Hey gang. We are in Advance, N.C., and advancing to Winston-Salem very quickly. We hit the 200-mile mark today! Not bad for a guy who wouldn't walk across the street just six years ago, huh? Who am I kidding? I'd get winded in an elevator back in my 397-pound days.

So I thought the 200-mile mark might be a good time to share a few things I've learned walking across North Carolina for those aspiring road warriors like me, who are thinking of taking a long walk to promote a cause of their own. So here we go with the top eight things I've learned on the Million Step March:

1. The soft shoulder is your friend.

2. Sidewalks (where you can get them) are a luxury.

3. Road kill is a dandy appetite suppressant (if you're trying to lose weight like me).

4. People in North Carolina are so nice they'll stop and ask you if you want a ride (unlike my home state of Massachusetts, where they get road rage when they aren't even driving).

5. Kathy Higgins from Blue Cross is an amazing lady and will walk all day if we let her!

6. Barbecue is not just for breakfast here in the South.

7. Sometimes you have to look out for 18-wheelers on the road, and other times actual houses that are being transported via 18-wheeler.

8. Getting healthy can actually be fun!

We'll see you when we come to your town, OK?

Posted by Gary Marino on April 23, 2008