5 Miles at 5:00

I woke up at 5 this morning so that I could get my 5 miles in before it became anywhere close to too hot. It wasn't bad, and I was actually wondering whether I should have worn a short-sleeved top instead of sleeveless. Then after a only a quarter mile I thought how silly I had been. It was a pleasant walk overall.

Except that I didn't have my Garmin. I turned it on and it was out of batteries. Someone must have been playing with it. I found it on the floor of my closet yesterday and I should have checked it then. Matthew likes anything with buttons or lights so I'm sure he played with it a little too long. Or just left it on. In any case, I was going to try out a new route, but since I didn't have the Garmin, I just did my usual 2.5 miles out and back.

I hope it's just the batteries. I hope nothing is wrong with my Garmin. It's not like I'd be able to fix it anyways. If you haven't yet noticed, techonology and I don't always mesh. Like right now. Matthew's a little under the weather so he's watching Clifford. But there's no sound. Darned if I know why and Brian's 'away from his desk right now' so the poor little guy is watching it in silence.

All by Myself

I lost another walking partner to the heat. Dawn said she'd walk with me again when it got cooler. I don't blame her; it's so hot. In fact, excessive heat advisories are becoming a part of everyday life this summer. When we watch the news before going to bed, the current temperature is still over 100 degrees. And it's over 90 by 6 am. If I didn't have to walk, I probably wouldn't either. But, I'm committed so I'm just going to power through.

This morning I did 3 miles in 44 minutes.

Another 6

Jennifer and I walked 6 miles this morning in an hour and 40 minutes. It was so hot that we were trying to ration our water supplies. We may have to come up with a different route, especially as our mileage increases. There aren't any water stops along the canal. And I think I need to start bringing some sort of snack. Jennifer's training for a triathalon so she's done a lot of research on training and nutrition; she says (and I listen to her) that you should eat something when your exercise lasts longer than an hour. I'm not really into goo and shot blocks and those kinds of nutritional supplements, so I'll have to do some research and some experimenting. They just seem so...weird. I hope nothing makes me throw up.

Another Big Day

This morning, I got up at 5 o'clock and walked 7 miles in an hour and 50 minutes. I was going for somewhere between 1:45 and 2 hours. Goal met. It wasn't too bad. The last two miles were pretty hot, though. I can't start any earlier. I won't. It's dark.

I saw a guy out there running in his bare feet. I know there are benefits--something about strengthening your feet--but it seems like such a bad idea for so many reasons. I hope he wasn't running 7 miles.

Great Day for a Walk!

This morning was cooler, less humid, and a little bit cloudy. It was perfect walking weather! I walked 5 miles in 78 minutes.

Back at It

I finally went walking today. I did 3 miles in 50 minutes. I obviously didn't push myself too hard. Well I did, but that was just when I was trying to get out of bed.

Slacking Off

Our family took an impromptu mini-vacation over the weekend and it threw off my walking schedule a bit. After reading the newspaper on Thursday, I decided I wanted to get out of the heat and visit the White Mountains. A small town called Snowflake was celebrating Pioneer Days (a Mormon holiday commemorating the arrival of the first pioneer settlers to the Salt Lake Valley on June 24, 1847). They advertised a huge arts and crafts festival, a community BBQ, and a rodeo. I researched hotels, made a reservation, and we left early Saturday morning.

It wasn't as cool during the day as I'd hoped it would be. Although it was 20 degrees cooler there, 95 degrees is still hot. But it was nice and cool at night when we went to the rodeo and watched the fireworks. I had never been to a rodeo before, and it was really a lot of fun!

Because we were planning on leaving early Saturday morning, I went for my 6 mile walk on Friday morning. I was supposed to walk another five miles on Sunday, but that didn't happen. We did go on a 1.5 mile hike and we did a lot of walking on Saturday. So, let's just call it nearly even.

This morning, I was all set to walk 3 miles, but it was storming. Storming! Yes, really. So, I plan on making up those three miles tomorrow morning.

Humbling Moment

This morning, I got up early again and walked 5 miles in 78 minutes.

I've been feeling great walking lately, and today I was feeling pretty proud of myself for keeping up with the training schedule for six whole weeks. I had an extra kick in my step until...a high school cross country team passed me. Five young, fit bodies to stare at as they literally left me in their dust. Five blond ponytails swinging at me and mocking my pride.

The Tuesday 3

Dawn and I walked another 3 miles this morning in 47 minutes.

Dawn's such a nice person and it's always interesting walking with her because she's on the PTO board. I get to hear all the news. Last week I found out our principal is leaving for Houston. School starts in less than two weeks and there's still no word on who our principal will be. There's plenty of speculation, of course. The parents and staff are hoping it's our PE teacher. Don't scoff. He has an administrative degree and was a part-time assistant principal at another elementary school last year. If he does get the position, the pretentious CTA parent down the street from me will have a field day telling everyone our PE teacher was named principal. Because she likes to do that kind of thing. I know this information has nothing to do with the 3-Day, but they were supposed to make the announcement today, and that's all I've been able to think about.

