Day #120

Well, I have walked for one hundred and twenty days in a row and I haven't lost a single pound. Am I discouraged? Yes! Am I quitting? No! Tonight before our walk Debbie and I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought some exercise clothing, and then we went to WalMart and picked up a "crunch peanut". I am determined to start losing weight and inches. I am going to add crunches to my daily routine.

This morning I walked to school (15 minutes) and this afternoon, Debbie and I walked for 53 minutes.

Day #119

Today was a big exercise day and I am pooped! I walked to school this morning(15 minutes) and Debbie and I walked this afternoon. We combined two of our walks: The Buffalo Loop and The Hill Walk and we ended up walking for 2 hours and twenty minutes. I guess our new walk can be called, The Hoop! In case you don't understand my unique brand of nerdiness, that's a blend of loop and hill! :o)

I came home and took a bubble bath and I plan to relax for the rest of the evening!

Day #118

I'm tired! So, you know what that means...a short post! I picked up Debbie after school today and we walked for 66 minutes, on what we once called the "Hill Walk" now dubbed, "The World Famous Cold & Windy Walk". Okay, I'm joking about the world famous part, but it WAS very windy and it was definitely on the cold side! Even though we wrestled with the elements a bit, we had fun, as usual!

Day #117

Debbie and I did the "Buffalo Loop" walk today...we walked for 1 hour. Good stuff!

Day #116

I picked up Debbie this afternoon and we did the LMNO, I Gotta Pee Walk, or it could be aptly named, Dude in the Woods Walk. No matter what we call it, Debbie and I had a great time and we managed to walk for 1 hour and 40 minutes. It was hot, it was cold, a creepy man said hello, and it started to sprinkle, but none of that phased us--we kept right on walking!

Day #115

I got my walk in today, but only by the skin of my teeth. (That is such a weird expression!) I was putting off my walk all afternoon...I knew I was going to do it, but I just wasn't in the mood. I noticed the sky getting darker, and all of a sudden I could hear thunder rumbling in the sky. I glanced at the clock and thought to myself, "Oh, no it's raining and the mall which is always my back up plan closes at 6:00 on Sunday. I bolted out of the house and headed over to the mall in the pouring rain. I walked into the mall at exactly 5:30, so I was able to get in a 3o minute walk. It was actually a pretty good walk. The skylights at the mall usually allow sunlight to filter through making the hallways quite bright, but today the storm made the mall dark and shadowy. Other than the sound of the rain pinging off the skylights, the mall was relatively quiet because it wasn't very crowded. Since I only had a set amount of time that I could walk, I walked very fast and hard the entire time.

I realize this post makes me sound like I was a slacker today...Not true-- I worked on the Polly the Travel Frog website for hours, and I also went to get a pedicure. (I know, tough life! LOL!)

Days #113 & #114

By the time Friday night hit, I was exhausted and I was in bed and asleep by 9:00, which is very unusual for me. I am a night owl through and through--well, most of the time. Ha ha! Needless to say, I went to bed before I did my walking post, so I will post twice today.

Friday, April 23rd: Day #113
I walked to school this morning (15 minutes) and then I met Debbie out at Orr's Farm after school. We did the "Buffalo Loop", which we finished in 60 minutes. My toe has really been bothering me lately, so it took us slightly longer than usual.

Saturday, April 24th: Day #114
I slept well...I guess I really needed it! Boy, was I tired yesterday! I picked up Debbie at 9:15 this morning and we did the "Hill Walk" & walked down to see the bison. We were out there for 1 hour and thirty minutes. We finished just as it was beginning to rain. Yeehaw--perfect timing!

Day #112

I walked to school this morning (15 minutes) in the fog--it was a little on the eery side but also very peaceful. (I know, a weird combination.) Later after school I met Debbie and we walked for 55 minutes on the "Path Less Followed".

Day #111

My butt is sore tonight...I know that definitely falls under the category of TMI, but I thought that since this is a walking blog, you might not mind! Debbie and I walked for 1 hour and 15 minutes and did the "Hill Walk" today after school....hence, my butt hurting! Oh, I almost forgot...we also "chatted" with the Bison!

DebbieDebbieDebbieDebbieDebbieDebbieDebbieDebbieDebbieDebbieDebbieDebbie

Debbie, how's that????

Day #110

I met Debbie at Orr's and we did the "Buffalo Loop" which took us 55 minutes. Debbie--I swear that there isn't usually that much traffic out there! :o) Thanks for walking with me and it was great to have you out there with me again! After I finished walking with Debbie, I drove over to Amber's house and we walked/jogged in her neighborhood for 53 minutes. Amber, I hope I didn't hold you back, but I thought it was a great workout! We need to do it again!

