Back from South Carolina

We just got back from the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, SC. The city is very nice and the people were fantastic!

The race is different from what I expected. When I figured out that about 40% of the participants were walkers we were VERY excited about being part of the Expo. We were expecting to see anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 walkers. My husband went with me to be sure we could handle the crowds.

Though we had a fantastic booth location, the number of people who came to the booth was pretty small. In fact, we handed out fewer than 600 magazines during the Expo and several people took more than one sample issue. All of the exhibitors in the lower level, where we were, closed up at least two hours early on the last night, Friday evening. After packing up the car, I went upstairs to locate a woman with the local MS organization. I could not believe how many people were moving through! It was VERY crowded! So, how come there were tons of people upstairs, and none in the Expo downstairs? Well, they were descending the stairs and walking straight out the building.

Many of the people we met over those two days asked if I was entered in "the walk." That confused me and I said I was entered in "the race." I don't recall so many people all calling the "walking division" of a race "the walk" before. I thought it was just a "localism."

The day of the race, it all made sense. I was in the middle of the corral with the walkers and soon realized that I was one of just a few who intended to go fast. There were so many people I could not get up closer to the runners if I had tried, so there may have been many walkers who were very fast that I never saw.

After the start, I did my best to pass people and pick up speed. (More details will be in the Summer issue of WALK.) I came across a few people who were also trying to be fast, but not many. There were people with strollers, couples holding hands, groups holding huge banners, tons of people in blue jeans.... This was anything BUT a race! The majority of these walkers were just enjoying an opportunity to walk across the bridge with their friends and the community!

Even after 6.2 miles, I NEVER got in front of the people who were out for a nice stroll because there were so many walkers. In fact, I crossed the finish line alongside people pushing strollers. (Not running with strollers, walking with strollers.)

After a while, I realized this event was like one other event I enter regularly - the Race for the Cure. Now, I love the Race for the Cure, but not once have I been able to "race." I do it for the camaraderie and walking for a cause. I realized that this event was just like that - people do it for the camaraderie and because it is their race and their bridge. It is very cool how they love their bridge.

A few people who missed the tables with the medals asked where I got my "medallion." I found the choice of word interesting. It must be another "localism."

So, this was a good and bad two days. The people we met were fantastic. The race was interesting. The race staff were great and the sponsor cruise was fabulous! The city was very nice. (Our hotel was horrible.) And the expo was not so good for us. We'll see in a couple of days how well we did based on the number of subscriptions we get.

OK, here is my final point, and I have got to get to bed. I was walking with thousands and thousands of walkers. Why weren't these people at the Expo?

Traveling

I'll be traveling from tomorrow through the next Sunday. If I get the chance, I'll post about my training while traveling. Considering how expensive e-mail access is from a hotel computer, you might not hear from me for a while. (I don't have a laptop yet.)

I will do my best to keep walking amidst all of my meetings in the beginning of the week and the 26 hours at the Cooper River Bridge Run Expo.

Feeling Great

I did my 45-min. "easy" walk today and I feel fantastic! I had no tightness and felt good the entire time. The warm-up felt good and didn't take too long. My knees were not swollen earlier today and that's a good sign. To help make sure they did not swell up again, I started icing as soon as I finished stretching. Oh, I did ALL of my stretches and they felt great, too. (I still need to find a better IT stretch. I feel it is not being stretched effectively.)

I'm confident I have finally turned the corner. I think I'll start building more muscle and have less swelling and muscle pain.

Getting Excited

I am very excited about going to the Cooper River Bridge Run at the end of the month! We're getting flyers and shirts ready for our booth. We even picked up a racewalking DVD to share with walkers.

I've been walking regularly getting ready for the Country Music Half Marathon, and will use the CRBR 10K as a training walk. Because I've done the Indy Mini Marathon with 29,999 other people, I have a little bit of an idea what a race with 50,000 people will be like. It will be VERY cool to be with 20,000 or so walkers!

In the meantime, I've been taking anti-inflammatories and icing my knees. They are feeling better already!

Swollen Knees

I guess I spoke too soon. My knees are pretty puffy. From looking at old training logs I know this is typical for me. I've seen a doctor a few times and I know all I have to do is ice them and exercise, and they will be fine. I've been icing them all day, I hope it starts making a difference.

7 Miles

I was afraid to walk with my walking club this weekend because of last week's race. I was so tight and had such a hard time moving my legs, I didn't want to hold anyone else back for 6-8 miles. So, I walked alone at Antrim Park this morning.

My original plan was to do 5 laps around the lake for 6 miles, see how I felt and decide if I would add more. After one lap, I was freezing! I ended up going back to my car to get my fleece gator to wear around my neck. It helped quite a bit, but the huge sections of shade around the lake and the slight breeze across the water made me cold. I decided to head up the bike path to stay in as much sun as possible.

I walked out 2.5 miles, turned around and came back for a total of about 7.3 miles. Totally uneventful. Lots of sun, little wind and I even broke a sweat. My legs felt less tight the entire distance and I felt as if I could have pushed quite a bit harder. The few times my stop watch did not get caught on my sleeve and turn off, I was able to see I was walking about a 15:20 mile. That's about what I did last week when I was struggling, pushing as hard as possible and in pain! In fact, I had no pain at all today!

I focused a LOT of attention on stretching. Because I've been so tight and my legs have felt so heavy, I've been trying to stretch more than usual anyway.

So, I feel pretty good! I walked farther than I had anticipated I would and I had no pain. I'll be traveling in a week or so. I hope I can fit in some walking so I keep feeling this good!

Slow and Steady

My legs have been tight and heavy for over a week. Stretching helps a little bit and I am trying to schedule a massage appointment. Fitting it in is the problem.

Last night I was scheduled to do 45 min. I decided to take it easy. I did not (attempt) to racewalk. I kept my arms bent and tried to push through the step, but that was it. When I got home I felt better! I did some light stretches, iced my knees and felt tremendously better!

Until I am past this, I think I will keep my workouts on the less strenuous side and try to increase stretching.

Good First Race!

It was a little bit chilly and there was the time change. Other than that the Spring Fling 5 Miler put on by Run Wild Racing was fantastic.

I'm still a little bit tight, and though I did attempt to warm up, I didn't try hard enough. The first two miles my shins were killing me! After that I was fine. I was way in the back, as I had expected, but it was still fun.

I had not been able to time myself on a known distance this year, but I was not totally surprised to find out I finished 5 miles in 1 hr 15 min. (Official time might be closer to 1:16.) I had the desire to go faster, I just was not able. It was frustrating, but I had not worked on speed yet this year.

I actually needed to get in 7 miles this weekend, so when I got home I walked an additional 30 min. Though I'm still tight and sore I feel I'll be ready.

First Race Tomorrow

I'm entering my first race of the season tomorrow. If I had realized that the time change was this weekend, I might not have signed up. Time changes always kill me. Anyway, it is a Run Wild Racing event, which are always well run races, and it is 5 miles. I'll have to add a couple of miles once I get home.

During this week's training walks, when I tried to be fast and push my shins were VERY sore and stiff, and I just could not get moving. Even after a few minute warm up, the muscles did not relax. I'll try warming up VERY well tomorrow and see if that helps. If not, I just might be walking alone as all of my friends will be way ahead of me.

We've been very fortunate in Ohio that the weather has been fantastic. No excuses for not getting in the miles. In fact, yesterday my lunch buddies bailed on me, so I went to a park and walked for 20 min. The sun was shining and there were a lot of people there doing the same thing. Maybe I should thank them!

Too Cool for Fleece

I think it is just in the 40s today - maybe not even 40. Because of the bright sun, it felt VERY warm. And because of the sun, I wore just a short sleeved technical shirt and a fleece jacket with heavy walking pants. I only needed to fit in 45 min., so I kept going even though I could feel the breeze through the fleece as I walked out the door. I thought I would warm up and be fine.

I did warm up, but I wasn't fine. The breeze through the fleece kept my arms chilled. My legs felt really stiff and tight, so I slowed down to give them a chance to warm up, and that made me even more cold. A simple wind jacket would have been perfect.

Regardless, it was great being outside in the sun and walking. (Though I do plan to do extra stretches tonight.)

Contingency Plan

It was 24 degrees with a light dusting of snow this morning. I was not sure where to go to get in 6 miles - we had so much rain earlier this week many trails are probably still flooded. After deciding to head to the trail around a small lake, my car wouldn't start. Though irritating, I probably had a better walk heading from the house.

I have not tried to walk this many miles in my neighborhood since I did my first marathon in 2000. Rather than be exact in distance, I decided to walk for 90 min. It would be close enough. (I still have not had the opportunity to walk a known distance to determine my current pace. A 15-min. mile is probably not too far off.)

So, I walked every cul-de-sac, every tiny side street, every bit of sidewalk I could find. The wind had picked up and I was glad I was not at the lake where there would have been nothing to stop it. In the neighborhood I had houses and trees to slow it down. Even when I walked straight into the wind, it wasn't long before I turned up a side street and out of it for a short while. It helped to keep me going.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that one of the benefits of walking is you just need a good pair of shoes and to head out the door. And though I was looking forward to going back to the lake, it helps to have a contingency.
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I like to keep track of what I wear in cold weather so I can remember the next winter. Today I had on double layer walking pants, a long-sleeved technical shirt, fleece jacket, windproof jacket, gator, headband and thin mittens. I worked up a slight sweat and felt comfortable. If there had been more wind, I might have been a little cold.
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When I got home, my husband had started my car and was off to the garage to have the battery checked!

I'm Not the Only One!

I love being in my home office right in the front window. It gives my eyes a break from staring at the monitor, I like watching the weather, and it gives me a feel for the neighborhood with the kids, joggers and walkers going by.

Though we have a few grocery stores fairly close to the house, I was pretty sure that other than the kids who can't drive, I'm the only one who actually walks to any of them.

