This week was a bit of a challenge (in more ways than one)! We were on vacation with family on the Oregon coast, so finding time to drive into town and run at the high school track was a bit difficult. Plus, if you’re familiar with the central Oregon coast, you know that rain is quite common.

My first training day, 2-10 minute runs, was tough, but it was dry. My second training day, 2 -15 minute runs, was a beast. 15 minutes seemed unending, and it was raining, and it felt like we were having gale force winds. But, I did it! Third training day, another 2-15 minute runs, was just drizzly and cold.

I must say, I feel quite proud of myself. Plus, my husband, who usually walks while I run, cheered me on from the car that miserable day and then donated $10 for every minute I ran in the rain, which was awesome!

Whether you’re a runner or a walker, we’d love for you to join us on April 22nd at Marymoor Park. Registration is just $35. You’ll get a shirt and a bib number, and the satifsfaction of knowing you did something healthy for a great cause! Sign up today!

A big shout out to everyone who has donated so far in support of our 5K Challenge. If you haven’t supported us yet, now would be a great time as it certainly will help keep us motivated for that 20 minute run coming up this week! Across all platforms, we have raised $3,586 towards our $5K goal.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

I conquered 2-8 minute run days and a 10-minute one this week. Part of me longs for the days of the 2 minute run (or even the 5 minute run). 10 minutes was not exactly easy and if it wasn’t for the timer (and the goal), I’m pretty sure I would have stopped. But I made it, and effectively jogged for 20 minutes (with a 3 minute break in-between).

Still not sure about how I get from here to the 5K but I’m going to trust the process (sounds a little like The Bachelor, doesn’t it? You’ve got to trust the process). I do get a tremendous sense of satisfaction when it’s over, a little like getting Wordle in 3 tries!

We’ve got a bunch of folks getting off the couch and training, there are even more folks already confident about the run. We’d now love to add the walkers!

If you’re thinking about it, why not join MEOW for a morning walk on 4/22? It’s an easy, almost completely flat route, no traffic. Spend a bit of time with other MEOW supporters sharing great stories about your animals and getting a bit of exercise. Then, on the way home, treat yourself to a coffee or breakfast. You will have earned it. Sign up now before the early bird discount disappears.

A big shout out to everyone who has donated so far in support of our 5K Challenge. If you haven’t supported us yet, now would be a great time as it certainly will help keep us motivated for that 15 minute run coming up this week! We are at 55% of our 5K goal.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

I now have a bit of momentum and it feels pretty good. I was able to do the training all 3 days this past week and able to run 5 minutes without stopping and without knee pain. Amazing to me on both accounts. I must say, I did pat myself on the back, just a little bit (and treated myself to Girl Scout cookies)!

The next hurdle, 8 minutes, still seems extremely daunting though. I know we should expect more cold and rain to come, it is only March after all. But, two days of training without a layer of long underwear felt pretty good. Spring is definitely on its way and I couldn’t be more excited.

Of course, for me, the coming of the warmer weather is a double edged sword as we are now less than 3 months from our annual fundraising dinner and auction on June 17^th. More details coming to our website on that soon!

Although our couch to 5K trainers continue to make progress and gain strength and stamina, our fundraising efforts have stalled a bit. A big shout out to everyone who has donated so far. If you haven’t supported us yet, now would be a great time as it certainly will help keep us motivated for that 8 minute, 10 minute, 15 minute run coming up in the next couple of weeks!

If you are already a 5Ker and don’t need help getting off the couch, why not register to run/walk with us? No additional training needed.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

I was able to get in two days of training this week. It felt pretty good. The sports doc worked my muscles a bit on Friday and wanted me to take it easy for 4 days. But, I’ll be back on the track on Tuesday. Fingers crossed that my knees and the forecast for some warmer weather both hold!

We are at the halfway point. It feels like the easy half is behind me and the tough part is yet to come. But the sports doc assured me that I don’t have a serious injury and further training should be very doable. The training goal this week is running for 5 minutes. We’ll see how that goes.  

Coach Steve updated the training program for me, for getting back into it, but it would also serve for you if you’ve decided to join us and need some help getting off that couch.

Halfway through our training and slightly more than halfway to our $5K goal for MEOW! Thank you to everyone who has supported us (and MEOW) so far!