Day #109

I went over to BHE tonight and walked the track for 55 minutes. Usually I don't like walking in circles, but it turned out to be a good "thinking walk", and I used the time to sort though a lot of things that have been cluttering my brain lately!

Day #108

I bought a new pair of running shoes today. They should actually be called jogging shoes, but hey, I can't change the sign on the shelf, nor the label on the box. Let me tell you, the new shoes didn't help a single bit...I still can't jog!

I got to the track and warmed up for a few minutes, and then ran for a half mile which I did at the blazing time of 7 minutes and 47 seconds. I had to stop because my lower legs hurt...not my calf, not my shin, but on the side. Weird, I know!

All in all, I walked/jogged for 35 minutes....not very impressive...but I believe in the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And the truth is this--my legs hurt tonight!

I sure hope this gets easier!

Day # 107

I walked the "Buffalo Loop" today for 55 minutes. Nothing else to report--out! ;o)

Oh, I almost forgot...do you remember this song? It popped into my head when I was walking today--not sure why, but it did! LOL!

PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walkin' 'cross the flo-o-or
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walkin' out the door.

You never will get where you're goin'
If you never get up on your feet
Come on! There's a good tail wind blowin'
A fast walkin' man is hard to beat!

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walkin 'cross the flo-o-or
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walkin' out the door.

If you want to change your direction
If you're time of life is at hand
Well don't be the rule -- be the exception
A good way to start is to stand.

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walkin 'cross the flo-o-or
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walkin' out the door.

If I want to change the reflection
I see in the mirror each morn
Oh, you do?!
You mean that it's just my election
Just that!
To vote for a chance to be reborn.

You put one foot in front of the other
And soon you are walkin' 'cross the flo-o-or
You put one foot in front of the other
And soon you are walkin' out the door.

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you are walkin 'cross the flo-o-or
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you'll be walkin' out the door!

Day #106

For anyone out there that has been reading my blog, you know that: a) I am walking--alot! and b) I'm not losing any weight--none!

No matter how I look at it, and trust me, I've look at it from every angle imaginable, I don't understand why I haven't lost any weight. I don't understand how I can go from no exercise (okay, I was walking, but not regularly), to walking every day and I stay the same weight. Does that make sense to you? Be inactive...weigh X. Be active...weigh X. It just doesn't add up!

I have been talking to a lot of people regarding this phenomenon, and they all think that I need to do more. Grrrr! Frustrating!

P90X claims that you need to create "muscle confusion" for your body to respond and lose weight, build muscle, and tone. A lot of people that have weighed in on the subject have said..."You have to run!"

I'm here to tell you that I'm not a runner. I breathe all weird, but most of all it really hurts my legs. Running doesn't feel natural...taking long walks feels natural...I love it!

So, being the "good girl" (NOT!) that I am, I decided to give running a try tonight, but I must say that I wasn't thrilled about the prospect. I headed over to the high school track, and things weren't looking good already. Clouds swirled overhead and the sky was getting darker by the second. I got on the track and started jogging and before I got even half way around the track the wind kicked up and started blowing really HARD! The light poles were swaying and all of the signs were creaking--meanwhile, my body continued to creak as a kept on going. Right as I finished the first lap, it started to rain! I ran (okay, jogged) to the car just in the nick of time, and it started to pour!

As I sat in the car huffing and puffing, I looked out at the rain and thought about my first attempt at running--pathetic! 1/4 of a mile and forced to the car because of rain...yeah, like I would have been able to go any farther if the sun was shining! Who was I kidding? I finished the lap in 4 minutes. I know--pathetic--you don't need to say a word. I know!

I drove over to Chick-Fil-A to pass the time as I waited for the storm to pass, and bought several iced teas and brought them back to school, because my friend was there working on a project. The rain finally stopped and I headed back to the high school--running 2nd try!

I decided I was going to do a walk-run routine. Sandwiched between walking, I ran two more laps of the track, which took me three minutes to complete for each lap. If I kept up that pace, which I can't do now, I would run a 12 minute mile--hmmm, not very impressive! At one point when I was running, a man ran past me, and either because he was going really fast or I was going really slow, it made me feel (and I'm sure look) like I was going backwards! Frustrating!

I did have a good sports bra on, so nothing wiggled too far out of control, but I do need to buy running shoes if I am going to jog again. My feet are killing me tonight!

All in all...I walked/jogged for 34 minutes. (10 of those minutes were jogging minutes)

Day #105

I walked to school this morning (15 minutes) and I headed over to PHF this afternoon and walked for an additional 45 minutes. I'm still thinking about P90X....I will make my final decision tomorrow! (Of course I'll let you know!)

