So I'm running more now than I ever have in my life. That's really not saying much, but for me it's a big deal. Being able to just open my front door and run for 4 or 5 miles feels really good. My walking buddy, Julie, and I are running a 5k together in February. Oddly enough, the 5k goes through my old neighborhood in Winter Park, FL. We lived in an area called the Winter Park Pines and the race is called the Run Around the Pines. I plan to run an upcoming 10k as well.
I keep waiting for registration to open for the Danskin triathlon in May at Disney World. I need to get my butt in gear and start my training. Running isn't enough. I've asked for a trunk mounted bike rack for my car and a wireless odometer for my bike for Xmas. I hate riding on the street, so once I get my bike rack I can take my bike to a nearby trail called the Little Econ and go for nice, long rides.
I'm very happy with the Orlando park's department. They are linking a bunch of trails in the greater Orlando area to form one massive multi-use trail system. Yipee!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Next Challenge?
Ok, I have four events I'm mulling over....
Danskin Triathlon Why??? I've always wanted to do a triathlon and this particular race comes to Disney World in the spring of '07. I've already purchased a racing suit for my swimming workouts. I'm fairly certain I'm going to do this race.
The Out of the Darkness Overnight Why??? This is a 20 mile walk through NYC that starts at dusk and ends at dawn. How cool would that be? And proceeds benefit a suicide prevention and mental health charity.
Race for Hope Why??? This is a 5k race in Washington DC raising funds for brain tumor research. My grandmother recently passed away from a brain tumor, one of my best friends is a brain tumor survivor, and another good friend of mine is currently battling a recurring brain tumor. This is a cause I am 100% behind.
The 3-Day Why??? Because I had such an AMAZING 3-Day experience this year! I may not do another 3-Day in 2007, but I will walk again some day.
I've been enjoying expanding my workouts from walking, walking, walking, to walking, swimming, belly dancing, weight lifting, etc. Yes, I've started a belly dancing class and it is so much fun!
Danskin Triathlon Why??? I've always wanted to do a triathlon and this particular race comes to Disney World in the spring of '07. I've already purchased a racing suit for my swimming workouts. I'm fairly certain I'm going to do this race.
The Out of the Darkness Overnight Why??? This is a 20 mile walk through NYC that starts at dusk and ends at dawn. How cool would that be? And proceeds benefit a suicide prevention and mental health charity.
Race for Hope Why??? This is a 5k race in Washington DC raising funds for brain tumor research. My grandmother recently passed away from a brain tumor, one of my best friends is a brain tumor survivor, and another good friend of mine is currently battling a recurring brain tumor. This is a cause I am 100% behind.
The 3-Day Why??? Because I had such an AMAZING 3-Day experience this year! I may not do another 3-Day in 2007, but I will walk again some day.
I've been enjoying expanding my workouts from walking, walking, walking, to walking, swimming, belly dancing, weight lifting, etc. Yes, I've started a belly dancing class and it is so much fun!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Team Julie Survived the Breast Cancer 3-Day
We’re back from our wonderful 3-Day weekend. I want to thank you all for your tremendous support during our training and fundraising. I managed to complete all 60 miles with zero blisters or injuries. I feel very lucky as I was one of the few on day three who was walking without the aid of an ace bandage, ice pack, or blister dressing. The other half of Team Julie flew through the 60 miles with nothing more than a slightly sore ankle!
Amazing!
Day one began with a beautiful sunrise on Clearwater beach. Opening ceremonies were emotional and invigorating, setting the tone for our phenomenal weekend.
We were on the road shortly after 8:00 am. It was slow going at first, with 1,700+ walkers trying to make it down one sidewalk. We were entertained by gracious passersby who greeted us with horn honks, waves, thumbs up, and shouts of support and encouragement. This road-side support continued for all 60 miles!
Walking 60 miles in three days is made much easier by the many pit-stops along the way. Every 2 to 3 miles you can stop to “Refuel, Relieve and Rehydrate!” There were several slogans repeated all weekend to make sure the walkers took care of themselves. We heard the phrase “Drink and Pee, no IV” many, many times.
The 3-Day would not be the amazing event it is without the fabulous staff and volunteer crew. If you ever want to participate in a 3-Day but don’t think you can walk 60 miles, consider volunteering to be a crew member.
Day two took us back to the beautiful gulf beaches. The weather was prefect – not too hot and not too cold. The highs topped out in the mid-80s and the overnight lows in the mid-60s. We couldn’t have asked for better weather.
Part of the 3-Day experience is camping out with your fellow walkers and crew. I am not a camper, but the 3-Day camp was a blast! One side of camp housed the sleeping tents, port-a-potties, mobile showers and mobile sinks. The other side of camp held all of the social activities, such as our meals, the evening entertainment, the 3-Day gear shop, the foot massage tent, etc.
On the course each day we were amazed by the tremendous community support. They don’t call this walk the 60 mile buffet for nothing! You cannot walk a quarter mile without being offered cookies, popsicles, candy, fruit, etc. by cheering supporters. Girl Scout troops handed out Girl Scout cookies. One man was even handing out free beers to walkers while holding a sign that read “Beers for Boobies.” Fortunately, no flashing was required.
Closing ceremonies in St. Petersburg wrapped up our prefect 3-Day weekend. The Tampa Bay walkers alone raised over $4.6 million for breast cancer research. Near the end of closing ceremonies every walker removed a shoe in honor of the breast cancer survivors who participated in the walk. It was an amazing sight.
Thank you again for your support. I know I will walk in another Breast Cancer 3-Day and I encourage everybody, women and men, to walk or volunteer to be a crew member in a 3-Day near you. They have already announced the 2007 dates, which you can find online at www.the3day.org. I guarantee it will be a wonderful experience you will never forget!
Amazing!
Day one began with a beautiful sunrise on Clearwater beach. Opening ceremonies were emotional and invigorating, setting the tone for our phenomenal weekend.
We were on the road shortly after 8:00 am. It was slow going at first, with 1,700+ walkers trying to make it down one sidewalk. We were entertained by gracious passersby who greeted us with horn honks, waves, thumbs up, and shouts of support and encouragement. This road-side support continued for all 60 miles!
Walking 60 miles in three days is made much easier by the many pit-stops along the way. Every 2 to 3 miles you can stop to “Refuel, Relieve and Rehydrate!” There were several slogans repeated all weekend to make sure the walkers took care of themselves. We heard the phrase “Drink and Pee, no IV” many, many times.
The 3-Day would not be the amazing event it is without the fabulous staff and volunteer crew. If you ever want to participate in a 3-Day but don’t think you can walk 60 miles, consider volunteering to be a crew member.
Day two took us back to the beautiful gulf beaches. The weather was prefect – not too hot and not too cold. The highs topped out in the mid-80s and the overnight lows in the mid-60s. We couldn’t have asked for better weather.
Part of the 3-Day experience is camping out with your fellow walkers and crew. I am not a camper, but the 3-Day camp was a blast! One side of camp housed the sleeping tents, port-a-potties, mobile showers and mobile sinks. The other side of camp held all of the social activities, such as our meals, the evening entertainment, the 3-Day gear shop, the foot massage tent, etc.
On the course each day we were amazed by the tremendous community support. They don’t call this walk the 60 mile buffet for nothing! You cannot walk a quarter mile without being offered cookies, popsicles, candy, fruit, etc. by cheering supporters. Girl Scout troops handed out Girl Scout cookies. One man was even handing out free beers to walkers while holding a sign that read “Beers for Boobies.” Fortunately, no flashing was required.
Closing ceremonies in St. Petersburg wrapped up our prefect 3-Day weekend. The Tampa Bay walkers alone raised over $4.6 million for breast cancer research. Near the end of closing ceremonies every walker removed a shoe in honor of the breast cancer survivors who participated in the walk. It was an amazing sight.
Thank you again for your support. I know I will walk in another Breast Cancer 3-Day and I encourage everybody, women and men, to walk or volunteer to be a crew member in a 3-Day near you. They have already announced the 2007 dates, which you can find online at www.the3day.org. I guarantee it will be a wonderful experience you will never forget!
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
See you on the flip side!
