Survey Results

The results are in!

We have a single survey question on the WALK! Magazine web site. "Would you like the option to receive WALK! Magazine electronically instead of in the mail, printed on paper?"

According to our results - about 50% of respondents would like the option!

Though publishing experts have been predicting for years that paper publications are going by the wayside, I wasn't sure what would happen to magazines. I personally like receiving mine as a printed piece, able to carry something light wherever I go. So to me the results are surprising. But then again, WALK! Magazine is not very large yet. If we averaged over 100 pages per issue, I think the results would be a little bit different.

One respondent said she liked to read the magazine in the bathtub. Well, that just is not going to work on a laptop! Another said he didn't want to have to print out each page on his own printer. But plenty of you said yes.

Thank you everyone who responded! I'll look into our electronic options.

Safety Concerns - Losing my Favorite Park

One of my favorite places to walk is called Antrim Park. It is a 1.2 mile loop around a small lake with lots of trees and the option to get on a bike trail that is about 8 miles long and follows a scenic river. It's close enough that I don't have to drive very far. Far enough away that it feels special.

I especially love walking here when there is no one else around. I like the solitude, the water, the ducks, the trees... I like seeing the seasons change. I just really enjoy this park.

Over the last few weeks, there have been attacks against a couple of women in that area. One women had been in the woods alone, so I thought I would be OK, I'm smart, I stay on the path near the lake. Well, it seems that recently women have been grabbed from the path around the lake. And earlier this week, a man was found just standing in the area with his pants down! Over the years women have also been randomly attacked on the bike trail where it gets isolated (and where it is most beautiful), so I haven't walked there alone in years.

I am so ticked! I am angry that these creeps have taken this park and bike path away from me. I'm angry that in order to enjoy one of my favorite places to walk, I am now going to have to take someone with me. (I like walking with other people - I don't want to HAVE to walk with other people.)

I'm also sad. I feel like I've lost a friend, which probably seems weird to some of you. Now, unless I want to drive 30 min to my other favorite park, I'm going to have to walk in my neighborhood, or on busy streets with lots of cars, or less pretty parks with lots of people, just to be safe.

Thankfully none of these women were killed. And I feel especially sad for them - they just wanted to enjoy a great park and be healthy. How will they ever feel safe again?

This is a reminder that we should all pay attention to our surroundings wherever we walk. Let's all be careful.

Olympic Preview

How many of you are aware that the Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing next year? Well, to help get us all excited, especially about Olympic race walking, we will start running stories about the games beginning with the Fall issue. Anatomy of a Race Walk DQ is a little bit of a stretch. This amusing story features Charles Boyle competing against Bob Mimm, a former Olympic race walker. Both in their 80s, the men compete regularly in Senior Olympic events. I think you'll enjoy it!

Boyle is the author of Tailey Whaley, an illustrated children’s book, in which a whale, born different, faces intolerance (www.taileywhaley.com). Check it out.

Third is the Charm!

I have my third new phone within a week. I hope this one works longer than 24 hours!

Cell Phones - Can't Live with Them...

I have had cell phones with the same company for a number of years. The service has been excellent, and until recently, the phones have worked great.

Earlier this year, I made the mistake of upgrading to a so called "better" phone. It was fine for several months, however earlier this week, suddenly no one could hear me though I could hear them. I took the phone back and they gave me a brand new phone. Yay!

On Friday, the buttons quit working on the new phone. I couldn't scroll through a single menu and the send button didn't send. I took it back and was given a new phone. Yay!

Today is Monday and my second new phone isn't working. I was out walking, tried calling home and couldn't hear a thing. My hsuband tried calling me back, and the phone never rang. The bad thing is, my husband didn't know I couldn't hear him and was worried that maybe something had happened to me. He walked up the street and looked for me.

So, if you have been trying to call WALK! Magazine, and it appears I'm not answering or I don't call you back, it just might be that my phone is sitll not working!

Fall Issue Highlights!

I just have to let you know that the Fall issue is going to be great! Here are some highlights:
* Dr. David Sabgir answers your questions about the safe use of NSAIDs.
* After helping us train all year for Walking Team events, Dave McGovern teaches us how to recover from a long-distance race.
* You won't want to miss an inspiring profile about Joyce Prohaska, an Ohio woman who has won several gold medals in Senior Olympics events.
* And we are starting our 2008 Olympics coverage a little early in an "unusal" way. Charles Boyle has an amusing story about being DQ'd when competing against former Olympic racewalker Bob Mimm.

I think you are going to enjoy it!

New Shoe Update

Earlier this week my new shoes (NB 902) were bothering the toes on my right foot. I had a feeling that the shoes were just tied too tight. I wore the shoes a little less tight today and I was fine. After 5 miles, I felt a twinge in my right foot, but I scrunched my toes on and off to wiggle them, and it was gone. The NB 902s have a little more padding than my last pair of Brooks, and I'm sure the padding was just pushing on my foot too much. Yay!

For those of you who subscribe to Bonnie Stein's e-newsletter, these are the shoes she recommended in a recent issue.

Appleton Training - 10-mile Day with Buckeye Striders

What a great morning to get up early and join members of the Buckeye Striders walking club for a 10-mile walk! We met at my favorite Central Ohio park, Sharon Woods, at 7 a.m. (Those of you who know me are probably shocked that I would be at a training walk at 7 a.m. on a Saturday.) I have not met with these fun people in a VERY long time. I was surprised that several members needed to get 10 miles in today.

We had a lot of fun. And during our last 2 miles we met up with others who were doing just 4 miles today. That's what is nice about walking a 4-mile loop. No matter how far we needed to walk, we were going to see the others in our club eventually.

Well Deb and I started out a little too fast. We did our first mile in 14:30, and should have probably walked it in 15:30. I feel so slow all of the time, it's nice to know I can go a little bit faster without being warmed up. But we were tired when we finished our last 2 miles.

It was great to be up so early and get my walk in. Now I have the rest of the day to work on the Fall issue of WALK! Magazine ... and blog.

Toes and New Shoes

What is it about new shoes and toes that just don't go together? I have finally had the opportunity to wear my new bright blue shoes for more than just a casual walk. I decided to try to pseudo-racewalk 3 miles today.

After about 20 mins the toes on my right foot started to feel a little funny. They weren't numb, but they didn't feel right. I assumed my shoes were tied too tight and kept going. They were feeling more and more odd until they finally started to hurt. With about 10 min left to walk I slowed down and quit all attempts to racewalk. The pain did not subside and I started getting shooting pains up my leg. Not good.

Got home, took my shoes off and my feet feel OK. My toes are a little sensitive, but nothing serious. I was hoping to wear the shoes this weekend for a long walk, but I'm rethinking it. I might just walk a few miles in my old shoes and few in the new ones and see how it goes.

The Crim is Great!

The Crim truly is a walker friendly event! We had a good time while we were in Flint this weekend! Here's my synapses:

The expo was in a new location this year. It was a little bit tight, but was well organized. They were nice enough to squeeze me in between two walking clubs. The new venue was more than 2 miles from the start of the race. Historically, the expo is open race day, and people wander in and out from 6:30 a.m. to noon while waiting for their race to begin or for their friends and family to finish. I'm not sure how it went this year because I didn't go to the expo on Saturday.

Race day, we got into Flint nice and early to avoid the road closings. We went to the late packet pick up area to get safety pins which we both had forgotten the day before. The University of Michigan pavilion is a nice facility and there were plenty of people sitting at tables and relaxing before the race.

There were lots of port-a-johns at the start. They were just a little too close to the starting line, however. When we lined up at the sign for the competitive walkers, we were up against the people waiting for restrooms. There ended up being lots of people behind us, too. It was nice seeing a "pace" sign for competitive walkers!

It was hard to hear ANY announcements, but most races are that way when you are at the back. We didn't even realize the national anthem was being sung until about halfway through the song. It rained a little as we waited for the start, but not hard.

It took just a couple of minutes to reach the starting line. The crowds thinned out fairly quickly though our first mile was almost 15:30. It is nearly impossible to get lost at the Crim - just follow the blue line painted on the street. The blue line has been there so long, they didn't get to repaint it this year because of weather, and you could still see it. The mile markers were not only on big signs, they were painted on the street. Very cool!

The streets were lined with spectators. It had been raining and people still came out to cheer participants on! What really surprised me was the number of residents who voluntarily set up their own water stops. I skipped several regular water stops and there was STILL plenty of water every where. Several people also handed out ice which was appreciated.

One fraternity early on the course was handing out Krispy Kreme doughnuts. My walking partner, Chris, did take one. I don't think sugar and grease would have sat well in my stomach that early.

The big party (I can't remember exactly where it was) handed out beer and hot dogs. If they had been closer to the race finish, I might have taken them up on it. The party was pretty roaring and they were having a great time.

There were several bands along the course, though I mostly remember grade school and high school band students. There were a couple church groups that sang for us, one Christian rock band and several church groups that prayed for us. (When one woman said I was "special" I took it as a good thing.) There was a large group of people in one yard all playing makeshift drums that was pretty cool. They were all ages, and I'll never forget seeing the women who was older than my mom beating a plastic bucket with a wooden spoon.

When you are close to the finish line, you reach the famous bricks of Saginaw Street. The street is pretty cool, but it was difficult to walk fast at that point because some spots were a little uneven. We tried anyway.

We crossed the finish in a little over 2 hrs and 30 min., averaging about a 15-min mile. We moved past the chip removers, received our medals and had easy access to water, bananas and apples. There were tons of tubs filled with wet cloths to wipe the sweat. It had started raining again as we finished, so I really didn't need it.

After we went through the gauntlet, there was a huge community party. A big tent had barbecue and other food items for sale. We had the option of getting free pizza and beer with our bib (the line was too long for us), and Earth, Wind and Fire was getting ready to play on stage. If it had been sunny and dry, we would have stayed. As it was, we were soaking wet and both had long drives home.

