The journey of several WMHS employees as they get ready for a 5K!

Monday, July 29, 2013

What a way to start the 5K class! Last week was the first week of formal 5K training and I missed it. I was out of town for a conference. One of the most difficult challenges of running is finding the time to do it. Life seems to get in the way. It is just so hard to prioritize and get running to the top of the list. I did communicate by email with our instructor, Shauna McQuade, and sent her my background information for plan development. I believe this week I will learn more about my training plan and will learn who will be my coach for the next few months. As for running, I had a nice run Saturday doing a little over three miles of running with a mile of walking. Actually, it felt pretty good. It was a gorgeous day yesterday, so I went again.The plan was to add some distance. My typical run is usually about 30 minutes, so yesterday I did 45 minutes covering about 4.5 miles. I needed a change of scenery, so I thought I would go to the towpath or trail in Cumberland. Nathan advised me that the towpath is incredibly boring, so we did the trail. He went with me and did 6 miles. He pretty much left me within the first two minutes. It was good to have him with me even if I didn't see him until we finished. 

The trail going west out of Cumberland is mostly in the shade in the afternoon, but the uphill grade is noticeable. When I turned to come back it was amazing how different it felt due to the difference in grade. Overall, the that part of the trail is pretty decent for an afternoon run or walk. Plenty of parking and ease of access coupled with the shade makes it attractive. 

I will try to write more frequently now that the 5K training has officially started. If my classmates don't mind, maybe we can get some photos as well. Let me know what you would like to hear about and I will see what I can do. Happy running!

- Kevin Turley

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

I Am Unstoppable

Hello everyone. I know I have not blogged in a little while about my adventures in getting ready for our October 5K.  That is because it got VERY busy at work AND I was getting ready for vacation. I don't have to tell any of you what that can be like.  We are now on vacation in the Midwest with my brother Sheldon (S) and his wife Elizabeth (E), who live in San Diego.  We met up in Minneapolis and then traveled to Duluth to spend time with my son Michael and his significant other Stephanie. 

I was and still am determined that I would continue gearing up for the 5K. To help me with that, I was given the packet that will be given out at the first class. I will miss several of the first classes; and as you know from my earlier blogs, I was concerned that missing classes would put me behind. With the packet of information securely packed into my suitcase, I knew I would be able to stay focused.

The other reason I knew I would stay focused is because of S & E.  They are both very conscious of the good exercise can bring to one's health. They routinely walk 6-8 miles each day, have run numerous 5, 10, 20K races and bike in 50-75 mile races!!! Can you even believe it?  I wish I could tell you they are lots younger then me but S is 10 years older then me and E is 1 year younger. They just appreciate the value of routine exercise.

So I have walked more in these few days I have been with them than I think I have in my whole entire life!!! And it is almost like being with a coach as E tells me to put my shoulders back, hold my head up, put those arms to a 90 degree angle. Her goal is to get me to be able to walk 1 mile in 20 minutes. I'm not there yet but it won't be for lack of trying!!

So far I can walk 22 minutes without stopping. That might not sound like much but for me it is a big deal. I feel my enthusiasm to do this race growing stronger each day I am out there walking.

So take a look at my T-shirt in the picture below to see how I feel about this 5K!!  LOL!!  It was taken in Duluth.

- Jo Wilson

Thursday, July 18, 2013

July Has Been a Challenge

Life certainly has a way of challenging us. I began the month with the loss of my father on the 2nd. I have learned that even with what might be expected, it is still difficult to push on, and it is especially hard to take time for yourself.

So, needless to say, my running routine was disrupted. I have been out a few times in July, but only for a total of 8.7 miles. I will say though that the few times I have had time to run that it was actually refreshing. Maybe this stuff is good for the soul.

Here is a quick recap of where I have been. Through June, I continued my routine of combining running and walking. I have been successful increasing the duration of running time. I haven't really kept track of the running or walking time, other than I know over the course of three miles, I will usually only walk a few times and the duration of the walk has been less. In June, I logged 33 miles of run/walk combinations and 12 miles of pure walking, which was the warm up and cool down for the run/walk combinations. My best time for 3.14 miles was 29:25 still with a bit of walking in the routine. I will confess that I did that on a high school track, so it was flat, even terrain. Regardless, I was pleased even though that isn't a good time in the running world I am happy with the progress. Depending on the day, I continue to be somewhere around 30 minutes plus or minus.

So far, in July, I am way under the pace I was on in June and hopeful that I can get back on track making time for myself. I have had tremendous support over the past few weeks from family, friends and wonderful coworkers. I am fortunate to have them all. I am moving on...and back to some running.   

