Hump day

I DID NOT get up early and walk this a.m. I stayed up too late last night just piddling. I felt tired and sleepy all day but I forced myself to put on those shoes and shorts when I got home and walked the park for 33 minutes. My legs were hurting...like they did when I first started...almost like shin splints but the pain is on the outer side of the shin bone/tibia which is still a type of shin splint I think. The pain goes away about 10 min. after I stop walking. No biggie, but something that I thought had gone away. Tomorrow I will put in the 50 min. I have a conference call from 8-10a.m. so I would like to get up at 6 and do my walking. I am about ready to give up on myself for getting up early. I have laid those clothes out several times only to put them on at 6pm. I am not beating myself up...just accepting that I love to sleep as long as I can. At least I am getting out there. If I was not in this MM, we all know where I'd be at 6pm! Hope all is going well with my fellow MMers this week. Looking forward to Saturday. Wow, 4 miles is getting to be some distance. 26.2 miles---what?!?!

Bring the tire gauge!

Yep, I believe my tires are getting low on air...gotta get 'em pumped up! I did not walk yesterday but I did play 2 sets of tennis last night which was about 1 hr. 45 min. However, today, I could have walked but kept finding other things to do. I have laid my shoes and clothes out for in the morning and have set my clock earlier so that I will get the walk in before work tomorrow. Gotta do it, gotta do it. That is my mantra. Good night!

Hey-Hey-Hey!!!!

Yep, I did it. I trained EVERY DAY this week except for Friday, of course. I am sorry to admit that it is the first week I have followed our training schedule all the way. I also played 2 hours of tennis yesterday afternoon after walking the 5K in Clinton. Superwoman, here, ha-ha! It was so good to hear my tennis partner say "Cheryl, I can really tell a difference in your speed on the court because you are getting most of the balls you go after"! I do feel lighter on my feet (I'm not lighter because I have not lost weight) but I think the big difference is that my muscles are stronger, my stamina has improved and last but not least,...I AM A MARATHONER!!!!

Enjoyed our meeting in Clinton yesterday and getting to meet Christa, Kayra, and Ann. Kristy and I walked together and talked the whole way and did not find the 5K difficult. Today, my XT was doubles tennis for 2 hours. I see a lot of people running at Strawberry Patch park these days so I will be joining them in another 2 weeks. I hope I find running enjoyable and not too uncomfortable. I need to get a watch that will do the interval thing. When I was 40 I ran a 10K race in Huntsville, AL (monster hill there) and ran all the way, but now that I have a few more years on the ole bod, I will wog the marathon. My sweet little husband feels left out, I can tell. We both play tennis, we both ride bikes, and if he had not had back surgery this year, I am sure he would be a part of this too. He has temporarily given up tennis since his surgery also. I told him to live vicariously through my experience and read my blogs. Just ain't the same, I know.

I need to listen to Mark's presentation again. There was a lot of good inspirational info yesterday and I need a repeat listen. I was looking forward to that bread yesterday and Kristy, my walking partner/daughter-in-law, said, "let's skip the bread since we are going to lunch"...I meekly said, okay, that is a good idea. What? Did I let myself be talked out of ingesting that sumptuous, delicious white chocolate cherry bread!!! Where is my will power, my assertiveness, my leadership?! All in all, thank you Kristy.

On Schedule!

Yesterday for XT I used the elliptical for 30 minutes. Sweated heartily while watching TV. This morning I walked at Strawberry Park for 50 min. I actually want to walk tomorrow but don't want to overdo it. On the other hand it will be nice to not have to worry about fitting it in. I think it is a GREAT idea to post pictures and blog names so we can get to know each other better and find the bloggers we have been following. I don't have but one or two pictures of just me, so I guess I will go ahead and send in the fat one that was made in November when we went to Puerto Rico. Actually, I don't have any pics but FAT ones...but that is gonna change by next October, YEAH!

Shake...."N" Bake!

Don't ask me to explain the title...feeling goofy tonight and referring to a stupid, funny movie. So far, I am MEETING my goal. After work I walked all the way around the walking trail at Strawberry Patch Park 3 times and that took me 49 min. I stretched for a minute so I am calling it 50 minutes! My legs are definitely doing better now. I want to run because I just do, however, I am not going to do anything to jeopardize getting to the starting line. Injuries can make me a spectator next October in Chicago so it AINT worth it. I am going to listen to Master Mark and walk for the first 10 weeks or was it twelve? Shoot, I have forgotten but I will go back and look it up. It has kinda sneaked up on me, but my pants are not killing me in the waist like they were. Could it be the exercise? It certainly isn't those 2 visits at the Baskin-Robbins drive-thru last week! I think I am beginning to tone up a little...wahoo-o-o! I am so thrilled I am doing this. Talked to my hubby on the phone tonight and he said he was proud of me for sticking with this. I am proud of me too! Hope everyone out there is having a good training week.

Goal: Train every day except Friday this week.

