Over-dressed

Because I froze Friday when it was 27 degrees, I decided I needed an extra layer of fleece for this morning's walk in 22 degrees. What I had not anticipated was that I was walking in the neighborhood, not at the windy lake.

In my defense, I had planned to just add a fleece vest under my windproof jacket, but I couldn't find it. I ended up adding a fleece long-sleeved jacket, which was way too much!

My plan was to do four laps around the big block at the end of our street or an hour -- whichever came first. After the first lap, I was roasting! I had my jacket mostly unzipped and the vents in the front of the jacket open. During the second lap, the flaps on my gloves were open. In the third lap my fleece jacket was also unzipped. The fourth lap, I just hurried and roasted.

I was a little faster than usual around that block finishing in just 48 minutes -- not bad! And considering how hard I was pushing, I know I went farther than 3 miles.

I have just about burned off all of the extra calories from Thanksgiving and the OSU vs Michigan potluck!

Cold This Morning!

Since I bailed on my plans to walk at Antrim Park Thanksgiving morning, I decided to head out there today and do the 3 miles I had planned.

First, my car door would not open. I ended up climbing in from the passenger side. I felt pretty silly at the gas station climbing over the passenger seat to get out and then get back in my car. While pumping the gas, I realized it was a LOT colder than I thought it was. The wind was blowing and I was freezing!

I ended up going back home and picking up gloves, ear muffs and my gaiter to wear around my neck. (I hate when my neck is cold.) Again I climbed over the passenger seat to get out and get back in the car, then went off to Antrim.

I parked the car with the driver side door in the sun, hoping it would thaw by the time I finished walking. By the time I got to the start of the bike trail, I was frozen. Though it was 27 degrees, it felt colder. I knew if I walked for at least 10 minutes I would start to warm up and be fine. Let me rephrase that -- I THOUGHT if I walked for 10 minutes I would warm up.

The first thing I noticed was there were fewer than 10 people walking and running on the trail. (I thought that was odd.) At the same time there were about 20 fisherman scattered around the lake. Though it was pretty chilly I turned to my right for the first lap.

As is usual in this park and around this lake, in the shade I froze, in the sun I warmed up, and in the areas where there is no tree coverage the wind made me even colder. I thought I would be warmer than I was after the first lap. There was no way I could justify quitting after only one lap! So, despite being uncomfortable I did the second lap. OK, I was still cold and I was uncomfortable enough to justify going home. So, I walked back to my car -- the door had thawed -- and I went home.

What I don't like about this time of year is, when it is cold, it is shockingly cold. There is no real chance to get acclimated -- the temps vary too much. Because of this, I never know how to dress. Today I was obviously under-dressed.

Thanksgiving Walk

My son and I had made plans to head to Antrim Park Thanksgiving morning to get in some miles before we pigged out for the day. My only stipulation was, if it was raining, I wasn't going. I woke up to rain and decided I was off the hook!

My son, being a little more dedicated than I am right now, decided to go for a run anyway. He was gone more than an hour, and when he is just jogging like that, I think he averages about an 8-min mile. Needless to say, he made me feel like a sloth! (And it stopped raining right before he went.)

When he returned I thought, OK, if he can go running, I can go out walking. So I got changed into my walking clothes, walked out the front door, into a like sprinkle. Yuck. At least it wasn't full-blown rain. I went inside to get a hat, then did two laps in the neighborhood. Just as I was a few driveways from home, it started raining for real.

Though it was cold and wet, I'm glad I burned off a few calories before spending the rest of the day eating.

Missing WALK

Recently, I was asked for a writing sample. I don't get to write as often as I used to and my most recent stories have been for WALK! Magazine. WALK! has been "gone" long enough that I don't remember what's in every single issue, so I ended up having to read back issues.

I found myself smiling as I read about The Fatman Walking, Subway's Jared and my coverage of Dr. Sabgir and Walk With a Doc. I remember how much I enjoyed talking with and meeting these interesting people and others I had the opportunity to interview. I also remember how much I enjoyed publishing the magazine and how excited I was when it started to take off.

It also made me feel sad that I couldn't figure out how to make the magazine work financially. If only it had generated money (any money) so that I could quit my full-time job... Working 80 hours a week and not sleeping was catching up with me. Oh, well.

No matter what the future holds for me, I will always be happy I tried to make a go with WALK. I'm glad I took the chance. And though I miss the writing and interviewing, I'm glad I now have time to sleep.

