Brenda's Training Recap

2009-11-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

Its been awhile since I have written. It seems some days life just takes over and I do not get a chance to do this. We have been diligently working on our fundraising, selling coffee, hot chocolate and candy bars. My brother has been very helpful in selling coffee and hot chocolate by him at work. This has been very helpful. Dan and I are close to hitting the recommitment amount needed. Scott still has a little ways to go. I am hoping some of his friends or their parents will come through for him along with a few letters he sent.

We have done two group walks now. The longest we have done has been 5 miles. This weekend we will be walking 6 miles. Training has been going well. As long as I remeber to stretch a little before walking and a litle while walking, by the 3rd mile, my leg muscles are finally warm and I am good to move along. Dan has been patient with this and is great by keeping pace with me for we are able to walk together.

Thursday, November 5

2009-11-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

Sitting at the bowling alley watching Dan bowl. We walked before coming, so it has been a good night so far. At least my legs are not in as much pain as they were before.

On Tuesday, I made a visit to the PT at the store In Step. This is where we purchased our shoes, because they take the time to fit shoes to make sure you get the correct type that will give the support needed. I met with the PT, he took the time to watch how I walked, he actually video tapped my walking on a tread mill. He also checked the calfs muscle stiffness to find out where I was having the pain. Even though I was stretching after the walks, the stretching I was doing was not enough and I was not doing the proper stretches. Then on he also suggested I use a foam roller that is used to work the calf muscles and loosen them up.

Using the foam roller also gives a upper body workout when working the back of the calfs and then it works the stomach muscles when working the front of the legs. Wow after two days, my stomach muscles hurt already. I might actually be able to get some stomach muscles back again.
During the appointment, the PT mentioned I had well developed calf muscles, but I was not bending my ankles when walking. If I did not get the muscles loose, I would continue to have pain and as I tried to walk faster, the pain would just get worse and I would not be able to walk or want to walk the marathon. Since I started doing this on Tuesday, walking has been bearable. The pain has lessened and I can get through the walk with a little less effort.

Training should get better as we start to get into longer walking times and miles. As well as training, we are still fundraising. We have two more events that have just come up. We are going to be planning a Christmas party for kids as a fundraiser. Then we are planning a joint birthday party for Scott and myself. This is also going to be a fundraiser as we celebrate Scott turning 27 and me turning 50. I am hoping we will get support from family and friends and they will come and celebrate with us.

Monday, November 2

2009-11-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it is a new month and we are ending the 40 minutes walk and will be increasing to 45 and 50 minutes. Next week we will actually start with mileage. Last night, I started out before Dan and Scott, because they were not quite ready. I told them that they walk fast enough they will be able to catch up. So, here we go. I know they are behind be somewhere, but cannot hear them. After a little bit, I can finally hear them talking, but wondering why they have not caught up. I figured they were playing with me and figured since I have a slower pace, it should not take long for them to catch up. Well, it came to where the route went down hill and since we have been trying to incorporate some running (if that is what we can call it), i decided to jog. Needless to say, since it was down hill, the pace was a little quicker than they expected. All of a suddent they realized I was moving faster than I originally started. Needless to say they had to pick it up a little to catch up. Finally, we are all walking together. Of course I was out of breath.

After completing the walk, Dan and I went to Erin and Josh's to drop off some milk and potatoes. It was after 8:00 p.m. and we thought Mackenzie would be in bed. To our surprise she was resting with mom, but still up. I decided to sit in the rocking chair to visit a little before we left. All of a suddent, Mackenzie asked to come by me, then she says, " gramma read." She goes to her room, comes back with a book (Merry Christmas Curious George), crawls up on my lap to be read to. This was great! It is not often I get to read a bed time story to Mackenzie. After this, Dan and I got up to leave and Mackenzie crawls back up by mom to snuggle before bed.

What a wonderful way to end an evening.

Group Training

2009-10-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 24, we had our first group walk. Our coach Jen planned out a walk in the Wauwatosa area which was approximately 4 miles. Jackie, Dan, Jen and myself all particpated in this walk. We were missing two. We started out together as Jen discussed attire to wear during the walks and being prepared for the weather.

We met at 7:00 a.m and the morning was cold. This was a good day to experiment with how many layers may be needed as the weather gets colder as we progress through the training. After a little bit, Dan and I went out in front as Jen walked with Jackie. The one thing about the training, everyone walks at different paces, so it is an opportunity to pair up with someone else and get to know others on the team.

As Dan and I walked, Dan was keeping his hands up in his sleeves, his hands were cold (and he did not bring any gloves). Being the good wife, I gave him my gloves. This helped him not to be so tense while walking. Now, you may be thinking that my hands are cold. Always have a backup plan. One of my layers had sleeves with a cuff/mitt that folds over the hands. I was good.

Even though Dan and I walk hills during our training during the week, there was one hill that gave a little more challenge. Even Dan complained his shins hurt. Dan and I finished about 15 minutes earlier than Jackie and Jen. As we waited for them, it gave us the opportunity to stretch. I really noticed at this time my hamstrings were tight. It was a good morning of training.

