Our apartment Walk Score: 97 out of 100!

I've had a bit of free time today and plugged in our walk score for our apartment. Admittedly, I am not that big a fan of walking. Two reasons stick out right away. 1. Short legs don't cover as much distance 2. Cute shoes are almost never good walking shoes.

Anyway, I am endeavoring to walk more so I thought this may motivate me. If you are unfamiliar with the Walk Score you can read some info from their website that I will paste below. Go to Walk Score and check out your walk score for your address!

Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities.

Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood1. Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15 - 45.

Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming. Your feet are zero pollution transportation machines.

More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car2!

Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for each 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10 percent3.

Stronger local businesses: Dense, walkable neighborhoods provide local businesses with the foot traffic they need to thrive. It's easier for pedestrians to shop at many stores on one trip, since they don't need to drive between destinations.

What does my score mean?

Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. The walkability of an address depends on how far you are comfortable walking—after all, everything is within walking distance if you have the time. Here are general guidelines for interpreting your score:

* 90 - 100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
* 70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car.
* 50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
* 25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
* 0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

All Systems Go

After a week of staring at the shoes and contemplating whether or not I would really start running I have made the commitment. Yesterday, I attended the Fleet Feet orientation session for their No Boundaries program and surprisingly I am excited to start.

I learned that although Fleet Feet has been around for 24 years this is their first beginners running program. It is led by Shawn Fenty, a biathelete, who specializes in cycling and running. He will be teaching the Chi Walking/Running model of efficient form. Not sure what this is yet, but I'll keep you posted.

There were at least 30 people in the room and I must say, if you are a single male, this class is better than home ec to meet ladies. Out of all of those people I think there were 4 or 5 guys.

Tonight, I officially signed up and also signed up for the Cassidy and Pinkard Colliers Race For Hope Brain Tumor 5K Run/Walk. It is one of the largest fundraisers to benefit the brain tumor community in the US and has raised more than $1 million each of the last two years.

I am asking you to help by supporting my fund-raising efforts with a donation to the RACE FOR HOPE. Of course, it is tax-deductible gift for you itemizers. The most important note is that it will make a difference in the lives of brain tumor patients. You can make your donation online by simply clicking on this link.

Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight. I greatly appreciate your support!

Step Two

The first step to actually running is getting running shoes. This is definitely the best part of "running." Yesterday, Chris and I visited Fleet Feet in our old neighborhood of Adams Morgan. This store is fabled to be a runner's paradise where you the employees expertly find your perfect pair of running shoes. You even get to go outside and run around in them.

We arrive and of course, we get the standard "may I help yous?" and we reply with "just browsing." One Fleet Feet employee, Roger, wouldn't take no for answer, so I rolled up my jeans and put on a pair of socks. He told me that I am a pronator (I think) after I stood up and gave me three different pairs of shoes to try on. He also asked me questions like if I had shin splints or other problems. My answer was "I have no problems. I don't exercise."

I settled on a big pair of Sauconys size 9 wide and $13 pair of running socks (cash-ola). Since I normally wear an 8 I have concluded that they reason why I don't like exercising is because their shoes are sized completely different and I've been exercising in the wrong shoes.

My shoe purchase also came with a nice surprise--a cameo appearance by Mayor Adrian Fenty and his children. For those of you outside the DC Metro area, Fleet Feet is owned by Mayor Fenty's parents.

The next step is actually running in the shoes. I am also going to get more help from Fleet Feet with this matter. They have a beginners class starting at the end of February (8am Sundays-boo) that I've decided to try. It's 10 weeks AND early. I don't remember deciding I wanted to become a morning person. However, I will start breaking in the shoes this week. I refuse to be the worst person in the class and huffing and puffing after about 90 seconds. Definitely more to come later.

We All Live on the Sovereign of the Seas

Lelaine cashed in on her Christmas gift on Friday, as we boarded the Sovereign of the Seas in Port Canaveral with our friend Doug for a cruise through The Bahamas.  It ended up being a great weekend with Lelaine and Doug deciding that the cruising lifestyle is for them.

Friday night Lelaine adjusted to life on the sea.  We were quickly acclimated to the various things to do on the ship and navigated all of the food options per the advice of our wonderful waiters Eliston from India and Walter from the Philippines.   The ship was a bit old - the oldest in the fleet - and showed her age from time to time - the flushing mechanism on the toilet worked about half the time - but it was nice (Lelaine and Doug's opinions may differ on this one).  We also befriended a blackjack dealer from New Zealand (Doug, what was her name?) who gave us the inside scoop on everything about the ship.

Saturday we arrived in Nassau.  While I wanted to go to Cable Beach to relax in the sand and see Palmyra, the house of Emilio Largo (SPECTRE #2) from the Bond movie Thunderball. Unfortunately, I was outvoted, throwing what some might call a tantrum, and we took a water taxi to Paradise Island to tool around Atlantis.  It was nice, if you are into ridiculously large hotels that require a map to find your way around, multiple private beaches, several lagoons that are home to many types of sharks, a dock so exclusive that the yachts tied up all had smaller boats hoisted on them, a casino where the smallest domination chip you can get is green, and an aquarium that is so large it is easy to miss a sting ray that is at least 10 feet wide.  Luckily for me I took a walk off the resort and saw The One and Only, a hotel where 007 causes some trouble in Casino Royale.

Sunday we were off to Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean's "private island".  It was very nice with a beautiful beach; the clearest water any of us had ever seen; great snorkeling that allowed you to swim in the middle of a school of fish; and Cheap Freddy, the worlds greatest Coco Loco drink salesman. We spent most of the day laying out in the sand, snorkeling and sleeping in a hammock hanging from palm trees.  This gave Doug, whose dream is to become a captain, plenty of time to think of questions about the trip.  For instance, how does one get invited to the captain's dinner?  Does the captain carry any weapons?  And since we were led to believe Coco Cay is a private island (which we have since found out it is not), does it have any type of government?  Do they have defenses?  Could Cheap Freddy be their ambassador to the UN?

Visit our flickr page for all of our sovereign photos