The winning walker was a woman who finished about an hour before I did. I was just at the Crim web site and forgot to look up what prizes they offered.

Regardless, it is a fun weekend in Flint. There are plenty of races for those of all abilities and the after party is a lot of fun! If you need a race in August, head to Flint.

I Have a Booth!

The people at the Crim have been phenomenal! They were able to squeeze me into a booth today. I wasn't able to get set up until almost 7:30 p.m., but that's OK.

I have just MY table, so I can't spread out, but I have a booth. I'm near where participants pick up their numbers and between two walking clubs.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Heading to Crim

OK, I found out I'm definitely heading to Flint, MI on Thursday. I will definitely have a booth Friday. Other than that, and the race starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, the rest is up in the air!

I hate having things be last minute like this, but I'm sure everything will work out fine!

I'm Soaked

OK, I went for my 3 miles. I wore my most water-resistant jacket, a baseball hat and shorts. At first it wasn't bad because the rain was light, but it rained harder the farther I went. About mile 2 I went to scratch my forehead and realized there was a puddle in my right sleeve that poured into my armpit! I have never had a puddle in a sleeve before.

Well, I kept going and now, after a nice hot shower, I am glad I went. (Well, it was only 3 miles after all and it is rain in August.)

Rain and Lack of Motivation

OK, I'm supposed to walk 3 miles today and it is raining like crazy! Yuck! I just do NOT feel like walking in rain tonight. I feel like I'm catching a cold. But, the 10-mile race is this weekend, and I really don't have the time to make up mileage this week. I think I'm going to have to just suck it up and go for a walk -- in the rain.

New Shoes

When I find shoes I like, I try to stay with the same brand and style for as long as possible. It makes new shoe buying so much easier. The last few times I've purchased new shoes, I've had to change brands and styles for a variety of reasons.

I've been wearing a bright yellow pair of Brooks racing flats. I think they are called Racer ST, but it's hard to tell what the name is from looking at the shoe. (If you were at the Nashville Marathon, I was the walker with the yellow shoes.)

Yesterday I went to FrontRunner to buy a new pair. I took my Brooks with me to ease the replacement process. Well, the store doesn't carry this particular shoe. (Darn!) But the great sales person had some ideas for other shoes I might try.

I ended up going back to New Balance for the 902. They have a little more control than the Brooks shoe. (Isn't it amazing how they can tell by your shoe that you need more control?) They are not as light, but I do half marathons so I will probably be happier wearing these for long distances. Oh, and they are NOT bright yellow. They are bright blue!

It's a good thing I don't coordinate my walking clothes with my shoes!

Crim is Coming Fast!

One week from today and I will have finished my first Crim Festival of Races 10-mile Race. I'm VERY excited! (I'm also tapering, which is great. Only 5 easy miles today!)

First, this race was voted WALK! Magazine's 2007 Walker Friendly Race. Second, the people of Flint are very friendly, and I'm looking forward to going back up there.

The only bad news is, I'm not going to get up there on Thursday as originally planned, and I'm pretty certain I won't be able to have a booth. I'm pretty bummed. I had ordered extra shirts just for this race.

Regardless, I'm sure I'll have fun. And maybe this time I can actually try both types of coneys so I can decide if the Flint version is better than the Detroit version.

6 miles Tonight

I'm supposed to do 6 miles tomorrow, but I won't have the time. So I did it tonight. What a beautiful night it was! I know I'll be ready for the Crim next week!

New Blister

I walked an easy 8 miles today. My recent vacation and the extreme heat truly messed with my Crim training!

I'm not sure how far I was supposed to go today, 8 or 10, but I decided to take it easy since I'm a little bit off. And the Crim race is only 10 miles, so even if I don't go farther than 8 miles in training, I know I'll be fine.

After 2 miles, I felt a poking at the edge of my left heel. I stopped, thinking I had a small stone in my shoe. Nope! I have a small blister on my foot! It looks as if I now have a wrinkle in my insole. I have to assume it is new, it's the first blister from these shoes. Luckily, it is pretty tiny and i had already planned to buy a new pair this weekend.

After the extreme heat of the week, it was really nice having the temps just in the 80s!

We Want Your Opinion

We are very interested in making WALK! Magazine more responsive to reader needs. To do that, we will periodically post short surveys on our web site at www.walk-magazine.com.

Some publishing experts predict that paper magazines will soon be a thing of the past. We are considering offering subscribers the option of receiving WALK! Magazine electronically instead of in the mail, printed on paper.

Let us know what you think!

Fat March - Did You Watch?

Did anyone watch Fat March on TV last night?

If not, here is the premise: A bunch of morbidly obese people must walk over 500 miles to Washington, D.C. in a set amount of time in order to receive $100,000 a piece. For each person who quits, each remaining person's prize total is reduced by $10,000.

These are not just heavy people, one of these guys is over 500 lbs!

I watched because, well I had to. Not only because I also gawk at car wrecks, but because it is about walking. I wanted to see what they would do to these people.

Part of my opinion comes from remembering how hard it was for me to work up to 8 miles when training for my first marathon. And I'm only about 5 lbs too heavy!

OK, these people started at the actual Boston Marathon and walked 5 miles. The second day, they were walking 8 miles! These are hugely unfit people! Granted, it looked as if they had a long time to do it in, but 8 miles is 8 miles. Third day - 8 miles again.

Some former rap diva barely made it two days. I think she was there for drama. One guy was sent to the ER for labored breathing - he ended up being OK. Another guy had horrible blisters and thought he might have stress fractures. He was voted off the show.

At the end of the first show everyone was weighed, though it did not look like they were wearing the same clothes. Several of the women lost fewer than 10 lbs, and were disappointed. I didn't think it was unreasonable. They are building muscle while burning fat - plus not the same clothes.

So, did anyone else watch the show? What did you think?

What Goes Around Comes Around

Part of what got me started walking back in the late 90s was not being able to keep up when hiking on a family vacation. I was depressed and felt old and out of shape. Walking for health and fitness changed everything.

Last week, while on another family vacation with many of the same family members, a couple of us went on a hike. My brother-in-law is one of the people I could not keep up with way back then.

Well, I still could not keep up, but not because I'm not fit, but because I'm short! For every one of BIL's steps, I had to take at least 2 to match him. If we were on a flat surface where I could use my pseudo-racewalking form, I could have easily beat him. But those rocky, uneven trails meant I had to watch every step. Well, I SHOULD have watched every step.

The biggest difference I noticed was, I couldn't go faster this year because of safety and short legs. (I could have gone quite a bit farther.) The last time I was gasping for breath, my legs were killing me and I rested a lot! I definitely could not have gone farther.

None of the others from that infamous hike over 7 years ago were with us. I wonder if I would have still been last if they were.

You Know it is Hot When...

* When the thermostat in the house says it is 80 degrees, yet it is still cooler inside than out! (Our air conditioner broke, and it is rigged to produce slightly cool air for about the next 48 hours, until the replacement can be installed.)
* Even your wicking fabrics cannot keep up with the amount you are sweating.
* The ice in your water bottle melts within the first 5 mins of being outside.
* I wore shorts and a tank top to walk in, even though it looks like I've been through a recent car wreck with all of my scrapes and bruises. (From the fall when hiking last week.)
* My Mom's dog doesn't want to sit in anyone's lap.
* A person like me, who rarely uses AC, is dying to drive somewhere just to cool off.
* The dog that normally charges me when I walk by his house, just strolled to the edge of the sidewalk and barked only three times.

NOTE: I know I should have waited until dark to walk today, but I knew if I waited I probably would not go. My schedule is off from vacation, and I need to get back on track. So I walked when the motivation hit me.

A Few New Things I Don't Like about Walking in Summer

1) Ticks.
2) Bikes. (I haven't been hit yet, but they have come close!)
3) Humidity.
4) Days when the air does NOT move.
5) Did I say ticks? I really, really hate ticks.
6) Swarms of gnats that gather around your face.
7) Mosquitoes.
8) I still really hate ticks.
9) Having my favorite hat lost in the lake.
10) Sweat in my eyes because a couple of kids lost my hat in the lake. (The kids who played keep-away with it eventually found it again.)

More Things I Like About Walking in Summer

1) Wildflowers.
2) The ocassional rain that cools you off at just the right moment.
3) Ice cold watermelon when I get home.
4) Wildlife. We saw about 4 deer crash through the woods last week. They are prettier and more interesting in the woods than at the side of a highway. We also saw some amazingly beautiful birds.
5) The smell of freshly mowed grass.
6) The days are long enough I can walk pretty late in the day if I have to.
7) Not needing to wear several layers.
8) Breezes feel great.
9) Hearing kids cheer while playing baseball or softball nearby.
10) Wicking fabrics.

Jet Lag?

Can a person get jet lag if he/she was driving? I am so lethargic today it is ridiculous! It feels exactly like jet lag.

We were in a different time zone for a week, and we stayed up much later than usual, but I'm still surprised I can feel so "blah." The kids appear to be fine, but even my husband seems lethargic.

I need to get back into my regular walking schedule, tomorrow. The Crim is just a couple of weeks away!

Heading Home

On our way home from Land Between the Lakes we stopped at Mammoth Cave. We did one of the longer hikes - over 2 miles and about 2 hours. The more than 160-stair climb at the end was a nice workout.

It has been so hot and humid all week, it was really great being in the cool dark cave. It's a shame our group was so large! I think our guide was cutting a few things short because it took so long to get people gathered.

Regardless it was fun! I'm a little less stiff though my neck still hurts. My "mosquito" bites are obviously NOT from mosquitoes now. I think they are chiggers. (Yuck!) Anti-itch creams have saved my life, that and Ibuprofen, air conditioning and a little bit of Merlot. (For the antioxidants, of course.)

Hiking Mishap

I love hiking. Earlier this week I went with my daughter and brother-in-law on a trail here at Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky. It was hot and humid, and VERY hilly! The trail was well marked and we had planned to turn around and head in the opposite direction after about 1.3 miles so we could see what was north of where we started. (There just happened to be a sign that said we had gone 1.3 miles, so we turned around.)