UPDATE: Because I know I have you all on the edge of your seats.... Our new principal is not the PE teacher. I'm a little disappointed, but I did some quick Nancy Drew work and the new principal is a graduate of Slippery Rock University. Small world.

Go Away, Belly!

This morning I walked 4 miles in one hour and ten seconds. I was shooting for 15-minute miles and I'm happy with my time. Darn those ten seconds. The official 3-Day training guide says to shoot for 20-minute miles. That's probably what the pace will be like at the actual event, but that's really slow. I just want to get the training walk over with! Plus, I'm tired of waiting for all this walking to make my belly smaller. Maybe I've been walking too slow. That's gotta be it. I better pick up the pace. Get the heart pumping. Get in some good cardio. The size of my gut has nothing to do with the cake. Or the cookies. Or the ice cream. Right.

Up and at 'Em

What a weird day. As planned, I woke up at 4 am and was walking by 4:30. I finished my 6 miles by 6:25 and was home a few minutes later to make breakfast for my family. Brian took the kids to Lowe's for a building workshop and I mopped the tile (really, that's another workout). When Matthew took his nap, so did I. We slept for 2 1/2 hours and I felt a lot better afterwards.

I was exhausted this afternoon because Elizabeth and I didn't get to bed until after 11 last night. We went to see Beauty and the Beast at the Hale Centre Theatre. I'm just going to plug them for a moment. To whom, I don't know. The Hale is a family-owned community theater in Gilbert, and their productions are really well done. The theater-in-the-round is beautiful; there's not a bad seat in the house. The lighting, sound, and costumes are impressive and the talent is top-notch. These are people who really love to act, sing and dance and it shows. It's so much more than what you'd expect for the price. Elizabeth and I have gone to two children's theater productions and this was our first regular show. She was on the edge of her seat the entire time, sat still and kept quiet most of the time, and even gracefully clapped after each scene. She really enjoyed it. Beauty and the Beast opened this weekend, and this weekend and next, child tickets (ages 6-16) are only $10. Go if you can.

So, after my nap I fed my family dinner and went to my neighbor's house for bunco. I've never played before, but she needed a sub. It was fun! Makes me wish I knew twelve people. I came in second and doubled my money. That was the best part.

Now, I'm off to bed because I have to walk 4 miles tomorrow. It's gonna be another hot one.

New Partner

Elizabeth wanted to walk with me yesterday, but I thought four miles was a little much for her first time out. Today, she and I walked a half mile in 12 minutes. There was just one rule: we couldn't step on any cracks.

Tonight I must go to sleep early. I have that 6 mile walk that starts at 4:30 am! I'll be glad to get it out of the way as tomorrow's high is supposed to be 115 degrees.

Thank You

I recruited a new walking partner--my neighbor Janet. We walked for the first time this morning, and we did 3.7 miles in 64 minutes. I don't know if she'll join me again. It was so hot. We were supposed to go 4 miles, but I just let that .3 mile go. I asked her if she wanted to walk again next week, but she said it will depend on the heat. Next Thursday, as well as the following ten weeks, I have to walk 5 miles. I'm afraid that was the last I'll see of Janet.

I want to extend a big thank you to all the people who called me today to check on the status of my neck pain. I didn't mean to scare anyone. Apparently, saying that I slipped and fell down a waterslide produces an image that I fell and slid down an 80-foot waterslide that ends in a gigantic pool of water. Totally not the case. The slide was about six feet long and I'm sure I cleared the first two feet just fine. I ended up on the ground, not a pool, and I don't hurt any more today than I did yesterday. Thanks for your the concern, though.

Ouch

Today's training was supposed to be 15 minutes of cross training. I think pushing a heavy stroller around the zoo for about 3 hours (in temperatures hovering around 110 degrees, no less) should count. Aside from the heat, it was a nice morning out with friends. The kids had a good time, especially in the new splash pad they recently built. And that's where the Ouch comes in.

We were sitting in the shade watching the kids play. All except Matthew. He doesn't care much for crowds, and there were a lot of kids in the splash pad. The lady next to me suggested I walk through the misty cave with him. I wanted him to get cooled off a bit, so I picked him up and held him at my hip. I walked up the four or five step entrance to the cave and walked in. After a few steps, the path started going downhill. Then I realized I was walking on a smooth, concrete waterslide. Betch know where this is going, don't you? I took a few more steps, ever so gingerly, and tried holding onto the cave walls, but it sure was slippery. After I took my last step, I slid and both feet went out from under me. As I was suspended in mid-air, I braced myself for the impact and whipped Matthew to my front so he wouldn't hit anything against the concrete. Hey, at least that worked. Initially I thought he had hit his head, but I think he was just scared. As for me, six Advils later I'm still sitting here with a heating pad around my neck.

So, the moral of the story is this. If you go to this new splashpad, know that there are two entrances. One is a slide, and the other entrance is just around the corner. You can just walk into the cave. Imagine!

