parkway

Most every week I send out an email with my walking plans to about 6-8 people. Usually it's just family that comes. Occasionally I'll get a reply from someone else.

This week it was Lydia's friend Dawn. Since we've spent enough time together that I kind-of know her, I'm going to now refer to her as a fitness friend.

Dawn arrived early. We called at about 8:15 and said we were running late, but she was already there. We were just leaving. Bonnie called a few minutes later that they were leaving.

Ultimately we didn't start walking until about 8:45. We started at the Robin Hood parking lot and then headed toward the Iron Bridge. Under the Iron Bridge and thru the solar system walk. Eventually arriving at the covered bridge. That's where I discovered that my camera was dead. Dawn took the group shot with Lydia's phone.

Then we headed back on the north side of the creek to the parking lot. Dawn left for home, and Lydia played in the lot with the baby. Bonnie, Megs and I did that last mile loop. Near the end of that loop is a set of stairs which I did. It put me a little behind the others, but that's okay. Then we headed home.

Funny thing was we had two cars, went two different directions and both ended up at the Wawa. then we both ended up at Valley Farm Market—2 cars away. We didn't see each other at either place.

After we arrived home we took the dog out for a walk. He really doesn't care how far you walked without him.

Bathrooms, according to Bonnie, were an I-3.5 (composting toilets!)

lights in the parkway 5k

It was the perfect night for a 5k. Not too cold. Not too warm. And we met a potential new friend.

I know Nora thru the Sugar Crusher program. We've never met. Until tonight. We've been talking on FB thru the groups page, and then we became "friends". We met her in person tonight at the park. Coming from Montgomery County, she beat us there. We left a little later and got stuck in the parking traffic jam.

She was surprised we could take a selfie with three people. Heck we can do it with five!

I'm glad we took the headlights. It was about a half mile walk to the parkway. Once we turned the corner, it was dark. We needed to turn them on. We needed them during the race in one section also. 

There was a lot of people there. We headed for the start line, and I tried to take pictures. I tripped over a guide wire. Swell.

We kept walking and walking to get to the end of the start line. It took three and a half minutes to cross the START line.

We headed up the hill, and around the police academy. There were no lights in this area. Then we came back and under the stone bridge to the lights. We followed the creek path, to the iron bridge. We crossed the iron bridge, made a loop, and then headed up to the 15th street entrance. Looped around again, and came back the road, and back up the hill.

Bonnie finished in about 47 minutes. Nora and I in about 49. We have to wait for official numbers to know the real times.I'm sure this time is much better than my times in 2010.

Saturday we'll be walking in Slatington, and then doing a Christmas greens workshop at the nature center.

Wednesday is the Sugar Crushers test panel get together. Can I lose 10 pounds by Wednesday? We will be getting the books. That was fast. The Walk Your Butt Off book took nearly two years. But then eliminating sugar is the hot diet trend right now.

sugar crusher finale and lehigh parkway

Today was my final weigh in for the Sugar Crusher test panel. I lost 8 pounds. My numbers went down slightly, but they were good to start with. I lost the most inches in my legs.

I don't know why, but they've asked me to be part of the final group for the book. My reply to the email was "Really?" My food journals were snarky. I ate the occasional wrong food. And I made few of their recipes. The roomie said no to everything. The photo shoot is next Friday. I have a nail appointment. My feet are a mess. Guess I'll need to reschedule. The roomie will not be happy.

I picked up Bonnie at 6:30 and we headed to Rodale. She read while I did my testing. I think it was less than a half hour. Then we headed for the Lehigh Parkway.

We parked in the first lot and began with the loop that goes towards 15th street. I think I've been on it once before. It was paved. That doesn't happen often at the Parkway. Then, when we arrived back at the lot we headed to the iron bridge. Since it was a Tuesday, we thought it was safe to walk on the road. We crossed the bridge, and headed back. It came in a hair under 3 miles. Oh well. The humidity was high, and I was soaked.

Lydia has decided to do the D&L Half Marathon in November. So I signed up also. Let the training begin....again. One woman from the sugar group will be joining us. Bonnie will too. Probably

Bonnie has agreed to test the Volkssport walk in Allentown with me Friday. It will  cover Cedar Creek and Trexler Parks, as well as Muhlenberg College.

