The Recap

It's taken a full week for me to sit down at the computer and write up the recap of our Avon 39 experience.

I've talked to lots of friends and colleagues about the event over the past week and I think it's best summed up by saying - I was prepared, but it was still hard.

There was never a time where I was truly miserable, or wondering why in the world I was out there doing it, but there were plenty of times where I was uncomfortable and hot and sore and just plain exhausted. Sunday was slower going than Saturday. I felt OK, but the motivation was waning. It definitely makes sense to taper down in mileage, but after achieving the 26.2 miles on Saturday it felt kind of anticlimactic to walk 13.1 more.But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I wrote about the first half of Saturday at our lunch break. The half took up through Georgetown, past the hospital and up to Reservoir Road past the German Embassy and, the reservoir. People kept talking about a big hill coming up and I thought the incline past the hospital was it. I was wrong. After a few more miles of winding around Northwest we got to Sibley Hospital and discovered the hill.

It was steep. And long. They had a rest stop set up mid-way up the hill, in the hospital parking lot. Then we kept going and got to the top, only to discover it wasn't really the top - it was just a plateau. The road flattened out a bit, then went up again, flattened out a bit, then went up some more. I'd say it was about a mile of hill. It was unfun. After that we kept going, winding our way past American University, back to Wisconsin Ave and into Bethesda. From there we picked up the Capital Crescent Trail, crossed Connecticut Ave and wound through some neighborhoods before getting to Rays Meadow, which was really pretty, and finally ending up in Meadowbrook Park.

We crossed the finish line on our 26.2 at 5:30 pm,, 10 1/2 hours after we started. My FitBit registered 566 active minutes that day. Amazing.

26.2 Miles Complete! And still smiling! 

Can you read the fine print? "What's the matter? "
You don't want to camp?" You've got that right! 

We wandered around Basecamp 39 a bit, and each bought new t shirts to wear for day 2, and then headed to the hotel shuttle. Neither Mary or I camp, and after walking a marathon was not going to be when I decided to start!

Even at 6 pm on a Saturday evening the shuttle ride to the hotel was long and traffic filled. Once we got there we ventured a block away for yummy pizza - of both the regular and dessert varieties. We had planned to go to the hotel pool and jacuzzi, but the lure of our beds was too great and we ended up staying in the room.

Both Mary and I felt pretty good at this point. A little sore, but not really hobbly at all. We each ended the day with just over 60,000 steps on our Fitbits and both earned the "Blue Suede Shoes"badge for the first (and likely last) time.

Sunday morning came early and we boarded the shuttle bus back to Basecamp 39 at 6:30 am. The course re-opened at 7:30 am and we were ready to add 13.1 miles to our totals. We were both feeling ok, Mary had a few blisters causing her problems, but otherwise we were in good spirits and decent walking shape. But it was still slow going. The group stayed pretty bunched together until the first rest stop, and while I was expecting it to be mostly downhill on Sunday we still had more to walk up.

The course took us back through Ray's Meadow and the Capital Crescent Trail and into Bethesda. down Connecticut Avenue and then through some neighborhoods into Cathedral Heights, past the Cathedral and Naval Observatory and then back down Massachusetts Ave into downtown. We wound back through Foggy Bottom and by that point we were moving pretty quickly as we headed back to the Washington Monument and the finish line.

We were both so happy to cross that line. Proud of our accomplishment, and just happy to be finished!

We Crushed It!

A more thorough wrap up will come in the next day or so, but in the meantime....

Two days, 39.3 miles complete! Mary and I raised $5,576 and the event raised $4.6 million!

Thank you, thank, you, thank you for all of the support and encouragement!

Woah We're Halfway There!

We've made it to the 13.1 mile point, also known as halfway for today. The weather has been gorgeous - getting a little warm but a nice breeze and sunny.

The route so far took us from the Washington monument, around the Tidal Basin up past the Capitol and into to Capitol Hill neighborhood.

My wonderful friend Katherine came out to cheer us on and walked with us for awhile near union Station. We continued on through Chinatown and Penn Quarter, past the White House and in a roundabout way through Foggy Bottom and DuPont before getting to Georgetown. We've had some big hills already and I know another is coming shortly after lunch.

We are feeling good and will be continuing on our way soon!

Tracking our Trek - FAQ

As the walk quickly approaches I've had a lot of questions from friends and family about tracking our progress, cheering stations and just how long it will take.

Here's a bit of an FAQ to help provide those answers:

Does the Avon Walk offer tracking like most marathons do these days?

Nope. But, if you have an iPhone and you really want to be able to see how I'm doing I'll turn on the "share my location" service with you for the weekend so you can follow my progress.

What is the route?

