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!