My First Day of Training!

Today was day one of week one of my training for the 3-Day. My plan for today was easy walking for three miles- and I did it!

I began planning for the walk by driving my car around the neighborhood the evening before the walk. I used the odometer in the car to measure a three mile walk. I'm lucky because I live in an area that has a loop that measured exactly 1.5 miles. I decided to walk it twice to complete my route. I know that driving my car didn't exactly measure the same distance as I walked, but for me I consider it close enough. I am lucky to have access to a treadmill but I trained for and jogged a 5K last year and only trained on the treadmill. On the day of the run my body was in for a jolt when I started to run on the pavement. I developed bad shin splints and knew I would do my very best to train for this event outside as much as the weather permits.

I read on the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure website that during the event the pace is about 3 miles per hour. I decided to shoot for just over that time.

I knew tonight would be a tough night to fit in over an hour of walking because my schedule was packed so I laid out my walking pants, tee shirt, socks and shoes the night before. When I got home from work I was ready to go! I put the leash on my walking partner, Miss Ruby (my dog in the picture above) and headed out the door. I asked my husband John to take a quick picture of the two of us before our official journey began. I stretched a bit (focusing on my calves and thighs) and I was off!

I was surprised at how long three miles felt to me, but I finished all three miles in about 50 minutes- under my target!

Tomorrow, I will be cross training for 30 minutes focusing on leg strength. My plan is to walk on the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes and to do one cycle of the weight machines with leg exercises. I'll let you know how it goes. Here's hoping I'm not too sore tomorrow!

How is your training going? I'd love to hear about your schedule and if you have any tips!

Sign Up for the Cardiff Training Kick-Off Event

I just signed up for the Training Kick-Off Event taking place this Saturday, June 12th at the New Balance store in Cardiff, California between 6:45 a.m - 10:00 a.m.

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure website describes this Training Kick-Off Event as "a beautiful and exhilarating flat coastal 3-mile walk led by our wonderful volunteer training walk leaders." Sounds gorgeous, right? Plus, since I'm beginning my training this week, this is perfectly timed.

The Trainig Kick-Off will be at the New Balance store at 2009 Newcastle Avenue in Cardif, California. Click here for directions from Google Maps. The schedule for the event is:

6:45 a.m. Training walk sign-in begins

7:10 a.m. Clinic begins

7:30 a.m. First 3-mile training walk departs

8:15 a.m. Training walk sign-in begins

8:40 a.m. Clinic begins

9:00 a.m. Second 3-mile training walk departs

The schedule repeats so you can attend either walk or clinic.

The clinic will be hosted by New Balance and will focus on apparel and shoes for the 3-Day. I've been to the New Balance store myself and have found the staff to be overwhelmingly well-trained and knowledgable about shoes and how to match the proper shoe to your activity and foot shape and size.

The Training Kick-Off Event should also be a great way to meet other walkers. Since I still haven't met any other walkers in person yet I am really looking forward to talking to people as excited about the 3-Day as I am!

The Training Kick-Off Event page on the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure site mentions you should arrive 30 to 45 minutes early for either walk and they also suggest bringing a jacket (since the coast can get chilly and windy) as well as a water bottle. Parking for the event will be on the streets surrounding the store.

As an added benefit the Cardiff New Balance store also offers shoe recycling. They will be accepting old shoes to "pass them on to someone who needs them". Pretty great, right?

If you'd like to attend the Cardiff Training Kick-Off Event you must R.S.V.P. Click here to read more about the event and to sign up.

I hope to see you all there!

Time to Hit the Pavement!

This is where the rubber meets the road, as they say! Today I am beginning my (slightly modified) 16-Week training schedule to gear up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure!

I know I have more than 16 weeks until the San Diego event, from November 19th through the 21st. I have just over 24 weeks to be exact. However, I decided to try the 16-week schedule because I've been walking regularly for a while now.

I found great 16 and 24-week training schedules in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure Participant Handbook. Since I registered to walk online, my handbook is available to me online and I love being able to access it at any time. I just modified the 16-week schedule to meet my needs and my calendar. This week I'll be starting on Wednesday (due to the lengthy Memorial Day weekend). Now all I have left to do is to start training!

Here's my training schedule for the upcoming week, Week One:

-Wednesday: Easy Walking, 3 miles

-Thursday: Cross training, focus on leg strength, 30 minutes

-Friday: Moderate Walking, 4 miles

-Saturday: Cross training, focus on arm and core strength, 30 minutes

I will start Week Two on Sunday, June 6th.

So have you started your training program yet? How are you structuring your walking schedule? Do you have any hints or tips about training for long-distance walking? I'd love to hear how you're doing it!

Please keep in mind, this is my personal training schedule. It is important to consult a physician before beginning any exercise regimen. I am not a professional, I'm just a woman trying to get in shape while raising funds and awareness for a cause dear to my heart.

Upcoming June 2010 Get Started Meetings in the San Diego Area!

June 2010 is going to be a busy month in the San Diego area for 3-Day walkers! I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality and quantity of events to help us geared up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure...and I've only attended a few!