They don't tell us the specific route, there is a general map but it is missing lots of detail. But basically, we begin near the Washington Monument and make our way to Meadowbrook Park in Chevy Chase, MD, but in a pretty circuitous fashion to cover 26 miles. On Sunday we walk from Meadow Brook Park back to the Washington Monument, but it a more direct route.

Are there places where people can come out to cheer the walkers on?

Absolutely. Supporters are welcome to be at opening ceremony, "Base Camp 39" where we'll end on Saturday evening and at the finish line on Sunday. Opening ceremony and the finish line on Sunday are next to the Washington Monument. In addition, there are lots of "Cheering Stations"along the way.

• Cheering Station Locations

It gives general time estimates for "peak viewing times" at each station. 

But how do I know when you'll be walking by a cheering station?

Well, if you are an iPhone user you can ask to track me. Or, just use the general formula that we'll be walking 3 miles an hour, and stopping for roughly 10 minutes to take a break every 6 or so miles. Plus probably about 30 minutes for lunch at mile 13.1.

The first cheering station is near Union Station and is 6.5 miles in to the walk. I expect we'll be going by there around 9:15.

We'll probably hit the Starbucks in Tenleytown (mile 18.4) around 2ish. I will probably be making that my own rest stop and getting a yummy drink from said Starbucks.

What time do you think you'll finish the 26.2 miles and reach Base Camp 39?

I'm guessing Saturday will take us about 10 hours, putting us at Base Camp by 5 pm.

What about on Sunday, when will you cross the finish line?

Accounting for perhaps a slower pace on Sunday, I expect we'll cross the finish line between noon and 12:30.

Are you camping?

Nope. I don't camp under other circumstances so I'm certainly not going to walk 26 miles and then sleep on the ground. And then get up and walk 13 miles. Nope, nope, nope. We will be staying at the event hotel and taking a shuttle bus back and forth between Base Camp and the hotel on Saturday evening/Sunday morning.

Please tell me you are taking Monday off work. 

Yes, I am.

One week to go!

It's hard to believe the Avon Walk is just one week away!

While training has been winding down, it seems like the past seven days have brought a lot of activity related to the walk. I've received my packet with my wrist band and other logistic details, as well as lots of last minute encouraging and informative emails from the Walk coordinators. 

Last Friday I was at Randolph-Macon for an Alumni Board meeting and had two great things happen related to the Walk. First, I found out one of my fellow board members is going to be participating in her first Avon Walk as well! It will be nice to have another familiar face out there for the walk and someone else to chat with as we cover miles and miles. 

The second thing that happened was an unexpected donation to my fundraising. When I got to campus I stopped in the college bookstore to visit Barclay. Barclay's official title is bookstore manager, but unofficially she's an institution on that campus and a must visit person for students and alumni alike. When I got to her office another alum was there, a woman who had graduated about 15 years before me and who I was just introduced to by first name, Kim. Barclay told Kim about how I had been training and fundraising for the Avon Walk and Kim opened her wallet and handed me a $100 donation! 

That example of generosity got my week going, but was far from the only donation I received. In the past seven days I've raised an additional $573, blowing my $2500 goal out of the water and making $3,000 seem possible. Going into this I thought raising the required $1800 would be manageable, but I had no expectation that I'd be able to raise so much more than that. I am so happy to have so many supportive people in my life, willing to provide encouragement to me and funds to help end breast cancer. 

At this point the long range weather forecast is looking fantastic and I'm sure the next week will fly by!

Just how far is 26 miles?

When the walks started getting longer and I started mapping out routes it was pretty surprising how far 26 miles really is. It really hit me when I discovered that places that take me 20 minutes to drive to, without crazy traffic, are only 5 or 6 miles away.

I never doubted that marathon routes are long, but they are usually in a loop so that makes them seem shorter when you are looking at it on a map. So to provide a bit of perspective, I offer up the following points of reference for our supporters.

26 miles (give or take a few tenths here and there) is...

• The distance from the house where I grew up in Finksburg, MD to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, via Greenspring Avenue.
• From Dewey Beach, DE to the Inlet in Ocean City, MD
• From the National Mall in DC to Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, VA
• From Randolph-Macon College in Ashland to Chesterfield Town Center in Midlothian
• For my colleagues in Kansas, it's from the Overland Park office to the Kansas City Airport
• For Mary's JMU friends, it's from the JMU campus to Staunton Mall

And that's just what we'll do on day one. 

Training Tools

Long before Mary and I started training for the Avon Walk our friends Sarah and Brandon started using products from the company AdvoCare, a health and wellness company with a wide array of fitness and weight loss products. They quickly turned from just being happy consumers of the products to part-time sales people.

Mary tried AdvoCare first, and while I was slower to come along, I gave their products a shot as well and come training time I actually placed a second order.

