Where I'm walking this week: Alkmaar - Bergen - Duinen

The starting point for my walk today was Alkmaar, a quaint city about 45 minutes north of Amsterdam most known for its cheese market, which I apparently missed by only an hour. Bad timing! Or maybe it it's better that way, otherwise I would have been weighed down with a kilo or two of cheese for the rest of my walk.

I started out in the touristic center and was eager to make my way out of the city and away from the busyness. Once outside Alkmaar, I walked through pastureland to a village to the north called Bergen. I saw approximately 500 lovely houses that I wouldn't mind living in, if only they were in Amsterdam instead of Bergen.

After Bergen I walked through the Bergerbos (Berger Forest), which transitioned into sand dunes, and eventually, the beach along the shores of the North Sea. Again, I hardly came across a single other walker and the dunes were particularly desolate. I poured out a quarter cup of sand from each shoe once I made it through that area. Now, I admittedly have horrible navigational skills but I thought the whole area was poorly marked. Today was the first time I walked with my new iPhone and if it weren't for Google maps I'd probably still be wandering around in the dunes. I am happy to have the option of using Google maps now, but I also hate spending more time looking at my phone than at my surroundings.

Final Destination

Once again, this walk ended up being shorter than planned and I was only able to squeeze in 9 miles in the time that I had. I walked an additional 3.5 miles this morning though, while walking the course for the upcoming Mom in Balance Run for Pink Ribbon. I think next week I will stay close to home again so I can get a long walk in without losing time traveling.

This week's walk: 

Distance: 9.3 miles (15km) + 3.5 miles (6km)
Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (first walk of the day wasn't timed)
Weeks Left: 6
Amount Left to Raise: $478

Where I'm walking this week: Amsterdam Center and Amsterdamse Bos

I met up with an old sorority sister earlier this week and took her and her travel buddy on a walking tour of Amsterdam. The weather was ideal for walking along the canals, with the occasional pit stop to refresh ourselves with a cold, Dutch beer. I am so accustomed to getting around the city by bike that I tend to underestimate distances when walking so we walked a little longer than I intended, especially since two of us were wearing wedges.

My second walk of the week was today and was also shorter than it should have been but we have a sick kid at home and schedules had to be rearranged so I'm happy that I got in a walk at all. We have had a few days of solid rain here so I was happy to be able to get in a few miles in some good weather. Today's walk took place in the Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest), which is another one of the locations I give fitness classes in every week. It is also where the Mom in Balance - Run for Pink Ribbon will be held, a race that I have been very busy organizing!

Lots of branches on the path after a night of heavy wind and rain

The Amsterdamse Bos is technically considered a city park and is one of the largest in Europe. It was created during the 1930's, at a time when unemployment rates in the Netherlands were soaring. The planting of the Amsterdamse Bos provided jobs for more than 20,000 workers over a period of 5+ years and their work is now enjoyed by more than 7 million visitors annually.

And that brings this blog up-to-date! I really hope to get a long walk in next week but it is promising to be yet another hectic week. The week after that I will be on vacation though with lots of opportunities for walking, and at the end of the month, I have a very fun walk planned. Stay tuned!

This week's walk (#1): 

Distance: 4 miles (6.5km)
Time: a few hours with pit stops

This week's walk (#2): 

Distance: 6.2 miles (10km)
Time: 1.5 hours

Weeks Left: 9
Amount Left to Raise: $683

Worsten voor Borsten (Wieners for Boobs) BBQ

I'm a little behind on posting so I'm going to backtrack a bit.

The Worsten voor Borsten (Wieners for Boobs) BBQ was a great success! Our house was only barely put back together after some home improvements, but luckily the weather was nice so we were all able to hang out on the deck. Thank you to everyone that came, and thanks for the donations! 

Multipurpose balloons! Here it's a heart.

And here, well, it fits the theme of the BBQ!

My walk two weeks ago was kind of boring, hence the lack of pictures. I've been really, really busy lately with some home renovations, race planning, sick kids, and the like which has all been interfering with my walk training. I've been sneaking in 5-10 mile walks when I can but mostly they have been squeezed in between other obligations. 

This week's walk The walk from two weeks ago: 

Distance: 5 miles (8km)
Time: 1 hours 15
Weeks Left: 11

Amount Left to Raise: $683