43 minutes...and I do NOT like the jogging-like activity...

This is a late report of my "success." Yes, I shaved 1 minute off my time, but really, the jogging-like movement is not pleasant. I do not pick jogging as my sport.
Today I truly reconsidered my personal challenge to join this event. Can anyone tell me why I need to register for and complete a 5K? My legs were sore, my gluts were sore, my feet were sweaty and I gained 1 pound after completing 3.29 miles in 43 minutes. Where is the glory? Where is the success?
Yes...I will get up and do it again tomorrow. I cannot back down from a challenge...even one I wagered myself. Sure...I can do 3.29 miles, which means I can do 3.2 miles on Sunday, July 15th at 5:15 pm.
What I can tell you is my 4+ mile bike ride (on a beach cruiser...one "gear") was a lot more fun that 3.29 miles in 43 minutes.
This I will say...after July 15th...you will not see me "jogging" on the 3.29 mile course, but you WILL see me on the bay in our kayak and on the streets of Bellport and beyond on my pink cruiser. But I can tell you now...I have not found that "runner's high" that everyone talks about. But...I am not giving up. This is a promise.
BTW...if you are not running/jogging/jogging-like activity the Bellport Clipper Classic, you might consider donating to the cause!

43 minutes...and I do NOT like the jogging-like activity...

This is a late report of my "success." Yes, I shaved 1 minute off my time, but really, the jogging-like movement is not pleasant. I do not pick jogging as my sport.
Today I truly reconsidered my personal challenge to join this event. Can anyone tell me why I need to register for and complete a 5K? My legs were sore, my gluts were sore, my feet were sweaty and I gained 1 pound after completing 3.29 miles in 43 minutes. Where is the glory? Where is the success?
Yes...I will get up and do it again tomorrow. I cannot back down from a challenge...even one I wagered myself. Sure...I can do 3.29 miles, which means I can do 3.2 miles on Sunday, July 15th at 5:15 pm.
What I can tell you is my 4+ mile bike ride (on a beach cruiser...one "gear") was a lot more fun that 3.29 miles in 43 minutes.
This I will say...after July 15th...you will not see me "jogging" on the 3.29 mile course, but you WILL see me on the bay in our kayak and on the streets of Bellport and beyond on my pink cruiser. But I can tell you now...I have not found that "runner's high" that everyone talks about. But...I am not giving up. This is a promise.
BTW...if you are not running/jogging/jogging-like activity the Bellport Clipper Classic, you might consider donating to the cause!

44 minutes...a new world record! (for me)

So the training goes...
Yep, I have now lowered my time to qualify for a "legal" finish of the Bellport Clipper Classic. Today I began incorporating jogging-like movement into my 3.29 miles today. For those of you who may have seen me on the streets of the Village this morning, thank you for not honking as you drove by chuckling.
Note: I trained with a deficit today…my old iPod bit the dust.

My training for this week will be better than usual with the extra days off due to the holiday. (Is it just me or do you also find it nice to celebrate a holiday on the actual holiday?) Based on my current training success (ahem) I have set a goal to shave 6 minutes off my time by Sunday, July 15…race day. I will follow the Galloway method of training for a marathon because, well, other than showing you there is a method to my madness, training for this 5K feels like training for a marathon. I am glad I made a chiropractic appointment with Dr. Joe for this morning!

Let us see what happens tomorrow.

No excuses!

I suppose that runners at least take note of weather predictions to plan their next days' run. Since I am only a walker, I suppose I get a break for not knowing that thunder storms and heavy rain were predicted for today.
So in keeping with my "no excuses" mindset, I walked the 3.29 mile course today almost between down pours in 48 minutes; a slight improvement over yesterday. Perhaps it was the huge whack of thunder while on New Jersey Avenue that propelled me down the road a bit quicker than usual. My pardon to the neighbors…my voice has a way of projecting and surely the shriek I belted out was heard a few blocks away.
My change-up for today…it has been said that when you use your arms while walking, you are working 20% harder. So today I carried the new WW 3 lb. weights around town. They are now drying out with my LiveLifeActive cap.
It was a very loud workout today. The rain, the wind, the thunder, and then…a lovely chorus as I reached the dock. The lines of the sailboats were singing as the wind blew in from the west. It was noisy but what wonderful cacophony.
Tomorrow is an evening walk-about. My warning to all pedestrians: avoid Head of the Neck Road.

The Orange and Black Swoosh Takes the Lead...

51 minutes including a 4 minute hoop o' the dock. Conditions were warm; medium traffic and I set out later than I originally planned. However, as of today, the orange and black swoosh is definitely a favorite to beat the 45 minute time limit.