The Get Started Meetings are described on the official Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure website as an event to "provide you with the information and inspiration you are looking for." These meetings are for newbies or people who are walking veterans. You can register at the meeting and receive your registration kit right away. If you are already registered, the meetings will also cover fundraising information. From personal experience attending a Get Started Meeting last year, I loved watching the touching videos and slide shows about the walk, meeting other walkers and just being around people as excited as I was about the event!

There are several Get Started Meetings scheduled in the San Diego Area this month. Just follow the highlighted link to head to that event's page:

-Tonight! Tuesday, June 1, 2010 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm: Carlsbad, California at the Hilton Garden Inn at 6450 Carlsbad Boulevard, 92011.

-Thursday, June 3, 2010 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm: San Diego, California at the Pacific Athletic Club (PAC) at 12000 Carmel Country Road, 92130. I've RSVP'd for this event and can't wait to meet fellow walkers there!

-Wednesday, June 9, 2010 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm: San Diego, California at the Hilton Garden Inn in Rancho Bernardo at 17240 Bernardo Center Drive, 92128.

-Thursday, June 17, 2010 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm: Encinitas, California at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas at = 354 Santa Fe Drive, Encinitas, 92024.

-Tuesday, June 22, 2010 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm: San Leandro, California at the San Leandro Library at 300 Estudillo Avenue, San Leandro, 94577.

-Wednesday, June 23, 2010 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm San Diego, California at the College-Rolando Branch Library at 6600 Montezuma Road, San Diego, 92115.

-Tuesday, June 29, 2010 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm San Diego, California at the Allied Gardens-Benjamin Branch Library at 5188 Zion Ave, San Diego, 92120.

If you can't make it to one of these meetings listed, they also have Get Started Meetings over the phone! I don't know much about these, but the calendar for all events is here and you can find the phone meetings and information about them there.

Unless otherwise noted, the Get Started Meetings do require an RSVP through the link on the website.

To check out other events or to find Get Started Meetings in your area just click here. You can filter the calendar by your state, zip code and event types to get a more focused list.

If you have an upcoming event you would like me to post on this site, please email me at kmorris at wildcatdiscovery dot com and I'll be more than happy to feature it.

Have you been to a Get Started Meeting before? What did you think? Are you planning on attending one soon? I'd love to hear what your plans are in the comments.

I Am Walking the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure!

The other day I was on Twitter checking out different Tweets about the 2010 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. Looking around I'll often find inspiring posts about the amazing distances women have walked while training, touching reasons why people have decided to take up the challenge of walking 60 miles in three days, and I even find Tweets from women struggling with breast cancer themselves. These women within the social media community may not know it, but they are a huge part of my decision to sign up and walk myself.

About two months ago I lost an amazing friend, Barbara Thomas. She died after several bouts of fighting the disease of breast cancer. I had only known Barb for three years, but I met her while she was volunteering and she made an immediate and deep impact on the way I look at my life today. Barb was a woman that did everything "big". You know, one of those "go big or go home" types of people. She had a big laugh, a bigger heart and a big disease to fight. Barbara battled breast cancer for over five years.

When I heard that Barbara had passed away, I immediately thought of how her willingness to give so freely to others had inspired me. I felt an overwhelmingly sad loss, but I also vowed to give back a little bit of what Barbara would have if she was still with us on Earth.

The night before I was to attend her funeral I was ironing my "funeral dress" and casually watching television to keep my mind off of the loneliness I was feeling. I saw a commercial for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure and I knew right away I had to sign up and walk in memory of Barb. I didn't even think twice the distance (60 miles!), that I'd never been in an organized walk before, that there was a lot of fundraising involved, or that I didn't know a soul who would be walking. In that moment, I could only think of Barb and her dedication to helping others and how I wanted to keep her spirit alive by doing my very best to do the same.

I'm not nearly the woman Barbara Thomas was. I'm just Katy Morris, a 34-year-old wife, a Purchasing Agent for a small chemistry lab, and a "mom" to my 20 year old cat Sodie and my terror of a Terrier, Miss Ruby. I love blogging and interacting with people from all over the world through social media sites, and spending time with my amazing friends here in San Diego. I love San Diego because the beautiful weather allows me to spend a lot of time outside hiking, walking and playing in the ocean.

Earlier in this post I mentioned I was on Twitter looking at Tweets about the 3-Day. That same day I came across a post by @EnergizerBunny. They provided a link to Energizer's Facebook fan page with an announcement that they were looking for people participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk to be Energizer Brand Ambassadors. Energizer has been a sponsor of the walk for many years now and their motto is "Keep Going"! I had to laugh because I can just imagine my dear friend Barbara Thomas telling me to "Keep Going" when I feel like I can't walk another step. She was that supportive.

I would love to be Energizer's Brand Ambassador before and during the San Diego Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure because I think my motivation for walking for my friend Barbara coincides perfectly with their "energizing" message to "Keep Going". I would also love the platform to talk about the wonderful experience of training for and walking the 3-Day. I think my passion for social media and the requirements of being their Brand Ambassador are also a great fit.

Whether I'm chosen or not, I feel so empowered right now, blogging about (and telling the whole world about) my commitment to walk the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. There's no going back now, and Barbara wouldn't have it any other way!