Two weeks? Seriously?

I'm seriously trying not to freak out. Two weeks from tonight, Stef and I will be preparing to walk in the 3-Day for the Cure. Because we have to be at check-in in Novi at 5 a.m., we booked a hotel the night before. So two weeks from tonight, we'll be trying desperately to sleep, yet knowing that the excitement and anticipation may make that difficult.

With only two weeks left (omg, two weeks), I'm starting to get a little freaked out. There are so many things to freak out about:

Gear. I have to find the time this weekend to go over the packing list and get it all together. I've got a list with things around the house. I have a list of stuff to get at the store. I have a list of stuff to borrow from people. Ugh, so many lists, so little time.

Training. With just two weeks left, it's crunch time. We have another 18-mile walk on Saturday, followed by a 10-mile walk on Sunday. Must. Get. It. In.

Fundraising. This is it ... two weeks folks. If you planned to make a donation, NOW IS THE TIME. (Like the all caps and bold for emphasis? I would have made it pink too, if I thought that would get your attention.) I need your support. I want to meet my personal fundraising goal, which is to raise $2,300 in personal donations. I'm at $2,015 as of tonight. That leaves $285. Can you help close that gap?

And there you have it. This weekend is the walk in Cleveland... two of the ladies we did a training walk with a few weeks ago are crewing this weekend, which is an enormous task. I believe they're on gear duty, which means they're the ones hauling all of the luggage to and from the trucks to/from camp. At 35+ pounds each, and hot/humid weather, they're going to be working their butts off. On behalf of all walkers, thank you Heather & Beth. Walks aren't possible without the volunteer crew!

Tales of a Training Walk weekend

I'd heard tales of the "18/15" training walk ... it's mentioned on blogs and it's talked about in Getting Started meetings. It's a "must" on your training schedule -- you must find the time to get in two long, back-to-back walks before the real thing. And now I know why.

Stef and I signed up for a group training walk each day. Saturday we went to Stoney Creek for three six-mile loops, and Sunday we went to Metro Beach for a 15-mile walk (which became 16!).

After the walks, I realized that the purpose of the big back-to-back weekend is not just about the distance. It's more than making sure you can physically walk for 18 miles, and then get up and do it again the next day. What I took away from this weekend: 

1. Training with a group is fun!
Stef and I have really enjoyed training together. It's been fun, and we spend our time talking about everything and nothing. We're never short on things to chat about, and when the conversation lulls, we're content to listen to music from our portable speakers. But walking with a group is also fun!

Our Saturday training group at Stoney Creek, breaking for lunch.

We walked with a dozen ladies each day, and met some wonderful people. It was great to chat with them, get to know them, and learn about the myriad of reasons people walk. Some of those stories will stay with me as I'm on the walk.We met women in their 60s who were walking for the first time. We met a woman who was trying to train with an 11-month old at home. And we heard Sharon's story about walking for a friend who had a double mastectomy in January. She told us how the friend was struggling through treatments this spring, but told Sharon that she wouldn't give up because she knew about the walk and didn't want to disappoint her.

2. Music is a must.

Stef and I have a portable speaker that I strap to my hydration pack (known outside of the 3-Day walk as a gigantic fanny pack). We load up the iPod with some tunes, and go. We're working on building up a "walk-friendly" list of songs (some of the Black Eyed Peas just won't make the cut), and tested out our initial list on Sunday's training walk at Metro Beach.  

I was a little worried that the noise might irritate the other women walking. It's one thing when it's just Stef and I. But did other people want to have the music going while they're trying to have a conversation? I needn't have worried — it was perfect.

The great scenery at Metro Beach on Sunday.

At one point in our walk, we had maybe 5 miles left to go. It was incredibly hot (in the 90s) and very humid. After walking 18 miles the previous day, the last five miles of that walk were going to be hard. After stopping for a hydration/stretch break, we were plodding along when "Fins" came on by Jimmy Buffett.  We must have looked like idiots, walking down the path, waving our arms in the air. But it was fun. And it helped stretch our fingers (which swell like sausages), so we killed two birds with one stone.