I just saw a neighbor walk by with three plastic grocery bags! And they were from the store that's the farthest away. I have to admit, my first thought was that his car was not working, then I realized he is like me!

30 Minutes

My schedule says 30 minutes. It's 31 degrees and the only places I saw ice were the front porches of "north facing" houses. Tiny sharp snowflakes started falling and were stinging my face as I finished.

Winter Rain

I hurried home today to get out walking while it was still light outside. That would be a nice change! I encountered the typical delays but was still out the door by 6. (OK, it was an hour later than I had intended, but I don't care - it was light outside!)

It was raining, but that is OK. The thermometer on my car said it was 49 degrees. I wore a technical shirt, fleece jacket and a waterproof shell, baseball hat and double layer walking pants. I also wore the shoes with the least amount of mesh.

Because of the temps I was optimistic that the paved loop around the library would be clear, so I drove over there. About 10-min. into my walk, I hit a huge patch of wet ice and slid quite a ways. Further down the trail, it was totally flooded. What was I thinking! After a few more encounters with ice and flooding, I ended up going to the street that surrounds the park and walking in the street. Yes, I could have done that from home, but I'm tired of walking in my neighborhood.

The original plan was to walk a known distance and start timing myself again to determine my pace and start tracking improvement. I chose this park because I know one loop is 1.2 miles and I needed to walk at least 3 miles.

Though it was an adventure, it is all good! It was 49 degrees today! Woo hoo! I got in 45 min. of walking, did not wear one piece of winter clothing, worked up a sweat, no rain went down my neck and I didn't wipe out!

PS: It wasn't a February rain. You all know how much I HATE rain in February!

Blister

I had not planned to write every single time I walk out the door, but here I go anyway.

Today, additional errands made getting home before 7:30 p.m. impossible. I didn't get outside until after 8, so I had to cut it a little short. Actually, it's a good thing I cut it short. I felt a small pain on the back of my foot, but kept walking through it. I must have had something in my sock, because when I got home I found a small popped blister.

Regardless, the snow is melting, the sidewalks were pretty clear and there was almost no ice. It was great!

Back on Track

Realizing I'm fewer than 10 weeks away from the Country Music Marathon caused me to take things a little more seriously this week.

Sunday was a long walk, yesterday was a day of rest and today I needed to get in either 3 miles or 45 min. I had errands to run in the early evening and did not get home until after 7 p.m. By the time I ate a quick salad and put on my favorite shoes, it was 8:15. ARGH! It's too dark to really go anywhere, so I opted for 45 min. in the neighborhood.

I have not tried anything close to racewalking form since before winter. Today, with my favorite light, flexible walking shoes, I walked with my heel hitting the ground and rolling my feet. It felt great! I tried to bring my arms back all the way, but I was a little too bundled to be effective.

Though it was in the 40s earlier today, it is below freezing now and a lot of the water puddles have started to freeze over. I had a flashlight so I could tell what was ice. A lot of the sidewalks still had huge patches of snow and ice, so I spent a lot of time in the streets, which were pretty clear. I'm proud to say I had no wipe outs!

After today I realized I will have to start strengthening my ankles and shins. They have not been worked like this in a long time. I also have to work on my upper body strength to get over the shoulder injury I had last year. (I'm still not recovered.)

Considering the obstacles, I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish today! And I'm glad to be out walking without needing boots.

What Freezing Rain?

Well, if we had any freezing rain last night, I didn't see it. When I got up the streets were wet, but not slick. The temps were higher than 32 for sure!

So, I worked on the magazine for a while and waited for the library to open at noon. The streets and sidewalks around my house still are not clear enough to do real training, but I desperately needed to get in some miles.

Around 2 p.m. the sun came out so I decided to head out. It was about 40 degrees and felt like a heat wave! As long as no cars were coming, I walked in my streets and was making pretty good time. I went to the grocery store first to pick up a couple of really light items. Those sidewalks were just as bad as the ones in the neighborhood, so I cut through some parking lots and did a good job of staying on pavement.

Getting to the library was a little more tricky. The street I walk is pretty busy, but has sidewalks on both sides. Unfortunately, they were covered with snow, black snow, ice and a couple of inches of water. Where possible I stayed on top of the snow. Otherwise, I tried walking in the grass until I hit spots that were too muddy. I turned the corner to the road the library is on, and there is a bike lane that was very clear! I again was making good time and starting to sweat.

I got my books and went back, but used the sidewalks on the other side of the road. There are a few more houses on this side, and some of the residents actually shoveled their sidewalks! I love these people. It was much easier going.

Regardless, I walked about 3 miles. Later this evening I'll take a quick walk through the neighborhood and see if I can tack on at least 2 more. With less traffic, I should be able to walk a little faster and stay in the roads. Though I'll be a little bit short, I was worried about doing 6 miles today. My training mileage is a little off, I don't want to increase too quickly and possibly get injured, like last year. The couple hour break today should help.

(NOTE: I was "testing" a pair of shoes for our annual shoe review issue. I won't give anything away, but I got home and my feet were perfectly dry! If I had worn my regular walking shoes with mesh everywhere, my feet would have been soaked very early on.)

Decisions, Decisions

My training for the Country Music Half Marathon is a little bit off. Though I enjoy walking outside in Ohio winters, I have to admit it is more of the casual walking I like this time of year. It is amazing that my 5K PR is from a February race where the temps were in the single digits because I have trouble doing actual training walks in walking shoes outside in snow. (My boots are so much warmer!) I don't belong to a gym, don't own a treadmill and hate walking in malls.

I had planned my weekend around working on the magazine today and walking tomorrow. Today is beautiful. The sun is shining, the streets are thawed and there is no wind. It would be a pretty good day for a long training walk.

The forecasters say we are in for an ice storm tonight and there are more winter advisories for tomorrow already. Argh!

We are expecting visitors this afternoon and I think it is too late to squeeze in a couple of miles.

I really need to get out, I need to finish this issue and I need to be here for our visitors. It's hard to decide what to do!

I'll let you know how walking on ice goes tomorrow.

Congratulations WALK! Magazine

Today the Ohio USATF presented an award to me to acknowledge WALK! Magazine's "Service to Race Walking." Before the start of today's 3000m racewalk at Ohio Northern University, Vince Peters, USA Track & Field National Race Walk Committee Chairman, presented the award to me.

Because the weather was a little iffy this morning, there were fewer participants at the race, but it was still very exciting. Thank you so much to Ohio USATF and Vince for this acknowledgment!

Also today, Matt Boyles was presented the "Ohio Race Walker of the Year." Congratulations Matt!

Thanks to my friend David who took pictures for me!

Sometimes I'm Crazy

Central Ohio was under a snow emergency for over 24 hours. I'm not sure how much snow fell, but the "snow shoveler" in the family says it was under a foot.

It was sunny earlier today, so I decided to walk to the post office, bank and greeting card store (it's Valentine's Day). The neighborhood street has two tire ruts down the middle and very few sidewalks were cleared. Well, our street NEVER gets plowed, so I was not phased. I walked in a tire rut until I came to the busy street I knew would be clear. It was.

What I had not thought through was how I would cross the big patch of grass at the side of the road I normally walk through or how I would get near the corner to cross the streets. The snow had drifted to several inches higher than a foot. At the intersection, the snow was even higher because of the plowing. I really wanted to get some mail out, and I really needed to deposit some money. I trudged on, trying to cut through parking lots where possible, but unable to jaywalk anywhere to avoid the intersections. A couple of times I got caught at a dead end and had to come up with a new route -- the snow was too high to walk through and there was no way around. In some places the top of the snow was thick and crusty enough it held my weight. Unfortunately, I fell through once or twice in the really deep stuff.

I got to my destinations exhausted. I'm not used to working so hard just to walk.

Though the drivers looked at me with pity, I had fun, even when I fell through the deep snow. My socks and pants were wet when I got home, but it was just nice to be outside walking.

Flint, MI and Crim Festival of Races Win!

The votes have been tallied, and the winner of the first ever WALK! Magazine Walker Friendly City is Flint, MI!

We received an overwhelming number of nominations for Flint. One of the judges was surprised we even asked for a committee to review the nominations. It was a landslide!

In addition, the Crim Festival of Races won the Walker Friendly Event award! We had quite a bit fewer races and events nominated, but by far the winner was the Flint, MI event. Other events which received nominations include: New Albany Walking Classic 10K, New Albany, OH; Portland Marathon, Portland, OR; and Community First Fox Cities Marathon/Appleton Papers Power Walk, Appleton, WI.

We are currently trying to select a date to present Flint and the Crim Festival of Races with their awards. In addition, we hope to be in Flint for the race in August.

Second place city goes to Holland, MI! I'm pretty sure it was a one-man campaign that caused so many people and government officials to write on behalf of Holland. And it was tough to keep from being swayed by the wonderful gifts we received.

It is very obvious from this competition that the ENTIRE state of Michigan is walker friendly! Thank you everyone who participated and made nominations! The individual prize winners will be announced later today.

Embarrassing

I have been a dog owner most of my life. Since being married we've had 4 dogs -- two golden retrievers (deceased) and now a yellow lab and a mutt from the pound. All of our dogs have weighed over 60 lbs. -- "fragile" and "frail" are not words I would use to describe any of them.

Right now Columbus is being buried in snow. Ozzie the mutt and Rylee the lab LOVE snow! It's fun watching them chase each other around the yard and tackle each other in the white stuff! If it was Ozzie's choice, he would be in the snow all day.

We recently acquired my mom's 10-year-old, 10 lb. toy poodle named Nay Nay. (I didn't name the dog, but that is not the embarrassing part.) Today, TWICE, I was seen shoveling snow from my grass so the little dog can walk out in the yard.

Now THAT is embarrassing!
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Seriously, Nay Nay is a very sweet dog. It's quite a bit different having a "lap" dog who is actually small enough to fit in my lap. The other two are extremely jealous. I would do almost anything for her right now -- even shovel snow from my yard.

