Next potential walk - Reindeer Ramble 5k Run/Walk

My housemate D and I are hoping to get a team together and do this.  We would need at least one to 8 more participants.

The YMCA of Central Kentucky’s sixth annual Reindeer Ramble 5K Run/Walk will be held at Keeneland on Saturday, December 10 beginning at 9 a.m. The 5K run/walk is open to serious runners and casual walkers alike, ages 8 and up. The Reindeer Ramble also offers participants the opportunity to register as individuals or as members of a “Santapede” team. Santapede teams consist of 3-10 participants who are actually tied together like a team of reindeer with rope, ribbon, garland, etc. Costumes and holiday spirit are encouraged for this family-friendly event. Last year’s Reindeer Ramble drew approximately 1,500 participants.

Nov 13th, 2011 - Tshirt #5 - Free to Breathe

I found out my father had lung cancer when his doctors went to perform hernia surgery.  At this point it had metastasized and was headed toward his brain.  He wasn't supposed to make it to Thanksgiving. I had moved away in June but traveled to see him in ICU with it's sterile and eerily quiet environment.  Our usual stilted conversation was even more so.  Neither of us knew what to say and we definitely didn't want to address the killer elephant in the room.
He survived Thanksgiving, went home, but then was moved to hospice.  I went to see him any weekend I could get the money together for a greyhound ticket.  I would watch tv with him, get him something to drink, rub his feet and head.  We really didn't talk.  It wasn't our way.
I met my half-brother's son for the first time there.  I was there when the preacher came to minister to him.  I was there when his co-workers and longtime friends came and sung him a deeply moving gospel hymn.  I wasn't there when he died.
I had arrived in town that day but for some reason didn't want to go to the hospital.  I thought I would go the next morning.  My grandmother called me a couple hours later, there would be no next morning.
On my bookshelf are two pine cones that my housemate retrieved from the gravesite, after the funeral.  I still have the bunny rag doll he gave me for my 30th birthday; the only time I ever remember him giving me a birthday gift.
Today, on a cold and windy November day, I walked in his memory.

Oct 16th, 2011 - Tshirt #5 - Race for the Cure

Walk #4 - Yesterday I completed my first 5k walk!  The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  I walked in the non-competitive 5k.  I wasn't going to walk the 5k at first.  I haven't exercised in like two weeks and plus my fall allergies were kicking my butt.  However, everyone else on our team (my housemate's place of work) was walking it we decided to at least try.  And since both were the same route we could always peel off at 1 mile if needed.  I think starting toward the middle of the pack helped as well.  Had I been at the end I would've felt overwhelmed, if I had been at the beginning I would've felt defeated by all the people passing me.  I finished with a respectable time of 1:02.29.

Sept 26th, 2011

Got back on the treadmill for the first time in about three weeks.  Did decent considering my left knee was hurting.  1.4 mi in 30 minutes.  Trying to get prepared for my first 3-mile walk on October 8th.  I was able to walk without holding on to the treadmill bar for a good amount of time.  I think that's because of the walks, off treadmill, that I've done lately.
I probably will start couch to 5k in a week or two.  Right now I just need to work on getting comfortable walking a long time.

My music list for today's walk.
Keep Your Hands to Yourself -Georgia Satellites
Stuck in the Middle with You - DaVinci's Notebook
Your're Not Here - Akir Yamoaka
In a Big Country - Big Country
Boy in the Bubble - Paul Simon
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
3 Small Words - Josie and The Pussycats
Dragula - Rob Zombie
Men in Black - Will Smith
Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray

Sept 24th, 2011 - T-shirt #3 - LINKS Walk-a-thon

Walk #3.  Today I walked for the Frankfort-Lexington Links/Fayette county Health fair walkathon.  Probably not one of my best walks.  I haven't been on the treadmill in about 3 weeks.  I was grouchy and moody. It was cold, cloudy, and, being generous, about 20 walkers.

Things were not helped by the shin splint/charlie horse in my left leg for the second half-mile (it was a one mile walk).  But the important thing is that despite all of that, I still finished.

Sept 10th, 2011 - T-shirt #2 - National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

2nd t-shirt.  I walked for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  1 mile was 5 laps around the ball fields warming track.  I hope next year I can do the 3-mile around the stadium.

Aug 27th, 2011 - Tshirt #1 - Run for the Fallen

Tshirt #1.  4th Annual Run for the Fallen.  This was taken pre-walk.  They had lists available of soldiers who died in service for you to walk for if you didn't know anyone personally.  I walked for Lance Corporal Deshon E. Otey age 24 of Hardin, KY

Otey died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. Died on June 21, 2004.
Here is his story: http://militarytimes.com/valor/marine-lance-cpl-deshon-e-otey/263040

Aug 25th, 2011

Another walk I'm planning on doing.  I'm going to be part of a team with my roommate's (and my boyfriend's) company.
Together we can fight against the disease of breast cancer and win!  Monies raised will help to support research to find a cure and also support much needed services within our community.

Aug 25th, 2011

This will be the 2nd walk I'm going to do.  It is also a fundraiser.
MS stops people from moving, the National MS Society exists to make sure that it doesn't. That's why I registered for the 2011 Walk MS Lexington and that's why I'm asking you to support my fundraising efforts with a tax-deductible donation.
Any amount, great or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of people with MS. I appreciate your support and look forward to letting you know how the 2011 Walk MS Lexington goes.
Click on the image above to go to my personal page to make a donation.

Aug 24th, 2011 Where I'm at and where I'm headed.

January of this year I decided to lose weight for the millionth time.  The fact that I'm still working on it now, probably makes the longest I've ever worked on losing weight.  The times I've tried before, exercise, if attempted, was a drudgery and quickly abandoned.  This time I'm coming up with more ways to workout.  146 Tshirts is one of them.
I started out on January 1 weighing 296lbs on a 5'2" frame.  It's 4lbs away from my heaviest weight.  As of August 29th I weigh 271.  Which means I've lost 25lbs so far (I have been down as low as 268 but it didn't last long).  This means so far I'm committed to doing 25 walk/run events. I hope to lose a total of 146lbs and get down to 150.  Right now that's just a number.  When I get closer to it I'll see if it's the right number.
I've been able to walk consistently for 30 minutes for a while now.  Since the beginning of August I've been able to hit between a 21min/mi - 19min/mi.  I'm also beginning to start jogging.  I'm taking this slowly cause I'm still not in great shape.  I managed two 1-minute jogs during my 30 minute walk tonight.  It took about 5 minutes both times to bring my heart rate and the pain in my calves back to normal.

Aug 24th, 2011 Run for the Fallen 9/27/2011

This is the first walk/run I plan to do.  I'll be walking.
From the website:

• Run/Walk with us in Lexington on Saturday, August 27th, @ 9:00am.
• We will be running/walking one mile in honor of any of our fallen service members that gave the ultimate sacrifice in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• The event is non-political. A list of those service members we will be running in honor of will be available at the event or online @ FallenWarriorKY.com. We welcome those who would like to run/walk for fallen members from other past conflicts as well.

 http://www.fallenwarriorky.com/

New home

Welcome to the new home of my blog.  I'm in the process of moving over my blog posts so that everyone reading can be up-to-date on my progress so far.  Older posts will have the date originally posted in their title.