Karen’s Training Log

Fun at the farm

While we were walking today, Denise told us about Grochowicz Farm on Route 31N in Glen Gardner, NJ. She works there on Saturdays during the pumpkin season serving up ice cream and other goodies. My husband and I drove out in the afternoon to visit. The farm offers all kinds of fun activities for kids, including hay rides, farm animals to pet, pick your own pumpkin, and more. Denise served us homemade hot dogs that were absolutely yummy. We followed this up with homemade ice cream. The country store offered fresh produce and desserts.

The kids were enjoying feeding the animals and roaming the fields looking for the perfect pumpkin.

T -7 days: Last Saturday training walk

With only seven days to go before the walk, we had our last Saturday morning training walk today. Twelve walkers showed up on this absolutely fabulous fall morning.

The path was particularly crowded today. There was a 5K run/walk for the Childhood Cancer Foundation. The runners were not particularly nice. Granted, the path is narrow, it is difficult to get by, but one runner almost knocked over Lisa. And not even an “Excuse me”. Another runner yelled “Track” as she passed. Jamie and her mom had no idea what this meant. The runner was annoyed with them for not moving over. Everyone who has ever passed me on the path has said “Left”, which makes sense to me, they are alerting me that they will be coming around my left side. I have never heard of “Track” before.

One would think that people who run or walk for charity would be more kind and considerate that the average person. Apparently not. Well, at least they Childhood Cancer folks were finished before we started our second lap of the park. The path was much more deserted and our second 7.5 miles were uneventful.

Summit Farmer’s Market

Probably my last fund-raiser before the walk. I was allowed to set up a table at the Summit Farmer’s Market. It was a picture perfect day for the first day of autumn; Clear blue sky and a crisp feel to the air.

The market was very busy with people buying locally grown produce. The pumpkins are already on display. It seems that the market is the place to show of your kids and your dogs. Almost everyone had either one or both in tow.

The bracelets were a big hit with the people who stopped by my table. People were extremely generous with their donations. I had the opportunity to speak with a few people at length. They told me about family members who had passed away from breast cancer. I always love to hear about the survivors. A couple of woman told me they were doing very well, one having been cancer free for 8 years and another 2 years.

When it rains it pours

Only 2 more training walks left. The weather forecast at 6:30 am showed a bright yellow sun on the map. Got to the park and met up with 10 of the Loantaka Ladies who were ready for a long training walk.

As we started out, the woods were draped in a low fog. It was very peaceful and quite as we made our way along the path. We covered the first 7.75 miles in less than 2.5 hours. We headed back into the woods for lap 2. About a mile and a half in, it started to rain. We remained fairly dry under the canopy of trees, so we pressed on. When we reached the 2 mile point, the rain was coming down harder and the trees gave way to a field. We decided to turn back, remaining under the trees. All except for Martha, who decided to press on. By the time we reached the parking lot, the rain had slowed.

Denise called Martha’s cell phone to see where she was on the path. There was no answer. Like the Marine’s, we leave no one behind. Denise and I set off back on the path in search of Martha. The rain had started again. We stopped a biker who was traveling down the path and asked if he had seen a woman walking by herself. He responded, “No, but I was not very observant”. We passed a couple walking a dog, and they too had not seen Martha.

Denise called Martha’s name loudly. No answer. We walked a little farther along and saw a lone figure walking towards us. It was Martha. She said she was surprised to hear someone calling her. We walked back to the parking lot in the rain, which was now slowing down.

All together, we had walked almost 16 miles. One thing is certain, wet socks and sneakers do not make for a pleasant walk But it did feel good to know we could complete 16 miles, mostly in the rain. We were now prepared for any weather on walk day.

Into every life a little rain must fall

It’s Saturday, which means it’s training walk day. Work up to a drizzly, dark and cold morning. The perfect kind for rolling over and going back to sleep. Instead, I dragged myself out of bed, got ready, and went to the park. I figured, no one would show up and I could go back to bed.

The Ladies of Loantaka are a dedicated bunch. Three ladies pulled into the parking lot, ready for a wet, cold walk. They pulled on their ponchos and off we went. We started at 8:00 with four and as we walked the trail, we ran into six more. They had started at 6:30 and were already on the walk back from the first lap. Way to go ladies !

By 10 o’clock the rain ended and the wind died down. By 11 o’clock, the sun was breaking through the clouds. It was a beautiful day to walk 13 miles. The weather was the same as Day 1 of the 2006 NY walk.

Earthbound Angel’s team fundraising going well

Jane and I are co-captains of the Earthbound Angel’s NY walk team. Our team has 19 members, seven from Novartis and the rest people we met along the way who wanted to be part of a team. The team is doing a fantastic job with their fundraising efforts.
Some interesting stats about our team (info based on data from Sept 9):

1. We have raised $38,551 so far, which puts us at #11 out of all NY teams.
2. The average amount raised by our team members, $2,029, puts us at #8 out of all NY teams.
3. 10 of our walkers have already reached the $1,800 commitment level.

Some interesting stats about the NY teams:

1. There are 339 teams in the NY walk.
2. The number of team members ranges from 2 - 121 people, with the average team having 6 people.

