on one long street, it passing me then stopping at the house in front of me, me passing it as the men hurled the discarded remnants of family after family into the back of the truck, as it seemingly belched with gluttonous glee after each new offering. We would perform this disgusting dance for a mile, with no chance of anyone cutting in. Finally I rounded a corner and breathed a giant sigh of relief and fresh air when it went in the opposite direction.
A half block later, I began to smell skunk. With every step it became stronger. Between the trash cans, trash truck and now this new stench, I figured the heart rate monitor on my FitBit was going crazy. Holding my breath as much as possible then breathing through my mouth as sparingly as possible without passing out turned what was to be a cardio workout a stress test instead.
A few strides after the next turn, I noticed something in the middle of the sidewalk and I just knew it was the remains of the skunk. I quickened my pace after taking one big deep breath as shallowly as I could. Averting my eyes despite the morbid curiosity pull, I held in my gulp of air and headed for the corner that would return me home.
For me, walking outside is always interesting. But today’s workout turned into an endurance event I call The Stinker. Completing it made me feel like one tough mudder.