A Walking Tour of Houston

Monument au Fantome.

NOTE: Photos were added several days after the original blog posting.

One of the things I was most looking forward to while visiting Houston this week for business was taking one of the audio tours I downloaded to my MP3 player from the Houston Tourism website. There are three tours: one is only 0.6 miles and takes 30 mins; the other two are about 2 miles each and take about 2 hrs each. I opted for the Ultimate Downtown Tour, narrated by Dan Workman, owner of Sugar Hill Studios.

The tour starts at a giant multi-piece fiberglass sculpture on the edge of Discovery Green, a new park downtown. The sculpture, called Monument au Fantome, is across from the Convention Center.

Though there were a few instructions I did not follow, like walking into a bar to look at the ceiling, overall I enjoyed the tour.

The tour took me to Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. There I learned the history of the park as the city's original Union Station for train travel to the city. I loved looking in the window from Crawford Street to see left field of the stadium. I wish there had been a home game!

Outside Minute Maid Park.

Buffalo Bayou is reached about halfway through the tour. In the middle of Houston, it is a beautiful “wilderness” area with walking paths and sculptures along the river. At the top of one section is a larger-than-life statue of the first President Bush. I enjoyed being an “insider” for a few minutes on the bridge over the bayou and near the Seven Wonders. I was told to push the unmarked red button which causes the “art” called the Bayou Bubble to be activated – letting loose a large bubble of air in the middle of the river, making the pedestrians on the bridge look and wonder what it was.

The tour even included a short ride on the light rail train. Though I went just a couple of blocks, it was a pretty nice transportation option. The kiosk I used to buy a ticket did not work properly, and the person I asked wasn't helpful, but otherwise, it was a relatively easy thing to figure out.

The two biggest things I learned about the city:

1) There are parks all over the city, several with fenced in dog runs. One small park about halfway through the tour was a park just for dogs. The parks are attractive, well maintained and well landscaped. Several also had creative fountains.

A fountain in the park across the street from my hotel.

2) There is art everywhere – in every park, on the street, fountains on buildings, modern sculptures in courtyards – it is wonderful!

Dan did a great job as narrator, describing everything on the tour. The tour was very well organized. It was nice how in some areas, everything on one side of the street was described, then we would cross the street and go back. My only complaint was the fact it ended so far away from the start. Luckily I had a map of the city with me to find my way back.

Safety was also addressed well. Every time crossing a street was required, I was instructed to pause the audio and be careful. The narration would pick back up on the other side of the intersection. He also did a great job of warning about busy driveways to parking garages and shops.

One other thing I thought was pretty neat about this tour – it was set up for someone walking at my pace! Each time Dan would say something like walk to the corner or the bridge, etc., as soon as I arrived at that location, he would give the next instruction. Well, done!

So, if you are planning a trip to Houston and want to walk around the city, I recommend trying one of these audio tours. It was a lot of fun and it guaranteed that I got to see some of the best parts of the city. Left to my own devices, who knows where I would end up.

PS: I hope other cities offer similar audio tours! Photos to come.

Maize Valley Farm on Facebook

The winery where the Stomp the Grapes Half Marathon started and ended is on Facebook and has posted photos of the race. (I never even saw a photographer!) The winery is Maize Valley Farm Market and Winery.

Check out the winery's page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1020877135#!/MaizeValley. I like the fact the winery uses Facebook to promote its activities. I had no idea it was such an active place with so many fun events.

It also looks as if it paid off for Deb and I to be last at the start. There's a pretty clear photo of us.

Ignorance is Bliss -- or Do I want to Know What is in the McD's McRib?

Let me start this blog post with a true confession -- I have eaten a McRib. In my defense, it was many years ago and long before I made the decision to give up Big Macs.

Though it was never my favorite fast-food sandwich, I was more offended by the pickle on a rib sandwich than anything real. And though I didn't think it was bad, I never understood the obsession some people have with a McRib.

Even back then, I wondered how the meat got the weird "bone in rib" look without having bones. Still, it never, EVER occurred to me that they could be made in such a horribly gross way.

Margaret Badore from DietsinReview.com said in part:

It starts at an enormous factory farm. There's a giant shed with a floor covered in feces, where tens of thousands of pigs will be born without ever having enough space to turn around and most will never see the light of day.