Kevin

 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Ending my 5K Avocation

If you are a reader/believer of the Astrological horoscopes, you are probably thinking, “That is typical of an Aries; they begin strong, then fizzle out.”  Regrettably, I must drop out before I even begin official “training” for this 5K.  I won’t go into details, but the pain in my back is telling me to take a step backwards for now and allow time for healing.  I may be able to walk the 5K in October because it is still 10 weeks away, but I certainly will not be able to run it.  Additionally, I want to give one of the 30 people on the waiting list (who actually can take advantage of the running training) a chance to get in on the sessions from the beginning, which is next week.
I will be there on October 5, cheering on all my friends, and hopefully walking the distance myself.  So to those of you in training, keep up the great work!  I want to thank many of my friends for supporting me through private notes and calls: you know who you are.  Amy Campbell provided this quote for me to use here from Mary Kay Ash:  “You can keep the goal, but change the date of the goal.”  So for me, this goal is postponed until perhaps next year.
Patty Wright

Monday, July 8, 2013

How do they do it?

I am back!  Back, but taking things very carefully this first week.  Yes, I was released to work and to walk – at least gently while I still heal.  A big THANK YOU to all who expressed concern and sent personal messages of encouragement!
In case you didn’t read my post two weeks ago, the point I made was that one mile is a long, long distance.  Some days it seems longer than others, but I am told that is normal.  Now that I am walking 3.1 miles on a regular basis, the first two don’t seem that bad, but (oh my gosh), that third one is horrible! 
I talked to my friend, the runner, about this and he said that when he is running a marathon (26.2 miles), within the first five miles, he is in pain.  He said that he can’t think about how many more he has to run before finishing; he just thinks about the next step.  What great advice: think only about the next step.  One step builds upon the last and before I know it, I am finished my walk for the day.  This crazy person also told me he ran the last four miles of a race with a rock in his shoe, not wanting to stop to remove it for fear of losing time.  He ended with a bloody foot!  Maybe I shouldn’t heed his advice?
Because I am now walking the entire 5k four days a week, I am beginning to think about jogging some of it.  Just thinking about it, mind you.  I have watched as runners of various ages glide past me on the trail each evening.  They seem to just float over the ground, barely touching it with their feet, all the while propelling forward with minimal effort.  There is no pounding, bouncing or high impact in their movement.  It appears almost like a delicate dance as they float by me, soon disappearing out of sight.  During times when I have tried my 20 steps of jogging, it feels like a wrecking ball with my feet hitting the ground and the rest of my body parts bouncing and absorbing the impact.  You would think that the impact of a foot on the ground would cause the lower extremity to be jolted; in my case, it vibrates all the way up to my head making my eyebrows bounce and my hair hurt.  I guess I should wait for the actual “training” to begin before trying that again.  They are probably going to teach us how to glide effortlessly and skim the ground like the others I have witnessed.  How do they do that? 
Like Kevin, I listen to music while I walk and I read that the tempo of the music determines a person’s stride.  If I fill my playlist with songs that have a faster tempo, it might inspire me to try that jogging thing again or at least improve on my snail-like walking time.  Sorry, but that Army cadence that Kevin recommended does nothing for me.  So, I am asking my readers for suggestions.  I like many styles of music (except Rap of course – that isn’t real music anyway).    To give you a clue as to the genre I like, a few of the tunes on my playlist right now include “Just Give Me a Reason”, “Too Close”,  “ Gone, Gone, Gone”,  “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger”, “Try”, “Some Nights” and “Change”.   Please send me some suggestions for faster tempo songs.  Onward!!



- Patty Wright

Monday, July 1, 2013

Life is Getting in the Way

So now I have a logistical challenge to figure out in order to make my training for the 5K happen. This logistical challenge is personal, professional and community oriented.

About 2.5 months ago or so my husband David was laid off from his job at the Cumberland Times-News. It was totally unexpected and needless to say we were both shocked.  David gave up his career so I could pursue mine here in Cumberland. He is a TV news/Talk Show Director/Editor and there just isn't much calling for that here in Cumberland. So he has done a variety of things since we moved here 10 years ago and the newspaper probably had the closest atmosphere to TV the he could find.  I am sharing this with you because job loss is one of the most stressful things to go through and we all know from my earlier post what my reaction to stress is.....I EAT!!!!!!  

So after much discussion David has decided to go back to school at ACM for a Certificate in Medical Coding. We think it will take him about 18 months since it has been a looooong time since he has been in school. And he found a position at Spherix where they are flexible and can work with his school schedule. He will begin in Aug once we return from vacation.

But this means lots of changes for me in my schedule. David will be going to school in the day time and working at Sperix till 9 every week night. Up until now David has been able to be home by 6 to let the dogs out and more importantly give Victoria her evening insulin injection if I am not home by 7pm. All that has to change. There truly are weeks where I don't make it home till 9pm.

I am on 4-5 boards, President of one and VP of one, and I play cards every other week. And the once a week 5K training class goes to 8:30pm. And I was trying to fit in training 3 times a week. I won't bring up my hair and nail appointments because I don't want to deal with all your eye rolling. LOL!!

So I am trying to figure this out because I HAVE TOOO!!  I will NOT allow myself to hide behind these logistical issues. Anybody know a doggie sitter that could help me and would not be afraid to give a shot to my baby dog daughter??

- Jo Wilson