Don't Overdo It

I took the dog for a walk after a late lunch and we did just under three miles. When you've been walking for a couple weeks, you start to get used to the distances and you can push yourself a little bit more. Now that I've done more than three miles a few times, I decided to push for an extra half mile or so this afternoon. I know I can do it because I've done it recently.

I remember running when I was in my twenties and I definitely wasn't careful. I might do nothing for months and then decide to run on the beach from Encinitas to Del Mar (several miles) and back and that would wipe me out for a few days, even walking the last bit back to Moonlight Beach. The only things I had going for me were my youth and the soft surface I was running on and youth can't always make up for being out of shape.

You know what you've been doing lately so you know if you're pushing yourself to do something you've done in the last week or so or if you're pushing yourself a little beyond what you've done recently or [danger] WAY beyond. Stick with the first two if you want to minimize potential injury that could set you back days or weeks depending on the shape you're in.

A buddy that I haven't spoken with for a while told me he stopped walking as much from the time the fires hit San Diego in late 2007 and he walked even less during the holidays and today he twisted his ankle. Now he's out for a day or so, but we'll get together and walk this week. Sometimes you just twist your ankle, but other times you can avoid problems if you simply don't over do it. Still, use that pedometer and...Please walk today. No matter what. I am walking. You can walk.

Five Miles Before Three

I took the dog after my last post inspired me (See? I inspired myself. Big Man Walking motivates and inspires!) and we walked about 3 1/2 miles which brought today's total to just over 5 miles. We just kept going a little bit more and a little bit more and walked the neighborhood in all directions and I made sure Mellow had plenty of water when we got back. I found I had some time and took advantage of the situation. I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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I found some books and a CD on walking at BooksaMillion.com. I have ordered from them successfully half a dozen times since the beginning of November. Great prices. Free shipping orders over $25. Follow these links to buy them now!


Walk Away The Pounds by Leslie Sansone - Click on the title of this post. Otherwise click on the title of the book or CD.

The Essential Walker's Journal
Leslie Sansone

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Half-Marathon Training
Heather Hedrick

Walking: The Complete Book
Jeff Galloway

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Walking For Health


Running and Walking for Women Over 40
Kathrine Switzer

The Step Diet:
Count Steps, Not Calories to Lose Weight and Keep It Off Forever
James O. Hill

The Healthy Heart Walking CD:
Walking Workouts for a Lifetime of Fitness
Rita Moreno

I have listed the first author where more than one is listed by the website and did not list the author of "The Idiot's Guide".

One Mile To Start The Day

I woke up slightly early and got myself and Mellow out the door before 6. Socked in. Fog so thick I couldn't see 200 feet. As I write this an hour later it's light, but the fog and surrounding darkness combined with the street lamps reminded me of something that made it seem different than the fog at sunset the other day and I realized what it was while we were out in it - the movie poster from The Exorcist! How's that for a morning wake up call?! After Mellow did his thing we walked back and checked the front door to make sure I locked it[!] and then "once more into the breach" we went to finish our mile. Now I realized that I had another comparison in mind for the foggy night/morning - Mr. Tumnus and the lamppost from the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. That was a more pleasant thought to my mind. I love the ethereal quality of fog. I was inspired to think of a possible beginning to a screenplay that's been rolling around in my mind for months. I find sooner or later walking helps me think if I don't have earbuds in. Sometimes it's not thinking or planning per se, but music that comes to mind.

Yesterday I was driving to what I consider historic Carlsbad and an German artist on NPR was talking about her time getting to know the Beatles back when Stu Sutcliffe played with them and they still had the slicked back hair in the "style of Marlon Brando". She was really moved by the way the Beatles all treated her like an intelligent person as they got to know her and not just a pretty girl. I started humming From Me To You as I listened to this interview and drove past the Encina power plant and it stayed with me all during my walk. My dad always called it 101 and that's what I call it most of the time, though I do slip into using Pacific Coast Highway sometimes. It becomes Carlsbad Drive near Fresco Trattoria, where I started my walk. This neighborhood is the general area of my (Friday Noon) Toastmasters Club, Expressions Unlimited, where I have been speaking nearly eight years.

I used Google Maps to see how far Fresco Trattoria is from 101. Google Maps says 128 feet, but I would say 60 feet or less. It's on the North side of Carlsbad Village Drive and they have a parking lot that I found helpful. I went inside and asked the owner(?) for a take out menu and he was friendly (good sign!) while he answered the phone. I asked if it was ok to park in his lot while I took a 15 minute walk and he said sure. If you go here to walk, you may want to park in his lot, but be sure to ask him (and ask for a take out menu!).

I walked toward the Pacific and turned left on the street that runs along the ocean. As I passed the surf shop I veered right, though not down to the beach. I walked along 101 to another set of stairs that go down to the beach and turned around across the highway from 3430 Carlsbad Drive, a residence that I noticed simply as a point of reference for this blog post. Google Maps says this is 1/2 mile and I found walking that even the slightly longer route I took was less than 1/2 mile. For you horse racing fans, the round trip was around 7 furlongs (7/8 of a mile). I shortened my walk because I remembered something I needed to do at home, but I'll be back again soon. The sun was shining and there were lots of people walking in this area. I realized that I will need sunscreen in the future. All during this walk that Beatles tune was in my head. This was really a Southern California afternoon with the sunshine and little breeze, though a little cool, even for January. I was almost run off the sidewalk by two different kids on tricycles with their moms. There was a group of adult surfer buddies talking about high school kids that can't read. One said his wife is a high school teacher and I concurred as my wife is a middle school teacher. The ocean was wavy, but not rough (I'm not a surfer, hence the non-surfer description. Heck, I even used hence.) On the way back I saw a woman with a small enclosure on the grassy area close to the surf shop with a sign that read Australian Shepherd Puppys. I stopped and talked briefly and found out that her name, Marianne, is even spelled the same as my wife's and that that spelling is becoming rarer. She had what appeared to be several Australian Shepherd magazines (who knew?) laid out and I asked how much the puppies were. She said $500 and that she had sold several last weekend. So, if you want an Australian Shepherd, you can give Marianne Bosch a call at 760.433.9880. She had two adorable pups left yesterday. When I got back to Fresco Trattoria my car was still there and there was no sign of a tow truck, so the owner(?) was good to his word.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.