Oh, yeah, I read a novel recently that had several scenes just like that. Ugh!
After a description of what happens to the meat, Badore clarifies:

Translation: mechanically separated meat. Remember the pink goo chicken nuggets are made from? This is the pork version. Just check out this photo of the grayish meat inside the "rib patty" snapped by the team at foodfacts.info. The texture looks like something that's been chewed up and spit out.

Even without the photo, it does NOT sound appetizing. Be sure to go to this page of the Shine from Yahoo website for the entire story and to see the photo: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/how-the-mcrib-is-made-makes-us-question-its-popularity-2408280/

OK, I know fast food is garbage. But seriously, what kind of a sick mind would come up with such a complicated process to make a rib sandwich? I have to wonder, do the people who came up with this "recipe" let their family members eat this stuff? Should we spread the word? Do we let people know?

Kind of reminds me of a scene from a shocking 1973 movie:

• Det. Thorn: “It's people. Soylent Green is made out of people. They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!"
• Hatcher: “I promise, Tiger. I promise. I'll tell the exchange."
• Det. Thorn: “You tell everybody. Listen to me, Hatcher. You've gotta tell them! Soylent Green is people! We've gotta stop them somehow!"

Photo from www.foodfactsinfo/mcrib
__________

PS: Makes KFC's Double Down look pretty good, doesn't it?

Working Through Stiffness

Did a pretty easy walk around the neighborhood this evening to help work through the stiffness.

The good news is, I was less stiff and sore today than I was yesterday. Usually the muscle soreness the second day is a little worse than the day immediately after the race.

Today was also my first evening walk since the time change. It felt strange having it get so dark so early! I don't adjust well to time changes and the lack of daylight in the winter depresses me. It will be even more important for me to walk outside as the days get darker!

Stomp the Grapes

Warning: This is a long review.

The Stomp the Grapes Half Marathon was a challenging event held in Hartville, OH near North Canton and Alliance. It starts at Maize Valley Winery and ends in Quail Hollow State Park. In previous years, the race averaged about 300 to 400 finishers between the half marathon and the relay. This year, there were 703 finishers in the half and 110 relay teams of three people each, meaning there were 1,036 finishers!



Deb, Elaine, Laura and me warming
up at a fire before the race.

We left at 7 a.m. to reach the winery. It was a fairly easy and direct drive.

The farther north we drove, the colder it got, and in and around Hartville there were light patches of snow on the ground. Snow! Already! The temps were in the low 30s.

The pre-race atmosphere was like a party. Tons of people roaming around the grounds. And there were huge fires everywhere to keep people warm. It was very nice!

The race started at noon with the firing of a pumpkin cannon which was loud, but we couldn't see it from where we stood. (I wanted to see a pumpkin fly!) As everyone took off, Deb and I were the very last people in the race. Elaine and Laura were up ahead of us and we didn't expect to see them until the end.

The course is on country roads with a couple of miles in Quail Hollow State Park at about the halfway point and the finish. For the first few miles we had the road to ourselves and it was great. The scenery was pretty, the roads were wide and we passed a couple of people. The wind was intermittent, depending on whether the corn fields had been plowed under or there were trees near the side of the road. There were lots of hills, but only a couple of big ones. Because it was cold, it was hard to climb the bigger hills.

After a couple of miles, the roads were open to traffic and that was a pain. Though most of the roads had very little traffic, some were pretty busy and the cars were way too fast and cutting it way too close. Deb and I met another Deb along the way and the three of us would go single file on the berm to get out of the way of the cars. Being country roads, they were uneven with some pretty rough patches, but I expected that. It did make my ankles and legs a little tired, but it was a public road.

Spectators lined sections of the race.

There were a couple of spots where you could tell the race directors had not anticipated problems caused by this many people. Entering Quail Hollow there is one road. There were pylons on the side and a big space in the middle -- we were not sure if we were supposed to be in the middle section or off to the side. There were tons of spectators walking and standing in the "short section" so we couldn't really walk there. There were occasional cars in the middle section, so we couldn't really walk there.

We did one loop in the park, then came around behind the finish line and ended up walking head-on toward the runners finishing. They were cutting it close to us, trying to use tangents at the end of the race, and we were trying to stay to the side to be out of their way, but still be on the course. Spectators were everywhere. It was a mess!

The course was scenic. The uncut
corn helped break the wind.

We left the park at about mile 7 and continued on country roads. For a while we could see the faster people coming toward us and it was fun to see Laura walking with a group of runners.

