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

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

A few days ago someone asked me if I listened to music while running. Actually, I listen to Army cadence while I run. It does a couple of things for me. First, I find it motivating. It brings back many memories of running in the Army with a Drill Sgt. keeping us going, in step and so on. Better yet, the double time cadence keeps you more or less at a pace of between 7.5 to 8 minutes per mile. Here is the funny part. When playing the cadences, the timing is different for each one. For those of you who were in the military, you know all about staying in step. For those of you who are non-military, when the cadence starts your left foot is on the ground. So, when each one changes in the playlist, you are usually out of step. I simply cannot run out of step. It won't work for me. That is so engrained in me that I have to take a skip or shuffle to get in step. I imagine others that see me running wonder what in the world is that guy doing with that "skip or shuffle thing" every two or three minutes.  If you want to try running to cadence, go to iTunes and search "cadence". You should have plenty of choices. Give it a try - it will keep you going...have a great weekend!

- Kevin Turley

My Treadmill Adventure

Well it is just too darn hot outside to walk so last Thursday morning Carey introduced me to our exercise room over at the WOC. WOW!! Is it ever nice. I tried out the treadmill, which comes with on-board fans. I was very impressed. It has a lot of bells and whistles which really help to make the walk an adventure. However it wasn’t until Tuesday that I could get back over and begin my more regimented training. I tried to walk outside over the weekend; and once again with Victoria and Snoopy in tow, it wasn’t what you would call a great success.  I did go one mile but it took me 30 minutes to get there. Anyway, I was looking forward to using the treadmill without having them with me.

We figured out that if I set the speed to 3.0 in 20 minutes I will do a mile. This is what Shauna suggested that I go for. Weeeeell I got on the treadmill, and started walking, and quite honestly, I thought I was going to have a heart attack after 3 minutes at that speed. I had to slow things down to 2.2 miles.
But happily I was able to walk the 20 minutes without stopping. It is a start of my journey.

I plan on walking Wednesday and Friday this week and hope that I can eventually by Friday get up to the 3.0 speed. I also saw that there is a 5K button on the machine and I was going to try it out later this week as well.

I don’t know if I will ever get to the point where endorphins kick in and I can’t wait to exercise, but I am proud of myself that I am doing this.

- Jo Wilson

Derailed

This was not my intended topic for this week but it seemed appropriate with what has been happening in my training. I believe that the only way a blog can be relevant and meaningful – for the reader and writer – is to be completely open and honest about the experience.

Yesterday (Monday) I injured my back at work.  It was a stupid move really; just bending to pick up a chair and move it.  After all, I moved it to the area where it was sitting; I could certainly move it back.  However, it was in the manner I twisted to pick it up.  I felt the snap and discomfort immediately.  This was very close to the end of my day and I decided to try to get my walk in regardless.  Due to the thunderstorms, 98 degrees, and 100% humidity, I decided to use the WMHS gym treadmill.  I was able to get through my 5k walk, although a bit slower than normal (if that is possible) and with some discomfort.  Later that evening and into the next morning, movement became more difficult for me.  Upon returning to work on Tuesday, I decided I should practice what I preach to all the volunteers and report my injury to Employee Health.  To make a long story (and day) short, I am off work and off walking for a few days.

My greatest concern in the Emergency Department was that I couldn’t do my 5k walk.  I just wanted a quick fix so I would not miss an exercise day.  Well this body doesn’t heal as quickly as it did in my 20’s and I am slowly learning to respect what it is trying to tell me.  So today and for the next few days, I need to rest.  Ice, rest, ice rest.  Boring!

I have been afraid of falling or twisting an ankle or something that would slow or stop my progress.  Who knew that just moving a little chair would do it?  I know we have to plan for set-backs, but these are the times when I usually quit.  Not this time.  I will be back out there as soon as it is safe, so don’t count me out yet.

- Patty Wright

The Importance of Hydration and Rest

Water, water and more water…two weeks ago, I did some traveling and didn't drink adequately. Specifically, the day I traveled home I probably only drank about 24 oz. of  fluids and I don't recall that any of it was water (mostly tea).  I was also tired from less sleep than usual. Upon returning home, I went out for a run. Wow! It felt like the first week all over again. Lack of sleep certainly contributed to a very low level of performance, but I believe the lack of proper hydration was the primary culprit. The run was a disaster. I was slow and almost felt sick if I pushed myself. I just couldn't go.  I know that proper hydration as well as getting adequate rest is important, but I have to admit that I have terrible habits with both. So, the running has really shown me how critical both are to performance and I assume equally important to good health whether running or not. I need to listen to my body (and others around me who remind me daily) how important it is to drink water and get sleep.

My journey continues. I am getting out about 3 to 4 times a week and I can feel myself getting a bit stronger each week. Keep in mind, "getting a bit stronger" is a relative term, but for me, I feel the progress and it really feels good. I have enjoyed receiving words of support from everyone. I have to tell you it does make a difference, so feel free to drop a note here under comments or on our Facebook page. Of course, the good old fashion, but never out of style "hello or hey, we are following your journey" works great as well. Let me hear from you!

-Kevin Turley

Numbers Matter

I am training for a 5K, yet I am attempting to walk 3 miles.  Why?  Because the United States (and some of the UK) does not typically use the metric system, like the rest of the world.  So, I measure, and time, and walk.  I walk and walk and walk, trying to get to the 3 mile mark and be assured of finishing this 5K.  I have also been timing myself – one mile, two miles, three miles . . .

A friend, who is a seasoned runner, advised me to just be consistent and not worry about the timing.  But how can I not be concerned? All of our lives revolve around numbers.  We wake at a certain time, arrive to work at a certain time, count calories, count steps, time our commutes, measure miles driven, know how much money we have, know phone numbers, know our weight, record the years we have lived, and build our number of Facebook friendships.  We cannot escape using numbers to measure and place value on daily activities. Some numbers stir emotions deep within us – good or bad.  To demonstrate this point, think about how you feel when you see your weight on a scale or the total on your unexpected bonus check at work.  My obsession with the numbers led me to the following facts; or as Oprah says, here is what I know for sure:

440 steps (3 feet in length) = ¼ mile                       

1760 steps = 1 mile

I kilometer = .62 miles

5 kilometers = 3.1 miles

I had been walking the track at AC, which at 4:00 p.m.  is very hot; only the part of the path on the far back side is shaded at that time.  I noticed while driving home one day that the Allegany trail is completely shaded at that hour, due to the mountainside.  I was trying to count and determine the distance so I could continue timing myself (you can see how impossible this was).  All of this was too difficult to keep up with, especially since I like listening to music while I walk.  So this weekend, I brought my bike to my usual starting point (Valley and Lee Street trail parking lot) and measured with my bike odometer.  I discretely marked ½ mile increments up to 1.5 miles.  Now I can walk in the shade and know the distance: 1.5 miles up, 1.5 miles back = 3 miles.  If anyone reading would like to know my secret markings, message me and I will tell you.  Yes, I am walking all 3 miles now!!!

Although we typically measure in miles, it sure feels like I accomplished more by saying I walked 5k rather than 3.1 miles.  I am actually walking 5k four times a week – so 20k a week!  Wow, that sounds even better.  Numbers do have an impact on how we feel about what we are doing.

-Patty Wright