Sore Ankles Hobbled Me

It was a chilly day today, but Sarah and I were ready to do our run. We both brought our warmer running clothes, and we were ready to conquer. Or so I thought. I was the one who wussed out. We started out well, but after we had gone about a mile, my ankles could take no more. So, I asked if we could just walk the rest of the way. We still managed to get in over 2.5 miles, which got over 5 meals for some needy people. But I just hate that my ankles wouldn't cooperate. I blame it on wearing some boots I hadn't worn in a while the day before...

It's Freaking Cold!

It's really cold today. Temperatures are in the 30s. That's just insanity. And the other insanity: me, walking on the Greenway in my work clothes with my thin leggings and my thin little jacket (at least it had a hood). Sarah opted to reschedule our Tuesday run since she didn't have the right gear for running. I should have just gone to the gym, but I chose to do a lunch time walk. I had Pandora to keep my company, and I just enjoyed getting away from the office for a bit. But man, it was cold!

In case you're interested, here's the playlist Pandora chose for me.

Revolution by The Beatles
Tiny Dancer by Elton John
Wild Horses by Rolling Stones
Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye
Centerfold by J. Geils Band
Hip to Be Square by Huey Lewis
Who's Crying Now by Journey
Tainted Love by Soft Cell
Hey Jude by The Beatles
The Joker by Steve Miller Band
Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheel
The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
Private Eyes by Hall & Oates
Doing It All For My Baby by Huey Lewis

A Leisure Walk

Today, I elbowed my way into a group of colleagues who decided to do a lunch time walk. Ok, the group didn't resist my presence, but I certainly didn't mind inviting myself into their walk. It was good motivation for me, and I really was ready to get away from my desk for a bit. So, we walked almost 2 miles for the ASPCA. I should have put a little extra "oomph" into it so I could get to the 5th vaccination mark, but not bad.

The Weight of the World

When you allow the weight of the world to rest on your shoulders, it also rests on your run. Here's some news, friends: I'm not perfect. One of my many imperfections is that I tend to fixate on things that bother me. I really want to take the advice to let things go, but I haven't yet figured out how to do that. So, today's run was not as good as I would have hoped, although it wasn't bad either. I really wanted to do a better time for three miles than I did last time. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet that goal. Usually in my runs, I can let go of things that are bothering me to focus on my run. But today something particularly vexing kept creeping into my thoughts, and therefore, I wasn't as focused as I should have been.

That being said, I still managed to get in my three miles which means that hopefully six meals have been provided to people who need them. So, all in all, it wasn't a failure, there was some success. I'll just have to try harder the next time I run. Can I get a virtual high five?

A Walk for the Critters

Today, I had a training session that lasted until noon. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do my normal run. But thankfully, my buddy Sarah agreed that we could do a walk instead. We spent our lunch hour walking the Greenway and chit-chatting. We managed to walk an entire three miles during that hour. We also saw some interesting little critters along the way including a blue heron, a little snake, and a camera-shy squirrel. And our walk with the critters produced 7.5 vaccines for the (shelter) critters as well.

Just Another Tuesday...but it's Friday!

So, Sarah and I weren't able to get on the Greenway for our Tuesday run, so we opted to do it today. Just a couple of gals chit-chatting during our intervals. Oh, and getting some meals for Feeding America too.

Walk to De-Stress

It's really hectic at work right now. I really, really wanted to go for a run today. But I just couldn't justify leaving for an hour and a half when there is so much today. So, I asked a co-worker if she wanted to go for a walk with me. We got it done in a little over 30 minutes: 1.5 miles and 3 meals. Not bad. And it was nice to get away from my desk and enjoy the outside for just a bit.

Creepy, Spooky and Backpacky Walks

For Halloween, I opted to take the little darling to the mall to see other dressed up kids. We got there a little later than the allotted candy hand-out time of 6-7 p.m., but she managed to get a couple of sweets for daddy and mommy to eat. She looked so sweet in her little UNC cheerleader outfit. And she was also very sweet in helping me walk for furry vaccinations.