My BIL has VERY long legs. My daughter is very nimble and really more of a runner. As we were walking I realized that she just kind of skipped along barely touching the ground. My BIL was taking one step for every 2-3 of mine. Though on a flat surface I can racewalk faster than they can walk, keeping your feet low to the ground and not bending knees doesn't work on a trail. I decided to just walk a little behind them and not stress. On a hairpin curve down a hill, I cheated, cut through and caught up with them. I was a little cocky and laughing, not watching the trail. My right foot caught on a big immovable rock, and before I knew it, I was in mid-air, thinking "This is going to hurt." I hit the ground on my right arm, hip and shin. I laid there a minute wondering if I was hurt, and when my BIL looked all worried I got worried. I was scraped up pretty good, but nothing was broken. We cut the hike short when we got to the point we entered (About 2.6 miles total.) and went back to the cabin. The middle of my upper arm is a pretty purple, my hip has another pretty purple spot, and my leg is scraped with a little more purple underneath. I feel achy all over, and my neck and back are especially throbby.

I'm very lucky I wasn't hurt worse. Unfortunately, it really cut down on my desire to get in more walking. I probably will do a little later today when it cools off, but not necessarily on a trail.

I'm amazed how yucky I can feel after an impact with the ground. It does make me wonder how football players do it.

Anyway, we are still on vacation, and expect to be back over the weekend. If I can get to the library again to get Internet access before we return, I will.

My Mistake - Appleton Update

In my letter from the editor in the Summer issue of WALK! Magazine, I implied that walkers who enter the "competitive" division of the Appleton 13.1 Miles PowerWalk must racewalk. (Actually, that is what I thought.)

This is wrong! I just found out today that competitive walkers are NOT required to racewalk either. Basically, the judges are there to make sure everyone walks, not to watch for proper racewalking form.

I hope this misunderstanding has not kept any of you from entering the race!

Don't forget, the race is September 23.

Another 8 Miles

I got my 8 miles in today! Though it was supposed to be a "not so easy 8", I started out slow. The first mile was 17 minutes! I have not used the lap feature on my watch yet, so I'm not sure how fast the last few miles were, but I did 4 in 63 minutes and I tried to go progressively faster.

The weather was perfect. It was sunny, but not hot. There was a pretty consistent breeze, so I never got over-heated. Unlike last week, I was totally aware of the hills. I think it is because I was trying to walk harder.

I feel as if I could do the 10-mile race in Flint next week! My training is going great!

Disappearing Racewalking Division

It's not often that I hear about a race from more than one reader. Two told me they entered the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon, registered as racewalkers, then found out the day of the race there was no racewalking division.

I sent an e-mail to ask about it. Here's what the race director said:

The racewalk was only a registration category and was to let people know we welcomed racewalkers to our event (my mother is a nationally ranked racewalker). NOCRAP used to be involved and we are no longer allowed to present awards since it is a point to point course and we cannot afford to judge it. We've been told by participants and officials that awarding racewalkers when there is no mechanism to prevent run/walkers, is not fair and should stop. So, we stopped posting on the website that we'd be awarding any racewalk categories. However, we can provide a separate category for times and post that. I apologize for the confusion.

I appreciate his getting back to me so quickly.

See Cindi in Appleton

Saturday, September 22 at 1:15 p.m. I'll be speaking at the Appleton Expo. It looks like the preliminary title will be something like "Why Walk?" I'll discuss the benefits of walking and goal setting, weightloss, overall fitness and maintaining motivation.

Come see me!

8 is Great!

I got 8 miles in today and it was great! I was a little nervous because once I get beyond 5 or 7 miles during training, I worry about how I will feel.

I went to one of my favorite parks that has an almost 4-mile loop. It has great trees, hills (hard to find in Columbus), varied scenery and deer. It also has drinking fountains, one 2-miles into the loop, and bathrooms.

Because it was hot I decided to take it easy for a couple of miles until I knew whether the heat would bother me. After about 2 miles I decided to just take it easy today. I enjoyed seeing how much everything had grown since my last trip there. There was plenty of shade and I even saw one deer. In fact, the walk was so enjoyable, I didn't even notice the second time I hit the hills.

I finished feeling fantastic!

Dave's Crim 10-mile training schedule has us do two 10-mile days. I know by the time I get to Flint for the Crim, I will be more than ready. I'm confident it will help my half marathon training, too!

4 Miles today

My Crim race training program called for 4 miles "acceleration" today. That means, I had to start out at a reasonable pace and each successive mile to go faster and finally finsh very fast.

During my first mile I kept going too fast. I had to work at keeping myself at a reasonable pace. The last mile was pretty tough! I walked as hard as I could and still maintain it for a full mile. When I got close to home I sprinted. Well, what passes for a sprint for me.

What a great workout! I had forgotten how invigorating it can be to walk to change the pace. I finished feeling great - tired, but great!

Racewalking? Maybe

I've had racewalking lessons, but I never really felt like I "got" it. I seriously need more lessons, but haven't had time. I wish I could have been to the Bonnie Stein clinic when she was in Columbus last month. I always attempt to racewalk, but I'm really not very good at it.

Anyway, today during my 6-mile walk, I wasn't really thinking about walking. Suddenly, I felt as if my stride was so smooth I was floating. I've been told you will feel it when you are really racewalking, and I think today I might have been doing it somewhat correctly!

I'll have to keep trying.

Just Plain Tired

I just did NOT feel like walking today. It was hot, humid and I was still tired from our neighbors setting off fireworks until the wee hours this morning. I guess they didn't have to work today.

I decided to just go out and walk casually for 3 miles. I did that for about 40 min. and started feeling a little better as time went on. At that point I also stopped to watch an auto accident at the end of our street. It attracted several firetrucks and ambulances, and looked as if it involved 4 cars. I couldn't tell how many people were hurt.

That short break was just enough of a rest that I felt great! I picked up my speed and even added a couple of cul de sacs I Originally planned I would skip.

I feel bad about the accident, and wouldn't normally stop to gawk, but I needed to regroup. And I left feeling more energetic.

Discovery

I just discovered that the house with the invisible fence and the charging dog also has the invisible sprinklers that soaked me recently. If I see the dog, there is no water - if I see the sidewalks are wet, no dog!

Columbus Monthly Article

Earlier this year I was interviewed by Columbus Monthly magazine for an article about walking. Well, the article finally came out in the July issue! I'm pretty happy with how I came across. I'm quoted significantly, which was nice --especially since I sounded OK. The magazine did a good job of running photos of most of the people interviewed, and my photo was flattering. I'm a little hyper critical because I was on a medication that caused weight gain back then, and have lost more than 10 lbs since the photo was taken. Regardless, it's a nice photo. (My hairdresser will be happy my hair looks great!)

This is funny. I skimmed the article yesterday evening and was all excited. Then several hours later, when showing it to a friend, I noticed the subhead above the portion about me said "Unfit Thin Person." Now, I have always described my "before walking" life that way, but it hit me as humorous seeing it as the subhead about me!

I'm hoping that the publicity helps to generate some interest in WALK! Magazine by Columbus area walkers.

Thanks to Phil Heit for suggesting I be included in the story! Congratulations to everyone in the story, especially Larry Smith, who reads this blog!

Magazine Update

OK, I know this is an old excuse, but the printer did not mail the Summer issue of WALK! Magazine on Friday as I was told. In fact, it didn't mail today either.

With this printer it's SSDD.

3 Miles

Today was an easy 3 miles in my training schedule. It definitely helped with the stiffness I had left over from Saturday's walk.

What is funny is that it was chilly enough that I wore leggings and a long-sleeved shirt! In July! I never would have expected it. Granted, I had to walk after 9 p.m., but I still can't believe it was this chilly. I start my speed workouts tomorrow.

Stiff

I'm a little bit stiff and sore today. It usually happens when I'm training for an event, but this time it seems a little more uncomfortable than usual. In fact, yesterday it was bad enough that I took Ibuprofen to sit through the baseball game and had to take even more today. Slow casual walking in the grocery store helped.

Beautiful Day!

What a great day to go walking!

My husband and I went to a small wedding reception Friday night and stayed out later than I should have. So I slept in and went out to walk after 11 a.m. I thought it would be too hot, but it was beautiful! I was scheduled to do 6 easy miles and it was great!

I ended up going to the local park with a lake and a 1.2-mile loop around it. Though this is usually one of my favorite places to walk, I haven't been here in a while. It can get pretty crowded when the weather is nice, but the real reason is that a young woman was nearly attacked by a creep with a knife a couple of weeks ago. (She fought back and was unharmed.) Over the years there have been occasional incidents in isolated areas along the bike trail. I try to be careful, especially when I'm on the trail rather than looping the lake. If I feel the least bit uncomfortable, I head back home.

The bad thing is, I like walking when there are no people around. One of my favorite walks in that area was a few years back in a steady warm rain in July. There were fewer than 6 people out that day, and we bonded under the bridge waiting for the thunder and lightening to stop. Because the rain was warm, it was a great walk until the lightening started.

I also have a creepy memory from that area, which also involved rain oddly enough. One early Sunday morning, right after it had stopped raining, I went out to do my long slow distance. It started out just being a nice walk on a tree-lined trail. I went south on the trail for about 4 miles and never saw another person. There are several blind turns and the trees can be pretty thick in places. After awhile I started to feel uncomfortable. It was the first time I had ever been out there and didn't see a single person! I was debating whether to head home the way I came, when a few bikers rode by. As time went on there were a few joggers, too.

Anyway, I will go back to the lake and walk the loop, but I doubt I will walk on the trail unless they are crowded or I have someone to walk with.

