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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!