This last part of the course felt hillier. And as we walked it felt as if the temps were dropping. My core was warm throughout the race and when the wind stopped blowing, I was too hot! But as we went along, my hands were freezing and my legs were getting stiff. Yep, a sure sign the temps were dropping. Oh, and before I forget -- it snowed. During the race we encountered tiny pelting snowflakes.

We got to the finish in Quail Hollow uneventfully. It was fun that they announced our names as we came across the finish line. Though we knew we needed to catch a bus back to the winery, not one person said, "Go this way to catch a bus." We had to find a volunteer and ask.

Yea! We are getting on a bus!

The line for buses to the winery was HUGE! We could see Laura and Elaine ahead of us and they finished much earlier than we did. Laura later reported she waited in line for more than an hour! We waited for more than half an hour and ended up on the same bus with Elaine. Luckily they crammed the buses full of people and I was thankful I was out of the cold and did not mind that only one cheek actually touched the seat. The bus ride back to the winery was not long.

The winery was more than ready for us! The fires were still burning, there were tents set up with tons of picnic tables and there was lots of food. They had hot dogs, Subway turkey sandwiches, bananas, apples, chips, cookies ... And there was a lot of everything. There was also coffee and hot chocolate -- I would have loved another bottle of water, but could not find any. In addition, anyone over the age of 21 could get two glasses of wine! We grabbed our food, (I also grabbed two glasses of wine), and we went inside the winery in their restaurant section that was nice and warm. It was crowded with happy race finishers and was a fun atmosphere.

When I went outside about 4:30, there was still plenty of food left! There were still tons of Subway sandwiches, cookies and chips left.

The race packet included a really nice wicking hat, socks embroidered with the word "Stomp," and a technical shirt in a great purple with a really pretty logo. This year they opted to give away the hat and socks instead of medals. Unfortunately, my sized-small shirt is so absolutely huge, it looks like a men's XL. When we went to exchange them, we were told that someone gave women men's sized shirts and they were out of women's smalls. Crud! It's a shame, too, because this is one of the best-looking shirts I have received in a long time! Regardless, the hat and socks are cool.

I have mixed feelings on this race. The atmosphere was very fun! The fires outside were great. The participants were all excited. There were plenty of pre-race restrooms. The pumpkin cannon was fun. The course was difficult because of the hills and the rough streets, but I have done hillier courses. It was made tougher because of the weather and the fact the streets were not closed causing us to be on the edge of the road a lot. The loop in the park with the fast finishers and tail end people at the same time was just a mess. And doing this race alone would be hard. The long wait many had for a bus back to the winery was horrible.

The after race party was fantastic! It was one of the best I have ever seen! Tasting wines was fun and I'm sure inspired more purchases. The hat and socks are great!

So the good things were very, very good. The bad things were bad. I do think the good out-number the bad.

Would I do it again? I think so. It has lots of potential. My recommendation is to let the race directors figure out how to handle a crowd this big for a year or two, then try it again.
___________

Finish time: about 3:11. Considering how cold it was, with rough roads, not bad.

Copyright Infringement is not a Death Penalty Crime

My life is dependent on others respecting copyrights and copyright laws. I'm an editor, a writer, a publisher and blogger.

Because it is my livelihood, I was incensed when I heard about the Cooks Source magazine copyright infringement situation. (For those who need the Clif's Notes update, the editor of the magazine printed an article that she picked up from a blog without the permission of the author. When the author confronted the editor, the editor was snarky, claimed everything on the internet is in the public domain and was unrepentant.)

Of course, when you tick off a blogger -- they blog about it. This story has taken on a life of its own.

Initially, I was all about the public humiliation of the editor of the regional magazine. I logged onto the magazine's Facebook page and got a kick out of the comments. It was amazing to watch the number of people who "liked" the page just so they could comment grow from fewer than 300 to more than 2,000 today. The support of the author was fantastic!

Partway through the day the comments started to turn. They were no longer talking about copyright infringement and plagiarism. The comments turned to her looks, her weight, her lack of intelligence and included vulgarities and death threats. People are making fake websites in her name and the magazine's name.

Seriously, does copyright infringement warrant death threats!

The more I look at the comments on Facebook, the more I wonder why so many people who are not involved in this incident continue to write truly nasty things about the editor.

Which has led me to start feeling sorry for her! I know what she did is wrong. I know her response to the article's author was totally inappropriate and unprofessional. But the level of outrage, the personal insults, the vulgarities and death threats are overkill.

