Wonders' Way

Today, I walked on Wonders' Way.

A brief explanation: In 2012, I attempted to walk across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge (5 miles total round trip) which spans the Cooper River and connects Charleston, South Carolina with Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.  I've exercised walked for years, and enjoy walking in cities I visit, especially when I walk across bridges.


Although I thought I was in good walking shape back in 2012, I was flirting with obesity from middle aged weight gain, and also battling an arthritic knee.  The first part of the walk is uphill, and I did not make the entire bridge.  I had to turn back and completed about 3.2 miles out of the five mile total.

I remembered watching all the people who were walking the bridge - elderly people, young mothers pushing babies in strollers, couples, and saying to myself "I really need to do something about this."  You could call it my "a ha" moment. 

I vowed I would return to Charleston, weight lost, and make the walk.  The first goal (weight loss) completed late last year, I made plans for the trip.

A few weeks ago I wondered if I would be able to make the walk after a needed wisdom tooth extraction led to sinus complications.  I wasn't in peak condition.  But I decided to try anyway and do the best I could.

Today was the day my spouse and I chose to make the walk.  I decided I would dedicate the walk to several people I know who are facing challenges far greater than my sinus and weight problem. I'd like to give a shout out to (in no particular order) Margaret, Howard, Patti, Nick, and Jonathan.  All of these individuals are fighting cancer.

Approaching the bridge from the Mt. Pleasant side once you complete the initial climb up the first part of the bridge that injured my knee last time, this is what you see.  The walking/running/biking section of the bridge is called Wonders' Way.  (named after a bicyclist, Garrett Wonder, who was struck by a vehicle and was killed while training for the Olympics in 2004).

Those spans fascinate me.

The size of the supports fascinate my spouse.

We made it to the Charleston side.  As you can tell, Charleston is not a city of skyscrapers - in fact, the bridge is one of the highest points in the city.

This is the Charleston side "bridge end" of Wonders' Way.  I have no idea what this structure is -I wonder (no pun intended) if it is part of the bridge support from the previous Cooper River Bridge that the Ravenel Bridge replaced.

This shows a portion of the long approach (less steep than the Mt. Pleasant side) to the bridge spans from the Charleston side.

One last shot of Wonders' Way, and the bridge. 

I completed the five mile walk!   And that steep incline?  Bridge exercisers say you get used to it.  I don't know, though. I did manage to hurt (not badly, at least not yet) my other knee.  But despite that - I feel like I accomplished something big today.  I'm grateful for the chance.

Thank you, my blog readers, for coming to my blog and for sharing this moment with me.