La chica dreams of being gazelle-like

Today, I took the first step toward becoming a Gazelle Girl: I signed up for the April 19 half-marathon in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Source: giphy.com

So tonight, we set out at a comfortable walking pace, my favorite dog and I. Our pace picked up fairly quickly, given the 15-degree temps (with windchill).

I with my Nike running jacket and my down Lands' End parka. Plus a Champion running cap, Saucony running gloves, Nike Hyperwarm running tights topped with some sort of fleece-lined ski pants I found at Marshall's a couple of years ago. She with her, ahem, fur coat.

I settled on Hal Higdon's half-marathon training program for walkers. I used his half-marathon plan for novice runners last year and it worked great. I especially like his simple approach and his free online chart I can use to plan my walks and other exercise.

Tonight called for a 30-minute walk. I circled two of my neighborhood blocks, just to be sure we were both up to the task. At about 20 minutes, we passed our house and she pulled hard on her leash, wanting to come inside. Can't say I blame her.

I remembered to pause my Nike-plus app and dropped said dog home, then set out for another 10 minutes. In all, I covered 2 miles in my allotted time.

Leonbergers aren't known as very active dogs (we call ours a lazyberger), so this is what greeted me when I got home.

As much as I'm bemoaning having to walk instead of run, someone else will be getting a lot out of this loophole I found while still following my doctor's orders to walk and not run.

In other news, I've been remiss in sharing that Hoke One One just launched a new stability shoe, the Constant. I haven't tried it, but I can tell you that I really like my Cliftons. My only complaint is that I wish it had one more hole at the top so I can tighten the laces closer to my ankles.

A rep for Boulder Running Company reached out* to ask if I would let you know about the new offering. You can get more info -- or order the shoe -- on their site.

Here are some pictures of the men's and women's models for the curious:

Have you used a training plan for a goal race? How did that work out for you? What's your favorite running shoe?

* I was not compensated for sharing information about the Hoka One One Constant or about the Boulder Running Company. All views are my own