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.

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...

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.