Tonight is my last night at home before I leave for the 3-Day. I’m pretty much all packed. I miraculously fit all of the following into a 25 inch long duffel bag.
twin air mattress with pump (takes 4 D batteries)
sleeping bag
pillow (normal size)
8 by 10 tarp
3 days clothing – including 8 pairs of socks (2 each day & 2 spares)
one pair runners
one pair tevas
gallon zip-loc bag full of medical supplies
toiletry case
disposable camera
5 luna bars
journal & pen
2 rain ponchos
mylar emergency blanket
flash light & extra batteries
alarm clock
spool of twine
peppermint tea
tent flag (so I can find my tent in a sea of 2,000 tents)
extra plastic bags
Hopefully the zipper doesn’t burst.
My nerves are just barely acting up. I would say I’m more anxious than nervous. I know it will be an amazing experience. I’ve just been building up to this weekend for so many months that I’m not quite sure what to do with myself now!
Wish me luck!
Monday, October 09, 2006
It's almost here!
The Tampa Bay Breast Cancer 3-Day will begin with Opening Ceremonies at Sand Key Park in Clearwater, FL on October 13th at 7:30 am and conclude with Closing Ceremonies at Spa Beach Park in St. Petersburg on October 15th at 5:30 pm.
The journey will highlight the most picturesque areas that Pinellas County and the state of Florida have to offer. Day One begins at Sand Key Park in Clearwater. Walkers will enjoy award-winning views of miles of Florida coastline beaches and will be energized by the warm Gulf breeze.
Day Two will include more of the same breath-taking views. Walkers will stroll down world-class beaches and intercoastal waterways. Local neighborhood beach shops will be featured as well as some of the most beautiful homes located between the water and cobblestone streets.
Day Three highlights historic St. Petersburg neighborhoods that line the Tampa Bay waterfront. Finally, we will celebrate at our closing site Spa Beach Park (close to The Pier in downtown St. Petersburg). This park provides a view and an experience you will not want to miss.
Julie and I are heading down on Thursday & spending Thursday night at the Sheraton Sand Key resort in Clearwater. Thursday will be spent swimming in the ocean and lounging by the pool with a good book. Friday morning the fun begins!
The journey will highlight the most picturesque areas that Pinellas County and the state of Florida have to offer. Day One begins at Sand Key Park in Clearwater. Walkers will enjoy award-winning views of miles of Florida coastline beaches and will be energized by the warm Gulf breeze.
Day Two will include more of the same breath-taking views. Walkers will stroll down world-class beaches and intercoastal waterways. Local neighborhood beach shops will be featured as well as some of the most beautiful homes located between the water and cobblestone streets.
Day Three highlights historic St. Petersburg neighborhoods that line the Tampa Bay waterfront. Finally, we will celebrate at our closing site Spa Beach Park (close to The Pier in downtown St. Petersburg). This park provides a view and an experience you will not want to miss.
Julie and I are heading down on Thursday & spending Thursday night at the Sheraton Sand Key resort in Clearwater. Thursday will be spent swimming in the ocean and lounging by the pool with a good book. Friday morning the fun begins!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
I'm back...quick update
Sorry I haven't posted for a loooong time. I had a great 1st half of the month & then came down with the flu. I was at 90 miles by the 16th...on track to reach 180 miles for the month. Then I had to travel to Seattle for 2 weeks for business and caught the flu on the flight to Seattle. I was SICK...I had every symptom in the book (nose, chest, stomach, fever, etc.). I was down for nearly 2 weeks, which totally derailed my mileage goal. I managed to squeeze in an additional 27 miles while sick with the flu, but that's it. Oh well, I'm feeling better now and I'm doing 15 miles in the morning with my walking buddy.
The event is quickly approaching! October 13th is right around the corner. I need to start getting my stuff togther so I can figure out what I need to buy.
The event is quickly approaching! October 13th is right around the corner. I need to start getting my stuff togther so I can figure out what I need to buy.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Quick post
September goal = 180 miles
Miles walked = 42
Miles to go = 138
Between travel and out-of-town family visiting, it has been SO HARD to fit my miles in and it shows in my monthly totals. I am terribly behind schedule. I'm going to try to fit in another 12 miles this afternoon. I want to be at 90 miles by Friday.
Miles walked = 42
Miles to go = 138
Between travel and out-of-town family visiting, it has been SO HARD to fit my miles in and it shows in my monthly totals. I am terribly behind schedule. I'm going to try to fit in another 12 miles this afternoon. I want to be at 90 miles by Friday.
Friday, September 01, 2006
September Mileage Goal
August is over and now on to the most difficult training month...September. 180 miles. I have to walk 180 miles in 4 weeks. Oy. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
August Miles DONE
August goal = 135 miles
Miles walked = 135
Miles to go = big, fat ZERO
Yipee! I polished off my miles for the month while watching Nip Tuck season 2 on DVD. I'm excited for season 4, which starts soon!
I'm going to take this opportunity to vent about Ernesto. Sunday morning they revised the path of Ernesto and said it was going to be a category 1 headed directly for Orlando, Florida - more specifically east Orlando, which is where I live. The eye was going to go right over our neighborhood. I fretted and stressed for three days.
I stocked up on food, water, batteries, etc.
I drained water out of the pool to accommodate the 10 inches of predicted rain fall.
I dug trenches from the foundation of our house to the lake behind our house to encourage storm water run-off away from the foundation.
I moved all of our pool stuff into the garage.
I combed the yard with a trash bag picking up any object that could possibly be turned into a projectile with high winds.
I trimmed dead branches off of trees.
I read my hurricane and flood policies.
I super chlorinated the pool in anticipation of the introduction of organic matter with the storm water.
I stuck my fingers in areas I would prefer never to stick my fingers to ensure our pool deck drains were clear.
I set our refrigerator and freezer to the lowest setting in anticipation of a power outage.
I cooled the house waaaaay down so we wouldn't sweat to death in the event of a power outage.
I filled up my car with gas - premium gas - because the regular and mid-grade were sold out.
Then I woke up this morning and braced myself for flood control - namely continuing to drain the pool as it fills with rain water and sweeping accumulated rain water off of the pool deck and into the lawn. I even had a dorky rain poncho ready to go.
Then I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And nothing!
Sigh of relief.
And then a twinge of bitterness over my hyper-preparedness.
All's well in Orlando!
Bye bye Ernesto and don't come back!!!!
Miles walked = 135
Miles to go = big, fat ZERO
Yipee! I polished off my miles for the month while watching Nip Tuck season 2 on DVD. I'm excited for season 4, which starts soon!
I'm going to take this opportunity to vent about Ernesto. Sunday morning they revised the path of Ernesto and said it was going to be a category 1 headed directly for Orlando, Florida - more specifically east Orlando, which is where I live. The eye was going to go right over our neighborhood. I fretted and stressed for three days.
I stocked up on food, water, batteries, etc.
I drained water out of the pool to accommodate the 10 inches of predicted rain fall.
I dug trenches from the foundation of our house to the lake behind our house to encourage storm water run-off away from the foundation.
I moved all of our pool stuff into the garage.
I combed the yard with a trash bag picking up any object that could possibly be turned into a projectile with high winds.
I trimmed dead branches off of trees.
I read my hurricane and flood policies.
I super chlorinated the pool in anticipation of the introduction of organic matter with the storm water.
I stuck my fingers in areas I would prefer never to stick my fingers to ensure our pool deck drains were clear.
I set our refrigerator and freezer to the lowest setting in anticipation of a power outage.
I cooled the house waaaaay down so we wouldn't sweat to death in the event of a power outage.
I filled up my car with gas - premium gas - because the regular and mid-grade were sold out.
Then I woke up this morning and braced myself for flood control - namely continuing to drain the pool as it fills with rain water and sweeping accumulated rain water off of the pool deck and into the lawn. I even had a dorky rain poncho ready to go.
Then I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And nothing!
Sigh of relief.
And then a twinge of bitterness over my hyper-preparedness.
All's well in Orlando!
Bye bye Ernesto and don't come back!!!!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
I've earned a lazy Sunday evening...
August goal = 135 miles
Miles walked = 121
Miles to go = 14
17 mile walk this morning followed by 2 hours of cleaning the garage and grocery shopping for the week.