Enough people. Give it a rest.
_____________

One of the FB commenters actually sent a private message to me using vulgarities! A little extreme for copyright infringement.

Chilly 8+ Miles Saturday

I'm not sure how far we walked today, but our plan was for 8 miles. We were walking at Griggs Reservoir, but there was a crew regatta, so the parking lot was very crowded, there were tons of people, and it wasn't really possible to adequately keep track of the mile markers.

That said, a few members of the Buckeye Striders were able to find parking spots. Because we kept walking the same section over and over, we were able to walk with a variety of different people and at different paces.

It was a beautiful morning for walking with mist coming off the river as the crew teams flew by. I really enjoyed watching them warm up and race while we were walking.

We ended up walking for 2 hours and 6 minutes. Our pace varied from about a 14-minute mile to 15:30, depending on who we walked with. If we averaged a 15-minute mile (and I'm sure we were faster than that) we would have walked 8.4 miles. That's pretty good for a between races walk.

When we arrived it was about 32 degrees and when we finished it had warmed up to 45. What a good morning!

Wednesday Walk

Elaine and I met at Griggs Reservior for our usual mid-week walk. Deb was on the other side of town and Sharon Woods was closer to her.

We walked for more than an hour and went farther than 4 miles.

Though the wind was blowing, the sun was shining and we warmed up VERY quickly. Knowing that Fall will be here in full force before we know it, it's important for me to be out walking in the sun before it gets nearly impossible.

A Sure Sign Marathon Training Season is Over

I went to Antrim Park the Thursday after the Columbus Marathon to do a quick two laps for about 2.4 miles.

As I walked to the starting point, I noticed there were very few cars and almost no one at the park.

Yep -- fall marathon training season is over!

(The good news is a lot of them will be back before the Capital City Half in the Spring.)

Columbus Marathon Shirt and Medal

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I just love it when a race gives out shirts in women's sizes! And the Columbus Marathon did a great job this year. The shirt is a different color -- hot pink -- the lettering on the front is nice and it fits!

Among the five or so women I talked to after the race, only one did not like it. (She hates the color and the scoop neck.) If the number of people who wore their race shirts the day of the race is an indication of how much the shirt is liked, I think my one dissenter is probably greatly in the minority.

Though pink is not my favorite color, I'm thrilled the shirt is not white or black. And to me the big thing is, it is not some off-brand shirt made in China for 25 cents. It is made by Nike, it's a technical shirt and it fits.

Offering women's sizes is the newest trend and definitely affects the races I chose to enter. I wish a few other race directors whose races attract more than 75% women would follow suit.

Columbus Marathon (Half) Recap

Me and Deb after the race. Thanks for taking it Laura!

Today's Columbus Marathon started at 7:30 with temps in the high 40s. Several of the Buckeye Striders were entered, and I started the race with Deb, Pat, Nancy and Jack.

This year's race introduced corrals for the first time. We were in the last corral -- number 4. Not only were there tons of walkers in this corral it included anyone who planned to finish slower than 2:45 for the half or 5:30 for the full. Because proof of a faster finish in a previous event was required to move out of corral 4, this ended up being a catchall. There were tons of faster runners in this corral. Though we tried to get to the back, and though we were near the pacer for a 3:45 half, we were way too close to the front of the corral and were in the way of many runners. Sorry about that.

Because we were pretty far from the starting line, we could not hear any announcements or the national anthem.

Fireworks were set off at the start, which was very cool! As we walked toward the starting line, we passed some speakers and we could finally hear a band playing way up at the front. Again, very cool for those who were up close enough to hear the band! There was also a big screen TV so we could see ourselves crossing the starting line.

The race course has not changed, but the amount of entertainment on the course has definitely increased! It was fun seeing such a wide variety of music -- rock bands, folk singers, drum groups, OSU alumni band and more. Though it was really good, the marathon staff said there were 80 groups on the course and I don't think there were 40 bands in the first half.

We tried the same plan we used at Air Force, using my HR monitor to set our pace. After a couple of miles my monitor lost contact and it didn't work again the entire event. We ended up basing our pace on how we felt and trying to maintain a 14-min mile or less. We actually did pretty well!

The course is nice, going through Bexley, German Village and around Franklin Park. We even saw the governor outside his mansion!

