VIRTUAL WALK Join Renew Houston this Sunday.

Since the beginning of lockdown in March, I’ve walkedmy way through two pairs of shoes. The strappy Keen sandals I’ve taken to wearing in the mornings leave a tan line that make me feel like I’m living throughmy own personal Cubismperiod andmade for comical photos atmy August (micro)wedding.

But of all the things I’d change about these last sevenmonths, the chance to squeeze walks into my day with newfound regularity is at the bottom ofmy list. When everything in life seems chaotic and out of my control, I strap on my sandals and put one foot in front of the other. During this pandemic, I’ve pivoted all my one-on-one meetings to “walk-and-talks.” Now, sessions that would have occurred in a conference room during Before Times allowmy colleagues and me to weave through our neighborhoods and into our local parks. And it adds up. On any given week, I walk through eight hours of meetings; that alone has helped me drop nearly 25 pounds in the pandemic.

And since RenewHouston is all about empowering Houstonians to reach for a healthy lifestyle, we want to share the benefits of walking with you. So we’re hosting our first-ever virtual 5K. Unlike previous walks and runs that you may have participated in, there’s no physical start or finish line. So on Sunday, Oct. 18, at the time and place of your choosing, grab a friend and walk 5 kilometers — or 3.1 miles. The walk will be “on your honor,” so we won’t check in on your progress. But we will follow along with your posts, so share your walk to social media with the hashtag #RenewWalk for the chance to be featured in our section.

Formore details and to register for the free event, go to runsignup.com/Race/ TX/Houston/ReNew HoustonVirtualWalk.