And then today, I opted to try to get a few more steps in for the ASPCA. I loaded my best girl in her little backpack, and we took off for a walk with the pups. The rain tried to derail us, but we still managed to get another vaccine for the ASPCA companion animals.

The Reptilian Run

Had I known how many critters I would see out on the path today, I may have opted to run for the animals. But I chose my old standby. I love doing for the animals, but it's hard not to feed people when it's lunchtime.

My running buddy was back today. We've both been busy at work, but we really strive to spend our Tuesdays running for a bit. Last week, I flaked and forgot my workout clothes, so we ended up walking during our lunch. So, this week, I was glad we could run together again. We did a great job! We seem to increase our distance just a little bit each time we run. It's awesome to see the progress.

On our run, we shared the path with a snake and a lizard. If our turtle friends had ventured up from the creek, our reptilian run would have been complete. But regardless of their absence, we ran on and managed 2.65 miles, which provided over five meals.

The Old, Familiar Path

Today, I hit the trail by myself. I wanted to get in my three miles, but I was ready to revisit the old path I used to take when I first started running over a year ago. I'll be honest; my nutrition has really sucked this week. For some reason, I can't get my health mojo back. I'm still exercising, but I know that I need to start watching my food intake soon, or I'm going to regret it.

I feel that my lack of restraint with food this week definitely shows in my run today. My time wasn't great, and overall, I just felt rather tired throughout the entire run. But I still got out there and did my three miles, which means that six meals are on their way to hungry folks.

Being Forgetful is not a Deterrent!

So, this morning, I packed my gym bag when I finally made it downstairs, but somewhere amidst putting on my shoes and making sure I had all the necessary baby things, I forgot to grab it on my way out the door. I blame it on the fact that I've started taking my work laptop home, and since I grabbed that bag on my way out, I guess I thought I had everything.

Since I didn't have any of my workout clothes, Sarah and I decided to just take a nice long walk at lunch. It was a lovely day for a walk. It was warm in the sun, so I did get a little perspirey, but it was a nice way to spend lunch. I do like my usual runs, but sometimes, you just have a take a pause to enjoy the day. And even though we didn't run, we still walked over 2.5 miles and managed to get over 6 vaccinations for some little furry companions.

A Grand Zoo Adventure

Today was a great day! We took our Tiny Dancer out to the zoo. It was her first time visiting the zoo, and while she spent a lot of her visit napping in her stroller, it was still a fun day. With all the walking we had to do from exhibit to exhibit, it's only fitting that we turn on Charity Miles to help benefit a noble cause. And since we were at the zoo, I thought it only fitting that the miles I walk help benefit the World Wildlife Fund. We walked over 4 miles and raised over $1 to help furries around the world.

Charity Miles, You're Drunk!

The weather was so yucky today. I really wanted to go running with my buddy on the Greenway, but we both knew that it wasn't going to be an outdoor run kind of day. So, it was time to reintroduce myself to Mr. Tread Mill. I wasn't looking forward to it. For one thing, the last time I did the treadmill and used my accelerometer, the results for Charity Miles weren't spectacular (click here). But I figured I would give it my all, and just hope for the best for Charity Miles.

I set my Charity Miles and decided to run intervals like I always do. I really wanted to get to 3 miles, and I wanted to do it in my 40-43 minute window, like I've been able to do on the Greenway. Man, that was a hard goal to achieve, but I did it. It's funny that I feel like it's a lot more effort running on the treadmill than on the Greenway when really it should be the same amount of work. I guess when you're worried about being slung off the back of a machine, it kicks up your performance even if the speed isn't any different.

After I finished my run and wiped down the machine, I was curious to see if the accelerometer had treated me better today. This time, it calculated too far, but what is really interesting is the time. There's no way I ran 3.8 miles in 16 minutes, Charity Miles. I'm not sure anyone could do that. It's time you had a little nap because you've obviously been hitting the sauce. But at least I was able to get 9.7 vaccines for some furry little critters.

