We are back in farm country now… or at least back in the woodsy areas east of the Triangle. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill seem like forever ago already. All eyes are on Greenville - the next big prize here on "The March." That's the next big stop for the walk team and the area where most of our events will be for a while.

We've come up with our own terms to describe this leg of the walk. "Farmlike" is one. "Forrest Gumpish" is another which describes farms with their own family cemeteries.

I've been here before. Greenville, Wilson and Mount Olive are nostalgic for me in a way. I walked through this area and probably on some of these very same roads back in 2004 as part of my Florida to Boston "Million Calorie March" campaign. I recognize the terrain (and maybe some of the barbecue places... but I digress.)

Of course it's not 2004 anymore. The obesity issue has really come to the forefront of the media and the nation's consciousness since my first walk of the eastern seaboard four years ago. Our campaigns have gone from philanthropist-funded, grass-roots efforts to partnering with a great company like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Books have been written. Movies have been made (our documentary film "Million Calorie March" premieres at the Jacksonville Film Festival in Florida this weekend!) No, it’s definitely not 2004 anymore.

I'm a Dad now to 21-month-old Desi James Marino. He is what my health goals are about these days. It's not about the "quick fix" but rather about the long-term fix. It's about being around for our kids and grandkids, right? That's the stuff that matters. The Million Step March campaign is about all North Carolinians living long and productive lives.

See you in Greenville!

Posted by Gary Marino on May 16, 2008

Lucille says her workouts help her meet a health challenge:

"I have lupus and have been working out at the gym for 20 years or more. It's hard to do but I keep at it because I can move better."

Shared on May 12, 2008 Share your story

We are walking east now in places like Garner and Clayton, but commuting back and forth to Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill for events. The good news is that Kathy Higgins and I hit the 350-mile mark this week, and on a personal note I weighed in at 20 pounds less today.

What is the bad news? We'll there's really no bad news, except that the beautiful, scenic mountains that surrounded us during the early weeks of the Million Step March have been replaced by scenes of Belk, Verizon, Williams-Sonoma and Dairy Queen stores. Do we really need to see strip malls, specialty stores and BBQ restaurants? Well, maybe the BBQ places!

The best news is that the area stops we've made (and will continue to make for a few more days) have been some of the best of the campaign. "The March" is in full swing now and it's clear that we are connecting with many, many people.

Following the halfway point "Rally in Raleigh," we made stops at places like Structure House, a live-in facility for morbidly obese people in Durham. It was a chance to take my personal message and the message of the Million Step March directly to people who struggle with weight and the staff who treats them. We also did some stops at various Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina locations where they cheered on one of their own – the simply unstoppable Kathy Higgins.

At WakeMed Hospital just today, I walked into a standing ovation and one of the sweetest crowds yet. Not bad when you haven't even said anything, right? Our group walks at all of our event stops have been a big hit as well. Dr. Don Bradley, who has been walking with us for over three weeks now, has been actually leading these walks – Kathy and I are saving our energy for the road.

We'll have video highlights of many of our stops very shortly. In the meantime keep your own health goals going, and keep on marching!

Posted by Gary Marino on May 9, 2008

Bud sent us a terrific story about his lifestyle changes. Note that his multiple means of getting physical activity have helped him feel much younger:

"Five years ago I was a roly-poly 199 pounds and lived for work. My wife encouraged me to join the local Y and to reduce my work hours and related stress.

"I agreed, and in addition to at least three visits a week to the gym, I added bicycling - serious bicycling - to my activity schedule. I love to swim with my grandchildren, not sit and watch them swim. Today, I'm a fit 170 pounds. I work as model part-time now. This week, I will ride 225 miles over two days on a tandem bike in Ohio with my son. And the best part: I'm nearing 65 years old but feel decades younger.

"Regular vigorous physical activity seems to have reversed the aging process for me!"

Shared on May 8, 2008 Share your story