The one good thing about the incident is that the only people who saw it were Elizabeth and a whole bunch of kids. I know Elizabeth was right behind me because immediately after I fell, I heard her say, "That's what happens, Mommy." And if I hadn't been in such shock and pain, I might have gotten up and said, "That's right, kids. Let that be a lesson to us all."

Getting Festive

As I pulled out the lanyard and stickers from my registration packet the other day, I found three car window clings. Elizabeth had fun decorating the car. I'm sure they're meant for the back, but our windows are tinted so dark that you can't see them. So, the front of the car is extra fancy. Because, you know, we had to use all three! This one is on the driver side door.

This sticker is on the lower left of the windshield. Hmmm. Maybe I should wash the car. And this one is on the passenger side door. It says "Join Me." Does anyone want to join me and Jennifer?

In training news, Dawn and I walked 3.3 miles this morning in about 54 minutes.

This Concludes Week 4

I met Jennifer this morning and walked 4 miles in just over an hour. After 4 weeks, I've walked a total of 59 miles so far! Oh, let's just call it 60, shall we?

Jennifer reminded me that she'll be on vacation for the next two weekends (boo hoo) so I figured that unless I want to walk 6 miles by myself, I better start looking for some training walks to join. I signed up for one next Saturday, but it starts at 4:30 and we're supposed to arrive at 4:15 for check-in. I plan to wake up at 4:00 (because I cannot set the alarm for a 3 o'clock-hour wake up!) and hope I get there by 4:30. If not, I'll just catch up. I have the map.

Speaking of training walks, Elizabeth has a very important job in my 3-Day journey. When I received my 3-Day information packet a few months ago, there was a lanyard with stickers. Every time you reach a milestone (register for the event, get your first donation, set up your website, reach your financial goal, etc.), you get to add a sticker to your pink ribbon. Well, you know how much 5 year olds love stickers! She's been very good at helping me complete my pink ribbon. Yesterday, she was excited to add the "5 mile" and the "first official training walk" stickers.

First Official Training Walk

So far, I've either walked with Jennifer, with Dawn, or just by myself. I was talking to Brian's grandmother on the phone this week, and she told me she was concerned for my safety out there on the trail by myself. I told her there's nothing to worry about--it's light out and there are other people walking, running, and biking. Plus, I'm practically living in the Stone Age because I don't use an iPod so I keep my wits about me. I appreciate her concern and maybe she's right. I mean, there have been times when I'm the only one around and somebody could grab me from the bushes. I'm not saying it's likely, but I can't say that it can't happen. And as the mileage increases, maybe I should be with a buddy. Because "I'm very cute, very alone, and very protective of my body." (That's me as Jeanie Bueller.)

Anyway, as a 3-Day walker, you can sign up to go on official training walks with other walkers. You just type in your zip code to find a list of walks in your area. I did that yesterday and found one pretty close so I decided to give it a try. I woke up at 4:55 to meet at the McDonald's by 5:15. The walk was supposed to start at 5:30, but the leader overslept. Some other ladies thought they could remember the 5-mile route so we just started and the leader met up with us later. I wasn't sure what to expect exactly. I figured we'd walk at a pace slower than what I've been doing, and I was right. We walked 18-19 minute miles, but I was still home by 7:30. The recommended pace for the 3-Day is 20 minute miles, which is kind of hard to do, so this was probably a more realistic 3-Day walk experience.

Of course, it's always hard (at least for me) to join a group that is already a group. (My college roommate situation freshman year was living proof.) Today, I was the only newcomer so when we started walking, I was trailing at the back of the pack. Alone. Then I said, "Has anyone ever done the 3-Day before?" and everyone said no. Okay. What else can I ask? My worrying was for nothing because we quickly shuffled into place on the sidewalk and I was paired up with a delightful breast cancer survivor named Carol. As we wove our way through The Islands neighborhood, she told me her story and it reminded me of the real reason I've taken on this challenge. It's easy to get so caught up in the fundraising and the training that you forget the purpose of this event. Carol unknowingly brought me back to that day in March when I decided to walk in the 3-Day. I'm walking to eradicate breast cancer. If I get a little bit more in shape and have some fun fundraising events in the process, good for me. But the main goal is to eradicate breast cancer.

Settling in

Yesterday, I walked 4 miles in 62 minutes.

It feels so good to have your workout done by 7 am! Sure, it was a little hard to roll out of bed at 5:30 the first couple of times, especially the days when I walked alone, but now 3 weeks into this training program, I'm hitting my stride. (Sorry. That was so lame.) When the alarm goes off I practially jump out of bed, get dressed, pull my water bottle out of the fridge (which I try to remember to fill the night before), go outside, turn on the Garmin, put on my Road ID, wait for the Garmin to find its signal, and I'm ready to walk. The whole process takes less than ten minutes and I impress myself with my speed and efficiency. I'm sure as the mileage goes up and up and I have to wake up earlier and earlier, it will likely get harder and harder. But for now, I'm really enjoying my walks and I look forward to them.

What I'm not into is this 30 minutes of cross-training business on Fridays. And next week, I'm supposed to add 15 minutes on Wednesday. I just like to walk. That's it. Isn't that enough?