Of the top 20 teams (info based on data from Sept 9):

1. The average amount raised by a team is $46,074
2. Most raised by a team is $108,234
3. The average amount raised by a team member is $2,345

13 mile training walk

It was another beautiful Saturday morning and the Ladies of Loantaka gathered for an early morning training walk. About a dozen of us started out. Maybe it’s because school started, or maybe because we walked an hour earlier, we were passed by two large hordes of teenagers running cross country. I’d like to know how the coach got them out of bed so early. It has been my experience that it is impossible to wake a teenage before noon. And even then they aren’t fully awake until 2:00 or 3:00 pm.

We completed the 7.5 mile round trip path in about 2.5 hours. Three of us decided to do a longer walk. We were going to complete 10 miles, but as we walked, we felt good and decided to walk a total of 13 miles. Geri and Brigid are first time walkers. Now having completed the distance of half of Day 1 or all of Day 2 of the Avon Walk, there are even more confident that they will be able to go the entire 39.3 miles.

Looking for home sweet home

This week I received two e-mails about dogs available for adoption. I thought I would share this information with you in case you or someone you know is interested in adding a new family member. The information below is all I know about the animals. There are links below through which you can obtain additional information.

	Available for adoption: A young female shepard mix. She’s having a problem with one side which may have caused by an accident or is genetic. Most probably due to accident as she was found wandering in upstate NY. She’s very sweet, bright and appears to be house broken.To adopt this dog please contact my daughter Susana at susanaschwartz@frontiernet.net.
	Available for adoption: Black Lab mix. His name is Max. He will be 2 years old in November. He is neutered and up to date on shots. He came from an abusive home and is shy and timid but warms up to you quickly.He is in need of a loving home and some fattening up due to neglect. He is on the small side but when at his proper weight should be around 40 lbs.To fill out an adoption application, go to www.rawhiderescue.org.

Remnants of the 1964 NY World’s Fair

While at the US Open, I took a little time to walk around Flushing Meadows Park, the site of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs. It was very impressive walking along the pathways and seeing the immense steel globe rising up from plumes of water.

The 1964 fair was the largest World’s Fair to be held in the United States, occupying nearly a square mile (2.6 km²) of land. Hailing itself as a “Universal and International” exposition, the Fair’s theme was “Peace Through Understanding,” dedicated to “Man’s Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe.” The theme was symbolized by a twelve-story high, stainless-steel model of the earth called Unisphere. The Fair is best remembered as a showcase of mid-twentieth century American corporate culture. The nascent Space Age, with its vista of promise was well-covered by the exhibits.

When I got closer to the fountain, it became apparent that it was in moderate disrepair. Not nearly as bad as the Observation Towers which were part of the New York Pavilion. The structures were very rusted. One of the “Sky Streak Capsules”, as the elevators were called, was frozen mid way up the tower. The Pavilion has since been sealed off.

Walking around the rest of the grounds, I came across a statue which I later learned is called the Rocket Thrower. The fountains in front of the statue were empty, except for the skateboarders and roller skaters.

In a way it is ironic that 40 years ago the the future was seen with unabashed optimism. The dawn of a perfect era in which technology would ease man’s burden. The rusty, dilapidated relics mirror the changes in society that never approached this ideal, with the future looking more like it will be closer to a Mad Max movie.

To see photos from my walk click here

Tennis is a sport with a lot of “love”

Jane and I had the opportunity to attend the US Open Tennis on Labor Day. We were guests of the Novartis Oncology department and were able to watch the matches in the Arthur Ashe stadium from a box. Novartis had given tickets to breast cancer survivors and others who work with non-profits helping breast cancer patients. There were a number of ladies in the box enjoying the tennis matches.

We stopped by the Femara booth to say hello to Terri, our Novartis contact who has helped us with both walks. Terri has provided us with a wealth of information as well as moral support. Her cheerfulness always brightens my day when I speak with her.

I was amazed at the large crowd of people. We watched Svetlana Kuznetsova defeat Victoria Azarenka. Tomas Berdych forfeited the match to Andy Roddick due to an illness. The final match we watched was between Tommy Haas and James Blake. It was an exciting match that went to the last set. The game ended on an instant replay challenge which showed Haas had hit the ball within the line.

I walked around the venue taking photos. You can watch a short video of the day here.

An afternoon of fundraising at Starbucks

We spend the afternoon at the Starbucks in Florham Park. They were kind enough to allow us to set up a fundraising table in front of the store.

Caitlyn has been busy making pink bead bracelets the past few weeks. We had the privilege of having the artist sit with us today. During the course of the afternoon, people stopped by and bought a bracelet or just dropped the change from their venti, hazelnut, soy, extra foam, lattes or double tall non-fat extra-dry cappuccinos in the bowl.

The ladies of Loantaka

	What a great way to spend a Saturday morning. The weather was perfect for a long walk. Unlike last week, there was no humidity, instead bright blue skies and a light breeze.
	We have a core group of dedicated walkers that has been showing up each week. Many of these ladies are walking in their first Avon Walk. As you can see from the photo of me on the left, I have a mark on my right upper arm.

This is only one of many patches of poison ivy that is covering my arms, neck and ear. Two weeks ago, I cleared poison ivy out of my garden. I had geared up so that I looked like I was cleaning a toxic waste dump. No rash ensued.
Last weekend, figuring all the ivy was gone, I spent the morning gardening in a tank top. The one mistake I made was the gloves. I used the same ones as the week before which must have had residual plant oil. While I was gardening, I swatted at bugs, brushed dirt off my arms, all the while spreading the oil. Guess I need to go and buy a new pair of gloves.