The music is motivating too ... in the last stretch of the walk (one mile to go!), Stef and I were in a smaller group that had moved ahead a bit. There were four of us, and the conversation had really started to lag. We were quiet for a little bit, when "Lean on Me" came on the radio. It was the perfect song at that moment, and it buoyed us as we walked that last hot stretch in the sun.

3. It's more than just "walking a ton of miles."
Even though Stef and I have racked up a lot of training miles (300 miles walked since the 24-week training started in late February!), and we've done a fair number of "long" walks (10- and 12-mile walks), there were some things that were different this time. Whether it was the heat, or the humidity, or just a difference in where things fit, we both ended up with some raw spots where clothes rubbed the wrong way. Neither of us changed out socks on Sunday and wished we would have.

I also got to experience the "Komen Mile."  I've heard stories about a Komen Mile being a bit different about a "real mile." How you'll see a sign that says "1-mile to Pit Stop 2" and it's really 1.75 miles. This walk helped me realize you can't track the precise mileage, at least not if you want to enjoy yourself.  We set out with the plan to walk 15 miles. The training walk leader had it all in her portable GPS, but late in the day (after her GPS shut off for a bit, for some reason), we realized it was closer to 16 miles. One of our co-walkers was NOT happy about it (she was having a rough day, after doing the 18-miles the day before). For another walker (Judy), this was her first long walk. She had the slowest pace, and finished 20 minutes or so after the rest of us. When she rolled in and heard that it was closer to 16 miles, she responded: "Sweet!"

More important than the physical (for me, at least), was the mental training. At no point on Saturday or Sunday did I think, "I can't do this." At no point did I wish it to "just be over." At no point did I ask, "Why the heck am I doing this when I could be at home on the couch drinking coffee and surfing Facebook." I was ready for it. And I enjoyed it.

I can't believe I can say this: I really enjoyed the training walks this weekend. And I can't wait for Aug. 12, 13 and 14!

Battling the elements. Or "Now I know why horses have tails."

We spent this past weekend at the lake, and got some good training miles in on our favorite walking trail, the Southern Links Trailway. 

Saturday, we got up and out a little later than planned, but still got in our 10-mile training walk. We went our "usual" way (starting in Otter Lake, heading south to Columbiaville, then back to Otter Lake and a few miles up toward Millington). It was a fine walk, with lots of sun and happy people.

(I'm not sure if it's an "up north" thing or what, but people are REALLY friendly on this trail! Nearly every person you come across will smile and wave, with a majority saying good morning with a cheery voice.)

Sunday was another story. Instead of heading the usual way, we decided to check out the route to Millington. Won't be doing that again.

We stayed up a bit later than planned on Saturday, so 8 a.m. came really, really early. (I'm pretty sure my contacts barely had the 6-hour cleaning time required.) But we got up, geared up, and went up to the car to leave. Lo and behold, dark rain clouds were looming. So much for the weather forecast from Friday, which showed sunny and dry all weekend.

Stef and her handy dandy poncho.

Fortunately, going back to bed just wasn't an option (after all the effort to gear up, lube up, hydrate, etc., there was no way I wasn't walking). So we headed out and hoped. About two miles in, the rain started. Stef pulled out her spiffy little poncho and walked along quite dry (but noisy). Guess who didn't pull out her poncho? We haven't trained in the rain (I'm dedicated to training, but not enough to be miserable walking in the rain.), so I didn't have a poncho in my pack. We only pulled over once (seriously, I did not want to get soaked), and it didn't really rain all that hard or all that long, so it was a good lesson... pack the pocho. Duh.

The next few miles were a tad warm ... the rain ended within 15 minutes or so, but that brought in the humidity. I felt like I was wading through the air. Yuck.

