Day 30 Yipee ... we made it!

Goals start here.  Tomorrow is the first day of the October Challenge! Happy New Month!!

Day 30 Yipee ... we made it!

So tomorrow is day one again and we can choose to walk30 for 30 more days (or 31).  The Minds in Motion K W Walking Classic is behind us and if you are like me you might need a goal that gets you out the door every day this month for 30 minutes.  
It really is pretty simple and at the same time it isn't easy.  I have talked about this a lot in this blog over the past eleven months ... the fact that establishing a regular walking habit is tricky and it takes patience with one's self and a measure of determination and even then it is still a CHALLENGE.  That is the point and that is why it is called the October Walk30 Challenge.  I am only asking for 30 days but it is just enough time to make a difference and get you moving and possibly make you want to do it again in November.  Please come and join me tomorrow for Day One of the October Challenge and send me an email and let me know that you are in and game to try. walkonstrong@gmail.com
Here's to always attempting to be healthier and the best you can be ... no matter how many times we have to start again.
Walk on Strong into October!
Sue

Day 29 Join me on Monday for October walk30!

Saturday's walk  took us through Moses Springer Park!

Day 30 Join me on Monday for October walk30!

This blog for Saturday is actually being written on Sunday morning because Rogers internet was out when we wanted to watch netflix and I quickly realized that I might not be able to do my blog without any internet access.  It was rather telling as we sat there wondering what we would do instead of watching the show we wanted to see on the internet.  First Dave called Rogers and of course they were experiencing very heavy calls and he had to wait for a very long time to find out that, yes, service was down and could be for quite a while.  We actually considered trying to contact Rodgers via internet because the phone route was taking so long ... with no internet that could have been a longer wait.( ha, ha)   Now that is denial!!  We really do take the internet for granted.

I did attempt writing my blog via my cell phone and then I realized that I was being a bit over the top in my determination to write my blog before I went to bed.  I decided that every habit deserves to be broken once in a blue moon so here I am on Sunday morning writing about not being able to write my blog.
It was a glorious blue shy Saturday walk and we had lots of walkers with us on our ususal Walk On Strong walk ... thanks to all that came and welcome to Cheryl, John, Sharon and Cathy who all joined us for the first time!
Walk on Strong!
Sue

Day 28 Walking 30 minutes a day can be slimming

All you need is a good pair of shoes!

Day 28 Walking 30 minutes a day can be slimming

There are a lot of health reasons that should motivate you out the door for your walk30.  I don't like to make a big deal about the fact that walking just 30 minutes a day does have a positive effect on your weight.  I believe that we focus on and worry about our weight way too much ... I know I do and I work at trying accepting myself the way I am.  At the same time it doesn't hurt to find even more motivation to do your daily walk when there are benefits that really hit home.  The least your daily walk will do is help you to maintain your weight but even if walking keeps you from gaining there is also the fact that you are creating more muscle in you body and muscle helps to boost our metabolism ... I would call that  a win /win!
Research tells us that walking a little everyday matters a lot. A study from Duke University found that walking for 30 minutes a day can prevent weight gain in most people who are physically inactive. And researchers from Brown University and the University of Pittsburgh showed that women who walked for an hour five days a week and consumed 1,500 calories a day lost and kept off 25 pounds over the course of a year. 

A walking habit is much easier to establish than visiting the gym and the investment is minimal ... all you need is that pair of shoes.

The shoes above are called Minimus Trail shoes and they are made by New Balance in conjunction with Vibram. I have been wearing them all summer and I love them.  They are a variety of barefoot shoe and not for everyone but they are extremely flexible and work well for power walking technique.  I will have to do a blog about them soon but until then I plan to keep on walking out the door for my 30 minutes every day.  I hope you decide to take the October walk30 challenge with me!
Walk On Strong!
Sue

Day 27 Walking the dog!

A BIG THANK YOU to Annie Lewis!

 

Day 27 Walking the dog! Gets us out the door ...

I was contemplating what to write about today because it is late and I was feeling tired and just somewhat uninspired.  Then I started to think about how helpful it has been this year to have had Annie with us to motivate us to walk30.  Annie was born on November 10th 2011 ... so when I reach my first year of walk30s she will almost be one year.  This is not a coincidence ... she has been a real motivator in the walking department that's for sure.
So if you have an Annie in your life be sure to give that dog a hug and say THANK YOU!  What would we do without them?
Walk On Strong!
Sue

Day 26 The October Walk30 Challenge awaits

Time to renew your commitment to yourself ... Walk30!

Day 26 The October Walk30 Challenge awaits

The race day has past and the push toward the goal race may be gone ... but the need to keep fit and healthy doesn't ever go away.  How will you keep on going? It seems to me that the walk30 Challenge is just what is needed to keep those feet heading out the door.

On Monday you could be starting the Walk30 Challenge for October 2012!  For me it will be the beginning of month number 12 of my walk30 Challenges.  YES ... I will have been walking 30 minutes a day for a whole year when I am finished my October walk30 Challenge.  November 2011 was the beginning of my monthly commitment to a daily walk for 30 minutes ... that's right every day I get out there ... rain or shine ... wind or snow.  One month at a time one after another is the path to feeling better.

I am inviting you to join me in this October Walk30 Challenge and it could be the thing that helps to create a walking goal ... who knows. It is not a simple thing to take on challenge and walk with it but if you just take it a day at a time it could very well make big changes in your life.

Walk On Strong!
Sue

Day 25 Walk On Strong

6 a.m. on race day ... get ready for the fun!

Day 25 Walk On Strong

It was back to the Tuesday evening walk and tonight I took Annie. We had lots of race shirts and a few medals in the crowd ... it felt good to see the enthusiasm within the group!
Dave and I send out a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our wonderful walking friends and community that helped so much to make the race a success!
I am heading off to an early sleep in hopes of catching up with some energy.
Walk On Strong!
Sue

Day 24 Walk30 is a stretch when your tired

Part of the Walk On Strong Team 2012 at the Kw Walking Classic ... we are here!

Day 24 Walk30 is a stretch when your tired

It's funny I was just really feeling tired today and it was the first day in a while that I have felt that it was a stretch to actually get out the door.  I went out for a 20 minute walk around dinner time and I thought "oh, it won't be hard to finish off my walk30 tonight with a walk with Annie our dog".  We left it until late and I actually fell asleep while watching a show on TV!  I almost gave in to the feeling that sleep was calling ... then I snapped into walk30 consciousness and said "we have to get the dog out".  What I was really saying was that I had to get myself out the door!

Of course I also had to get my blog done ... so I was upstairs on my computer thinking about what to write and no ideas were coming so I looked through the photos I took yesterday ... then I found one that was sent to me by Mike from our Walk on Strong Team.  How can I feel uninspired when I look at that amazing group of people who we have been walking with every week for so many weeks that I can hardly remember. 

This is the reason that we are getting out the door ... the connection to people ... it truly helps. If you are feeling that it is just a struggle at times to give yourself the gift of a walk30 ... maybe you just need help or a friend or two to motivate you.

Hats off to the Walk On Strong Team!!

Walk On Strong,

Sue

Congratulations to all of you who walked in,  volunteered and supported the Minds In Motion K W Walking Classic!