§ Wake up and exercise at 4:00 am.
§ Leave for work by 5:00 am.
§ Walk 2 to 4 miles with a wheelchair patient during your workday as a
nurse.
§ Leave work at 2:30 pm to return home.
§ Change clothes and bike 5 miles to teach a 1 hour kickboxing class.
§ Bike 5 miles back home to lift weights for 20 to 30 minutes. Eat dinner
with your family.
§ Spend time on the computer for your latest project, such as chairing
the Walk from Obesity.
§ Bedtime by 11:00 pm.
§ Wake up and do it all again.
This is Linda's Monday thru Friday schedule with slight modifications on Wednesday and Thursday to accommodate her work schedule. Saturdays typically start with a morning race. Linda also enjoys frequent Saturday bike rides with her daughters and grandson Grayson. That can be followed by a cookout, some shopping or going to the movies.
Wow-what a busy lady! Linda herself says that her schedule seems impossible, but somehow she manages to squeeze it all in. She says you just have to commit yourself, set goals, and 'Just Do It' (as they would say in a Nike ad). Another benefit that keeps Linda focused on her daily regimen is a food and exercise diary. This allows Linda to track her progress, and adjust her eating or training as needed based on past performance.
She also attributes her success to the support system she has through family and friends. Linda's husband Bruce goes to every race with Linda, which usually means waking up at 4:00 am on a Saturday morning to make an 8:30 am race. That's what I call true dedication. Linda's support continues when her favorite race buddy joins her. Staring when he was just 2 years old, Linda's grandson Grayson now completes some of the shorter races with Linda as he is now a very grown-up 4 year old.
This year, Linda has completed all of the local races with walking categories. Between the Tidewater Striders, Peninsula Track Club, and our own Colonial Road Runners, Linda has completed over 20 races-and still counting as 2003 is not yet over. She has also enjoyed some impressive finishes, placing in the top spots overall and in her age group.
Linda's race distances range from 1 milers to 10Ks, and even include unique races such as the Richmond Muddy Buddy. The Muddy Buddy is a 10K run/bike obstacle course where you and a 'buddy' alternate running and biking throughout different sections of the course.
So what is the history of the Linda Walker that we know today? Married to her husband Bruce for 31-1/2 years, Linda has 3 daughters and 2 grandsons. She has been a high tech pediatrics nurse for over 20 years. On January 18, 2000, Linda underwent gastric bypass surgery. By August of that same year she had shed 150 lbs, bringing her weight down from 400 lbs to 250 lbs. Congratulations Linda!
At this point she joined an exercise class with her daughter Jessica, who needed
the exercise class to graduate from college. Her instructor, Wade Johnson, was
the college baseball coach, and walking was on the agenda from day one.
Because of extensive repair work to her right knee, Linda couldn't even walk
the length of the parking lot. However, Wade had a talk with Linda, encouraging
her to walk 15 minutes a day. He promised Linda that with perseverance, she
would cover a longer distance in less time. You can probably guess what's next-Wade
was right! Completing her first full mile in 25 minutes, Linda now enjoys a
12:00 to 12:15 race walking mile pace.
Last year, Linda's doctor discovered a heart problem that has probably been around for several years, but was un-detected because of her weight. This was just another motivation for Linda to continue her healthy lifestyle. She hasn't slowed down, only reduced her total distance per session. She has limited her race distance to a 10K maximum, wears a medical alert bracelet, and slows down when feeling tired.
Linda's big project for 2003 was becoming Chairperson of the Richmond 'Walk From Obesity' Walk. It's a national event held in multiple cities. The main purpose of the walk is to raise awareness about obesity itself, educate people on viable treatment options, and help lead people to a healthy future that can avoid the adverse consequences of an obese lifestyle.
Linda's extensive participation with local running clubs and event such as
'Walk from Obesity', has afforded Linda the opportunity to bring her story of
hope, encouragement and dedication to many people. Thanks to Linda for being
an inspiration to all of us.
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