What she doesn't know is that when we are done, we're going to Allen Appliance on Allen street and checking out Sub Zero fridges. Don't think I can afford one, but I'll look. My fridge is fine. Lydia had a power surge a few weeks ago and it fried her appliances.  The PPL is only giving her a little money for replacements. And she is not planning on staying in the trailer. It makes no sense to buy a new fridge. I suggested she take mine (I get the PPL money) and I buy a new one. However, I try to only buy "Made in America". (Cue the Union Lady song) I was successful with my dryer and with my furnace. The furnace is made in Philly. The dryer is a Speed Queen, made in Wisconsin. When the washer dies I will buy it's mate. The difference was about $200. Sub Zero is also made in Wisconsin. Hmmmm. Maybe I should move to Wisconsin? GE's line of fancy appliance Monogram appliances are made in Tennessee. But those run 8-10 grand. Way out of my budget.

I fear the price difference for Sub Zero will be significant also. It will be a shame, because I fell in love with a stove too. Someday before I die I hope to remodel the kitchen.

casa 5k, zumbathon

Busy day today. I was actually going to can the Zumbathon. I even told Lydia that when I talked to her on the phone. But I wanted to procrastinate work, so exercise won.

First up, the Casa 5K. It's the first time in a long time that I've done a 5K alone. It was odd. I haven't forgotten how to take the solo pix. But I did leave my hat in the car.

This was clearly a mom and pop operation. Three or four tables, a couple of chairs and that is about it. The entire set up is in the pix. If you didn't know better, you'd think someone was having a breakfast picnic.

Not a huge turnout, but of the ones that did, about 40% walkers! Whooo hoo. Many had dogs and babies. One had a triple stroller and she still beat me.

It was at the Parkway in Allentown using the usual route. Starting at the iron bridge, thru the planet walk, over the covered bridge and back the other side. Then cross the open bridge, and come back the bridle path. Horses had used the path so you had to be careful not to step in any poop.

News flash. No more job johnny in the ''iron bridge" parking lot. The city has built a comfort station!

My time was 54:51. About my usual time in the Parkway. Gravel and hills, get me every time.

At 1:50 I decided I couldn't stand being home any longer and went to the Zumbaton at the old American Legion (Epic Center). It benefited Autusim awareness. I guess April is autism month. The last time I went to one was in fall for breast cancer. This was nothing like that one.
There was over 100 people packed like sausages into the room. Mostly women, some men. It was decorated, there was a DJ, and even raffles.

Because of the turnout, you couldn't move out of your spot, but it was okay, they planned for that. All the "dances" were fairly stationary. They had a DJ and maybe six instructors, including one very big one who could move better than me. Because of all the instructors, there was about 30 second breaks between the songs. It was rough. I was exhausted, out of water, and only doing maybe half the moves. Those doing 100% had water pouring off them. I left after 1.5 hours. They still had 9 songs left. Yep, I'm a weenie.

Suddenly sitting at a computer doing class and listening to my sisters bicker doesn't seem so bad.

10k in the parkway

Today we did our first Volkssport walk in a long time at the Parkway.

We met at the Comfort Suites across from Dorney and drove to the start point, the fish hatchery. At the Comfort Suites we met Carol, who is coordinating next weeks walking trip to St Mary's, Md. Her email handle is bobodancer, so she thought it was funny that that's what we called her. On of the ladies also remembered Lydia from a previous walk. I guess because Lyd is always the youngest one there!

Bonnie and I walked together, and Sharon and Lyd walked together.  This was Sharon's first Volkswalk. I'm not sure she understands that it's just a walking group. I kept annoying Lyd by calling her on the phone to give her directions.

The trail is gravel, my shoes were full of it by the end, and avoided most of the major hills. All of us cheated on the course to avoid the hill from h*ll under Rt. 78.

Lyd and Sharon turned back at the first pedestrian bridge. There total was about 4.25+ miles. Bonnie and I came in at about 5.5. There was one little jughandle that we didn't do.

