New Walking Partner

The 3 Day website allows you to contact other people in your area who are looking for people to walk with... I was given a list of 4 women in my area and e-mailed them.
What I want to do is set up a regular night for us to walk. It works really well for our family for me to go out after dinner. 7:30ish. Alex is in bed by 8 and I can get a walk in before it gets dark.

Anyway a lady named Gretchen e-mailed me back and we walked tonight around a lake near my home! 3 miles
It was fun getting to know a fellow walker. Gretchen has walked in the 3 Day before so she had a lot of advice on training, packing, getting donations...
We are going to try and make this a regular walk... either on Wednesdays or Thursdays.

I'm pretty excited!

Oh and while we were walking we saw a beautiful deer! Right in our path... we kept walking closer and closer and it just stood there watching us! I was actually getting a bit nervous because it wouldn't run off! Can a deer charge you... eat you!!?? Eventually it sauntered off into the woods but not in too big of a hurry.
Of course I didn't have my camera!!

Thank you ACUO Tech Employees!!

They did it!! My husband challenged his co-workers to donate over $1,000 to the Breast Cancer 3 Day. If they did it by today he would dye his hair pink!
Well we need to go and pick which shade of pink now because as of noon today they raised over $1,200!!!
Thank you all sooo much!!

I now only have to raise another $365 to walk!! Of course raising more than the $2,200 needed will be great but I feel like I can breath a lot easier now that this part of my challenge is almost done!!

Now to get training!

Countdown: 13 Weeks
Your Training Schedule for This Week:
Monday Rest
Tuesday 3 miles Easy walking
Wednesday 15 minutes Moderate cross training
Thursday 5 miles Moderate walking
Friday 30 minutes Easy cross training
Saturday 8 miles Easy walking
Sunday 6 miles Easy walking

I won't actually be following the schedule they give us...
I've decided that I like staying home with my boys on Sunday mornings. We usually lay around reading the Sunday paper and Joe makes a big breakfast. I don't want to miss out on that so I will either try to walk later in the day or skip Sundays and walk on Monday.
Also I've found a woman to walk with that lives in Brooklyn Center. We may start walking on a regular basis. Either on Wednesday or Thursday nights about 3 or 4 miles.
I would just like to at least get in the recommended miles when I find the time.

Meet My Team!

I went walking with Rachael and Melanie today! We walked around Lake Calhoun again (3.1 miles) and then went to Noodles to finalize our fund raising ideas. I could actually end up gaining weight with all of this walking if we keep eating out after!!

We actually might try bagging groceries at Kowalskis to raise a little money! I used to do that when I was in high school and actually like doing it. I'm kinda excited about it : )

Almost rained out

3.1 miles around Lake Calhoun with my fellow teammate Melanie. We should have walked more but it was getting very dark and we just weren't prepared to walk in the rain. Technically we should be training in the rain and I don't really want to!

After we walked we went to lunch and discussed how to get companies to sponsor us as a team?? We have a project in the works... buying t-shirt or hat advertising space from us during the walks. We'll see how it goes!

Calorie Counter

As long as I'm walking I may as well enjoy the weight I may lose!
I found a web site that tells you how many calories you burn walking.
I'm guessing that I walk 3 m.p.h and doing that for an hour means I would burn 188.99 calories. Considering I just ate out at TGIFridays with my Mom... I need to walk more miles!!

Here is the website if you want to check it out
http://www.prevention.com/walkingcalc/1,,s1-2-92-239-1157-1,00.html

This was interesting and a bit sad...
What I would have to walk if I wanted to eat the fun stuff...

*1 Glazed doughnut hole 0.5miles
40 calories (That's just the hole!! Empty! You can't even smell a dang doughnut!! LOL)
*can of soda (12oz) 1.7 miles
140 calories
*2 chocolate peanut butter cups 2.8 miles
230 calories
*slice of pizza 3.3 miles
272 calories
*slice of cheesecake 4.6 miles
380 calories
*2 hot dogs 7.2 miles
600 calories
*hot fudge sundae 9 miles
(3 scoops of ice cream)
750 calories
*movie theater popcorn 11 miles
(medium, with butter)
910 calories
*double cheeseburger and large fries 16.7 miles
1,390 calories

~ Taken from the June 2007 issue of Parenting magazine

Countdown: 14 Weeks

Your Training Schedule for This Week:
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
3 miles Easy walking
Wednesday
15 minutes Moderate crosstraining
Thursday
5 miles Moderate walking
Friday
30 minutes Easy crosstraining
Saturday
7 miles Easy walking
Sunday
6 miles Easy walking

24 cents

Yup I'm my father's daughter. I picked up 24 cents while walking today.... I'll add it to a jar of money my Mom is collecting at work to raise money for my walk. 3 more months of walking... I should collect $22.32!! LOL

I walked at home today again. I could have gone to Bunker Hills with the group I met up with yesterday but my Mom took Alex overnight for my and Joe's 7th anniversary so I wanted to sleep in and walk later.

I walked 4.99 miles. When I walk around my neighborhood I cross over this little creek about 4 or 5 times. Must be pretty windy... or I am!

Conversation!

I found some people to walk with!! The Breast Cancer 3 Day web site has a calendar where training walk leaders can post walks that they'll be hosting. I signed up to go with a group that walks every Saturday at the Coon Rapids Dam and every Sunday at Bunker Hills. I don't know if I'll make it every weekend but I'm sure going to try! We walked 6.5 miles today!