It has been fun and exciting to be able to train with Dan. It has a different feeling doing this together, totally different from when I trained in 2007/2008 for the Rock n Roll Marathon in Phoenix.

2009-10-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

We have been training, but it has been a challenge some days trying to find the time. We are only walking time right now to just get our endurance built up. In November, we will be starting with miles. One night Scott joined us and I thought Dan walked fast. Dan even made a comment about how I take one and half steps to his one, Dan was taking one and half steps to Scott's one. Scott was thinking about joining us in training for the marathon and participating. I think his bubble got burst when he went to work and tried to get support.

Another night, we went out late and took Mackenzie (our 2 year old granddaughter) with us. What an adventure. It was dark and we needed to take a flashlight. I had one and we Mackenzie always likes to have a flashlight. We gave her one. We tried to get her to shine it out front when a car would come and that is when she would hide it. Then she would shine it up at Dan as he is pushing the stroller, in his face, then he could not see where he was going. It is always fun when the granddaughters come along.

Last night it was actually very warm here, it hit 69 degrees. Dan and I walked at 6:45 p.m. Pretty dark, but it is surprising how many other people are out walking together or with their dog. We have to take advantage of the nice weather when we can right now. Today it is raining, but we will probably use this as a rest day, since I am attending a stretching clinic tonight (if I feel better) and Dan bowls.

Tuesday, October 13

2009-10-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a stressful day for Dan and myself. I arrived home at 5:00 p.m., Dan was not home yet, so I decided to start getting ready to walk because I had a meeting I needed to go to at church. As I was putting my socks on, Dan drives into the subdivision. When he enters the house, Scott says to Dan, you better hurry because mom is ready to go. As we are about to head out the door, we remember Schwans will be coming soon. We have our list created, so we decide to put it on the door and ask Cary to come back later.

Off we go. This time we take a different route in the subdivision and as we are walking, we are listening to birds and I believe we heard the same owl from the night before. One thing I really enjoy about waking in the subdivision is that we never know what we will see or hear.

Writing about the training is not always entertaining, but it helps me to put things into perspective. Again, we are on the 40 minute training schedule for this week. This is to get us use to walking longer time periods, because when we start getting into the longer training days of miles, we will be walking for a minimum of an hour to start before going for 2-3 hours.

As we walked back into our subdivision, the Schwans truck drove past. Yes, it was Cary the Schwans man. We have formed a relationship with Cary and we always enjoy talking to him when he comes each month. It is great to learn how others have handled circumstances in their lives. With the sharing, we learn how these circumstances has made each person stronger in life. Then to our surprise, Cary was the first to actually make a online donation for us. What a blessing he is in friendship.

These are the days that will be challenging, but with the support of family, friends and prayer, we will strive on for the purpose we started this for. To continue to help Emma (our sponsored child) and the many individuals that are affected by blood cancers.

Monday, October 12

2009-10-12T19:35:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of 40 minutes of walking. Dan and I walked through the subdivision across the street. While we were walking we left Scott to start dinner. He had Peyton for the night and we were waiting for Erin and Josh to bring Mackenzie over for the two girls could spend time together. While we were walking, Mackenzie was dropped off and Erin and Josh ran off to Walmart to pick up a few things. Now that left Scott with two 28 month old girls and trying to make dinner.

Dan and I are enjoying our walk together, working on a fast pace and listening to an owl hoot in the trees. Now, Dan and are 3/4 the way through the training when we receive a phone call from Scott asking where we are. I ask him, why, what is going on. He then proceeds to tell us, how he has both Peyton and Mackenzie on his own and his hands are full of flour and dough and he has two little girls that had accidents. I can just imagine the sight. When we arrived home, Scott had both girls by the cutting board helping him roll and dough and cut noodles. He did well.

We finally got dinner finished and had a good time letting the girls play and visiting with the kids.

Week of October 5

2009-10-11T06:16:00.001-07:00

The last time I posted, it was Monday, October 5. On Tuesday, we did walk. I started the walk without Dan because he had to work late. When he met me, I was 3/4 the way through the walk. We finished the walk together before it started to rain. On Wednesday, we walked down the road to Kohl's. It is about 2 miles. Wednesday was to be a rest day, but I figured a shorter walk would be good, plus Dan needed some items to walk in the upcoming cold. Making sure we have the appropriate clothing to walk in the cold weather is so important. There is no wimping out now because it is too cold. Thursday was our rest day, so we did not walk, but Dan did bowl.

Friday morning early we headed out to meet friends (that we know from NWMC) in Holland, MI. Needless to say it rained the whole way and was still raining when we arrived. We could not walk, due to not bringing appropriate rain gear. We ended up driving around for a few hours before being able to check into our hotel. When our friends finally arrived, we went into downtown Holland and did some window shopping. Yes, in the rain. At least it was only drizzling then.

On Saturday morning, we all drove to Grand Rapids, MI and walked around the outside art show and downtown Grand Rapids. Of course, this was after we finally found parking and I thought parking downtown Milwaukee was bad. After saying our good byes, friends headed back to Detroit, MI and Dan and I headed back to the hotel in Holland. The weather was still good, so Dan and I took this opportunity to walk around a small area of Holland to get our training in.

After this, we decided to see a movie (Couples Retreat) and take some time to relax. It was a good weekend with friends.

2009-10-05T19:26:00.001-07:00

Dan and I have been training for a little over a week. The training was off to a slow start, but we are now picking it up. The first week, it was hard to get into the training, we seemed to be busy every night and then it would rain. On Saturday, October 3, Dan had to walk by himself, because I had a work function at Great America. Let me tell you though, I did get my walking in.

Our coach has started our training different this time. When I trained in 2008, I was scheduled to walk so many miles each day. This time, we are just walking so many minutes each day. It does not matter how many miles we walk. Even with this, Dan and I are still pushing for a goal of walking faster than I did in 2008. Now for Dan this is easy, he has long legs and has longer steps than I do. For me, it is about one and half steps for one of Dan's. Dan's goal is to finish the marathon (26.2 miles) in 6 hours. He is hoping to cut a minute off my time of 14 min 51 sec mile.

During our time walking we get to talk and catch up on what is going on. How the day went and what we need to do. Today, Dan was very excited because he actually received his first donation from a co-worker.

So training has started, we are doing it together, which is great! It has also been reassuring, when others let us know that it is great we are facing this challenge together.

To keep up with our progress, please visit our Team page at the link below.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/wi/mardigra10/TeamSaugstad

I look forward to letting you know how we are doing. Thanks for visiting my blog. Brenda

"He give strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." Isaiah 40: 29, 31

Friday, March 14

2008-03-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I have not posted in a while. Yes, I did finish the marathon. I was able to do it within the goal I had set for myself. It was great to participate in the Team In Training Marathon on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Since I have participated, more individuals have come to Dan and myself and are letting us know they have leukemia or they have been recently diagnosed with leukemia. This disease is hitting more and more individuals every day.

After the marathon, my sister, Annette, joined me in Phoenix for a few days of fun. Monday after the marathon she picked me up from the hotel and had to take me to urgent care, because I ended up getting an ear infection in one ear and fluid on the other. After our trip to urgent care, we went to the arboretum and did some hiking on the paths and then up the high path into the mountain. We took many photos and had a great time. On Tuesday, we drove up to Sedona, through Cooperstown and Jerome. Once we arrived in Sedona, we took a Pink Jeep tour. The jeep drove up into the mountains, over large boulders, and off trails. It was great. We were able to experience something new. Annette and I have never taken a trip together before and we found we actually had a good time. We may even think of doing it again.

I took a break from walking for a few weeks, but I have now started up again. I enjoy walking and Dan and I use to walk all the time before I came out of remission and started going through treatments. The walking is great to release stress and just get some time outside.

I started walking before Dan, Don (my brother) and I traveled to Albuquerque. I thought I would be able to walk there, but I only was able to get on the treadmill one night. We did walk through Old Town and then took a tram ride up Sandia Mountain. The three of us had a great time, touring a small area of Albuquerque.

I just returned from Phoenix from a work trip. In Phoenix, once again, this time I stayed at the Hilton Tapatio. It is a resort set in/on a mountain. The few days I was there, I was able to get out and walk. The first day, I walked up the road that led to a restaurant on top of the mountain. The concierge said this hill gave even the best athletes a battle. Well, he was right. On Sunday, I friend from California joined me. We decided not to walk all the way up to the restaurant, but if you get to the bottom of the hill that leads to the restaurant, you have done the worst. On Monday and Tuesday, another individual from UW Whitewater decided to join me. We walked the entire hill on Monday. On Tuesday, we did not finish the last part up to the restaurant. We decide to walk one more trip around the hotel area where the roads were not as steep. The view from the top of the mountain was beautiful. Walking up just for the view was worth it. While we took in the view, we could catch our breath before starting the journey down.

Saturday, December 15

2007-12-18T08:48:00.000-08:00

Today is the day. It is the test, can we make the long haul. It is 18-20 miles. We have decided to meet at the Petit Center, since it is snowing again. 18 miles is 63 laps around the ice rink. At least in the Petit Center, there are other things going on. There is speed skating, hockey game, and figure skating going on.

Karen, Beth, Lori, Khris and myself have all met to start our walking together. There is no way we will all stay together for the entire walk since we walk at different paces. Khris is not feeling well, so she is taking it easy. Karen is coming in and out to have the opportunity to walk with each of us for a lap or two. Karen brought a clicker with her and Dan gave me a counter that he used for baseball umpiring to keep track of laps. My counter only went up to 19, so I had to reset and keep track of where I was.

Lori (she is one of our mentors) left early, she was not feeling well either and her training for Anchorage, Alaska does not officially start until February, so she needs to be healthy. Beth finished her 11 miles, Khris, with not feeling well, only did 11 miles. Karen left when Beth did, so I was the last to leave and to complete the 18 miles. I wish I had my MP3 player with me right now. But, it still sent quickly with watching figure skating lessons and hockey training.

It is definitely more difficult to walk this many miles in an oval. It is harder on the legs, hips and muscles. Definitely more stretching has to be done during the walk and after the walk. Next weekend, it is 16 miles.

Even though, many times I finish on my own, I would not give up this training. I do enjoy the walking and having a few purposes for the training. With this marathon, I will be making a difference in someone's life.

Week of Sunday, December 9 - Saturday, December 15

2007-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am still on R&R. I have to start walking soon, my muscles are getting sore from not walking. It is now Wednesday and I decide to get on the treadmill. It is a slow process and I do not do many miles, but it is a start. On Thursday, I get on the treadmill once again, I walk more miles but at a slower pace, that is OK, I am walking and training again. Friday, I have off of work, I decided to check out the roads. I drive the route I used to walk, it is pretty clear. If I head out a little later, most of the traffic is gone. The sun is shining and it helps in walking since it is still cold. I am dressed in two layers on my legs, 4 layers on my upper half, with 3 layers on my arms. I put on a hat and have a covering for my face if I need it. I grab the MP3 player and I am on my way. I decide I am going to attempt 5 miles today. I start walking and all of a sudden I realize I am further into my walk than expected and it feels really good to be outside again. The 5 miles went by in no time and I felt like I had accomplished a milestone once again. I hope I am ready for Saturday, December 15, 18 - 20 miles.

Week of December 2 - 8

2007-12-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

Now it has gotten too dangerous to walk outside with the snow and ice. The roads are not clear enough to stay out of the way of traffic. I have stated earlier I do not like my treadmill, but this week, the treadmill is becoming my worst best friend. We have been spending time together trying to pass the miles while starring at 4 walls. The TV does not always help, the MP3 player helps, but walking on the treadmill just gets old, not going anywhere. One night, Dan was sitting in the family room watching TV and talking to me, that helped the time to go by quicker.

Then, it hit me, I caught the cold bug. I was to meet with Karen on Friday, December 7 to walk 16 miles, because Saturday was already booked. Karen contacted me to let me know she could not walk because of still not being fully recovered. I mentioned I was down with a cold, and she recommended that I do not walk the 16 miles, my body had to recover from the cold, or I would not be able to walk the full marathon. She was not worried about me missing the mileage, since I have been training all along. So, rest it is.

Saturday, December 1

2007-12-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

Today, I met with some of the others from the team. The full marathon individuals had to walk 14 miles. This is the longest that we have done so far. Before we started, we decided to get a photo of the 3 of us, Khris (full marathon), Karen (coach) and myself. Karen walked with us for most of the miles, but because she was ill earlier, she did not walk the full 14 miles with Khris and myself.

Once Karen left, Khris and I were on our own. This was definitely a chilly day and we also wanted to finish the walk because we were due to get snow. Khris and I finished before the snow started. We met up at the end with two runners and as we were talking and stretching it started to snow. I left quickly because I had to head up to Mequon where Erin was playing in an alumni basketball game (I was already late) and I was picking up Mackenzie to take her to a Christmas party and to see Santa. I now have Mackenzie and it is snowing harder, I was taking it easy, there were already a few spinouts and an accident. I am down on the south side of Milwaukee, where the freeway splits to go south towards the airport and west. I was about one mile from the exit where I needed to get off, when a car slows down to get behind a semi-truck. I decided to move over ( was only going 25 mph, as it was), as I moved over, my car fish tailed out of control and I went off the road. Mackenzie slept through the whole incident, but it was scary. The thoughts that went through my mind is that I have new tires and I do not want the car to flip, I was on a grassy slope. Neither of us were hurt, I was more shaken up, Mackenzie had no idea what was happening.

After 3 hours of Dan and his mom waiting with me on the side of the road (in Dan's van), and a police officer waiting behind us to make sure the tow truck he called showed up, I was finally pulled off the grassy slope. When I started to drive the car to the nearest exit, the car would not get any traction. The car continued to slide when traveling 5-10 mph. We finally made it to the destination and then home.

I found out later that the tires that were put on my car are not tires for snow. I called the dealership that put the tires on my car, after about a week, they decided to check out the tires and confirmed what I have been telling them that the tires were bad. Now I am waiting for new tires.

Saturday, November 24

2007-11-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

It is Saturday after Thanksgiving. It is a 14 mile day. Definitely a good walk to work off the Thanksgiving meal. Today, Lori, Jen and Mary joined Beth (1/2 marathon) and myself. Khris was out of town for the holiday. We started out together, then Jen and I picked up the pace since I had to walk 14 miles and Beth only 8 miles. Everyone, but me was only looking at walking the 8 miles, because Jen and Lori had to flyer the Christmas parade in Grafton.