The Turtle Trot

Today, I brought both pairs of shoes because I wasn't sure for which exercise I would opt. My running partner had said something about getting out on the trail today, but when I contacted her this morning, she said she couldn't make it. So, I pondered if I should run or spin. A busy morning at work decided for me as I missed the opportunity to go to the gym for spin. So, around 12:15, I hit the trail. I pushed myself much harder than I should have, but I really wanted to increase my last solo distance, even by just a little. I did it! I made it over three miles (barely).

On my cool-down walk back to my car, I saw a few little turtles in the creek, sunbathing on a rock. At first I just acknowledged them and continued walking. But then I started thinking that it would be great to get a shot of them for my collage. Two of them got camera shy and darted into the water before I could snap the photo, but I managed to get one of them still lazing in the sun.

Anyway, even though I pushed myself too hard, I still managed to feed six people during my lunch break. Charity Miles has been such a great motivator for my runs.

Go Away Bad Juju

I needed this run...badly. I'm having some difficulties with which I won't bore you, but I was ready to de-stress with a run. Unfortunately, I was ill prepared for my run. I forgot my hydration belt, an important article of running clothing and my gym towel. But I didn't care. I was determined to burn some stress. So, I yammered away with Sarah for our run, and by the end, I did feel better (for the moment). She helped me de-stress and get five meals for some hungry folks.

Three is my Magic Number

Do I look smug? I feel a little smug. Because I just ran three miles in around 42 minutes! I say around because I stopped for the obligatory exercise shot while the clock was still running. It's not as good as the time I used to clock pre-pregnancy (33 minutes was my best), but I'm getting back to that point, little by little. It's really interesting to see how far I've come with my endurance in such a short time.

I began running with Sarah on July 2, and we managed to make it 2 miles. Remember this picture?

So, it took me almost three months, but I've managed to add another mile to the mix. The only reason I'm not doing it in 34 minutes is because it takes a lot longer to walk back from my ending point for my 30 minute-intervals than it did when we ran those 2 miles (we were basically back to our starting point at the end of the 30 minutes). 

Maybe one day I'll managed to make my way back to that awesome time. But either way, running three miles and providing six meals is good enough for me.

Hoofin' It for the Furries

So, it's been a while since I've done anything for ASPCA. The weather hasn't been great for walking dogs, so that hasn't happened much this month. I wanted to dedicate a run to getting some vaccinations for some little companions, so I hit the trail today. I wasn't expecting to get over 2.25 miles. I woke up with a sore throat, I left my running shoes at home (an old pair I use for spin was in my gym bag) and I've had a headache for a couple days. I tried to take it easy on myself by doing minute/minute intervals, but my inner coach really kicked in and set specific points to run to within those running minutes. In fact, my coach did such a good job that I broke my interval record. I was expecting to take it easy on myself. But my hard work really paid off for the furry companions!

Running (on fumes) for Feeding America

Today, my friend Sarah opted to skip the run. Her son was up last night with a cough, so she wasn't feeling the energy to run. I'm actually quite tired myself. My little Tiny Dancer has a bit of a cold, and the only way she would sleep last night was in my arms as I sat in the chair. So, I really could have ducked out of running too. But I put whatever little energy I had into doing my lunchtime run. I think I did pretty well. I tend to push myself harder than I should when I run by myself, so I managed to burn up over 2.8 miles. Not bad, but not where I want to be (yet).

I'm just happy I didn't let my exhaustion keep me from feeding some people. Over 5.5 meals obtained for doing my fumey run.

A Run for Anna

I didn't announce this, but quietly, to myself, I had made a deal that I would do all my longer runs this month for Feeding America, and that shorter strolls and walks would be for the ASPCA. So, I was all set to do my normal Tuesday run with Sarah to benefit Feeding America. But after speaking with my "work mom" Lynn this morning, I knew I needed to do a special run for the ASPCA. Lynn told me about her daughter's dog Anna, a rescue, who is quite ill at the moment. So, I wanted to do a special run for a special dog. I've never met Anna, but I know she must be special because she has some beautiful humans who love her. This one is for you, Anna, and all your furry pals.