4 Miles Today

I was a little bit sore today and had iced my knees earlier, so decided to really take the "easy 4 miles" on the schedule seriously. I was able to head out about 6 p.m. The temps were toasty, but I wasn't worried - I was walking an "easy" 4. I walked to the library, did two laps at the park and came home - just about 4.4 miles according to Google. The last half mile I started to really feel tired. I slowed considerably and even walked with my arms straight down. Because my legs and knees had been sore and it was hot, I probably would have been better off sticking with 4 miles exactly. I'm sure I would have felt fine.

The worst part is, I took so long to walk, the CD was over! I'm in the middle of a great book, and had to walk several minutes wondering what would happen next.

(I iced my knees this evening and will again tomorrow. This happens every Spring and Summer because I don't do knee strengthening exercises year round. Once I build up some mileage and endurance I'll be fine.)

Walking at Night

Because of a busy day, I didn't get out until after 9 p.m. on Monday. It was hot and humid and not much of a breeze, but because it was dark it wasn't unbearable. I haven't been out with it this dark in a long time. I wore my reflective vest and headlamp to be sure I could be seen. The headlamp definitely helps with uneven sidewalks and other potential hazards - like skunks.

It was supposed to be an easy 3 miles. I walked harder than the schedule called for, and though my Google pedometer route said it was only 3 miles I was out for 56 min., and I walked faster than that. I have to figure that Google map doesn't take into consideration the loop at the end of each cul de sac. (The map picture doesn't show a loop.)

Fitting in Walking

Sunday my son had a game at 12:30 p.m., or so we thought. We arrived at the school around 12:15 to discover the game was actually at 1:30! The game was at a school with a large amount of property and the baseball field was as far from the parking lot as you could get. I took this opportunity to walk as much as I could in about 50+ min. I ended up having no other time to walk that day, so I was glad to have had it. I was wearing Croc sandals, so I probably did not get in 3 miles, but I'm sure I covered more than 2. (I was a slug. I was supposed to get in 5 on Saturday and just didn't fit it in.)

Google Maps

Today I discovered Google pedometer! I love it! All you do is zoom to your walking location, click at your starting point, and then add your route. I discovered that in my neighborhood, if I hit every single cul de sac, the distance is 3.47 miles. When I drove the route I came up with just 3 miles.

I get a little obsessive about measuring things so it will be nice to be more accurate about the distances I walk. I'm very excited.

4 Miles Tonight

I was able to squeeze in my 4 miles shortly after I got home this evening. It stopped raining just after I got in the house from my car (after I was soaked). So I changed and went out walking as quickly as possible just in case the rain came back. I didn't take sunglasses, thinking I wouldn't need them - it had been raining afterall. The sun was pretty bright for about 30 mins. which made it pretty humid. I walked to the library, did two laps at the park and walked back, it should be closer to 4.4 miles.

This was weird. The soles of my shoes were slick when wet. I tried to stay on the dry parts of the walking path, but when the soles were wet, the pavement was slick. There are a couple of tiny steep hills on the path, and I had to walk int he grass going down them to keep from slipping.

Oh, the best part! My family waited to eat dinner with me! They even fixed dinner.

Things I Hate When Walking in the Summer

1) Motorcycles without mufflers
2) Cars without mufflers
3) Dogs in parks that are not on leashes
4) The invisible fence (at least at the house down the street where the dog charges me every time I walk by)
5) Not seeing a sprinkler and getting unexpectedly soaked (it happened tonight)
6) Wet shoes or socks
7) Sweat in my eyes
8) Dead batteries
9) Shoelaces that won't stay tied
10) Water splashing out of my water bottle (in my fanny pack) and down my back

Training for Crim 10 Miler

I wasn't able to walk on a measured track today, so I walked for over 45 min. to be sure I walked an entire 3 miles. The temps were in the mid 90s here, and my son had a baseball game at 6:30 p.m., so I was worried about when I'd be able to fit in the distance. I got home about 8:30 and was out the door before 9. It was a great time to walk. It had cooled off a little, the wind was blowing like it wanted to rain, and traffic in the neighborhood was light. I have a headlamp I don't wear often, but I did tonight. It really is not bright enough to light up the sidewalk, other than pointing out major sidewalk shifts, but at least I knew the few cars I encountered could see me when I crossed the street.

At some baseball games I'll be able to walk around the field. I thought I would do that tonight, but this field was fenced. Actually, it worked out better this way.

The other cool thing is, when training for my first fall marathon, I ended up doing a lot of my summer miles in my neighborhood, late at night. As I was walking tonight, it felt just like when I was walking all those years ago. It felt great!

Because I'm finishing up the Summer issue of the magazine today, I didn't get a chance to really walk like I wanted. Instead, I made a special trip to the library tonight, and walked as quickly as I could carrying a cinch sack full of books on tape. It was nice just to get out!

I'll send files to the printer tomorrow and be able to walk for real - at least for a little while.

Update - Bonnie and my Walking

Bonnie was great tonight - just like I knew she would be. About 40 people came to the seminar. I did not bring enough sample copies of the magazine with me, because they all went fast. Unfortunately, when I stepped away from the table people walked off with two of my "sample" techncial shirts. Now, I personally would have asked before I left with someone's shirts, and I did say the magazines were free, (nothing else) but I think I'll live.

Also, I FINALLY got in a good walk today! Woo hoo! Since I was not able to get in a full 3 miles yesterday bbefore dinner with Bonnie, I was determined to get in a walk tonight. At 4:30 I was at the designated park. I walked for 40 min. (5 more for cool down), rushed home, jumped in the shower and ran off to see Bonnie. Unfortunately, there was a huge wreck on 270 and I got there late. The good news is, there is no other group who would understand like this group.

I got to talk at the end, and that was nice.

A special thank you to Bonnie for doing the extra talk!

WALK! Magazine Columnist, Bonnie Stein, Coming to Columbus

Rev Up Your Walk and Get More Bang for Your Walking BuckThursday, June 7 (7-8 PM) at New Albany High School, Jefferson Room (Fodor Rd. & 161)

Free one hour seminar with Bonnie Stein, M.Ed. Learn how to rev up your walk to get more benefits whether you want to walk faster, lose some weight or be more fit.

Bonnie is a Certified Personal Training Specialist, a former National Masters Racewalk Award Winner, columnist for WALK! Mgazine, an author, and walking consultant. Bonnie has been featured on CNN, Good Day Atlanta, The Tampa Tribune, St. Pete Times, Atlanta Journal/Constitution, Channel 11 News (Atlanta), Tampa Bay’s Channel 10, Prevention Magazine, Self Magazine, Women’s Sports and Fitness Magazine, and others.

Bonnie is a recipient of the National Masters Award in the Presidential Sports Award Program, and a writer for Running Journal Magazine. She has published more than 200 articles on walking and fitness. Bonnie is a racewalk coach for beginners through advanced levels in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and presents walking seminars all around the country.

Don’t miss this free opportunity to get your walking questions answered and learn how you can turn your walk into a workout!

Please RSVP to Dr. Phil Heit

More Team Members

We have 4 more Walking Team members! A couple of weeks ago I had a request for a "Generic" option. That person wanted to be on the Walking Team, but was not able to make it to the races we had chosen. So we now have a couple of people signed up for each race and several generic members! At least 4 members are planning to enter more than one event. It will be nice to meet them in Flint, MI in August and see them again at the New Albany 10K Walk in September.

Each race has been very supportive of the Walking Team, even though we had no idea what the interest would be like when we created it. The Appleton PowerWalk and Crim Festival are providing us with a booth at their expos. New Albany purchased an 8-page insert in the Summer issue of the magazine! Each participant in that event will also receive a copy of the magazine. Last year the crowds were large and there were so many great things handed out after the race they just did not have enough hands to hold everything, too. We thought about providing bags this year instead of magazines, but Phil has that covered.

Next weekend starts our official training. I'm ready!

3.5 Miles Today

I'm working on getting into more of a regular walking schedule to prepare for the Walking Team training schedule. We start training for the Crim 10 miler next weekend. So today I got in 3.5 miles. I went to one of my favorite parks and did three loops around the small lake. Each loop is just under 1.2 miles.

It was a little bit hot and humid, and there was not much of a breeze, but that's OK. Because I'm not acclimated yet, I worked on form, not speed. It "felt" like I was racewalking. Not sure if anyone else would think that. My left shin was pretty sore and tight early on, so I know I need to work on it.

Still it felt great to be out!

Copyright Issues

Most of the people who send stories or articles to me write them themselves. Though I don't ask them to sign over copyright, I expect them to respect the copyright of others. I have never said this to anyone, but I guess because I've been in the publishing industry for so long, I figure I will be able to tell. Besides, what would be the benefit of faking a race review or a weightloss story?

Anyway, I had arranged for an article about sunscreen use. The story I got was a mish-mash of facts, but not really a story. I thought I could work with it. While looking up facts online, I found the entire story on a web site. OK, that's happened before, too. If the web site doesn't mind, I'm OK with it. I asked more questions and was told it is the author's web site.

However, I started looking at the "references" to the article. Hmmm. This is starting to look fishy.

I wish I had looked harder at this when I got it. But it was one of those things that I kept putting off. I kept waiting for that moment when I was in an "editing groove," and I would magically fix it. (Don't laugh. Many editors have that "groove" as I call it, when we can just read something and feel how it should be improved.) It never came until this morning. That is when I realized we might not have a sunscreen article in the summer issue.

Don't worry, if we don't run it, I have some great stuff to fill the hole. And if I can find some sunscreen info. in time, I'll use that.

This is Different

You know how sometimes when you are out walking you feel like there is no way you can make it as far as you had intended to go?

Today the opposite happened. I thought I would take just a 30-min walk around the neighborhood, work on my pseudo-racewalking form, and head home. As I searched for my MP3 player, I found a cassette tape I've been looking for for a month and desperately needs to be returned to the library. OK, I thought, I'll just go to the library and come back instead. (Still working on my form.)

I felt fantastic today! The more I walked, the more I wanted to walk! It felt smooth, I could feel my shins getting a workout, there was no bouncing. I arrived at the library a little too quickly, so did the 1.2-mile lap around the park before heading back. This was a great way to start the day.

