Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

This morning, it was cold, but at least it was sunny and there was no wind to speak of. It was more than I could expect because the last few weeks had been dreary and miserable. After days and days on the treadmill, it was time to actually go outdoors and enjoy the sunrise, the crunchy snow and the squawking ducks.

Here is the result: Daybreak in Winter 2014. It’s a 26-minute walk that covers just under a mile, but if you’re watching while you’re on the treadmill, you can set your speed as fast or as slow as you need and just follow along.

Here is the map and basic information about the walk from Runkeeper:

You can see the full map and information on Runkeeper here: Walking Activity 0.93 mi | RunKeeper

Back in February, we had one final snow storm that covered the city in a blanket of beautiful white. I wasn’t really in the mood to go for a walk, but I couldn’t let the gorgeous snow get away. I grabbed Mike’s camera and headed to Sugarhouse Park to film a walking video. It’s strange to see the shivering whiteness now that summer has overtaken Utah. If the heat is slowing you down, pop this DVD into your player and pretend it’s cold and snowy.

Here is a glimpse of what the video looks like:

The cold air made it harder for me to breathe, so you can hear me panting up the hills on this one. By the end of the filming, the lens was covered with snowflakes. Is it distracting or realistic? You decide!

Estimated Distance: 1.84 miles
Estimated Speed: 2.2 mph
Time: 48 minutes

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

You can see the route I walked here:

Video Description:

When you went to bed, it felt like spring, but you woke up to a blanket of snow and still more coming down. It is sticking to every branch and the whole world looks like it has been spray painted white. It is a perfect morning for a walk in the park. The snow crunches under your boots. Be careful not to slip.

The geese and ducks have congregated to the middle of the pond, but you can still hear them honking in protest at the sudden storm. A family is tobogganing down the hill. You want to play with them, but you don’t have a sled, so you keep walking. Photographers are wandering the park taking photos of the snow-laden branches. Say hi to the other walkers intent on their daily routine despite the snow. By the time you’re finished, your glasses are covered with snowflakes, but your cheeks are red and you feel like you could walk across the world.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

Back in May, we visited Welches, Oregon. I took a walk through the Wildwood recreation area and filmed it. It took a while to get the video ready to sell, but it’s ready now just in time for Christmas.

Here is a glimpse of what the video looks like:

It was warm and moist and the walk through the forest was invigorating.

Estimated Distance: 3.02 miles
Estimated Speed: 2.0 mph
Time: 80 minutes

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

There are so many trees that I can’t see on Google maps to make a route map, but I tracked the workout with my Nike+, so you can see the stats here:

• LauraMoncur’s run log for Friday, May 16, 2008 at 10:26 AM – RUNNER+

Video Description:

The Wildwood river walk calls to you with its cool shade and moist ground. You can smell the leaf blower in the distance while you start your walk. Say hi to passing joggers as you head toward the Salmon River. Leaf through the field sketch book in the marshlands. Dodge the school children as they head on their field trip.

From the tops of the trees to the toadstools growing on the logs, Wildwood is a relaxing escape from your day. Escape to Oregon and take a walk through the forest.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

It has been a while since I released a new Starling Fitness Walking Video. I filmed this rainy video back in August, but I have procrastinated the editing until now. The day I filmed this video, I was so happy to be able to walk around the park in the rain, recording it for my future workouts.

I’ve worked out with this video a few times and it’s great for walking and running on the treadmill. It’s not so great for working out on the exercise bike unless you don’t mind imagining dodging geese, children and walkers on your bike. The times when I was passing people made me want to slow down a bit.

Here is a glimpse of what the video looks like:

Here is the distance according to Google Maps:

Estimated Distance: 1.84 miles
Estimated Speed: 2.5 mph
Time: 43 minutes

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

You can see the route I walked here:

Video Description:

It looks like rain outside, but the day is too beautiful to stay indoors. How about a quick walk at Liberty Park? Dodge the geese as they are being fed. Watch the romantic couple in the paddle boat on the pond. Listen to the children calling out on the playground equipment. The blue skies are threatened by big clouds, but you still keep walking. You enjoy the camaraderie of others as you pass them exercising.