Coach Steve says it’s still not too late to join us. It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you are already a 5Ker and don’t need help getting off the couch, why not register to run/walk with us? No additional training needed.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

Pot of Gold Change Drive

Tuesday – Friday (3/14 – 3/17) 2pm-5pm

Another much less rigorous fundraiser is happening at the shelter this week. Our Pot of Gold, Silver, Copper (and Zinc) Coin Drive for Change is on. If you save coins and would like to donate them to MEOW, stop by the shelter this Tuesday – Friday (3/14 – 3/17) from 2pm to 5pm.

Leave your coins and take a treat! Thank you and Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

The sun was out this morning, the temperature was about 48 degrees, and my knees were no longer hurting, so I picked up where I left off and began to run once again. This time on gravel and grass in hopes that my knees wouldn’t object quite so much.

It went well. A little bit of pain but nothing that isn’t manageable. Yes, I’m still going to the doc later this week, but it felt good to be at it once again. And, it gave me some hope that I can still do this.

The good news, per Coach Steve is that I should be able to get to where I need to be in 5 or 6 weeks, so it’s still doable. That being said, since we still have 7 weeks left, even if YOU haven’t signed on yet, it’s not too late!! And, according to the forecast, we should hit 50 degrees later this week, perfect for a run in the park!

Coach Steve updated the training program for me, for getting back into it, but it would also serve for you if you’ve decided to join us and need some help getting off that couch.

We are still 18 members strong in our Facebook Challenge Group (no one has officially dropped out yet). We are now over half way to our goal of $5K!! Thank you to everyone who has supported us (and MEOW) so far!

Coach Steve says it’s still not too late to join us. It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you are already a 5Ker and don’t need help getting off the couch, why not register to run/walk with us? No additional training needed.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

Well, the hiccup from last week hasn’t gone away, so my training is on hold currently. I still have quite a bit of knee pain, which is disheartening, but I did discover Kinesiology Tape, which seems like a bit of a miracle. I’ll be making an appointment with a sports doc in hopes that they can figure out what I’m doing wrong.

Coach Steve says that there is still time for me to get back in the game (but I know I’ll have to ramp up the schedule).  It’s definitely a reminder that I’m not as young as I used to be and need to be thoughtful about how I treat my aging body.

I’m anxious to get back in the game (didn’t think I’d ever be saying that). Hopefully soon. Until then, I’m stretching and doing exercises to strengthen the multitude of muscles which, when strong, help out those poor aging knees. Hoping for week 6!

We are still 18 members strong in our Facebook Challenge Group (no one has officially dropped out yet). A new fundraiser joined and we are now at 43% of our goal of $5K for the animals. Thank you to everyone who has supported us (and MEOW) so far!

Coach Steve says it’s still not too late to join us. It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you are already a 5Ker and don’t need help getting off the couch, why not register to run/walk with us? No additional training needed.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

I made it through the first week of the running/walking training plan, but not without a hiccup. My advice? Don’t run on concrete! My knees are not particularly happy with me after running on the concrete path in my neighborhood park 2 out of the 3 days. I got a bit smarter and ran at the high school track for day 3. That was better. Thank goodness for Advil! I’m going to shift my training days a bit this coming week to give my old knees a bit more time to recover. Coach Steve says there is still plenty of time. I hope so.

I did increase my yoga time to 20 minutes and got into some tough stretches. You know, the ones where things start to quiver and you have to tell yourself “3 more seconds, 2 more seconds, 1 more second” and then feel the relief at the release. Adrienne, the YouTube yoga instructor is still very patient and encouraging, and Benji, the dog in the video, is still so chill!

The forecast this week looks like “bundle up to run” weather, but spring has to be on its way, right?

We still have 18 members in our Facebook Challenge Group (no one has officially dropped out yet). A new fundraiser joined and we are now at 43% of our goal of $5K for the animals. Thank you to everyone who has supported us (and MEOW) so far!

Coach Steve says it’s still not too late to join us. It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

“They seem so cheery. I don’t think they know what’s coming”.

Monday Update: I did it! I completed my first day of training that included running. I didn’t have the wardrobe right, not warm enough in the beginning, too warm at the end, but hopefully as the days get warmer, that won’t be an issue. The running part? Well, it wasn’t easy to complete 10 reps, 2 felt pretty good though. I guess I have to learn that breathing hard and wishing it was over, is just part of the whole experience!