So a quick little 30-min neighborhood workout turned into 3+ mile! I wish all of my training walks went this way!
___________________

It's starting to get into the 80s in central Ohio. Because I end up being in air conditioning a lot, it can feel much hotter than it really is. I just want to remind people that it is important to walk in all types of weather to get acclimated. The more you walk on 80-degree days, the more you will get used to it. If we are working toward goals, such as entering the Crim Festival of Races in August, then we need be comfortable in the weather we will experience that day. It would be very disappointing to be in a key race and not be able to finish because we aren't used to hot weather.

Getting in a Few Miles

I'm getting a little bit lazy with my walking. I need to start working on speed, but since I know that is built into Dave's Walking Team Training programs, I'm not really doing it yet. I'll begin training for real the first week of June.

Instead, I take very circuitous walks to get in miles while pretending to run errands. I took a book back to the library today, even though it is not due for weeks, went to the post office to mail some packages and went further up the street to hit the bank. Adding the bank to the route gives me an additional mile for 3 total. I am getting a little bored by walking the same route and not challenging myself, but I feel the only way I can fit in walking is by killing two birds with one stone. (The PO trip was mandatory.)

Now I need to quit posting and get back to work.

Regular Walkers

There's the woman who walks back and forth in front of my house while talking on her cell phone. I can't tell if she walks when she gets a phone call, or whether she makes phone calls while she walks.

The gentleman who lives further down the street who seems to walk for hours just went by, too. No matter where I am within a couple miles of our neighborhood, I see him walking.

A fairly new guy walked by at 7:30 on the nose. He looks to be pretty young, maybe in his early 30s. He always walks by at the same time wearing gray shorts, a t-shirt and a baseball hat. He's pretty quick. Looks like he might follow the same route every day.

A couple who live down the street walk together every single day about 5:30, regardless of the weather. They make two laps around the "big" block and seem to really enjoy talking while the walk. They are just a little bit older than I am, and I can tell they have both lost weight since they started walking over a year ago.

And I have the other neighbor who is very environmentally aware. If he isn't carpooling to work, he is walking when he goes out to dinner or to run errands.

I won't even begin to discuss the "dog" people. There are tons of them!

As I watch my neighborhood walkers - the regular walkers - I wonder about them. Why does that gentleman walk for hours? Who is the woman talking to on the phone? How long has that couple been married?

At the same time, I'm sure people wonder about me, too. "There's that woman who's always carrying a bag of books on tape. Doesn't she read?" "Boy, she sure seems to get a lot of mail." "Those are obnoxious yellow tennis shoes!" "She's always walking to the store. I wonder if her car is broken."

Though I only know these people by how and when they walk, it's nice. I feel as if I know these "regular walkers," and maybe they feel they know me a little, too.

Just to the PO

Post office, that is. It is beautiful, but I just don't have the time today. I have a lot I want to get done on the Summer issue and a key baseball game tomorrow. I'll definitely get some miles in on Wednesday and I might enter a Memorial Day race.

Sunday Morning

I woke up much later than I had planned this morning. Part of the problem was, I really got on a roll with what I was writing last night, and had to finish before I went to bed.

Anyway, I had originally planned to do a serious training walk long before anyone got up. Because I got up late, I decided to wait to drive my son to Sunday School first. The more I waited, the less enthusiastic I became. When I finally woke him, he said he didn't have Sunday School today! By then, most of my motivation to be fast was gone. Instead, I did a double-duty walk. I went to the library 1 mile away, returned some books, did a partial loop in the park, and came back home. I did walk faster than a casual walker, and I worked up a sweat, but it definitely was not a "training" walk. Shoot, I was carrying a cup of coffee with me!

Sometimes it is hard to keep up the motivation to do speed work or even walk hard this far ahead of an event. The training schedules for our Walking Team events don't start until June and our first event is in August. Still, some speed work would be good for me. Despite the loss of motivation, I was still out for over 30 min. and I feel pretty good.

A Short Walk

Today could not decide what it wanted to be. Some of the day was cold, windy and chilly. The rest of the day was sunny and pleasant.

Around 8 this evening, it was sunny and pleasant. So my husband and I took a walk around the neighborhood. Because we are planning to do some landscaping it was also nice to see what we liked in our neighbors' yards.

Though we walk just a little faster than most people in the neighborhood, we weren't out there for the workout. It was just a nice evening for a walk.

Customer Satisfaction

Earlier this week, I went to Panera - twice. Though both times the food tasted great, I was very disappointed in the fat and calorie content of the steak salad I had during the first visit. (I know, "steak salad" should have been a clue. I checked the nutritional info after I ate it.)

As many of you know, I'm not shy about complaining to restaurants. I sent an e-mail to Panera through the online customer comment form. The next day I had a response from Alice at Panera. She agreed that the steak salad was high in fat and calories the way it is usually served, and explained that a lot of the fat came from the recommended salad dressing. She then gave me detailed information about all of their low-fat, low-calorie dressings. That was nice! From that info I found their salmon salad, which I tried a couple of days later.

I know I rant quite a bit about restaurants, (David, quit laughing), so I like to point it out when a restaurant does something good, too. Panera knows how to treat their customers and I like their fresh salads and their many choices. I will still check out the nutritional info before I order, but I can do that online.
____________________________________________

Sidebar about why I complain to restaurants.
I feel the best way for me to make an impact on any business is to either give them my money, or NOT give them my money. It's good that I boycott McDonald's, but I think it is more effective if I tell them why. How will McDonald's know that I object to the lack of nutritional value in their foods unless I tell them? Other people must be doing the same thing - why else would they have pushed those salads so hard a couple of years ago? (I bought the salads for a while thinking I was encouraging them. Well, they just aren't good, so I quit, and they know why.) The only way we can make a differnece is to let these places know what we will and will not buy.

BTW: McDonald's does offer grilled chicken on their salads. They also have better dressings, now. They are a little bit smaller (according to the info on their web site) than other comparly priced salads. Regardless, the last time I checked, they were still mostly iceberg.

Great Salad at Panera!

One of my biggest pet peeves is restaurant salads covered with crap, that have no nutritional value and/or are high in fat and calories. One example would be McDonald's. Do you remember their huge advertising campaign a few years ago promoting the then-new salads sold with a pedometer and bottled water? The salads were just iceberg lettuce with a grape tomato or two, cheese, a high-calorie dressing and breaded, deep-fried chicken.

Well, today I discovered Panera's new Grilled Salmon Salad! It features a nice combination of greens in a variety of deep colors, roasted red peppers, uncut green beans, red onions and more. It is topped by a nice-sized piece of salmon that was moist and tasty. The dressing is a lemon vinaigrette.

The salad weighs 13.5 oz. and has, get this, only 340 calories! Calories from fat - 120 with no trans fats. (A little higher than I would like.) Check out all of the nutritional info at the Panera web site www.panerabread.com.

The salad gets a couple of minor dings. 1) I'm not sure the salmon was really "grilled." It had black marks, but it had the texture of poached salmon. I really don't care. 2) The dressing was slightly bland until I got to the end and then there was just too much. There are several low-fat dressing options if you want to try something other than the lemon vinaigrette.

Pair it with a whole grain baguette or an apple (skip the chips, though they have great chips) and it's perfect for lunch.

Compare it to the Arby's Santa Fe Salad, one of my previous favorite fast-food choices, until I found out how many calories it had. With the regular dressing and fried chicken it is 796 calories! (602 calories with grilled chicken, but even when I requested grilled, I usually ended up with fried.)

I've had much more expensive salads that were not as good. Though I've seen higher quality salmon on a salad, this one costs less than $7, has great greens and a very reasonable calorie count!

It is really nice that someone is actually preparing an affordable salad that is not a nutritional nightmare. I will definitely be back for this one. I'll also check the Panera web site to find other salads to try.

Training Schedules are Here!

Thanks to Dave McGovern, we now have half marathon, 10 mile and 10K training schedules for the WALK! Magazine Walking Team!

Dave went above and beyond the call of duty by preparing beginner, intermediate and advanced training schedules for all three distances. So, no matter what your walking ability, we have a training schedule for you!

Because we were not able to include the schedules in the Walking Team packages as they were mailed, I will post them in our Yahoo Discussion Group. That also gives the members of the team the ability to access any schedules they want.

I'm so excited! This is MUCH more than I had expected.

Little Bit Sore

I decided to walk up to the store to exchange some things this evening. I felt great all day yesterday and felt fine all day today. As soon as I tried to pick up some speed I could feel my legs - a little bit sore and kind of heavy. It's a good thing I had planned on a light walk today. There is no way I could have done anything more strenuous.

I'm sure I'll be ready to walk a little bit harder tomorrow.

On a different note, I was given a pair of Crocs for Mother's Day. I've wanted them for a while and I'm pretty excited. They are pretty comfortable for walking around the house and the yard, but I doubt if I would go very far in them. I wonder, how did those people in Charleston, SC walk a 10K in these things?

Serious Ad Help Needed

As many of you know, WALK! Magazine has a small staff. I have been trying to increase the staff by adding an advertising sales person and have not been successful. Because we are still "growing," it is not a full-time staff position, which makes it difficult to fill. And, I know this is hard to hear, but we need advertisers to succeed and grow. (Catch-22?)

Job Description
- You can work from anywhere! (Well, anywhere except the WALK! Magazine offices, we don't have the room.)
- There are no set hours, so basically, you could have a full-time job and still be effective. We estimate 10 hours a week would get someone started. The number of hours will vary depending on your schedule and the response.
- This position is commission-based, however, we could negotiate.
- This is a contract position, so someone who already sells advertising for other publications would be perfect for this job!

It won't be easy to get started, but the growth potential is unlimited! We are confident that WALK! Magazine will be taking off very soon, and this position is key to our growth.

So, if you know someone who would be interested in selling advertising for us, please let me know. Feel free to send a personal e-mail to me at admin@walk-magazine.com for more information.