Then, the bugs attacked.

I'll concede that neither of us showered before we left. But come on. It was nuts. The bugs (flies, sweat bees, gnats) were unbelievable. They were swarming around our heads. Flying into our eyes. Biting. It was horrible. At one point, I looked over at Stef and she had at least 20 bugs around her hair. Ewww.  So we turned around, a quarter mile short of our turnaround point, and headed back. We spent about a mile using our bandannas to swat the bugs away.

Hence the subtitle, which is a quote from Stef: "Now I know why horses have tails."

So, training notes to self:
1) It might rain. Pack a poncho.
2) There may be bugs. Have bandannas.
3) It might be humid. Suck it up

With just over a month to go, the training is more important every day. And I'm learning that it's not just the physical aspect of training ...

The best laid plans ...

Despite packing an enormous bag of walking supplies for our week's vacation at the lake, it didn't quite work out.  Instead of walking, my week was filled with lazy mornings sitting on the porch, drinking coffee, reading a book ... followed by relaxing afternoons, sitting on the beach, drinking water, reading a book .... followed by fun evenings, sitting by the fire, drinking.... well, you get the idea.

Though I was a little disappointed that we didn't walk, it was a much-needed rest. Mentally and physically.

So we're back this week, better than ever. Put in 14 miles in three days, and we've scheduled our 10/6 for this weekend.

Even more exciting (maybe) is that we've registered for the big training walk the weekend of July 16 & 17... this is the "must have" training walk, an 18-mile walk on Saturday followed by a 15-mile walk on Sunday. This will be a challenge for me ... we've walked good distances before (12- or 13-mile walks), but doing the "break for lunch and continue on" thing will be a mental challenge. (The 18-mile walk is at Stoney Creek, which is a six-mile loop; we'll do two loops, break for lunch, then do a final loop.) It'll also be different to walk with a group (it's always just Stef and I), and it'll definitely be a challenge to get up on Sunday morning to do another 15 miles.

But that's what it'll be like in fewer than five weeks. So I tell myself: "Suck it up sister, and get walking ...."

9 weeks and counting ...

When I registered for the 2011 Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure, I had 51 weeks to prepare. With fewer than 9 weeks to go before the event kicks off, I'm a bit bipolar about it ... I'm really excited about our fundraising progress, but there's also a little bit of anxiety setting in... walking 20 miles a day for 3 days doesn't seem any more likely 15 weeks into my training regimen!

So to stave off panic, I'll focus on the positive:

• We're officially done with our fundraising events for this year! Saturday night we worked our last Tigers concession stand, and had a blast. The weather turned out great, and I had a lot of fun. Thanks to the hard work of our "Tigers Team," we had a high sales night. Early tabulations on our part show we should make close to $800!
• The event information has been posted! I'm excited to see the event info officially posted online. We'll be kicking off the walk at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi (formerly known as the "Rock Financial Showplace), camping at Rotary Park in Livonia, and celebrating during Closing Ceremonies at Ford Headquarters in Dearborn. 

So save the dates ... you're invited to a cheering station on Friday, Saturday or Sunday (Aug. 12, 13 & 14), and you're welcome to come to the Closing Ceremonies to celebrate with us. More details on that to come!

Finally, with the event info posted, they've also shared a fun way you can show your support to Stef and I during the walk: Send us a note of encouragement! There's a "post office" at camp, where we can retrieve mail. (They specifically say "no packages," so I'm guessing the fifth of Captains is out...) If you send something postmarked by Aug. 3, we'll have it at the walk. You can send mail to:

3-Day for the Cure PO

ATTN: Jennifer Carbary (or Stefanie Smith)

P.O. Box 611

South Lyon, MI 48178

And with that, I'm feeling pretty good. We're back walking this week, and I'm back at the gym (working on cardio ... walking's hard when it's hot!). The kids are out of school on Thursday so we're heading up to the lake for a long weekend, which will include some long walks... 60 miles in 3 days? I'll get there ....

