Let's talk about Friday's 10-miler, and future goals

It is hard to believe that we just wrapped up week 5!  15 more weeks to go.. So far our weeks have looked something like this.

Monday: 3 Mile walk
Tuesday: 3 Mile walk
Wednesday: 4 Mile walk
Thursday: Rest Day
Friday: Long Walk (this week's was 10 miles)
Saturday: 45 Minutes of Cross Training
Sunday: 30 Minute Walk or 30 Minutes of Cross Training.

Up to this point we have stuck to our walking schedule pretty firmly.  I think week 4 was lacking due to Memorial Day but other than that, we've stuck to walking 4 days a week and keeping up with the mileages.  I think I speak for Joanna as well when I say that we really haven't done the cross-training portion...at all.  I mean both of us try to stay ACTIVE on the weekends or maybe even do a short walk but do we really DO 45 minutes of Cross Training...No.  So as we wrap up week 5, we are at the 25% complete mark.  My personal goal for the next 5 week period is to add in clean eating.  What that looks like is lots of lean proteins; chicken, tilapia, and egg whites.  My goal is 30-40 grams of carbs per meal MAX, and cutting out the da-gum SUGAR!  I am admittedly a sugar-aholic and it needs to come to an end.  Every. Single. Time I east sugar it feels like poison surging through my veins.  I get tired, irritable...it's not good.  I'm also making it a point to drink 1.5L per day of this stuff....

Normally $2.79 per 1.5L bottle.  This month our local health food store had it for $2 per bottle...I bought 60 bottles:-)  Hydration is SOOOO important for every bodily function.  Your body craves good, clean water!  After I discovered that the other stuff I was drinking had a pH of 6.0 I had an "Ah-hah" moment and set out to find something that was more alkaline.  This stuff makes me feel SOOO much more hydrated and really has given me way more energy!  So for the next 5 weeks my main 2 goals are to:  1) get in all my walks AND mileages and 2) eat CLEAN.  If I do cross training, great, but I'm not focusing on it.  The main thing is the walking to build up my stamina, and getting good nutrition and staying away from junk; aka fast food and high sugar foods.

So Friday's walk started from our house in Ashley, and basically straight up CR 165.  For almost the first 2 miles we walked on gravel.  I never thought about gravel making a difference but did it ever!  We both commented on how it was making our feet and legs feel fatigued just that little thing.  Once the gravel came to an end I felt a renewed sense of energy like, "We can DO THIS!"  At the 3 mile mark we were both still feeling pretty fresh and ready to go!

 We both did really well until about the 5 1/2 mile mark, and that is when we both noticed our feet and calves start to feel fatigued.  Prior to Friday, the farthest we had walked was 5 1/2 miles, so it makes sense that our legs started to really protest at this point.

We pushed through though!  I don't think we took our first break until the 6 1/2 mile mark and then we stopped and stretched our legs and rested for about 5 minutes.

The first Big mile stone was the stop sign at the 7.25 mile marker.  It was sort of a "Hey you've only got as little more than 2 miles to go" reminder.

Once we turned onto the last stretch of road it started to hit both of us.  The heat, pain, and fatigue started to be a constant reminder as to how many miles we had put on our legs.  When we were about 1 mile from our destination, Joanna's hubby was nice enough to bring us water for the last leg of the journey.

After taking one more quick break to stretch our legs we headed off again.  One thing I should mention...  Joanna and I have always said we will do our best.  We were both worried about today's walk.  If we could even do it.  And when it comes to the actual Akron Marathon, if we only finish the 1/2, well hey..we will have completed HALF A MARATHON!  The goal has always been, train for the whole 26.2 miles, and on race day we'll give it our best!

So the final mile of the walk was really hard.  Joanna had been dealing with lower back issues for the past couple weeks and was seeing a chiropractor for it.  She was a trooper man!  I did not have any extenuating circumstances and I was STILL struggling!  But we kept pressing on and oh what a glorious sight when we saw this....

Joanna was a serious trooper and made it all the way to 9.65 miles!!  Go Jo!!  I was feeling fairly good at that point and was in town and covered by shade trees by that point so I decided to go for it!  It took me another 20 minutes to get all the way to Joanna's house.   My final distance was 10.29 miles at an average pace of right at 24 minutes!  When I walked into Joanna's house I collapsed on her couch and her grandma looked at me and said, "It was too far wadn't it??"  By the way I purposely spelled it that way because that is how grandma talks:-)  Love her.  I relaxed for 30 minutes or so and then Joanna drove me back home.  Surprisingly I felt pretty good.  Not too sore.  It was a couple hours later that I realized how absolutely fried my right arm and lower legs were.  

Oh....it was BAD!  My calves were so sun burnt they were a purplish hue.  Neither one of us thought about sunscreen because we left at 8am, and it was COOL.  We didn't think it all the way through I guess.  I definitely won't do THAT again!

So the days following the 10 mile walk I have noticed I have wanted to sleep more.  Maybe its the sunburn,  maybe it's my body's reaction to such a long walk.  Either way, I have been verrrry tired.  As of right now, my third day post walk, I am feeling like my sunburn is manageable and my legs and feet feel back to normal.  Just in time to start the process all over with a 3 miler today!!

Thank you again for your support!!  

Keep praying us through this!  Blessings,  Vicki and Joanna