Jen walked with me to the Shorewood sign on Lake Drive on the East side of Milwaukee. Then she told me I was on my own. Jen did mention when she got back to her vehicle she would drive by to see how I was doing. I had to walk further north to make up the 2 miles we cut off by not walking the point by the McKinley Marina. Now, I am on my own and not sure where I was going. I finally saw the sign for Big Bay Park and looking to see which way I had to go, but then to my surprise, Jen and Lori were walking across the street to let me know where I needed to go. This is definitely what having mentors is all about. They were able to direct in the right direction and then again I was on my own. I was able to finish the 14 miles in about 3 hours and 10 minutes.

After walking, I went home to start Christmas cookie baking. I invited Abby, from church, to help with baking. Erin was there with Mackenzie wrapping Christmas gifts. Another long, but fruitful day.

Tuesday, November 20

2007-11-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

The three of us training for the PF Chang marathon who have been meeting for team walks decided to get together for a 5 mile walk. Sheila, an alumni, was able to join us. The four of us headed out after getting a few pictures before we started. We went about 5.2 miles and then headed home to start preparations for Thanksgiving. Again, it is always great to be able to walk and take the time to get to know another individual. We decided that we would continue to try to get together at least once each week for a team walk. As I mentioned earlier, we took some pictures, but I cannot get them transferred off the camera. We will have to take new pictures to post them on the site. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Saturday, November 17

2007-11-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

What an early morning, had to drive to the lake front to meet with the team for a group walk. I finally met Khris, the other individual who is walking the full marathon. It was nice, because we walk at about the same speed, so we can keep each other focused. Today, it was 12 miles. This is the longest training so far. We finished the 12 miles in 3 hours and 10 minutes. That did include some stops on the way for Gatorade and a snack if needed. After the first Gatorade stop, Khris and I started to walk a faster pace and so we got quite a bit ahead of the individuals training for the 1/2 marathon. The 1/2 marathon training was 8 miles.

During this walk, we were able to talk to Team In Training alumni. They will come and walk with us to mentor and keep us motivated. It is always fun to hear about their past marathons and how many they did and what they are training for now.

After finishing the walk, Dan and I traveled to Babcock, Wisconsin, to Jeremiah's Crossing. We were planning on helping with a project on the ranch and learning more skills in training Journey. Before going to the ranch, we traveled to Marshfield to check into the hotel. After checking in, we went to the ranch where Erin and Mackenzie will be joining us. Finally, when we all went back to the hotel, we had everything on a cart and we headed for the elevators. We all got into the first elevator, hit the 3rd floor button, the elevator car did not move. We hit the alarm, no one came. Then we hit the emergency phone button, the alarms and intercom went off and finally someone from the hotel was on the phone. (Of course, I do not like elevators to start with, after being caught in one). Someone suggested we should try to open the doors, so Dan was able to push them open and we found out we never moved. We then proceeded to empty the cart and carry everything up to the 3rd floor. Between 3 of us, it was not too bad, good thing Dan and I checked in earlier. After arriving at our room, to our dismay our room keys did not work. Now, I had to go back to the registration desk to have our keys re-encoded and then back up to the 3rd floor.

Finally, we are getting settled. Erin goes in to the bathroom, sees some tissue in the toilet, so decides to flush it, now we have a plugged toilet and a wet floor. Does the excitement never end?! Well it did and we settled down to feed Mackenzie and get some rest.

Monday, November 19

2007-11-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

Today, the MP3 player and I went for our usual walk. During this walk, I was greeted by individuals and their dogs. It is always nice to see another individual in the morning, knowing you are not alone. I also met an older gentleman as I passed by him twice before I actually met up with him at the dent. During the second time around, he smiled and said, "I saw your twin on the other road." When I met up with him at the end of the 4 miles, he asked how many I was walking. I told him 4 today and that I was training for a marathon. He thought that was great, and then stated that when the weather permits, he walks about 2 miles and it takes him about 50 minutes.

We said good bye as he was on his last part back to his house and I turned into our driveway. You never know who we are going to meet, when trying to make a difference for others.

November 12 - 16

2007-11-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

This was another week of me and the MP3 player for the 4-5 mile walks each day. During this week, I actually had the opportunity to watch two deer walk across the road just a few yards in front of me during two different areas of the route. What a site to see. I bet the deer hunters wish they were there with me and it was hunting season.

On Friday this week, it was about 7:20 a.m. and it was really quiet during the walk. All of a sudden, I heard this sound, (like a bike tire coming to a quick stop and sliding across pavement). I jumped, along with my heart to my throat, turned around to see a squirrel about 3 feet off the ground moving toward a tree (it was like seeing Rocky, the flying squirrel).

Dan was hoping to start walking with me again soon, but he received a phone call from the doctors office, stating the molds for his orthotics were destroyed. He had to return to the doctors office to get the new molds made and now wait another few weeks.

November 5 - 9

2007-11-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

I know I putting this week together. Nothing really happened this week and I need to catch up. On Wednesday, I went to meet for the group walk at the Lake Bistro, downtown Milwaukee. Well needless to say, I was the only walker that showed up with all the runners. I was feeling a little left out. The nice thing about having coaches is, one of the coaches (the runners coach), MaryAnn said she would walk the 4 miles with me. She said I could set the pace, but she pretty much did, but then again she is a runner. I was able to keep up with her, just a few shin pains, but on the way back, no problem. Had to get my legs muscles warmed. It gave me a chance to get to know someone else from the TNT team.