Stroll for the Furries

This evening, I was ready to get back on track with walking the pups. Piper hasn't really had a good, structured walk this week, so I was determined to get him out tonight. And he was quite happy to get his walk. I took the Piper reins while Cliff walked our two girls. Of course, Piper doesn't respond as well to me as he does to Cliff. I walked him most of the way, but for the last quarter mile, Cliff took over to show me how to relax while I walk Piper. It's just difficult for me. Relaxing while a maniacal mutt is doing everything he can to pull my arm out of the socket isn't really an easy feat. But I'll keep trying. In the meantime, I enjoyed having a few minutes to walk my girls.

Once we got home, I was ready to finish up logging our mile. But when I stopped the Charity Miles app, I got this error message.

I started to have a little panic attack. I've gotten this message before, and it was the prelude to an app crash and my progress not saving. But luckily, that was not the case today. I did manage to get my progress saved after we finished dinner, in which the baby proved to be quite fussy from sleepiness. You wouldn't know it to look at the picture I took of her (see below). For some reason, whenever a camera comes out, she can't help but ham it up. She just loves it when we take pictures of her. And she's so smart, she knows the difference between really taking a picture and pretending to take one. She's a clever clogs!

Rain, Rain...You Stayed Away!

It's been a few days since I've logged any miles. Shame on me! But that ends now. It's Tuesday, and Sarah and I managed to get back to our Tuesday routine. Yesterday, it rained ALL....DAY....LONG. The gray sky today didn't give me much hope that we would get to do our Greenway run. But the weather gods smiled down upon us and gifted us with a gloomy, cloudy, but fairly dry run. I felt absolutely great during the run. In fact, it felt a little easy (to me), so next week, we kick it up a notch! I guess my spin classes are helping with my stamina. Anyway, we managed to run 2.5 miles in just under 41 minutes (although a little time was used for the photo op). And we gifted 5 meals to some hungry people.

Return to the Greenway for Feeding America

I didn't forget about my weekly run this week. I just had to postpone it from our normal Tuesday run because I had to attend a company luncheon on Tuesday. But Sarah and I were ready to hit the Greenway today. We haven't run together in a couple weeks, but we managed to do very well. I'll take 2.5 miles in 41 minutes. And our lunchtime run meant we were able to provide 5 lunches for some hungry folk. I think I earned that protein-packed, post-run, egg-white bagel!

Pre-Bedtime Stroll

This evening, after I got home from work, I immediately made dinner. After eating, it was time to go for our evening walk. I wanted to eat first to give the day a little longer to cool from the heat. I got to man the stroller and the Tokie today. But with thunder clouds threatening rain, we did a shorter route than we had been doing. Still, we walked for 28 minutes and still managed to provide 1.5 meals. And after our walk, I got some snuggle time with my girl right before her bedtime.

In Touch with Nature for ASPCA

Today was a scorcher, and I was worried that we wouldn't be able to go for our evening walk. When I left work, the thermostat in my car showed 96 degrees. I definitely didn't want my girl to be subjected to uncomfortable, sticky heat. But luckily, by the time I got home after running a few errands, the temperature showed about 87 degrees. And by the time we finished eating dinner, the sun was setting and the evening was quite pleasant for our walk.

I manhandled the pup while Cliff strolled our girl and walked the Tokester. Ramsey was so cute on the stroll. She kept trying to hold Tokie's leash, and she loved it when I would turn quickly to look at her. On the way back, she held out her little hand to feel the leaves of some shrubbery as we passed by. I just love watching my girl as she experiences the world. And all her experiences tonight provided 2.5 vaccinations to some needy pets.