Painful Toes

This is weird. Around mile 4 of today's 10K, the three smallest toes on my right foot started aching. I'm not sure why, but with every step as I pushed off they hurt pretty bad. At first I thought that maybe my shoes were too tight and the toes were falling asleep, but it was pain, not numbness. My socks are the same brand of sock I always wear, so they are not at fault.

After the race, I examined my toes and they feel fine. So, could it be my new bright yellow shoes? I don't know. I'll have to walk a little more and see what happens.

Great Race!

The Hoover Dam 10K is simply a great race! This was my first year entering it, and I cannot believe I've missed out on this gem the last couple of years.

Put on by Run Wild Racing, it is well marked with plenty of water stops and lots of goodies afterward, like all of Doug's races. It even had an 8 a.m. starting time, which works better for me. The big difference from most races in our area was the course. It was beautiful! I've lived in Central Ohio for over 30 years and I had no idea these beautiful parks were near the dam. The course is on roads, but was very scenic. In the first half you walk along the reservoir, then cross the dam. Then you are on tree-lined streets with beautiful houses. Eventually you are back by the water and we watched kayakers while we tried to pick up speed.

Around mile 4 and 5 the course is "challenging," as Doug puts it. Actually, it is hilly. (Not Cincinnati hilly, but more Nashville hilly.) Then you cross the water again and you are back!

I finished around 1:32 and I was very pleased.

The only ding this event gets is, though chip timed, there is no mat at the start. Traffic is allowed on the street until our exact start. It is best to get as close to the front as you can so you are crossing the starting line as close to 8:00 as possible. For people like me, who will not win an award, it is no big deal. The fast walkers were up in the front.

What I would like to do, since this is such a great course, is figure out how we can get a lot more people to enter next year. I will probably pick it as a Walking Team event, but I have no idea whether that will make a difference. If any of you have ideas how we can get this great race to grow, please let me know! It is definitely worth entering!

What was I Thinking?

I'm entered in a 10K race in the morning. It's the Hoover Dam 10K, and is right here in central Ohio. There are a couple of reasons why I entered: a bunch of Buckeye Striders members are entered, Doug Grout is a very walker-friendly race director, if I don't enter this race I probably won't walk because I'm swamped!

I'm a little bit nervous because I have not walked much since the Country Music Half Marathon. Again, I've been swamped!

I know I will be fine - I walked 13.1 miles two weeks ago, and a measly 6.2 miles should be a piece of cake!

Congrats Al!

Al Alberts, a WALK! Magazine subscriber, sent an e-mail to me with Indy Mini Marathon photographs from Brightroom. That is pretty cool in itself, but the best part is he is wearing a WALK! Magazine shirt.

Al finished the half marathon in 2:19:16, his best Mini Marathon finish! I have to believe it is because of the shirt (or maybe the tips he gets from reading WALK! Magazine).

Congratulations, Al! And thanks for sharing the photographs.

Summer Issue

The summer issue of WALK! Magazine is shaping up. We have a great 8-page insert from the New Albany 10K Walk. Not only does it increase the number of pages in this issue, but it also includes good information about walking in general and the New Albany 10K Walk specifically.

In addition, we will have an interesting feature about Matt Hoover. I hope his name sounds familiar - he was the winner of The Biggest Loser 2. He married Suzy Preston, who was also on the show, and they both use walking as their main exercise. I'm looking forward to talking to him later this week.

We also are updating our list of walker friendly fall events!

And don't miss our regular columnists: Roger Burrows, Dave McGovern, Tim Seaman and Bonnie Stein. (Alphabetical order.)

It is looking like it will be another great issue! Don't miss it!

Things I Learned at Indy

Here are the things I learned at Indy:

1) Take a hand cart! I was halfway to Indy when I realized mine was in the foyer at home. (Nice people helped me unload and load.)
2) Many women think Dave McGovern is a god. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me he is handsome, well, I'd be about $10 richer.
3) No matter what size shirts I have in stock, they won't fit the people standing in front of me.
4) If I leave my booth for even a minute, a crowd will form. (OK, I already knew this.)
5) Indy has great art in the city! One of the art pieces was an animated full-size walk signal - a man on one corner, a woman on the other. When it was time to walk, the person started walking in place. When the light was red they both stood there, shifting their feet waiting. Very cool! (I forget the artist's name.)
6) Bonnie Stein's students will go anywhere for good race.
7) Be wary of I-70. I was able to exit 70 to get to my hotel by the outer belt. But between the outer belt and downtown you can't get back on!
8) When there are a lot of people, I need to make eye contact with the ones in the middle of the crowd. Because most walkers assume everything is for runners, they don't get as close to the booths. I meet their eyes, hold up a magazine, and they reach between the people. It was perfect.
9) Walkers tend to travel in groups. I'm surprised I never noticed this before. If I get the attention of one walker, three or more others will come over, too. If one is buying a shirt, others will, too.
10) I don't have a 10. I just felt funny leaving it at 9.

Regardless, Indy was great! I hope I get to go back next year!

Indy was Fantastic!

The Indy Mini Marathon Expo was great! The hours were a little bit shorter, my booth space was primo and the participants were very friendly! Shorter hours is better for two reasons: 1) there is less dead time when no one is coming through and 2) I don't have to stand as long so my feet feel better. I usually go to expos alone, so I don't have the opportunity to take a break.

For the 4 hours on Thursday and 11 hours on Friday traffic was steady and often very heavy. I was hopping the entire time! A big thanks to Judy Jackson, a reader from Flint, MI, who volunteered to give me a break on Friday. I hate to leave when there are potential subscribers around and I desperately needed a break.

I handed out 1,200 back issues of the magazine! That is a new record! The last time we were in Indy, we gave away only 900 magazines.

This is the first expo I brought "gifts" for subscribers. I really enjoy it when readers come by to say Hi and tell me they like the magazine! Anyway, I took a case of Propel with me, and subscribers received a bottle as a gift. It was gone by early afternoon Friday. (I'm sorry I ran out so early!) It's great when subscribers say how much they enjoy the magazine while others are deciding if they want it! I made several sales because of this. Thanks! You guys are the best! (I wonder if Runner's World has such loyal readers?)

My misprinted cotton T-shirts sold like crazy! I think I just have XL and XXL left. (I don't want to rehash the whole story, but the underline on the back of the shirt shifted at the printer. Most people didn't care, I just couldn't sell them at a profit.) Anyway, I don't plan to carry cotton anymore. We have a new online store that will print them as they are purchased. That way, I don't have to guess what sizes people will buy, and I don't have to maintain an inventory. I'm not good at that and lots of people had to wait too long for their shirts. The technical shirts will still be sold through our regular online store and at expos. Confusing, I know, but it's the only way I can offer both fabrics. And now we can offer new designs at very little cost!

A friend of mine said he thought WALK! Magazine was starting to really take off. I think he is right! The response I had at this expo was so positive - the best of any place we have visited! I feel very inspired and encouraged. Thanks everybody! Walkers are the best!

New Shirts and Stuff

We have just opened a second online store to offer a wider variety of walking products! Long-sleeved shirts, which many of you have asked for, are now available. We have many different styles and colors of cotton T-shirts, sweatshirts and tanks. Right now we also have mugs, and I expect to have more items available soon! Check it out at: http://www.cafepress.com/walk_magazine.

(By the way, technical shirts, Walking Team sign-ups and subscriptions are still available at the other online store: http://store.walk-magazine.com/index.html.)

Please be patient with the site. I'm still figuring out how to use the software to set it up and it is still under construction.

On the Way to Indy

I'm leaving for the Indy Mini Marathon tomorrow morning and I'm excited. I think I have a better idea how to "do" an expo now. I have a Jeff Salvage DVD to show (and I even have the remote this time!), I have fewer brands of shirts to make the selection and display less complicated, I have Walking Team stuff to give out, and I have a small gift for subscribers who stop by to say "hi".

So if you are at the Indy Mini Expo, look for us!

Walking Team Chat Group

Thanks to all of you who signed up for the WALK! Magazine Walking Team!

Unfortunately, because of a glitch in the software, the chat group is not yet set up. I'll continue trying over the next few days and will let you know when it works.

Thanks for your patience!

Celebrity Photo Shoot

I'm not sure I can handle much more "celebrity" treatment. I'm going to be spoiled!

Columbus Monthly Magazine is running a story about walking, and I was interviewed a couple weeks ago. Apparently they have talked to several people associated with walking and walking groups in Columbus. Today I met with a photographer from the magazine for a photo shoot. All weekend I had stressed about what I would wear since my new shirts without a typo are not here yet. (They are ready, I couldn't pick them up on Friday.) Believe it or not, I don't have very many different things that I wear walking and nothing I would call an "outfit." I have one pair of non-spandex shorts, a couple pairs of spandex shorts (one seriously faded) and a couple pairs of pants in various cold-weather weights. As you can imagine, I have TONS of race shirts, and a couple WALK! Magazine shirts. Deciding which shirt looked best with which shorts was hard - I've been photographed in races before, but not like this. Oh, and I have brand new bright yellow Brooks shoes. They go with nothing!

Anyway, the photographer and I met in a nice park and he had me walk toward him a few times. Finally he told me I should smile because I was supposed to be "happy" while walking. I was just being a serious walker trying to look like I knew how to racewalk. I wonder if I am the first person he has had to tell to be "happy."

He also took several shots of just my feet and legs. I find this funny because I don't wear capri pants just so that I don't emphasize the least attractive part of my body - my shins and ankles. (In high school, I worked at a restaurant where I stood for 8-hour shifts and this left me with huge blue veins on my pale white shins.) After the "action" shots he took a few posed ones - me stretching, leaning against a park sign, standing in the grass... My head was tilted this way and that. It was difficult to imagine how tilting my head to the left and lifting my chin would look when it felt so odd.