Found out later that the walkers are not following the schedule that was originally set, even though it stated it was for the runners, we still followed it. I am hoping that the walkers can get a schedule set-up to meet during the week sometime to walk together. I have always enjoyed this time, walking with other TNT team members.

Sunday, November 4

2007-11-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

There was a group walk on Saturday, where I would have walked 10 miles, but I could not make the group walk, due to being out of town for work for the day. Because of this, I had to plan to walk today. On the weekends, I call Sarah and see if she is available to walk, the time goes by so much faster.

Church lasted longer for Sarah and us, than expected, so we got a late start and Sarah had to leave by 2:30 p.m. So she came and walked 5 miles with me. We walked back to the house after the 5 miles and Erin and Josh were already there. We sat for Mackenzie the night before and they came to pick her up.

I talked Erin into walking the last 5 miles with me. She packed up Mackenzie, the guys were watching the Packer game. We walked about 2 and 1/2 miles and then we called to have Dan come and get Mackenzie, she had fallen asleep in the front pack carrier. Dan came out and got Mackenzie, then Erin and I finished the last 2 and 1/2 miles, before heading home to make dinner.

It was great to have Sarah and Erin join me for this walk. It was the first double digit walk I had to do since I started training. Thank you

Friday, November 2

2007-11-15T10:17:00.002-08:00

Tonight, it was 4 miles and I have company. Dan decided he would walk with me, even though his feet are bothering him. Next week to he goes to the doctor to get molds made of his feet to get some orthotics made.

During this walk, the sky is clear and we can see the stars and Dan locates the big dipper. It is always amazing even though we walk the same routes, what new things we see each time.

Friday, November 2

2007-11-15T10:17:00.001-08:00

Thursday, November 1

2007-11-15T09:58:00.001-08:00

Well, it is back to reality again. I am walking the familiar route once again. Dan went bowling, co I am on my own for walking, but I had to get it done, before Scott came over. He was coming down to the bowling alley with Peyton, but we were heading to the grocery store first.

Even though the time change has not taken place, it is still dark by the time I finish. Some parts of the walk seem to get longer in the dark. So, here I am walking down the middle of the road, listening to the MP3 player and swinging a flashlight.

Monday, October 29

2007-11-13T13:14:00.000-08:00

I'm still in Dallas and I have to walk 4-5 miles today. I decided to rise early and meet the group for the group walk once again. This will be the last day we will be walking as a group because the conference ends tomorrow. Again, there is about 8 of us ready to walk. This time the individual that led the walkers on Sunday, decided to run. We were on our own, but I was somehow asked to lead the way, because I knew somewhat where we were going because of the walking I did on Saturday. We walked and visited for about two miles and headed back to the hotel to get ready for the sessions. When the sessions ended for the day, I headed back to the fitness room to walk another 4 miles on the treadmill. The sad part was, my batteries in the MP3 player died and I did not get out to purchase any before now. I walked to the music in the room and hum of the treadmill.

After finishing my walk, I headed out to see the JFK museum, where Oswald hid on the 6th floor. I did not get to tour the museum, because I got there with only 1/2 hour left. I got scammed into listening to a local tell me his version of how JFK was shot and show me where the to "X's" were located on the on ramp to the highway where the bullets first hit JFK and where the fatal shot was.

Now off to dinner at the House of Blues and then back to the hotel to see what I can fit into my suitcase to fly back home on Tuesday.

Sunday, October 28

2007-11-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

I am still in Dallas, it is not a scheduled walk day, but I decided it would be good to do something. This morning I was up at 5:45 a.m., just enough time to brush my teeth and pull my hair back and head down to the lobby. The conference had planned a walk/run group. I thought this would be a good way to meet some other individuals at the conference. There were about 8 of us that gathered, introduced ourselves and went on our way. We walked about 3 miles and then back to get ready for the conference.

As we walked, in the dark, there was not a lot of traffic, it was Sunday. We saw a few police officers, but we also passed by some homeless individuals, who slept not in cardboard boxes or with blankets, but sitting upright on the bus stop bench.

This time of the morning is definitely a time to walk with others. The experience was great!

Saturday, October 27

2007-11-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

It is Saturday morning in Dallas. I wake up and it is still dark at 7:30 a.m. I think to myself, great, I guess I have to start walking on the treadmill. I am not walking in the dark in Dallas by myself. I grab the MP3 player, find a radio station and head to the fitness room. I have checked out the fitness room the day before to see what type of treadmills they have. There are just a few others that are in the fitness room. I claim one of the treadmills, hook up the MP3 player and watch one of the TV screens in front of me at the same time. I have to walk 10 miles today, this is going to be a long time on the treadmill. The treadmill I am on is by a window, so I am able to watch the sun come up. I walk 5 miles on the treadmill and then decide that I am going to try to walk the route that was mapped out for me the day before by the shuttle driver.