I'm a bit of a skeptic, but when I'm out there walking and walking and walking and walking, I decided it was worth a shot to see if there were products that could help me recover better and give me more energy. And while I haven't done a scientific study, I can say for my long walks when I've used AdvoCare products I have felt better during and after than on the ones when I didn't.

Products We Use: 

Spark: A sugar-free energy drink with lots of vitamins and minerals. Mary drinks this every morning instead of coffee. We both drank it on Saturday, when we did our 22 mile walk. Mary had it before the walk and again around mile 17 and I had it at mile 17 as well. Shortly after we drank the Spark we were walking faster than we had been all day. I even texted Sarah and a few other friends to tell them that. It wasn't until much later that I thought about the fact that Spark probably had something to do with our sudden burst of speed.

Catalyst: An amino acid dietary supplement that repairs and protects muscle and help with strength and endurance. Mary and I have both been taking this regularly during training and feel like they help reduce the soreness felt the day after a long walk.

Meal Replacement Shakes:   These aren't part of  our daily routines, but Mary and I both drink the AdvoCare Meal Replacement shakes, and for me they've been helpful during training. On several occasions when I've been on a long walk I've taken one along as something to "eat" during the day. You just mix it with water and it's a pretty yummy shake, with lots of protein, fiber, calcium, etc.

Helping The Cause

While both Mary and I have gotten a boost in our training through AdvoCare products, Sarah and Brandon recently offered a boost to our fundraising as well! If you are interested in trying AdvoCare and order through their site between now and May 1, they will donate all of their proceeds to our fundraising efforts.

You can find out more about the products at their website: www.AdvoCareCollins.com and contact them with questions via email address at livebetter@advocarecollins,com. or call Sarah at 804-357-7245. If you decide to place an order just be sure to say you were referred by us and reference the Avon Walk.

We Can Do It

Ready to begin our 22 mile training walk on the
Boardwalk in Bethany Beach

Yesterday Mary and I walked 22 miles. This morning we got up and could still walk.

I think those two things combined finally leave us with the confidence to believe we really can complete the Avon 39.

We did our long walk at the beach, starting in Bethany Beach, DE and making our way south into Ocean City.

Thankfully my mom was around to chauffeur us to a good starting point, and walk with us for our first few miles, pick us up at the end of the 22 miles and buy us yummy Mexican take out for dinner.

Today we were both sore, but not in pain and started our day walking the length of the Rehoboth boardwalk before heading home.

We both know the Avon 39 will be tough, but so are we!

Clockwise from top left: Our  boring view for the first several miles of Coastal
Highway through Delaware; Arriving in Fenwick Island and a return to
civilization; Entering Maryland - 7.2 miles in to the walk; at the Inlet in Ocean City,
about 17 miles in. 

22 miles

Today Mary and I will walk 22 miles in our longest training walk yet.

We are at the beach and will be walking from Bethany to the inlet in Ocean City and then back up to 83rd street.

Insanity.

Wish us luck! And keep supporting our insanity with donations!

Walking, Walking, Walking

Last weekend Mary and I set out in Richmond for a 20 mile walk.

Mary & I all smiles at mile 13.5. Of course, the smiles were
because we just had a  yummy break at Sugar Shack. 

Let's let that sink in a moment.

20 miles.

It was cold (feels like temp of 25-35 degrees) and long, but we survived.

We were both sore, achey and pretty much miserable afterwards, but we survived.

The next day I was supposed to do five miles, but that wasn't really happening. I was feeling much more pain than sore and made it two miles, with quite a limp, before realizing that anything more wasn't a good idea.

Luckily by Tuesday I was feeling better and got my 4 mile walks in both Tuesday and Thursday.

Today I ended up joining a group walk, for the 10 miles my training schedule called for.

Yup, 10 miles. A nice, easy day.

Tomorrow is another 10 miles and then next week is the longest training walk on the schedule - 22 miles.

The Avon Walk is less than a month away now, and happily, I'm feeling prepared.

39 Days Til the Avon 39!

I sent the following out to friends and family who have been supporting me in this effort, but I've also gotten a lot of support from my FB friends at large, many of whom I don't have email addresses for so I wanted to post it here as well.

Thanks so much for the support and encouragement!

********************************

Dear Family & Friends -

Today marks 39 days until I will begin the Avon 39 Walk to End Breast Cancer, walking 39 miles in two days, and I wanted to provide an update on my training and fundraising to those who have supported me in this effort. 

First, since announcing I was taking on this challenge back in December I quickly saw that support comes in so many forms! From encouragement and checking in on my progress to going on training walks with me to contributing financially to my fundraising, I've been overwhelmed by the outpouring and I truly appreciate it all. I knew I had a great group of friends, family, neighbors and coworkers but this certainly solidified that. 