Some days, life just gets in the way

My training has been a bit stalled the past two weeks, and I struggle with that ... On the one hand, I feel bad that I'm not getting in as much walking as I should be, but on the other hand, there are just some things that take precedence. On the third hand.... oh wait, I only have two hands. That's probably the problem.

It reminds me of the story often told, about "filling your jar with rocks."  You know how it goes ... if you don't figure out a way to fill the jar with the big rocks first (the high priority stuff) and then the little pebbles, you'll never fit it all in.

And this past week, it's been about the big rocks. I had some  health issues that precluded me from doing a lot of walking last weekend, and this week we're completely occupied with other activities ... namely the kids' dance recital (including dress rehearsal and two recitals) and our final Tigers game concession gig on Saturday. (When I looked at the schedule, it's insane ... dance class on Tuesday, dress rehearsal Wednesday, recital on Thursday, work function on Friday, dance recital on Saturday morning, then Tigers game Saturday afternoon. Ugh, I'm tired just writing it.)

So, training has taken a back seat this past week. This week, other life factors are my "big rocks." They're filling my jar completely. And I'm OK with that. 'Cuz they're really darn cute, and I love them a ton.

Excited about ... socks?

Yup. I'm excited about socks. And shoes. And shorts, tanks, bras ... the list goes on.

With only 11 weeks (!!!) until the Michigan edition of the 3-Day for the Cure, it's time to seriously start thinking about (and purchasing) what I'm going to wear for the walk. I've heard from plenty of veteran walkers that you have to train in what you're going to wear. Or be ready to face the consequences.

Since I don't tend to like consequences all that much, and I never really need an excuse to shop, it's "game on!" Best part: Stuff's on sale!

Today, I bought my socks ... Thorlos. They were "Buy 3, Get 1 Free" so it was a great deal.

Two weeks ago, I got a new pair of shoes, which I'll wear for the majority of the walk. The pair I have now are running a bit thin, so I'll get a second pair of "walk" shoes in June. And thanks to the wonderful folks at Hanson's Running Shop, I saved 20% because I'm a 3-Day Walker (normally it's 10%, but they're offering an extra 10% one day a month), AND I got another punch on my frequent buyer card, giving me a $25 gift card toward my next purchase.

Finally, this past weekend, I picked up some shorts and *ahem* undergarments at REI. (No, I'm not posting a photo of the second item.) Both were on sale, and the timing was great, since it's hotter than hades around here right now.

There's still a small list of stuff to get / find ... another pair of shoes, some tank tops, an air mattress.... but fortunately, there's 11 weeks to go. But it'll be here before we know it.

Meanwhile, it's all training, all the time. We did a 12-mile walk up north last weekend, with a 13-mile and 7-mile walk coming up this weekend (and a 4-mile today and 5-mile on Thursday).  Lots of miles ....

And we're walking...

This weekend was a gorgeous weekend to be home ... warm, sunny and dry ... and a great weekend to get the training mileage back on track.

It has been difficult to get in the recommended weekly mileage the past few weeks ... we've been up north a few weekends, and the weather has NOT been cooperating. When the weekend mileage calls for 10 miles on Saturday and 5 to 6 on Sunday, it's a huge hit to the weekly total when it's a rainout.

But this weekend, we stayed home to do some yard work, and the weather finally cooperated. I got in a 5-mile walk on Thursday, we did an 11-mile walk on Saturday, and a 5-mile walk today (Sunday). With the 3-miles I got in at the gym Tuesday, I hit the recommended 24 miles of walking this week, and feel great about it.

So if it's not to much to ask.... I'm hoping Mother Nature cooperates a little more ... we have a 28-mile week next week, and need to be able to walk up north (12-mile and 7-mile walks). Keep your fingers crossed ...

