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DAIRYLAND WALKERS BIMONTHLY MEETING MAIN MADISON LIBRARY APRIL 6, 2006  Officers Present:  Tom and LaVonne McCrill (Co-Presidents); Russ Crane (Treasurer); Karen Reger (Secretary)  In Attendance:  13  MEETING Tom McCrill began the meeting at 6:35 p.m.  David Segura became a new member just prior to the beginning of the meeting.   Secretary's Report (Karen Reger) The minutes for the last membership meeting on February 9 were accepted with no discussion.    Treasurer's Report (Russ Crane) The balance at the last Board meeting on March 9 was $6,898.52.  Since then, income has totaled $5,492.00.  Of that amount, $5,336.00 is earmarked for the Niagara Falls bus trip.  Expenses have totaled $1,394.07.  A key expense is $672.00 for Inventory, which includes record books, etc.  The balance as of tonight is $10,996.45, with $9,003.00 committed for the Niagara Falls trip.  The uncommitted balance is $1,993.45.  The report was accepted with no discussion.    Membership Report No report was available.  Tom M. indicated that six new members were listed in the last newsletter.    Calendar of Events (Don Suloff)  Girl Scout Walk Together This will be the first time that a cooperative walk between the AVA and the Girl Scouts will be held in Wisconsin.  A patch will be available at this event.  It will be held on April 22, starting from St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Middleton.  It will be a subset of the existing Middleton walk, and will only consist of about four miles.  Don will need help in getting things set up at the beginning.  Since troop leaders and parents will be there, this will be an opportunity to provide information about volkssporting.    Sugar River Trail Walk This will be held on May 13, and registration will be at the American Legion Hall in Albany.  Walkers will then be transported to the start.  Don reminded people to bring their patches along in order to get the second year pin.  He also passed around a sign-up sheet for those willing to help in shuttling people.  At least two people have expressed an interest in doing the whole 37K trail.  Anyone doing this would have to make their own shuttle arrangements.  Wisconsin Walking Weekend This will be held during the weekend of September 7-9, 2007.  Tentative plans are to do a night walk at Governor Nelson State Park on Friday night, a New Glarus or Mt. Horeb walk on Saturday morning, the Capitol walk on Saturday afternoon, an Ice Age Trail walk in Lodi on Sunday morning, and the Devil's Lake walk on Sunday afternoon.  A swim on Saturday night might also be a possibility, thus having six events in three days.  This weekend of events would be promoted amongst various tour companies and other clubs.    Highway Cleanup (Tom McCrill) This will be on April 23, and volunteers are needed.    Syttende Mai Walk (Tom McCrill) This will be held on May 20.  People were reminded that they have to sign up both through our club and the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce.    Membership Meeting (Tom McCrill) This will be on June 7 but no definite plans have been made.  This may be a picnic-type meeting.    Board Meeting (Tom McCrill) The next Board meeting will be on May 11.    Tuesday Night Walks (Tom McCrill) The Tuesday night group walks will begin on April 18 at 5:30 p.m., starting at Vilas Park for the Arboretum walk.    Monday Morning Walks (Tom McCrill) The number of people participating varies.  People having questions should contact Barb Borde or Ted Newell.  The walks do not necessarily conform to the sequence of the Tuesday night walks.  They seem to do the East Side and Arboretum walks the most.  Since the seasonal walks started on April 1, they'll be able to incorporate them in the schedule also.    Seasonal Walks – Credit (Russ Crane) Russ reminded people that, beginning this year, if a stamp for a seasonal walk has a plus sign, they can get event credit twice during the year for that event, once in the first half of the year and once in the second half.    Newsletter/Email (Bonnie Hamer) There is now a new starting point for the Port Washington walk, and there are new directions on how to get to the Milwaukee starting point due to construction.    The meeting ended at 6:50 p.m.  PROGRAM Karen Reger introduced Mick Pecoraro, a personal trainer, who gave a demonstration on free weights (hand weights) with his wife, Mary.  They passed out a multi-page guide on various exercises and they demonstrated the correct way to do the hand weight exercises.    Some notes from the presentation: It's important to use the right techniques in doing these exercises to avoid hurting yourself.  It's good to have a sturdy and stable bench with an adjustable back on which to do the exercises.  This may cost $100.00 or more.  The bench could be stored in a corner with the weights tucked underneath.  The weight of the dumbbells you use can vary – perhaps starting off with five pounds or less and working your way up to 45 pounds or so.    When doing the exercises, don't rush, take it easy – slower is better.  As with any new exercise program, check with your doctor first.  Do so many repetitions (or "reps") of each exercise (from 6 to 12) in a set, and do so many sets (such as 6 or 8, but no lower than 6) during your exercise time.  Starting out, you may want to do one set of 12 reps for each exercise.  It is best to have very little rest time between each exercise to keep your heart rate up.  Doing these exercises will not make you look muscle bound – they help to tone your body.    Weight training can help you lose weight as having muscles increases your metabolism.  Although, the best way to lose weight is to watch your diet.  Mick suggested having 6 small meals a day of 300 to 500 calories per meal.  He suggested using plates that are divided, with meats and starches going into the smaller compartments and vegetables being in the larger compartment.  Also, be sure to eat a good breakfast, and have carbs and proteins at every meal.  Plan your meals ahead of time, and watch the portion sizes.  He recommended drinking ten 8-ounce glasses of water a day.  Regarding eating or drinking right before or after exercising, do what feels right for you.  Keep a food journal of what you eat, and regularly weigh yourself.    Weight training should be done two days a week, with cardiovascular training also done on two days.  Do not do weight training two days in a row.  In this way you should get a full body workout, using every muscle.  Breathe normally – do not hold your breath.  Always bend your knees when doing these exercises.  Gradually, you can increase the weight of the dumbbells.  As you get more experienced, you may want to do exercises on an exercise ball, but of course this would not be as stable as a bench.  Also, you may want to change your routine every few months or so.  If doing any exercise bothers you or hurts you, don't do it.    Exercise for health reasons, and aim for consistency.    The program ended at 8:03 p.m.    Submitted by Karen Reger, Secretary