I did 4 miles today and it is nice to go around onto the little town road where absolutely everyone waves to say hello, even the little beagles in their pen wagged their tails encouragingly. That was pleasant. No bugs, that too was pleasant. Still a little warm-oh well.
Now I am planning to find some really extra-ordinary place for my Saturday walk. I am looking forward to something special to look forward to. That might sound funny-but I do indeed mean I am looking forward to the ability to have something to look forward to.
My cousin goes for hikes on the weekends and takes photos, and he obviously plans these little jaunts and looks forward in happy anticipation, and well I thought to myself I aught to do the same. Give myself something more than just a Nike moment-which for me is just doing it. I have been caught up in the fact that I don't have the same access to the same wonderful walking locales I used to-so? If that was the case I might not have the opportunity to find new favorites. (Or wave to the little beagles.)
Before I sign off, I will say that while I have managed to keep on track with my training walks, I am behind in my generic walking and that means that some of my goals are behind expectations. I would hate to think I set my goals too high. I will just have to step it up.
-later
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Me and my pea-pod
Nike has made walking a lot more interesting for those of us who don't actually go anywhere. Today I walked through Sidney Australia while listening to Sherlock Holmes discuss the case of the Gloria Scott-which happens to be a tale of a 'bark' bound for Australia filled with English prisoners. This to while away the miles-all three of them tonight-while keeping my mind elsewhere engaged.
The drawback of being so engrossed in story is that I don't earnestly pay attention to form and speed; that I do much better listening to the birds or a song on my little ipod. (Which I call a pea-pod, since it is so small-the better to lose itself according to my nephew.)
I have only 61 more Nike points to earn before I leave Australia and I will do that tomorrow so it will be off to another new country after that. I wonder where I should choose? Perhaps I will head to the city again and walk through Central Park and up the Statue of Liberty?
The other goal, aside from actually walking my way to a 10k, is to make it to the next level; which I will reach once having completed 150 total miles calculated on my Nike ipod. At this rate I will reach that in a couple of weeks. Then I will be green. According to Kermit, it isn't easy being green. I'll have to find out if that is true.
-later
The drawback of being so engrossed in story is that I don't earnestly pay attention to form and speed; that I do much better listening to the birds or a song on my little ipod. (Which I call a pea-pod, since it is so small-the better to lose itself according to my nephew.)
I have only 61 more Nike points to earn before I leave Australia and I will do that tomorrow so it will be off to another new country after that. I wonder where I should choose? Perhaps I will head to the city again and walk through Central Park and up the Statue of Liberty?
The other goal, aside from actually walking my way to a 10k, is to make it to the next level; which I will reach once having completed 150 total miles calculated on my Nike ipod. At this rate I will reach that in a couple of weeks. Then I will be green. According to Kermit, it isn't easy being green. I'll have to find out if that is true.
-later
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Another week gone
I have been diligently putting the base miles down, and very glad everyday when I'm done. The temperature this week has been much hotter than I like, and choosing just the right moment is a trick-that and getting motivated.
My schedule looks quite reasonable on paper, it is on the road or on the clock I'm not fond of it. I have never been good about doing this and that at such and such a day or time. I make lists and plan my appointments...all just so I won't forget or talk myself out of whatever it is I wish to accomplish.
I have staked out two events; one a 10k in September and one a half-marathon in October. I haven't signed up yet...but I'm seriously thinking of it, and I have penciled the events in my spreadsheet. All this as a way of creating enough impetus to get it done.
Don't get me wrong I love the idea. I am just a little light on the follow through-unless I have a concrete goal.
You might say to yourself, 'how hard is walking? Just go out there and do it.' Well, my problem is that I am more likely to talk myself out of it than I am to talk myself into it.
Is that true for anyone else? I don't know. But this week I have managed to complete my 15+ miles and next week it'll be 17. The thing about my little Nike ipod, is that if I 'run' I get one set of accolades, while leaving other goals unsatisfied; on the other hand if I walk I manage to satisfy another set of goals, yet fall behind on the first ...Maybe as I get further along I will fulfill both types of goals. I'll see.
-later
My schedule looks quite reasonable on paper, it is on the road or on the clock I'm not fond of it. I have never been good about doing this and that at such and such a day or time. I make lists and plan my appointments...all just so I won't forget or talk myself out of whatever it is I wish to accomplish.
I have staked out two events; one a 10k in September and one a half-marathon in October. I haven't signed up yet...but I'm seriously thinking of it, and I have penciled the events in my spreadsheet. All this as a way of creating enough impetus to get it done.
Don't get me wrong I love the idea. I am just a little light on the follow through-unless I have a concrete goal.
You might say to yourself, 'how hard is walking? Just go out there and do it.' Well, my problem is that I am more likely to talk myself out of it than I am to talk myself into it.