So lonely ....

Tonight was my first solo walk ... well, first solo "real" walk. I've done the random 3-mile walk on the treadmill at the gym by myself (how cool is it that a 3-mile walk isn't that big a deal!) but tonight, I had a five-mile walk on the training schedule. But my training buddy (Stef) is sick :(

I haven't gotten a lot of walking in over the past two weeks (thank you Mother Nature, for being a complete pain in the you-know-what), so I didn't want to blow off the walk tonight. So I suited up and took off. Alone.

And it sucked. I mean, I got the walk in. I went at a good pace. But it was boring. Nothing to talk about. No one to talk to. Blah. Lots of time alone with my thoughts (scary) though, which made me realize:

I'm walking in the 3-Day because I get to walk with my sister. Susan G Komen was someone's sister. So are many of the 40,000+ women who die of breast cancer each year. This walk experience wouldn't be what it is for me, without my sister.


So, I'm hoping she feels better really soon (like, oh, by Saturday, since we have an 11-mile training walk on the schedule!) ... because it's just not the same without her.

OCD girl is frapping out

On the one hand, I love the 3-Day training program -- it gives walkers a very specific regimen to train for the fact that you'll be walking 20 miles a day for three days. At the same time, I hate the 3-Day training program. Because I'm a compulsive "check-it-off-my-list" type of person...

Case in point: This week, we enter in "Week 19." According to my "personal trainer" (the auto-emails from the Komen folks), the training guide calls for 19 miles of walking this week:

• Monday - day of rest
• Tuesday - 3 miles
• Wednesday - 15 minutes cross training
• Thursday -5 miles
• Friday - 30 minutes cross training
• Saturday - 6 miles
• Sunday - 5 miles

Sounds great. Until "Real Llife" settles in and I have to adapt the schedule accordingly. And that's what fraps me out. Trying to figure out how to get it all in, while recognizing that I need more than just 45 minutes of cross training in a week (remember the goal is to NOT pass on out on the sidewalk the first day). And oh yeah, I have a full-time job, two kids and a husband. 

And because I'm OCD girl* this causes me a great deal of stress: I need more than 45 minutes of cardio. I have to get in at least 2 days of strength training. I have a Tiger's game to work on Saturday and can't possibly do that and walk 6 miles. It's still 30 freakin' degrees (snow in the forecast for Wednesday, thank you Mother Nature), and walking 5 miles on the treadmill on Thursday sounds like torture. But if I don't commit to the training schedule, I'm not meeting my own expectations. Is this the beginning of the end? Is this the slippery slope? 

Argh. See where I'm coming from?

Deep breath.

OK. Not walking every single mile recommended in the 3-Day training guide does NOT mean that I'm a failure. It does NOT meant that I can't walk 60 miles in three days. It does NOT mean that I'm not doing what I can do to raise awareness about breast cancer.

So, what I'm committing to now: I will try my best, each and every week, to do the most that I can possibly do, to train for this walk. 

So this week, I will try my best to get in 19 miles by doing  the following:

• Monday - strength training (30), cardio (30), walk 1 mile (15) by going to the gym in the morning
• Tuesday - cardio  (15) and walk 3 miles (50 minutes) at the gym in the morning
• Wednesday - strength training (30) and cardio (30) in the morning, 3-mile walk in the evening
• Thursday - cardio (15) and walk 3 miles (50 minutes) at the gym in the morning
• Friday - strength training (30) and walk 3 miles (50 minutes) in the gym in the morning
• Saturday - day of rest
• Sunday - walk 6 miles 

That brings me close to my goal: 3 days of strength training, 90 minutes of cardio and 19 miles of walking. Throw in a day of fundraising (Saturday), and I'm calling it a win.

And if I don't get there, well, I tried. 

*Disclaimer: I truly intend no disrespect  for those dealing with a very serious illness, but I simply acknowledge that I tend to obsess on things in a weird way.