Spontaneous Mall Walk

Today is Sunday, and normally, Sunday is our obligatory mall walk. But since it is a long, holiday weekend, we had decided we would forgo our usual stroll. We already had plans to meet Jade at Twisted Fork for brunch, which was great because I enjoyed having brunch with her, but awful because neither the service nor food was very good. But after brunch, we opted to go to the mall to see about getting a cute onesie for the little one from Flashback. We didn't realize we would actually be pacing any distance just to go get a cute onesie. But after Flashback, Jade and her friend, Dan, wanted to go to FYE to look around, so we decided to go with them. About halfway to FYE, Cliff and I realized that we were missing out on prime Charity Mile recording. So, we set our phones for the rest of our shopping excursion. Shopping didn't last very much longer, but it was long enough to make for a very tired baby. And since I recorded 0.5 miles, I was able to get at least one meal for someone hungry. Hurrah!

The (Obligatory) Evening Stroll

It had been a couple days since our last walk with the pups, so I decreed this evening to be one for a family stroll. When I got home from work, I got the stroller ready, changed my clothes, tied on my shoes, and we hit the road. I could feel some tension as I pushed the stroller and tugged Tokie along. I believe I'm feeling a bit of frustration over end-of-month accounting stress, but I was hoping the walk would help. While I wasn't completely happy-go-lucky by the time we returned home after walking a mile, I was happy that we helped provide 2.5 vaccinations for some furry friends. Now, I just need to get through this month-end to return to my lovely, happy self. My pups and daughter feed off that negativity like piranhas.

Memorial Run for my Grandfather

Yesterday, I found out that my grandfather had passed away. He had been ailing with cancer for quite some time, and I just hope he has now found peace. In honor of him, I opted to do a run for him to benefit Stand Up 2 Cancer. This one's for your, Papaw Dean.

My Shaggy Beast Helps Other Shaggy Beasts

Another day, another opportunity for an evening walk. When I got home from work, I quickly changed into some appropriate walking clothes, and off we went. I manned the beast today, while Cliff pushed the baby. I enjoyed walking in front of her only to turn quickly and get a delighted giggle from my girl. One mile and 36 minutes later, we found ourselves back home with 2.5 vaccinations provided to other shaggy beasts. Now, if only we had gotten Piper that much needed haircut… all in due time!

Mall Stroll to Help Feeding America

Today, Cliff and I opted to go to the mall for a walk after Ramsey's morning nap. We've been regularly going to the mall on Sunday mornings to meet up with another mom and dad and their little boy. Today, another mom joined in on the baby playtime, which we opted to do before the walk. I started the Charity Miles app before we walked into the mall, so the time seems really long for a 2.5-mile walk, but that's because it includes the stop for the playtime, which lasted about 30 minutes or so, as well as other stops during the actual walk. At any rate, Ramsey had a great time playing with the other kids, and they both did well in their strollers after getting to spend some time playing with toys on the mall floor. Ramsey even did some crawling to contribute her movement towards the miles. By the time we stopped for lunch, we had amassed 5 meals for Feeding America. Not bad for a morning stroll.

Morning Family Stroll...Getting Breakfast and Giving Breakfast

This morning, we decided to get our family stroll completed early in order to beat the heat. Around 8:30, we arrived at the Greenway with the dogs and baby, and set off down the path. I set the timer for 15 minutes, so that we could turn back at that time if necessary for a nice 30-minute walk. I also set my Charity Miles for Feeding America. I was excited to do this walk because I just got a new jogging stroller for my birthday, and I wanted to get out on the "rugged terrain" with my girl. Cliff manned the dogs while I manned the stroller. When the timer sounded at 15 minutes, we decided to go just a bit further until we hit a bridge near an underpass. Then we turned back.

As we walked along, we noticed how muddy the Greenway was. All the rain we've been getting of late had obviously washed dirt over the path. And the swampy area right next to the Greenway looked rather deep. I could just imagine this setting in a horror movie (picture on lower left of the eerie scene). But it was a pretty good walk, and we both managed to get 3 meals each for hungry folks! That made my post-walk oatmeal taste even better.

