Sigh...

Saturday:
Time: 1:40:06 - Distance: 6.46 miles - Avg Pace: 15:28/mi.

Calories: 753
Soundtrack: Heat

It's almost enough to make a girl want to stop blogging. See that pace up above? Compared to what I've been doing, that's hopping-on-one-foot speed. But I went to a track in Red Hook on Saturday to calibrate my Nike+ sensor, and what the track said was a mile (four times around lane 5 out of 8) was what my sensor had been calling 1.2. Yikes. And post-calibration, what appears above is what it gave me for my 100-minute walk. Barf. It seems unfair that I should experience a marked drop in self-esteem at having suddenly become a s-l-o-w walker when nothing has actually changed. I wanted to be absolutely sure, since I never changed lanes as I went around the track and previous tests showed more like 1.1:1 rather than 1.2:1, and so I decided to re-calibrate yesterday on our treadmill. I'm going to stick with this one, which said that one treadmill mile was equal to .89 miles as measured on the track. So I'm somewhere in the middle of my two extremes. Either way, my marathon is going to be a good bit longer than I had been thinking. Even if the outcome is temporarily disappointing, I'm glad to have it settled now, because tomorrow is my first day walking specific distances, rather than specific amounts of time. So not having calibrated the sensor would have started affecting how much I was actually walking--not just how I feel about it afterward.

Today:
Time: 50:05 - Distance: 3.06 miles - Avg Pace: 16.19/mi.
Calories: 357
Soundtrack: Food of Love

Today I went up to Rockland County for a walk in Harriman State Park on my way up to the outlets at Woodbury Common. It's snowier in those parts than it is here in Brooklyn, which made for a wetter, puddlier time than I had been anticipating. I also ended up teetering along some rather narrow, precipitous footpaths above rushing water, which kept things interesting. Didn't walk all that far, but it was pretty and different, and that's certainly worth something.

Holly, Jolly

Monday:

Time: 50:05 - Distance: 3.96 (0r 3.56) miles - Avg Pace: 12:38/mi. (or 13:54/mi.)

Calories: 461
Soundtrack: Heat

Wednesday:
Time: 40:05 - Distance: 3.34 (you get the idea) miles - Avg Pace: 11:59/mi.
Calories: 389
Soundtrack: Heat

Christmas in Columbia, Maryland. Yes, it was almost a week ago, but these above are the walks that flanked it. The second one was actually back in New York, and while I managed to avoid Holland Tunnel traffic, it took me so long to wind around it that I only had a few minutes along the Hudson. The Monday walk was on a bike path near my parents' house. Picture something like this on the right, only less green. More cold grey trunks against a lovely blue sky. It was a hilly walk, but picturesque and utterly without the bane of the city stroll: traffic! And Nike+ just shot me this. Good stuff.

A Damp and Drizzly Day

From my dad, the Mother-Goose origin of "misty, moisty morning":

One misty, moisty morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man
Clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment,
And I began to grin,
How do you do?
And how do you do?
And how do you do, again?

Catch-Up

Thursday:
Time: 40:07 - Distance: 3.35 miles - Avg Pace: 11:57/mi.

Calories: 390
Soundtrack: Heat

Saturday:

Time: 45:03 - Distance: 3.69 miles - Avg Pace: 12:12/mi.

Calories: 430
Soundtrack: Heat

Today:

Time: 40:37 - Distance: 3.36 miles - Avg Pace: 12:04/mi.

Calories: 392

Time: 18:59 - Distance: 1.53 miles - Avg Pace: 12:22/mi.

Calories: 178

Time: 16:02 - Distance: 1.31 miles - Avg Pace: 12:12/mi.

