I Would Walk 500 Miles

Do you remember this fun song from the early 90s by The Proclaimers?

I've always loved it, and it's my theme song for this week as I crossed over the 500 mile mark in my walking challenge for the year.

Clancy has been with me for most of these miles, and I figured out that if he and I had walked non-stop, we could have been in Toronto, Canada by now. I visited Toronto some years ago and loved it, so it would be fun to return. But since I hate snow and cold weather, now probably wouldn't be the best time for Clancy and me to arrive there. 

As I wrote when I finished the original 400 Mile Challenge, the ticker where I tracked my progress became a metaphor for my blog as the year went on, and my walking steps came to represent the steps I was also taking in my writing journey. The writing steps were baby steps, but they were steps all the same.

But with a new year on the horizon, I realize that I need to move beyond the baby steps. I'm thrilled by the progress I have made over the past year, but I also know that it's time to up my game.

I'm beyond grateful that I have a job so that I can pay my bills while I work towards my writing goals. But at the same time, I think this has allowed me to get lazy at times, and still treat my writing as more of a hobby. As I want my writing to be more than just a hobby, I think I need to start focusing on it as if my safety net didn't exist. 

For me, this means forcing myself to write even when I am tired and have had a long day, and would rather just collapse on the couch and watch tv. It also means I need to hold myself more accountable, and break my procrastination habit once and for all. 

I was making great progress on my WIP last month, and was very excited about that, but then I hit a roadblock and allowed myself to get distracted, and put the writing aside. I've also thought of ideas for query letters that I wanted to write, and procrastinated instead of actually writing them. 

This is the behavior I feel I need to change if I'm really going to meet my writing goals. It's taken me a heck of a long time, but I've finally figured out what I want to do with my life, and what makes me feel happy and fulfilled. So, it's time to start walking the walk, and stop playing around. 

When I think of people I know or admire who have achieved seemingly impossible goals, none of them did it by being content with merely dipping their toes in the water. They jumped in with both feet. I've had a great time dipping my toes in the writing waters over the past year, and I'm proud of what I have accomplished, but now it's time to take it to the next level, and dive in all the way. 

That's the new challenge I'm setting for myself, and I'm also going to start a new ticker to see if Clancy and I can make it to 600 miles in 2012.

But that's for next year. For now, I'm going to enjoy what I've already accomplished, and the amazing time I've had this year. And, I'm going to go back to singing along with The Proclaimers. :) 

Finally, just a reminder that tomorrow is the day for the Deja Vu Blogfest! If you want to sign up, just head on over to DL Hammon's site and join us. I know it's going to be a great fest, and I'm looking forward to seeing all the "day of the do over" posts.

Travels With Clancy: Withrow Nature Preserve

Clancy and I had a guest along for the ride on our latest travels, as my brother was in town for a visit. So the three of us got up early Saturday morning and headed to Withrow Nature Preserve. Clancy was surprised to have company, but he always enjoys having another passenger in the car with us whenever we go somewhere.

Withrow is part of the Hamilton County Park District, and is located on the eastern side of Cincinnati. I'd read good things about the hiking trails there, so it seemed like a great place for an early morning walk.

The parking lot was nearly empty when we arrived at the preserve, and we were able to get a spot right near the start of the Trout Lily Trail.

According to the sign, red foxes are a common sight on the trails, and I can't deny I was hoping to get a glimpse of one. But there were no foxes to be seen, and maybe that was for the best. I have no idea how Clancy would react to a fox, and it's probably better not to find out how a fox would react to him.

All was well as far as Clancy was concerned though, as he met a new friend, an adorable and friendly chocolate lab, at the start of the trail. There's nothing Clancy loves more than interacting with dogs. The lab seemed just as happy to make Clancy's acquaintance, so they had a good time saying hello and checking each other out.

Here we are at the start of the trail into the woods.

We had hoped to take the Hepatica Hill Loop trail, which is the longer and more scenic route, but unfortunately the loop was closed due to landslides caused by the heavy rains we had back in the spring. So we just stayed on the shorter trail, which was a nice walk, but didn't really have any noteworthy scenery. 

At the end of the trail, we came to a solitary bench nestled in the middle of a lush and green clearing. The bench offered a perfect view through the trees to the Ohio River below.

Clancy's labrador pal was just leaving the clearing as we arrived, so the two of them enjoyed another quick round of doggie bonding. After saying goodbye to the lab and his family, my brother and I sat on the bench and had a nice chat, while Clancy checked out the scents and took a well-deserved rest. When we were all ready to move on, we turned around and headed out of the clearing.

Back at the parking area, we came upon the Highwood Lodge, which is used for weddings.

I can imagine it is a very pretty setting for weddings, as the benches can be covered with white cloth, and the ceremonies are performed in front of this white lattice backdrop. 

According to a sign at the park entrance, a wedding was scheduled for that afternoon, so I hope the bride and groom enjoyed their day.

Off to the side of the lodge, there is a gazebo at the edge of the woods. I'm sure the gazebo is very popular during the weddings, as it provides a wonderful backdrop for pictures.