Restaurant Making Things Right

Last week I had lunch at a restaurant and the food was bad. I filled out their online complaint form and received a personal phone call from the manager! He was very professional, very understanding and disappointed I had a bad experience at his restaurant. He asked me to give them another chance and said he will send me a gift card to cover it.

I will definitely give this restaurant another chance for two reasons:
- I've eaten there before and enjoyed the food;
- the manager listened, offered a solution and did not make excuses.

Based on this manager's handling of the situation, I probably would go back even if he had not offered to buy my lunch.

Healthy Eating

I usually dine out for lunch. Today I went to a restaurant where I had tilapia, rice pilaf and steamed veggies. It sounded better than it tasted (mostly bland), but I felt pretty good about the healthy choices!

While at lunch, I again experienced something a little odd. I started noticing a couple of weeks ago that when I dine alone, I rarely get a check in a timely manner. Empty plates are pushed to the side and nothing happens. I even get my cash out and set it on the table, and STILL nothing. Last week, I stood up, put my coat on and stood next to my table. (The waitress said "Have a nice afternoon," and walked past me!) When I'm with someone, this is rarely a problem. In the defense of the wait staff, when I am alone I read, edit, work crosswords... so I am not making regular eye contact. Still, I can't figure out why I can't just get my check. I guess I'll have to start asking for it as soon as I order.

Cutting it Short

The sun was shining and it was beautiful today! I couldn't wait to get out and walk. Because I couldn't get out until late afternoon I had planned to head to the library to return a couple of audio books. (I have to make a confession here. I frequently misplace CDs and tapes from audio books. I usually find them eventually, but it's a royal pain when I can't.) I couldn't find all of the tapes for the book that was due, so decided to go to the post office and check my mail instead - about half as far.

In the 30 minutes I looked for tapes, the sun started to go down and it got a little chillier. Halfway to the post office I was thrilled I was not going all the way to the library. My legs were frozen! I stopped into a grocery store just to thaw before I went back home. I also stopped at a gas station to get some coffee.

Winter sun is a little misleading. It gives you the false impression that it is warmer than it is. I was wearing blue jeans, which is one of the worst things to wear this time of year. Cold denim is COLD! I later discovered it was about 15 degrees again today.

Still it is great to be out walking - even if I was freezing.

Weighty Issues

Why is it that scales at a doctor's office always weigh us heavier than anywhere else? When I go to calculate my BMI, do I use the weight on my doctor's scales or my home scale?

I have had two doctor appointments over the past three months. At one doctor, I was measured at 5 feet 4.5 inches tall. That shocked me because I have always thought I was 5 feet 5 inches. Yesterday, I was measured at 5 feet 5.25 inches! I've never been told I'm that tall.

There is probably no way to know which measurements are most accurate. So, do I just pick and choose the measurements that make me happy?

Walking in Snow

I was so excited Central Ohio got several inches of snow today, I couldn't wait to get out walking. Finally at about 7 p.m. I was ready to head out. The snow was dry and loose and big flakes were still falling. Anticipating that not many sidewalks would be clear, I bundled up in my old, ugly winter coat, my winter boots with thick wool socks, warm suede mittens, and I headed out the door. I also had my CD player with me. I am in the final chapters of a pretty good book.

As I approached my halfway point for a typical 30-minute walk, the snow had drifted in such a way I didn't see the curb. I fell forward and nearly landed on my face. Luckily, fluffy snow makes a sidewalk pretty soft and my landing was uneventful. I even laughed aloud. Unfortunately, my legs were covered with snow and I worried about it melting and becoming wet, so I turned around and went back. About this time my CD player suddenly stopped working. (It was safely in a pocket and never hit the ground.) It had never occurred to me that a CD player would get too cold, but apparently 13 degrees F is too cold. Even putting it inside my coat didn't warm it enough.

By the time I got back to my street, I had been out about 20 minutes, and my footprints were already starting to fill with snow.

I loved every step of my short snowy walk! If it has to be cold, we should at least have fluffy snow to walk in.

Renewing Resolutions

Today is the first day of my new New Year's resolutions. The bad eating is over and excuses for not exercising will no longer be acceptable.

When I originally picked today to get back to normal, it was just because it is the first Monday in February. How ironic that my physical exam ended up being rescheduled to today. The other thing I found humorous, I have just recently trained myself to want to eat breakfast and have only recently been hungry in the morning. Today I was not allowed to eat anything for 12 hours before my 10:45 appointment! I left the Doctor's office around noon and I was starving.

The preliminary results show that my health is good. Now that I am back on track, it should just get better.

Heading to Charleston

We are heading to Charleston, SC for the Cooper River Bridge Run! I've heard a lot of good things about this race over the past couple of years. We are very excited to be going there!

The race starts at 8 a.m. March 31 and is a 10K. Because they anticipate 50,000 entrants in the event, I imagine the elite runners finish before the people in the last corral will even start. What is especially exciting is that walkers will wear chips this year and will be allowed to complete the entire race! (It was different in previous years.)

I'm not sure I will enter the event. The Expo booth is open for 12 hours Thursday and 14 hours Friday. Then we have to pack. I would have to be at the starting line at 6:30 a.m. Boy, that may be tough. I guess I better decide soon, before they sell out.

If you are going to be in Charleston, stop by our booth! We love to meet readers in person!

Therapeutic Eating

I started this posting Jan. 31, and it took me until Feb. 3 to figure out what I really wanted to say.

I am not always mature when it comes to food choices. I know how I should eat and most of the time I make healthy choices. However, sometimes I practice what I call "therapeutic eating." When I just don't feel well, it's usually hot & sour soup with crab rangoon. When overwhelmed by stress, chocolate, fast food hamburgers, French fries, potato chips and dip, and fried pickles may be necessary.

When totally unable to make healthy choices due to stress, I set a time limit for how long the bad behavior will continue. Usually, one meal or even a whole day is all that is needed. I give myself permission to eat anything I want and I don't feel any guilt. Finding something to be fun is the point - fun reduces stress.

Well, I've set my deadlines and I'll be ready to get back to normal soon.

The point is, we don't have to be perfect all of the time. (I've heard rumors that even Bonnie Stein will have French fries once in a while.) Sometimes it is even good for us to get a little off track - have a piece of chocolate cake, take a day off walking... Just so we don't go nuts.

If you have had a fitness or "healthy living" set back - don't give up! Set a deadline and treat that deadline like it's special. Make it your own personal celebration or holiday - like New Year's all over again! Don't let a little bad behavior ruin what could be very positive remainder of the year!

Overcoming Set Backs

My training is a little behind schedule. Once I had the time to resume walking, it was too cold. Now, I walk year-round, so I don't really like to blame a lack of training on the weather. When I'm out regularly, I get acclimated and I like being out in winter. However, it's difficult to jump-start a training program in the middle of a freezing spell. During my last regular walks the temps were very mild and now it's been below freezing and snowy. (I know, it's winter in Ohio.)

I finally decided that if I am going to be ready for the Country Music Half Marathon, I have to get out and walk. I bundled up and went out for 30 minutes today. Because the sidewalks are clear, I didn't have to wear my boots and I missed the crunchy snow I love, but it still felt great.

I feel energized and enthusiastic. And as always, walking helps relieve stress. (I've had a LOT of stress lately.)

I'm ready to get back to walking!

Winners

WALK! Magazine will announce the winners of the Walker Friendly City and Walker Friendly Event next week!

In addition, we will announce a couple of the events we plan to attend at the same time and a few more details about the WALK! Magazine Walking Team.

In the meantime, keep getting in your base mileage. Our first Walking Team half marathon will be in early May!

Getting Back to Normal

The WALK! Magazine offices are open again. The mail is a little backed up, but we expect to be caught up by Wednesday.

Thanks to everyone who sent e-mails of support. They were very much appreciated.

Sad News

Due to a death in the family, the WALK! Magazine offices will be closed until January 22, 2007. Orders and e-mails will be handled after that date.

Thank you for your patience.

Result of Oatmeal

This will sound a little bit odd to those of you who love breakfast. After a little over two weeks of eating oatmeal, I am starting to be hungry in the morning. It is a LOT easier eating when you are actually hungry. I can only assume that my body is getting used to having food in the morning and has decided it likes it.

So far one of my goals for 2007 has been working how I predicted. Now I need to make a trip to Trader Joe's and stock up on oatmeal. That other instant stuff is not as good, and I just tried microwaving quick cooking oats. (Yuck) I do not recommend it.

As Bad as Smoking?

Sometimes I think things I consume can be just as bad as smoking. Let me explain.

Many smokers go about their day happily enjoying every puff of their cigarettes. They know there are risks, they know it is harmful to their health, but they live in their own little worlds thinking, “It won’t happen to me. I’ll be OK.”

Well, I love caffeine. I usually drink just one cup of coffee in the morning and tea throughout the day. But my real love is a diet cola soft drink over lots of ice.

Over the years I have heard the health warnings about caffeine and artificial sweeteners. I took them as seriously as I did the report that broccoli and peanut butter cause cancer. For every bad report about caffeine, I would find one about how it improves athletic performance or scores on math tests. I have low blood pressure and I’ve rarely had trouble sleeping, so I ignored it all.

Now there's a report that caffeine can affect calcium absorption. Whoa! My doctor recently told me I have not been consuming enough calcium for years. For the last month I have struggled to get just one of those chocolate chews down every morning (with my coffee) and I'm supposed to take one in the evening, too. Yuck.

I've begun to worry about whether I'll be one of those people who breaks a hip and is never really the same. Or maybe I'll shrink and end up not even 5 feet tall.

Chances are the story I saw has exaggerated the results of a study. I know I can’t blindly eat and drink whatever I feel like and expect there will be no consequences later in life. I try to make healthy choices, I exercise regularly (weight-bearing exercise) and I have never smoked.