The sound of the birds at Tracy Aviary make you want to go inside, but you have a workout to do, so you keep on walking. The tiny rain drops start to collect on your glasses, but that doesn’t stop you or the children splashing in the fountain. The smell of water in the air makes you want to walk even more. Who knew a walk in the rain could be so much fun?!

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

I have just completed my best walking video EVER. It is an hour and a half long, so it will last you through your longest workout. The day was absolutely perfect, so the sky was beautiful, the people were friendly and the filming was clear and steady.

I always felt embarrassed a little bit by the Swami’s Beach video that I did last year. It was filmed with an inferior camera and it was one of the first videos I finished. It has been hands down the best seller, but I cringed whenever I sent it out. This year’s Swami’s Beach Walk is the culmination of all that I have learned and gorgeous kismet during filming.

Here is a glimpse of what the video looks like:

I wore my Nike+iPod while I did this walk. It logged a total of 4.5 miles, but I’m more willing to believe the Google Maps measurement:

Estimated Distance: 3.31 miles
Estimated Speed: 2.2 mph
Time: 90 minutes

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

You can see the route I walked here:

Video Description:

You’ve walked this beach before, but today is different. The people are friendlier, the sky is bluer and the tide is higher. The tide is so high, it blocks the way of your usual route, so this time you head south. Pass the joggers and the kiddie beach. The wind, helicopters and jet engines cannot drown out the sound of the ocean.

Feel the cold water as the tide nips at your feet. Run away from it like the little white birds. The water in the air smells like sprinklers on a hot day. Pant your way up the stairs and bid the ocean one final goodbye before you end your workout.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

Back in February, we had one final snow storm that covered the city in a blanket of beautiful white. I wasn’t really in the mood to go for a walk, but I couldn’t let the gorgeous snow get away. I grabbed Mike’s camera and headed to Sugarhouse Park to film a walking video. It’s strange to see the shivering whiteness now that summer has overtaken Utah. If the heat is slowing you down, pop this DVD into your player and pretend it’s cold and snowy.

Here is a glimpse of what the video looks like:

The cold air made it harder for me to breathe, so you can hear me panting up the hills on this one. By the end of the filming, the lens was covered with snowflakes. Is it distracting or realistic? You decide!

Estimated Distance: 1.74 miles
Estimated Speed: 2.2 mph
Time: 48 minutes

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

You can see the route I walked here:

Video Description:

When you went to bed, it felt like spring, but you woke up to a blanket of snow and still more coming down. It is sticking to every branch and the whole world looks like it has been spray painted white. It is a perfect morning for a walk in the park. The snow crunches under your boots. Be careful not to slip.

The geese and ducks have congregated to the middle of the pond, but you can still hear them honking in protest at the sudden storm. A family is tobogganing down the hill. You want to play with them, but you don’t have a sled, so you keep walking. Photographers are wandering the park taking photos of the snow-laden branches. Say hi to the other walkers intent on their daily routine despite the snow. By the time you’re finished, your glasses are covered with snowflakes, but your cheeks are red and you feel like you could walk across the world.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

The San Antonio Botanical Garden Walk DVD is finished and ready for you! It is a little over 1 hour of walking on the San Antonio Botanical Garden on September 15, 2006. If your treadmill workouts have been getting you down and you are wishing for greenery, this is the right video for you!

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

Here is a glimpse of what the walk will be like:

Video Description:

I was lost and unprepared for the hot Texas weather, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the garden’s beauty. From the native Texas grassland areas to the indoor fern grottos, I filmed all that the San Antonio Botanical Garden had to offer.

Wander along the garden paths. Watch the birds fly past you and squawk at you from the trees. Smell the herbs and flowers in the garden for the blind. Breathe in the humid air in the fern grotto. Explore the historical homes of Texas’ past. Chase down the golf cart. Can you keep up?

If you are missing the beautiful greenery that Texas has to offer, you can enjoy it every day with this video.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

The San Antonio Morning Riverwalk DVD is finished and ready for you! It is a little over 45 minutes of walking on the San Antonio Riverwalk on September 15, 2006. If the winter has been getting you down and you are wishing for greenery, this is the right video for you!

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

Here is a glimpse of what the walk will be like:

Video Description:

Last night, the riverwalk was packed with people, but this morning you have it all to yourself. Well, almost all to yourself. You pass people on the way to work and visiting convention goers. A couple of joggers run past you. Hurry, can you catch them?!