Gym rat wannabe?

I'm loving the gym. I love the routine of training for the 3-Day. Who would have ever thought I'd be saying (writing?) those words....

We're on week 20 of the 24-week training schedule for the 3-Day for the Cure. This week's tally is 17 miles: a 3-mile walk (Tuesday), a 4-mile walk (Thursday), a 6-mile walk (Saturday) and 4-mile walk (Sunday). I'm enjoying the walking a lot, with one exception: It's still too dang cold to walk outside comfortably! So we're in the gym. And the mall. Blech. I ended up breaking up the four-mile walk for Thursday and did a mile tonight, so that I don't have to spend nearly 70 minutes on the treadmill tomorrow (*yawn*).

As for the gym? I'm really enjoying the routine ... early workouts Mondays & Fridays, evening workout on Wednesday. Typical workout is about 70 minutes and includes 40 minutes of strength training/nautilus-style equipment and 30 minutes on the elliptical. I'm really pleased that my endurance has increased ... I've come a long way from doing barely 15 minutes at 3mph in August.

So, I've gone from a "gym-a-phobe" in August to a "Gym Rat Wannabe" in March. Again, who would have thunk it.

March Madness ... no kidding

It's March Madness in so many ways ...

Game on! We have 59 people playing in "Brackets for Boobies," our March Madness fundraiser for the 3-Day for the Cure! With a $10 donation from a friend, the pot for the winner is $300, and the donation for the 3Day for the Cure is $300. It's a great fundraiser for us, and dang, I'm having a ton of fun! We've been watching tons of games, and the ups and downs are just a blast. I was riding decently in the top end of the standings, but fell (thank you Texas and Kansas State) to the flat middle of the pack, ranking at 16th going into the next round of games (starts Thursday!). Last year, I picked Butler. This year, I didn't. I learned my lesson. I puffy heart Butler.

But for the real March Madness.... I can't even begin to describe my dismay. It's snowing. It's icing. It's a wintry mix. It sucks. It's the second full day of spring, and it's nasty out. I'm not really up for a 5-mile walk in the mall on Saturday, so Mother Nature better suck it up and say hello to her new BFF Spring.

Spring has sprung! Or so I keep telling myself...

It's foolhardy. Presumptuous. Premature.

I know... But it's 60 degrees outside right now! I know. It's Michigan. It'll change in 20 minutes.

But while it was here, I got in a great training walk, outside. Four miles Thursday night and five miles planned for Friday morning. Hallelujah.

It'll also be the first back-to-back walk for me (I know, 9 miles is nothing compared to what I'm going to deal with in August). But we're heading up to Frankenmuth for a long weekend with the kids, family and friends, and I wanted to get in my required (er, recommended) training in before we left. I plan to get in a quick workout in the hotel gym, but I'm not holding out much hope for great equipment there. Regardless, I'm glad I'm able to modify my training schedule to meet the demands of my personal life...

And on that note, enjoy your weekend ... I plan to.  We're looking forward to a fun-filled, long weekend with friends and family. The kids are excited to play in the waterpark and the game room, and the adults are looking forward to long days sitting around doing absolutely nothing productive. My kind of vacation.

Finding the positive in the dreaded time change

Let's just start with the fact that I stayed up WAY too late last night, the night of the dreaded time change. When I came home at 3 a.m. (pretty late, even for me), and added in the time change factor, and now it's 4 a.m. *yawn*

But the upside is that I'm staring out the window now, trying to determine how late I'll have to walk in the evenings... which is great, because the mileage starts to pick up this coming week. I've been doing the 3- or 4-mile walks pretty easily (time-wise). But this coming week includes two 3-mile, a 4-mile and a 5-mile walk. That four-mile and five-mile walk aren't really treadmill material, so I'm hoping to head out ... and with the lingering light, it just might be do-able starting this week!

