After a day of walking with the Million Step March team near Fayetteville this week, I sat down with Gary Marino to talk about his experiences walking across the state. This podcast touches on some more topics, including advice for anybody wanting to start a physical activity program and a look ahead to the Million Step March finale in Wilmington.

You should find two ways to listen: Simply click on the link to start playing it, or right-click the link, then select "Save target as..." and save the file. The conversation lasts about 7 1/2 minutes.

Click to listen to podcast

Posted by Kyle Marshall on June 6, 2008

Greetings from Burlington... or mile 278 as we call it on "The March." We put up our first 20-mile day yesterday thanks to Dr. Don Bradley, who has joined us to walk for the next week and who sets the bar high for us all.

Me? I did my part and kept up. The old saying is true, my friends: If I can do it, you can do it.

This past week the Million Step March stepped on in to the Winston-Salem and Greensboro areas, and the energy and enthusiasm for the walking campaign caught even us off guard! Our events at Corpening Plaza, companies like BB&T, TIMCO and our appearances the Greensboro Grasshoppers game Saturday night were a blast. People are inspired – which is what this campaign was all about to begin with.

Video from our event stops is on its way this week. In the meantime come down to our halfway point rally on Tuesday in Raleigh. Information is on this Web site, and it should be quite an event.

Posted by Gary Marino on April 27, 2008

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

Greetings to the people of the southern “barbecue belt.” I’m thrilled to be back here walking 600 miles on the Million Step March.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has put together an unprecedented walking and fitness campaign, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. Four years ago, in 2004, I walked through this state as part of The Million Calorie March – a 1,200-mile grassroots walking campaign from Florida to Boston.

I lost 110 pounds before that walk (from 397 pounds to 288) by eating right and getting physical activity, and then another 40 pounds on the cross-country walk itself. Since then I’ve been taking my message all around the country – that anyone can achieve a measurable degree of health if they make the commitment. I’m still struggling to lose more weight, but I think I’ve achieved the better health part.

Has anybody out there ever run a marathon? A couple of years ago I ran the Boston Marathon. Now don’t get me wrong – the winner was shaved, showered, had his check cashed and on the plane back to Kenya before I hit the finish line – but I finished, and that’s the message I am bringing to the people of North Carolina. I want you to think about achieving good health – not just looking good. It’s about being around for your kids and grandkids.

I come here to North Carolina not as a pitchman for weight loss, but for commitment. If Kathy Higgins from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina can make a commitment to walk 600 miles – from the mountains of Asheville to the shores of Wilmington – can you make the commitment to build 30 to 60 minutes of walking into your life on most days?

I look forward to spending time in places like Asheville, Hickory, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington and many places in between. In this corner of the world, and in this great state, maybe we can make a difference and inspire, educate and motivate people to dig deep to improve their health – once and for all.

See you on the road when we come through your town! Keep checking at this site, www.BetterHealthNC.com, for details and to see how we’re doing.

Posted by Gary Marino on March 16, 2008