Hi, my name is Annie and I've been un-sedentary for four weeks.

Walking has changed my life, and I've never felt better. The overwhelming support of the Walk Out community got me through the initial shock of lacing up that first week, and knowingly encouraged me through the equally jarring experience of facing my fear of the wet and dreary spring day, a distinctly Northeast phenomenon. I am after all a Californian by breed.

And I thank you, my fellow walkers, for standing by me. The truth is, I used to eat lunch at my desk (gasp... I know). I used to have my laundry delivered from less than a block away. I obsessed over short cuts so that I'd never have to walk one step out of my way; this was painful for some of my friends. Ultimately, and it's taken me a while to get to the place where I can admit this, the sedentary lifestyle was alienating me from the rest of the world.

Until the Walk Out [0] showed me the light.

Now I revel in taking "the long way home." I take my lunch in the park; I get off the subway one stop ahead of my destination to walk the extra blocks, and escalators, what escalators? I never thought the day would come, but I don't even notice them anymore. Gradually my daily walk gave way to daily walks until I couldn't remember a time when walking wasn't my primary mode of transportation. And after four weeks of walking, I was ready to up the ante. I bought new tennis shoes (aka. Sneakers, see above: Californian).

My Tigers [1] are my partner in crime, the Robin to my Batman when I roam the streets, and divinely suited to my needs: urban enough to blend with my work attire, and yet sporty enough that I can weave and accelerate among New York's pedestrian traffic. Compelled by their colors and strong deliberate lines I find myself drawing their portrait at inappropriate times during meetings.

Now everything has changed. My energy is high and my outlook even higher. My cheeks are rosier and my glutes so taut they're starting to turn heads on the street. I'm competing with myself, adding in steps wherever I can get them to make sure I hit my mark for 10,000 steps a day [1]. Some have said that the strong affection I feel toward my Tigers is just another type of addiction, but it's not the shoes themselves, it's what they allow me to do. Because there's no better feeling than slipping silently between cracks, with grace and bounce in my step, under the radar, in control, and loving it. If I can just keep the portraiture in check, I think I'll be alright.

Annie Costner [1]

New York, NY