Picking up the training pace!

Spring has finally arrived in earnest here in western Oregon. More sun than clouds, warmer temperatures, singing birds, and flowers galore have signaled lots of folks to get outdoors, including me.

I logged 34.9 miles this week including a 13.4 mile walk this morning. So far, so good--I noticed some fatigue around mile eleven or so and a little heel irritation. That said, I was able to maintain my goal pace of ~3.8 mph throughout. And that's what it'll take to complete the marathon in less than seven hours.

Training progress!

It's been a long, chilly, wet spring. And frankly, I've found it hard to get out and train. Nonetheless, I've been putting in enough miles to feel like the marathon is within reach. Today, I walked a 6.1 mile pavement loop in 95 minutes (which works out to about 3.8 mph).

This photo was taken looking south from the intersection of Lewisberg Road and Crescent Valley Drive. Along the way, I heard lots of spring birds and even a few frogs! Apple trees are blooming now, too. You can see the entire route (with elevation profile) here.

Spring Training Begins

Fourteen weeks until the Newport (Oregon) Marathon! That means it's time to get serious about building mileage. I'd been craving a good long hike and we satisfied that with one of our favorite loops today.

Yowza! I could really tell that I've lost some conditioning. This hike includes a whopping 977 foot elevation gain and we covered it at a slower pace than we usually do. Nonetheless, we had a great time and enjoyed the many singing Winter Wrens along the way who are announcing that breeding season is not long away. A few Rough-skinned Newts were easing along in the still chilly air.

The most exciting part of the hike was when we watched the local elk herd--about 18-20 animals, with at least one bull--cross the road a head of us. Fortunately, we had heard them bashing around in the forest before we saw them and successfully distracted both dogs beforehand. Massive beasts, those elk, and I was glad there was fifty yards or more between us and them.

With today's 6.5 miler, that gives me 12 for the week and 71.2 total for the year.

Happy New Year!

2009 was an awesome year for the Woman Who Walks with Dogs. Together, my dogs and I logged over 600 miles. I raised $3,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. And in the 2009 3-Day in Seattle, I completed 48 of the 60 miles.

For 2010, I've set some ambitious goals:

• Complete the Newport (Oregon) Marathon in June. My goal time = 6.5 hours (which would be a 4 mph pace).
• Walk the Arizona 3-Day in November. My intention is to raise at least $3,000 for the fight against breast cancer and complete all 60 miles of the walk.
• Log a total of 750 miles in 2010.

Today, we started the New Year with a splashy, rainy hike beginning at FR 800 (which I sometimes refer to as my Baker Creek route). This time, however, we took a left turn on an unmarked dirt track for a roughly 3 mile out and back). As we paralleled Baker Creek, the trail was running with water one to two inches deep (or more). Dogs loved splashing along and by then, my boots were already wet, so I soldiered along until the track dwindled to one of the many unsanctioned mountain bike trails that crisscross the forest here. Despite the conditions, it was a fun walk that felt like an excellent start for the year.