When we arrived back at the Native American Cultural Center Sharon and Lyd were waiting for us under a tree, sitting at a picnic table. We headed back to the car together.

Bonnie is doing two separate on-calls tomorrow, including a nurse-on-call, so we'll walk in her neighborhood. She's got to stay close to the car.

another day, another 5K

Today was the last 5K in my crazy Thanksgiving exercise blitz. It ended like the others with another disappointing time. With all this interval training I'm doing you'd think I'd get faster. No, I'm not. Sadly, I feel like I'm working harder for the same result. Clearly I've hit my peak and it sucks.

Celebrate Joan 5k is the total opposite of the Turkey Trot. There was maybe 50 people there. When we arrived we saw no Port-A-Potty. They said it was on the way. It's a 2-hour event. How late can they deliver it?

The course starts at the Fish Hatchery and goes down to the Iron Bridge and comes back. They don't use the regular 5K course because of Lights in the Parkway. It's a gravel course.

Lyd decided to walk with Sharon. She was 5k'd out. It's a good thing she did.

I remembered it having just one hill by the "solar system" walk. But there was another. And it was a doozy. Steep up. Steeper down. Had I remembered I would have never signed Sharon up.  Lyd had to help her up and she held on to Lyds shoulder coming down. They finished in 63:39. I finished 10 minutes earlier at 53:39.

lighting the night

Today was different. Bonnie and Lyd did a Volkssport walk in the Parkway and I went to an art thing in Easton. It reminded me a whole lot of Touchstone, when they were still the People's Theatre Company, performing in parks.

My former colleague was thinking about doing the Light the Night walk tonight, depending on how her daughter felt today. She texted late this afternoon to say they weren't going. I decided to go anyway.

I stopped at the dollar store and got some glow sticks to wear. When I arrived I signed in and got my glowing balloon. The place was packed! Tents and people everywhere.

The walk started shortly after I arrived. It was short! Maybe a mile. Those of us at the front of the line nearly met the people at the end of the line. I crossed the finish line and headed back up to the tent area. They were tearing everything down...bizzare. Apparently the party was before the walk.

they picked me?

I set up a new email in preparation for closing down my current accounts in January. I need faster internet for my teaching jobs. My old walking one was long. What was I thinking? ThreeDayBCWalk@--- I set it up when I first did the 3-Day.  I have to now write that on every 5k form I fill out. The new one is e2feet@. Short and sweet. (It's a g-mail account if you aren't a webcrawler wanting to SPAM me.)

Problem with new emails is you forget to check them.

About 2 weeks ago I signed up for the "Walk Your Butt Off" test group. Never in a million years did I expect a reply. But there it was. Sitting in my inbox for two days. I GOT PICKED. (Clearly my B2B tallies are going to go up!)

Wednesday is orientation. Friday is my walking test. It will involve a treadmill. Maybe I'll finally actually find out how to make it work. They don't like me.

Wednesday we will get measured and "before" pixs taken. Meet the author of the program.

Don't know how much I'll get to say about it. I'll take my camera, but not sure if I can use it. We'll see.

The program ends January 19.

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Speaking of the Bethlehem to Bethlehem Program, I've been averaging about 28 miles a week. This week will be much lower. But starting Wednesday my guess is that they'll go up to maybe 50. That's what I did training for the 3-Day.

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This weekend Bonnie and Lyd are doing the Volkssport walk in the Parkway. Bonnie realized it was the Women's 5K weekend. The parkway will be full of people! I'll be in Easton at an artsy-fartsy thing.

Sunday the three of us are doing the South Bethlehem Greenway.

Next weekend we have two 5ks.

g.i. jane 5k

Today was Ashly's 5K for Freedom in Lehigh Parkway. We did this race last year so we knew to expect lot of pomp and circumstance. They didn't let us down.

Ashly was Army. Last year there was a Marine Corp color guard. This year I think it was Army. She was killed in the line of duty at 21. They had military vehicles and people at the event. A current G.I. Jane took the picture of us.  Both the Gold and Blue Star Mothers groups were there. Veterans groups were there. People missing limbs were there. And politicans were runners. Yep it was that kind of a race.