Note to self: 8 puffs on an empty inhaler serves no purpose; refill prescription today.

BCC Challenge Day 2...64 minutes?

Day 2 - 3.29 miles in 64 minutes? You might think my training is headed in the wrong direction. Let me explain.

Still pedometer-less I set about on my day 2 walk (note: matching Nikes and bandaid...check) anticipating an increased time because it was election day in Bellport. I know, this and the price of tea in China...

Tuesday through Saturday always prove to be jam packed, tight schedule days for me. Between regular work, 1 1/2 hour round trip commute and Weight Watchers meetings, it is always a challege to get in everything I need/want to do. So, following my Tuesday Weight Watchers meeting (5:30 pm @ the Patchogue store, near Bob's and Home Goods, join us, won't you?...shameless self-promotion) I came home, found matching Nikes, donned my green bag and headed out to walk/vote.

Good pace tonight.

Arriving at the Polling Place, I forgot to check my watch. But, after voting and chatting with friends I have not seen in a long time. (By the way...how is it possible to live in a Village of only 2,500 residents and go years without seeing friends who live only one street away...shameful. Note to self: arrange a coffee talk with friends...soon!) Watch check following the vote/chat showed 30 minutes had passed. Continuing on, with only one brief chat on my way to the dock, I returned to home base 43 minutes later. A 19.5 minute pace is not impressive, unless you consider that I also performed my civic duty and reconnected with friends along the way.

I will take the 4 activity points I earned and consider it a good day.

The Bellport Clipper Classic Challenge

Accepting a challenge is a great way for me to achieve a goal. When first challenged to participate in the Bellport Clipper Classic 5K race, I considered but wanted to watch it first to see what I would be getting myself into. 16 years ago I watched as friends and neighbors in really good shape sprinted and ran past my house. I also watched as friends and neighbors in better shape than me struggled and dragged themselves to the finish line. I have continued to consider that challenge for the past 16 years and never moved forward…until now.

This year I have again been challenged. I have agreed to truly consider participation. Today I took action on the consideration part.

First, I learned (and verified at the website: http://www.active.com/running/bellport-ny/the-clipper-classic-5k-run-2012) that walkers are not allowed on the course and the course must be completed in 45 minutes. Exactly what that means is unclear to me, but I have decided to move forward anyway. My doctor advised me to not run and I have embraced that limitation. I do walk, bike, kayak and try other, less jarring activities. However, it is more of a lifestyle recommendation than a medical command so I am considering my options. Today I decided to see if I could walk 5K in 45 minutes. I set a course from my house, around the Village using www.MapMyRun.com. The easy part.

Next, I pulled out my 2 pedometers to find that neither one works. (Note to Weight Watchers: where is my ActivLink?) I decided to time myself with a less efficient, but reliable watch…thank goodness for old technology.

I discovered that I left my regular walking shoes with the orthotic inserts at work. (Sadly, old feet need better support.) Never fear, thanks to my Nike connection, I have 2 other pairs of newish walking/running shoes and pulled those out to break them in.

Armed with my cell phone, tissues, inhaler and water bottle in my little green bag, I headed out for a 3.29 miles walk-about. The first leg of my course passes the 2 mile marker for the Clipper Classic. I was only starting out and feeling pretty strong, but I could not help but find the irony in the fact that the point marking the 2/3^rd point of the race was located at the cemetery.

Crossing Station Road and heading to New Jersey Avenue I realized I was developing a blister on my left heel. It seemed I had a defective sock on my left foot that kept slipping down. Wasting valuable time I stopped to fix it…the first of several fixes…but only the left foot. Hmmm… Pace increase to make up for lost time.

Down across South Country Road I crossed paths with Bobby (…as Bobby, not the Easter Bunny or Uncle Sam today.) No time to talk, I am focused. Stop to fix sock. (Note to self: try out other socks before race day.)

The Village was quietly humming as I rounded the Old Purchase corner and headed to the dock. Blister is growing but I am not ready to waste more time with the stupid sock so I push through the pain and hoop the dock, dodging the vehicles also hooping as their drivers sip their morning coffee, paying no particular attention to pedestrians or seagulls.

Taking a left on to Rogers I again stopped to adjust my left sock when I realized I was wearing 2 different shoes. I thought this was something only old people did. Now I am motivated to quickly complete the course, avoid anyone I might know and check my time.

53 minutes…sock issues and an extra hoop around the Bellport Yacht Club included. 3.29 miles. That is a little more than a 16 minute mile. Not good enough for the Clipper Classic. But, I have 26 days to train, get my time down and work on a good jog/runner’s look to get past the officials. But not until I retrieve my other shoes and some better socks.