Calories: 153
Soundtrack: Heat

I didn't actually go on three separate walks today. It was intended to be one 75-minute jaunt, but I had to stop and divide it up when I got to the end of the first volume of Heat, and then accidentally ended the workout rather than resuming it when I stopped for a moment. The first mile was inside with my dad, on the track at Supreme Sports Club in Columbia, Maryland, where we're visiting my parents for the holiday. And after that, it was out into the misty, moisty morning, as my dad likes to say...I think that comes from some book we read as little ones. But it was indeed alternately foggy-drizzly-rainy.

But the biggest deal of the whole thing is this: my dad and I walked a mile around the track, and then he had me stop and look at how far my iPod said I'd gone. And it said 1.1 miles. So if it is, in fact, always wrong by 10%, then what I think are 12:00 miles are actually 13:12 miles. So not cool. I'm going to calibrate it and have ordered something to hold it more tightly in place atop my laces, but I am not pleased. At least my walks are still for a certain amount of time, rather than a certain number of miles, and so I haven't been inadvertently under-walking. But I thought I was pretty fast. Hrmph. Gonna get this thing figured out.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY LEGS?!?!

As I mentioned in "What Not to Do with Your Feet," I got me some sensitive skin. And while she has a great many delightful qualities, this is one I wish my mom would have kept to herself. Over the course of several cold-weather walks, I have been developing blotchy pinkness on my legs. It's become sort of rashy-looking, and when I tried to moisturize it tonight, my thighs screamed in displeasure. Not cool. Just wanted to share. This is not, by the way, a picture of my legs, but one I found that sort of approximates (sans electrodes) what the angry parts of mine look like. I think this person actually had the measles.

Hudson Views

Time: 40:11 - Distance: 3.25 miles - Avg Pace: 12:20/mi.

Calories: 379
Soundtrack: Heat

Tuesday seems to have become Manhattan walkin' afternoon. Hoboken by sunset is really lovely, and I only wish the walkway right next to the water were open the whole way down to Canal Street and beyond. Unfortunately, construction has it closed down partway through the Village, and so there are fences between the pedestrian/bike road and the water. You can see through them, of course, but it's not as picture-perfect as it might be. Ah, well. I timed the walk even a little better than last week, with the ultimate goal of getting back to school just as my 40 minutes were up. Darting in and out of Holland Tunnel traffic was tricky and slowed me down a bit, but overall, a good walk.

Thanks to You

Jen Kipley

Susan Currie
Betsy and Brian Kelder
Heather Glotzer
Willa Cochran
Susanna Styron
Jennifer and Dan Green
David Golaner
Kim Kahn
Jen Clarke
Lee and Susey Burgunder
Carol Sandler
and
Leanne and Jason Greif

have all contributed to my fundraising campaign, and I just wanted to say thanks!

Windy City

Time: 40:05 - Distance: 3.15 miles - Avg Pace: 12:41/mi.
Calories: 368
Soundtrack: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

So that's not really my pace, for the record. See that major dip above? My little doohickey fell out of my laces, and so I had to turn around, walk back, and find it, which luckily I was able to, but it meant that the chip thought I wasn't moving for two minutes, which obviously affected my overall pace. Harumph. Nice walk aside from that, but wicked windy out.

You'll Never Walk Alone

Saturday:
Time: 1:01:51 - Distance: 4.98 miles - Avg Pace: 12:24/mi.

Calories: 581
Soundtrack: Talking to Amanda

My friend Amanda came on today's walk with me--my longest yet. She totally kept up...or maybe I totally kept up...and we ended up with a very respectable pace. It was my first time walking all the way around Prospect Park, which allowed me to discover that from home to the park, one lap around, and then back home, is just about five miles. That'll come in handy when I get to mileage walks rather than time walks. It's fun to walk with a friend, too; the hour went really quickly and it was a great opportunity to catch up. Made me realize how much my mom lost when her close friend and walking buddy moved out of the neighborhood. Amanda's game for more walks in the future; lucky me!

Moonlighting

Time: 45:06 - Distance: 3.51 miles - Avg Pace: 12:50/mi.

