Wanna walk

I am so bummed!

A month or so ago I volunteered to help out at a local race because it is my dream to join the runner's world one day and I wasn't thinking about my schedule, I was just thinking it would be awesome to watch someone run 30 miles as motivation.

You know, when it's so darn hot you can barely stand it but you still have 9 miles to walk? Well, ultrarunners RUN more than 20 miles in a day. Then they get up and do it again the next day. Like us - only faster and possibly more in shape (though I have plenty of arguments in our favor!).

Anyway, the run falls on my 18/15 weekend and I am super bummed. I can't miss the run because they are counting on the volunteers. But I have been looking forward to this weekend!

I have really grown to love my long walks. I love the pride I feel when I finish them. I love the peace in my mind as I turn it off and just listen to whatever audio book is on my iPhone. I love discovering the little treasures my city offers me as I stroll the streets.

And missing the walks has me bummed. Maybe I can do 18 on Sunday and try to squeeze 15 in on Monday.

Climb every mountain

An amazing part of this 3-Day journey for me has been the success I feel each week.

When I first walked 10 miles, I was excited. When I walked 15, I was thrilled and when I walked 17 miles last Sunday, I was ecstatic.

As I train for the 3-Day, I keep climbing mountains and reaching new heights!

I reached a new one today, too.

Because of various fundraisers and final exams, I haven't been able to devote both weekend days to training walks. While I've been adding distance one day each week, I'm behind in my multiple-day endurance training. Since the schedule called for 10/6 this weekend and I found myself with two open days in a row, I altered the plan and walked 12/10 instead - and had lots of energy left over!

I feel ready for next weekend's mountain: 18/15.

Now, if only I can carve out the time ...

Cross-training with efficiency

I'll be honest - cross training between scheduled walks is really hard. Especially since sitting on the couch watching movies is so much easier! But, alas, it must be done - and I've found the perfect solution!!!

I mow.

It's a house chore that must be done - and one I usually do on the weekends, but with 15-mile training walks, who has the time anymore?

So, on Wednesdays I mow the front yard and I get the back done of Fridays. Each takes me a bit less than an hour to mow.

Did you know that mowing with a power push mower for 50 minutes burns 270 calories??? Score!

It keeps my leg muscles warm and is a great arm workout too - especially when I tackle the incline in the yard. Once I finish, I pop inside and do some ab work then hop in the shower.

I'm all about efficient use of time so this is a great solution - two birds with one stone, baby!

Walked my socks off

I walked 15 miles today! It was pretty awesome, too. The last three miles were a bit hard - I found joints I never knew I had, but it's amazing how quickly you forget the pain when you are reveling in success. I can't imagine how good it will feel when I hit the next milestone in training.

While spiritually, I feel like I can do anything. Today's walk reinforced the importance of training.

To anyone who thinks training for this thing is unnecessary, please, please, please, think again. While walking may sound easy and leisurely, long distance walking like this takes endurance and muscle strength. This isn't just a walk in the park - it's twenty walks in the park - every day for three days.

The past couple of weeks have found me a bit off schedule. Bad weather, fundraising plans and summer finals have all conspired to derail my training a bit. While I was able to fit in most of my mid-week walks, the longest I've walked in the past two weeks was 7 miles. I'm in decent shape and today was not easy. By the end, I was my own cheerleader, loudly motivating myself to the amusement of my neighbors. I probably shouldn't have pushed myself to do the full 15 today, but I want back to the regimen as quickly as possible.

When I finished the walk, I made sure to stretch everything in triplicate. And then again. I drank a wonderful glass of cold milk (studies show this hydrates better than water! It also helps with muscle reparation), then took a bottle of G2 with me into the bathroom. I turned the water on hot and soaked my poor muscles for about 20 minutes.

Now, hours later, my muscles are fine, but my joints are creaky. Also, something happened to my feet while I was out there. I'm blaming my socks, but am putting these pics out there in case someone else can tell me what's up. There are splotchy red patches on my heels, the top of my feet and the arches.



It isn't athlete's feet - there is no itchiness, the spots just hurt if I touch them. I'm fairly certain these are places that were rubbed by my socks (evil, evil socks that have already been replaced!). Any recommendations for combating this???

But joint pains and weird rashes aside, I WALKED 15 MILES today and nothing is going to bring me down. Besides that, I put an ad out for donations for a fundraising garage sale and spent the afternoon picking up stuff from generous people in the area. All in all, it was a great 3-Day Day!!!

More than I realized

It's a half mile walk to the gym ... information I kinda wish I'd known a couple of hours ago.

I popped over for a walk session between classes and was able to squeeze in 3.98 of the requisite 4 miles for today's training. Then, I walked back to the building that houses my classes.

I was really feeling it by the time I made it to my class so I decided to look up how far I walked to get to the rec center. And then I understood my pains.

I walked 5 miles today!

I'm pretty proud of myself, I'll tell ya. It's a bit more than the training program specifies, and I'm sure I will feel it tomorrow, but there is a part of me that is happy to know I can make it 25% of the way and I still have months of training to go!


View Larger Map

Bummer!

I was all set to go to the gym between classes today. I was even in my car and had given up my coveted parking space in order to drive to the gym (yes, it's funny I wasn't walking, but it's booger-freezing cold outside!).

However, while en route, I realized that I left my student id at home this morning. Without it, I am denied access to my treadmills and my 3-mile walk today.

I am truly frustrated by this because I was all set to go! So, I am going to cross train today and hit it tomorrow. I'm not sure how things will pan out since I am supposed to walk 4 miles on Friday and another 3 Saturday, but I won't let myself do any damage this early on.

So, I shall take today to tell you about the training schedule I am following.

It is available here(pages 31-32), thanks to the Susan G. Komen organizers.

I have adjusted the plan to my own schedule. Instead of taking Monday as my day of rest, I take Sunday (call me traditional). This means that the longest walk of the week isn't on Saturdays, but Friday afternoons. It works best with my schedule because I am free most Friday afternoons and can walk worry-free.