The Pick-Me-Up

Whomever gets the dollar for my photo, might need a bit of Joe for the late night cramming.

My beautiful girl

Donating a photo is easy with such a beautiful subject.

Great New Charity App

Charity Miles has advertised Johnson & Johnson's charity app called "Donate a Photo". The basics are to donate a photo every day through the app, and Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 to the cause of your choice. Only one charity and photo each day.

My first charity through this app? Save the Children with this photo.

App Crash

I really hate when Charity Miles crashes! I went for a walk today to check out the scenery. The app crashed 3 times today, so poor Feeding America only got 5 cents today. I didn't even put it in the collage because it was so sad.

I got close to or a little over 2 miles (I think). The app crash not only screwed the charity, but it also screwed my distance. Oh, well. My estimate is probably pretty close. Not bad for a leisurely stroll.

Food for Thought

I love the message that accompanied the Charity Miles app background today:

"Don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to the person from yesterday."

That is my goal. Keep bettering myself. Oh and raise a little something. Today, the beasties benefitted. Feeding America might have been a better option because of the title of this blog, but oh well. I had no idea the background would be so inspirational. 

Hills, Ugh!

I'm not really complaining so soon after getting back to some sort of routine. But there are some hills around my office. I found that out today when I opted to do an outdoor run. To paraphrase Peppa Pig, "I don't like running uphill." But I managed to get over 2 miles. I did 1:1 intervals instead of killing myself with 1.5:1 like I did yesterday. 

I'm not sure how my 2 miles equates to meals since Charity Miles has changed so much since I last used it, but at least Feeding America benefitted from my hilly jaunt. Look how lovely it is by my office.

I'm Back, Baby

Ok, lots has happened since my last post in November. It has been way too long since I got on the treadmill or hit the trail. So here's a brief synopsis.

1) I actually ran sometime in December, but after my run, I was ordered to not run again during lunch by my previous boss. Yes, I said previous. The moment she told me I was no longer allowed to use my lunch break the way I deemed fit, I knew my days with that company were numbered. 

2) Due to the amount of stress that was heaped on me at my previous position, I stopped taking care of myself. I would spend my evenings desperately applying for any job that seemed somewhat in line with my qualifications while comforting myself with sweets. I was miserable.

3) Luckily, my misery was short lived. I managed to get hired with a great company that focuses on employee wellness. There are three exercise facilities onsite, and I took advantage today after my first week of orientation. I feel great. I had forgotten how good exercise endorphins make me feel.

4) Unfortunately, I didn't get charity credit for my run today. There have been updates to Charity Miles, and I didn't get it set up properly before my workout. Next time, I'll get it right. Hopefully, I'll also have a better distance as I could tell that a few months of being sedentary has hurt my endurance. Only 1.78 miles on the treadmill. I hope my future outdoor runs will produce better results.

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.