I head back to my room, grab my fuel belt, fill the water bottle with Powerade, grab some gum, identification and my cell phone. I was just talking to one of the students at work on Thursday before I left, how I always walk at home with no identification and no cell phone. I always talk to students about not carrying identification on them, but then what do I do the same thing. I decided that being in another state, I better not do that.

The walk outside was great, it was warm,(not as warm as the fitness room). As I am trying to follow the route, I pass the place where JFK was shot, (but did not know it until later) and the "AA" building (sports arena). This is where the route was looking right, I stopped an officer and asked where a street was, his reply was,"They changed the name of that street." You will have to go back to the corner and turn left. I follow his directions, but Dallas is not on a grid, so it is hard to decipher where I was going, not being familiar with the area. The good thing about where the hotel was, it had a rotating restaurant attached, so you could see the ball (restaurant) from a distance. I ended up cutting off part of the route, but found my way to another part of it. At the end, I was a little short of the mileage, so I walked around an area that I was familiar with a few times and was able to get the rest of the mileage in. During the walk, the locals would watch and they could tell I was not from Dallas. ( I just don't know what gave me away, map in my hand and being dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt). While I was walking a few of the locals would cheer me on saying, "You are doing good." It was amusing. After this, I decided that the next day I had to walk which was Monday, that it was going to be on the treadmill.

Friday, October 26

2007-11-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Today I was up early and off to the airport. I was traveling to Dallas, TX for work. During my travel, it was on my mind on how was I going to walk 10 miles on Saturday. When I spoke to individuals at home about finding a route to walk, they would look at me and say, "You are not walking in Dallas, the hotel must have a treadmill." My goal was to find some place to walk outside, treadmill, boring....

When I arrived in Dallas, I caught a super shuttle to the Hyatt. After dropping off the other two riders, I asked the driver if he knew of a safe route and one about 5 miles long that I could walk. After explaining to him that I needed to walk the 10 miles in training for a marathon, he was more than willing to show me a route on a map and drive part of the route to get mileage.

After arriving at the Hyatt, checking in and getting settled, I decided to check out the area and find a place to have lunch. I took my map and another map that I received from desk services and proceeded to find my way from the hotel and through a tunnel to get to the main street (Houston) in Dallas. In the tunnel, I asked two men, who looked like they knew where they were going, how to get up to the street level. They did not know, but a local woman overheard and said she knew where I wanted to go and she would show me. I decided to ask her if she knew of a good route and showed her the map from the shuttle driver. Her comments to me were, "You are going to walk, take the train." I said, "I did not want to take the train, I needed to walk and find where things were." She kept on insisting on the train, but finally pointed me in the right direction to Houston Street.

I found a restaurant which was tex-mex after a few wrong turns. What a way to get to learn the city. I talked to the waiter and asked his opinion on the route mapped. He said it was a good route and it would be safe as long as it was done in the daylight. Now, I think I am ready for Saturday. I start to plan out the time schedule, since I needed to be ready by noon, when the conference started.

Wednesday, October 24 - Story Time

2007-10-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

Today is a rest day. That means I do not have to walk any set miles.

It has been fun when I talk to individuals about committing to a marathon. Many of the responses have been "You are going to run a marathon!" I reply, "No, I'm not a runner, I am walking it." They snicker and ask, "How far?" I reply, "26.2 miles." Then the statement comes, "You are only walking it?" Some of you who have done a marathon, know that you are not only walking it. Walking takes as much commitment and training as running. It has been interesting hearing the different responses and the conversations this brings around. Just recently, a co-worker asked if I remembered the "Hunger Walk" we used to do as kids. Where we would walk 30 miles, carry backpacks, stop for lunch and take all day to walk the route. We discussed how we used to walk that barefoot, in sandals and the worst we ever came back with was blisters. What a memory.

When I decided to train for the marathon, I sent an e-mail to family and friends. My brother, Don IM's me and lets me know he forwarded my e-mail to everyone in the company he works for. I was surprised, but grateful. I asked him if he introduced me when sent out the e-mail. Sure he says and he sent me a copy of the e-mail. It was great... His introduction was, "Brenda is my youngest sister. If anyone would like to send in a couple bucks towards her goal, I would be mighty grateful. thanks." This just made me smile. Thanks Don, since I know you are critiquing my blogging.

Tuesday, October 23

2007-10-24T11:31:00.001-07:00

It is Tuesday morning and it is dark and cold and I decide to walk before heading into work. I grab a jacket and Dan's MP3 player and head out the door. As I walk, I listen to the FISH (105.3) radio station and laugh at the comments of the DJ's. The subdivision is pretty quiet in the morning. The only hustle and bustle is kids waiting for the school bus. This was a very uneventful walk, but I am definitely awake for my ride into work.

It has now been one month since I started training for the marathon. I have walked approximately 100 miles. As I train, my muscles are getting used to the work out and I am finding I am not as tired after walking each evening. I never thought I would say this, but I actually like some fo the Powerade flavors.