I'm pooped!!!!
Miles walked = 121
Miles to go = 14
17 mile walk this morning followed by 2 hours of cleaning the garage and grocery shopping for the week.
I'm pooped!!!!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Mileage Update
Since It's been a few days since I posted my mileage for the month, I thought I'd give you a quick update.
August goal = 135 miles
Miles walked = 104
Miles to go = 31
Julie and I are going to walk 15 miles in the morning, which means I'll only have 16 miles to walk next week to get me to goal for the month. Piece of cake! =)
August goal = 135 miles
Miles walked = 104
Miles to go = 31
Julie and I are going to walk 15 miles in the morning, which means I'll only have 16 miles to walk next week to get me to goal for the month. Piece of cake! =)
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Donations!!!!
To all of my friends and family who have emotionally and financially supported me during my 3-Day training and fundraising - here's a HUGE THANK YOU!!!! ((((HUGS)))))
If you haven't already supported me in my fundraising efforts, I am asking that you PLEASE take this opportunity to support my training partner, Julie.
Visit her fundraising page at www.the3day.org/TampaBay06/julief and make a donation. Truly, any amount helps - $5 or $500 - it all adds up.
Thank you in advance for your donations. Your generosity is sincerely appreciated.
If you haven't already supported me in my fundraising efforts, I am asking that you PLEASE take this opportunity to support my training partner, Julie.
Visit her fundraising page at www.the3day.org/TampaBay06/julief and make a donation. Truly, any amount helps - $5 or $500 - it all adds up.
Thank you in advance for your donations. Your generosity is sincerely appreciated.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
What's next???
I hopped on the treadmill around 9:45pm last night and ran for 5 miles. It took me about 55 minutes, so I'm not breaking any speed records! But at least I ran for 5 miles. I've been doing so much walking for so long I'm trying to ease into running some more miles.
I'm staring to think ahead past the 3-Day. What's next????
I've been looking at this triathlon training schedule.
And this 1/2 marathon training schedule.
I was originally planning on jumping right into the Disney full marathon in January but now I'm having second thoughts. I don't want to set myself up for failure. So I think I might train for the Danskin triathlon and then find a 1/2 marathon to trian for. If that goes well, I can do the Disney marathon in January of 2008. I think that's a more reasonable goal.
I'm staring to think ahead past the 3-Day. What's next????
I've been looking at this triathlon training schedule.
And this 1/2 marathon training schedule.
I was originally planning on jumping right into the Disney full marathon in January but now I'm having second thoughts. I don't want to set myself up for failure. So I think I might train for the Danskin triathlon and then find a 1/2 marathon to trian for. If that goes well, I can do the Disney marathon in January of 2008. I think that's a more reasonable goal.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
The Golf Lesson
August goal = 135 miles
Miles walked = 75
Miles to go = 60
I walked 20 miles on Sunday, 4 on Tuesday and 8 on Thursday. I hope to walk another 4 tomorrow and 15 on Saturday with my training buddy, Julie.
The 20 miles on Sunday went surprisingly well. I wasn’t even sore the next day. My good friend Tanya joined me for the first 10 miles. It was her birthday and she decided to torture herself with a 10 mile walk on her birthday! Crazy girl! But I was grateful for the company. It does make the miles go by much quicker.
Today I walked 8 miles around my neighborhood lake. There’s a 0.9 mile track around the lake and some kids were hitting golf balls into the lake. They ranged in age from about 5 to 9.
At first I was thinking to myself “Look at those trouble makers hitting balls into the lake!”
By about the third lap around I realized I was thinking like a grumpy, sour-puss old lady. The kids were being respectful of people using the exercise path and were not hitting balls at ducks or anything.
So on my fourth lap around I gave them a big smile and by the sixth lap around the ring-leader of the group, a nine year old boy, flagged me down and asked if I wanted to try hitting a ball into the lake.
Me, never having golfed before, said “Sure, why not!” So I grabbed the club and he set up the ball on a tee for me.
First swing….miss
Second swing…miss
Third swing…miss
The group of kids were being so kind and encouraging to me. Little six and seven year olds were saying…
“Don’t worry, it gets easier. It is hard at first. Keep trying. Here, I’ll set up the tee better for you. Don’t give up.”
I felt like an idiot but I kept trying and the fourth swing shot the ball into the water.
Cheers and applaud erupted from the group of kids and the ring-leader gave me a high-five!
I thanked him for the golf lesson and he just beamed! As I was walking away I heard him proclaim “I just gave a golf lesson!”
I had a smile from ear-to-ear the last 2 miles back to my house. You can learn a lot from children.
Miles walked = 75
Miles to go = 60
I walked 20 miles on Sunday, 4 on Tuesday and 8 on Thursday. I hope to walk another 4 tomorrow and 15 on Saturday with my training buddy, Julie.
The 20 miles on Sunday went surprisingly well. I wasn’t even sore the next day. My good friend Tanya joined me for the first 10 miles. It was her birthday and she decided to torture herself with a 10 mile walk on her birthday! Crazy girl! But I was grateful for the company. It does make the miles go by much quicker.
Today I walked 8 miles around my neighborhood lake. There’s a 0.9 mile track around the lake and some kids were hitting golf balls into the lake. They ranged in age from about 5 to 9.
At first I was thinking to myself “Look at those trouble makers hitting balls into the lake!”
By about the third lap around I realized I was thinking like a grumpy, sour-puss old lady. The kids were being respectful of people using the exercise path and were not hitting balls at ducks or anything.
So on my fourth lap around I gave them a big smile and by the sixth lap around the ring-leader of the group, a nine year old boy, flagged me down and asked if I wanted to try hitting a ball into the lake.
Me, never having golfed before, said “Sure, why not!” So I grabbed the club and he set up the ball on a tee for me.
First swing….miss
Second swing…miss
Third swing…miss
The group of kids were being so kind and encouraging to me. Little six and seven year olds were saying…
“Don’t worry, it gets easier. It is hard at first. Keep trying. Here, I’ll set up the tee better for you. Don’t give up.”
I felt like an idiot but I kept trying and the fourth swing shot the ball into the water.
Cheers and applaud erupted from the group of kids and the ring-leader gave me a high-five!
I thanked him for the golf lesson and he just beamed! As I was walking away I heard him proclaim “I just gave a golf lesson!”
I had a smile from ear-to-ear the last 2 miles back to my house. You can learn a lot from children.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
On the road again....
I'm traveling for work so fitting in my training has been a bear. I just finished a 6 mile walk on the hotel treadmill. It's been really hard finding time to walk. Between work, my personal commitments in Seattle and my family commitments related to my grandmother's death, I've been squeezing in 5 to 6 mile walks at 10 and 11 at night.
This morning I set my alarm for 5am to get up and log some miles. Well, the person who last stayed in my hotel room liked country music and had set the alarm clock to a country station. In my sleepy haze at 5am I thought that a mean cowboy was in my room yelling at me to get up. I beat up the cowboy (aka turned off the alarm) and went back to sleep. Fortunately I woke up around 6:45 but was bummed that I overslept and didn't get any miles in! That mean cowboy ruined my plans! :)
August goal = 135 miles
Miles walked = 32
Miles to go = 103
I've got to WALK, WALK, WALK!!!!!
I'm toying with the idea of registering for the Disney Marathon in January 2007. I have to decide soon, because registration is almost full. The 1/2 marathon is already closed. I've been incorporating running into my 3-day training because I can only walk so much and running helps the miles go a bit faster. I should just do it. What do you think????
This morning I set my alarm for 5am to get up and log some miles. Well, the person who last stayed in my hotel room liked country music and had set the alarm clock to a country station. In my sleepy haze at 5am I thought that a mean cowboy was in my room yelling at me to get up. I beat up the cowboy (aka turned off the alarm) and went back to sleep. Fortunately I woke up around 6:45 but was bummed that I overslept and didn't get any miles in! That mean cowboy ruined my plans! :)
August goal = 135 miles
Miles walked = 32
Miles to go = 103
I've got to WALK, WALK, WALK!!!!!
