🥕 Walk 5 of 5 – Steps Before Starfighters! ☁️☕🕹️

Five walks. One weekly goal accomplished. And a Saturday morning full of feathered friends, dramatic skies, and a very unconventional coffee order. 💜

Good morning from North Phoenix, where the remnants of a tropical system have apparently decided that Arizona could use a little atmospheric drama!

This morning’s walk came with plenty of clouds, a few teeny-tiny breezes at the cross streets, and a welcome break from the usual Arizona sunshine. We even had a little rain overnight, leaving some puddles along the route. The wind hasn’t really shown up yet, but with more unsettled weather expected, I’m happy to enjoy the calm while it lasts.

And because this is my neighborhood, the entertainment never stops.

🐦 Today’s Neighborhood Wildlife Report

First, I was treated to a visit from a little woodpecker sporting a red cap. He flew past me toward a palm tree, promptly disappeared behind the trunk, and scurried upward out of sight.

Naturally, I stopped to see what would happen next.

Sure enough, he peeked around the side of the palm tree and looked right at me!

I swear, he was channeling Woody Woodpecker. I could practically hear the cartoon soundtrack. 😂

Then there were the neighborhood birds conducting their usual business from the power lines and bare branches. At this point, I fully expect to discover that they’ve formed a committee and are discussing the morning’s neighborhood developments.

I don’t make the rules. I just observe the wildlife and provide the imaginary voice-over.

🌳 The Aquanet Tree Makes Another Appearance

I also got to admire one of my favorite neighborhood trees: the Aquanet Tree!

This magnificent specimen has the kind of volume that would make an entire 1980s hairspray aisle proud. It’s practically a permanent neighborhood landmark in my personal walking tour.

And let’s not forget the palm trees. With the right angle, they make excellent Carmen Miranda-inspired selfie accessories. Sometimes you have to work with the scenery you’ve got!

Between the cloud formations, the mountain views, the birds, and the trees, this morning’s walk was a reminder that you don’t have to travel somewhere spectacular to find something worth noticing. Sometimes you just have to slow down long enough to look.

☕ Starbucks: The Reward Is in the Cup

Of course, no Starbucks Carrot Method walk would be complete without the Starbucks part.

Today’s beverage was already waiting for me at the end of the route, and I was happily working on it while celebrating the morning’s accomplishments.

And yes, my coffee had a can of Diet Dr Pepper poured into the bottom of the cup before the Starbucks drink went in.

Before anyone asks: I mix them together. It’s not a chaser! 🤣

The result is a little fizzy, a little creamy, and deliciously reminiscent of a coffee ice cream float with a hint of cherry. You may question the science, but I can confirm the taste test has been successful.

Some people have a regular coffee order. I have a beverage experiment.

📊 Walk 5 of 5: The Receipts

Here are today’s Fitbit stats for the return leg of my morning walk:

– Distance: 1.22 miles
– Duration: 37 minutes, 53 seconds
– Steps during this walk: 2,808
– Calories burned: 254
– Average heart rate: 111 bpm
– Cardio load: 22
– Active zone minutes: 31
– Elevation gain: 3 feet
– Moderate heart-rate zone: 31 minutes
– Weekly walking goal: 14 miles — COMPLETED!

By 9:32 a.m., I had accumulated 6,607 steps for the day and reached 95% of my weekly cardio target, with 404 of 422 points recorded.

And yes, only three feet of elevation gain. Fitbit and I are apparently back on speaking terms about the geography of my very flat neighborhood. No phantom mountains required!

I also had a readiness score of 80, although my sleep was only about five hours. A good readiness score is encouraging, but it doesn’t magically replace sleep. I’ll take the win and listen to my body for the rest of the day.

🕹️ Next Stop: Starfighters!

The walking portion of Saturday is underway, and tonight’s plans include Starfighters for the October monthly pinball tournament.

That means today’s movement isn’t necessarily finished when the walk ends. There will be standing, moving around the venue, tournament shenanigans, and whatever incidental exercise the pinball gods decide to assign me.

I’ll add those steps to today’s totals later so the Carrots for a Cause challenge can get the full picture.

October’s goal is 62 miles in 31 days for the American Cancer Society walking challenge. Every walk contributes, and all the extra movement throughout the day is a bonus.

💜 Still Counts

Five walks completed for the week. Fourteen miles in the books. A woodpecker cameo, an Aquanet Tree sighting, a sky full of clouds, and a Starbucks beverage that refuses to conform to conventional coffee standards.

This is what wellness looks like in my real life.

Not perfection. Not an all-or-nothing fitness plan. Just showing up, getting outside, noticing the world around me, and making movement part of my day.

And tonight? We’ll see what happens at Starfighters. The pinball machines may be unpredictable, but at least I’ve already earned my carrots for the morning.

Wellness without perfection.