In the meantime, I am trying harder to take calcium twice a day and I'm limiting my favorite beverage to no more than one a day. I have even replaced a couple caffeinated beverages with plain old water.

I hope my bones remember this when I get old.

Oatmeal

One of my biggest nutrition issues is that I am not hungry in the morning and do not like to eat breakfast. I know how important it is to eat breakfast, and I try. Usually I'll have a Trader Joe's granola bar in the car, then around 10 eat a piece of fruit. I'm starving by the time lunch rolls around.

I have recently discovered the joys of instant oatmeal! Trader Joe's has some great instant oatmeals including one with dried blueberries. It cooks in about 60 seconds and because of the fruit, it doesn't need sugar. I LOVE it! On chilly mornings it is perfect for me.

I ran out of the blueberry oatmeal this week so tried some plain we had around the house. Not nearly as tasty and it definitely needed sugar, but it still tasted good. The other benefit is I'm not starving when lunch rolls around.

I'll still have to eat fruit mid-morning to be sure I get enough servings in a day, but it sure is nice not feeling so hungry I overeat. I'm also beginning to look forward to eating breakfast!

Ad Rep Needed

Wanted - An Advertising Representative for WALK! Magazine

WALK! Magazine is looking for an energetic, self starter to help this growing magazine keep growing! Work from your home or office and set your own hours.

For more information, contact Cindi Leeman at WALK! Magazine, admin@walk-magazine.com.

The Post Office Did It

I just received an e-mail from a subscriber in Illinois saying he just received his Winter issue of WALK! Magazine today! I can't believe it! The magazine mailed December 7 from Fort Worth, TX. We received our copy at our offices in Ohio around the 13th of December. I did hear from a reader in Michigan that her issue arrived about January 3.

What I have heard from the U.S. Postal Service is that a magazine can sit in any post office between the mailing point and the final destination for up to three days. If your mail goes to three post offices before it reaches you, that means it can take nine days for you to receive it. I cannot see how there can be enough post offices between Ft. Worth and ANYWHERE in the U.S. that would require 26 days to deliver! I suppose it's possible that with all of the extra mail sent in December they may alter the rules for periodicals, I don't know.

Here is my proposed solution. What if we shift the publication dates of the magazine a little so that Winter arrives in January instead of December? That way most of the holiday mail will be gone before WALK even gets mailed. I'll play around with the spacing to see how it will work. Let me know what you think or if you have any better ideas.

Great Things Happening!

We have some great things in the works for subscribers to WALK! Magazine.

Training Program
First, we are finalizing our training program to help you prepare for an event with WALK! Magazine. We have one event chosen and we think you will really like it. Sorry, but I can't tell you which one just yet. We are also finalizing agreements with the other events. We are negotiating discounted entry fees as well as offering great shirts, training schedules and more. In fact, we are even going to offer weekly motivation! (More on that later.)

And don't forget, we have FREE half marathon training schedules from Dave McGovern on our web site - www.walk-magazine.com.

Offer WALK! Magazine as a Membership Benefit
We are now offering a discounted subscription program for walking clubs! Check out our web site at www.walk-magazine.com for more information. We have a lot of subscribers who need to renew this time of year so this offer is coming at just the right time. And if you don't yet subscribe, here is your chance to get a great deal. Be sure to talk to the officers of your walking club about offering this membership benefit.

Fleece Tops
This is a little different for us, but WALK! Magazine is offering great fleece tops at a ridiculously low price on our online store. Have you seen those great orange fleece tops from the 2006 New Albany Walking Classic 10K? Now you can buy one. Check it out.

Tech Shirts
Finally, we are working on getting technical shirts back in stock. Please be patient. If you have ordered one and have not heard from us about the back order, please contact us. We hope to have these in stock and out the door very soon.

Base Mileage
In the meantime, let's keep working on our base mileage. Before we can start any distance event training schedule, we need to be walking for at LEAST 30 minutes 3-5 days a week. Get out and walk today!

My Resolutions

Happy New Year!

I didn't used to make New Year's resolutions, but as I "mature" I see the wisdom in setting goals for the upcoming year. And, as many athletes know, if you don't set goals for training, you won't be ready. So, here are my resolutions for 2007:

Personal Fitness Goals
- Walk 3-5 days every single week.
- Set training schedules for the events I will enter, and follow them.
- I won't enter any event I'm not in shape to enter.
- I won't increase my mileage by more than 10% in any week.
- Improve my upper body strength.
- Drink more water.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Schedule a few massages.
- Reduce stress.
- Wear a pedometer more often and keep track of my walking.

Other Goals
- Have WALK! Magazine recognized as THE national walking publication.
- Dramatically increase the number of subscribers.
- Get some (any) publicity for the magazine.
- Plan a walking event for 2008. (It takes at least a year to plan an event properly.)
- Dramatically increase the number of walkers who enter an event. (Wouldn't it be cool if one of the events we select to go to this year sees a huge increase in the number of walkers?)
- Have each issue filled with exciting and interesting articles.
- This is a biggee, and dependent on increasing subscribers and advertisers, but I would LOVE to publish 6 issues a year.
- Have great content on our web site.
- Increase the types of shirts (and slogans) we offer.
- I will focus less on Ohio weather in my blogs!

The other thing I have realized about New Year's resolutions and goals is that they should be works in progress. We can't all be perfect all of the time, and that is OK. Sometimes we set goals that are too high and need to be modified. Sometimes we have early failure and just quit. (That is unacceptable.) It's OK to readjust or set new goals part way through the year! The important thing is to set the goals to begin with. If we don't set goals, we have no idea where we are going.

(I would love to see what your resolutions are and how you plan to keep them.)

PS: I did already walk today!

New Year's Resolutions

If your New Year's Resolutions include improving your health, walking more, maybe training for a walking event... then WALK! Magazine can help you keep those resolutions!

We are choosing which events we will go to in 2007, and will have training programs posted on our web site soon. We would LOVE to have a large group of people in WALK! Magazine T-shirts show up at one or two of those events. We are in the process of developing a package that includes a training log, T-shirt, training schedule and motivation! The most important part of training is the motivation!

In the meantime, everyone should be walking 3-5 days a week to start building up base mileage.

I will let you know when we are ready!

New Blog Look

So, what do you think about the new look to this blog? Blogger/Google, who host this blog site, have offered new options for revising and updating a blog. The old one was very difficult to change and I couldn't figure out how to post pictures. I'm excited that I can now post magazine covers. Maybe you'll even see a few race photos.

Let me know what you think!

Fifth Straight Day!

For the fifth straight day I was able to get out to walk. It was just a 25-minute tour of the neighborhood lights, but it felt good!

Taking My Own Advice

I'm making more of an effort to get in a walk every day. To make it a little more festive, the family went to the Columbus Zoo tonight to see the holiday lights. It's been a number of years since we've been to see the holiday lights and it was really fun! The zoo has really made an effort to expand the decorations and the lights were fantastic! And because Christmas is over, the crowd was quite a bit smaller than last week's masses. (I don't do well in crowds.)

We walked around mesmerized for about 2 hours. I have no idea how far we walked since I forgot to wear a pedometer, but I can definitely feel it in my legs. Though I just started my everyday walking program on Sunday, I'm already feeling a difference.

What a great way to exercise and maintain a festive mood at the same time!

BMV

I walked to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to get new tags for my car today. (Yes, I just celebrated a birthday.) Looking at the others in line, I assumed I was the only person that day to walk to the BMV. I wonder, am I the ONLY person who walks to the BMV?

People in the U.S. will drive anywhere and everywhere. I've had neighbors ask if my car was out of commission because I walked to the library or the Post Office. But I see others who walk to those types of places, so I'm not alone. But walking to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles seems odd. If I had not had the proper paperwork, it's not like I could have gone out to the parking lot to get it out of my glove compartment.

Luckily, I don't mind people thinking I'm unusual because I walk. Let's all make a resolution! Let's resolve that in 2007 we will let our neighbors think we are a little odd because we walk.

Christmas Eve Calm

Our family has had a very hectic and stressful month. It was extremely difficult to get the regular shopping and holiday preparations completed.

Christmas Eve Day I had free time. I don't know how it happened, but it was really nice. I went down to the walking trail that loops around a little lake, and it was beautiful! The water was smooth as glass and the temps were very mild. As the sun moved down the sky, the oranges and reds reflected off the water beautifully.

What surprised me was there were quite a few people there. Joggers, walkers and fishermen, all enjoying the peace. And they were all friendly.

I even sat on a bench to watch the ducks for a few minutes before heading home.

Two laps and a little over 2 miles is exactly what the doctor ordered!

I hope all of you have a few moments to enjoy some peace and quiet during these hectic days!

Getting Back to Normal - Kinda

Life is starting to get back to normal! The day was beautiful, and I really didn't have anywhere to be for a change, so I went out for a short walk. Today felt just like a spring day and was great for lifting my spirits.

This is a little off topic, but I don't feel that the days have been nearly as short as I have in previous winters. I have not been affected by the early evenings like I usually am. By this late in December, I'm usually going nuts from a lack of daylight. We have not had any snow yet, so that probably makes a big difference.

Let's hope I can start walking more regularly again and not just sneak in stair climbing and quick trips to the post office.

Waiting Rooms

Today I had a couple of hours to kill and instead of sitting in the waiting room I decided to go for a walk. Unfortunately, it was a little too chilly for the way I was dressed to go outside. Being resourceful, I went to the parking garage and climbed the enclosed stairs to the 6th floor a few times. Walking stairs is different from actual walking, so it did not take long for me to exhaust my legs.

Because not many people walk "up" stairs when elevators are available, I did get some strange looks from the few people I saw who were willing to walk down. I could tell from the condition of the steps that the stairs above the third floor were not used much at all. They looked brand new! Regardless, it felt great to be out and moving and really tiring my legs. Not only did it help to release some stress, it inspired me to eat a great healthy lunch.

