Just Walking?

So, here at Scoot, we’re not just a running blog. We talk about all sorts of things. It’s right there in the tag line : Fitness, Food, Friends, Fun. That is part of what we consider to be awesome about having seven of us around; there’s always something different to chat about! That being said, we also talk about running. Because, well, we run.

And by we, I mean everyone who is not the person writing this post. I…don’t run. I…kind of, sort of, used to run, once upon a time.

All my fellow chicks have run half marathons or marathons. I…signed up for a half marathon once, but I didn’t actually do it.

So, while we fully celebrate our differences, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sometimes feel like those old ‘one of these things is not like the others’ bits on Sesame Street. But, most of the time, I’m fine with being the non runner in the group. I know it won’t always be that way. I want to run. I dream of running. A half marathon is fully in my someday plan.

If you don’t know my backstory, the quick and dirty version is that I started running three years ago, using Couch to 5K, because I was most def acquainted with the couch, but not so much the 5K. I was making good progress, building up my endurance and working on going faster. I was doing well during training, but every time I did an actual race, I would freak myself out and wind up walking instead of running. Still, everything was moving in the right direction.

And then, July. And heat. And humidity. And no.

Fast forward through the next three years, and you’ll see a few half-hearted (re)attempts at Couch to 5K, one ridiculously last minute training attempt for a half marathon (not because I decided last minute, but because I procrastinate like it’s my job) which resulted in eight months of recovery from a nasty case of plantar fasciitis, and a whole lot of not doing much in the way of exercise.

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I want to tell you that wasn’t representative of a typical day. I want to tell you I wasn’t averaging 2500-3000 steps a day. I want to tell you that I was bedridden with the plague that day, because holy moly, it looks like I never left my couch. But, if I’m being honest with you, and with myself, those kind of numbers had been my norm for quite some time. There would be small spurts of days with more activity, but really, inactivity had become my new activity.

So, when I saw this 30 Day Walking Challenge as I was scrolling through Facebook (on my couch, of course), I thought “Huh… well that looks doable… it’s just walking.”

The challenge is based off a number of steps, and since day one was 2000 steps, which was below my already unimpressive daily average, I would count only the steps I got during ‘activity’ toward the daily goal. Each 500 steps is roughly equivalent to 1/4 mile, so day one is a mile, day two is 1.25 miles, and so on. And there are rest days. In the increase slows down after the first week. The idea is that on the last day, you do 10,000 steps, which is 5 miles.

The first couple days were no big deal, but the increase of 1/4 mile each day was no joke. I mean, I wasn’t dying out there or anything, even though July… hot… humid, but still, I could definitely feel the increase. But, in a good way. In a proving to myself that I am capable way. In a nice to be out there way.

Progress!

Progress!

We headed out of town for a few days, and I thought “I’ll be able to stay on track… it’s just walking.”

Most days, I was still able to get my steps in. A couple days, I didn’t. One day it rained allllll day long, and we sat around playing cards. And then one day, I climbed a mountain (I’M JUST SAYING).

Apparently, Black Cap is equivalent to 49 floors!

Apparently, Black Cap is equivalent to 49 floors!

And now we’re back home. I could use the fact that I missed a few days of the challenge as a reason to quit, or start over next month. I could say that I’m still on vacation, and that Friday is supposed to be the ‘rest day.’  Or I could sit here and think “What difference does it make anyway? It’s just walking.”

But really, there’s no such thing as just walking. And when you’ve been doing a whole lot of nothing for a while, there is really no such thing as just walking. In addition to walking being great exercise in and of itself, it’s a place to start. It’s a beginning. For me, it’s the first step (pun totally intended) in getting back to running, to seeing those half marathon dreams come true, to joining my fellow chicks in the ranks of runners.

So, I’m off to the park. I’ve got 5500 steps with my name on them today. Sure, it’s hot and humid and August out there. But, I can do it.

After all, it’s just walking.

It’s Lemon Month! Time to Run, Walk, Ride.

A few days ago, my friend challenged me to log some miles for ALS. I’ve already done the ice bucket thing; most of my friends and family have. Isn’t the power of social media amazing? To date, the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS awareness has helped to raise $100 million and counting, and raised our collective consciousness about a disease that affects so many people, including a few of my friends. As with any internet thing, there are naysayers, but as someone with the inside scoop on charity workings (my husband serves as board president of a local nonprofit), raising awareness for your cause works. The proof is in the dollars- see that big figure up there? You never know who might be watching, who has funds to give, who has been personally affected or knows someone who has, and suddenly- they care. They want to make a difference. They want to give their money. And maybe it’s a one-time thing, or maybe they can afford a recurring donation, but either way- awareness matters.

Back to my friend’s running challenge- well, I had to decline. This month is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and all of my miles belong to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. That’s right, it’s time once again to log one million miles for childhood cancer, and this year, we can run, walk, or ride our way through September. Check out this video:

We participated in the inaugural Million Mile Run last year, and were thrilled that so many of our friends joined us. If you would like to join Team Scoot A Doot this year, we would LOVE to have you! Fundraising is encouraged but not mandatory- what we really want you to do is log your miles with us and make some noise on social media. Let’s paint the month yellow for childhood cancer awareness!