A Muggy Day with a Side of Ankle Problems

Today, I opted to go for a run at lunch. Since I hadn't done any weight lifting or other crossfit-type exercise, I decided to do my 1:1 intervals, but instead of only walking, I would alternate between doing push-ups and sit-ups. Things didn't work out so well. First, the day was really hot and muggy. I could feel the heat beating down on me, which didn't help me during the running part of my "circuit". I think I managed to burn my hand on the hot pavement during one of my push-up sessions. And then as things progressed, my ankles just felt more and more weak, aching a bit and just unwilling to carry me any great distance at an acceptable pace. So, during this exercise routine, I told myself to take it easy. I was on my own, and I had nothing to prove. So I spent more time walking today than I usually would, and I didn't get as many push-ups and sit-ups in as I would like. But regardless of all that, I managed to provide over 3.5 meals for Feeding America. So, I'm proud. I did something physical, and some hungry people will benefit.

You Can't Stop Me, Little Nipper!

Today, my buddy wasn't able to join me for our normal Tuesday run, so I opted to hit the Greenway by myself. I was having a rough morning at work, and I was ready to burn some negative energy. So, I got all my apps and music ready and headed out to the Greenway. I did my little warm-up walk, and once I made it to the bridge, I started my intervals. Within a few seconds, I was derailed.

A couple walking their two dogs were approaching me on the bridge as I started my run. I managed to bypass the woman with her little labrador puppy, but the spaniel-type dog with the gentleman was having none of my running. As I was passing by, he leaped up and nipped my bat-wing. I gave a little cry of shock and stopped immediately to assess the situation. I didn't seem to have any broken skin, and the man and woman were profusely apologetic. I believed them when they said he was UTD on his shots. But I was irritated (although I tried not to show it). I was out to burn negative energy, and more of it slapped me in the face within a few seconds of running.

But despite the little mishap and losing a little bit of time with the incident, I got back to work on my run, and managed to do well: 2.5 miles in under 40 minutes. I'll take it and let Charity Miles give those 5 meals to people who need them.

What's Good for the Piper...

We got a little lazy this weekend when it came to walking the dogs. They got some exercise on Sunday when we took them to the park, but Saturday only presented a short, parking lot walk. So, I was ready to get back into the routine. Piper is really responding well to having these afternoon walks with the family. This time, I led Piper while Cliff strolled the baby and guided Tokie. He did really well, and the walk was obviously good for him as you can see by the smile on his face. But it was also good for other pups and cats. It only took 0.9 miles to get 2.25 vaccinations.

Exercising for Two...Charities, That Is!

Hooray! It's Friday. Normally, I have lazy Fridays, but since Sarah and I missed our usual Tuesday run, we rescheduled it for today.

The critters were out in force today. We saw lizards, dragonflies, and a friendly little snake on our run. We managed to make it 2.6 miles in about 40 minutes (I estimate down due to stopping for the photo, etc.), which provided over 5 meals. Yea!

Update: My second exercise session happened this evening. When I got home, we opted to do a walk with Piper and the baby again. Cliff walked with Piper and I strolled the baby (in flip-flops...not a great idea, BTW). We did our normal route, and if I would have just walked a tiny bit further, I would have gotten two whole vaccinations. Oh well, there's always next time.

An Evening Walk to Provide a Meal

This evening after I got home from work, I was ready to take Piper for a walk. We missed his (what is becoming) usual walk yesterday because of dinner plans, so I definitely wanted to get him on his leash. Since Cliff was the last one to man Piper's leash, I opted to take the reins while Cliff pushed our girl in her stroller. We opted to leave Tokie at home, which she didn't like, but she doesn't really like walks longer than our parking lot. So, we did (what is becoming) our regular route, and then back to the house. Piper did very well. Although he tries to challenge me, he obeyed most of the time and didn't pull too badly. And 0.8 miles later, we not only have a happy dog, but we also have 1.5 meals for the hungry.