Training

I've had my ups and downs with the training program over the past 10 weeks. I've been following the 16 week "advanced" training program, which is geared towards people who have completed (walking or running) at least a 10K. It has me walking set distances 4 days a week with short "recovery walks" or cross training in between. I've been able to stick to the designated schedule for the most part, making a few adjustments and tweaks as my own schedule dictates. Time and weather have been the biggest challenges. My pace for outdoor walking tends to average right around 3 miles per hour. I'm faster at the start of a long walk and when I'm on a trail that eliminates dealing with traffic and street crossing. I'm slower (but more entertained) when walking through the city and in those final few miles of a really long walk. Last weekend I did 17 miles on Saturday and 8 miles on Sunday and was feeling pretty good and only a little sore come Monday morning! I was pretty surprised by that because a few weeks before 14 miles left me hobbly (my word of choice) for days! I'm hoping last week's results continue with my longest two training walks -20 miles this Saturday and 22 miles in mid-April. For the actual event I'll walk 26 miles the first day and 13 miles the second. 

Fundraising

I'm so happy to report I met the minimum fundraising requirement last week! I was fully expecting to still have a ways to go by this 39 day update so reaching the $1800 when I did was a pleasant surprise. However, I decided I'd up my goal and keep going. If I can raise more money to help end breast cancer then that is absolutely what I want to do. My new goal is $2500 and I'm 75% of the way there. 

My friend Mary, who is walking with me, is 85% of the way to her fundraising requirement with more donations coming in daily. We are still welcoming donations to the team, to be split between the two of us, until April 3 and individual donations until May 2. 

When I signed up for the Avon Walk I had two purposes in mind - to challenge myself physically and help make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Since starting my training I've grown even more dedicated to those two goals. In recent months I've learned of two additional women in my life fighting breast cancer - a former colleague and a family friend, both not much older than I am. They join the more than a dozen other women I know who have also fought this disease. I am happy to be doing something to take action and again, truly appreciate all of your support in helping me with this goal. 

Thanks again, 

Stacy

www.ped-a-cures.blogspot.org

Stacy's Donation page

Still moving!

I am pleased to say I'm still a walking, functioning person with only a little bit of soreness after yesterday's 17 mile walk.

My training schedule called for 9 miles today and I ended up doing 7. Not because I didn't feel up to 9, but more because I couldn't spend the extra time on it. I'm heading out of town this afternoon to visit friends tonight and then head to Philadelphia for work in the morning. So, I'm ok with not getting the full amount in.

A few weeks back, after doing my 14ish miles I was feeling pretty terrified about walking 26 miles. I'm still a little scared of it, but definitely feeling more confident that the training plan is getting me ready!

17 Miles!

Today's training walk was 17 miles.

I was pretty apprehensive going into it, and am honestly quite surprised to still be a moving, functioning person after it. But it appears I am. :)

But before I get to the after, I should tell you about the during...

I left my apartment at 10 this morning and headed through my neighborhood to mail a package and return library books before shifting north, towards DC. I hadn't walked the Mount Vernon Trail in months because it had been snow covered every time I wanted to. It was in the mid-40s when I set out and I believe the low 60s when I finished, so snow was not an issue today!

It was quite handy that I set out at 10 exactly, because then I ended up taking photos every hour on the hour throughout the walk.

Top row: 11 am on the Mt. Vernon Trail; 12 pm crossing into DC, 1 pm lunch break
at my office. Bottom Row: 2 pm walking down 23rd St to the Lincoln Memorial,
3 pm back on the Mount Vernon Trail crossing under the 14th Street Bridge, 4 pm:
the final mile and a half of my 17 miles, with a yummy milkshake for motivation. 

(I wanted to put the photos next to the descriptions, but Blogger is being uncooperative, so if you care about more detail of the day, read on...) 

11 am:
I was walking past the airport, along the Mount Vernon trail. The trail was packed with joggers, walkers and cyclists today so it's kinda amazing none showed up in the photo. 

At this point I was walking at a good pace, enjoying the fact that I didn't have to stop for lights and traffic as I do in the city. But... being on the trail can get a bit boring!

I followed the trail to the 14th Street Bridge and then crossed the Potomac, ending up right by the Tidal Basin and behind the Jefferson Memorial. From there I crossed under the highway and headed to East Potomac Park. 

12 pm: 

I drive over this bridge every Monday- Friday, but it was the first time I had ever walked it. And the first time I ever noticed it is an memorial bridge. Once I crossed the water I was in L'Enfant Plaza, which I took to Independence Ave and then down across the Mall at 7th Street. From 7th I headed to F and to my office for a lunch & phone charging break. 

