It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up... (Vince Lombardi)

DO NOT attempt walking, biking, golfing or endurance sessions without proper training and medical approval. I trained for the Roy Dye Walk America more than four years. It's been years now since serious problems were discovered that changed my life forever.

Training - Not a good day for training or anything else…

Today, I found a thousand reasons for not doing the Roy Dye Walk………. Then in the middle of the night – I woke up and basically decided it would do too much damage and could land me back in the wheelchair for good….. It was the hardest day of training ever….. But, I did the training anyway. About halfway through the walk I started revaluating the reasons for the Roy Dye Walk. Then……… at almost seventy, with preservation (hanging on to what you have) the most important thing on your mind, you start to think. At this size, or any size, and declining health, is there a way out! (Easy way actually, I guess is what I was looking for.) The Internet became the tool of choice and my library at home and away from home for researching all possibilities.

The availability of excellent information is vast. Professionals on the Internet verified all the information doctors were pushing my way. It didn’t take long to realize that preservation alone would not get it. To hang on to “what I had” was several steps below what I considered a normal life. I was just barely above a full time wheelchair, and crutches always by the bed, in the trunk of the car, or close by. They were really crutches. I was mentally leaning on something and taking the easy way out.

Rethinking all the doctors’ instructions! You bet. That’s when “Roy Dye Walking America” was born.

Until the next stop, I’ll keep walking, biking, hiking and leave a smile and handshake everywhere I go. (“Walking Our Way”) WOW.

Roy Dye

Training - Big at the little and bottom at the top.

Heavy, big, fat, carrying too much weight, call it what you must. I wasn’t always overweight and believe I will someday reach my goal (and the doctor’s goal – they “Might-Nye” ordered me to shed a few for health reasons). Now I realize that right at 300 pounds won’t put me in a certain class of folks, but 300 pounds on an artificial leg is akin to being 400, 500 or even 600 pounds and trying to perform certain task. It’s just really, really hard…….. Simple as that. I had to do something or give up. But, I had never given up in my life and was not about to start now – although that would have been the easy way, I guess. So, four years ago I spent the first year trying to figure out how not to stop eating all the really good stuff and I certainly didn’t won’t to start walking either, not outside... I was eating my way to the piney (box). It didn’t work, the doctors knew every move and every flimsily excuse you’d come in with. I felt like “no fool like an old fool” and I guess the doctors thought the same thing since I was about twice as old as they were.

Then one day, one of the really young doctors (under 30) said, “You may have hypertension, why not send you to the heart clinic”? He was my eye doctor. Yet, a bleeding retina tipped him off about possible high blood pressure and other related issues that could not only cause the eye problem but other serious health problems as well. I went right in and was surprised at how fast they decided to do a full exam when the heart readings were 190 over 100 and the cholesterol was over 253. An accident waiting to happen. I begged and pleaded with them not to operate or do any of all the other nasty things they were talking about, to each other, like I wasn’t even there! Finally, one of them agreed to try a treadmill test first, and if acceptable, assign me to a diet program with hypertension pills. They sent me to PT for more treadmill and right knee ultrasound treatments with cortisone injections since I wasn’t able to do the walking they required for the program. Later, there were test and more tests, but progress was noted. At least I had started and was headed in the right direction.

Until the next stop, I’ll keep walking, biking, hiking and leave a smile and handshake everywhere I go. (“Walking Our Way”) WOW.

Roy Dye

Training - Food changed considerably.

What to eat? Well, it won’t be what it used to be. All the stuff that got me in trouble to begin with, I mean. All the good things I used to eat that landed me in the heaviest group in America and created all the before mentioned health problems. Nowadays the food menu has changed to reflect a new way of life (for me) and better heart healthy numbers that are really amazing compared to what they used to be without having to go through an operation or serious diet program. Even when I am not training the food intake is like a diet or heart healthy regime without actually being on a diet. Oatmeal! Yes, I eat oatmeal, every single day. Also soybeans (roasted, cooked, tofu and soy snacks) and greens. Kale is an everyday addition to almost anything I eat. Soy milk is the only milk I drink now. Although it took four years to get used to a totally different diet than what I grew up with, it has worked and is now the basic foods program of choice for me.

The doctor said to eat lots of vegetables, fruit and nuts as close to the natural state as possible. I asked what that meant! She said, “Raw.” So, I obliged. I drank my water, ran (walked) around the block, everything they advised me to do to prolong an operation or prevent it altogether. So far it has worked. I have lost over fifty pounds and dropped my total cholesterol down from 253 to under 140, and the LDL logging in at 91.8 (new guidelines call for under 100, with or without medicine – I take NO cholesterol medicine). My last blood pressure readings were 120 over 72. Wow, yippee, to me. This stuff really works. “Keep on walking.” “Walking your way America.”

Until the next stop, I’ll keep walking, biking, hiking and leave a smile and handshake everywhere I go. (“Walking Our Way”) WOW.

Roy Dye

Training - To cook or not to cook!

No fire because……..  Many places will not allow a fire in certain areas. Especially out west where fires have caused serious problems with landscape and life, both wildlife and human. Therefore much of the training has revolved around cold or ready to eat foods. With instant and MRE type foods, plus hot foods and dinners obtained on the road while training, I have successfully developed a well rounded “fireless” way of eating while still preserving all the health benefits necessary for such a strenuous endeavor. More details about food and food preparation will be reported in the daily journals and will be published in a book when it is released. Specially endorsed books will be presented free to certain donors upon completion of the Roy Dye Walking Marathon Expedition and publication. (Dependant of course upon acceptance and publishing by a reputable publisher.)

Training - Right arm sore.

Today was mostly uneventful. However, a couple of notes that may be helpful in the future. Very sore again this morning. This time, a new place. My right upper arm, the shoulder actually, was really sore inside the joint. I hadn’t banged it or bruised it so I assumed it had something to do with stopping most of the medicine. Especially all pain medicine. Maybe I always hurt this much but clouded the issue with prescribed and drugstore pain-aids.  Withdrawal from anything is bound to have some side effects. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t take pain killers. An aspirin a day, then two, then three and so on, along with Naproxen the doctor prescribed for the worn out right knee. Little by little you’re taking more than you realize. It is a battle to get rid of favorite crutches that you have learned to lean on. But, I thought that if I was going to win at this and complete the Roy Dye Walking Marathon Expedition, I needed all my senses and strength and not have them dulled by pain medication. Now really, ain’t’ that a kick in the head! Rather feel the pain than take the medicine… Well, no……… but it seemed to be working. I was still sore each morning that I trained – but, less sore. I hoped it would go away soon, or I’d get used to it and be able to ignore the majority of the aches. It was working to some degree. At least I could think better and was walking a great deal further with each serious outing.

Until the next stop, I’ll keep walking, biking, hiking and leave a smile and handshake everywhere I go. (“Walking Our Way”) WOW.

Roy Dye

Contact Information

General Information:  roydye@roydye.org