Boo, Accelerometer...Poor Furries!

Today, my running buddy had a work conflict that prevented us from running together. So, I decided to go to the gym and meet Helen. Helen is a type of crossfit workout where you do three rounds, three minutes each (with two minutes rest in between) of 15 situps and 15 lunges AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible). So, I did my crossfit training, which took a little less than 15 minutes. I did about 7.5 reps. I guess that's ok, but I have nothing to compare to it. Not knowing what to do with myself for my remaining gym time, I decided to get on the treadmill. Treadmill and I don't get along, but occasionally, we have to put aside our differences so that I can run.

So, I launched Charity Miles and set it for an indoor run. I knew it would be monitoring my phone's accelerometer, so I tried my best to make sure my arm was swinging properly while I ran. Boo, the accelerometer didn't work very well. I ran a mile as is evidenced by the picture of the treadmill, but the accelerometer only registered 0.2 miles, which was only a half a vaccine for the furries. Oh well, I'll try to get them the other half of that vaccine when I take the pups for a walk later.

 

UPDATE: I did take the pups, the Cliff and the kid for a family walk after work (around 6:00 p.m.). Since I relied on my GPS for the walk, I got in another 0.75 miles, which helped provide another 1.8 vaccinations.

Rainy Dog Walk for the Animals

Our dog Piper is a sweet pup with a host of problems. Lately, I've been wondering if we should find a new home for him. But I'm not ready to give up on my boy. In an effort to continue training Piper, I'm trying to get him out for a walk in the afternoon. When I got home today, the sky was threatening bad weather. But I wanted to do a family walk. I got the dogs on their leashes, and Cliff got the baby in her stroller. Unfortunately, the rain started coming down a few minutes after we walked outside. Cliff, Tokie and the baby had to abandon the walk, but I was not to be deterred. Piper and I walked 0.8 miles in the rain. We managed to provide 2 vaccinations for a couple little furry ones. But best of all, Piper did really well on our walk. He challenged me a little, but on the whole, he listened and did well. I love that boy!

Feeding America on a Sleepy Stroll

As is becoming our normal Sunday routine, we opted to go to the mall and make a few rounds with a couple friends and their cute little boy. The little tikes got a bit of playtime, but I could tell our girl just wasn't feeling it today. But we still managed to circle the upper level twice and the lower level once, which equated to 1.25 miles, or 2.5 meals. Not bad for leisurely walk with our sleepy girl.

Strolling with my Girls to Feed America

Although we didn't go far, I still took the opportunity to log my Charity Miles. When I got home from work, I announced that I wanted to go for a family walk. So, we leashed the dogs, strollered the baby, and away we went. Even though we only walked 3/4 of a mile, it still meant we earned 1.5 meals for hungry folks (a total of three between the two of us). Not horrible for an impromptu stroll.

Salsa Sipping on Intervals for Shots for Furries

So, that's an odd headline. I feel I must explain (briefly). Last week, my awesome coworker shared her homemade peach salsa with us. I didn't have any storage containers in which to carry said salsa. So, I used a couple of my hydration bottles to transport some salsa home. Even though the bottles got a wash through the dishwasher, the overwhelming essence of cilantro and onion is still clinging to the inside of my bottles. So, my run today was like being at a fiesta. Ole!

My buddy Sarah was back this week for our run, and we did 1:1 intervals. We made it 2.5 miles in 40 minutes (includes the warm-up, cool down and obligatory post-run picture). Not bad! And we managed to amass over 6 vaccinations for the furries. Ah, that great mixture of runner's high and warm & fuzzy. I like it!

Strolling the Mall for Feeding America

Today, Cliff, Ramsey and I met with a couple of friends and their cute little boy to stroll the mall. I didn't make the same mistakes this time that I made last week. I stayed on 3G and was vigilant about restarting the app whenever I paused it. It was definitely a leisurely walk with a little baby playtime thrown in for good measure. We walked a little over a mile and got over 2.5 meals to feed hungry people. So, since Cliff did his app as well, together we amassed that's 5 meals. Yea!