1 pm: Of course, before I got to my office I stopped in at my favorite - Taylor Gourmet, for the yummy, and soon to be departed fall/winter special salad, the Logan Square. I had lunch at my desk, charged my phone and mapped out the rest of my route as the morning ended up being a bit different than I had previously planned. Quite coincidentally, I discovered that my stopping point was exactly at 8.5 miles - my halfway point! Definitely not planned, but a welcome discovery no less!

2 pm: After crossing in front of the White House, (which, side note featured a varied assortment of protesters today. I guess it's much more enjoyable to protest in warm and sunny weather) I continued up Pennsylvania Ave to 23rd Street, where I then headed south, towards the Lincoln Memorial and the Memorial Bridge and back to the Mount Vernon Trail. Even after a 30 minute lunch break I was still feeling pretty tired as I trekked along the trail, so I did sit on a bench for 10 minutes enjoying the day, and an apple. 

3 pm: Still on the Mount Vernon Trail. Again, it's nice because I can walk faster without worrying about traffic signals, but it is long and boring! The only part of my route that I covered twice today was about 2 miles of the trail. I exited it as soon as I could in Crystal City and stopped for my favorite treat ever - a Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake from Good Stuff Eatery. 

4 pm: That milkshake made the last two miles home bearable. By the final mile I was walking so slow. I definitely think that there is something mental about it at that point. Physically I had been feeling fine, but I think just knowing there was only 20 minutes to go, I don't know. I think my brain told my feet we were almost done and my feet missed the "almost" part. 

4:30: I arrived home! 

In total it took me 6 1/2 hours, but right around 5 1/2 were actually spent walking and the other hour was eaten up by getting food, eating lunch and my one 10 minute break by the river. That puts me right at my target speed for the Avon Walk. 

While I was feeling pretty rough in that final minutes of walking, within 2 hours of coming home I was back out the door running errands and now I feel pretty good. My feet are a bit sore, and I'm definitely tired, but not nearly feeling as debilitated as I did a few weeks ago after my 15 mile walk. Tomorrow I have to do 9 miles, so we'll see how raring to go I am in the morning! 

101%!!

I met my fundraising minimum! With more than a month to go til the event!

I am blown away by the generosity of all those who have donated. Thank you all so much! I'm so happy to be able to continue focusing on training with no worry of not being able to participate in the event.

And, now that I've met the minimum, I think I will up my goal to continue raising funds for breast cancer.

But not quite yet.

I'm going to enjoy that 101% for a bit before I set my sights higher. :-)

Attempting 15 miles, touristing in Europe and fundraising update

Sorry I've been so remiss in updating the blog! I had two really good days of walking a few weeks back, followed by a cold that knocked me out and a trip to Europe.

But now I'm back and very focused on the last 6 weeks leading up to the Avon Walk!

Looking back...

February 28/March 1

My plan was do to 15 miles on the 28th and 7 on March 1 and I came close to succeeding.

On the 28th I did the first two miles in my neighborhood when I met some friends for brunch, and then I set out in the afternoon for downtown DC and a route I had mapped out which was 13 miles long. I started near Metro Center and headed for Georgetown, meaning miles 2-4 were entirely up hill. It was sloooow going and tough, but from there mostly downhill. I wound my way past the Cathedral, through Woodly Park, Adams Morgan and Logan Circle, back to Mass Ave. From there I headed east, towards Capitol Hill. My original plan had me walking to 8th SE, but I cut south when I hit 4th and started heading back. I walked along the Mall the whole way back, instead of my planned route down Pennsylvania, but still ended up a bit shy of my goal at 13.5 miles total.

March 1 brought sleet and general ickiness on the weather front, so I hit the treadmill. I managed to get 5 miles in there, by never doing more than 40 minutes at a time, so I didn't have to stare at the numbers and feel like I had been on the treadmill forever!

I felt pretty good after the two days of walking, and again didn't just collapse after the long walk, but went to the grocery store.

Europe

I had done some tweaking of the training schedule because as it was designed I was set to walk 13 miles the first Saturday I was in Europe and 15 the next. While I knew I'd get a good bit of walking in while being a tourist, I also knew my travel plans involved lots of time in the car and lots of time with a 3 year old. In the end I had two really good days back to back - hitting just over 10 miles both days. Later that week it was followed by two 6-7 mile days, so I feel pretty good about where I am.

Fundraising

I came back from my trip and was shocked to discover thanks to a few mailed in donations I am 96% of the way to my required $1800! Thank you all so much for the support! My teammate Mary is about 70% of the way there so we are both feeling good about our progress.

This weekend I'll be walking 17 miles on Saturday - my longest walk to date! Wish me luck!

Top of the Leaderboard!

While training has definitely taken a lot of effort and made for some frustrating days one of the perks is frequently being at the top of the leaderboard on my FitBit weekly report!

I will take those small victories where I can get them!

