Monday, March 29, 2010

Lafayette Reservoir

Distance: 2.7 miles
Time: About 50 minutes

Who knew there was a reservoir hidden in Lafayette? Aside from all the people sharing the path. My walking partner today was my Dad. He did a great job-on the hills, he pushed on through and kept a strong pace. Ready for a 4 miler, Dad?

Coolest thing we saw: A flock of turkeys.

I know a female turkey is a hen. What is the correct title of the male turkey? There are peacocks and peahens. Reasoning just kicks in at that point.

The other thought in my head was how yummy a true free-range, all natural turkey would taste.

Particularly if I acquired it through the use of bow and arrow.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Mel Brooks=Easy 4 miles

Alright, my Mom better be reading this.

She was right.

Pause for gloating.

Here's why. After walking or engaging in some form of exercise every day for the past 10 days, which is 10 consecutive days longer then my previous record over the past few years, it's getting easier. For example: today I walked to a friend's house (about 2 miles away). It took less time then I planned (about 35 minutes) and I checked the milage twice.

Mel Brooks came in at Sean's house. We are having an unofficial Mel Brooks festival. First up was The Producers. If you hear me singing about Springtime in Germany, just keep walking.

Next goal: Get faster.

Tomorrow is a walk in the East Bay with the fabulous Edna.

Monday, March 22, 2010

It smells like spring!

Walking through the park today, the scent of flowers is in the air. This is my favorite time of the year-the time when flowers dominate the landscape. Heavy perfumes followed us across meadows and around corners. At one point the air tasted of grape soda.

Todays walk was the 3.3 mile loop that takes me past the bison. I'm taking Tuesday's walk a little early-tomorrow I have fun things to do. The next challenge are the cross-training days. Gotta find a workout activity lasting 20-30 minutes that isn't walking. Some ideas are swimming and riding my old bike. Tap dancing sounds great, but adding another class into my schedule isn't a good idea.

What about Jazzercise? It combines dancing and exercise and leotards!

I'm mostly kidding.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Walks 3 and 4

My friends are amazing. As soon as I put this challenge out on the world wide webs, friends started volunteering their services. One foodie friend is offering snacking and meal advice. A student at one of my school sites has offered to help with fundraising. His mom is a survivor. Four friends have already scheduled themselves for a walk. One even sacrificed her knee to the cause. Martyrdom suits her.

To those providing cheerleading support, thanks. You are officially charged with telling me to suck it up if I get burned out or "don't have enough time to train". (Yes, you can check on my honesty of walking distance and frequency.)

Walks 3 and 4 are a bit contradictory. Both involved walking on trails along the water (Land's End on Saturday and Bay Coastal Trail on Sunday) followed by a meal. I'm pretty sure the Land's End caloric burn was cancelled out by half a BBQ burger and beer at Park Chalet. The good news is that despite our best efforts, no new casualties. Ka Yun and I were joking that given my history of unfortunate accidents (see: first day of high school, college orientation, 4th grade ice skating) it's nice that my friends are willing to put their safety on the line. I promise I'm not a jinx.

The training schedule is taped to my wall. I think I'll have to adjust my walking days a bit. Tuesday and Thursday are 3-4 mile days. The kicker is I signed up for a sketch comedy acting class that starts in April and will take place on Thursdays. SO excited for the class-it's been almost 5 years since Your Logo Here (who remembers improv shows at the coffee shop?). The schedule involves progressively longer walks for the next 16 Saturdays. Suggestions for walks over 10 miles are appreciated. Same with music.

Oh, this just in! First donation has been made! Thanks to my first donor.

Mondays are "recovery" days- 15 to 30 minutes to keep the muscles limber. That's easy enough to fit in. Until the next, thanks for reading.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Bigger challenges

Thanks for visiting my Avon Walk blog. I’ve committed to participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It’s a big commitment, one that will require me to spend the next several months training and fundraising. But breast cancer is a big disease, one that still affects far too many people, and I’m determined to do everything I can to help put an end to it. The money I raise will be managed and disbursed by the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade to help provide access to care for those that most need it, fund educational programs, and accelerate research into new treatments and potential cures. I’ll be just one of thousands of people that will walk up to a marathon and a half over a weekend, raising awareness of the cause and educating even more people.

