Take a walk and talk

I like this idea!

Nilofer Merchant suggests a small idea that just might have a big impact on your life and health: Next time you have a one-on-one meeting, make it into a "walking meeting" -- and let ideas flow while you walk and talk.

Having recently received a FitBit and while I knew I was spending a lot of time sitting, I figured my three days of running would compensate. Not even close. Now I am trying to figure out how to walk more. Nilofer's idea is a good start.

To the well

Did my long run on Sunday out on the Franklin roads. My long run build up had been broken several weeks ago with the blizzard. I am just now able to start the build up again.

Jordan Road

4.5 miles on Sunday provided the opportunity to get to the well.

go to the well

One of my favorite routes. How can you not like going to the well to start a long run build up again?

sweat mark

Dolores and I have a weekend routine of walking together. On Saturday, we walk together. On Sunday, she'll walk. I'll run and we'll time it to rendezvous somewhere near one of Franklin's coffee shops.

I arrived early one Sunday and sat to stretch. When I stood up I realized I left a sweat mark on the ground.



It didn't last long. It was so warm, the moisture quickly evaporated.

Wonderful Weekend

The weather was so good this weekend, we had to get out and about. From the quiet of the Blackstone River Bike Path on Sunday



to the very busy 'white dot' trail on Mt Monadnock




we did get out to enjoy this New England weekend. What did you do?

every other day

Every other day. Gee, that sounds familiar!

This time around, Ms. Nyad, an accomplished marathon swimmer and sportscaster, is taking no chances. She has trained harder — for a year and a half — and changed her regimen. Rather than swim every day, she swims every other day. Last year, she completed a 24-hour swim in Mexico.

The bold is for my emphasis. Swimming is great exercise, in some ways better on the body than running, in other ways, running is better. In either case, that is not really the point here.

The point here is the "every other day" concept. A form of the 'hard/easy' principle. A staple of most good programs and a key contributor for the FIRST Program. I have written much about it elsewhere but want to share it here for two reasons.

One, the principle is one to really consider and follow. Based upon my own experience, it works. Diana has found this to be also!

Two, what an inspiration Diana is! I applaud her effort and drive. I wish her all the best!

Read more about Diana Nyad's attempt to swim from Cube to Key West here
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/nutrition/19swim.html?_r=1

Read more about my writing on the FIRST Program here
http://passionaterunner.blogspot.com/2006/11/my-writingrunning-on-first-plan.html

The official FIRST Plan web site http://www2.furman.edu/sites/first/Pages/default.aspx

More about Diana Nyad on her web site here  http://diananyad.com/

Bend and stretch to recycle

With apologies to your Romper Room memories, I rewrote a few lines to help remember to recyle while you walk.

Bend and stretch
reach for the can
while exercising
help your fellow man

One can (or plastic bottle) at a time, you can come back from a three mile walk through your neighborhood with something like this:



Bend and stretch
reach for the can
while exercising
help your fellow man

You can take this challenge in two ways:

1 - Take a plastic bag along with you and remember these lines when you walk.

2 - As you walk, if you come up with better lines let us know via comment or email.

Gears of all size stand by the side of the bike trail

Gears of all size stand by the side of the bike trail, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Took a ride on the South County bike path on Sunday. Shorter (only 5.6 miles one way) than the East Bay ride we did a couple of weeks ago. Very pleasant.

More photos to follow.

100 Miles

My log book tells me that I completed 100 miles so far this year. Yes, 100 miles over 25 days running mostly 3 days per week. This works out to an average of exactly four miles per day although my past week was more like normal and reflects how the average really works out.

Tuesday evening - 3
Friday early morning - 2
Sunday morning - 7

I am still getting back into condition. Ideally as Daylight Savings will allow more time to run during the light at night, I'll build to go 3-6 on Tuesday with the tempo run. 3-5 on Thursday with some pace work on the track. Then close the week with 7-10 on a long run on Sunday.

Once a month, maybe a road race (5K mostly) to add some travel and spice to the run.

I like to say that my job pays the bills. Which allows me to run for my physical health and write for my mental health to keep the cycle going.

Do you exercise regularly?
What do you do for exercise?