walking in circles

Last night was the Phillipsburg Relay for Life at high school stadium. Basically you do lap after lap after lap. The first year I did 50. Last year we did 12 (3 miles). This year we also did 12.

This year's theme was Pirates of the Cure-ibbean. Groan.

When we arrived about 3:30 there was a swinging band playing. They were very good. I have no idea who they were, but they put the swing in swing music. There were also hula hoops, scavenger hunts, and men in drag begging for money. But nothing they can do makes it less mind-numbingly dull.

To count laps, you bought a necklace and each time you past the start you grab a bead. Lydia was smart and did her miles by color. I used all the colors and had to count...a lot.

 Of all the Relays — and there are a lot of them—we do this one because our friend Beth is on the organizing committee.She won an award for fund-raising. One of her jobs last night was selling cupcakes. They were yummy.

Before walking, I took Adonis for his walk. Afterwards, I was going to take him for another, but he wanted to go home!

walking in circles

Today was the P'burg Relay For Life. Aka walking in circles. It's held at the high school track which is a 1/4 mile loop. A nice new rubber surface. Our friend Beth (I did the Avon with her) is one of the organizers.

We arrived about four and it had started to rain. There was not many people. Beth said it had been raining all day. Hard to raise money in the rain. People don't come.

We did 16 loops, or 4 miles. Maybe a little more. It was drizzling when we arrive and the black storm clouds were coming in when we left.

I took 78 home thinking it would be easier to drop Bonnie off. There was construction and a 20+ minute traffic jam. It would have been quicker to go thru town!

Tomorrow is the Color Me Mad Race. We're all meeting at the crack of dawn.

(If you zoom in you can see my band aid over my left eye.)

splat!

School's out for summer for the summer. (Cue Alice Cooper!) So I free time on my hands.

Wednesday grades went in. Wednesday night I annihilated all the mutant dust bunnies in my home office that have been growing, unchecked, for the academic year.

Thursday I was out at 6 am gardening. Maybe by August it will look like a garden again. Afterwards, I met with another faculty member and we cleaned our corner of the adjunct office. I had a Frosty for lunch, then spent the afternoon working in my online classes. (2 ending. 2 starting. Love overlap time.) By late afternoon I was jumping out of my skin. I needed to walk.

Besides, I haven't reached 10K steps on my pedometer all week. Need to do better if I'm doing around the world.

The original plan was to make dinner and then hit the streets. Then I remembered Bonnie is home with a busted wrist. So I called and asked if she want to walk after dinner. She said yes.

Now I know that she'd tired of walking in her hood, so I planned a 3.5 mile loop nearby. Starting at 5th street, we'd walk out Dixon, up Delaware, loop around the subdivision, out Mack Blvd, back Emmaus Ave. and then back 5th street.

When we arrive at the Mountainville Park, the children were playing on the equipment, and more children were playing baseball. I said to Bonnie, when we get back, if there's room, I'm going to swing.

And we were off.

It was a lovely walk. We were headed up Delaware and I saw a stop sign. I said to Bonnie, That's probably our turn. It should be Vine Street. I don't know if I was looking at the map or straight ahead but the next thing I knew I was headed face-first to the sidewalk.

My glasses went flying. My new hat went flying. I was a bit disoriented and turned to look at bonnie and saw a yong man with dreads asking if I was okay. I told him I was fine. Bonnie was in full nurse mode asking me to move my arms and legs to check if things were busted. Bonnie asked the young man for ice.

Next thing I know Mama comes running out. Se wants to call the ambulance. NO. I'm fine. The boy comes with the ice. Now dad is out. He wants to call an ambulance. NO. Really I'm fine. Dad helps me up. Mama is survey my damages. She really wants to call an ambulence. Bonnie told her that she'd take me when we got back to the car. A boldface lie to some very nice people. But I don't think we could have left otherwise. I did tell Bonnie that after we cleaned it up, if it was bad, I'd go to the doc-in-the-box.

Needless to say, no swings. (Boo.)

We cleaned it up. Head wounds bleed a lot. It's in my eyebrow. Most likely form my glasses.. I have one on my arm too. Bonnie put a steri-strip on it one-handed. No need to go to the doc-in-the-box.

My camera was in my pocket and it is dead. It's only 6 months old. Clearly not a model built for my lifestyle. I'll need to get a new one before tomorrow.

And my sunglasses are also broken. Thank goodness I had them on and not my real glasses!

Tomorrow is the P'burg Relay for Life. Our friend Beth is one of the organizers. No walking for her since her knee was destroyed in an accident. So now she organizes. We'll walk in circles for a few hours. (Each loop is 1/4 mile) The P'burg High track is rubber. If I fall there will be a soft landing.