Monday, October 22

2007-10-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it is raining and I still have to walk. Dan with his lame foot decides he will keep me company for the four mile walk. He has only been coming with me on the short walks because the bottom of his foot is swollen and sore. He finally sees the doctor tonight. I may lose one of my walking partners after tonight.

Finally, we put on our shoes and jacket and head out. It is just sprinkling at this time. We walk in in the subdivision across the street from our house. It has some good routes with hills and flat areas (sometimes it feels like mostly hills). We take this time to catch up on our days and maybe think about what we might want to make for dinner. As we walk, Dan is always looking for deer or wild turkeys. Tonight, in the one place we usually see the turkeys, they were not there. Dan makes a comment about them not being there, my comment back to him was: "They are smarter than us and took cover in the rain." At this time, we were getting a little goofy and decided to sing, "We're Singing in the Rain." Good thing nobody was out, they wouldn't want to hear us sing. We are coming to the end of the walk, now the rain is coming down harder; we can see it in the headlights from the cars that pass. A few times we were able to get some shelter from the trees overhead. By the time we arrived home, we were wet, but having fun.

Sunday, October 21

2007-10-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Dan, Erin, Mackenzie (grandaughter) and I traveled to Babcock, WI, to help some friends reconstruct a garage on their ranch (Jeremiah's Crossing). During the reconstruction, we were using a phone truck to help lift the sides of the garage. During one of the lifts a strap hook lost a piece. Dan and Roger were able to rig the hook for we could continue to move the walls and set them in place. Near the end, when trying to move the front wall out of the way, the wall got tangled in a tree and slipped out of the straps. Erin and I were below the wall guiding, so as the wall started to slip we both started to run as we watched the wall turn in the air and start to fall. Erin ran one way and as the wall shifted, it started to move the way she ran. To protect herself, she put her hands up and pushed the wall. Her pushing, actually settled the wall into place for it did not tip any further. Well that was the end of working on the garage for Erin. At this time, she decided to go and get the pony (Journey) out of the paddock and take him to the round pen for training. She worked with him for awhile, then Eli was showing her how to get him to move without the harness and trot around the round pen under his direction. Kathleen, then worked with him, then of course, since Dan and I committed to learn to train the horse, I attempted to work with Journey also. Then Roger stepped in and demonstrated some techniques in training Journey. With what Roger demonstrated, I was able to end on a good note in training Journey.

I know this is suppose to be about my training for the PF Chang marathon. The training of the horses has taught how important it is to keep training and bettering oneself it what they commit to do.

Finally, Erin, Mackenzie, Kathleen and I went for a walk on the property, back into the woods over some rough terrain. Even though this walk did not consist of many miles (only about two) it still helps in preparation for the marathon. I have always enjoyed walking in the woods and on trails. If I do another marathon, I may have to think about the one held in Anchorage, Alaska. I hear there is more nature during the marathon route.

Saturday, October 20

2007-10-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I was scheduled to walk 8 miles. I wanted to start walking by 10:00 a.m. for I could be home between 12:00 and 12:30 for I had time to get some things done before having to bowl at 4:00 p.m. In waiting to see if a friend was going to be available to walk with me, I decided to wait until 10:15 a.m. I guess there was a reason for this delay. During this time, Scott called stating he was running out of gas on the way to our house to do his laundry. So, I had to take some gas to him for he could get to a gas station. When he finally makes it to our house, he realized he forgot the diaper bag, so he had no diapers or formula for Peyton (granddaughter). As a good mother and grandmother, I went to the store to make a few purchases.

Finally, Sarah and I are ready to walk and it is 11:45 a.m. We decided to take along some powerade and sport beans and started on the walk. We walked from my house through Sussex and past Quad Graphics. Usually, when Sarah and I walk she is more prepared, because she trained for a triathlon this past summer, and she was scheduled to participate in the marathon with me in Phoenix. Today, since Sarah has not been walking much due to her college classes, for once I was more prepared. Walking long miles with Sarah, always gives us a chance to catch up and have some fun. As we stopped to stretch along the way, we laughed as we attempted to work out some cramps. Since neither of us had a big breakfast, the smell of food kept tempting us to stop, but we kept going and eventually made it back home where Sarah crashed on the lawn. I always enjoy walking with Sarah, because we have fun and the time flies by. I am going to miss Sarah during the marathon, but she has a great opportunity to travel to Africa with school and earn 3 credits towards her nursing degree. As she is excited for me to go the Phoenix and participate in the PF Chang's Rock n Roll marathon, I am as excited for her to visit Africa.

Basics of Training

2007-10-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

Since I started training on September 23 I have walked approximately 100 miles in preparation for the 26.2 marathon to take place in Phoenix, Arizona on January 13.

In preparation for this, I attended a Team In Training meeting to learn about the purpose of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. What the expectations are of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and each individual. With the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 75% of what is raised is used

I met with coaches from the Team In Training program who set a training schedule, gave instruction on stretching and nutritional guidelines. Also, we have group walks a few times a month to meet with coaches and get the opportunity to get to know other team members. The team walks have been very encouraging, remembering our mission and purpose.