When you spend a lot of time in a car, as I have done over the past couple of weeks, and don't have time to exercise, you have to be resourceful.

Nominations

I am overwhelmed by the number of nominations we received for our first Walker Friendly City and Walker Friendly Event contests! Though the gifts and souvenirs were a surprise, I think what surprised me more was the letters I received from Chambers of Commerce and other city groups. I even received a letter from a department of leisure & cultural services. I had no idea cities had leisure & cultural services departments.

We are in the process of sorting and organizing the nominations. And we will make the announcement in early 2007!

Thank you to everyone who sent in a nomination!

Life Gets in the Way

I have not been blogging or walking because of the health of a family member and travel needed. Though there are plenty of issues I'd love to discuss, they probably are not appropriate for this type of blog.

Through this I learned something important:

Though I should put some things on hold (such as blogs), when there is a great deal of stress and time commitment, it really is not a good idea to totally quit walking. Rather than sitting around in waiting rooms twiddling my thumbs, I probably would have felt better over all if I had taken a few short walks around the block. I'm sure the stress that I'm holding between my shoulder blades would be reduced if I had. I probably would have been less inclined to eat so many French fries, too.

When we are taking care of those who need us, it is just as important to take care of ourselves.

Nervous

I don't know why I am so nervous about this upcoming issue of WALK. We have some great articles! The topics include snowshoeing, treating plantar fasciitis, how to avoid gaining holiday weight, how to lose weight, walking faster by walking faster and more. We also have our first gift-giving guide! My favorite article is about Gary Berliant, a Special Olympian who racewalks. Despite many setbacks, Gary keeps plugging along, and has won 3 gold medals at Special Olympics racewalks. He is so inspiring! In fact, seeing what this young man has accomplished makes me feel somewhat sluggish.

I always tend to be hyper-cricital of myself, but explaining why others will like the Winter issue has convinced me I have no reason to be nervous. I am absolutely positive you will find something to like in the Winter issue!

Winter vs. Rain

Today I'm putting the finishing touches on the Winter issue of WALK! Magazine. Reading about how to snowshoe has made me really look forward to snow and giving this sport a try! Many of you know that I enjoy walking in snow anyway so it seems like a natural for me.

I just took a break from editing to look out my window. After searching through great photos of beautiful white snow and mountains, I was depressed to see it is rainy and dreary out there. Brown wet leaves cover the ground. It just looks miserable. I need to get in some miles today, but geez - out there in the yucky rain? I feel cold even thinking about going out there. (My neighbors must be more disciplined than I am, several have walked or jogged by.)

It has dawned on me how weird it is that I find fall cold and miserable, but I look forward to winter and snow. Those of you who live in really cold areas have to think I'm nuts. A lot of my attitude comes from not being able to get climatized. I can't stand having the temps be in the 70s one day and down in the 30s the next. I find I am always overdressed and mostly cold until the temps are a little more consistent. And, though rain in November is pretty bad, rain in February is the worst! Being cold and wet at the same time is horrible! (I experienced this during the Last Chance for Boston, Dublin, OH, in February a couple of years ago.)

My obsession with posting about weather and how it makes me feel leads to one thing today: I would rather walk in winter snow than rain, any day!

Nominated Cities

We are VERY excited about the number of cities that have been nominated in our Most Walker Friendly City contest! (We are accepting nominations until December 1.)Some of the nominations include Flint, MI; New Albany, OH; Morgantown, WV; Virginia Beach, VA; Niagara Falls, ON, Canada; Corvaliss, OR and many more. The most interesting nomination received was from Holland, MI. Not only did we receive a T-shirt from the local walking club, but the package also included a great tasting pastry and wooden shoes. Very nice!

We are still looking for a national sponsor to help us choose and announce our selection. If you have not yet sent in your nomination, you have until December 1!

WALK! Magazine Training Program

WALK! Magazine will be introducing our own walking program to help readers get ready for a Fall 2007 half marathon. We strongly believe in proper training before entering a distance event, and all of my columnists recommend at least 9 months to get ready for a half. We also are hoping to get a group of WALK! Magazine readers to enter an event together. I envision a sea of WALK shirts crossing the starting line together!

We will go through our walking event nominations to help us choose an event and our training program will be available soon!

Time Change Blues

I hate to get up early. The Fall time change is always easier on me than the Spring change for that reason. Unfortunately, I also hate having it get dark so early in the evening.

Today was absolutely beautiful, but because of errands I could not get out to walk while it was light out. I needed to make a quick trip to the store later and decided to walk so I could get a few steps in.

I wore a jacket and shoes that reflect well and I carried a flashlight. The flashlight was more so cars would see me than for me to see anything in particular. Everything was fine on my way to the store - cars seemed aware of my presence and the walk was uneventful.

On the way back, nothing big happened, but in the dark everything takes on more importance. For example, the cars at the big intersection I cross were not using their turn signals. Not normally a big deal when you can see the drivers and can tell if they can see you. It creeps me out when they just suddenly turn in my direction with no notice. I have to hope all of my reflective gear and the flashlight keep me safe!

Regardless, this time of year I have to figure out how to keep walking. I guess I'll just have to stick to the local neighborhood streets or "walk" my errands earlier in the day.

Product Reviewer Needed

I have received a sample of FitDeck Exercise Playing Cards to review for a future issue of WALK! Magazine. The deck includes a variety of exercises on cards that you would carry with you while walking. At preselected points on the walk you would stop and perform an exercise. This reminds me of the exercise equipment that used to line many walking paths in the 80s.

This is not something I would normally use because when I walk, I just walk. Unfortunately, most of my walking buddies feel the same way.

So, anyone who is interested in trying out this product, let me know and I will send it to you. To be fair to the manufacturer, I would prefer it if only someone who has an interest in this type of product offer to review it.

Send an e-mail to me at admin@walk-magazine.com

Thanks!

Does "Moonwalking" Count?

It's Halloween weekend and as usual I went to a Friday-night party. This year my husband and I went against tradition and did separate costumes. It was entirely my fault - I found something perfect for me, and we couldn't think of anything to go with it.

OK, I went to the party as Michael Jackson. I'm not sure what decade I represented, but the wig was pretty long, I wore dark aviator sunglasses and my skin tone was just about perfect as is. Very few people who know me guessed I was behind the glasses. Those who saw my husband were told I didn't feel like going to the party. (It did feel weird avoiding him most of the night.) The good news is, I technically won the costume contest! The bad news is, the DJ made a mistake and I actually received third place. All of the judges told me after the fact that they had voted for me. The funny thing is, they were more ticked about it than I was.

So, now my question: Does "Moonwalking" count for training miles?

A bonus for those who read this blog is a picture of me as Michael. Check it out here: http://www.walk-magazine.com/halloween.html

A First Step

OK, I finally had all of my aches and pains checked out by my doctor. In addition, as soon as I get back home from a short business trip, I'll be seeing a massage therapist and possibly a chiropractor. Between the anti-inflammatories and massages, I should be feeling great in no time!

Walker Friendly Event Nominations

Would you like to see WALK! Magazine come to an event in your area? If you know of an event that treats walkers great, send an e-mail with the subject line "Nomination Event" to Walk! Magazine at admin@walk-magazine.com.

Qualifying events include marathons, half marathons, charity races, walker-only events or any distance event that attracts over 1,500 participants.

People nominating events will be eligible to win entry to a local event (up to $60), a WALK! Magazine T-hirt, or a subscription to WALK!

Hurry! Nominations must be received by December 1, 2006.

Silence is Golden

Lately, because I am so busy, I have very few opportunities to sit back and relax. I am working on the next issue of WALK!, writing news releases, attending expos, completing subscription orders, filing paperwork, etc. In addition, I try to get in some walking, I go to my son's football games and I'm driving car pool to various kid activities. Reading is one of my favorite ways to relax, and I never have time anymore.

I have become the Queen of multi-tasking by listening to books on tape wherever I go. They are great for keeping me alert while driving a long distance, or after dropping off a carload of kids, while working on layouts and especially while walking.

Just the other day I noticed I am never surrounded by silence! My brain never has the chance to just think what it wants to think, to wander, to unwind. I was totally unaware this was a problem until the other day when I was alone with my thoughts for the first time in I don't know how long, and I came up with a terrific idea for the magazine. After writing down some basic thoughts and running the idea by several people, I realized it had been a long time since I was alone with my thoughts.

Granted, when you are busy you do need to multi-task to some degree. Listening to the news while entering subscription orders, listening to a book while driving, putting in a load of laundry before heading out for a walk. But there comes a time when the brain just cannot handle anymore. It needs a break. I will make sure I have at least a little bit of silence in my life everyday. I think my brain will appreciate it.

Printer Error

Due to printer error, the Fall issue of WALK! Magazine mailed 10 days late. They are in the mail and you should be receiving your issue soon.

Resigning as Walking Director

I started a posting earlier this week to let people know I had resigned as Walking Director of the Columbus Marathon, but weather and Internet connection problems prevented it from posting.

Here's the scoop. In September I resigned as Walking Director of the Columbus Marathon. It was within a week of finding out that all of the strides we had made in making the Columbus Marathon walker friendly were removed without consultation. I don't know why everything was cut back because I was never given a reason. In fact, I didn't even know until September. But what upset me the most was that they made changes to the Walking Division and never once discussed it with the two Walking Directors - me and Phil Heit. I'm even a member of the Running Community Advisory Committee, which is supposed to provide the marathon board with input from marathoners. I have been to only one meeting this year, so maybe I'm no longer a member and don't know it.

Anyway, the delay in notification had a lot to do with not knowing what to say. I didn't really want to trash the race, and I was pretty ticked to put it mildly. Also, they very nicely asked me to reconsider, and I was thinking about it. I decided to wait to see what they will do for next year. I don't want walkers to think I condone the changes that were made.

