It's going to be another flip flop fall!

Fall is the perfect time to buy flip flops on clearance! I figure that as soon as we get back to camp each day, the walking shoes are coming off and I won't get anything back on my feet for hours, they will be so swollen! Laura found some cute pink flip flops on clearance at Target in Santee. But by the time I got to mine at Grossmont, almost all of their flip flops were gone. I did find a good pair for showering in, both at the gym and for at the three day--with good tread so I won't slip. But I was disappointed. I really wanted a pair in pink! (The ones I found were white and blue.) Yesterday, I stopped at the CVS in Mira Mesa to get moleskin on my way home from work. NO MORE BLISTERS is my goal! CVS was out of moleskin. So I drove down to the Longs right by the 15 and found some. They also had flip flops on sale! And wouldn't you know, but they had pink ones. Pink with a little bling (okay, sequin-like stuff) on the thongs. YES! I'm going to be walking in style in camp!

Aren't you pink with envy?

Jenn

I'm Scared!!!!

Jenn and I are going to attempt to walk 13.5 miles on Saturday. I'm a little scared but I'm sure we'll manage it. We are then going to do 7 miles on Sunday so that will give us good practice at doing long walks back to back. Wish us luck!

Laura

We're getting closer!!

Sunday. It was another early morning of getting up and getting going when I just wanted to putz around. It wasn't light yet. And it was foggy, too. I got ready and planned to just pound out the miles on the treadmill at the gym, but I was in the mood to go to the Lake. Where I realized that I would walk a little slower. Hmmmh. Church starts at 10:30, what do I have time to do?

I have to admit, that most of the time, I just want to pound out the miles. Prove I can do it, and then go on my merry way. But, my body needs the practice of what walking in the 3 day will really be like. We are getting closer every week to the Big 3 Day! I'd like to walk at a 13 minute pace to get my miles done. But in reality, the 3 Day is going to be three, all-day, days. More like a 20 minute mile or close to it. With lots of stops, bathroom breaks, food breaks, sock changing breaks. And I realized that I need to get out on the streets more often. Get used to having to stop at cross walks, having to slow down for slower pedestrians in front of me, dealing with whatever normal walking obstacle comes my way...that don't happen on the treadmill. So I resolved as I drove away from the house that I'd do as much as I can outside of the gym. And while the Lake is nice, it certainly doesn't have any stoplights. I need to make some more walking routes on city streets and walk the routes!

At that moment it was still too dark to go to the lake. I decided I'd walk at the gym for about four miles, then do a loop at the lake. But I'd forgotten my sweat towel. And my iPod had completely died. And there wasn't a good movie playing for me to watch as I walked. Sigh. I think I just wanted to go back to bed! Less than two miles into it and I knew I needed to make a change or it was back to home and to the bed that was calling my name. I drove over to the Lake and got a really good walk going. Made it 10.5 miles in all for the morning. And my feet were feeling pretty decent, even.

I am going to make an effort to walk less at the gym and the lake, and as often as possible, hit the streets and pavement to train. Though if its the gym or nothing, I'll hit the gym and not think twice about it. This Saturday, I'm planning to walk around Mira Mesa. Should be some good training with that awesome hill on Sorrento Valley Parkway. And did I mention that I'm going to be walking right by some restaurants that are reported to have really good breakfast burritos???

Happy streets and trails!
Jenn

11.5 Miles, Baby!

Laura and I walked 11.5 miles this morning! We walked a similar route as to what we did on Monday, only we walked it from Laura's house and added the hill on Carlton Hills. We did a great job and enjoyed breakfast burritos from Estradas around mile 5. I've been subscribing to an online training guide from the 3 day site. The suggested walking for this week advised a 13 mile walk followed by a 7 mile walk the next day. I'm planning walk again tomorrow, somewhere between 8 to 12 miles, depending on how much time I give myself to get up and walk before church. We're definitely in line with what we need to be doing. We both have a little stiffness in our ankles but feel better than we did on Monday. We are getting better with mile and are getting excited that we have 11 more weeks before the big walk! Woohoo! We rock!

A Very Cool Website

If you too are a walker or want to start walking more for exercise this is a great website to help you out: http://www.mapmywalk.com/

You can map out walking routes and it will tell you the exact mileage. You can save routes, email them to others, etc. It also offers lots of tips and information about walking for exercise.

Check it out and find new walking routes in your neighborhood!

Laura

My Glamorous Walking Belt...In Home Use Only!!!

I bought a "walking DVD" about a month ago. It was slightly risky, as I'd never done any workouts by the instructor. But I've actually enjoyed doing it and now use it a couple times a week. You do more than just walk in place during the workout. "She" (Leslie Sansone) has you do aerobic moves intermixed with walking, working all sorts of leg muscles. Side steps. Kicks. Kickbacks (squats). She even lets you walk up and down your living room, if you so desire. It's 45 minutes in length and you walk approximately three miles. The DVD I bought came with the ever so glamorous "walking belt" pictured above. Using it on and off during the workout, it tones your upper body, mostly the arms.
It's fairly effective...but not something I'd wear unless I was in the comfort of my own home!

At first, I wasn't sure if an at-home walking video would be a very good workout. But I found that I actually work up a sweat! Leslie can be perky to the point of being annoying, but she's not that bad. I can handle her. I might even buy another one of her workout DVD's!

Walking for a Cause...Jenn

"I Survived East County's Boob Camp Bekki!"

Laura found a training walk for us to go on with a larger team. They actually had a "mini" 3 day event...they walked 10 miles each day of the three day weekend. We only participated on the last day. Bekki's Boob Camp was a well-planned, highly motivating event! She even fed us on a pit stop! Super yummy breakfast burritos, juice, mini muffins, oranges, bagels, Gatorade. She takes care of her ladies (and her dudes--there were several men there, as well).

We walked, in a round about way, from the Target in Santee, to the Santee Lakes and around, and back. Bekki was awesome. She drove around, her county music blaring, waving and encouraging us on. Other drivers even got into the show and started waving at us. We walked ten great miles. Our pace was definitely slower than normal, at first. You can only walk as fast as the thirty or so people ahead of you! But it confirmed to us that we're training well and that our stamina is good. We were among the first ten or so to finish, as we didn't linger any longer than we needed to at the pit stop.

Laura and I are definitely planning to stop at the Mexican food place Bekki got the burritos from on our next walk around Santee! We're taking long enough walks that a food break is necessary...our theory is not to sit down, though! But to keep stretching and stay standing. I know that I'm afraid if I sit down, I might not get back up! Feet and ankles are a little sore, and we both took a nap when we got home, but we are both feeling pretty good!



Happy Walking!
Jenn