BUT WAIT. There’s more! If you join our team, here are some things you can look forward to:

#onwednesdayswewearyellow Mean Girls wear pink, but Nice Girls (and guys) wear yellow. Show us your yellow every Wednesday on Instagram and Facebook, and help me prove that it really does look good on everyone. Team members will be entered into a random prize drawing at the end of the month, for every Wednesday they participate. (That’s one prize but four chances to enter! Time to start planning your outfits.)

We love our team so much that we have two other prize opportunities!

One prize for the most miles logged by the end of the month. Now, some of us our in marathon training season, and some of us are cyclists…who will win? Start moving, post your miles, and let’s find out!

The other reward is for our top fundraiser. Raising money isn’t a requirement for our team, but every dollar raised will help fund more research, and one day, hopefully, a cure.

We have a few other surprises in store for our team, and of course we’ll be posting lemony goodness all month long, in the form of recipes, outfit ideas, and more.

Let’s get this party started! Join Team Scoot A Doot for #alexsmillionmile and give us a shout on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Start running, walking, or riding and let’s make a difference together. The #journey2amillion starts today!

http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1117658

Already joined our team? THANK YOU! Are you walking, biking, or riding? Do you love yellow as much as I do?

Road ID Giveaway: Safety first, safety last, safety always!

Who is a Nervous Nelly (like I am) when it comes to safety?

When I first started running longer distances, I always carried my license (and keys, GU, phone, iPod) in either my pockets or pouch and then spent the rest of the run wondering if I was going to lose my license when I grabbed a GU.  I had visions of my license flying out, into the river, and then a tragic accident befalling me as I scrambled after my license. How would anyone know who I was? How would they notify my husband that I had a very overactive imagination?

Or worse, what if something actually happened to me?

Thankfully, my running coach Brandi, and running partner Sarah, saw me silently freaking out during a run one day (until I tracked down my license) and asked what, exactly, I was doing.

That’s when I first heard about Road ID.

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Wearing my Road ID during the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge.

Road IDs are a nifty little way to share your information with anyone who might need to know.  While my license has my name and address, it doesn’t have the phone numbers of my nearest and dearest, which could come in handy if something were to happen to me. Of course, I still fill out the back of my bib during races, but for training runs that’s not an option.

Safety first, people!

Once I got my first Road ID, I clearly needed another because there were so many options and I needed to be really safe. (And fashionable.)

Of course, my friends had to get in on the action.

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Jess rocking her Road ID at the Color Run. She was 18 weeks pregnant during this event and while Cam and I were with her, we wanted to make sure she was well cared for!

And my children needed them, too. The slim bracelet works really well for the kids and mine have worn them everywhere from a Disney Cruise vacation, to camping, to school/camp trips and, of course, during runs.

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Pooks showing off his Road ID.

Besides including the basics (name, year of birth, hometown and state, phone numbers of family), there’s a sixth line available to include a motto or any medical conditions. My little guy has Autism, which is something that he cannot express for himself at this stage in the game, so the sixth line provides that information if he should ever get separated from us. (Obviously, I’d be having a panic attack, were that ever to happen. But knowing that he has his Road ID will help me have a slightly less severe panic attack.)

While I have all the pertinent information on lines one through five, my sixth line has my motto when it comes to working out – I CAN AND I WILL! It’s always nice to have that little reminder there for myself!

I asked my fellow Chicks what sayings they’d use for motivation.

bec2point0 YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW.

beewhobabbles JUST TEN MORE MINUTES.

camoozle DON’T STOP.  GET IT, GET IT.

vfreile ANYONE CAN RUN A MILE. (Vic says this to herself when the run gets crappy and rough and she’s down on herself.)

writeitdownjess DON’T FALL ON YOUR FACE, JESS.

Now, of course, we want our Scoot a Doot readers to all be safe and sound, too – which is why we are thrilled to partner with Road ID on a giveaway for two $35 eCard Gift Certificates for two lucky readers to buy their own Road IDs!

So how do you enter to win?  There are a couple of different things you can do to increase your chances:

1. Leave us a comment on this post. What would you put on your sixth line of your Road ID?

2. Follow Road ID on Facebook.  Leave us a comment saying that you did (honor system, guys!).

3. Follow Road ID on Twitter. Leave another comment.

4. Follow Scoot a Doot on Twitter and Facebook. Add another comment!

5. Share this contest anywhere– your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, t-shirt, sign on your lawn, where ever.  Leave a comment (a link is always awesome, as are pictures – especially if you make a t-shirt. That would be really rad) and you get another entry!

Contest ends Thursday, 4/4/13 at midnight EST. We’ll use Random.org to choose the winners and announce them on Friday, 4/5/13 here on the blog.  Cool?  Cool!

This contest has sadly come to an end!  Look for more giveaways from us soon!