Also, I had a booth at the Expo and I didn't feel comfortable bad mouthing an organization that was doing business with me. From the number of walkers I saw, I'm confident they had a LOT more walkers than last year, and I'm sure it was because of the half-marathon option.

Because of injury (yes, it is still my IT band and I swear I will get to a doctor soon) I did not enter the half marathon as I had planned. I have been pushing for a half marathon for a long time, and wanted to support that. It was very weird sleeping in today. I have not done that on Marathon day in a long time!

I know I'm starting to ramble, but it has been a long weekend and I'm tired.

If you entered the Columbus Marathon, let us know what you thought of the event. And if you don't like something, it would be a good idea to let the marathon staff know. (Of course, if you liked the event, you should tell them that, too.)

Gift Giving Guide

The Winter issue will have our first ever Gift Giving Guide! We are very excited and have had some great suggestions so far. We have formed a committee to help with the selection process and will have a great collection of gifts for walkers.

If you have any suggestions for the Guide, send the info to me at admin@yahoo.com.

Taking it Slow

I've been resting my IT band and my knees for over a week. Racewalking (or attempting to racewalk in my case) aggravates the situation. Using the "Stick" to massage the area helps relieve the pain.

I really WANT to walk and today was one of those beautiful fall days that make it impossible to sit inside. So I went out to the bike path around the little lake to do a couple of laps. Because I had intended to avoid racewalking, I wore blue jeans. Not only is it impossible to go fast in jeans, it looks silly when you try.

Well, after two very easy miles, the IT band was beginning to feel sensitive. No pain, but it is sensitive to the touch. I stretched, I'll take some Ibuprofen before bed, and I'll even use the Stick. I'm irritated because it is irritated. I guess I'll have to break down and see my doctor. (Man I hate that!)

I'm sure it is from not training correctly. When you just do the long miles and not the weekday miles - well, you get injured.

Maybe, if I do it right, I can still do a half marathon or two before the end of the year.

1-Hour Racewalk

The one-hour racewalk hosted by the Buckeye Striders this past weekend was a great event! There were only about 11 participants but there were plenty of judges and lap counters - in fact many of us had planned on walking and didn't for various reasons. (My IT band is still bothering me.) Several others had intended to enter, but were already committed to the local 20-mile race held the same weekend. Matt Boyles and Susan Randall of the MVTC were the winners.

It was really exciting watching the walkers of all ages compete. Many of them were relatively new to racewalking, others have been racewalking for years.

Congratulations to Matt and Susan and to the Buckeye Striders for another successful event!

New Albany Walking Classic

The New Albany Walking Classic was held today. And as promised it was a great event! How Phil can even control the weather, I'll never know.

There were somewhere around 1,600 walkers at this year's 10K. The first male, Matt Boyles from Yellow Springs, OH, finished in about 50 min. (That is about an 8-min. mile.) It was almost 5 min. before the next walkers crossed the finish line.

The first woman finished under 60 min., though I did not get her name. (Sorry about that.)It was great seeing lots of friends like Bob from Texas, all of the people from WV and og course the Buckeye Striders. Thanks so much for stopping by to say hello!

Congrats to Larry Smith who barely beat out his nemesis, Rob Crouse. It was close to the finish and exciting to watch you guys compete!

Congrats and thanks, Phil! It was a lot of fun and I appreciate your letting us be involved!

Having a Ball

I have wanted an exercise ball for a long time. I'm not sure what made me think I would actually use it - I have an exercise bike in the basement that gets dusted off once or twice a year and I have a "step" and videos that haven't been used in years.

Still, I bought a big silver rubber ball. I did try some exercises with it when I first bought it, but that lasted about a week. Everyone got tired of moving it out of the way as it sat in the middle the family room. Ever since, it has been sitting in the corner of my office silently nagging me about not being used.

This week I replaced my office chair with the ball. That was one of the initial purposes when I bought it, why wasn't I doing it? At first I felt kind of silly, but I decided I really like it. It's fun to roll around and bounce while I type.

I've used it for just a couple of hours at a time. And just those couple of hours have made my abs sore. I can feel myself sitting straighter and holding by back and stomach muscles tighter. I think it will make a difference in my ab strength. Not sure I would want to do this for 8 hours a day, but for a couple of hours here and there, it's great!

Plus, I am finally using a piece of exercise equipment other than my walking shoes.

No Walking Division in Columbus Marathon

I have volunteered as Walking Director of the Columbus Marathon for 4 years. During that time we added an early start for walkers, made sure water stops would be open the entire time they were supposed to be open, added 7-hour and 8-hour pacers, guaranteed there would be goodies at the finish line for the slower athletes, gave out awards for walkers, and finally guaranteed walkers were treated with respect.

Unfortunately, a lot of that has come to an end. I was recently informed that, though there will be what is called a "Walking Division", the only benefit to walkers is they can start an hour early.

Now, I'm confident water stops will be open the full 8 hours and walkers will be treated with respect. But there will be no awards and whether you walk or run really doesn't matter. Sign up however you like and do whatever you want.

Even though I am a member of the Running Community Advisory Council for the marathon and one of the Walking Directors of the marathon, no one asked my opinion. You would think I would have input on issues affecting walkers. At least, I did in the past.

In the overall scheme of things, being treated with respect and having water stops open are the most important, and I'm glad I was part of making that happen.

Still, when the number of marathoners who walk is increasing across the country, this is a major step backward.

Beautiful Fall Evening

Today was one of those beautiful Fall evenings that make it easy to get in the training miles. The temps were mild, the sky was clear, the sun was low and turning orange. The water on the little lake was as smooth as glass and the trees, sky and sun were reflected perfectly. Every once in a while a lone duck would break up the reflection.

I had two problems. One, my iliotibial band was sore causing my left leg to feel sore and stiff. I was EXTREMELY slow! After two miles I felt better and was able to pick up my pace a little.

Second, after only two of four laps around the lake, the battery in my MP3 player died. ARGH!

So, I walked slowly in silence for two laps. It was still a perfect evening for walking and I feel great! Well, I ALMOST feel great. My left leg is still stiff and sore and my knees are swelling. But my mood is great! After a little ice and rolling my legs with The Stick, I should feel better in no time.

Talking About Training

It never fails, if I talk about my plans for training, the plans fall through. I had hoped to get three days of walking in earlier this week and was unsuccessful. At the very least, I thought helping my daughter move into her dorm room on the 4th floor with no elevators would make up for some of the mileage. Luckily for us, the school had arranged lots of upper class students to help with move in. I ended up making only 4 trips up the 4 flights!

At least I was able to get my long slow distance miles in today. Because I had not walked enough this week, the miles were VERY slow, too. I felt like such a slug! I tried not to plod too much, but my legs felt very tight making it difficult to keep my left leg straight. Time to get out "The Stick" and roll out my iliotibial band.

I also gave the wool socks a second chance. I don't want to spill the beans too early because the sock article will appear next year sometime, but let's just say I'm not a fan.

Everyone has an occasional week where they just cannot get their miles in. Unfortunately, it happens way too often for me. I hope this is the last.

Dark Park

As a rule, I try to avoid walking in parks in the dark. But tonight, after running errands and having a visitor in the early evening, it was 7:50, and I still had not left. I planned to do 4 miles tonight.

Knowing it would get dark before I was done, and not wanting to try to do that many miles in my neighborhood, I decided to head up a fairly busy road to the park at the library, do one lap while it was still light, then head home.

It worked out perfectly! I got to the park just as dusk was starting to fall. I planned my lap to do the section with the most trees while it was still light out. I finished the lap just as it was starting to feel dark in the park. I was amazed at the number of people I saw. It felt very safe.

Then I walked back along a well lit, busy, road and was in my neighborhood. Though I really needed to do 4 miles, I feel good that I was able to squeeze in a little over 3 that late in the evening. Tomorrow I'll try to make it up by doing 5 miles.

Argh!

How many years have I worked on computers?
Over 23.

When did I first learn that you need to save your work?
Oh, about 23 years ago.

When did I learn that you need to backup files?
Oh, about 23 years ago.

Have I ever lost parts of a project because I hadn't saved it?
Unfortunately, LOTS of times!

When was the last time the power flickered and I lost all of my work because I had not saved it?
Earlier today!

Argh!

7 miles

Today was the Columbus Half Marathon. (Not to be confused with the half marathon option during the Columbus Marathon in October.) Though not trained for it, I went anyway. I told the race director I would help promote it, which I did, and he gave me the chance to speak at the beginning and lead the walkers. About 5 this morning it was raining so hard, it woke me. I thought, I'm not going and rolled over. Of course, I had called the RD the night before and said I would be there, so I had to go. Luckily it had stopped raining by the time I had to get out of bed.

Before the race, I said something inane about the weather (sounds like a CEO I know), wished everyone a good race and went to the back of the 30-50 walkers. Most of the walkers there had heard about WALK! Magazine, so it is probably just as good that I didn't see anywhere to set out magazines and flyers. If I had been thinking, I would have left them at the running store where people registered and got their goody bags.

This weekend was supposed to be a 7-mile day. So I walked out 3.5 miles with the walkers, then turned around and went back. I assumed (wrongly) that the course was a straight there and back. It wasn't. Once it entered the bike trail, it went out and back, then back out to a different park entrance. I ended up walking along a busy street by myself to get back to the high school.

Regardless, it was fun. I met two really nice women who I talked to for the first 3.5 miles and I hung around to see some of my walking buddies finish. A bunch of them were between 2.5 and 3 hours!

I feel pretty good. I think I might still do the Air Force half Sept. 16, and use it as a long training day. I'm not sure I can do the New Albany 10K on the 17th. I'll have a booth, and I don't think I can do both.

In the meantime I'll keep training for the other Columbus Half.