Day #104

Today's walk was kind of weird, BUT I did get out there and do it! I got a very late start and I had a time restraint because I needed to pick my son up at work at 8:00, so this is the plan I came up with...I parked my car in the parking lot where he works, walked for 35 minutes, and got back just in time to pick him up. I guess it would be called a "creative walk", but it actually turned out to be a pretty good one, because I walked really hard for the entire time...I really felt it in my legs when I was finished.

I've been giving a lot of thought to my exercising...walking clearly isn't working for weight loss. I am approximately 50 pounds overweight and I haven't lost a single pound in 104 days. I'm not going to quit walking, because quite frankly, I enjoy it. I do however, have to come up with a different way to shed the pounds. I'm thinking of purchasing the P90X program, and I will make up my mind by Friday. The program is intense and a big time commitment, but I am very intrigued by it

Day #103

Today was my son Keegan's 18th birthday, and we decided to go to Asian Garden to celebrate, which meant I had to get my walk in immediately after work. I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but I headed out to Arden and did my "Buffalo Loop", and was out there for 55 minutes in the rain.

We had a great time at dinner...I ordered Yaki Udon...yum!

Happy Birthday Keegan!

Day #102

I walked to school this morning (15 minutes) and I took a 70 minute walk at the high school track earlier this evening. While walking, I also did several sets of the bleacher stairs-- a great way to get the heart rate up! It was pretty invigorating to be out there tonight, because there were so many people there working out/training. A group of people were taking a "boot camp" class , and there were also lots of kids out there for track and field practice, and of course a handful of other people like me.

Day #101

Today was a LAZY day, and I put off my walk until late in the afternoon. The weather was perfect when I headed out, and I did the "Buffalo Loop"--again! I just love it out there! I walked for 1 hour.

Day #100

In honor of my 100th day of walking, I wanted to plan a special walk, by going someplace I had never been before. Pierre agreed to go with me (a major miracle since he claims to hate walking--too boring!), the weather was beautiful, and I had my handy-dandy book entitled 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles (Washington, D.C.) to guide us.

After pouring through the pages, I made my choice--Walk #60 Rolling Ridge Foundation Lands and Appalachian Trail. I must admit, talking with the German lady yesterday encouraged me to pick this one because of her excitement over the Appalachian Trail.

I could just kick myself, this trail is world-famous--and runs 2,167 miles from Maine to Georgia, practically running through my own backyard (okay I took a little bit of literary liberty with that statement, but I think you know what I mean--it's close!), and I never gave it much thought before. I've been on tiny sections of it, but have never used it for long treks...well, today that was going to change!

The trail I picked was fairly remote, would take about an hour to drive there, and claimed to have amazing overlooks, and was rated as a moderate-hard hike. I was excited! The ride there was beautiful--we crossed through farm land, rolling hills, and we finally crossed the Shenandoah River--almost there. The only thing between us and our hike was a 1 1/2 mile gravel road--and a sign at the end that said, "No one is allowed on this property without prior permission." I almost croaked! I poured through the guide book again, and there in small writing was: No restrictions but contact resident manager before visiting. I called the number in the book, and nobody answered. Forget disappointed, I was ticked! We were so close, but we had no other choice than to turn around and head home. We finally got home around 4:00 p.m., and let me tell you, I was in a FOUL mood!

There was no way in hell that I was going to walk at the mall on my 100th day of walking, so I headed back out, this time without Pierre. The 100th day walk had lost it's sparkle by this time, and he was ready for his afternoon coffee. I headed to familiar territory and walked the "Buffalo Loop" for one hour and 20 minutes. It's not how I expected to spend my day, but in retrospect, Pierre and I enjoyed our time together (until I got mad), and I did get my walk in!

About an hour ago Pierre took me out to PHF to look at the stars....it was so pretty! (Not as good as star watching at Valdelavilla...but still great!)

Thanks to everyone that took a walk today! I'm going to keep walking every day...I love it...and someday soon, I'll go back and do Walk #60, and I'll make sure to tell you about it!

Day #99

Ignore the orange safety cones! These steps were hand-carved in the early 1800's.

Wow...99 days of walking!

99 days of walking,
99 day of walking,
You walk up and down,
Pass out on the ground,
99 days of walking around!
(Sorry, I just couldn't resist!)

Today I went over to Harper's Ferry and walked for 70 minutes. The weather was brisk today, compared to the warm temperatures we've had over the last several days. While there I met a woman who was visiting from Germany, and of course we started chatting because my husband is from Germany too.

She wanted to visit Harper's Ferry, W.V. because she was very interested in the Appalachian Trail and had done a lot of reading about it prior to coming to the States. She told me about a book she had recently read on the topic that was written by an American. I told her that I had just recently read a book written by a famous German, Hape Kerkeling who had written about his experience hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. We got a big kick out of the fact that I had just read a book written by a German, she had read one written by an American, with both being written about hiking very long trails!

As we sat and chatted, she got very excited when she noticed a man walking up the hill towards us. He was obviously a hiker--large backpack, hiking poles, boots, etc. She whispered to me, "Oh, I would love to talk to him about hiking the trail!" I yelled out to the guy and asked him to come over to us. She couldn't believe it. I introduced myself and asked if he indeed was walking the Appalachian Trail, and when he indicated that he was, I told him that the lady next to me was from Germany and wanted to ask him a few questions, which she did with gusto.

This is part of the conversation that followed:

German Woman: Have you seen any beer?

Hiking man: Beer?

German Woman: Yes, beer. A big black beer.

Me: Do you mean black bear?

German Woman: Yes! I mean bear! I read that you can see black bears when you are hiking.

Hiking man: No bears...and no beers either.

Me: How about a bear drinking a beer?

It was funny.... straight out of something you would see in a movie!

Day #98

I took another "Country Roads" walk this morning, this time for 55 minutes. Although it was fairly early in the morning, it was pretty hot. I also think my body and mind weren't ready for it, as I felt very sluggish, but it was still a pretty walk and I enjoyed my time out there.

Day #97

I listened to Tom's advice about taking pictures, and I headed back out to walk among the blooming peach and apple trees in Arden, West Virginia. (Berkeley County) I walked for 2 hours and 50 minutes (7.4 miles) along the country roads of this pretty unincorporated hamlet today. The weather was beautiful, albeit, slightly on the hot side, but I loved being out there! A slight breeze caused petals to swirl through the air before finally coming to rest on the newly emerged emerald green grass, covering it like a pale-pink baby blanket draped over a newborn. Everything appeared fresh and new!

Day #96

I've seen a lot of beautiful places in this world, but if you want to experience something truly magnificent, drive out to Orr's Farm Market, where you will find that the peach blossoms that line the hillside look pale pink at 5:30p.m., and deepen to a dusky rose color by 6:30. The light is perfect at that time, and the view was breathtaking! I enjoyed this scene during my 70-minute walk

Day #95

I headed over to PHF again for my afternoon walk. 55 minutes--I walked the disc golf course on the hillside and then finished the walk on the lower level around the pond. Once again, the weather was beautiful, and I enjoyed being outside!

Am I frustrated that I'm not losing weight? Yes!
Am I going to stop walking? No!

Day #94

I'm getting pretty excited that I'm approaching my 100th day of walking. I look at it as quite an accomplishment, because I am keeping a promise to myself--better health through moving my body!

Today is Easter and it's an absolutely gorgeous day! I went to PHF and walked the "18 hole" disc golf course 2x. I took a water break between the two rounds. The first round took me 48 minutes to complete, and the second round took me 45 minutes. It's a fantastic workout because you are climbing up and down the whole time! I really enjoyed my walk there today!

Day #93

Today was an interesting day in regards to my walking. I headed over to PHF and fought an internal battle with myself as to how long I should walk. I was really enjoying myself and the beautiful weather, but I also needed to go to the grocery store and cook dinner. After 90 minutes, I decided to stop and I headed over to Wal-Mart. The parking lot was crowded and it took me a little while to find a spot. I found one deep in the lot and chuckled to myself thinking, you wanted to walk longer! Well, the moment I slammed the car door shut, I relalized that I had locked my keys in the car! I didn't expect it...but I got my wish for a longer walk. I walked home, got the spare key, and then walked back to Walmart. My little mistake added 30 minutes to my daily walking total! :o)

Day #91 & #92

April 1st:
I have to double up my posts again because I was gone for a day. My friend Tom's mom died and I decided I was going to leave for Morgantown on Thursday night, instead of leaving on Friday morning and trying to get there in time for the 10:30 a.m. service.

After work on Thursday, I had a lot of errands to run, as well as get my stuff together for my overnight stay. I'm not going to kid you, I was running around like a crazy woman trying to get everything finished. I did however, carve out thirty minutes for myself. I drove over to the mall with the express purpose of walking. That's all I could do since I wanted to get on the road. It was really hot that day, a record breaker for the season, and I didn't want to get too hot, so I opted to walk inside--30 minutes of glorious mall walking! :o)

April 2nd:
We spent the day with Tom after the funeral and we finally left his house at around 5:30 p.m. As I drove home, I realized that I wouldn't get my walk in for the day since it would be too late by the time we got back. The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me, so I finally came up with the idea of stopping in Hancock, which we did. Hancock is one of the places where you can easily access both the C&O Canal Towpath and the Maryland Rail Trail. Keegan and I walked on the C&O towpath for thirty minutes. It actually turned out to be a great break! I had fun talking to him and spending time with him, AND we saw two black snakes!