Overnight Training Day - 4/21/12

Our Overnight Coach Jason Krumenaker

A week ago this past Saturday my teammate and co-worker LaTonya and I drove to the Sports Basement in San Francisco to participate in the Overnight’s 5 mile training walk and a sneak preview of the route.

What a beautiful day for a walk it was.  Upon arrival we were greeted by our Overnight Walk coach Jason Krumenaker.  He made me feel so welcome and special with his warm and enthusiastic “Hi… it’s so nice to meet you LeAnn” and “I’m so glad you were able to make it”.  His enthusiasiam and positive energy did not end with his hello!

Jason led the group gathered in the parking lot of the Sports Basement in some stretching exercises, educating some of us on the fact that your shin actually has muscle to stretch.  Also that there is a reason our mothers always told us “not to stand on tables”.  Lucky for Jason that he’s young and quite agile… as he almost stretched himself right off of the table he stood on so we could all see him.

So after our stretching exercise, we were all off on our first official Overnight training walk.  Along the way we met  new people, shared some of our stories, received tips on the best type of shoe insoles to get for our upcoming 18 mile journey and made new friends. 

The Training Walk was supposed to be a 5 mile walk, but felt like it was much longer than that.  Could this be an indication that I need to get in more training walks before the 9^th than I have thus far?  Absolutely!! 

Now if we could just figure out how to bottle and distribute the energy of our Overnight Coach Jason… the walk would be a piece of cake!!

I have done a few mini-training walks since the Training Walk in San Francisco.  I even braved the 96 degree heat in Scottsdale, Arizona while visiting there with a friend for a few days last week.  I do not recommend training in that kind of heat for any extended period of time.  Thank goodness for the little strip malls I came across… shopping and air conditioning!! What more can a girl ask for?

Thank you for your company and conversation to those met during the Training Walk.  I hope that we see each other again at the Overnight on the 9^th and 10^th and a very special thank you to Jason!!  You are truly inspirational and motivating, added to how darn adorable you are, you are lucky that I didn't snatch you and all of that positive energy you have up and take you home with me. 

The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose. 

~~ Charles Dickens