I'm toying with the idea of registering for the Disney Marathon in January 2007. I have to decide soon, because registration is almost full. The 1/2 marathon is already closed. I've been incorporating running into my 3-day training because I can only walk so much and running helps the miles go a bit faster. I should just do it. What do you think????
Friday, July 28, 2006
114 Miles DONE
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 114
Miles to go = zero, zip, nada
I got up early this morning and did 12 miles before it got too hot outside. I'm so glad to be done for the month. It's my b-day weekend, so I get to kick back and relax. Next week the brutal training starts up again with an even higher mileage goal for August....135 miles.
The good news is I am going to spend half of the month of August in Seattle for work. Training in Seattle is WAY easier than training in Florida. The hotel I'm staying at is 13 miles from my office. I am going to bring my walking gear to work with me, change at the end of the day, and walk home 2 to 3 nights a week. If I can manage three nights a week plus a long walk on the weekend, I should be close to 100 miles by the time I return to Florida. If I can pull that off, I will be sooooo happy.
Miles walked = 114
Miles to go = zero, zip, nada
I got up early this morning and did 12 miles before it got too hot outside. I'm so glad to be done for the month. It's my b-day weekend, so I get to kick back and relax. Next week the brutal training starts up again with an even higher mileage goal for August....135 miles.
The good news is I am going to spend half of the month of August in Seattle for work. Training in Seattle is WAY easier than training in Florida. The hotel I'm staying at is 13 miles from my office. I am going to bring my walking gear to work with me, change at the end of the day, and walk home 2 to 3 nights a week. If I can manage three nights a week plus a long walk on the weekend, I should be close to 100 miles by the time I return to Florida. If I can pull that off, I will be sooooo happy.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Around and Around the Lake I Go
My training partner, Julie, ended up not joining me for my walk last night so I walked 11 miles solo. I walked 1.5 miles from my house to this lake in my neighborhood, which has a 0.9 mile path around it. 9 laps around the lake plus the 3 mile round trip walk to and from my house equals about 11 miles.
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 102
Miles to go = 12
Julie and I are now supposed to meet on Thursday night for a long walk. I'm going to try for 12 miles Thursday night to bring me to my July mileage goal of 114 miles!!!!
What's on the menu tonight??? Easy yoga....oooohhhhhmmmmmm
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 102
Miles to go = 12
Julie and I are now supposed to meet on Thursday night for a long walk. I'm going to try for 12 miles Thursday night to bring me to my July mileage goal of 114 miles!!!!
What's on the menu tonight??? Easy yoga....oooohhhhhmmmmmm
Monday, July 24, 2006
Total Body OUCH
Saturday Julie and I met at RDV and spent 4.5 hours at the gym...
8 am - 9:30: Treadmill
9:30 - 10:30 Power Pump (weightlifting class)
10:30 - 11:30 Swimming, sun bathing, steam room & sauna
11:30 - 12:00 Shower and change
12:00 - 12:30 Lunch
Sunday, I did yard work from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm. I didn't do any walking, but 9 hours of yard work tuckers you out!
So here are my totals.....
July goal = 114 Miles
Miles walked = 91
Miles to go = 23
Here's my plan for the week...
Monday = 5 miles
Tuesday = 11 miles
Wednesday = cross train
Thursday = 7 miles
Friday = cross train
Saturday = Day off - birthday weekend!
Sunday = Swim in the ocean - birthday weekend!
I'm dragging my husband to the gulf coast with me for the day on Sunday!!
8 am - 9:30: Treadmill
9:30 - 10:30 Power Pump (weightlifting class)
10:30 - 11:30 Swimming, sun bathing, steam room & sauna
11:30 - 12:00 Shower and change
12:00 - 12:30 Lunch
Sunday, I did yard work from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm. I didn't do any walking, but 9 hours of yard work tuckers you out!
So here are my totals.....
July goal = 114 Miles
Miles walked = 91
Miles to go = 23
Here's my plan for the week...
Monday = 5 miles
Tuesday = 11 miles
Wednesday = cross train
Thursday = 7 miles
Friday = cross train
Saturday = Day off - birthday weekend!
Sunday = Swim in the ocean - birthday weekend!
I'm dragging my husband to the gulf coast with me for the day on Sunday!!
Pants off Dance off
Friday night I was channel surfing and stumbled on to Pants off Dance off. Have you seen it? They are looking for contestants for Season 2.
It's soooo totally absurd!!!!!
At the moment our television viewing is being recorded for Nielsen and my husband isn't excited about the fact that they now know we're a Pants off Dance off household!
It's soooo totally absurd!!!!!
At the moment our television viewing is being recorded for Nielsen and my husband isn't excited about the fact that they now know we're a Pants off Dance off household!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
The Island
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 86
Miles to go = 28
I managed a 4 mile walk around Lake Eola in downtown Orlando yesterday. Today "The Island" saw me through 6 miles on the treadmill. I'm 28 miles to my July goal!!!!!
I'm worried about my right big toe. It is starting to hurt when I walk - and not blister hurt, but stress fracture hurt. I'll give it a rest tomorrow and see how it feels.
Around 2 pm today I experienced overwhelming fatigue that knocked me on my @ss for about 2 hours. In college I had a poor diet and ended up with severe anemia. I didn't know it was anemia at the time, but I would get so tired that I literally couldn't get out of bed some days. I was working full time and going to school full time, so I attributed it to my busy schedule. When I finally made it to the doctor for a check-up, she was flabbergasted by my blood work. I was put on mega iron supplements and came back for a re-test 2 weeks later. Magically, the debilitating fatigue disappeared.
That is what I felt like today...circa 1997 anemia. So, I made a doctor’s appointment for next week. Or it could just be the fact that I've walked 86 freakin' miles in the past few weeks!
Miles walked = 86
Miles to go = 28
I managed a 4 mile walk around Lake Eola in downtown Orlando yesterday. Today "The Island" saw me through 6 miles on the treadmill. I'm 28 miles to my July goal!!!!!
I'm worried about my right big toe. It is starting to hurt when I walk - and not blister hurt, but stress fracture hurt. I'll give it a rest tomorrow and see how it feels.
Around 2 pm today I experienced overwhelming fatigue that knocked me on my @ss for about 2 hours. In college I had a poor diet and ended up with severe anemia. I didn't know it was anemia at the time, but I would get so tired that I literally couldn't get out of bed some days. I was working full time and going to school full time, so I attributed it to my busy schedule. When I finally made it to the doctor for a check-up, she was flabbergasted by my blood work. I was put on mega iron supplements and came back for a re-test 2 weeks later. Magically, the debilitating fatigue disappeared.
That is what I felt like today...circa 1997 anemia. So, I made a doctor’s appointment for next week. Or it could just be the fact that I've walked 86 freakin' miles in the past few weeks!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Sonic Boom
Have you ever experienced a sonic boom? I hadn’t until this week. Monday morning I was just sitting down to finish my cup of tea before starting the day when BOOM – the house shook, our sliding glass doors bucked back and forth, and I thought something had crashed into our house.
My very first reaction was EARTHQUAKE. Having grown up in an earthquake prone area where I experienced several earthquakes, that was the closest sensation I could equate this to. But then I thought This is Florida! We don’t get earthquakes in Florida! That’s when my something smashed into the roof a la Donnie Darko theory kicked in.
I sprinted out the front door, where my husband was standing by the side of his truck (he had just walked out the door to go to work). I screamed out into the middle of our cul-de-sac WHAT THE F*CK WAS THAT!!!!
We raced into the house, turned on the news and realized it was the space shuttle re-entering the atmosphere about 30 miles from our house. It created a double sonic boom. Monday was the first time since 2002 that the space shuttle landed in Florida. What a way to start my day.
All my husband had to say was “Why did you have to yell what the f*uck was that in the middle of our neighborhood?” Hey, I couldn’t help it.
On to the business of training. Monday I did yoga while watching wife swap. And Tuesday I walked 4 miles on the treadmill while watching Say Anything with the audio commentary by Cameron Crowe, Ione Skye and John Cusack.
Here are my totals…
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 76
Miles to go = 38
My very first reaction was EARTHQUAKE. Having grown up in an earthquake prone area where I experienced several earthquakes, that was the closest sensation I could equate this to. But then I thought This is Florida! We don’t get earthquakes in Florida! That’s when my something smashed into the roof a la Donnie Darko theory kicked in.
