The First Days of Summer

The first days of summer in San Diego have been HOT! Upper nineties to triple digits hot! I knew that I wanted to get back to Miramar Lake this weekend, it is so nice to walk outside versus the treadmill. I did eight miles at the gym Friday night, so by the time I got my weekend chores done and my walking shoes on Saturday morning, it was already HOT. I started at 8:45 and thought that I should take the dirt path around the lake instead of the paved route, since there are more trees and bushes that shade the dirt path. I was worried about getting sunburned. I was on serious antibiotics a number of times last year that cause sun sensitivity. And all these months later, I am finding that I still burn quite easily. I slathered on the 45 SPF and it was enough (with the partial shade) to keep me from getting PINK. But SPF couldn't do anything about the heat.


Wow, did I get hot! The paved path is about a five mile loop, and dirt path goes about three miles of it before just becoming a tangled mess. I had planned to go in four miles, then walk back. But after I got off the dirt path into the direct sun between mile three and four, I realized it was just too hot to do a long walk. At the four mile mark where I had planned to turn around, I opted to just keep going on the five mile loop to get back to the parking lot. The four mile mark has the coolest purple flowers. I tucked my camera in my walking bag and snapped a shot. But I didn't stop to admire them this time. All I could think about was getting to my car!I am a stickler about stretching after exercise, but this time I just didn't care. I got in the car and headed home. Whew! I am going to make sure that I start my weekend walks as early as I can. If I want to get out of the gym (with its blessed air conditioning), I'm going to have to walk with the sunrise to beat the heat this summer!

--Jenn

New shoes!

I went to RoadRunner Sports today and got some new walking shoes for training. They were really helpful there. They do a whole shoe analysis before you pick out your shoes to see how you walk, what type of foot you have, what you'll be using the shoes for, etc. so they can help you pick just the right shoe for you.

I walked on a computerized pressure pad thingy (its all very technical) to see how my foot falls when I step down. Then I walked on a treadmill while they videotaped my feet so they can see how I roll my foot as I take a step. I figured I would be a challenge for them since I have somewhat flat feet and I walk like a duck - seriously, I've had people ask me if I'm a ballet dancer because they noticed I was standing around with my feet pointed straight out to the sides - but they worked it out and recommended shoes that are for stability to keep my foot from rolling so much when I walk.

They are giving 10% off to all breast cancer walk participants so I got a nice little break on the price on my New Balance shoes. I took them out for a spin around the neighborhood when I got home and tested them out. Pretty comfy. This walk was also my first foray into the world of synthetic socks (this is very exciting stuff people!) as all the trainers, experienced walkers say, "NO COTTON!" They felt a little odd but I think I'll get used to them. This was also the premiere walk for my new ipod Shuffle as my previous mp3 player died at the gym last week (R.I.P. my little hot pink Sandisk). It was great.

So now I feel all set to take on training!

Laura

Lessons From Lingerie

For some reason, the thought of walking for 3 days, 20 miles a day, did not intimidate me before I signed up for the 3 Day. I'm probably crazy, I know! I do know it is going to take a lot of time and commitment to get ready for the physical demands of the 3 Day Experience. But I'm not worried. I have some secrets just like Victoria's that I'm going to share with you. Everything I need to be apart of the Susan G. Komen 3 day walk comes from my lingerie drawer.

Support: I knew I needed some support. And Laura's decision to walk with me is a fabulous fit! We've known each other for more than two decades now. We've even vacationed together a few times, so we know what it's like to share space. The pink pup tent they are housing us in is smaller than any hotel room we've shared, that is for sure! But I'm so glad that I have someone to do this with, and hold me up when I'm sagging.

Size: We've measured ourselves...we've determined our current paces and know when we are at the gym what we want to accomplish to improve ourselves. And we've set goals to grow. We've finished our first 10K this weekend and we're going to keep walking, adding more mileage and more hills as we go along.

