Avon 39 trainingThis week started out a little hokey. While writing the dates on my training calendar Sunday evening, I realized that I was using the wrong one. Oh my goodness, was I relieved. I have been walking since November as a way to help lose the baby weight so I am no stranger to the endurance walks. I had gotten up to 9-mile walks before deciding to switch to the marathon program which started me back at 5 mile walks. I had worked my way up to 8 miles walks before deciding to switch to the AVON 39 training programs.

When I first saw the training program, I was a bit intimidated. The plan went from walking 4-mile endurance walks to 10-mile endurance walks in the span of a month. I had never gotten my mileage up that quickly before. I was bracing for the soreness that would ensue.

But, as luck has it, I realized that it was not the 16-week plan I needed to be using but the 20-week plan. The 20-week plan moves up much more gradually, AND I won’t have to play around with week 10. Week 10 is when I am participating in the American River Parkway Half Marathon. This is a one-of-a-kind marathon that has a course dedicated to just walkers. I’m planning to use this race as a training day. Originally, I was going to have to switch week 10 and week 7 because the mileage was not going to correlate correctly. But now, everything is just peachy keen!

I finished the Audiobook The Girl on the Train on Friday so for Saturday’s training walk, I started IT by Stephen King. Everyone that I know that has ever READ this book has loved it so, I am hoping that it picks up soon because right now it is s-l-o-w. Plus it is 44 hours long! That should keep my mind occupied for at least a month’s worth of training walks. Wow.

I must admit, when I first started thinking about the AVON 39, I thought it was too much. Sure I have had friends that have walked in the Komen 3 Day but they all seem stronger than me. I have a lot going on in my life between family and work “stuff”.  I can’t do the walk this year, I thought. Even though I have been “training” since November for the American River Parkway Half Marathon. But then I got to thinking, what about the all the women who keep going while having personal and professional commitments, families and jobs and PTA meeting WHILE trying to beat breast cancer. Then I felt very selfish. I have my health, I have the strength to raise this money and to walk the walk for these women who can’t. That is why I can and I will do this.

Thanks for all that have supported my efforts thus far. If you would like to donate to my fundraising goal of $1800, please go to http://info.avon39.org/goto/cbbhattacharya.

 

Listening to: Audiobook- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and IT by Stephen King

Total Mileage:  14.77 miles

Total training time: 6 hrs 9 mins

  • Sunday, March 5: 30-minute Cross training/HIIT
  • Monday, March 6: 15-minute recovery walk  0.71 miles
  • Tuesday, March 7: 3 miles
  • Wednesday, March 8: 70 minutes of yardwork/Cross Training
  • Thursday, March 9: 3 miles + 1.01 miles (walking dog)
  • Friday, March 10:  4 miles
  • Saturday, March 11: 3 miles

Read the ENTIRE journey HERE!