We planned to walk around the lake counter clockwise, which means our left foot will always be nearest to the water. This was our intent without thinking about what that might mean to our bodies. In our first three weeks we made some changes for a variety of reasons.

For example, our second day’s hike became our fourth day since the waves did not allow us to walk the beach between Amnicon and Brule Rivers. For people who are obsessive about itineraries this might drive them crazy, but our goal is cover the shoreline whether in sequence or by hop scotch, and most important we want to do it safely.

Another alteration came when we realized that from our campsite it was easier to walk clockwise for a section and allow our Support person (Mandy Hakala) to run the shuttle in the afternoon. This was just easier for everyone and we do not consider it a big problem. It made a better day for everyone and still covered the distance and the shore.

Finally, today we walked to Ontonagon to complete this section of the trip and in the afternoon we covered an equal section on the other side of the community. This meant that Mandy could drop us off and go about her business rather than guessing when we might complete the walk and sit in a remote location waiting for us to appear. Her safety and comfort were a concern and the distance got covered.

But now, let me tell you why these things are important to those of you who exercise. We have now decided that every week we need a section walked in the reverse direction (clockwise). Why? Everyone talks about alignment but do we realize the ways we can alter alignment negatively? Do you always run the track in the same direction? Are you constantly starting with the same foot, the same arm? Walking the beaches there is a natural slope to the water which means our foot falls are not flat, but rather on a slope from land to water and our left foot is usually lower than our right. Yup, we are walking out of alignment, but once a week if we reverse our directions, and put our right foot below our left, we shift the stress points and give our left side a little rest.