I sprinted out the front door, where my husband was standing by the side of his truck (he had just walked out the door to go to work). I screamed out into the middle of our cul-de-sac WHAT THE F*CK WAS THAT!!!!
We raced into the house, turned on the news and realized it was the space shuttle re-entering the atmosphere about 30 miles from our house. It created a double sonic boom. Monday was the first time since 2002 that the space shuttle landed in Florida. What a way to start my day.
All my husband had to say was “Why did you have to yell what the f*uck was that in the middle of our neighborhood?” Hey, I couldn’t help it.
On to the business of training. Monday I did yoga while watching wife swap. And Tuesday I walked 4 miles on the treadmill while watching Say Anything with the audio commentary by Cameron Crowe, Ione Skye and John Cusack.
Here are my totals…
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 76
Miles to go = 38
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Orlando Wetlands Park
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 72
Miles to go = 42
I met my mini-goal for the weekend....20 miles. My training partner, Julie, and I tried a new trail...the Orlando Wetlands Park. Very interesting place. Vultures everywhere - a bit creepy. We saw alligators, snakes, turtles, tons of birds, snarling raccoons, and heard some crazy toads. Oh, and we were attacked by thousands of very large bugs. It is hard to describe the atmosphere of the place. Extremely interesting and beautiful, but also scary and desolate. A horror film could easily be filmed there. I would NEVER walk in that park by myself, but with a partner I felt safe.
I haven't had much of an appetite the past few days, so after walking over 20 miles this weekend I figured a "good" meal was in order. So after our walk Julie and I had lunch at Perkins (think 1/2 a step up from Denny's). When you're covered in sweat, dirt and bug bites, you're somewhat limited as to where you can comfortably eat without being stared down. After a quick paper towel bath in the Perkin's restroom to remove the most apparent layer of grime, I ordered the "build your own omelete" meal - omelete, choice of hasbrowns or home fries, and choice of muffin, toast or pancakes. I had a veggie omelete with hash browns and pancakes. I didn't eat it all, but came close! I don't plan on eating dinner as I'm still full 5 hours later.
Miles walked = 72
Miles to go = 42
I met my mini-goal for the weekend....20 miles. My training partner, Julie, and I tried a new trail...the Orlando Wetlands Park. Very interesting place. Vultures everywhere - a bit creepy. We saw alligators, snakes, turtles, tons of birds, snarling raccoons, and heard some crazy toads. Oh, and we were attacked by thousands of very large bugs. It is hard to describe the atmosphere of the place. Extremely interesting and beautiful, but also scary and desolate. A horror film could easily be filmed there. I would NEVER walk in that park by myself, but with a partner I felt safe.
I haven't had much of an appetite the past few days, so after walking over 20 miles this weekend I figured a "good" meal was in order. So after our walk Julie and I had lunch at Perkins (think 1/2 a step up from Denny's). When you're covered in sweat, dirt and bug bites, you're somewhat limited as to where you can comfortably eat without being stared down. After a quick paper towel bath in the Perkin's restroom to remove the most apparent layer of grime, I ordered the "build your own omelete" meal - omelete, choice of hasbrowns or home fries, and choice of muffin, toast or pancakes. I had a veggie omelete with hash browns and pancakes. I didn't eat it all, but came close! I don't plan on eating dinner as I'm still full 5 hours later.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Half Way to Goal!!!
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 62
Miles to go = 52
I'm over 1/2 way to goal for July!!!!!!!!!
I walked somewhere between 10 to 12 miles today in the blazing sun (I lost track of my miles, so I'm estimating on the low side for my official monthly mile total). I had to take frequent rest stops in order to avoid overheating. At one point I became very nauseous and broke out in goose bumps and chills even though it was in the 90s with high humidity. Fortunately right at that moment I passed an area of the trail with a big shaded kid's play area with benches, restrooms, and a misting station! And boy did I need a good misting and a rest on a bench in the shade! I was able to cool off enough to finish the 10 miles without further incident.
I ended up NOT meeting the other 3-day'ers for the official training walk. I didn't feel well last night and didn't get to sleep until around 4am. I REALLY didn't want to get up at 5:15 to be out the door by 6am to drive 50 minutes to meet the group at the trail head at 7am after 1 hour of sleep. So, I shut off my alarm, woke up at 8:45am, ate breakfast and went to a closer trail - the Little Econ - and was pounding the pavement by 10am. Even though it was warmer, since I walked from 10am to 1pm, rather than 7am to 10am, I am glad I let myself sleep in.
When I made it back to my car, I did a quarter mile cool down walk around the maintenance building for the park that maintains the Little Econ trail. What did I find??? A tiny chicken coup filled with sorry looking, overheated, half bald, shit stained chickens. AND the chickens had an empty metal feeding dish in the coup with an official park logo on it....thus leading me to believe these are official Orange County Parks Department abused chickens. I was furious. So I'm going to email the local news and see if they will bust them for keeping these poor chickens in such brutal conditions. Wish me luck.
Miles walked = 62
Miles to go = 52
I'm over 1/2 way to goal for July!!!!!!!!!
I walked somewhere between 10 to 12 miles today in the blazing sun (I lost track of my miles, so I'm estimating on the low side for my official monthly mile total). I had to take frequent rest stops in order to avoid overheating. At one point I became very nauseous and broke out in goose bumps and chills even though it was in the 90s with high humidity. Fortunately right at that moment I passed an area of the trail with a big shaded kid's play area with benches, restrooms, and a misting station! And boy did I need a good misting and a rest on a bench in the shade! I was able to cool off enough to finish the 10 miles without further incident.
I ended up NOT meeting the other 3-day'ers for the official training walk. I didn't feel well last night and didn't get to sleep until around 4am. I REALLY didn't want to get up at 5:15 to be out the door by 6am to drive 50 minutes to meet the group at the trail head at 7am after 1 hour of sleep. So, I shut off my alarm, woke up at 8:45am, ate breakfast and went to a closer trail - the Little Econ - and was pounding the pavement by 10am. Even though it was warmer, since I walked from 10am to 1pm, rather than 7am to 10am, I am glad I let myself sleep in.
When I made it back to my car, I did a quarter mile cool down walk around the maintenance building for the park that maintains the Little Econ trail. What did I find??? A tiny chicken coup filled with sorry looking, overheated, half bald, shit stained chickens. AND the chickens had an empty metal feeding dish in the coup with an official park logo on it....thus leading me to believe these are official Orange County Parks Department abused chickens. I was furious. So I'm going to email the local news and see if they will bust them for keeping these poor chickens in such brutal conditions. Wish me luck.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Prozac Nation & Harold and Kumar
Prozac Nation and Harold and Kumar go to White Castle saw me through a wee bit over 7 miles on the treadmill yesterday. I finished watching Harold and Kumar over dinner, at which time I promptly started watching it again with the audio commentary featuring the director and the guys who played Harold and Kumar. I made it about 1/2 way through and then fell asleep. I plan to finish it up today....very entertaining. We had an electrician at our house the other day doing some work and he totally reminded me of Freakshow.
So here are the totals....
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 52
Miles to go = 62
Tomorrow I'm going on my first official training walk....7am at the West Orange Trail - 10 miles, moderate pace. I'm excited to meet other 3-day'ers on this walk. Then, Julie and I might do a 10 miler on Sunday at this wetlands park I found in Christmas, FL - about 40 minutes east of Orlando.
My goal??? To be at 72 miles walked by EOD Sunday.
So here are the totals....
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 52
Miles to go = 62
Tomorrow I'm going on my first official training walk....7am at the West Orange Trail - 10 miles, moderate pace. I'm excited to meet other 3-day'ers on this walk. Then, Julie and I might do a 10 miler on Sunday at this wetlands park I found in Christmas, FL - about 40 minutes east of Orlando.
My goal??? To be at 72 miles walked by EOD Sunday.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Syriana
So I watched Syriana while walking 5.5 miles on the treadmill this morning, which brings my July totals to....
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 45
Miles to go = 69
I walked another 4.5 miles later in the day running errands, but I won't count those miles in my monthly walking totals.