The pigeons and squirrels are cleaning up the frenzy of eating and enjoyment from the night before and the river workers are doing the same. Wave to them as they negotiate their boats past you. They might even wave back. The tourist boats are practicing as they pass you, unnoticed.

Enjoy one of San Antonio’s favorite night spots during the quiet hours of the morning!

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

Just in case you missed it, Starling Fitness has a new walking DVD available. This one is of a nature preserve in Moab, Utah. Moab is known for its orange landscape and you will see those famous structures in this video, but it’s mostly a walk around the wetlands.

Here is a glimpse of what the video is like:

This is the third of a series of walking videos. The others are Swami’s Beach and Sugarhouse Walk. I also have two more videos that are in the editing phase right now, so keep a watch out for them!

Estimated Distance: 2.0 Miles
Estimated Speed: 2.3 mph
Time: 52:00 Minutes

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

You can see the route I walked here. The video goes around the loop twice. I tried to be crafty when I was filming it so you wouldn’t notice, but just now I realized that I have to tell you that I walked the circuit twice, so that you would know the accurate mileage.

Video Description:

It was a hot day and the signs all over Moab said, “Did you remember your water?” I brought a bottle of water, but I was filming, so I couldn’t just take a swig of it. Halfway through the walk I could hear every swish it made in my backpack, wishing I could take a drink. The dry heat seemed to suck all the moisture out of my body, but the Scott Matheson Wetland Preserve was shady.

The trees protected me from the blistering sun. As I walked along the trail, I filmed wildflowers and I could even hear birds. I wanted to hide in the shade of the house at the end of the trail and watch the birds from its quiet solitude, but I was intent on walking. Investigating the little-known paths was a bonus because I found my way to Kane Creek. I turned around and walked it all over again. When I was finished, I enjoyed the red rocks and watched the off-roaders drive by.

Then I turned off my camera and gulped down all my water in one fail swoop. Should have brought two bottles…

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

For More Information about the wetlands preserve:
The Nature Conservancy in Utah – Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve

I have finally finished the editing for the Scott Matheson Wetlands Preserve Walk in Moab, Utah. I’m so excited! This is a different kind of exercise video for use on the treadmill. This is film of a walk around a wetlands preserve. All you have are the sounds of footsteps, birds singing and maybe even a little water (although the Utah desert is not really known for water).

Here is a glimpse of what the video is like:

I have released two similar DVDs to this in the past: Swami’s Beach and Sugarhouse Walk. The Moab Walk uses the same camera as the Sugarhouse Walk, so there are no vibration problems that might make you motion sick. One of my readers mentioned that whenever I turn the camera to one side or another, it makes her walk funny on the treadmill. She’s right, I find myself doing the same thing and grabbing the handrails to steady myself. This video does a lot of looking to the side (mostly to avoid viewing other walkers on the trail and to see the pretty wildflowers). If that is a problem for you, this video does it a lot!

Estimated Distance: 2.0 Miles
Estimated Speed: 2.3 mph
Time: 52:00 Minutes

I’m offering this workout DVD for $5 plus shipping.

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

You can see the route I walked here. The video goes around the loop twice. I tried to be crafty when I was filming it so you wouldn’t notice, but just now I realized that I have to tell you that I walked the circuit twice, so that you would know the accurate mileage.

Video Description:

It was a hot day and the signs all over Moab said, “Did you remember your water?” I brought a bottle of water, but I was filming, so I couldn’t just take a swig of it. Halfway through the walk I could hear every swish it made in my backpack, wishing I could take a drink. The dry heat seemed to suck all the moisture out of my body, but the Scott Matheson Wetland Preserve was shady.

The trees protected me from the blistering sun. As I walked along the trail, I filmed wildflowers and I could even hear birds. I wanted to hide in the shade of the house at the end of the trail and watch the birds from its quiet solitude, but I was intent on walking. Investigating the little-known paths was a bonus because I found my way to Kane Creek. I turned around and walked it all over again. When I was finished, I enjoyed the red rocks and watched the off-roaders drive by.

Then I turned off my camera and gulped down all my water in one fail swoop. Should have brought two bottles…

Order Starling Fitness Walking Videos Here

For More Information about the wetlands preserve:
The Nature Conservancy in Utah – Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve