Walking the Causeway and then Zumba!

When living in a place as laid-back as South Padre Island (SPI), let me tell you it’s hard to keep focused on exercise. It’s so easy to sleep in or just not bother. I force myself to get out there and walk the beach first thing in the morning around 0715 or there’s just no point. I walk for about an hour at a pretty quick pace so I figure I’m doing about 3 miles. And anybody reading this can guess that, as soon as Johnnie is vertical, we are moving on various activities and projects. So, I need to get ‘out there’ while he is still horizontal!

True, there are days when walking the 3 miles is just neither fun nor worth it – those days being when the morning temps are lower than 50 degrees and/or the wind is blowing more than 25 mph. And let’s not forget being up late accompanied by too much “vino roja”! There are lots of reasons not to go – only the weigh scale and, ultimately, my mental state remind me that it’s something I just need to do.

In December 2008, we made our first trip to Texas and not long after we arrived on SPI, I learned about the “25th Annual Causeway Run and Walk”. The event is held the first Saturday in January so I registered, got the T-shirt and joined in the walk with a small gang from the KOA. The 3 miles isn’t that bad. After all, walking the beach for 45 minutes almost every morning made me feel ‘ready’ for the event.

It was during this Causeway Walk that we were photographed as we cruised across the Causeway. Many participants were photographed but, for some reason, the organizers picked the one with us in it (me, Kim, Carolyn and Mike) to advertise the 2010 event. Here it is in all its’ glory!


And, if that wasn’t enough, they used it again this year both in the local newspaper and on the website!

A bunch of us registered and went again this year. We had a ball getting ourselves organized, getting our 27th Annual Causeway Run and Walk” t-shirts, getting a ride over to Port Isabel for the start and then charging off to cross over to the Island with the rest of the crowd – reportedly 2500 people in total! Our group hangs out together until the 10:00 am start – here’s a pic taken of the gang of us from the KOA just us before the Start Line:


And here's a photo of Tia and me that she took as we crossed the Causeway - pretty good pic I'd say since she took it as we were walking:


It was Tia's first time to do the walk so I was happy to join her as the pace she kept was just perfect for me!


Since each of us gets walking at our own pace, naturally some arrive at the offical Finish Line earlier than others. At that point, each participant receives a cup of fresh water. After that, it’s only short walk back to the KOA.

Now I’m sure you are thinking that the Finish Line is some crosswalk area with ribbons and organizers cheering us on. Well, to some extent that’s true. But the real Finish Line (where there is plenty of cheering) is when we all trickle into Pier 19 which is the bar and restaurant on the KOA wharf. All of our group meet there after the Walk and then proceed to eat, drink and be merry for the rest of the afternoon!

All of this is made easy for us as a result of Johnnie’s commitment to the cause! He takes his responsibility seriously as he secures the 25 seats at the bar. To accomplish this goal, he heads to Pier 19 (likely around the time the race starts) and waits there until we begin trickling in. The first few arrive around 11:30 and the cheering gets louder and louder until everyone has arrived. We end up having lunch and complete the afternoon by dragging out butts back to our rigs for a nap before dinner. None of this would happen without our Johnnie taking his responsibility so seriously! Here is a photo from the real Finish Line at Pier 19:


Walking the beach is just the best and my IPod music is my friend on that front. Walking the Causeway is just a great annual event but I couldn't do it without my KOA buddies. They are so supportive – especially at our special Finish Line! Believe me, I wouldn’t miss it or them for anything.

Are the weigh scales supporting my endeavours? Well, I guess that’s another story...

Stay tuned for Zumba!