For a quick fundraising update: We did a quick bottle drive in the neighborhood this past week... on Sunday and Monday, Stef's kids went door to door for four streets, handing out pink fliers stapled to pink garbage bags (read Stef's post about that experience). Then on Saturday (after our mall walk), we drove the kids around to pick up the stuff. We figured it would be a $50 fundraiser, at best, considering we only did four streets this time.

We were shocked at the results.....

This was all from one house. The guy had been saving his bottles for a friend's daughter's softball team, but they found a different fundraiser and he never used them. He kept waiting for an organization to do a drive, but no one was doing one. The day the kids showed up with the fliers, he was  making plans to take the bottles back that week. Instead, he put them out for us. There were at least 45 12-packs, a dozen six-packs, and a half-dozen of cases of cans. Probably $50 to $75 worth of bottles.

And the rest of the houses? They came out in support in a big way. After we dropped off our first load, we drove around to the other houses and filled the back of the van. Alyssa and I took just that load back to the store and came out with $95.

So an easy fundraiser will probably raise close to $175. And with minimal work for us ... the only cost was the pink paper & pink garbage bags. The total time invested was about 3 hours (run the fliers around = 1 hour; pick up the cans = 45 minutes; return 1 load of bottles = 1 hour).

What was priceless though: The incredible support and generosity of our neighbors, and the fact that it was an activity we could do with the kids.

Next up: More bottle drives! Brackets for Boobs! A spaghetti dinner at the campground!  Lots of fun coming up this spring... and more daylight to enjoy it in....

Stepping to the beat ... or not...

The past two weeks we've been training for the 3-Day ... the weather hasn't cooperated yet, and with one to three inches forecast for tonight, the outlook isn't good.

So, it's gym time. Specifically, walking on the treadmill for four days each week. Luckily, the max so far has been three miles, which isn't too bad (I'm down to 52 minutes).

But it does mean my iPod and I are getting to be bestest friends. And the music selection is getting a little old.

So ... what's on your workout playlist? What music should I put on my iPod to keep me moving, keep me energized and keep me entertained?

How to celebrate Fat Tuesday

I'm not sure if this is a national thing, or just a Michigan thing (or even southeast Michigan thing), but being Polish (last name = Kowalski), Paczki day (known to the rest of the world as "Fat Tuesday") is an official holiday around here.

All over town, you'll see boxes of these enormous pastries, in dozens of varieties (chocolate covered custard are my favorite!). It's all the media talk about today.

So how am I celebrating?

I'm celebrating "not-quite-as-fat" Fat Tuesday today. I've lost 15 pounds and have dropped at least one size since the beginning of the year. I went to the gym this morning for the eighth day in a row (tomorrow's a day of rest, thankfully). I walked 12 miles last week as part of my first week of training for the 3-Day for the Cure.

So I'm celebrating, but not with a paczki. I hope.

I will stay strong ... maybe.

And we're off!

Today marks the official start of the 24-week training program for the 3-Day for the Cure! Since Monday is technically the "day of rest" each week, today was a great day to sit down, plot out a strategy for accomplishing my training over the next six months, and write out a plan for this week.

This week is pretty mild ... a total of 12 miles for the week, with a recommended 3-mile walk on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Fortunately that's not a stretch at this point -- I'll be at the gym all four of those days and can get in the 3-mile walk in 50 to 55 minutes, still giving me 20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. I'll still get in some strength training (Wednesday and Friday), rounding out a full week of activity.

Another tool I found to keep me on track is DailyMile ... it's a great way to log my workouts and track my overall mileage and activity. (You can see a link to my workouts on the right side of my blog.) In addition to logging workouts and mileage, I can also "friend" others who are training for the walk ... if you're doing the 3-Day and are using DailyMile, hit me up! (Today, I also figured out that I can start a "challenge," which I think will allow me to start tracking my miles from now until August and keep a tally with friends who join.)

