Most of the people that I know are reading this blog also know me in real life and know that my mother has been battling breast cancer for almost the last decade. I heard an ad on the radio a few days ago about the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk (60 miles!) for breast cancer research; my husband looked at me and said, "You know you're going to do that." He wasn't saying it like an order: I demand you walk sixty miles in three days. He just knows. He knows me.
I'm not a walker by any means. I prefer the elliptical or circuit training. But this is near and dear to my heart. Also, it's a definite BHAG (or Big Hairy Audacious Goal, for those of you outside Corporate America). Another upside: it will force me to train which means it will force me to exercise which will also help my goal to lose weight. It's a win-win situation!
So, I paid my registration fee (reduced by $25 if you register before the end of January!) and swallowed that lump in my throat and I told all the negative voices in my head telling me I can't do this and I can't raise that much money ($2,500) to just STFU. I developed my 'Personal Page' on their website and started begging the people I knew for donations. I was at 4% of my goal in one day! I'm not afraid; I've got strategies to keep the momentum going.
Because I can do this. I can do anything I tell myself I can do. I just need to keep telling myself this story until I believe it. Until it becomes a reality and not just a pipe dream.
The training materials that they provide are very helpful. I am still a fairly sedentary person. I have a desk job. I really only work out 3 days a week when I know I should be doing more. I don't take the stairs (thanks osteoarthritis in my knee!) or park further away at the mall. The plan tells you that your basic starting point should be the ability to walk 3 miles an hour for a full hour. From that point is where you start following the plan they've laid out (and it's a great plan to build endurance, stretch those miles and add time)!
This morning I decided it was time to see where I stand with the plan and whether or not it's something I can start as soon as Monday, or if I'm going to have to do some work to even start training. A little pre-training training, if you will.
It turns out that while I'm not there yet, I am a lot closer than I thought. I managed to go 2.5 miles in an hour. I had a little snafu in which my engagement ring pulled the emergency plug and I couldn't get the treadmill to continue my workout even when I got the plug back in place. I digress. Anyway, the gist is that I need to shave off a half mile from my time. I tried to increase/decrease my pace but it still worked out to an average of 2.5 miles an hour.
Next time, I think I will kick off with my upbeat trance playlist instead of taking it slow with one of my mellow ones. I didn't switch over until the last ten minutes or so of the workout. I will try increasing my speed until I get to the point where I can comfortably walk 3mph. Once I get to that point, I can start the official training plan:
- "Easy walks" (these are slower paced and shorter distances - 3-4mph for an hour)
- The next day will be a cross-training day, so I would need to do 45-60 minutes of something like cycling, elliptical, circuits, etc.
- This would be followed by a "Moderate walk" which would be 3-4mph pace for a 5-6 mile distance
- Weekends provide the opportunity to build up to 17-20 mile back-to-back walks so that you get a sense of what the event will feel like for your body
I'm pumped! The event will take place July 22-24, the weekend before my first anniversary. After a friend heard I was doing this, she signed up to be a crew member so she can cheer me on throughout the weekend. I am truly blessed.
In other, semi-related news...I figured out how to make a faux butterscotch "bread" pudding from the HMR cereal and a packet of HMR 70+ vanilla with a touch of sugar free butterscotch pudding mix. OMG, delicious!
It clearly didn't look as delicious as that photo above, but it tasted amazing!
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