Throughout the morning, Clancy fussed whenever my brother held his leash. This picture was no exception, as he stared at me and whined as if I was abandoning him just by walking fifteen feet away to take a picture. 

It was clear he'd had enough of pictures, and was ready to get back in the car. The humidity was starting to build up anyway, so we were all fine with taking our leave.

Clancy and I enjoyed having a guest with us on our travels, and the visit to Withrow Preserve turned out to be a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.

Travels With Clancy: Sharon Woods Gorge

Clancy and I got back to our Travels project last weekend by making a trip to the Sharon Woods Gorge in Sharonville, Ohio. The Sharon Woods park is north of Cincinnati, and is one of the largest parks in the Hamilton County, Ohio park system.

I'd never heard of this Gorge, which seems crazy since it is only about 40 minutes away from where I live. But that is part of the fun of this project, as I've already discovered several nearby places that I was not at all familiar with prior to starting my Travels with Clancy.

As we seem to have skipped spring and jumped right into the dog days of summer, Clancy and I got up early Sunday morning so we could walk the Gorge before the intense midday heat. Due to his thick black coat, the afternoon sun is not Clancy's friend.

We got to the park and, after asking directions from the man at the gate, parked in the shade near the start of the Gorge Trail.

The trail is .7 miles long each way, so it's an easy 1 1/2 mile walk to complete. It starts in the Buckeye Falls area of the park.

Clancy and I started down the trail, and quickly came to another waterfall.

This area of the trail is simply beautiful, and there is a nice overlook with a bench where walkers can sit and enjoy the falls. It's quite peaceful to sit on the bench and listen to the sounds of the rushing water, and the morning songs of nearby birds.

Clancy wasn't interested in sitting for very long, but he did agree to have his picture taken at the overlook.

As you can see from the picture, the drop is steep. Since Clancy and I are both as clumsy as you can get, we had to be extremely careful near the edge.

Not far from the falls, we came upon this "Blueprints of the Past" sign. The sign informed us that the Gorge used to be covered by the Ordovician Sea, which was a tropical body of water.

Apparently, the Ordovician time period was more than 4 million years ago, and is considered part of the Paleozoic Era. It is named for a Celtic tribe called the Ordovices. According to the sign, the Gorge is filled with fossils from this era, and I would imagine it is a great place for geology students to visit.

The trail continues along the limestone creek bed, and I was struck by how lush and green everything was.

While it was a very bright and sunny morning, the trees were so dense that they functioned as a canopy, only allowing peeks of sun to get through. As a result, the trail was quite cool regardless of the day's temperature.

We kept walking, and eventually came to a quaint wooden bridge.

After crossing the bridge, the trail makes a fairly steep ascent, and the cliffs reach a peak of about 90 feet.

Once again, my partner in clumsiness and I needed to be very careful.

I was surprised to come upon yet another waterfall, probably the tallest of the three.

Not long past the final waterfall, the trail ends at Kreis Dam and Sharon Woods Lake.

There is a paved trail that circles the lake, but the sun was a bit much for Clancy by this time, so we returned to the shade and headed back the way we came.

The Sharon Gorge is an absolutely beautiful trail, and feels like stepping into a forest in the middle of the city. I intend to return to the Gorge in the fall, as I have no doubt that the foliage will be stunning.

As we left Sharon Woods, we passed a few mastodons near a "Mastodon Crossing" sign, a cute nod to the geologic history of the area. Fortunately, we didn't have to stop for any mastodons crossing the road. 

Clancy and I had a fantastic morning at the Gorge, and enjoyed meeting other dogs and walkers along the trail. It's safe to say that our second Travels project was a success, and we're looking forward to trip #3 this weekend.

We hope you'll continue to follow us on our adventures!

Fitness For a Non-Athlete

To say I’m not an athlete is a huge understatement. While I love to watch sports, playing them has always been a different story. I still have bad memories of gym class in school, as being ridiculed for not being able to spike a volleyball or jump a hurdle was not an easy experience for a shy and insecure adolescent. 

For this reason, I shied away from exercise and physical activity for most of my adult life. I did try various aerobic or cardio videos over the years, as I wanted to find something I could do at home, but none of them ever worked out for me. I would get frustrated quickly, as it was always difficult for me to follow along with the instructor, and many of the steps that looked so easy on the video would turn out to be impossible for me. 

But in late 2009 when I first decided I was going to lose weight and get in shape, I happened to come upon the Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds DVDs at my local library. I had never heard of Ms. Sansone before, but the idea of walking as exercise appealed to me. I thought, maybe even I can do these!

I wasn’t disappointed, as these videos appear to be designed for people like me. The steps are simple to follow, and I’ve never felt like I was getting lost trying to keep up with the walkers on screen. Plus, Ms. Sansone has a pleasant demeanor that is very encouraging. 

I’ve since bought several of these DVDs, and I love all of them. My favorite collection adds weights to the walking routine, and I love the extra burn that the weights bring to the workout. While I never thought I would feel this way about any kind of exercise, I actually look forward to doing these walks, and I’ve been inspired to do more walking outdoors as well. 