Speaking of the leaderboard, I hit a big fundraising milestone today, thanks to my mom. I think she has been paying closer attention to my fundraising status than I am and the fact that my total stayed at $990 for several days did not sit well with her. This afternoon I got a donation alert email - that my mom had donated $10 (on top of her already significant contribution) bringing my current total to $1000.20! 

Only $799.80 to go! 

Less than Ideal Results

Today was not an ideal day for a walk.

The snow was melting, leading to some nice, clear sidewalks, some slushy messy sidewalks and gigantic puddles, often hidden by snow that looked solid, but most certainly were not. 

I was supposed to walk 13 miles today. 

I ended up getting in about 8. 

This afternoon I did six miles, around DC, basically walking until I got to a block with snow/ice/giant puddles and then turning around and going a different way. In some cases that meant backtracking a full block. in others it was just turning left or right when I planned to go straight. After first my right shoe ended up in a giant puddle (mile 2) and then my left (mile 4) I was doing whatever I could to avoid the puddles! 

Once I got back into the downtown area I stopped and bought another pair of socks with the plan of returning to my office building and using the treadmill there for at least 3 more miles. Unfortunately I forgot that just changing my socks wouldn't dry out my very wet shoes!

So, I quickly gave up on that plan, but did take advantage of the locker room there to shower and change - including dry socks and snow boots - and headed out to meet some friends for dinner and a comedy show. I was way early, so I did some added wandering near where we were meeting, then we walked to the show, then I walked back to the office where my car was parked, giving me those two extra miles. 

I really hope next weekend is nicer. I'll take cold - I'm fine layering up, but I am definitely over the icy, slushy, miserable sidewalks!

Dedication

Yesterday I had a few people comment on how dedicated I am to training for the Avon Walk.

Prior to receiving the comments I was thinking about that very topic while I did my 7 mile walk where the "feels like" temperature was 7 degrees when I left the house. I flipped my weekend walk, 7 miles yesterday, 13 today, to try and have the longer walk be in better weather.We'll know in a few hours how that worked out for me. But, for now, I want to write a little bit about why I'm doing this event.

Honestly, it started because I wanted the physical challenge. I completed two 10ks last year, both about 90% walking, 10% jogging. It seemed like the next step would be to run a 5k but... I've tried the Couch to 5k program and discovered running just isn't for me. When I set out I thought it would be the inability to breath that stopped me, but it's actually major foot/leg pains. And yes, before you ask, I do have the fancy shoes from the running store where they examine your gait and everything. And still, major pain after about 3-5 minutes.

So, with running out, the idea of a walking challenge like this seemed appealing. Incredibly daunting and overwhelming, but appealing no less.

And while I'm sure there are other organizations that do long walking events, as soon as I had the idea to do it my mind was set when I thought about the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

When I try to count how many women in my life have battled this disease it's pretty astonishing. Family members, friends, colleagues, It's in the double digits. And honestly, those are the ones that quickly come to mind. Luckily many of them won their battles and are doing well. Or, in the case of both my grandmothers, beat breast cancer but ultimately passed away from a different type of cancer. I know a few people currently going through treatment and fighting their battle right now.

So when I thought about how miserable I was out in the cold yesterday, dodging icy sidewalks and climbing over snow mounds, I thought about how I made the choice to be out there, to be training for this event even in crappy conditions and how the women (and men) battling this disease don't get to make a choice. They have to keep fighting, even when they don't want to do it, so I needed to keep walking and raising money and awareness for this disease.

A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.*
Every 3 minutes, there is a new diagnosis of invasive breast cancer.*
Approximately 230,480 women and 2,140 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.*

So there is my why. 

I'm doing this walk for me - to prove I can meet this incredible challenge of walking 39.3 miles in two days. But I'm also doing it to raise funds and awareness to help end this horrible disease that impacts so many. 

I'm pretty close to the halfway point on my fundraising goal $78.40 will get me to that 50% mark. Please donate if you can. 

Ticking Away the Miles

I've been keeping up with the training plan as best I can, though winter weather does make it challenging at times!

This past weekend had two shorter walks - 5 miles on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.

I was able to do the 5 outside with a friend, but by Sunday morning the wind chill was in the negative numbers and gusts were at 30 mph so walking outside was not really an option.

I was meeting a friend for lunch in Annapolis, so I headed out to Annapolis Mall beforehand, to be a mall walker. I have to say, while mall walking - even with an audio book - does get boring, Annapolis Mall has a pretty good set up for it. One lap is a mile and they have .10 mile marker directional signs on the floor to help you stay on track. I managed to do almost 4 laps there, before boredom kicked in hard core. I had intended to hit the treadmill for the remaining laps, but by the end of the day, after lunch and some shopping my Fitbit tracked me at over 7 miles so I decided to just go with that and be done for the day.