Lists

Foods I cannot live without:
1) Trader Joe's "A Fig Walked into a Bar" breakfast bars.
2) Chips and salsa - any salsa.
3) Cheese.
4) Peanut butter. (Especially on mornings before a long training walk.)
5) Good dark chocolate.
6) Coffee.
7) Hot dogs - but only during baseball season.
8) Any pasta.
9) Diet Coke with lots of ice.
10) Corona with lime.

Foods I would not miss if I never had them again (I don't hate them I'm just lukewarm):
1) Cottage cheese.
2) Applesauce.
3) Jello.
4) Apples.
5) Saltine crackers.
6) Ginger ale.
7) Sushi.
8) Any food establishment's combo platter of deep-fried appetizers.
9) White bread.
10) Breakfast cereals.

Foods I would eat non-stop if they were healthy:
1) Potato chips with dip.
2) French fries.
3) Good trail mix.
4) Cheeseburgers.
5) Good dark chocolate.
6) All cheese.
7) Schmidt's Bahama Mama's.
8) French fries. (I really like French fries!)
9) Corona with lime. (La cervesa mas fina!)
10) Fried fish sandwiches.

Commercial for Apple

This is totally unrelated to walking, but I have to say something.

My daughter wanted an Apple Powerbook. Through her school she could get a great deal online, but I was not sure what she would need. We took a trip to the local Apple store to talk to a sales person. The person we found was so great, he even helped us order the computer through the web site instead of buying it through the store!

The laptop showed up a few days later. She tried to play a CD and immediately discovered the computer wasn't working correctly. A trip back to the Apple Store and the "Genius" (the name for their repair people) highly recommended that the computer be replaced. It could not be replaced through the store because we bought it online.

Anyway, she called Apple today to follow up on the service call and arrange to return it. They have already begun building her new computer. Arrangements have been made for this one to be returned and the new one to be shipped.

Sure, it is truly disappointing that her laptop doesn't work. I know from experience this is extremely rare for Apple computers.

The good news is, everyone we have talked to, from the sales person to the repair person, to the phone support have been fantastic! Every single person was intelligent and helpful. So, despite the fact the computer is not working correctly, everyone has agreed to the same solution. It's likely she will receive the new computer in just a few days.

Anyway, when one company has such great employees, it's important to tell people.

Fitting Walking In

Trying to fit walking in can be tough. I'm training for the Columbus Marathon Half using the training program put together by the Buckeye Striders. (Actually, the members took a couple training programs and revised them to the club's needs.) I've been doing the best I can, but I just cannot fit in all of the miles I need. I have not asked any of my columnists what the best thing to do is, but here is how I'm handling it.

I am going to walk 4 days a week since I just cannot fit in 5. And I will never skimp on a distance day. I have not yet done my distance on a Saturday yet, but I still get in the long mileage.

Half marathons are more forgiving than full marathons. Because I have completed many of them, they don't scare me. Unfortunately, that also makes me less likely to follow a training program closely enough. Sometimes I get a little cocky and assume I have built up muscle I haven't. I'm hoping to be smarter this time. I want to be able to finish faster and feeling good.

So far, my training is going great!

Fighting Depression

Fall always causes minor depression for me. It starts when I first notice the mornings getting a little darker and school starting, then any minor frustration or stress adds to it. For many reasons, this year it started a little earlier than usual.

Knowing that exercise can help, this evening I went out to Antrim Lake to walk 3 laps - about 3.5 miles. It's beautiful, I can people watch and I love the water. At the end of the third lap, I was still feeling a little down, so did a fourth lap.

As I turned that last corner I looked up, and running straight toward me was a group of about 7 good-looking, shirtless, men in tiny shorts.

Yeah, exercise improves my mood.

Fatman Article Update

Since I first posted regarding Steve Vaught and the negative responses some people had to the article and photos, I have been receiving many unsolicited positive comments. Several people said it was the best article I had written. I was also pleasantly surprised at how much detail of his life they had remembered and the desire to discuss his personal journey and growth. (None of those people read this blog, so it really was unsolicited.)

The difference in response was directly related to the type of walker. The people who liked the article were fitness walkers and hikers. The people who did not care for the article were competitive or racewalkers.

What is so surprising is the strength of the feelings. People either really liked it or really disliked it.

It's been said you can't please everyone. (I'm a parent, I have firsthand experience with this.) I'm still going to try. I'm confident that over time, we will provide a balance of articles so that everyone will find something they like.

Unintentional Hill Work

I just got back from two days in Athens, OH for my daughter's college orientation. Enough said.

What Goes Around...

I had forgotten to include this bit of info with my posting about walking with relatives. Many of you have already heard this story.

Back before I was 40 (it seems so long ago!), on one of our family vacations, I was hiking with my sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law and other members of the family. Though I am younger than all of the other adults, and I had always been thin, I could not keep up with the group. I became massively depressed and decided I had to do something to improve my health. That was the pivotal point in my life that got me started walking for health and fitness.

During this past week my sister-in-law and I were deciding between 3 laps around the lake or 4. I wanted 4 - Colleen chose 3. Gotcha!

6 Miles

I finally got my 6-mile walk in today - two days after it was scheduled. Unfortunately, I overslept this morning, so I got out much later than I had expected. I drove 30 min to get to the park with the 4-mile loop and about half shade. It also has a couple good-sized hills - I've been doing too many flat training routes lately.

It was a little tougher than I had expected. I had not walked 6 miles in a few months, it's hot out and there are hills. I have to remind myself that as you build distance, the long walks are always a little tougher the first time. I know after I've done 8 or 10 miles, 6 will be a piece of cake again.

Regardless, it feels good to be working on building distance again. I can feel my body getting stronger and healthier. This is why I do it and this is exactly why I miss it so much when I don't get to walk. This really was a good workout.

PS: I have been actively trying to maintain some sort of racewalking form for all of my workouts. As soon as I feel myself "plodding", I focus on placing my feet correctly and rolling them. I'm still waiting for it to always be natural.

Walking with Relatives

Over the last few years, my sister-in-law and I have bonded over early morning walks during our annual family vacations. Colleen is an avid walker and talked me into joining her long before I enjoyed walking. Whether our families were camping in tents or cabins, hanging out at hotels, or just staying at each others' houses, we would leave while most of the clan was still in bed or barely moving. We don't always go alone and we don't always have a specific distance in mind - we might just walk for 30 min., head to a specific landmark on a trail and back, or loop the neighborhood a few times.

When the entire family gets together just once a year, most of the days are pretty chaotic. These walks are an opportunity to get away from the crowd, burn off some calories, and to talk. Most of the conversation is not particularly important. We update each other on the other sides of our families, talk about our jobs, discuss how fast the various kids are growing, recap the previous night's card game, or hit really important topics like what is for dinner. Even the kids that occasionally join us will talk a little more.

It's not like any other type of walking I do. Marathon training is focused and goal oriented. Joining the members of my walking club is fun, and we chat, but it is still goal oriented.

Walking with relatives is probably more important than any other type of walking I do - we aren't trying to prove anything - it is about getting away and bonding.

Unintentional Crosstraining

The Leeman side of our family spent the entire day at a local water park yesterday. A bunch of us climbed the steps to the top of the highest water slides over and over and over and over... Half the time, I climbed those stairs carrying a huge inner tube. As soon as we got to the bottom, we would jump out of the water and climb to the top again. What a great workout!

As the day wore on, my legs would start to burn as I got partway up the stairs. When the line was short, I'd push as hard as I could as long as I could. When the line was long I was able to climb at a slow pace, resting every few steps.

Since my sister-in-law and I had walked 3.5 miles earlier that morning, I expected to feel sore and tired today. I was pleasantly surprised to be pain free though my legs are feeling more tired as the day goes on.

A 6-mile training walk is scheduled for this weekend, and I had originally planned to do it today. After all of those stairs, today has become a much needed day of rest.

The morning will determine whether that 6-miles happens tomorrow or not.

110% Humidity

My Buckeye Strider buddies are training for the half marathon portion of the Columbus Marathon. Because I didn't get a chance to walk with them yesterday, I got out today about 9 a.m. to get in my 5 miles.

I decided against driving to one of my favorite parks and just walked the 1 mile to the park next to the library, did 3 laps and walked home. Each loop of that park is about 1.2 miles. It was 87 degrees when I returned home and I swear there was 110% humidity! Luckily for me, this was supposed to be a long slow mileage day. With humidity at that level the emphasis was on slow!

My eyes burned from all of the sweat dripping in them. I drank almost all of my water and wished I had carried money to buy a cold bottle on the way home.

At the same time, I feel fantastic! It's the longest distance I've walked in a little while and it feels good to be training for another fall event. And after this kind of a workout, my body craves healthy foods, making it easy to make good choices. (An added bonus!) I am really looking forward to building up my endurance again!

Comments about the Summer Issue

I changed this posting on August 1 after receiving responses from readers.

Someone whose opinion I value told me that many readers indicated they did not like the cover of the Summer issue and did not feel excited to read this issue. Looking at the cover now, I can see exactly what she meant. Wow!

I was so excited about meeting Steve Vaught, it didn't occur to me how people who did not follow his story would react to that photo of him. (It was not a particularly flattering photo - afterall he calls himself "The Fat Man Walking.") It probably was not the most "inspiring" photo we've had on the cover!

More importantly, I can see how the other headlines did not draw people into the issue. There are some great articles in this issue, but the cover does not promote that effectively.

What I find interesting is, only one person told me that readers didn't like it. I've edited and published many other magazines. Never have I encountered readers who would say nothing rather than send a negative comment. Usually it's the opposite.

Since then I have heard from others whose only comments were the headlines needed to be more exciting. One person even said the story about Steve was great, and commented about each major event in his life.

I understand that I will sometimes miss the mark with various demographics. No one can make all of their readers happy with every issue, not even Oprah. But because of the constructive comments I received, I will look at covers, features and headlines a little bit differently and probably ask for more input. I do try to have balanced issues that will have at least one item of interest for every deomographic we reach.