Calories: 409
Soundtrack: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

Do I even need to say this? I think that walking late at night contributes to slower times. Duh. I'm proud of myself for getting out there, even if it's getting on in hours and I'd just as soon stay in, but I'm not going to be setting any personal records at 11pm. In other news, I think I may have gained membership to the exclusive club of competitive runners and walkers by crossing the threshold into the world of...chafing! The jury's still out, but there's this spot under my right arm and...never mind, you don't need to know this. It's past my bedtime.

City Girl

Time: 40:08 - Distance: 3.2 miles - Avg Pace: 12:31/mi.

Calories: 373
Soundtrack: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

This afternoon was my first walk in Manhattan. I brought exercise clothes to school and decided to use the time between an after-class appointment and 7:00 tutoring for a workout. Not bad. Didn't have to do a whole lot of waiting at traffic lights, and I did more than half the walk along the walkway next to the West Side Highway. Farther up or downtown or somewhere, there's space to walk along the water that's more Hudson River Park-y. The trickiest part was trying to decide when to turn so that I would end up at school at the end of the walk; it was my first time not doing an out-and-back. I estimated pretty well and finished up just a couple blocks away. And being in the FCI locker room when I don't have to be rushing to class is really nice; I recommend it. In fact, any time you spend lesiurely time somewhere you're usually pressed for time is a treat. And now...time for bed. Sending out well-wishes to my dad's ouchy foot!

Surf 'n' Turf

Saturday:
Time: 40:04 - Distance: 3.34 miles - Avg Pace: 11:58/mi.

Calories: 390
Soundtrack: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

Sunday:

Time: 50:06 - Distance: 4.09 miles - Avg Pace: 12:14/mi.
Calories: 477 - Shins: Like Buttah
Soundtrack: The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

Once again, I decided to move this weekend's long walk to Sunday, as that was the more convenient day to go on a little adventure out of town. I went back to Westchester, this time to try out the South County Trailway. The parking lot was easy to find, and the trail was right there. Great! The part of the Trailway I walked on has its redeeming qualities. For starters, it's paved and pretty much totally flat. And no motorized vehicles. In fact, I don't think there were any non-motorized vehicles, either. But there are some downsides. It's pretty darn ugly. Or, at the very least, not pretty. Most of it goes right alongside the Saw Mill River Parkway, and then, a mile or so in, the Akzo Nobel plant! According to my research, Akzo Nobel makes surfactants, whatever surfactants are, and they also make one heck of an eyesore of a building. Blech. This would have been a smart walk to take with a friend. Good conversation makes for a handy distraction from a hybrid limited-access highway.

What Not to Do with Your Feet

I use my feet a lot these days. I generally get a pedicure once a month or so, and the tootsies have been telling me lately that it's time. There's a place I like near Union Square, a couple doors down from our last apartment, and when I got there on Wednesday, I decided I would treat myself to a spa pedicure. That means extra wraps and scrubs and pampering for the feet, and ideally, a more relaxing experience. Right. The woman was smoothing away a callus on my foot with the pumice stone-type implement, and then...it hurt. "Ouch!" I said. And my foot was bleeding. No kidding. I pay for this?! Ugh. A little later, she put a mask-type substance on my feet and lower legs, and I immediately knew it was trouble. I have pretty sensitive skin (thanks, Mom!), and winter, with its chilly temps and dry air and the additional dryness of forced-air heating, makes it worse. As soon as the pedicurist put the green glop on my legs, I felt the skin prickle, and I knew that when she took it off, there would be red blotchiness in its wake. Again, not relaxing, but this time, not her doing. By the time I left, I wished I'd just gotten a regular old pedicure, which is what I will do in the future. Harumph.

Walked a bunch after school today, just around town, and I mapped it tonight (click here to check it out!). Over two miles! So I've decided that that was my cross-training: strolling with occasional stops for errands and shopping. Done and done.

Adventure to come over the weekend.

Layers

Tuesday:

Time: 35:08 - Distance: 2.82 miles - Avg Pace: 12:26/mi.