I don't know how models do it. It is very hard to put a genuine smile on your face when you are worried about veins in your legs, planting your heel, keeping your knee straight and hoping your arms are not moving out too far from your body. Though I am not a real racewalker yet, I hope it looks like I was trying to racewalk.

Oh yeah, I also hope I look "happy."

Yea Nashville

The Country Music (Half) Marathon was great! I'm not going to write a complete review because there will be one in the Summer issue of WALK Magazine.

The 'wave' start is VERY annoying when the race starts. We got to the starting line about 55 min. after the race started. They started each corral individually which took a couple of minutes. I was in corral 29, so I guess 55 mins was good. Once we got started, and there was room enough to move around and not be wall-to-wall people, I decided I like the wave. I also liked every single band and singer, all of the water stops and the route. Though hilly, some of us thought it was not as tough as the Cincinnati Flying Pig. The difference is, Cincinnati has fewer hills, but they are so much more steep. At the top of some of them I was in severe pain and almost needed to rest.

In Nashville there were more hills, but they were rolling. They didn't bother me much at all.

My finish time was not embarrassing, but I have been much faster. 3:26+ is not horrible - with hills. (Maybe I should change my story and say the hills were HUGE!) My feet were killing me near the end of the race, and I'm not sure if it was because of the new shoes or because of all of the walking we did on Friday.

The Expo was very busy and well planned out. I didn't like that I had to pay for a poster, but this one was very nice and the artist autographed it. I bought it my second time through.

We got free entry to a Sara Evans concert. It was great!

Here is what I did wrong: Not only did I go through the Expo - twice - we walked up and down the main drag a LOT! I wore boots with heels for a lot of the walking, and my feet were hurting Friday night.

I stayed in a room with two other women and three in a room with two beds is too much if one is not your sister. I did not sleep particularly well.

I drank too much water and needed to stop once. Of course, if I had not had to wait 55 min to get to the start, I could have made it all the way through the race without stopping.

I wore my new shoes without really breaking them in. No blisters or anything, but my feet were sore.

Thanks Deb, Catherine, Elaine and Vonnie! It was a lot of fun!
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Don't miss the complete race review, written by Deb, in the Summer issue of WALK!

Nashville, Here we Come!

I'm leaving in the morning to go to Nashville. I'm VERY excited about going to the Country Music Half Marathon. I go to a lot of races to promote the magazine, so it is exciting to be just a visitor.

I'm also very lucky. Because I'm a member of the Buckeye Striders walking club I have a great group of friends to walk with. There are 5 of us heading to Nashville. It's more fun to go to a race with friends. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind going to races and meeting people along the way. I've met some really interesting people doing just that. But the last two races I entered, I didn't meet anyone.
Anyway, I still prefer to walk with people.

By the way, I've decided to wear the new Brooks shoes.

Baseball Season has Started

I really enjoy baseball. I think the main reason is that the weather is rarely bad for a baseball game. If it rains, they don't play. If it snows, they take a break to blow the snow off the field. (Cleveland Indians fans will know what I'm talking about.) And I get to eat hot dogs! The best hot dogs are baseball hot dogs. (During football season they play during any weather! Yuck!)

For today's game, the weather was beautiful. The sun was shining, there was a soft breeze, it was a great day. (My son played well, which made it even better.)The biggest problem with baseball is it cuts into my walking. I end up with the most time to walk when games are called due to bad weather! LOL I am hoping I can figure out a way to walk a little during games. Some fields work better for that than others.

After today's game, I walked to the post office to wear my new shoes a little bit more and mail off some subscriptions. I'm still trying to figure out if I can wear these shoes at the half marathon this weekend.

New Shoes

I received my news shoes in the mail today! (I don't buy shoes through the mail unless they're exact same as a pair I already own.) This pair of Brooks were recommended by Curtis at Complete Runner in Flint, MI last week. They are nice and flexible with just the right amount of support for the foot that pronates.

I find it funny that the pair I tried on was white with red trim - the perfect pair for a Buckeye fan! The pair that arrived in the mail is a bright Maize - the perfect color for a Michigan Wolverines fan. Are you trying to tell me something Curtis?

I wore the shoes for a short 2-mile walk today. They are great! I'm not sure if I should wear them in Nashville this weekend for the Country Music Half Marathon. I've been assured that they have a very short break-in period, but it still makes me nervous. At the same time, I waited WAY too late to replace my shoes. I might not have a choice.

Computer Problems

I truly hate PCs - I've been a Mac person since day one of my publishing career. For a variety of sound reasons, I bought PCs for the WALK! Magazine offices. What I'm not used to is the additional viruses and weird corruptions that happen on PCs that never happen to Macs. And it is more difficult for me to locate the relevant files and fixes. So, for the past week, I've been battling some weird error message after another, but today everything is fixed!

The point of telling you this is, though I've had access to e-mail and Word, I have not been able to process orders or update my web site. Orders are being processed at a record rate, and tons of mail will go out later today!

I'm also planning to update a few things on our web site later today. Thank you everyone who have passed along links that don't work and other fixes. I really appreciate it!

Saturday Walk

Yesterday I finally had the chance to walk with the Buckeye Striders again. A few of us met early at 7:30 a.m. so we could fit in 6 miles. We are heading to Nashville next weekend for the Country Music Marathon. (We're doing the half.)

The weather was beautiful, the sun was shining, the company was great. I'm glad I went.

OK, here's a weird little problem. In all of my training for this half marathon, I've been feeling pretty good. Yesterday and the week before I had severe leg pain in the first two miles. Muscle tightness, shins killing me, it was hard to keep my left foot up. We weren't even walking that fast! I used to get this all of the time when I was training incorrectly, but I've been much better about training and stretching. It takes about two miles for it to go away, and then I feel as if I could go forever. In fact, yesterday I noticed that when the pain went away, I felt a warmth spread through both of my legs.

I'm a little worried about next Saturday's half marathon, I'm not quite sure how to deal with this.

Technical Shirts are on Their Way!

OK, I have FINALLY resolved things with the shirt screener! They have promised we will have the corrected technical shirts before May 2!

We do not intend to carry cotton shirts any longer. You cotton lovers - don't panic! We are going to work with a group that will print the shirts as they are ordered rather than having to maintain inventory. It will make everyone's lives easier (especially mine). We will even be able to offer other items like coffee mugs and training logs. We will continue to carry the technical shirts through our current online store and will have them available at race expos.

Thanks for being patient while we worked this out.

Catching Up

I had planned to walk while in Flint, but they had me on such a tight schedule I couldn't fit it in. So today, I got in 3 miles. I didn't really need to go to the library, but it is an easy route and it was sunny and beautiful today. So I walked up to the library, took one lap around the park, and came back home. It was a great way to work off some stress and enjoy a really beautiful day!

We Love the City of Flint

Today the city of Flint, MI treated me like a queen! When we first came up with the idea for the Best City for Walkers and the Walker Friendly Event awards I had hoped we might get a little publicity and that winners might be excited. The city of Flint went above and beyond all of my expectations!

They held a very nice news conference for me to present the award to the Mayor of Flint and the Crim Festival of Races Race Director. There were maybe 50 people at the news conference with three TV stations. (Each station interviewed me individually.) There were many, many local dignitaries from the city as well as several local walkers. Even Judy Jackson, a well-known local walker and WALK! Magazine contributor, took the day off to attend the news conference. It was nice to see her again.

Everyone I met today was extremely friendly and excited about the city's recognition. Unfortunately, I met so many people their names have started to run together. Many people hung around after the news conference just to chat. They truly were a great group of people!

After the news conference I made a stop at both of the local "running" stores. I had not heard of The Complete Runner before, but they were wonderful and will now be carrying WALK! Magazine. I also stopped by Bauman's, one of the first stores to carry the magazine. (Both stores had representatives at the news conference.)Mark Bauman was on his way back from the Boston Marathon, so I didn't get the chance to say hi. I had not been there before and it's also a very nice store.

I'm not used to being the center of attention. Luckily no one noticed that I was extremely nervous. (At least they said they didn't notice.) But with people this nice, it was easy to get over it.

Thank you Flint for treating me so well! Thank you also to Dorie Barkey and Deb Kiertzner for planning the news conference, reserving a hotel room and taking me to breakfast. It was great meeting you. Thank you Judy and all of the local walkers who nominated the city. Your city definitely is well deserving.

I hope someone in the area will tape the local news coverage for me and send me some clippings! I can't remember the last time I was on TV - it would be nice to see how I did.
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Things I learned while in Flint:
- Several hundred people meet every Tuesday to run and walk together in Flint. One number I heard was 800 people! I'm not sure if this is part of the Crim Training program or the year-round Crim Fit program. Regardless, it is impressive.
- Always number the pages of your speaking notes. Not only did I drop my notes on the floor, the Mayor knocked my notes on the floor.
- No matter how much of a hurry you are in, take a moment to find a map of Michigan and a map of Flint before you leave the house. I've been to Flint before, I know it can be confusing. It took much longer to get there than it should have.
- It is fun stopping at local running stores. I'll have to do that more often.
- Though it was easy to eat healthy on the way to Flint (I packed fresh veggies, low fat cheese and some crackers) it was way too difficult to avoid French fries on the way home. I caved.

Loveland Report

I was in Loveland Saturday for the Loveland Challenge. I was asked to speak about walking and had the opportunity to have a table in the picnic pavillion. The weather was miserable! It was raining pretty steady and was very chilly. The others in the pavillion were freezing! (I don't know why I wasn't.) A few people came by my table and asked questions about the magazine and picked up subscription information.

Unfortunately, because it was so cold, the people in the race did not spend much time hanging around! I ended up not having the chance to give my speech. Still, I met some really nice people from Ohio on the Move, Mercedes Benz, New Balance and Clif Bar, In fact, both New Balance and Clif Bar gave us items for the members of the Walking Team! Now walking team members will get New Balance water bottles and sample Clif Bars.

Despite not being able to give my speech, it was a fun day. Thanks to Rich for all of the publicity!