So, today I thank everyone who is willing to give me constructive comments - positive and negative!

Salad Response

I received a pretty quick response from my salad rant earlier this week, but I'm pretty sure no one at the corporate office has read my e-mail yet. In this company's defense, I didn't expect to receive a personalized e-mail very quickly, if at all.

I don't want to get into a public battle with this company, so I have blocked out the name. The number of *s has nothing to do with the number of letters in the company name.


Dear Cindi;

Thank you for taking the time to visit our Guest Feedback website to submit your comment. We appreciate your suggestion and will send it to the appropriate department for review. It is always nice to hear from our loyal customers.

Sincerely,

******* Customer Relations

Salad Rant

I really enjoy salads. Most of the time they taste better when someone else makes them. The problem comes when someone else makes a salad, you have no control over the ingredients.

I stopped at a fast food restaurant for lunch this week specifically because I thought the restaurant had good salads and it was near a great park. Searching the drive thru menu, I could not find a single salad and was irritated. The employee behind the microphone assured me they still carried salads, and I ordered one I thought I had eaten before.

I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that this salad had breaded deep fried chicken, tons of artificial looking cheese and the salad dressing had a whopping 290 calories! After searching the company web site, I discovered that this healthy choice had nearly 800 calories! On the good side, there were lots of greens that were not iceberg, it had a tasty bean and corn salsa on it, and it was good sized. Why would a restaurant ruin what could be a great salad by throwing all those high fat options on top?

If I could have seen a picture of the salad on the menu, or at least a list of ingredients, I could have switched to grilled chicken and low fat dressing.

Those of you who know me will not be surprised to find out I immediately sent a scathing e-mail to the company. I've done it before with other companies, and have had good responses. (At the same time, I will send positive comments to companies when they are doing something right.) It will be interesting to see what kind of response I will get - if any.

In the meantime, no more fast food, sight unseen, fat laden salads for me!

Walking in the Dark

I didn't realize until tonight how much I miss walking in the dark.

My first full marathon was in the month of September. Because of the high temps of July and August, many of my mid-week miles were logged after 9 p.m. It's quite a bit different walking after dark. The air smells different, I encounter fewer people, there is less traffic... And because I can't see as far, I tend to focus on what I am doing and the quality of my walking rather than what is going on around me.

I also get deep in thought and on more than one occasion have become temporarily lost in my own neighborhood. (In my defense, I have to walk up and down several cul-de-sacs in order to get any mileage. At night they all look the same.) One evening, I used my forehead to locate a tree limb that was hanging too low. I've also been scared half to death by black cats, opossum and raccoons as they crossed the sidewalk or street in front of me.

Tonight's walk was weird. The only reason I even went was because I couldn't get out at all the rest of the weekend. Yet, as soon as I stepped outside and smelled the night air, I felt inspired. I felt the desire to walk and train hard that I had with that first marathon. It was different and familiar at the same time. Sort of like bumping into an old friend.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to do more walking in the dark.

Forget the Criteria

We have decided to go ahead and take nominations for the Best City for Walkers and the most Walker-Friendly Events. We are setting up a Selection Panel to help us choose.

So, if you have a nomination for the Best City for Walkers or the Most Walker-Friendly Event, send an e-mail to nominations@walk-magazine.com. Include the city, state and why you are nominating it. Please put "Nomination City" or "Nomination Event" in the subject line.

The selection process will take into account the number of nominations a city or event receives. But we ask that each person nominate each city or event only once. (You can nominate as many cities or events as you wish.)

We look forward to hearing from you!

Criteria

We are busy determining what criteria will be used to choose the most walker-friendly city. First we will ask readers to rank the criteria choices. When we have finalized the criteria, we will ask for votes. We are also selecting a panel to help us make the final decision.

The first criteria options include:
How many miles of walking/multi-use trails does the city have?
Are there any walking clubs?
Are there any volksmarching clubs?
How many walker-friendly events are held in the city? (Marathons, half-marathons, 5Ks, charity walks, volksmarches, judges racewalks, etc. ...)

How important is weather when determining a walker-friendly city?
How important is the safety/crime rate of the city?
Does the availability of public transit make a city more walker-friendly?

What other criteria are important to you?

We will put a survey on the WALK! Magazine web site too, but feel free to respond here, too.

Preparing for Parkersburg

I was reviewing some half marathon training schedules today while deciding if I could still be in shape for the Parkersburg Half Marathon. It will be rough, but I think I can still do it. It is very important to get in all of the training miles and when I'm stressed and short of time, the mileage is what usually suffers.

Well, I'm going to try it. I walked 3 miles today to see how I would feel. I felt great and could have easily walked farther. Lucky for me, today should have been a 3-mile day.

I doubt if I will be ready for speed in West Virginia, but I should finish feeling good.

Most Walker-Friendly Race and Best City for Walkers

I thought about this just as I posted my last blog entry.

WALK! Magazine will be selecting the most walker-friendly event and the Best City for Walkers in 2007. It's a great way for us to promote walking at races and in cities as a whole.

We will promote the event throughout the year, have training schedules, etc., and maybe we can get a big group to walk it together.

I'm hoping we can also plan a trip to the walking friendly city, and maybe do something fun there. We might schedule a visit around a 5K race or a walking only event. Maybe present the mayor with a plaque. It will be fun!

We are working on the criteria and will let you know how to vote when we are ready!

Feeling Like a Failure

I'm not going to enter the Dash for Donations half marathon set for Columbus this month. At the start of the year, when I originally planned to enter 6 half marathons, I thought this one would be great. Part of the reason I wanted to enter it is because my uncle had a successful heart transplant several years ago. Organ donation is something I feel strongly about. I also thought July would be good timing after entering both Cincinnati's and Cleveland's halves in May.

I'm not sure how many people knew I had planned to enter this local event, but at least one person in Georgia was planning to drive all the way up here to do it with me. I can't do it. I'm just not in shape for it. I know I could finish it, but I would feel terrible afterward.

To make up for this imaginery failure, I'm training full scale for Parkersburg in August. I still have plenty of time to be in proper shape for that event and I hope pick up some speed. I met Chris in Parkersburg last year, so I'm sure he won't come back for it. For some reason he hated that little race.

Because the Columbus Marathon added a half, I have one more option for fitting in 6 before the end of the year.

Maybe 2007 will end up being the year of the 10K.

Onions and Chocolate

After walking for an hour this evening, I ate 1/4 cantaloupe slice and a mediochre pasta salad with lots of veggies, including onion and garlic. What is it about healthy eating that makes me crave chocolate? Specifically, I want to know what it is about ONIONS that make me crave chocolate.

I don't like bland food. Actually, I have bad sinuses so subtle tastes are pretty much lost on me. Consequently, I use a lot of onion and garlic.

It never fails, if I have raw onion in something healthy, an hour later I want Rocky Road Ice Cream, Dove Dark Chocolate, hot chocolate... it really doesn't matter much. A spinach salad with onion makes the cravings even stronger.

So, here I am, sitting at my computer trying to convince myself that I really do NOT want that last bit of Rocky Road sitting in the freezer. I'll try to be strong.

Summer is Out!

The Summer issue of WALK! Magazine was mailed last week!

Copies will be to the stores that carry us soon. I have not received the extra copies, yet. They were supposed to arrive Thursday, but they didn't. So, assuming a few days for shipping, and they should be in stores by next weekend. (I had hoped to hand-deliver a shipment to Bob Roncker's Running Spot over the weekend while in Cincinnati, but couldn't.)

So, please be patient, you'll have the summer issue soon!

Eating Better

I really have to try to eat better. I felt inspired before I went to the grocery store today and picked up ingredients for two different salads. One a Greek salad with a wide variety of veggies, feta and a homemade dressing. The cookbook I picked it out of said it could be a main course. The other is a simple fruit salad with fresh pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes, etc., and no dressing. I had no idea how LARGE of a fruit salad it would end up being - and I used just half of the melon!

Unfortunately, I put both of them together today, so we have two huge bowls of salad in the fridge, and you can't really eat both of them at the same meal. Not quite sure how I will work this, but I see a lot of fresh fruits and veggies in my life over the next couple of days.

The Ad Guy!

We are excited to announce that Rich Williams, Cincinnati, OH, has joined the WALK! Magazine advertising team! Rich has been around the racing community for a very long time and should be well known to many of you.

Though readers don't necessarily like advertisements in a publication, they are necessary to keep a magazine going. We would love to publish six times a year and increase to 48 or 64 pages per issue. We hope to do that, with Rich's help.

If you are interested in advertising in WALK! Magazine, contact Rich at 513/309-4434 or e-mail him at rich@walk-magazine.com.

Columbus Marathon Adds Half

Just a quick note to let any readers know that the Columbus Marathon will offer a half this year! The relay division will be gone, which is sad, but many of us have been asking for a half for years. It will be interesting to see how it works.

I noticed on the web site today that walkers in both the full and half marathon must start at 7 a.m. If the half is open for 4 hours, I'd rather start at 8 a.m. Also, I just noticed that more awards will be given to men than to women this year. With an increase in the number of women who enter marathons nationally, I'm a little surprised.

I'll let you know what I find out.

Energized

Maybe I just needed to be away from walking for a short while.

Yesterday I walked to a bookstore and to the Post Office to get my mail. It felt great and I felt as if I could go quite a bit farther, but because I'm on deadline, I didn't.

Today, I really wanted to head to the park and walk a few miles, but I had appointments. I did get to walk the short distance to the Post Office, but I didn't have time to make it to the park.

I'm really excited! I was worried that I would totally lose my desire to walk. My plan was to force myself to start walking as soon as the Summer issue was sent to the printer. I figured after a little time went by, I would begin to want it again. That might have worked. In the meantime, I'm thrilled!

I'll be back to my old self in no time ... as soon as I get the Summer issue to press.