So if you’re like me and still remember lining up and waiting to be picked last for the team in gym class, I would definitely recommend these videos. Thanks to them, I’m starting to feel like even I can be an athlete!

400 Mile Challenge Updates

I didn't intend to write two posts in one day, but I wanted to create a post to update my progress on the 400 Mile Fitness Challenge. I'm hoping I'll be able to edit this post to update my mileage each week.

I had a good first week, and walked 11.5 miles. I'm so happy that I found this challenge, as so far it has been a great motivator for me to be more disciplined again with my exercise. I also love updating the ticker and seeing my little runner moving along on the way to the 400 mile finish. :)

Week 1 (1/30-2/5): 11.5 miles
Week 2 (2/6-2/12): 9.5 miles
Week 3 (2/13-2/19): 11 miles
Week 4 (2/20-2/26): 11 miles
Week 5 (2/27-3/5): 13 miles

400 Mile Fitness Challenge

Last week I discovered the 400 Mile Fitness Challenge at the Books, Fitness, and Other Stuff blog, and I’m so glad I did! Before the holidays I had developed a great routine for my exercise, and I was walking or getting in some form of exercise every day. But ever since Christmas, I have lost my motivation and have slacked off, so I think this challenge will be the perfect thing to get me back on track.

The Challenge is to reach at least 400 miles by the end of the year, either by walking, running/jogging, or biking. I love to walk and that is how I plan to reach my goal, but I would also like to do some jogging as the year progresses. Last year I set a goal for myself to run a 5K race. I didn’t meet the goal, but I’m considering shooting for that again. I have a training program for a 5K on my Ipod, and may give it another shot.

But whether it is by walking or running, I definitely plan to reach my 400 mile goal by December 31st. I’ve walked 21 miles in January, so I've got 379 miles more to go.

I love to travel and visit new places, so I thought it would be a fun motivator for me to figure out where I could walk to by the end of the year. Give or take a few miles, if I go south from my home in Cincinnati, I can make it to Huntsville, Alabama. North, and I will end up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. If I go east, I will find myself in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. West, and I will be able to climb the Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.

If I exceed the goal and go a little farther, I can make it to Toronto or Washington, D.C. My favorite city that I’ve ever visited is San Francisco, so I checked the distance for me to get there. I don’t think I will make that one, as it would take me 2,368 miles! Maybe I can combine several years together to make that goal. :D

Anyway, I’m really looking forward to this challenge, and I’m grateful to Ellie at Books, Fitness, and Other Stuff for coming up with the idea!

The Hound Who Hates To Walk

Clancy isn't a hound by any stretch, and in fact the poodle in him would probably find the term insulting, but, to me, he is my hound dog. And he is a hound who hates to walk.

I've been around dogs my entire life, and I've never known a dog who hated to go for a walk. Except for Clancy. In fact, with most dogs I have known, walking has been the highlight of their day, and they jump around like excited children on Christmas morning when they see the leash and know they're about to go for a walk.

Clancy gets excited when I get his leash, but this is only because he loves to ride in the car. When we first walk outside he is raring to go and moves like a dog on a mission, until we walk past my car and he realizes he's not getting in it. Then, he immediately slows down to a near crawl, and looks at me as if he is thinking, “There's been a misunderstanding, I thought we were going for a ride. I'll just go back inside now, thanks.”

One of the reasons I was excited about getting a dog was because I was anxious to have a walking partner. There are a lot of great parks in my area, and I love going on the walking trails. I thought sure Clancy would love going with me. I was wrong.

A few years ago a friend and I took Clancy and her dog Lucy to a nearby park that has a great walking trail through the woods. It was March, and the type of early spring day when just being outside makes you feel exhilarated. I assumed Clancy would be ecstatic about going for a walk with his pal Lucy after we had all spent too much time cooped up inside during a particularly cold and nasty winter. As you can see from this picture, instead of being excited about heading into the woods, Clancy is pulling in the other direction, in a desperate attempt to get back towards the parking lot and the car.

At any park, Clancy is always on the lookout for a bench and a nice spot of shade where he can relax and rest his weary paws. When we are walking around the trails, he hangs his head and plods along, walking so slowly that anyone would think he was about to drop over from exhaustion. At times, he stops completely, and looks up at me as if he absolutely refuses to take another step.

If he were an old dog, I would assume this was all due to the aches and pain of old age. But he has always had a clean bill of health at the vet. And, he shows no signs of infirmity when he chases his feline sibling Nate around the house. Plus, even when we are walking, his exhaustion miraculously disappears whenever he encounters one of his canine buddies in the park.

I don't think Clancy's issues are health-related. I think he just hates to walk. And, my impression is he thinks walking around the same trails again and again is boring. When we are walking on a trail and I start to make another lap around, he always stops and looks at me as if I am wasting his time. He sees no purpose to the exercise.

I still take him for walks as I think he needs the fresh air and exercise. But when it comes to fitness walking, I've had to learn to make due without a partner, and manage on my own. If I need a partner when driving in the car though, I know where to find one.