La chica walks

The process is the same: get dressed for the cold. Find my gloves. Head outdoors with my Yurbuds playing my favorite Pandora station in my ears.

It's just not quite satisfying. The walking, that is.

The running? It's great. But I just can't do it right now. Doctor's orders. And so I walk.

Not much, you see. Because it's just not the same, so I've been avoiding it for the most part.

Walking is to running what sugar-free Jell-O is to triple chocolate cake.

I've been going through the motions for the most part. I even walked the Lansing Turkey Trot with my favorite 15-year-old; a tradition we started three years ago when we both trained for our first 5k.

We had a great time, saw some good friends, met up with my running group. We even got the T-shirts.

But there's just something missing beyond the runner's high. There's no goal. There's no training. There's no scratching off a workout when I get home.

Until, that is, I Google'd "can you walk a half marathon?" today. Hal Higdon even has a 12-week walking plan. He says it will take me about four hours to finish. Four hours of walking. Hmph.

I should note that I used Hal's plan to train for my first half in September. It worked for me.

The Biggest Loser website has its own plan that weaves in more cross training and takes about 15 weeks.

Either will take me to a spring half marathon.

So what's a running chica to do? She walks. For now.

But I am NOT getting new gear.

Have you ever had to walk a race? How long did it take? Did you feel accomplished?