My walk yesterday was outside, in my snowy neighborhood and tomorrow I'll be hitting the treadmill for 4 miles after work.

So, while not much has been exciting to report, rest assured, training is still at the forefront of my mind!

10 Miles Completed... Not Entirely as Planned

Today's training walk was 10 miles and I had mapped out a plan earlier in the week, thinking through every detail including snacks to carry and where I could stop for potty breaks and water bottle refills along my route. 

So of course, not much went as planned once I set out. 

Well, the route itself worked fine, and in the end was perfect in terms of distance. (Note: FitBit is off on the mileage here, I trust what I mapped out a bit more.) But the timing, oh the timing. 

My thought had been I'd leave the house around 9, walk a mile to the nearest Metro stop, swinging by a popular (foreshadowing here) new donut shop on the way and Metro to Columbia Heights, and then walk back to Alexandria from there. I was thinking I'd arrive in Columbia Heights a little after 10 and be home by 1. That would have given me plenty of time to eat lunch, shower and rest a bit before heading to the Avon Walk Kick Off Party in Arlington at 4. 

Instead... 

9:25    Left the house

9:40    Arrived at Sugar Shack

10:13  Left with my delicious donut - yeah, they are popular. And have only been open for 2 weeks. 

10:18  Arrive at Metro (1.1 miles complete)

10:36  Yellow line train finally arrives. Gotta love weekend schedules. 

10:39  Discover the end of the line is Mt. Vernon Square, three stops prior to my destination

10:55  Find out we're single tracking for several stops, meaning lots of sitting and not moving. 

11:25 After transferring lines I finally arrive in Columbia Heights to start my walking

During my time on the Metro I found out my cousin Allison was in DC for the weekend, visiting a friend who lives near DuPont Circle, which was right off my walking route so... 

Near DCA along the
Mt. Vernon Trail

11:51 Arrive at her friend's apartment to see her (2.6 miles complete)

12:20 Depart and start the long walk home.  

12:20 - 2:00  Walk past the White House, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, over the 14th Street Bridge and past National Airport. 

2:00   By this point I'm about 7 1/2 miles in to my 10 miles and am quite hungry. So when I see the Mt Vernon trail split, with the option of staying straight for Alexandria (my original plan) and veering left for Crystal City, I head towards Crystal City

2:20  Arrive at Chick-fil-a

2:30  Continue walking, yummy sandwich in hand. 

3:13  Home!! 10.2 miles complete. With very tired feet. 

3:55  Back out the door for the kick off event, which is a post for another day!

So, all in all, the walking went well and while my feet were sore and I was a bit hobbily immediately after I got home, I feel pretty OK now, which is awesome. I definitely need to rethink my plan of involving a metro ride in my longer walks as it's just no fun. At all. But, tomorrow's walk is only 3 miles, which I'll do in my neighborhood so all that rethinking can happily wait for another day!

Bring On Spring

bundled up for my walk today. 

While I haven't been very good at documenting it, I have been good at keeping up the training schedule.

Last weekend I had to do 6 miles on Saturday and 5 on Sunday. I did a mix of in my neighborhood walks and downtown walks. During the week I stuck to the treadmill for my three miles, though on Tuesday I ended up trying a Zumba class offered in my building at work (hated it.) and decided that hour of exercise was the equivalent of doing 3 miles.

This weekend I had to do 8 miles on Saturday and 6 miles today.

Yesterday I ended up meeting up with someone else who is training for the Avon Walk at a local mall and doing most of the walk there. In the morning, when I set out to walk it was 28 degrees with a "feels like" temp of 3, so being a mall walker was OK with me.

My route ended up being a bit longer than
necessary, which is a good thing. I guess. 

I did my last two miles yesterday in my neighborhood while running some errands. At that point it had warmed up some, but was still no where near actually being warm out!

For today's walk I thought about just doing a long loop in my neighborhood, but I was very focused on getting lunch at a sandwich shop that I'm currently obsessed with so I was trying to figure out how I could work that into the walk.

In the end I decided to walk a mile to the metro and then take that to near their Arlington location. Then I walked home from there.

It wasn't the most scenic route, coming back to Alexandria via Glebe road, and it was pretty chilly again today, but, I had the super yummy Logan Square salad that I love, so that was totally worth it.

This week's mid-week walks are still both 3 miles and by next Saturday I'll be up to 10!

Week 2: A Work in Progress

Sunday
Distance: 4 miles

The rain was pouring down in the morning, but expected to clear up by mid-day. By the time it did, and I was ready to go I realized I wasn't going to have enough time to get my four miles in and then make it to my 3:30 haircut appointment on time.