Tonight I had my book club meeting. We discussed "My Sister's Keeper" which was my pick for the month. It was very well received by the group and stimulated some great conversations. Overall, we hated the mother and hated the ending, but very much enjoyed the rest of the book. And, we had a fabulous dinner at Season's 52 - I had a patron silver margarita, cod w/ veggies in a miso broth & a wee bit'o carrot cake w/ decaf coffee. My mention of Carrot Top in my last post apparently put carrot cake on my mind, since I jumped at the offer of carrot cake at dinner tonight.
Changing topics....my wonderful friend Dinah did a truly amazing thing...she featured me in her blog. I cannot thank her enough for her support. It means so much to me when others step up and help me fundraise or join me on a training walk. Sniff, sniff...
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 45
Miles to go = 69
I walked another 4.5 miles later in the day running errands, but I won't count those miles in my monthly walking totals.
Tonight I had my book club meeting. We discussed "My Sister's Keeper" which was my pick for the month. It was very well received by the group and stimulated some great conversations. Overall, we hated the mother and hated the ending, but very much enjoyed the rest of the book. And, we had a fabulous dinner at Season's 52 - I had a patron silver margarita, cod w/ veggies in a miso broth & a wee bit'o carrot cake w/ decaf coffee. My mention of Carrot Top in my last post apparently put carrot cake on my mind, since I jumped at the offer of carrot cake at dinner tonight.
Changing topics....my wonderful friend Dinah did a truly amazing thing...she featured me in her blog. I cannot thank her enough for her support. It means so much to me when others step up and help me fundraise or join me on a training walk. Sniff, sniff...
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Fun at Flea World
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 39.5
Miles to go = 74.5
Julie and I met at 8am this morning at a trail in Lake Mary. It was a very enjoyable 10 mile walk with the temp peaking at around 90. Fortunately there was some cloud cover so the sun wasn't pounding directly down on us the whole time. We passed some acrobatic goats, a dead armadillo, many barking dogs, and one frisky senior in a wheel chair. The long walks are soooo much more enjoyable with a partner. Walking 10 miles solo feels like 20 - but walking 10 miles together feels like 5.
We then ate lunch at a cute cafe in Lake Mary before heading over to perhaps the scariest shopping destination in Central Florida...Flea World. We were considering renting a booth at Flea World to sell household goods to raise more money for breast cancer, but after Julie nearly had a panic attack and was convinced that the entrance to Flea World is in fact a worm hole which leads to a 3rd or maybe even 4th world country, we decided to move to Plan B. Plan B is to sell baked goods and ask for donations at the Winter Park Farmer's Market. Winter Park is the high rent neighborhood in Orlando and, more importantly, home to Carrot Top. Maybe some carrot cake is in order??? Now I just have to work on convincing the City of Winter Park to let us beg for cash one Saturday morning at their 'farmer's market' where poodles in pink leather jackets and rhinestone encrusted sun glasses (no kidding - I swear) prance around among the booths filled with organic, wheat-free, gluten-free, dog biscuits. Oy.
Miles walked = 39.5
Miles to go = 74.5
Julie and I met at 8am this morning at a trail in Lake Mary. It was a very enjoyable 10 mile walk with the temp peaking at around 90. Fortunately there was some cloud cover so the sun wasn't pounding directly down on us the whole time. We passed some acrobatic goats, a dead armadillo, many barking dogs, and one frisky senior in a wheel chair. The long walks are soooo much more enjoyable with a partner. Walking 10 miles solo feels like 20 - but walking 10 miles together feels like 5.
We then ate lunch at a cute cafe in Lake Mary before heading over to perhaps the scariest shopping destination in Central Florida...Flea World. We were considering renting a booth at Flea World to sell household goods to raise more money for breast cancer, but after Julie nearly had a panic attack and was convinced that the entrance to Flea World is in fact a worm hole which leads to a 3rd or maybe even 4th world country, we decided to move to Plan B. Plan B is to sell baked goods and ask for donations at the Winter Park Farmer's Market. Winter Park is the high rent neighborhood in Orlando and, more importantly, home to Carrot Top. Maybe some carrot cake is in order??? Now I just have to work on convincing the City of Winter Park to let us beg for cash one Saturday morning at their 'farmer's market' where poodles in pink leather jackets and rhinestone encrusted sun glasses (no kidding - I swear) prance around among the booths filled with organic, wheat-free, gluten-free, dog biscuits. Oy.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
July goal = 114 miles
Walked so far = 18.5
Miles to go = 95.5
I did 8.5 miles on the treadmill yesterday...yuck. BOOOORING. Today I think I'll cross train and then hopefully log another 8 miles on Friday and another 15 over the weekend. My goal is to be at 40 or more miles by Monday. Let's see if I can make that goal!!!
Walked so far = 18.5
Miles to go = 95.5
I did 8.5 miles on the treadmill yesterday...yuck. BOOOORING. Today I think I'll cross train and then hopefully log another 8 miles on Friday and another 15 over the weekend. My goal is to be at 40 or more miles by Monday. Let's see if I can make that goal!!!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
July goal = 114 miles
Miles walked = 10
Miles to go = 104
Julie and I met at Red Bug Lake Park for an 8 mile walk this morning. I did a quick 2 miles by myself over the weekend. I need to keep the pace WAY up this month to meet my goal.
My hubby and I were able to watch the shuttle launch this afternoon. The rear of our house faces directly toward Kennedy Space Center, so we had a nice view. By far that was THE best fire work we saw today. This is the second shuttle launch I've seen since moving to FL. Apparently there is a push for something like 17 shuttle launches over the next four years. I would like to go to the space coast for one of the launches eventually and with 17 planned launches before the shuttle is replaced with a new vehicle, I think our chances are pretty good of seeing the shuttle launch up-close before it's retired.
Miles walked = 10
Miles to go = 104
Julie and I met at Red Bug Lake Park for an 8 mile walk this morning. I did a quick 2 miles by myself over the weekend. I need to keep the pace WAY up this month to meet my goal.
My hubby and I were able to watch the shuttle launch this afternoon. The rear of our house faces directly toward Kennedy Space Center, so we had a nice view. By far that was THE best fire work we saw today. This is the second shuttle launch I've seen since moving to FL. Apparently there is a push for something like 17 shuttle launches over the next four years. I would like to go to the space coast for one of the launches eventually and with 17 planned launches before the shuttle is replaced with a new vehicle, I think our chances are pretty good of seeing the shuttle launch up-close before it's retired.
Friday, June 23, 2006
This is a quick post from the road. So far I'm managing to get my miles in even though I'm traveling for work.
To recap this week...
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 6 miles
Thursday - 6 miles
Here are the totals...
June goal - 77
Miles walked so far - 61
Miles to go - 16
To recap this week...
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 6 miles
Thursday - 6 miles
Here are the totals...
June goal - 77
Miles walked so far - 61
Miles to go - 16
Monday, June 19, 2006
What's green and goes "squish, squish" ???
Me on my walk on Sunday. It POURED on Julie and me yesterday. Fortunately, I remembered to bring my green emergency rain poncho. 89 cents from Target's camping section....great idea, self (patting myself on the back). But the poncho only fell to my waist, so my lower half was soaking wet, including my shoes and socks. At least I was better off than Julie who almost lost her contacts because so much water was pouring down into her eyes. We managed to walk 6 miles in the downpour. Then later that day after I dried out and changed clothes, I went back to Target and bought six more ponchos. Bring it on!!!!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Got in another 6 miles today. I'm meeting Julie at the little Econ on Sunday for another 10 miler.
June goal - 77 miles
Walked so far - 35
Miles to go - 42
June goal - 77 miles
Walked so far - 35
Miles to go - 42
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
June goal - 77 miles
Walked so far - 29
Miles to go - 48
Silly Alberto has prevented me from walking outdoors....so I did 10 miles on my treadmill today....the most miles I've ever walked on my treadmill. In fact, when the time display got to 99 minutes, it just automatically shut down - which surprised the heck out of me! Here I was trucking along and BAM....it stopped! :) I found the 10 miles on the treadmill to be much more of a mental than a physical challenge. Physically I could have gone much longer than 10 miles, but mentally I was going a bit crazy! I watched Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon & American Beauty to pass the time.