Fun and Flirty: Unmentionables aren't fun unless they are fun. Come on, please tell me that you have at least one “naughty” bra in your underclothing collection! Even if there isn't anyone seeing it, it's just fun to have it on and know that you are sporting a 'tude underneath your business professional clothes or your best church dress! And that is how we are going to make our 3 Day journey. Fun with a little bit of pizazz! Anytime you get women together, there's bound to be laughter and LOTS of talking. But Laura and I are planning and plotting all sorts of lace and frills to add to our basic “Cross My Heart” experience. Making our team our own team with purpose, meaning and lots of laughs. Plotting team shirts and/or hats. Creating an awesome blog. And having you all share in it with us makes it all the more fun!

So keep posted for the next time we put our jogging bras on and put some more miles under our bra straps!

Your bosom buddy, Jenn!

Haulin' Buns at Our First Together 10K

Laura and I met up at Lake Murray to get our first 10K (walking together) under our belts. 8:00 seems a little early on a Saturday morning to be up and exercising, but the Lake was hustling with other active people's athletic pursuits. Fishing, running, jogging, biking, roller blading--you name it!

While we do have an idea of what we want to accomplish at the gym when we are doing shorter work outs (like how I want to be able to do a consistent 15 minute mile on the Treadmill), our strategy for walking longer distances is about building stamina. Eventually, we're going to be walking 20 miles for three days straight! And, in all reality, when we're walking on city streets on sidewalks with hundreds of other walkers, we're just not going to be going at our top speed anyway! We kept up a good pace and enjoyed views of the surrounding nature. It's so much nicer to walk at the Lake than on a treadmill!

It's June Gloom around San Diego these days, and the sky stayed overcast until after 9:00. Then the sun was out and shining. We realized that as the summer progresses, we're going to want to meet earlier as the walks get longer to get done before it starts getting hot and sunny. We hauled our buns to the turn around point at the Lake and back, and successfully completed our first 10K (6.4 miles!).

Jenn "CinaBun" Kuyper

24 Hour Fitness Training Time

Jenn and I went to the gym today to get a baseline idea of how long it takes us to walk a mile. We each did cardio for an hour. Jenn hauls her hinney at a speedy 16 minute pace. I trot along on the elliptical machine at about a 14 minute pace. Now we know where we are starting from and can work out goals for our training schedules.

Our next outdoor training plan is to do a full trip around Lake Murray...hopefully we can keep up our swift pace like the tough chicks we are!

Laura, one half of a Good Pair

Our First Official Komen Event

Laura and I completed our first official "3 Day" training walk at the Susan G Komen San Diego kick-off event held on Saturday, June 7th! It was a short, 3 mile walk, but a good way to get a sense of the "3 day" spirit. Laura and I wore our pink caps and visors to contribute to that spirit. Established teams already wore their personalized team T-shirts. Ladies get pretty wild in their team names. A list of the registered teams on line include a lot of references to "ta-ta's" and "chi-chi's." We're planning on walking as "A Good Pair."

A employee of RoadRunner Sports held a brief, but very helpful, shoe clinic before the walk. RoadRunner Sports supports the Susan G Komen Foundation by offering a 10% discount to participants. They help you find the best shoe for you, and even video tape you walking on a treadmill to see what habits you have in walking (rolling your foot in as you step down, etc.) to figure out what kind of shoe is going to support you best. And, allow you to return your shoes (within two months of purchase) if you find they give you blisters or just don't fit comfortably. Because athletic shoes tend to run a little small, they also suggest you buy one size larger. They also suggest you own two pairs and alternate the pairs every time you walk.

MMHS c/o 93'er, Mary, had just given me the same tip on FaceBook when she found out I was walking in the 3 Day. She's already walked twice in previous years and has volunteered to help us with fundraising! Laura and I also bumped into another girl from our class at the practice walk. This girl stopped us and asked if we had gone to MMHS and realized we were all from c/o of '93!. Kim is walking with a '92 alum. Even though I work in Mira Mesa, I really don't run into people from our class very often so it's always a good feeling to find an old classmate. We had Kim take our picture to celebrate this first training walk. Many more pictures...and walks...will come. Thanks for joining Laura and I on our journey! We have a lot more miles to go!