It opened with the color guard and the Pledge. Then moved, of course, into the Star Spangled Banner and lots of speeches. Then someone sang a country song I had never heard before. Even hardened people like me could help but get choked up. I tried to find it online, but my knowledge of country music is limited and I only heard it once. Maybe Lyd will remember.

Finally the race started. Bonnie was in front, then me, then Lyd. Bonnie got ahead on the hills and I caught up. Suddenly there was Lyd. She wanted to be in the front a few minutes so she RAN ahead. Let's not talking about cheating. Lydia ran.

We stayed together till Lyd slowed down to take pics of Bogart's Bridge. Bonnie and were going to power walk across it. She flew. It was too uneven for me. Then it seemed every one was stopping at the end of the bridge to take stones out of their shoes, adjust their baby carriages, whatever. Bonnie was gone. A full minute ahead of me. Every time I got almost caught up she sprinted ahead.

Around 2 miles she started hurting. She's just off the DL. I think she was pushing too hard. For maybe a half-mile we were together or I was ahead. Then she got her second wind and tore past me. At one point she was a full minute ahead again.

She came in at 52:55, me at 53:25, Lyd at 55:21, and Sharon at 57:30. But Sharon didn't finish. She got lost. Or confused. Or something. She's walked the 5K course before, I don't know what her problem was.

In our goodie bags there was penny candy. I gathered Sharon's, Lyds and mine together and put it in a bowl for Halloween. The roomie scored the Slim Jims. Sharon took the granola bars.

After the race they had fruit, chips, pretzels, hot dogs and hoagies. The chips were by Utz. Regular chips, made in central Pennsylvania and they only have 3% salt! The low salt ones from Frito Lay I've been buying Pat are 4%. Unlike Frito Lay, Utz has been low salt for 85 years, plus they beat Lays in calories, fat and other nutrition facts. They are my new favorites. Local (okay, Pennsylvania preferred) and low salt. And they taste good too!

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There was only football on tv tonight so I watched the local news. Bonnie and Lyd were on the 5K segment, twice. Once in the big pan shot about 3/4 of the way thru, and again as a closeup near the end.

Lights in the Parkway 5k

Lydia and I did a 5K in the dark. Well almost dark. It was Lights in the Parkway after all.

The walk was only 2 miles, but it was a good starter for Lydia. It was also a great thing for me. How often to I get to do one of these things and don't need to worry about distractions? We finished in 51.48. Ooops. Too much stopping and picture taking. Sadly, people finished after us.

It was quite a hike from the parking area, so we probably did a 5K in the end.

It was dark and muddy. It rained all day. The 5K for the runners followed a similar route, but they only had a mile of the lights. Our whole thing had lights!

We started at the Vultee Street exit, went down the hill, and across the parking lot adjacent to the iron bridge. Then we headed down the muddy gravel bridal path with the lights on our right. We followed that to the Robin Hood Bridge and crossed the bridge, turned around and came back. At that point they told us if we just wanted to see the lights we could turn around. Lydia said an astounding NO. If I'm doing this, I'm doing it.

 We headed out the road to 15th street to the entrance of the parkway where the big sign was. turned around and went thru the lights, this time with lights on both sides of us.
The course ended with the huge hill back up to Vultee Street.

Tomorrow is the Jingle Bell Run. It's a costume event and the costumed runners will be out in full force. Our team is Ellie's Angels. Named after my sister, and Lyds mom, Elin.

I designed a logo for the shirts, but could use it. The iron-ons for dark colors have a horrible white plastic background. The transparent ones you can't see. I'm going to stop at Party City and see if they have halos to wear.

Joans 5K

Bonnie wanted to do this 5K, but couldn't because of her knee injury so I went alone.

It was in the Parkway, but because of Lights in The Parkway it took a different route. We started at the fish hatchery and went east past the covered bridge to the iron bridge. The normal start line of a 5K, then turned around and came back. There was grass, gravel, and even soupy marsh land. I thought I was going at a fairly good pace, but as always in the parkway, it took a long time. I came in at 54:46. Yikes.

In this picture, with all the layers, I look even fatter than normal. And increasingly like my sister Sharon. Who looks like our mother Frances.  My sister Barb made the hat.