I can’t do it without your help. Though I’m required to raise at least $1,800 in donation, I plan to raise much more!

I hope that I can count on your support.
You can make a donation to my fundraising campaign by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. On the website click on the pink "Donate Now" button. If you prefer to write a check, just contact me and I'll send you the information and form.

As I prepare for this exciting event, I plan to update this page frequently so that all my supporters can follow my progress, so please visit often. For more information about the Avon foundation and where the money goes, you can follow the bottom link to the Avon website.

Thank you in advance.

Kristina

http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/SanFrancisco?px=5438881&pg=personal&fr_id=1950

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Walk 2

Distance: about 4 1/3 miles
Time: Sunset. Somewhere between one and two hours.
With: Sean and Charlotte

Notable moment: The first causality occurred on today's walk. We were looping around the back side of the Park Chalet (no stopping for beer this time). Charlotte, whose ankle has recently healed, stepped on a rock and fell forward. She caught herself with her hands. The ankle was twisted, but not injured. The other ankle also twisted, though walkable.

Her knee was a sight to behold. She landed on rock that appeared to dent the skin about an inch in length. As she recovered, and we began walking, the knee started to seep out blood. By the time we got back to the house, Charlotte was no longer bleeding. She is going to sport a nice bruise and has some swelling.

Thanks, Char, for taking one for the team. I was hoping the first injury wouldn't occur for a while, and assumed it would be me. Heal quickly.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

First Walk Complete!

Per google: 2.6 miles
Time: 48 minutes

Interesting Sight: something that looked rather like an old-fashioned deep-sea diving helmet.

Great Moment: I'm walking down a mostly-empty commercial street, singing along with Billy Joel (I don't need you to worry for me/ Cause I'm alright/ Go ahead with your own life/ Leave me alone!). A man steps out of a restaurant to light a cigarette. I keep singing, make eye contact, and smile. The nice gentleman smiles back.

Personal Reminder: Start shuffle on a slow song when starting the walk up a hill. Flogging Molly sets a fast pace for SF hills.

Day 1

Hi friends. I've just committed to an event that is beyond anything I've ever done before. The Avon Breast Cancer Walk will take place July 10th and 11th of this summer. Day 1 is a full marathon-26.2 miles to complete. Day 2 is a mere 13.1 miles. For those non-math people (hello, fellow psychs!) that totals over 39 miles in two days.

Those that know me may be thinking, "Kristina, you are so active. I can't even get you on my calendar! How are you going to find the time/what did you get yourself in to?"

I asked myself the same questions. Particularly the latter.

Two answers keep reappearing.

1. The time will come and other commitments may take a temporary back seat. Part of this is a lesson to myself in prioritizing health.

2. I take on challenges all the time without a clearly defined ending point. This challenge has clear goals and is easy to measure progress.

Several survivors are included in my thoughts as I work toward the fundraising aspect of this event. I've lost two family members to the effects of lung cancer, and have seen the horrible deterioration that cancer ravages on the human body. As we age, more friends will find lumps, go through the agony of diagnosis, and (hopefully) pull through the treatment process. This is why I committed to fundraising.

The walk itself is more self-involved. It is time for me to evaluate my physical health and make changes that will keep me strong as I move through life. Increasing cardiovascular health and muscular fitness was my New Year's resolution. To date, my progress in that area has been minimal. I will be more successful with a clear goal and support from my friends and family.

The content of this blog (from here out) will primarily be tracking progress. Since I live in San Fran, you know there will be some interesting sights along the way. Got a suggestion for a place to walk? I'll take it. Feel like coming along sometime? Tell me when you are free. Think I'm nuts? Well, I'll give you that one.

Now I'm off for my first day of walking training. Current goal: 2.5 miles. A giant square: up 18th, down Noriega, down 26th, and Lincoln way to home.

Keep checking back and wish me luck!