Walked so far - 29
Miles to go - 48
Silly Alberto has prevented me from walking outdoors....so I did 10 miles on my treadmill today....the most miles I've ever walked on my treadmill. In fact, when the time display got to 99 minutes, it just automatically shut down - which surprised the heck out of me! Here I was trucking along and BAM....it stopped! :) I found the 10 miles on the treadmill to be much more of a mental than a physical challenge. Physically I could have gone much longer than 10 miles, but mentally I was going a bit crazy! I watched Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon & American Beauty to pass the time.
Lightening and Wind and Rain, Oh My!
5:00 this morning was when we first felt the impact of Alberto reaching Florida. We awoke to torrential rains, crazy wind, thunder and lightening. It felt like a movie set where they generate the effect of a hurricane. No damage and we never lost power, but it was enough to keep us up until about 5:50 am, at which time we feel back to sleep.
Alberto is bringing heaving rains to Orlando all day today, so I'd better get my treadmill set up if I hope to get any miles in. And let me tell you, I NEED to get miles in!
Yesterday afternoon I got a little freaked about the storm so I went grocery shopping and stocked up. Taking my groceries out to the car, I got caught in a DOWNPOUR that left me soaked to the bone. My poor groceries got soaked, too. I'm still getting used to the quantity of rain we get in Florida. It's amazing.
I managed to drain some water out of our pool yesterday to accommodate the heavy rains. It turned out to be simple. I was just afraid that I'd get the water draining and then wouldn't be able to stop it. You're NEVER supposed to completely drain pools in Florida because our water table is so low that an empty pool will essentially turn into a boat and float out of the ground. The water is what holds the pool in the ground. If your pool pops out of the ground, you're looking at a minimum of $50k to repair it. Ouch!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Welcome Alberto
We have our first named storm of the season...tropical storm Alberto. In honor of Alberto, I shampooed my hair. I managed to get in 5.5 miles today before the pre-Alberto storm rolled over our house. I'm trying to not care about hurricanes (although my nervous nature makes this a bit tricky sometimes). There's nothing I can do about them. If a hurricane comes, oh well. I've got my food, my water, my tarps, my flash lights, my emergency radio, and my hurricane and flood insurance....so bring it on Alberto! Just don't dump 30 inches of rain on our house in 1 day like you did in Cuba, that would suck. To put that into perspective, Seattle gets an average of 38 inches of rain per YEAR....parts of Cuba just got 30 inches in 1 DAY. Oy.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Remind me why I agreed to walk 60 miles?
Sometimes breast cancer is the only motivation I can find to lace up my walking shoes and drag my lazy butt out the door. I really should have done this 60 mile walk before I moved to Florida.
I did 5 miles yesterday and thought I was going to DIE. It was 90 degrees with humidity and the route I walk has zero shade with blacktop that radiates heat back at you. I know I have to train in hot conditions because that is exactly what I'll be facing during the actual 60 mile walk...but DAMN it sucks!!!
I travel to Seattle a lot for work and when I go on walks in Seattle it is soooo much nicer than Florida. I can do 5 miles in Seattle without even breaking a sweat. But in Florida, by the time I get back to the house I'm verging on heat exhaustion and my face could easily be mistaken for an over-ripe beefsteak tomato with a severe sweating problem. At this point I really don't know how I'll handle a 15 mile training walk in weather like this. But, I'll keep at it and maybe I'll get used to it.
My training goal for June is 77 miles and I'm pathetically behind schedule. Between my travel schedule, my cold, and the unbearably hot weather, I've only managed to squeeze in a measly 13.5 miles so far. By Sunday night I hope to bump that number up to 25 miles. Wish me luck.
June goal - 77
Miles walked so far - 13.5
Miles to go - 63.5
I did 5 miles yesterday and thought I was going to DIE. It was 90 degrees with humidity and the route I walk has zero shade with blacktop that radiates heat back at you. I know I have to train in hot conditions because that is exactly what I'll be facing during the actual 60 mile walk...but DAMN it sucks!!!
I travel to Seattle a lot for work and when I go on walks in Seattle it is soooo much nicer than Florida. I can do 5 miles in Seattle without even breaking a sweat. But in Florida, by the time I get back to the house I'm verging on heat exhaustion and my face could easily be mistaken for an over-ripe beefsteak tomato with a severe sweating problem. At this point I really don't know how I'll handle a 15 mile training walk in weather like this. But, I'll keep at it and maybe I'll get used to it.
My training goal for June is 77 miles and I'm pathetically behind schedule. Between my travel schedule, my cold, and the unbearably hot weather, I've only managed to squeeze in a measly 13.5 miles so far. By Sunday night I hope to bump that number up to 25 miles. Wish me luck.
June goal - 77
Miles walked so far - 13.5
Miles to go - 63.5
Monday, June 05, 2006
Guess who's back????
I'm back from 2 weeks in Seattle. And what did Seattle give me? A terrible cold!!! So tomorrow morning I'm pounding the pavement again after 1+ week(s) of minimal walking. It's heating up in Central Florida, so I'm going to walk early tomorrow morning.
We just had a thunder storm and the pool water is reaching dangerously high levels. I hope to drain some water out of the pool tomorrow. I am a bit nervous about this, as I've never done it before. When we lived in the rental house I could have cared less how high or low the pool water level was....it wasn't my pool nor my house! But now that I actually own the darn thing, I guess I'd better take care of it! And not that I don't value my hubby's contributions to this family, but staying on top of household issues such as the pool water level aren't high on his priority list...which I totally understand. It just means more work for me...boo hoo
I just heard on the news that over 2,300 strikes of lightening have hit Orlando during this evening's thunder storm. During the storm my hubby was - jokingly - trying to get me to run around outside with a mouthfull of tin foil while swinging a golf club. Silly hubby!
I'm getting some quotes on some other projects around the house - painting the exterior, installing a paver patio, landscaping, irrigation system, exterior lighting, interior lighting, etc. So many projects! I also have to get the house re-keyed this week. We're getting all new door knobs and locks as well. The previous owners had sub-par taste and we're sick of looking at bright yellow fake brass knobs.
'bout time for bed!
We just had a thunder storm and the pool water is reaching dangerously high levels. I hope to drain some water out of the pool tomorrow. I am a bit nervous about this, as I've never done it before. When we lived in the rental house I could have cared less how high or low the pool water level was....it wasn't my pool nor my house! But now that I actually own the darn thing, I guess I'd better take care of it! And not that I don't value my hubby's contributions to this family, but staying on top of household issues such as the pool water level aren't high on his priority list...which I totally understand. It just means more work for me...boo hoo
I just heard on the news that over 2,300 strikes of lightening have hit Orlando during this evening's thunder storm. During the storm my hubby was - jokingly - trying to get me to run around outside with a mouthfull of tin foil while swinging a golf club. Silly hubby!
I'm getting some quotes on some other projects around the house - painting the exterior, installing a paver patio, landscaping, irrigation system, exterior lighting, interior lighting, etc. So many projects! I also have to get the house re-keyed this week. We're getting all new door knobs and locks as well. The previous owners had sub-par taste and we're sick of looking at bright yellow fake brass knobs.
'bout time for bed!
Friday, May 19, 2006
My Bladder's Full
My hydration backpack bladder, that is! It arrived in the mail yesterday along with three books I ordered from Amazon - My Sister's Keeper, Oryx and Crake, and Never Let Me Go. I get to pick the next book club selection for my book club group here in Florida and I'm debating between these three books. One of the rules of my book club is that you cannot have read the book that you pick for book club. That makes it tricky!
Anyway, I'm about to hit the road with my full bladder! As soon as my iPod charges, I'm outta here. I downloaded the DaVinci Code audio book onto my iPod to help the time go by quicker. I read the book about three years ago and enjoyed it. The narrator of the unabridged DaVinci Code got a good review on iTunes. I'm only about 2 hours into the 15 hour book. I plan to see the movie on Saturday night with my husband and some friends, so I will have read the DaVinci Code, listened to the DaVinci Code and seen the DaVinci Code! But really, I'm not a fanatic!