Afterwards I took my international "daughters" to Hershey Park as their Christmas gift. Their Sweet Lights is like Lights in the Parkway. Only 10 million times better.

training walk in allentown

Bonnie on the Susquehanna Street bridge.

Today we started at Bonnie's and did 5.25 miles. We started at her place and walked all the way out Lexington till we got to Kmart. That's where we left Sharon. We proceeded thru the shopping center, and the apartment complex and up Dixon to Mack Blvd. Then back thru Trout Creek Park, over the Susquehanna Street bridge, and back Chapel and ultimately Lexington.

Neither of us could remember the park name, but we found the sign and it's Trout Creek park. And as always happens in A'town, the bathrooms were closed. I checked. I wanted to make sure that their track record was intact. But in their defense there was one port-o-potty. We didn't open the door. I can't imagine it's condition that park is used very heavily. The sign on the comfort station said restrooms closed due to vandalism. It doesn't surprise me, but it does make me a bit sick. Soon public parks will have no amenities.

Bonnie was on-call and we had to stop and take a call as we were coming out of the park. As we crossed the Susquehanna Street bridge, we both realized we had never walked it before. Photo op—a new bridge!

Walking back to her place I found this tree with a great gnome house. It even has a window on the other side. Someone/something is certainly living in there, but I doubt if it was a gnome.  What earthly treasures are there to guard in south Allentown?

Bonnie was on vacation last week, but walked all over Disney. I did some walking without her. We were surprised how effortless today was. It felt really good. The Avon is in two weeks and we are ready.

54:34 disappointing

That was our final time today. We were devastated. We were shooting for 51! What happened?

I thought that we were moving the fastest we ever moved and there was many people behind us. The only thing I can think of is gravel paths and hills.

The 5K Race for Freedom was held in the Parkway. A patriotic race, it opened with the Marine color guard (which I found odd, since the fallen soldier it honored was Army) and the Star Spangled Banner. Lots of speeches and patriotic songs. The 9 am race didn't start till 9:15.

We started in the back of the pack, as not to get run over by the runners. After crossing the covered bridge, we headed back and ran into a friend, Pam Lott. She's back to running which made me happy. Then as we rounded the turn by the comfort station, I ran into one of my bosses, Kris. She seemed surprised to see this fat girl walking, and pretty much said so. Told me to keep it up. Kind of funny because at the staff retreat I announced that I was doing the 39.3 mile Avon Breast Cancer walk. Apparently she wasn't listening.

Bonnie confessed on the way to the Parkway, that although she was having a "blast" doing this, and she wants to continue walking next year, she has no desire to do another cancer walk. Training eats up all he free time. Yeah, I know how that feels.

This afternoon I went and picked up my bike at the Broken Spoke. Sharon rode along to Wilson. I parked at Angels and walk up to the bike shoppe, then rode back to Angels (sans helmet) and parked it in the garage. We're going on the Palmer bike trail on Monday afternoon. when she's done with class. Then I'll bring it home. Guess I'll need to get a rack too. Sharon took the pix as I flew down Ferry street. Really can't see the bike.

Now I have my eyes on the lookout for one for Bonnie. Maybe I can give it to her for Christmas. Can you give a used bike for Christmas?

Kidney Walk

Today was the Kidney walk. A cause near and dear to my niece Eryn. She found out she had kidney issues when she had her last child.

Eryn and I walked last year. It was so much fun she decided to bring the twins and baby this year. Her team was called "Life's A Beach, Love Your Kidneys". Okay, whatever. At the eleventh hour her friend Kayla (pushing pink stroller) joined us with her baby.

It was at Lehigh Parkway and only about 1.5 miles. A short walk. The Marines were doing drills in the park and the ladies were very interested in them. We had only gone about two blocks when J started whinning about walking so far. She promply told him that he walked further to school, so put a lid on it. He did.

Soon he decided nobody was walking fast enough. The girls were pushing strollers and A has to be about 50 pounds. Tough work.

I offered to take J with me and we booked it.  I wanted to take a pix of him crossing the finish line. I did, then lost him. I had a moment of panic. Where is he? I screamed his name and there he was. Pshew.