When all is said and done, I'll have logged 585 training miles between today and August 12... So, ready or not, here I come!

Yay, yay, yay!

Excitement abounds today .... we're getting confirmations on the Euchre party (if you're interested in playing, holler!) and it looks like it'll be a good crowd; Keith's off work next week (minor procedure, he's recovering well), so I get to go to the gym all week; and I got my first set of e-mails from the "virtual trainer" service from the Komen folks:

• Euchre party: We're hoping for a group of at least 32 to play Euchre on Saturday, March 5. If you're interested, let me or Stef know. Payment ($20 per person) is due by Wednesday so we know how many to prepare for. We have a great, random collection of people planning to come ... some camping friends, work pals, drinking buddies (aren't they all?) and more. The best part? A low-key evening of friends, cards and laughter will raise close to $500 for the 3-Day for the Cure!
• Training begins! Monday is the official launch of the 24-week training program for the 3-Day! And you'll be hearing more about that in the coming week, with probably a dozen more exclamation points to come...  I'm so excited for this mark -- for me, it signals the official beginning. I've been working out consistently for the past eight weeks (five or six days a week), with some walking, some cardio, some strength training. Now it's time to really focus on the walking -- over the course of 24 weeks, I'll get in 585 miles of walking. And that's just to prepare me for walking 20 miles a day for three days. In the middle of August (the hottest time of the year!).
• Gym time! Keith's off for the next 10 days, and the most exciting part of that is that I get to go to the gym in the mornings. I never thought I'd say that. Ever. (And those of you who know me well, it's probably a shock!). I am amazed at how much I like the gym... it has been fun, energizing, and a great chance to spend some time with Stef. (And Kyer, who has started joining us, making it a lot of fun!)

So ... with a smidge more than 24 weeks until the walk, I'm excited! (Hence the overuse of exclamation points!!) Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Spring is in the air ... and my wallet can't wait

Stef & I went mall walking tonight (our usual Thursday routine), and boy oh boy, I cannot wait for this snow to go away and daylight to last a little longer. Aside from the "side effects" of walking at the mall (I'm now stocked up on Yankee Candle, thank you), it's just not as much fun walking inside.

Although, watching (and dodging) the teeny boppers hanging around the mall is an experience in itself. Tonight there was some sort of event at Hot Topic, and there were tons of teens. Watching the teenage girls "in action" was an amazing study in cruelty... they're just mean little creatures sometimes.

So, the countdown is on ... the "official" training starts in 10 days, and we have fewer than six weeks until spring technically begins.

And for the first time in weeks, I can actually see green on the ground. Yay spring!

First walk... first party!

With the bright sunshine today, it was almost possible to think it was spring. The incredibly brisk wind and treacherous ice reminded me otherwise. But, it was a great day to get outside and get in a quick walk.

We lost half our power last night, including the furnace, so I couldn't get to the gym this morning (waiting for a friend to come fix it). Instead, I laced up and bundled up and headed outside. I used the route-maker on Daily Mile to map out a 3-mile walk right around the house. Other than having to walk in the street most of the time (lots of icy patches on the sidewalks, or houses that just didn't shovel in front of their home for the past, oh, month), it was a great walk, and I made good time (3 miles in 50 minutes).

So, first "outdoor" walk of the season is done (woo hoo!) and I can't wait for the warmer weather to melt some snow (and ice) and we'll get out there a little more.

Speaking of "firsts" .... we're hosting our first fundraiser event... a Euchre Tournament on Saturday, March 5. Check-in is at 7 p.m., first hand starts at 7:30. It's $20 to get in, with cash prizes to 1st and 2nd place. Entry fee covers your games, pizza, pop and munchies. Bring your own booze, leave the kids at home. Let me know if you're interested in playing!! We're asking that everyone confirm their spot by paying by Wednesday, March 3 --you can pay by cash, check or PayPal (bank transfer). Holler and we can cover the details!

Hope you can join us!