Is that true for anyone else? I don't know. But this week I have managed to complete my 15+ miles and next week it'll be 17. The thing about my little Nike ipod, is that if I 'run' I get one set of accolades, while leaving other goals unsatisfied; on the other hand if I walk I manage to satisfy another set of goals, yet fall behind on the first ...Maybe as I get further along I will fulfill both types of goals. I'll see.
-later
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Nice uneventful walk
You probably would think that uneventful and walk go together, but after looking out for bears-not in the woods but in the town...well, I am pleased there was no excitement today. There were two of us as well, and I am hoping it might mean a team for one event or another coming up. But first thing is first.
Sneakers are important! If you go out and are only a mile and a half from home and your feet hurt; that is NOT good! So, my Mr. must go, sit down, and try on sneakers. That is an ordeal in itself-something like exercise except without the good feeling at the end for having accomplished something. Other than coming home with a new pair of sneakers and anticipating happy feet the next time you go out. AND, you'll be that much lighter; having forked over the money that was previously in your wallet for the sneakers. But it must be done-and soon judging from the sad feet.
I like company, especially if I have to look out for bears, however small they may be. Generally everything is bigger and faster than me. I am after all only a walker, it isn't as if I can out run any stray bear.
The joys of living not in a city, these are the things I must watch out for. That and cow crossings.
-later
Sneakers are important! If you go out and are only a mile and a half from home and your feet hurt; that is NOT good! So, my Mr. must go, sit down, and try on sneakers. That is an ordeal in itself-something like exercise except without the good feeling at the end for having accomplished something. Other than coming home with a new pair of sneakers and anticipating happy feet the next time you go out. AND, you'll be that much lighter; having forked over the money that was previously in your wallet for the sneakers. But it must be done-and soon judging from the sad feet.
I like company, especially if I have to look out for bears, however small they may be. Generally everything is bigger and faster than me. I am after all only a walker, it isn't as if I can out run any stray bear.
The joys of living not in a city, these are the things I must watch out for. That and cow crossings.
-later
Sunday, July 17, 2011
"Stay away from bears"
Ok, that sounds like good advice, and I wouldn't really mention it, if I were walking in the Adirondacks or on wooded trails; it would have been obvious to even the most unschooled walker. But imagine my surprise when this evening, while walking along the well-lit town sidewalks, that was the advice I received from a passing motorist.
Well, I thought to myself, you don't hear that every day. I figured I'd just turn around and walk in the direction of the main town-square and the most populated neighborhoods. That didn't work exactly as I had planned though, since I found 8 police vehicles of various types, sizes and departments all lined up in the middle of town with more than 100 people gathered in clumps of 20 or so watching the other clumps and pointing off in the direction of back yards or, well, who knows where. Apparently that was the question of the evening-who knew where the bear was? It was sort of like "where's Waldo" without the pretty colorful pictures.
My walk went by quickly overall and the 'excitement' kept me distracted enough that I didn't really notice much of anything else. Go figure.
-later
Well, I thought to myself, you don't hear that every day. I figured I'd just turn around and walk in the direction of the main town-square and the most populated neighborhoods. That didn't work exactly as I had planned though, since I found 8 police vehicles of various types, sizes and departments all lined up in the middle of town with more than 100 people gathered in clumps of 20 or so watching the other clumps and pointing off in the direction of back yards or, well, who knows where. Apparently that was the question of the evening-who knew where the bear was? It was sort of like "where's Waldo" without the pretty colorful pictures.
My walk went by quickly overall and the 'excitement' kept me distracted enough that I didn't really notice much of anything else. Go figure.
-later
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Fiddler's Elbow
This morning I didn't actually walk the whole of the Fiddler's Elbow-but I like the name; and a very descriptive one it is at that. I really wanted to find a greenway or bike trail but if you look up these things online (and I did-for quite a long time, and more than once) you won't find them in Washington County-at least not close to where I live, and I only went out for 3 miles-or in this case 5k, it amounts to about the same thing. So I hit the streets, again.
The thing I don't like about walking on the roadside or along a busy road on a sidewalk is the noise. Don't you just wish you could put a muffler on the darn vehicles that boom by as loud as if they were in a competition to be the most obnoxious? There were several in championship running this morning; how discordant against the backdrop of birds chirping and crickets clicking.
I sprayed the bug spray on my visor and gently around me before heading outside, it doesn't seem to matter though, there are little gnats that flit around the edges of the visor anyway. So, I picked a bit of bergemot that was growing alongside the road, and it was a fragrant way to swat them away, and when I got home it looks rather happy sitting in the bottle of water on the counter.
My Nike + tells me to get more exercise...so I'll go back to the day and walk around some more.