It's a pretty flat course with just a few inclines (no real hills), including a long one heading north on High Street the last 2 miles. The closer we got to the finish line, the more exciting it was! With less than a mile to go, I was able to pick up my pace and went ahead of Deb. The crowds got bigger and louder, and I could feel the excitement. When I turned the corner to the finish line, the crowds were crazy! Of course, part of the reason the crowd was so loud is the runners finishing the full marathon in 3 hrs were coming down the stretch beside me.

I crossed the line in 3:04:55 according to my watch. Though I'm happy with my finish, I thought I was faster than that. After getting a silver blanket I didn't need and picking up my medal, I waited about a min for Deb.

We were handed bottles of water and immediately went to the food section, which was a little bit different from anything I've seen before. First there were freshly made hot pretzel bites, then warm chicken broth. (It tasted surprisingly good!) We then walked by tables with Krispy Kreme doughnuts, chocolate milk, bananas, a selection of generic chips and finally bagels. Unfortunately I ate one of the delicious doughnuts and then felt guilty. The bagels and chips were not that exciting, but there was a lot of food except doughnuts. Shortly after we went through, the doughnuts were gone. It might have been because of people like the guy behind me who took 6! (I actually confronted him and suggested there might be people still on the course who would like to have a doughnut.)

We met back up with Pat and Nancy in the food section and Steve and Sharon outside the food area. We also met up with two other Striders who didn't enter the race (Elaine and Laura) but were there for support. It was great having friends cheering us on near the end!

Overall, it was a good race and I think the new race director is on the right track!
___________

NOTES ON THE RACE

• The pre-race e-mails were great! Made me even more excited to do the race. Nice Job!
• The women's shirts are a bright pink and fit perfectly!
• The corrals didn't seem to work as designed. Too many fast people in the last corral. Reports from others closer to the start say there were people from corrals 3 and 4 in corral 2. So, what was the purpose?
• Though there were speakers set up halfway to the back, we still could not hear a thing except the fireworks at the start. I know you were trying, but loud speakers are needed farther back.
• The aisles at the expo are too wide. It is really easy to walk down the middle and totally skip every booth. That is great for the people who don't want to stop at any booths, but I can't imagine it is good for exhibitors.
• The medal was nice and large and the ribbon was cool.
• There were lots of photographers at the start of the race taking photos. Nice touch!
• The finish results web page is very cool! It looks nice, it's easy to read and it has lots of stats. Nicer than a simple listing in Courier.
• There were a lot more bands. Though I don't think we saw 40, there were still a lot more than in previous years. Nice!
• I received a congratulatory e-mail from the race director the day of the race. And the e-mail included a note from the marathon doctor explaining what to do after the race to aid recovery.
• The weather was perfect! And I still over-dressed. Thank goodness Deb talked me into wearing shorts. Still, I could not ditch my jacket before the start.

Taper to Columbus Marathon (Half)

It's taper week! The Columbus Marathon Half is this upcoming Sunday,

I have a love/hate relationship with taper week. I love the fact that I can take it easy and I have a lot more free time. The part I hate is my legs tend to get antsy and heavy with less walking and I worry about the fact that I'm not burning nearly as many calories.

So Saturday we did a not difficult 8 miles, (after last week's 10-mile race, this week's 8 was very easy), and now we should take it easy until Sunday's race. Tonight I started out doing an easy couple loops around the block  -- the first lap was easy, the second I picked up the pace and almost walked too hard. OK, like I said, taper week isn't easy.

Still, I wouldn't trade taper week for anything.

Day After

Yesterday I was a little wiped out after the race and surprisingly sore. I guess it was more stiffness than soreness. Regardless, I fell asleep on the couch in the early afternoon and that is unusual for me. Then today it wasn't until I got home from work and climbed the stairs that I realized I was still a little stiff today.

This stiffness was a little surprising because 1) the race was only 10 miles, and 2) we were approaching it as a training walk. The cold and wind must have taken a larger toll on us than we thought.

As a result, I took a very easy walk in the neighborhood. It ended up being just two laps around the bigger block down the street. It felt good and helped to work out some of the stiffness.

Now if only I had a job that wasn't so tied to a desk so I could do this on an everyday basis.

10-mile Race Today

There is a local organization called Step and Stride that has the goal to help people get fit by walking. Their events are not necessarily races, though some of them are.

Today Step and Stride hosted its first 10-mile race that was the featured event at the end of a 10-week walking training program. (Other walkers were invited to enter the race, too.) I entered this race along with 5 other members of the Buckeye Striders. The race went through Glacier Ridge Metro Park, which is just north and outside of Columbus.