Calories: 329
Soundtrack: Potpourri of Shuffled Playlist Songs

Today:

Time: 40:08 - Distance: 3.09 miles - Avg Pace: 12:58/mi.

Calories: 360
Soundtrack: Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink

I've shuffled this week's schedule around a little. Usually my walks are Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, with cross-training on Thursdays. But my first chance to walk on Wednesday was when I got back from tutoring at 11pm, and I just didn't have it in me. So resty Friday moved to Wednesday, walky Wednesday moved to Thursday, and I'll try and cross-train on Friday.

Not a whole lot to say at the moment, as I should be sleeping, but I have walked. It was slow going today, but I got out there. My feet are a little beat-up from being on them all day and from a semi-destructive pedicure I got Wednesday afternoon. More about that another time.

Woodland Adventure

Sunday:

Time: 50:07 - Distance: 4.03 miles - Avg Pace: 12:25/mi.

Calories: 470
Soundtrack: Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink

I knew that it was supposed to snow yesterday. Ordinarily, my long walk for the week would be on Saturday, which was forecast to be clear and dry, but I had to wait for the Time Warner Cable guy to arrive sometime between 10 and 2, and that put a crimp in my plans. The charms of the sidewalks of Park Slope have worn somewhat thin, and so I decided to take this week's long walk farther afield. In addition to a 50-minute workout, I needed sweaters, both of which sent me in the direction of Westchester County. There is a nice, upscale mall there (known simply as "The Westchester"), as well as, I discovered, quite a few walkable trails. When I set off yesterday morning, decked out in layers of walking gear, the destination was the Bronx River Pathway, specifically, what this site calls "the loveliest part of the path," which runs from the Kensico Dam to the County Center. I had info on where there was parking, but when I got there, the road was closed off. Hmm. So I kept driving, and a little bit down the road was a sign for Cranberry Lake Preserve. Sounded promising. Indeed, when I got there, there appeared to be trails, but they were covered in a couple inches of snow. Had I expected that they would be plowed? The road was, though, and so I headed down to where I came in. But no dice--no shoulder. Had I come all this way for no walk? Would it have to wait until I got back to Brooklyn, at which point it would probably be dark? No way, man. What's a little snow? So, with my three layers of pants and two layers of tops, ear-warming headband and gloves, I set off into the woods.

It was lovely! Got plenty of snow on my shoes, but my feet didn't get too wet. Trees, a lake, bright sky...also uneven ground, which is often underfoot on wooded trails and is difficult to see when they are blanketed with snow. In fact, there was one other woman I saw out there, and both times I passed her, I tripped on a tree root. I followed a predecessor's footprints along the path for a while, before realizing that there were colored blazes marking the way, which helped me to worry less about getting lost.

So glad I did this! Adventures are fun. Now if it only weren't so cold out...

The Mindless Margin

Saturday:

Time: 35:03 - Distance: 2.88 miles - Avg Pace: 12:09/mi.

Calories: 336
Soundtrack: Mindless Eating

I decided to switch my Saturday and Sunday walks, because I had an adventure planned for Sunday. So Saturday was just 35 minutes, up 6th Ave to Flatbush and Atlantic, and then back home. I continued listening to Mindless Eating, a book subtitled "Why We Eat More Than We Think." Really interesting stuff, about the psychology of food and eating and portion size and how things like variety or large plates or our assumptions about serving sizes cause us to overeat. It talks about how to use these same tricks in order to mindlessly eat less, using something called the "mindless margin," 100-200 calories a day we can eliminate from our diets without even noticing, and that can lead to steady weight loss. What's more, the addition of these calories--100-200 extra calories we often eat without being aware of it--can cause weight gain whose provenance we can't explain. So I'm playing with some of these ideas. Having tried *diets* in the past that call for elimination of certain beloved foods, I'm particularly a fan of this quote from Mindless Eating: "The best diet is the one you don't know you're on." Word.