-later
The thing I don't like about walking on the roadside or along a busy road on a sidewalk is the noise. Don't you just wish you could put a muffler on the darn vehicles that boom by as loud as if they were in a competition to be the most obnoxious? There were several in championship running this morning; how discordant against the backdrop of birds chirping and crickets clicking.
I sprayed the bug spray on my visor and gently around me before heading outside, it doesn't seem to matter though, there are little gnats that flit around the edges of the visor anyway. So, I picked a bit of bergemot that was growing alongside the road, and it was a fragrant way to swat them away, and when I got home it looks rather happy sitting in the bottle of water on the counter.
-later
Friday, July 15, 2011
Today was a 'rest' day
The nice thing about being on a training regimen is I can take the day off and not feel as if I were playing hooky; I am supposed to be taking the day off to build muscles. Funny thing though, I didn't feel like getting up late, somehow I didn't feel deprived of sleep even though I got up at regular time. Hmm, that's interesting. Tomorrow, is a training day, so I will be back at it in the am. God willing...
-later
-later
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Sleep walking
I find it easier to walk in the morning before my brain wakes up. That way I can get out there before I talk myself out of it. I let me feet direct my path - and of course stay out of traffic, and that seems to work for the first five minutes at least.
Once I get going on a day like today with the fresh cool breeze and the bright sunshine I feel wonderful-and virtuous since I didn't lay like a slug in bed till it was time to run to work. That is what I would have preferred this morning. Hopefully I will get in the habit and it will become a natural part of my morning. So far though, I can do it for two months and the minute my back is turned-or I give in the least little bit, I stop all over again.
Why is that do you suppose? My little Nike ipod has happy talking heads to inspire me when I check in with Nike+ active or Nike+ and while they are a momentary help, they are really no more than a quirky anomaly and don't do much to sustain my enthusiasm. That must come from somewhere else-somewhere inside my own spirit. Like all the runners of the world, I need to want it badly enough to keep at it.
For now though, like the little fish in the movie I will "just keep walking, just keep walking."
-later
Once I get going on a day like today with the fresh cool breeze and the bright sunshine I feel wonderful-and virtuous since I didn't lay like a slug in bed till it was time to run to work. That is what I would have preferred this morning. Hopefully I will get in the habit and it will become a natural part of my morning. So far though, I can do it for two months and the minute my back is turned-or I give in the least little bit, I stop all over again.
Why is that do you suppose? My little Nike ipod has happy talking heads to inspire me when I check in with Nike+ active or Nike+ and while they are a momentary help, they are really no more than a quirky anomaly and don't do much to sustain my enthusiasm. That must come from somewhere else-somewhere inside my own spirit. Like all the runners of the world, I need to want it badly enough to keep at it.
For now though, like the little fish in the movie I will "just keep walking, just keep walking."
-later
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Today I reached the 100 mile mark
Today, my little Nike ipod and I reached the 100 mile mark. I have been walking for years, well ok I've been walking since 8-months but that is not what I am talking about. Even though I walked my first marathon for Team in Training in support of Leukemia and Lymphoma in January of 2005 (1 week shy of my 45th birthday) I have only been counting the miles with my little Nike ipod since last fall, and that only sporadically.
Last week I began training again, not for a marathon, but as if I were going to train for a marathon. I need all the inspiration I can get, because if left to my own devices, I'd sleep in, and sit and read books all hours. It isn't that I don't like the outdoors, quite the contrary, it's just that I am naturally lazy. I like lounge chairs and good books, more than I like sneakers and an elevated pulse.
Tonight, though when I went out, the breeze was wonderful, the sky grew increasingly pink around the western edge, and the colors of the landscape take on an almost iridescent hue. I walked down a little lane, I hadn't walked before, and it is only two miles from my door. The breeze was stirring the leaves in the branches and it almost sounded like running water in the background. It was worth going outside for that.
Tomorrow, I plan on getting in another 2-3 miles. Writing this in a journal may make me less resistant to slacking off. Who knows? If all goes along as I hope, I'll have another marathon under my belt.
-later
Last week I began training again, not for a marathon, but as if I were going to train for a marathon. I need all the inspiration I can get, because if left to my own devices, I'd sleep in, and sit and read books all hours. It isn't that I don't like the outdoors, quite the contrary, it's just that I am naturally lazy. I like lounge chairs and good books, more than I like sneakers and an elevated pulse.
Tonight, though when I went out, the breeze was wonderful, the sky grew increasingly pink around the western edge, and the colors of the landscape take on an almost iridescent hue. I walked down a little lane, I hadn't walked before, and it is only two miles from my door. The breeze was stirring the leaves in the branches and it almost sounded like running water in the background. It was worth going outside for that.
Tomorrow, I plan on getting in another 2-3 miles. Writing this in a journal may make me less resistant to slacking off. Who knows? If all goes along as I hope, I'll have another marathon under my belt.
-later
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