It was pretty chilly this morning with no indication it would warm up before the end of the race. It was 47 degrees at the start with cloudy skies, strong winds and a threat of rain. I was pretty cold, and not quite sure how to dress, assuming that at some point I would probably warm up. Thursday there were about 450 people registered, but we decided the weather must have kept some away. It looked as if no more than 300 people showed up.

Before the race, I thought I might have a chance to win my age group. After the start of the race (once we got free of the bottleneck), I was surprised at how many really fast walkers there were! There was no way I was winning anything in this crowd!

Deb and I had originally planned for today to be just a training walk. Still, we got caught up in the excitement of the race, and at times tried to go faster than our original plan. In fact, on our way out we even walked a 12-min mile! Considering that we were barely breathing hard and had not broken a sweat, we knew immediately that the mile markers were off. (On the way back from the turnaround we had a 10-min mile, so they were wrong in both directions.)

Glacier Ridge is a pretty park. It has lots of trees, lots of "plains," wetlands and no real hills. At the same time, it can feel desolate -- especially in the fall. I also find it VERY confusing and if a race is not marked well (this one was marked very well), it would be very easy to get lost. When we were in the midst of the trees, the wind was nothing, but once we hit the "plains," the wind was brutal! So with no wind, I was overdressed. With wind I was under-dressed. This is why fall races can sometimes be frustrating.

On the way back to the start after the turnaround at the 5-mile mark, the unceasing wind was blowing in our faces. Wow! We were pushing, but we were barely moving. It really wiped us out! It was when the wind eased a little that several walkers who started out behind us began passing us. Oh, well -- this was supposed to be a training walk for us.

We finished strong somewhere around 2:23. I had a watch malfunction -- somehow I had over 10 laps for only a 10-mile race. I must have hit the watch a few too many times, or maybe my coat sleeve caught on it (that has happened before). That might also be why I had so many unrealistically fast miles.

As we crossed the finish line, we received a very nice Victoria's Secret canvas tote! There were only 75, and I was thrilled to be in the group that got them. The after race food included delicious bagels, bananas, trail mix, Nutri-Grain bars and plenty of water. There were also leftover training program T-shirts and Dick's Sporting Goods reusable shopping bags available. (The Dick's bags were used as the goody bags. Nice!)

So, overall it was a pretty good race. The weather was miserable, which race directors cannot control. The venue is a little boring the second time you do a race there. But it was well-marked and flat and there were enough water stops. The other walkers were very nice and the finish line food was good.
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The race T-shirts are cotton, long-sleeved gray shirts. The logo on the front is nice. The size small is a little bit large on me, but I can shrink it. It has been a long time since I received a nice, long-sleeved cotton shirt and I was thrilled! I would rather get a really nice cotton shirt than a cheap, ugly technical shirt that doesn't fit and that I will never wear. Race directors -- please take note.

Weird Couple of Days

Weird couple of days has affected my ability to get in some walking.

Because we took a group of kids to an indoor water park on Saturday, I didn't walk. I figured that climbing stairs to ride water slides would more than make up for the miles I didn't get in. My legs were exhausted! I know I got a good workout.

Sunday I rested because I was SO exhausted from Saturday.

Monday and Tuesday I was sick.

So, today I walked not too hard for about 3 miles. And yes, my legs were still affected by the stairs at the indoor water park!

I Thought I was Fit ...

Doing two half marathons in the same month -- PRing in the second one -- might indicate a level of fitness. But sometimes I forget that just because I can walk pretty far, and I'm getting faster, that I'm not necessarily fit.

On Saturday for example, we took our niece and nephews to an indoor water park for the day. The cooler water slides required climbing several flights of stairs. Because the park was not crowded, there was almost no wait -- we could go down almost as quickly as we climbed.

The first time up I felt OK. The second time up, I started to feel it. The third time up, I had to rest halfway up. After that I really slowed down. After a while, I just could not go up those stairs one more time. I was exhausted! I ended up heading to our table to rest. Though I ended up going up several more times throughout the day, I had to take breaks.

When we got home that night, I was in a tremendous amount of pain! My legs ached! In fact, I could barely sleep I was so sore. The next day, I avoided the stairs at home as much as possible. Geez!

So, though I am making great strides as a half marathoner, I obviously need to do a little bit of cross training. There is a dam nearby with tons of stairs people run. Maybe I should try hitting the stairs once in a while.