10 miles

I woke up bright and early today and immediately checked the Weather Channel to see what would be the best time to fit in my 10-mile walk. Though chilly this morning, in the low 30s, it looked like it was going rain this afternoon when it warmed up to the 40s. I decided to go early before the rain.

Again I overdressed with layers, my gator, gloves and more. I went to one of my favorite parks for the 10 miles. This is one of the few places in Columbus that has hills and since Nashville is hilly, it seemed like a good choice. It took quite a while for me to warm up today. Some sections were very windy, then I would hit a turn and suddenly be burning up. I'd work up a sweat, and then hit another windy section. There really was just no winning. It even drizzled on and off.

I finished nice and early and had the rest of the day to get things done. I was confident I had picked the best time of day to walk.

Later, the sun came out, the temps rose and no rain! In fact, the most unpleasant weather of the day was when I was walking. Oh, well, I got it in and I feel great!

One More Time

I had decided I would stop writing about Ohio weather, but for another day this week, it was cold and rainy. Luckily the bright sun from one day earlier this week helped my mood enough I was still able to get out today. I was bundled and over dressed, but I was out walking. Weather reports say we might even snow again tomorrow. (Yuck!) I hope it is nice this weekend so I can get my 10 miles in.

On a non-weather related topic, my arms are pretty weak. In fact, I had a rotator cuff injury last year, so my right arm is even more weak than my left! (I won't explain how I injured my rotator cuff. Just too embarrasing.)

I decided it is time I finally do something about the situation and recently started lifting light weights. It's been a little over a week, and I can already feel a difference.

Most people don't realize that upper body strength and flexibility are important to walking. I'm hoping that as I work on my racewalking form, having a little more flexibility in my shoulders will help my speed.

In the Mail

OK, the Spring issue is in the mail! Woo hoo!

In the News

A story about WALK! Magazine presenting Flint, Mi with the Walker Friendly City Award appears in the Flint Journal today. Check it out!
http://www.mlive.com/sports/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1176213096111380.xml&coll=5

By the way, we will be presenting the award at a news conference in Flint next Tuesday.

A Little Sunshine...

It is amazing what a little sunshine and mild temperatures can do to improve a mood! Though not too sunny earlier today, by early evening the sun was really shining and it was beautiful. I was able to walk for over an hour and I feel great. The lethargy has reduced and my mood is MUCH better! I hope the weather holds for the 10 miler I'll need over the weekend.

Not Sure

I'm not sure why I was so worn out yesterday during and after walking. For some reason I was in a LOT of pain last evening. My lower back hurt and my legs felt VERY heavy. I wouldn't be surprised if I had just started walking. I wouldn't be surprised if I suddenly added a lot of distance, but I walked only 4 miles or so. I'm wondering if part of the problem is from cleaning and re-arranging my office. (I tried to get help with the heavy boxes, but I did lift and move some I probably should not have lifted.) I started a medication that has a few side effects, but none of them sound like this. It can cause depression, though. hmmm

I felt better today, but my legs still feel a little tired and heavy. After everyone left this evening, I went out for a short walk of maybe 15 min. and it helped.

I'll try walking a couple of miles tomorrow and see how I feel.

I'm a Wimp

OK, I'm officially a wimp! I will never again make fun of warm-weather walkers who cannot handle temps in the 40s.

Today I needed to get in 8 miles. It was pretty chilly this morning, so I decided to do some cleaning and organizing first. As the day went on, it got colder and snowed more. The snow was even sticking to the ground! Finally, it was late enough in the day that if I didn't go, I wouldn't go. I was bundled up in a winter coat, with heavy gloves and went out. I decided to walk the mile to the library, do a couple of laps at the park and head back.

It was cold and the wind was blowing pretty hard. By the time I got to the main intersection down the street, the snow was pelting my face pretty hard! I almost turned around.

I decided to go all the way to the library to decide how far I would walk. (It's a little bit better than the 5-min rule.) With the houses and buildings on that street, the wind was not much of a factor. When I got to the park, I had to turn straight into the wind. Geez it was cold! I tried one more lap before I finally gave up. When the wind is blowing so hard I have to hold my hood on, it's time to head home!

So, after only a little more than 4 miles, I gave up. Yes, I am officially a weather wimp!

Update on Spring Issue

As I reported earlier, our printer forgot to mail the Spring issue to our subscribers. Every copy was delivered on our doorstep Tuesday morning. ARGH!

The printer furiously tried to find a local mailing house to pick up the magazines and mail them. By the time they found a mailing house Wednesday, it was too late in the day for them to be picked up. The magazines were picked up today. The mailing house has the mailing list. Unfortunately, it takes 2-3 days to sort and process mail. The last message I received said the labeling will happen Friday, and the magazines will be in the mail on Monday, April 9.

April 9 is a long way away from March 22 - our first mail date!

Highs and Lows

Tuesday of this week, the temps were in the 80s. Wednesday and Thursday we are in the 30s. I've probably said this a hundred times - I'm OK walking in the cold if I'm acclimated. However, the severe temperature shifts make it very difficult for me to walk.

Yesterday I felt so cold, I didn't walk. It was sleeting! Yes, I wimped out. To make up for it, I did go out for an hour today, but I WAY overdressed! Winter coat, blue jeans, heavy gloves... Though it was snowing, I did work up a sweat and I even took off my hood.

It is supposed to be cold for a few more days, but we might be up to the 50s by Easter. Woo hoo! I will continue to follow my training schedule the best I can.

You Won't Believe This ...

because I don't. I got a phone call from my printing rep today. Apparently they had neglected to mail the magazines to the subscribers. The entire print order was delivered to my house today!

He has a solution. He has assured me he will find a mailing house, have the magazines picked up and mailed tomorrow.

I'll let you know if that actually happens.

One More Thing

This is the last post about Charleston - I promise!

My husband dropped me off about a half mile from the starting line. Weaving in and out among the other people added at least half a mile to my total distance. And, even though my feet hurt, we walked around the party and through some shops on our way to the car. I figure I walked over 8 miles. Not the number of miles I needed in my training schedule, but I was also standing for two days beforehand.

Printer Problems - Same Story Different Printer

I don't know what it is about WALK! Magazine and printers. I have been in the publishing industry since the early 80s. Yes, I have occasionally had a problem with a printer. However, over the last two years, I have had more problems with printers producing WALK! Magazine than I would expect! I am beginning to wonder if it is because we are a small publication. Maybe they feel they can push us around.

I don't understand giving a delivery date and not coming close to meeting it! What is worse is missing a deadline and not even telling the customer! Well, that is what happened with the Spring issue.

Getting the Spring issue to the printer in time to mail in April was more difficult than usual because of a death in the family earlier in the year.(It takes a few months to get an issue together.) When I submitted the files, I was assured the magazine would mail on March 22. I won't go into the gory details, but I will tell you the magazine mailed on March 30!

I'm not quite sure what is going to happen. I can't continue working with a printer that cannot meet a deadline and will not keep me informed. (I just dropped one who had that problem.) However, I know I'll never get consistency if I switch printers with every issue.

In the meantime, I will do the best I can to make these companies at least TRY to keep the deadlines they set.

Lots to Say

Being away from unlimited computer usage for a week can be rough! And though I enjoy posting regularly, I'm not going to pay 73 cents a minute (hotel rates) just to jot down a few ideas. That said, following are some of the things I had wanted to say last week.
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Orlando was beautiful! Though not there for a race, I was able to get some good walking in. I took one 40-min. walk up International Drive between meetings, took a shower and went back for more meetings. That evening we walked up International Drive again looking for a restaurant with a less than 90-min. wait, were unsuccessful and ended up dining at the hotel. So technically, I got in more like 80-minutes of walking.
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The evening before the Cooper River Bridge Run, we were invited to a sponsors' cruise on the river. It was a fantastic event! The food included jambalaya, crawfish, oysters, crab cakes and tons of other items. The free beverages were unlimited. The awards given to the largest sponsors were beautiful! They were cut crystal bowls on wooden bases with engraved plaques. We met some locals who showed us points of interest on the shore, gave some history of the city and were just plain fun. We also got to see the bridge from underneath. It was just a wonderful evening! The staff of this race are extremely generous to the race sponsors.
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At the CRBR Expo, I stood for nearly 10 hours both Thursday and Friday. Our booth was set up for 12 hours each day (we snuck out early on Friday). I tried switching shoes to see if it helped my feet, but it didn't. My thin-soled long-distance shoes were horrible for standing on a hard floor all day, so I didn't keep them on for very long. My feet have never hurt so bad in my life. My knees were also starting to swell. Saturday partway into the race, my left knee was hurting and I had to stop and wiggled the knee cap a little to see if I could get it to stop. (I did.) After the race, my feet were so sore I was worried I might have a stress fracture and had difficulty walking to the car. Some Ibuprofen and rest made a huge difference. By the time we hit the second rest stop on the drive back to Ohio I could walk normally again.

BTW: I do not condone exhibitors leaving early. This bothers me even more when the race staff is as great as the staff at the CRBR. That said, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. we had maybe one person come by the booth, and we were supposed to be there until 10 p.m. I even started aggressively approaching people and handing out magazines. It was not until I went to the upstairs part of the Expo and saw how many people were pouring in to get their race numbers, but none coming downstairs, that I realized we made the right decision. As an exhibitor, it is frustrating to prepare for several thousand people, and not have those people even enter the Expo Hall. Walking the event, I saw there were thousands who entered the race, but never saw the exhibitors.

I know I'm a little different at times, but I LOVE Expos! (In a previous job I had to go to the Linen and Laundry Show, and loved every minute of it!) I especially love sport and fitness Expos. I love to see the new products, I like to see the creative displays, I enjoy learning about new races. I rarely take samples of products I don't want, I talk to exhibitors and I thank them for being at the race. I know that most people who enter races are not like this. Still, it would be nice to at least make an appearance at the Expo.
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I know there were several more things I wanted to say, but I just can't remember what they were. I guess that is my cue to quit for now.