Unfortunately, I have not completed that goal a single week since I have started. Reasons have varied from within my control, aka lazy, to not being within my control. The good news is I feel like I am still up with the group because I can walk 3 miles easily. I know training will get even more important when I start running intervals and increase the mileage. Hopefully I will be in a disciplined groove by then. I should not say, "hopefully", because discipline is "just doing it"...it doesn't just happen. Already, today, I was very tempted to not get out there. I talked myself out of it this morning saying I did not get up in time, but this evening, I said if I don't put my shoes on and get out there I have lied to myself when I said I will stick to the training this week. I loved it once I got out there, but it was getting dark so I did my Tuesday training for 30 min. and will do the 50 min. tomorrow. I also need to get a grip on my eating this week. Went to Baskin-Robbins 2 X last week. That is NOT discipline, that is plain old fashioned "bad girl" stuff. I need to figure out "why" I do that. I had lost 3# the week my son was in the hosp. because I ate 3 healthy meals a day, drank water and ate no snacks. I sabotage myself for some odd reason. I probably need to make an appt. with Mark.

I am excited that my son ran the St. Patrick's 5K on Saturday. This was his 2nd race and he shortened his time by a full minute which is great! He registered for the Chicago marathon along with his wife, Kristy and of course, me. We are all very excited about doing this marathon. Thank you so much Mark & company for leading us on!

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day

How exciting to realize that the 3 mile walk on the levee yesterday was a piece of cake! My daughter-in-law, Kristy, and I talked the whole way and though we did not time ourselves, we were not just strolling along. Progress! I was disappointed we did not get to wear name tags yesterday. I wanted to find some folks that I have blogged with. Maybe we will wear them again next Saturday. Today I played tennis for 2 hours so I am calling that XT for today. Looking forward to walking Strawberry Park all the way around X 3 tomorrow morning BEFORE WORK!

Got it in--Yea!!!

Got up and walked at Strawberry park before work. Now, regardless of how the rest of my day has its twists and turns, I have done my walking. I know Friday is our day off, but since I am way behind in my training I knew I had to get out and move! I know a couple of you told me not to worry about how fast the other people were walking and I truly am listening to you, BUT I passed a couple of people today...okay, okay, that competitive streak of mine comes out somehow. Well, I am in sales so guess the competitiveness is a "can't help it". Anyway, I am proud of me for getting up and walking because I am NOT a morning person. Looking so forward to being with our group tomorrow...not looking so forward to walking the 3 miles!

I am looking for that light at the end of the tunnel!

I was driving home from work about 6:30pm and looking forward to getting home, putting on my walking gear and hitting the park. My son calls and he is having a vomiting/pain episode. No walkie today. I think I will walk in the morning before I go to work so that I can make sure I get it in regardless of what happens to the rest of my day. By the way, thanks to Cathy, Sheila, and Christa for your VERY ENCOURAGING comments. I hope to meet Sheila and Christa on one of our Saturdays together and look forward to seeing Cathy again. I am wondering how I will do on the 3-mile walk on the levee since I have not stayed on training. I am sure I will make it, but it may lay me up in the bed for a few hours Sat. afternoon!

Long time no blog/wog!

Gee, it has been 13 days since I have walked! I am a staunch member of that "sandwich generation" where I have been taking care of parents and children. After I got back from the weekend with looking at a nursing home for my dad, my oldest son was admitted to the hospital in Huntsville, Al which is about a 5-hr. drive. He was in the hosp. for 5 days and I stayed most nights and every day. I was worried sick the whole time and haven't recuperated yet. He has a horrible condition called gastroparesis and also something called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS). He has intermittent vomiting episodes accompanied by intense abdominal pain. The only thing that stops the vomiting and pain is medication given to cancer patients going through chemo. He went a straight 7 days without being able to keep anything down...not even water. Enough about that, but it was tough seeing your child suffer so much. We are moving him here to be closer to us and hopefully, when his short term disability expires with his current job, he can find a job here. Keep him in your prayers.

I walked for 40 min. this aft. at Strawberry Park and it felt so-o-o good to be outside...felt like I had been let out of prison. I was walking what I thought was fast and low and behold, this lady just zips past me as if I were standing still. She had short legs, like me, and did not even look like she was walking fast...arms hardly moving but hoofin' it big time! I was giving it my all and felt very disenchanted when she flew past me. Will I ever be able to walk that fast? I kept my eye on her the whole time and she kept gaining more and more distance on me. I am hoping she is a "tenured walker" and maybe one day I can give her some competition on that walking speed. I have missed being a part of our very special Saturdays for the past 2 weeks. Looking forward to seeing everyone this week!

Not a fun weekend ahead

Walked before work today but just did 30 min. I like to do the maximum but was in a time crunch. It seemed quite easy...should be by now, I guess. I am so sorry that I am going to miss this Saturday's meeting. I am going to Pensacola to take my mom around to look at some nursing homes for my stepdad who has Alzheimer's. She has kept him at home for a very long time and now her health is being affected, so the time has come. She says this is the most difficult thing she has ever done in her life and she is 78. Please say a prayer for her for strength to get through all this.

Kristy, my daughter-in-law, will pick up my runner's kit, but I sure am going to miss just being there with everybody. I always feel energized just being in that group along with Mark, Robin, and Matt. Hope everyone has a great run/walk on the levee!