Sunday is Color Me Rad. You'll be able to find me easily in the pictures. I'll have the colored bandages on my forehead.

nyc

Yesterday we went into the city to see Harvey at the famed Studio 54, which is now a theatre. If those walls could talk, I bet the stories would be fantastic.

Beth has no qualms about driving in, so I met her and we headed into the city and found a parking lot near the theatre. It was only 10 am when we arrived. That left us time to kill.

Last fall Beth was in a horrible pedestrian accident (my worse fear as a walker)  which killed her dog, and landed her in the hospital with a smashed up knee. This would be her first serious walking outing since the accident. She went slow but steady. First stop brunch. Then we walked down to Times Square, checked out TKTS, and headed back toward 54th street.

We stopped into the Times Square Visitors Center, which is an old gutted theatre, and used their bathrooms and looked around. Saw my first real Tony, and the Centennial TS ball. Since I didn't have my camera, Beth took one with her phone and emailed me it.

About 49th she asked to stop, and we did. We leaned up against a building. I had thought she was doing well. Actually she was just being a real trooper and was in lots of pain. With no coffee shops around (what every happened to a Starbucks on every corner?) we found a bar and had a pre-show cosmo. I had hoped that sitting a while would help, but it didn't. It actually made things worse. Then we headed to the theatre. At the theatre her knee was swollen. Apparently the repairs did not go as well as expected. She's going to try and find a doctor that will put in a new knee.

It was a great show and a nice day in the city.

relay for life

Saturday night I'll be walking in circles at the Relay for Life-Phillipsburg. I'll be on the team with Beth, who walked with me in the first Avon NY walk.

I figure a high school track is a 1/4 mile. So how many circles do a make my goal? I need a goal otherwise I'll die from boredom going round and round. Four laps is a mile. So forty would be 10 miles. It doesn't sound like enough. For a while I considered 200 (50 miles!). Then 100 (25 miles.) Sixty laps would be 15 miles. That seems doable. twenty miles, one day of the 3-Day would be 80 laps. I'm so confused.

What do I pick?

I think I'm going to say 50 minimum, 75 maximum. I think that's a good goal.

Now what shoes do I wear? I'm thinking my Birks.

sunday in the park

I posted a beginner walk today for every three feet. Several people and a dog came. It was quite exciting. Of course it was all family. Even the dog.

We were at Bicentennial park in East Allen Township. We did two loops that totaled about 1.5-1.75 miles. Lydia's pedometer read 2500 steps which would be 2.5 miles. It wasn't that far. Part of the course was one of the fitness walk things and we played on all the equipment. Lyd took pixs with her moms camera of us being silly.

I talked to Lyd about setting a 5K for a goal and she said yes, hesitantly. I think she can do it. If I can, and Sharon can, she can.

This morning, for the first time in months I went to Planet Fitness with Sharon. 15 minutes on the bike at 10 and I didn't break a sweat. Guess I need to figure out how to change the settings. Then we did the dreaded machines. ALmost had a fight with Sharon. She is using them wrong. I'm not 100% sure what she should be doing, but it certainly didn't look like the pictures! For Christmas I'll have to get her personal training sessions again. I think she's forgotten everything.

sunday

Sunday we were up at five packing and getting ready for the walk. The wind had calmed down a bit, and it was supposed to get warmer. Bonnie called the front desk to see if we could get the bags to the car or if there was a holding area. They told us the bellman would take care of it. We came off the elevator and found the bellmen. He said "follow the pink people"! There was a large group of people waiting to check their bags.

We didn't get a really big bus this time. We got the mini bus with a lovely driver who didn't drive like a crazy person. And actually didn't hang on the phone. I {heart} responsible drivers.

We had breakfast and hit the line for the port-o-potties. By the time Bonnie came out,  the walk started, so we didn't go to the start line we went straight out and saved ourselves fifty whole feet! The section in Randall's Island is about three miles of park ending with a pedestrian bridge. One layer of clothes was off before we even reached the first rest stop.

We came out of the park at about 90th street and headed back uptown to about 120th. We went around central park and down Columbus Avenue again. While circling the park we got the call from Beth that she and Alan had arrived. They walked up to Columbus circle and the west side of the park and waited for us at 70th. We met them after our lunch stop (10:45ish) and they walked with us back to 45th. While they headed to lunch and the pier, we continued down 5th past Hearld Square and all the way down to about 15th. We walked thru Madison Square park and headed east to Riverside Drive. I took off my sneakers at the final rest stop. Again, it was wonderful. But I should not have sat down. It totally took the wind out of my sails. That last half mile was tough. I hit a wall. the lady in the wheelchair past me! (She rolled the entire walk, self-propelled!)