Anyway, I'm about to hit the road with my full bladder! As soon as my iPod charges, I'm outta here. I downloaded the DaVinci Code audio book onto my iPod to help the time go by quicker. I read the book about three years ago and enjoyed it. The narrator of the unabridged DaVinci Code got a good review on iTunes. I'm only about 2 hours into the 15 hour book. I plan to see the movie on Saturday night with my husband and some friends, so I will have read the DaVinci Code, listened to the DaVinci Code and seen the DaVinci Code! But really, I'm not a fanatic!
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Getting old STINKS
Without going into details and violating my grandmother’s privacy, my dear grandmother is not doing well at all. I’m headed back to Seattle soon for work and will be in Washington over Memorial Day weekend, so I plan to spend that weekend with her. She lives in Westport, which is a little town on the Washington coast. Apparently some Westport local won a contest and the prize was dinner with Tom Cruise. When the medi-vac helicopter landed at the hospital on Tuesday to fly my grandmother to Harborview, a crowd of people thought it was Tom Cruise landing. But no, it was just my granny’s ride! However, I must admit that she certainly deserves to have a crowd of screaming, adoring fans just as much as Tom Cruise does….if not more so! So there you go, Grandma – you’re going out in style!!!
On a positive note, Julie and I are trying out a new trail tomorrow. It’s called the West Orange Trail. It’s called the West Orange Trail because it is in the western part of Orange County, Florida. Apparently it is 22 miles long and is an equestrian trail. Hopefully I won’t step in any horse poop.
I had to order my hydration backpack from Amazon and it has not arrived yet. Hopefully the West Orange Trail has water fountains along the way so I can refill my water bottle. We’re going to shoot for 10 miles. I finally replaced the battery in my pedometer and calibrated it on one of my 5 mile walks this week. I think I’ve got it tracking my mileage fairly accurately, so I can use that to track our miles tomorrow. I know I’m a dunce, but I always get confused when using mile markers on trails. Unless I start at mile 0 – or mile 1 – or whatever, I’m never really sure what’s going on! I seem to get going on a trail, look up, and see mile marker 4 or something. So that’s why I use my pedometer!
On a positive note, Julie and I are trying out a new trail tomorrow. It’s called the West Orange Trail. It’s called the West Orange Trail because it is in the western part of Orange County, Florida. Apparently it is 22 miles long and is an equestrian trail. Hopefully I won’t step in any horse poop.
I had to order my hydration backpack from Amazon and it has not arrived yet. Hopefully the West Orange Trail has water fountains along the way so I can refill my water bottle. We’re going to shoot for 10 miles. I finally replaced the battery in my pedometer and calibrated it on one of my 5 mile walks this week. I think I’ve got it tracking my mileage fairly accurately, so I can use that to track our miles tomorrow. I know I’m a dunce, but I always get confused when using mile markers on trails. Unless I start at mile 0 – or mile 1 – or whatever, I’m never really sure what’s going on! I seem to get going on a trail, look up, and see mile marker 4 or something. So that’s why I use my pedometer!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain...
The summer thunder storms have arrived! I have mixed emotions. Yes, it's good for the yard. Yes, it's good for the air quality. Yes, it will help prevent those pesky wild fires that are spreading over Central Florida. But I really don't enjoy walking in a full force shower - and for those of you who have never had the joy of experiencing a Florida thunder storm, that is exactly what it is like....a hot, muggy, full blast shower with the occasional hail chunk thrown in. And if you're lucky, you get to dodge lightening bolts.
I was watching the news tonight and they had a ticker counting the number of lightening bolts to make contact with the ground in the Orlando area. This was tracking only the latest storm of the night and it was counting 48, 49, 50, 51, etc... at a very steady clip. I swear, it is just a matter of time before I'm nailed by one of those suckers. Maybe I'll be lucky and it will give me ESP or the ability to move objects with my brain.
This could be an urban legend, but I was talking to my hubby's co-worker and he said his buddy was lying in bed watching TV when a bolt of lightening hit the house and flew out of his TV and struck him. Right now I'm on the computer AND watching the tube. So, if this post ends abruptly, you'll know what happened to me......
I was watching the news tonight and they had a ticker counting the number of lightening bolts to make contact with the ground in the Orlando area. This was tracking only the latest storm of the night and it was counting 48, 49, 50, 51, etc... at a very steady clip. I swear, it is just a matter of time before I'm nailed by one of those suckers. Maybe I'll be lucky and it will give me ESP or the ability to move objects with my brain.
This could be an urban legend, but I was talking to my hubby's co-worker and he said his buddy was lying in bed watching TV when a bolt of lightening hit the house and flew out of his TV and struck him. Right now I'm on the computer AND watching the tube. So, if this post ends abruptly, you'll know what happened to me......
Saturday, May 06, 2006
The Road to Tampa...
Walking, walking and more walking....
Florida doesn't seem so hot when you're by the pool with an iced tea or when you're all cozy inside the house with the a/c set at 75. However, when you're walking 7 miles in 88 degree weather without a cloud in the sky, it's freakin' HOT!!!
A trip to Target is in order today. I'm going to break down and buy one of those dorky hydration backpacks. So you've heard of tennis elbow, right? I think I'm developing water bottle wrist. Lugging a 25 oz water bottle around on my walks is making my right wrist hurt. And with the length of my walks increasing, I'll need more than 25 oz to tide me over.
Julie and I are going to try to complete a 10 mile walk on Sunday at the Little Econ Trail, weather permitting. The Little Econ Trail, also known as the Little Econ Greenway, runs along the Little Econlockhatchee River.
"The Little Econ River and its freshwater swamps provide an ideal habitat for a wide array of reptiles, amphibians and birds. Catch sight of some amazing wildlife while hiking the trail or paddling the river in a canoe. Birds, like Osprey and Red-Shouldered Hawks, as well as turtles and alligators may be seen while using this trail. And smaller, 4-winged friends can be found in our butterfly garden, which is also located along the trail." - Orange County Parks Dept.
Wish us luck!!
Florida doesn't seem so hot when you're by the pool with an iced tea or when you're all cozy inside the house with the a/c set at 75. However, when you're walking 7 miles in 88 degree weather without a cloud in the sky, it's freakin' HOT!!!
A trip to Target is in order today. I'm going to break down and buy one of those dorky hydration backpacks. So you've heard of tennis elbow, right? I think I'm developing water bottle wrist. Lugging a 25 oz water bottle around on my walks is making my right wrist hurt. And with the length of my walks increasing, I'll need more than 25 oz to tide me over.
Julie and I are going to try to complete a 10 mile walk on Sunday at the Little Econ Trail, weather permitting. The Little Econ Trail, also known as the Little Econ Greenway, runs along the Little Econlockhatchee River.
"The Little Econ River and its freshwater swamps provide an ideal habitat for a wide array of reptiles, amphibians and birds. Catch sight of some amazing wildlife while hiking the trail or paddling the river in a canoe. Birds, like Osprey and Red-Shouldered Hawks, as well as turtles and alligators may be seen while using this trail. And smaller, 4-winged friends can be found in our butterfly garden, which is also located along the trail." - Orange County Parks Dept.
Wish us luck!!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Let's get started!
Welcome to my blog. I plan to use this space to post my progress as I train for the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk in Tampa Bay this October. Training to walk 60 miles is not easy! But I'm certain I can do it!
Check back often, as I plan to update my blog with my training progress. For those of you who have or plan to support my fundraising efforts, all I can say is....
Thank you!!!
You don't know how daunting the fundraising seemed at first. I'd rather walk 120 miles than ask my friends and family for donations! So thank you, thank you, thank you for your support!
Haven't had a chance to donate yet? Visit my fundraising page www.the3day.org/TampaBay06/julieb and make a donation online!
Check back often, as I plan to update my blog with my training progress. For those of you who have or plan to support my fundraising efforts, all I can say is....
Thank you!!!
You don't know how daunting the fundraising seemed at first. I'd rather walk 120 miles than ask my friends and family for donations! So thank you, thank you, thank you for your support!
Haven't had a chance to donate yet? Visit my fundraising page www.the3day.org/TampaBay06/julieb and make a donation online!
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