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.

Great video of the Seattle 3-day

Seattle 3-Day 2009 Highlights

The Seattle 3-Day is done. A huge project, over nine months in the making, is completed. My blisters are healing, aching muscles are beginning to relax, and I’m back out walking with my dogs again (albeit, somewhat gingerly). When I made the decision to take on the 3-Day with all that goes with it--training, fundraising, and completing the event--my motivation was to give purpose and meaning to logging the miles I cover with my dogs. I had no idea just how meaningful this event would become. Here are a few highlights (with more details to come in later posts).

There were roughly 2,200 walkers at this year’s event. Among the participants:

• A young firefighter who lost his mom to breast cancer last year--he and his fellow firefighters walked the event in uniform
• A pregnant mom walking the event in honor of her unborn daughter
• A cancer survivor who went through a double-mastectomy
• Women mourning the loss of their sisters
• Men walking in honor of their wives
• Trever McGhee who has taken on walking all 45 3-Day events around the country this year

We were supported by a phenomenal group of volunteers who crewed, fed, massaged, and treated our hurties. They took care of every aspect of the event from putting up our tents with us, helping us cross busy intersections safely, and giving us hugs of encouragement when we needed them most. Our all-volunteer medical crew was made up of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and EMTs. The nurse that treated my blisters on the morning of the third day is currently undergoing chemo for breast cancer yet she was there, tenderly taking care of us all the same.

Hundreds of local people came out to cheer us on. We passed through neighborhoods decorated in pink ribbons and balloons. Moms and their kids passed out homemade rice crispy treats--that were colored pink. People baked cookies, brought out candy, ran their sprinklers so we could douse ourselves and cool off. They cheered, they prayed, they encouraged and thanked us everywhere we went. Two guys on motorcycles pulled off the road to shake my hand and thank me for walking. Highway workers gave us thumbs up and told us, “Good job!” Truckers blew their horns in support. The love and support was beyond imagining.

I made more friends than I can count, including “The Colonel,” Joe, who kept me going on day two when my feet were hurting so badly. My tentmate, Barbara, a breast cancer survivor, whose hospitality was boundless. Carolyn, a veteran of nearly 50 3-day events, who hails from Olla, Louisiana, only a few miles from where I grew up.

And then there was you. Thank you for your encouragement and support. I could not have done this without you. Because of your generous donations, we helped the Seattle 3-Day raise a total of over $5.5 million dollars for the fight against breast cancer.

The 3-Day was a life-changing event for me. I am altered by this experience in ways I can’t fully comprehend. It dominates my dreams and inspires my future. And yes, I am already planning to walk it again in 2010.

Countdown to the 3-Day in Seattle: Six days!

Raining today in Corvallis but the forecast for Seattle next weekend is: