April 13: Solo Walk

Today I walked another mile! I returned to the Willamette Valley Medical Center track by myself and really enjoyed it. It was another beautiful day (although quite windy) and there really was no excuse NOT to go walking!

So while I walked a mile again today, I had to rest more than yesterday. This time, I only made it 1 1/2 laps before I had to sit, and then I had to sit after every consecutive lap. So, it wasn't as good as it was yesterday, but I still did it.

One thing I need to keep in mind is that while I couldn't do what I did yesterday, it was still beneficial and I still walked a mile. I have found that to be the biggest mental obstacle I have. I get discouraged when I can't walk the same distance as I did the day before, but really I need to get past that. There are so many factors throughout the day that affect how I feel and how far I can walk, and I can never control them so it's the same every day. Things like what I ate and when, how much I slept the night before, how stressful the day was, what workout I did in the morning, how much did I rest before I started walking, and on and on. So really, I need to stop being discouraged when I can't walk the exact same distance without resting two days in a row. The fact that I walked another mile is still great and it means my goal isn't too far away!

So, in summary:
Miles walked: 1 (approximately)
Rests: 3 (once after 1 1/2 laps, second after 2 1/2 laps, third after 3 1/2 laps)
When: 40 minutes (4:40 to 5:30)
Where: Willamette Valley Medical Center public track
Weather: Sunny, mid 60s, wind
Walking partner: iPod (This American Life podcast)

*Note: Even though Scott says it is, and so does the hospital web site, for some reason it just doesn't seem long enough to be a 1/4 mile track! So I walked the very perimeter. :)

Back At It!

Well, today I felt better and decided I had to take advantage of the unexpected beautiful weather we had. I think I may have kicked my ear infection so I called my mom and we went for a walk on the walking track behind the Willamette Valley Medical Center. They have a nice cushion-y track behind the facility for staff (and the public) to use, and we took advantage of it. It was gorgeous! Not only was it warm, but there was just enough of a breeze, and we got to take in all of the incredible clouds around us. Half of the sky was full of beautiful white fluffy clouds, and the the other half was shrouded in HUGE dark, ominous looking gray clouds. The contrast was incredible, and because the rain never came, it made for a beautiful walk.

The track is really cool and is a great place for me to walk because there are benches at either side of the path, which is in a regular track shape, but is only 1/8 of a mile. Today I walked 4 laps, which equals about half a mile. It was a bit difficult though because not only am I getting over my ear infection and virus, but I also worked through lunch, ran to the bank and then home for only a second to change before I picked mom up. So, I didn't get to really rest at all. So I walked two laps (1/4 mile) before we had to rest. Then we rested on a bench, talked wedding, walked another lap, rested and continued the wedding talk and then walked a final lap. I know that if I had rested a bit before starting that I could have walked much further. Nevertheless, it was a good workout!

I am definitely going to go back to take advantage of the trail. It is the perfect set up, and if I am ever walking alone I can just bring my ipod and know that I am walking in a safe, open area. I definitely recommend it.

Happy walking! Hopefully the weather will stay nice this week so I can make up for the three days I missed.

NOTE: Scott Schieber brought to my attention that it's a quarter mile track, not the 1/8 of a mile like I thought! It even says it on the hospital's web site, and I'm not sure how I missed that. So, I walked a mile today! I rested twice, but I still did it!