7 mile half-marathon training walk

It was a bit warmer than yesterday's 27-degree walk and the sun was shining bright. I decided to do my long, 7-mile training walk on the Katy Trail - a 255 mile bike path that spans across most of Missouri, which I am lucky enough to have access to a trail head a few miles from my childhood home.

It was a brisk 37 degrees when I set out, but without a cloud in the sky, the sun was very warming. I was able to keep my pace at 17:30 for the entire 7 miles, finishing at just around 2 hours.

You can access this bridge on foot or bike - which is part of a highway bypass - to cross the Missouri River and connect to another greenway in the area.

A shot of the Missouri River, which a majority of the 255 mile trail follows.

I enjoy walking on this trail. It is secluded from traffic, but backs up to many neighborhoods so there is something to look at and has great river views. I think another reason why I enjoy being out on this trail is because I hope to do a cross-state bike journey on it at some point in my life. Maybe I need to ask Santa Claus for a bike?

My other new favorite thing is My Tracks - an app for Android that records activity with GPS technology. I was able to set 15 minute notifications so I never had to pull out my device and see how long I had walked. I effortlessly did 7.02 miles in 2:01:44 or approximately a 17:30 pace.

My walk from yesterday (I dated it wrong) and today are below.

View 11/25 in a larger map


View 11/27 in a larger map