Feeling Good, and a Little Sore

So I did my "long walk" today in preparation for Baltimore. I completed the Marymount University 5K in Arlington in 47 minutes, then walked from Ballston to the Capitol and back. All told, it was somewhere in the 16-18 mile range. When I got home, my feet were a little unhappy with me, but I felt great that I had finished the route and am now ready for Baltimore! It's also good training for the Avon Walk next spring, which I'm getting more and more excited about. Now, off to have some whole-wheat pasta for dinner to refuel.

Online Now -- Check It Out!

My Avon Walk for Breast Cancer page is now available online. I've posted it to the right so it's easy to find!

I made a donation this morning for $19.65 -- that's 50 cents for each of the 39.3 miles I'll be walking, and it's the amount I'm asking friends and family to donate. I'm hoping it will allow people to feel that they're with me on this journey without it being too much of a financial stretch. I plan to personalize the page more next month, but at least a basic version is up there now.

Almost Halfway There

On Saturday, I completed my third 5K, although Melanie, who walked it with me, and I figured out it was actually more like 4.2 miles. Then I walked from Georgetown to Falls Church, another approximately 6 miles. So it was good, long workout that took about 3 hours. Now I have two more 5Ks before the half-marathon and then marathon walks next month!

I found out that Rachel will be my Avon Walker Buddy to help me get ready for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer next May. I'll need all the help I can get to prepare, so I'm looking forward to working with her. And I'll post the link to my fundraising page as soon as it's available.

Onward and Upward (Literally)

Just to make sure I don't get out of training after my Oct. 20 marathon walk, my friend Richard and I are going to hike up Old Ragg Mountain on Oct. 27. Richard has been a huge booster in my walking efforts -- we walked from the Rossyln Metro to Old Town and back (we did stop for lunch) over Memorial Day weekend, which gave me the confidence to know I can definitely complete the half-marathon walk in Baltimore. I'll be sure to post pictures of the autumn leaves in the Shenandoah after I return.

Here I Go!

Well, I did it. I registered tonight to participate in the Avon Walk next May. I'll be walking 39.3 miles (a marathon and a half) in two days to raise money for breast cancer research, treatment and education. I'm a little intimidated by both the distance and the amount of money I have to raise (a gentle nudge from my friend Melanie pushed me over the line -- you can see why she's a superstar PR woman!). If the support I receive is anything like that my friends and family have given me over the last 18 months in my Weight Watchers journey, both the walk and the fundraising will be a snap. So, for now, wish me luck and check back here as I track my progress over the next eight months.

Through With Two, Five More To Do

I finished the Four Seasons Sprint Four the Cure yesterday in 49 minutes, which I was pretty happy with considering: 1) it was not a closed course; 2) it was not a clean course (at one point, we had to step around a pile of horse manure along the C&O Canal towpath); 3) I was one of the first walkers to finish; and 4) my diet since Thursday night has consisted mainly of Dayquil and Nyquil as I've been fighting off a bad head cold. So, I'll take it. And big kudos to my friends Kerry and Melanie for running the race! Great job, ladies!!

Save the Date

First, a shout-out to Erin, a friend of my friend Melanie, who completed the Ironman last weekend. I can't even imagine contemplating doing the Ironman, let alone finishing it, so major kudos to her. You can read her blog at:

http://erin-thelongandwindingroad.blogspot.com/

OK, the line-up is pretty much complete for The Hill's Sixth Annual Political Book Fair, which is coming up on Oct. 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Trover Shop on Capitol Hill (221 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.). Here it is: Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe, former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D-Md.), Christopher Hitchens, Helen Thomas, Bay Buchanan, Jules Witcover, Stephen Schlesinger and John Fortier. Be sure to be there!

One Down, Six More to Go

Yesterday I completed the National Press Club 5K (in 46 minutes). Not exactly a record-setting pace, but given my recent shin splint/ankle troubles, I'll take it. I had hoped to walk back to Falls Church after it was over, but made it to Foggy Bottom/GWU before I decided I needed to pace myself and call it a day. So this morning, I finished the route, walking from Falls Church back to GWU -- about 6.5 miles. It felt wonderful to be out in the sunshine and to stretch my legs. Next Saturday, it's on to the Four Seasons 5K!

I've added two more walks (as part of the seven) in the next few weeks:

Sept. 22: Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk (Washington)

Oct. 6: AIDS Walk (Washington)

The big finish will come at the Reserve Officers Association marathon walk on Oct. 20. I still have a ways to go to get ready, but assuming my ankle holds up, I know I have the determination to finish it.

So, to get back to the weight-loss portion of the blog ...

I'm the weight today that I was when I graduated from high school 15 years ago. I put on most the weight (40 pounds) that I lost while I was in college. How did that happen? Well, a lot of it was emotional eating. Any kind of emotion: stress, boredom, fatigue, happiness, unhappiness. The hours I spent on the school newspaper, while among my fondest memories of college, didn't help: the personal pan pizzas at the student center where the paper's offices were located, the late night fro-yo runs, the bowls of ice cream I grabbed on the way out of the dining hall as I rushed to The Wellesley News. I didn't make exercising a priority -- the athletic center was on the other side of campus from the dorm where I lived the first three years, and between editing the paper, taking a full courseload, applying to grad school and writing a thesis my senior year, I was lucky if I had time to dry my hair, let alone exercise. (Yes, I know I'm making excuses, but senior year really was nuts!) And, of course, while Wellesley is wonderful about catering to its students, a lot of that catering involved not-so-healthy foods, such as the phenomenal cheese blintzes that appeared during parents' weekend and on other select occasions, peppermint stick pie served at the holiday dinner and even the homemade hot chocolate my dorm's head of house made my senior year as he read us stories on Sunday nights (I'm pretty sure that doesn't happen at co-ed schools).

After college, I spent nine months in grad school at Columbia University in New York City. Let's just say that the budget of a grad school student doesn't necessarily lend itself to healthy eating, which I've found is often more expensive than unhealthy eating. The chief criteria on my shopping list was whether the food was cheap. So I had lots of pasta, Swanson frozen dinners, etc. Again, the gym got almost none of my time.

It didn't come off in the years after school, either. And I gained 10 pounds in the year between when I took my current job and when I started Weight Watchers, thanks to the fact that we always seemed to be having office parties where cake was served, and I didn't say no (not couldn't, just didn't).

So there are many reasons I gained weight. And as I think of the reasons now why I want to keep the weight off, a number come to mind:

1) To stay healthy and reduce risk of disease, especially breast cancer

2) To be able to fit into all the nice clothes I've purchased in my new size

3) To feel good about what I've accomplished

4) To enjoy being able to finish a 5K and work toward the goal of completing a marathon walk

5) To be able to join in more activities than I could previously (such as going with friends on long walks)

6) To enjoy the endorphin boost.

7) OK, this sounds vain, but it is nice to be noticed more on the street now. I don't think I'll ever lose the self-image of the larger me (and other people I've talked with who have lost weight say the same thing), so it's somewhat strange that other people don't necessarily see me how I see myself. But that's a topic for another day.