The lady who coordinates this walk was really helpful. It was her 4Th year walking and she had a lot of advice for me. I have a better idea of what to expect, what to pack, how to care for my feet and how to take care of myself.

The "fanny pack"
This is something that I need to buy but I really don't want to. I am very much a packer and I'm prepared for everything so you would think I'd be wearing a "fanny pack" everyday of my life... but nope. I'm a little put off by it. Maybe it's the name?
I've been told to get a fairly large one and that it should have places for 2 water bottles. One for Gatorade and one for plain water. We are also supposed to train with it so you get used to having it on and so you can make sure it doesn't rub against your body.
I'll dig around on the Internet... there is bound to be one that I'll fall in love with.

Just wait soon I won't be taking it off! All of you who picked on me for always carrying around my old backpack will be wishing for it back!

Calhoun

Last night my mom's group meet for dinner in Uptown so I walked around Lake Calhoun first and met them there. 3.1 miles.
I really wanted Joe and Alex at the lake with me. Someday I want to plan a picnic with ice cream, playing in the tot lot and a trolley ride!
I've taken Alex before and Joe and I have gone a lot but never all 3 of us. It was so beautiful with sailboats and kids running... I loved it!

Guess I'm a little vain.... I usually stretch a bit before walking and I usually wear a "fanny pack" but I didn't want to stick out?? I know... who cares... guess I did.

I'll work on it. I really ended up not needing the pack but I should be okay with people seeing me stretch. I'm taking good care of my body. I bet they all stretched before taking off. Goal for next time!

Thursday

So much for not wanting to walk the same route I took last night! 3.2 miles...

I wore headphones and I think that helped. I didn't hear all the commotion... traffic... people walking up behind me.

I also left earlier... with a push from Joe. I wasn't going to go at all but he asked, "Are you going to get out of here or not?" Guess so! Thanks Joe

My Mom called about 2 miles into my walk and the last mile went by really fast! I can see how walking with a friend would make this a lot easier. I'll have to look at the 3 Day site because they have a place where you can look for a fellow lonely walker... LOL

Gas Prices

Today I walked 3.2 miles after Alex went to sleep for the night. The weather is actually pretty cool so it was very nice. I don't think I'll walk so late in the evening again. I was safe but pretty parinoid.
This house reminds me of a cottage you would see on the Gulf in Florida. Actually though it is right off of Brooklyn Blvd in Brooklyn Center. Wonder who lives there...

And this... sadly is a very old sign...

Week 15

Countdown: 15 Weeks

Your Training Schedule for This Week:
Monday Rest
Tuesday 3 miles Easy walking
Wednesday 15 minutes Moderate crosstraining
Thursday 5 miles Moderate walking
Friday 30 minutes Easy crosstraining
Saturday 6 miles Easy walking
Sunday 5 miles Easy walking

I didn't walk yesterday... Mother's Day, we just ended up being too busy.
So instead of a rest today I walked with Alex to his tumbling class... 1.6 miles. I know... it's not what I was supposed to walk... I might go back out later once Alex is in bed. We're supposed to hit 90 degrees today so I doubt I'll go back out after nap with Alex. We're going to set up his little kiddie pool and relax!

Beautiful Day

It was a pretty cool day to start but it was great for walking. I loaded up my "fanny pack" and walked to the grocery store to get an onion for my Mother's Day breakfast!

4.6 miles... I really wanted to cheat by cutting through church parking lots and stuff but who was I cheating???

Here are some of the pictures I took.


Tiny
hatched
egg

Lilacs
Abigail was born in 1799!! I keep thinking about her. What was Brooklyn Center like in the 1800's??? Pretty sure she wasn't listening to 107.1 while training to walk 60 miles.... my 4.6 miles was probably normal for her!! Off to school 2.3 miles both ways up hill!

Wonders of the internet!

I love the internet! I was driving all around our neighborhood clocking the miles to and from different places... now I just have to play with a map on the computer from the comfort of my air conditioned home!!

It's a fun site to play on if you want.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Schedule

The Breast Cancer 3 Day website has a 24 week training schedule that you can follow... I missed that and luckily they have a 16 week schedule too! That's what I'll be doing.
I thought I would post each weeks "suggested" walks. : )

Week 1
Monday Rest
Tuesday 3 miles Easy Walking
Wednesday Rest
Thursday 4 Miles Moderate Walking
Friday 30 minutes of easy crosstraining
Saturday 5 miles Easy Walking
Sunday 3 miles Easy Walking

3 Day

I've decided to start a blog about my adventures while training for the Breast Cancer 3 Day. With a toddler in tow my walks tend to be slow and few. I really want to stick with the recommended training schedule so I'm putting in a much bigger effort now.

I want to blog so you can all keep up with me. You'll be able to see that I'm taking this serious but still having fun. I also seem to come upon some crazy things while walking and I wanted to share them....

Like the first walk I went on back in March I found $100 bill floating in the water on the side of the road!!! That totally made it worth walking outside with mittens and a winter coat!! Shortly after the street sweeper came by and I haven't found any more money.

Today Alex and I walked 3.17 miles... I was supposed to walk 4 and with the heat I thought I walked 5 so there you go. I need to practice!! My boy has it made on walks... he gets ice cold water, toys, tons of snacks and the occasional stop at at park!