15 Miles of Lovely Lake Shawnee

This morning Mom and I got up early to walk since it was unfortunately going to be hot again. We headed out to Lake Shawnee for our second walk there. This time I didn't forget the camera--I actually brought two of them! We got there just in time for a wonderful sunrise.


The weather was so cool and nice for the first few miles we couldn't have asked for better weather. We started on the opposite side of the lake this time and walked in the opposite direction, since last time we'd taken a wrong turn at the part of the loop where the sidewalk wasn't yet complete. This time we got about half way around the lake before taking about a half mile detour off the trail in order to get to a restroom. It turned out to be the perfect detour when it was all said and done because the lake loop was 7 miles, and our detour on each loop made it exactly 7.5!

After our first pit stop we continued past the camping area and then on past the golf course and back up and around to the botanical garden where we started. It wasn't even until the last couple of miles that the weather really started warming up. We got the first lap done in just over two hours and took a nice break to fill up on liquids and snacks. We didn't break for too long though, since the weather was heating up pretty quickly. I peeled off a layer, but unfortunately Mom didn't have a layer to peel.

We took off in the opposite direction of our first lap for a change of scenery. The heat immediately began to take it's toll. We walked around the golf course again, relishing any shade that came across our path. We slowed considerably because of the heat, so when we made it to our off path pit stop location, it was wonderful to drench our bandannas in cold water help keep us cool. We went over to a shady shelter nearby and had a nice rest in the shade with some more snacks before heading back out onto the trail.

It had gotten so hot by this time we ended up having to take a detour in the next mile over to the convenience store so that we could by some more water. We soaked our bandannas once again, filled up our water bottles and headed back out to finish the last 2+ miles. We walked back over the dam and in and out of the bends on the west side of the lake until we finally made it back to the car. That last mile or so was very hot and seemed very long!

We got a lot of good pictures on our two laps around the lake, which you can enjoy in the slideshow below. There is also a quick video at the end of a cute little bunch of Canada Geese.




After we finished walking, Mom relaxed in the shade for a while while I walked through the botanical garden and took TONS of pictures with my good camera. I haven't loaded those pictures onto the computer yet, but I'll definitely share them so you can get an idea of how gorgeous that area of the lake is!

Mom and I had a big lunch after our walk, and then I was pretty much wiped out for a couple of hours after arriving back home. It was over 85 degrees by the time we finished, and that heat definitely took it's toll. I was really proud of my mom for sticking it out all 15 miles!

Softball and Sunburn

Mom and I took our long training walk on Sunday this week since I had a wedding to go to on Saturday. We made plans to walk later in the day than we do normally, thinking that it wouldn't be any problem since the weather has been so beautiful lately. Unfortunately, Sunday ended up being the hottest day we had in weeks! Despite the less than ideal weather, we still walked about 14.5 miles when the day was over. We were really pooped!

Our walk was kind of a fun adventure because we had a particular destination in mind. We started from our house at around 11:00 or so, and we headed towards the softball diamonds on the southwest edge of town, where Chad had a game at 1:00. We stopped for a snack in the shade about 4 miles in, and then arrived at Clinton Lake Sports Complex at about 1:30. We cheered Chad's team to a victory for the league championship, and then relaxed with a few teammates for about hour in a shady spot of the parking lot. Chad brought us a refill on food and water, so after snacking and hydrating we headed back out towards home. As we left the softball diamonds I quickly realized that I had not prepared well that morning--I hadn't put any sunscreen on my arms at all and was wearing a sleeveless shirt!

Thankfully, on the way home we got a little bit of cloud cover to help with the heat, and we made another pit stop at Kwik Shop when we were almost halfway back to our house. We had another nice picnic of energy bars and Gatorade, and then we took off for the last 4 mile leg of our journey. We arrived home at exactly 6:00 p.m., a mere 7 hours after we left home! Fortunately, only 4.5 of those hours were actually spent walking!

Chad greeted us with a lovely dinner, which was fortunate since we were both famished and exhausted! The heat was especially draining, but Mom handled the walk like a champ! I, on the other hand, ended up with a ridiculous sunburn! :)

13 Miles of Sprinkles

Despite the record amounts of wet weather we've had around here lately, Mom and I managed to get our 13 mile walk done outside on Saturday! As I drove to Topeka in the rain on Saturday morning, I feared that we'd be forced into the mall again, and I was not looking forward to it! When I arrived at Mom's house it was barely sprinkling, so we rushed out the door and knocked off 2 miles or so before stopping back at the house for a quick pit stop. The rain seemed to be holding off, so we got brave and went for a 5 mile loop around the house, and although some significant rain came down about 3 miles into the loop, we pressed on and made it home before getting completely soaked. After a snack and a change of socks, we headed back out again, and thankfully by this time most of the rain had blown over completely. We walked another 4 miles or so before making another quick pit stop at home, then headed back out and knocked out our last two miles. By this time it was not only not raining--the sun was actually shining and we even got a bit warm!

I guess there was nothing really very interesting about our walk this week, but I have to say it's so nice that we no longer have to get up before the crack of dawn in order to beat the heat. I am so thankful for this cool fall weather! It's making the walking so much more enjoyable!

This coming weekend we'll be taking on 14 miles, but on Saturday rather than Sunday. I have an out of town wedding on Saturday, so we're swapping the training walks for the two weekend days. This means that Mom will be walking 10 miles by herself on Saturday, which will be her new solo record! :)

Yummy Fundraiser

My husband is helping me out with my fundraising this year since he knows I have a long way to go and a short time to get there (73 days, to be exact). He decided to help me along by making several batches of his famous homemade spicy mustard (of which all our friends are big fans) and "selling" them in exchange for a donation to my 3-Day account. Last night at his softball game he gave out about 8 jars along with my 3-Day "business" cards, so hopefully I will get a few donations as a result! Thanks to my dear hubby Chad for the help!

My Mom the Rock Star

The weather was so cool in Lawrence this weekend, Mom and I didn't even take off for our long Saturday walk until after 9 a.m! It was so nice to sleep in a little for the first Saturday in many weeks. We started our walk with a 3+ mile loop around our house with the dogs, and after dropping them off and having a snack and a quick rest, we headed back out on our journey. We walked from our house about 4 miles to J&S Coffee, which is near 6th and Wakarusa. It started sprinkling during the last mile of this leg, but we just pulled caps out of our packs and continued on our merry way in the rain.

At the coffee shop we enjoyed warm drinks and split a muffin and bagel, and after 20 minutes or so of hanging out we headed back out on the road. We took a slightly longer way home, dropped by Dillons for a quick potty break, and then walked the last 2+ miles to our house. As we walked up the last hill before arriving home, the Garmin beeped to let us know we'd gone 12 miles total. Mom actually started celebrating by jogging up the hill!! She'd walked 12 miles and still had energy to spare! My mom rocks!