Dragonfly Run for the Animals

Today, my running buddy Sarah was out of town at a conference for work. We had agreed last week that we would keep up the momentum in our respective places this week. I'll admit that I didn't think I would do that great a job without her there to challenge and motivate me. But I got on the trail, and I did excellent (if I do say so myself). But even though Sarah wasn't there to keep me company, I had some other little friends on the path. Throughout my entire run, dragonflies kept dancing along in front of me, and I pretended that they were coaching me along my run. So, with the dragonflies and my running playlist to keep my company, I pushed really hard. I managed to knock out 2.5 miles in under 40 minutes. Plus, it provided 6 vaccines to needy pups and cats.

Feeding America Despite Technical Difficulties

I started a new group called "Grow With Me" on Meetup in an effort to try to meet parents with children close in age to Ramsey. I posted an event for this morning to stroll the mall with our babies. I wanted to get exercise with Ramsey and Cliff that would be out of the heat and at a relatively easy pace. There were forces conspiring against my third reason of strolling to benefit Feeding America.

First, I had scheduled my stroll for 10:30 a.m. No one signed up for my event, but I still wanted to get to the mall around that time should anyone just show up despite the lack of RSVPs. At almost the exact moment we stepped out of our house to travel to the mall, there was torrential rain. But we hurried to the car and travelled onward to the mall.

When we got to the mall, both Cliff and I started our Charity Miles app on our separate phones so we could try to get as much benefit as possible to Feeding America. We opted for the "Indoor Walk" option which uses our accelerometer in the phones to gauge the distance. Once I set it, I placed the phone on the stroller and we started off. That was the second force. I didn't realize that the smooth ride of the stroller was interfering with the accelerometer. After about 15 minutes, the app had only logged 0.04 miles for me, so I thought it would take forever to get to a mile at that rate. I asked Cliff what his phone read, and it said 0.35 miles. We both figured it was because of the smooth ride on the stroller, so I shoved the phone in my pocket. This fixed that issue.

While we were walking, I noticed that the mall had free WiFi. I was so excited I quickly connected with my phone. Little did I know this would be the app's undoing. I finally managed to get to 1 mile on my phone after an hour of walking (although there were some stops and at one point I paused the app to take a picture and forgot to resume immediately). So, I stopped the app and went through the motions of saving the data. Then I tried to go to my history to see my results. I couldn't get the app to load the history. I rebooted my phone and kept quitting and restarting the app. Finally, Cliff suggested I get off the WiFi, and once I did the app restarted with no problems. But alas, my results had not saved. I blame it all on the stupid WiFi because I'm sure they would have saved if I had just stayed on my 3G.

Luckily, Cliff's phone accurately logged our stroll, so I at least have something to show for it, but it could have been more. At any rate, we did 1.4 miles in 60 minutes and provided nearly 3 meals to hungry people. And look at the picture of me and Ramsey by the sign in the mall. We were destined to help Feeding America today.

Feeding America, Beating the Rain

It was a race against the weather, a race we won! Today, Sarah and I did intervals to benefit Feeding America. We are definitely seeing improvements in our speed. We killed it today. Ok, I'll bring the bravado down a notch. We did 2.3 miles in under 40 minutes. That's 0.05 miles better than last week. Just as we see with our little ones, it's the "baby steps" that really make a difference. And we provided over 4 meals to hungry folks. Plus, good Samaritan Sarah picked up some trash from the Greenway to keep it from getting in the creek. Bonus points to her! And in regards to beating the rain, it was a little sunny when we ran, but by the time I got back to work after getting lunch, a light sprinkle began. Thank you, Mother Nature, for letting us get our run!

Intervals for the Furry Ones

Today is the third week of running with my new friend Sarah. We've managed to increase our speed. We did 2.25 miles in under 40 minutes. And we provided 5.65 vaccines to the puppies and kittens. Yea, us!