It’s finally here, my first “official” day of running. True, it’s only 1 minute at a time, and only a total of 10 minutes, but I have to say I’m a bit nervous. I did a bit of a test yesterday (it was really nice out!) and attempted to run 1 minute. Of course, the route I happened to be on had a bit of an uphill climb and it was a whole lot harder than I expected. I admit, it made me pause. I then tried again on the downhill side. Much easier, of course. But 10 times?? We’ll see.

My plan for tomorrow is to go around our very flat neighborhood park as many times as is necessary to get my 10 minutes of running in, no hills. I’m not sure that after 3 days of “running 1 minute/walking 1 minute” 10 times, I’m going to be ready to do 2 and 2, but I’m going to try my best. I’m also bumping my yoga up to a 20 minute session from 10. Yes indeed, a big challenge week for me this week. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Our Facebook Challenge Group is now 18 members strong. Hopefully after this first week of running for those of us who are newbies, we’ll still have 18. Our fundraising efforts have slowed a bit this week, but hopefully as we pick up speed on ground, we’ll also pick up the pace a little on fundraising. There is time, of course.

It’s still not too late to join us. It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

With one week of “training” under my belt (or should I say my feet), I’ve made some discoveries. Since the active part of training this past week involved walking, which I already do, I focused on adding dynamic stretching and yoga to my routine. I have enjoyed my time on the mat with Adriene, although it’s brief (only 10 minutes at a time). So glad she suggested adding enough lift under my hips to allow comfortable cross-legged sitting, as it’s been way too long since I was able to sit that way. I’m thinking all the way back to when I played jacks. And, that was a very long time ago! 

The yoga does provide time to reflect, and the stretches feel quite good. I’ll stay at 10 minutes this week and then perhaps try to find a new, 20 minute video for next week. Have to keep challenging myself, right? The dynamic stretching really does loosen everything up and even makes the initial part of my walk easier. Admittedly, the muscles got a little sore from the stretching, but it’s a good sore!

I also discovered (or confirmed) that training in the rain is going to be a hurdle. No one in my household likes to go out in the rain. I can guilt my husband into it, but Kaya stands on the porch, sets her feet firmly and will not move. Since the training run/walks are short initially, I try and check the weather forecast app and hopefully I’ll be able to find a break or two sometime during the day. We’ll see, especially since this week’s weather looks very wet. Might need to create a “reward to self” for every day I have to train in the rain. Not a bad idea!

I’m excited that we now have 17 members in our FB challenge group, with 5 fundraisers so far, and we’re 1/3 of the way to our $5,000 goal! I hope we can add a few more in the coming weeks.

It’s not too late to join us. It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

On the eve of training day 1, what am I thinking? I’m not too worried about the first two weeks of training as I’ve been a regular walker ever since I got my first Fitbit back in 2011. That being said, often my walks are more like a stroll. So, for those first two weeks, I think I’ll try to intersperse “fast” walking with my “let the dog sniff” walking and focus on doing some yoga and strength exercises on the off days, to get into that habit. Of course, at our house, which has been filled with 32 years of dogs and cats, doing anything that involves being on the floor is not so appealing. But, I’m going to brave it (or at least attempt it) for the animals of MEOW!

For the pre-training stretching, I’m going to try this Dynamic Stretching (referenced on the training plan). Just 5 minutes, that’s doable, right?

For the beginning yoga, I went to YouTube (“10 minutes, yoga for beginners” search) and found Adriene and her dog, Benji. The dog’s lack of interest made me smile and felt a lot like what it will be in our household.

I’m very excited that I found a “training by text” partner. Linda Rubin, our Volunteer Programs Manager, is taking the challenge too. We don’t live near each other, and of course she has a job, so we’ll mostly be encouraging each other (“it’s not raining that hard!”) and celebrating successes (“yes, a glass of wine is definitely deserved after that workout!”) via texts.

I am a bit worried that there won’t be any other challenge takers and there will only be 5 of us participating! Although we’ll be a dedicated group certainly, we most likely will fall short of our $5,000 fundraising goal and it will be pretty ho-hum on 5K day. Why not join us? It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!