Bonnie had quite a cheering section at the end. Sharon, Beth, Alan and her neice Emily and her husband Christian who came in via subway from Brooklyn. Bonnie finished about two blocks ahead of me. While she talked to her family, Beth and I searched for beer and coca cola. It never tasted so good.

We decided not to stay for closing and meet at the Clinton dinner for Dinner.

For more photos see: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/578827986UUDAHj

p'burg and lopat

Today we did two, 2-mile loops in P'burg and Lopat. We started and ended at Beth's house.

Since Sharon came along, we did the easier loop first, fairly level and essentially a big square.

Then we (Beth, Bonnie and me) left Sharon at the house and headed for the high school, and walked thru the arboretum. According to the High Schools website, "the arboretum once contained as many as 300 different species of trees and was nationally acknowledged as the first high school arboretum in the country". Not anymore. It's a bit neglected. Okay, maybe a bit more than a bit. Lots of the trees have been removed, only the little plaques remain. But it's pretty anyway. When you exit on the other side, you get to the PHS trailer park. There must be 35. They really need a bigger high school.


By the time we reached the cemetery the winds had picked up and the sky was getting grey. For a bit we were worried that we wouldn't get back before the storm hit. But all was well. In my town, the storm still hasn't hit. 


I've asked Beth if she knows were these stairs are. I found them on webshots. They were taken by JudyP15.It's says P'burg, NJ on the caption. I wanna climb them!

4-mile walk

Today's training walk was four miles. I opened it up to the every two feet people, but no-one outside family came—Sharon, Beth, Bonnie, me and Megan (photog) because she's in town. Beth, Megan and I all wore out new every two feet tees. (Bonnie's Boobies, and a limited amount of every two feet tees are available for sale as a fundraiser for my Avon 2-day breast cancer walk. Leave a comment and I'll get one to you. $15.)













I wanted to do the across-two-bridges hike, but it wasn't four miles, it was five. That's pushing it. So instead we started at the ice house, went up Connostoga, up Union to New, up New to Market, and then walked a nice flat, cool mile down Market street. As we were going out Market Sharon bailed. The hills had gotten to her, and she went on her own back to Sand Island. When we arrived at the Minsi Trail Bridge we hit the "no pedestrian" barricades. (orange) I knew they are doing work on the south-side end by the casino. But I also knew the bridge was open to the stairs. We ignored the signs and kept going to the stairs. We had planned to go down them to the tow path, but the barricades became serious, you had no choice. (white) I certainly won't walk on the road of that bridge! Especially the last few feet which no longer exist, and there is no lane to walk in. But I've seen people do it.

During our training walk I almost ran into an old man. After that I started practicing walking with my head out, and picking out focal points. It was tough. My whole posture changes, for the better I'm sure.

Everyone met back at the cars where Sharon was waiting on a wall. Then we went to Perkins for brunch. Any calories burnt, were reapplied!

Tomorrow is the Tortoise and Hare 5K in Wind Gap. Bonnie, Sharon and I will be doing it. I looked the route up online and it appears that the largest hill is a 2% grade. I don't think that's very steep. I was kind of worried. Wind Gap is not the flattest borough in the state. Where we are walking must be the top of a mountain.

Right now I'm heading out for a hike up Wyandotte Street.

making progress

Today I set up the Every Two Feet walking group on Facebook. (Search every two feet) As soon as I pick a date for the first walk, I'll email my training group from last year. We'll see if this happens.

I also talked with my friend Betsy and starting Friday, we'll be walking again. This time without the dogs. They've moved to suburban Philly with Beth. ):

Then I emailed Mary Liz about morning walks.

Tonight, I'll talk to Bonnie about training walks for the Avon.

Looks like this fat girl is returning to walking. And not a minute too soon.

Avon Walk--With a laptop on my back

Originally posted on my Avon Blog the day after the walk. This is a bit more permanent.

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October 9-11...with a laptop on my back

Event weekend. We left P'burg about noon, by the we gassed up, banked, and picked up everyone. We hit Brooklyn at about 2. Surprising, but traffic was heavy. The event eve party had already started.
We got settled in our room and went in search of lunch, and found Trader Joe's, came back and went to event eve. It was sort-of like Expo at the 3-Day but tons more fun. There were people begging for money so that they could walk. Some were as little as $100 short, others much farther. One lady was $1100. I wouldn't have went. We have till about Dec. 1 to get all the $ in but I guess they weren't willing to give over their credit card number to assure the donations. For $100 I would have. For $1100, no way.

