Took an official rest day today. Will pound the pavement again tomorrow morning.

Thought for the Day:

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.

Friday, January 16th

Well, I have to admit that it was just too darn cold to walk outside this a.m. I think the temperature was 28 degrees. So, I drove over to Crull Fitness and walked on the treadmill for an hour and a half. Even with my MP3 player going and also watching a news channel on the TV in front of me, I have to admit it was BORING. But, I did get 6 miles in followed by stretching.

I got home in time to take a shower and head out the door again. I went to a new hairdresser and got a 2 Day "do" .... meaning a really really short haircut. I actually like it, but think I'll like it a bit better when it grows out a little. In the meantime, it will sure be easy to take care of, especially as I train for this 39 mile walk. I have to say Richard was sure surprised! He was kind and said he likes my new "do" though. As I'm apt to say, it's just hair. Even when I lost most of my hair in 1987 during my radiation treatments, it really didn't bother me much. Obviously, I'm not normal. (But then all who know me, know that!)

Miles walked today: 6

Total official training miles: 17

I had planned to go to yoga today, but stayed home instead with a sinus headache. Maybe tomorrow I will get half a dozen miles in.

Wednesday, January 14th

It was a gorgeous day for walking.... clear skies and 60 degrees outside. I walked to Target, then on to Natural Grocers and then met Janie for lunch at Qdoba.... and, of course, I walked home for a total of 6 miles. New shoes are terrific... no blisters!

Total miles today: 6

Total official training miles: 11

This morning, Janie and I met Julian (a.k.a. Chachi) at Crull Fitness around 9:30 a.m. This time, Julian kicked the workout up a notch.... I told Julian that he needed to know that he is not in my Last Will & Testament, so there is no benefit to killing me with exercise! No doubt that after a few months of training with the big bad wolf, we will be able to huff and puff and blow the house down! Actually, Julian is a nice young man who knows how to keep us moving with a smile. (well, yeah, it's easy for him to smile since WE'RE the ones sweating!)

Last week, I got an email from one of my Los Angeles Breast Cancer 3 Day friends, D'Lyn. She has a friend that is making a breast cancer quilt as a fundraiser from breast cancer t-shirts and was looking for shirt donations. So, I rooted throught my stash and found a few that were in good enough shape to send and got them in the mail just before the post office closed yesterday. I can't wait to see what the finished quilt will look like... D'Lyn says she's received alot of really unique shirts for her to use. How cool is that?

While I had good intentions, I must confess that I skipped walking to the library today. But, I have a good excuse. Instead, I walked to The Corner Bakery and had lunch with three of my 2007 Breast Cancer 3 Day teammates, Alice, Robyn and Laurie. It has been quite awhile since we have been able to visit and catch up on the latest.

I mentioned to them that I am now working out at Crull Fitness once a week as part of my cross training. And, I told them that I am looking for a bicycle to ride to Crull to further cross train. It is just 4 miles each way, but that would eat up much of my day to walk that when added to a workout. Alice offered the loan of her bike and I think I might just take her up on her offer!

Not that you were wondering, but I thought I'd let you know that my new sneakers are like walking on air. Life is good.

Number of miles walked today: 5
Total official training miles: 5

I started out pretty darn lazy this morning. Three cups of Tulsi (holy basil) tea & a date with the Sunday newspaper. Around 10:00 a.m., I finally decided it was time to get moving, so I put my sneakers on and took a hike around the neighborhood. It was sunny and cool, maybe 42 degrees which is just about perfect for walking. I logged three miles by the time I got back home. It was an uneventful walk but I did see a neighbor outside taking down his Christmas decorations and a Christmas tree at the curb of another neighbors house for city pickup tomorrow. I suppose Christmas is officially over.

According to the training schedule, I need to walk five miles tomorrow... a nice & easy distance to start the week. I might just walk to the library and see what new books are on the shelves. Maybe I'll learn something new... what a nice thought.

Quote for the day:
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." ~ Sir Winston Churchill

Saturday, January 10
After evaluating my athletic shoes, I decided I really needed a new pair to train in for this walk. (It's important to train in the shoes you are going to use in the walk.) Since I have pretty big feet... oh all right, monster-size 11 feet, the pickings are usually slim. I did try on eight different pairs and finally chose a fairly plain pair of Avia sneakers. Actually, they are running shoes. But, when I was growing up in the 1960's and early 1970's, we called 'em sneakers. And, they were usually Keds my mom bought for me from Sears. Now, there are a zillion different brands, styles and colors to choose from; how times have changed.

The Great Awakening!

Today was "the great awakening". I feel like a bear that left the cave after winter hibernation. Janie and I checked in at Crull Fitness Center at 10:00 a.m. and Julian, our personal trainer, got us moving at 10:01! Julian looks alot like Chachi from the TV show Happy Days, no kidding! (Actually, he does look like a kid, but then to me, anyone under the age of 30 looks like a kid to me!)

For the next hour an a half, Julian had us both moving, up and down, back and forth from machine to machine and my old muscles creaked and groaned and sputtered to life like a piece of antiquated equipment. I remember mumbling something about "evil" when he said 20 more reps.. But, it felt great and I left with no doubts that I really am on my way to getting fit for this 39 mile walk. Since my Avon training guide suggests cross training weekly, I've decided to meet up with Janie (and Chachi) on Tuesday mornings. Think I'll go plop myself down in the jacuzzi for awhile.... stay tuned.

One more thing I want to share with you:

Yesterday afternoon, I went to Terrace Elementary School to judge a spelling bee. I was quite taken with the words that were on the tote bag of a 5th grade contestant, so I took this picture to share with all of you. What a nice surprise from a wee one, eh?

(p.s. The spelling bee was great fun!)

It's official..... I started my training off with a bang this morning... well, maybe not exactly a bang, that would be a bit of a stretch. Actually, it was a stretch, as you see, I went to yoga.

I hate to admit it, but it's been a looong time since I've been to yoga. When I went to class this morning, Bharati Amin, our yoga instructor had a huge smile on her face when she saw me. Maybe I was missed! The good news is that I enjoyed the hour and half immensely... the bad news is that I have regressed alot during my yoga hiatus. Rubber bands, licorice sticks and marshmallows are flexible... I was not. Well, maybe a little... sort of like a stale marshmallow, you know... ha.

Having done the Breast Cancer 3 Day in 2007, I know I must add another cross training activity to my program. So, yesterday, I went to Crull Fitness on Custer Parkway in Richardson and met with the owner, Al Coseglia. I have driven by Crull since it opened maybe a year ago but hadn't been inside. Crull is a state-of-the-art fitness center with the latest machines and a full staff to work with you. I meet with a personal fitness instructor tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and together, we'll figure out the best routine to target different muscles than those I use when I walk. This is important to keep from getting muscle pulls, strains and sprains. None of which I need! And, the good news is that my friend Janie is going to go work out regularly with me. I have a friend that is willing to sweat with me. Neat-o. I will no doubt, be keeping you up-to-date on how this goes!

Fundrasing Update: $475.00 so far. Just $1,325.00 more to go!