I started playing around with Gmap Pedometer and looking for options when I decided I could walk part of the way to the mall and then metro the rest. That would have given me 2.5 miles each way, more than I needed, not a bad thing, but not something I was feeling motivated to do either. Still, as it seemed like my best option, I headed out.  

About 10 minutes in to the walk I wondered what the distance would be to walk all the way to the mall. A quick check showed it was three miles. Then I had the light bulb moment that I live 1 mile from a different metro stop.  And a new plan was born!

I managed to get to my haircut exactly on time and had a rain free walk for both segments. 

Tuesday
Distance: 3 miles

I decided on Monday night that I wanted to get my 3 miles in before work today. I packed my lunch and my clothes for the day, had the exercise clothes set out and was completely prepared to wake up and quickly get out the door. 

Yeah... even with that level of prep I'm still just slow moving in the morning and left 10 minutes later than I needed. 

By the time I made it to work and stepped on the treadmill it was almost 7:50. Somehow I managed to do get my 3 miles in, get into the locker room at 8:42 and was at my desk, hair blown dry and everything, by 9:05.

It was frantic, and stressful and not really the ideal start to the day but, I got it done and that's what counts.

Let's hope the rest of this weeks walks come with a few less logistics to manage!

Week 1: Wrap Up

I just got home from my last training walk for week 1.

A few week 1 statistics:

Miles walked: 14
Days of treadmill boredom: 1
Walks on the National Mall: 2
Photos of the Capitol and/or Washington Monument taken: 5
Walks with a friend: 1
Weeks to go: 15

I think I've figured out what my routine will be, at least for the first few weeks when it is very cold and getting dark early. I'll do the Tuesday walks on the treadmill at work, begrudgingly. Before work if I can actually get to the gym with enough time to allow for a 52 minute walk, showering there and still getting to my desk by 9. As I am not a morning person, this is a stretch, so after work is more likely.

Thursday walks will be done downtown, on my own, leaving the office by 4:45 to capitalize on some added daylight. These walks have a high probability of including monument photos each week as my office is 3 blocks off the National Mall and it makes for a nice walking route because there aren't as many street crossings to deal with as just being in the neighborhood. Also, the sun will be setting, making for even better photo ops that I just can't resist. I've lived here for six years now and I still can't seem to step foot on the mall without taking at least a few pictures.

Saturday and Sunday walks will likely start and end in Alexandria, and often will include the company of a friend. As my distances get longer I'll end up breaking them up a bit, which, the more I think about it, seems like a good idea. For the actual Avon 39 event I've heard there are "rest stops"every 2 or 3 miles. I think when I get into the higher distances it will be important to walk for awhile, stop for 30 minutes or so and be able to convince my body (and mind) that I need to get up and start going again. The starting after being stopped seems like it will be the biggest challenge, so I'm planning to practice that. :)

As for the fundraising, I think we're in a pretty good place.

We broke the $1000 mark and are 30% of the way to our fundraising goal! We've had great support from friends and family so far, and a lot of others have pledged to donate. We're trying to strike the right balance between reminding and being annoying/overbearing. Hopefully we're hitting that - it not, let us know!

This week we hoped to get 14 donors in honor of our first 14 miles and I we're at 7 right now (I think). So if anyone else wants to contribute today, we'd love to accept your generosity! Links are on the side as always, and we're not at all picky if gifts are individual or team. :)

Let the training begin!

Today the 16 week training schedule kicked off with a three mile walk.

I'm not sure if it is poetic or just cheesy, but I decided to do my walk on the National Mall since that is where the Avon Walk will start and end.

The weather was cold for sure, but the sun was out and it really was a nice day to be in DC. Having said that, I do look forward to warmer weather and not having to dodge ice slicked sidewalks come May!

With this first walk complete I'm feeling pretty motivated and excited to get this training under way.

I've been considering participating in this walk for the past few years. I almost signed up for the 2014 Walk, but I had a conference on the west coast to attend for work that weekend. Once I realized this year's annual conference was a week earlier I decided to go for it. And then, about 3 months later, in September, I actually registered.

This week's training schedule has us walking 14 miles. The walking days are Sunday (3), Tuesday (3), Thursday (4) and Saturday (4).

As we keep our focus on the fundraising as well, Mary and I are hoping to get 14 donors this week. 

Building momentum for the fundraising will help us keep our momentum going with training, Any gifts - large or small - would be greatly appreciated!

Ped-A-Cures Team Donation Page

First training walk in the books!

I walked with MapMyWalk! Distance: 3.34mi, time: 01:09:03, pace: 20:39min/mi, speed: 2.91mi/h. http://mapmywalk.com/workout/839827995

Almost Training Time

This Sunday is the first day of the 16 week training program for the Avon Walk. I've had this sheet printed out and stuck to the wall of my cube at work for a few months now, so it seems a bit unreal that the time to start following it is fast approaching!