We met Beth and Pat's walker buddy Tara several times thru the weekend bu the first was at Event Eve.
At event eve we collected lots of stuff. Pedometer, water bottles, blister block, hand sanitizer, lip balm (of course they were Avon), pink ribbon pins, etc.

In the hall people were hawking their wares to make their money. I bought a big button that says "blisters don't need chemo." Also bought one that says "walking chick" and one for both Beth and I that said "I'm a street walker".

I took my laptop to do my online classes. The hotel internet was $14.95. I took my lap top to all the usual wi-fi places and nobody was free. (Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, McDs, Dunkin Donuts....) I guess they don't want people hanging out all day using the Wi-Fi. When I came back to the hotel, angry, I was riding up the escalator when the light bulb went on. I'm an idiot. (but then you knew that.) Avon is in there checking people in, and registering people for next year. They had to either bring an internet connection or are using the hotels. So I sat outside the ballroom and turned on the laptop. Opened "airport" and there it was on the list. AVON1, AVON2. Now I pray they didn't ask me for a password. The 1st one did. The second one didn't. I shoot, I score, I get into class. However my cell phone died the minute I reached Brooklyn.

We went to a pub for dinner and hit the hay early. We needed to be up at 3:30 am to make the 5 am shuttle. With three people in the room it would be a challenge. It went well and we got downstairs by 4:45.

The shuttle took us to Pier 84 where bagels and orange juice awaited us. The opening ceremonies started at 6:15 and we hit the streets by 6:45. I had my laptop in my backpack. No way I was letting the gear guys have it.

This is the route for Saturday. We started at Pier 84 (about 42 street) and walked up the riverfront to about 149th street. Then we walked all the way back down to city hall, across the Brooklyn Bridge, back the Manhattan Bridge and back uptown to about 110th and then over to Randall's Island near the Tri-Boro bridge for the night.

We met up with both Pat and Diane that had done training walks with us. We walk part of Saturday with Pat.

Along the route was also the Youth Crew. Girls from 10-14 who sang familiar songs with much different words and cheered and were very perky. They had yellow shirts like ours with Youth Crew on. At camp a few had t-s on that said the "Itty Bitty Titty Committee" I didn't get a pix.
We stopped in Brooklyn, about 18 miles, and bussed it to Randall's Island. The route closed at 6:15 and we heard Diane was still out there. She refused to come in. Sounds like me if I was alone. (Although I think if they said get in the van I would have. At Koman you get disqualified for not following the rules.) They had a van follower her and eventually a police escort. She did all 26 miles and finished at 7:30. Last I heard she had feet full of blisters and started walking on again Sunday. She was finishing come hell or high water. Fool.

I loved camp! podiatrist, PT, chiropractors, yoga, massages and 5 SHOWER TRAILERS (filled with Avon products. The pink shower gel was nice. I wonder if the boys got pink too?). No lines!. So I showered, and had my first chiropractors visit (fun!), a massage (1st time, fun!), and then I did the machine-foot massage in their tent (2nd time-fun!). A couple of Boy Scout offered to set up my tent. I resisted the urge to say scram, and said sure. Why not. Took three tents before we got one that wasn't wet and had poles. Didn't get to take a yoga class.

FYI Avon's blister block is great. Might have to order some. So is their vanilla hand sanitizer available at every rest stop 2.5 miles apart. Food was so-so.

Sunday we got up about 5:30 showered again, took down the tent and found what looked like litter. It wasn't. It was a ribbon to wear, that pixies delivered to certian tents during the night. It represented that every 3 minutes someone is diagnoised. We decided to share wearing the ribbon, but I wore it the whole time. Apparently they were also given out on the room. By closing there was lots of them.
We ate breakfast and hit the streets. We left the island and were going around Central park. All of it. We had to deal with lots more traffic and a lot more stop start. At one point a woman (not a walker) fell down the steps of a store and was in the middle of the sidewalk, face down. Our little medical car radioed for help (good thing he was there...karma, it's a good thing) and stayed with her until the ambulance came. The walkers had already covered her with mylar blankets. Someone said she looked like she was having a seizure coming out of the store.

We stopped walking at lunch time. Beth's feet really hurt, so when the bus drove us to the finish line we cross the line, took our victory pix, and she headed for the medical tent.

So for me it was a good training walk. For Beth it was a personal best.

Koman, here I come.