883.9 Miles

(1.3 treadmill)

Today was a much slower pace. Mainly because I was pretty sore in my lower legs. I guess that's normal, but it still cut my speed a bit. So, my walking was only between 2.5/3.0mph. Not much, I know. There were a few bursts of speed in the middle, but I had to keep them at 2 minutes each before my calves started to really burn.

I still did my squats, but not the chains. Part of that had to do with time since I spent a good portion of the morning talking business with a friend. She's a healer and had been running her business (Oasis Healing Arts) out of her studio for a while now, so she knows a bit about small businesses.  When I got back home it was time to start a lot of other things, but the treadmill came first.

Now, it's definitely time for some sleep.

Other Movements

Today was a no-treadmill kind of day. When I got back from the dentist my heart felt kind of wonky. Now, it very well could have been the simple fact that I'd been at the dentist. Or just because I didn't have enough water before I left. Or whatever. Regardless, it didn't feel like it was at a normal pace again until it was nearly time to pick the daycare kids up from school.

I still moved, though. I did my squats, weights, and stand-up crunches while they were drawing & eating snacks. Then I repeated the squats before my shower. Interestingly enough, my shins were sore today. I'll blame it on the sandals from Monday.

Tomorrow will be an awesome treadmill day! Let's see how far I can get.

882.6 Miles

(1.8 treadmill)

We passed through an open glad and are still blindfolded, even while sleeping.

I believe today is a personal record on the treadmill. I made it to 1.8 miles in 30 minutes. I know that might not seem like a whole lot of miles, but 4 of those minutes are only 2.5mph and 4 are 3.0mph. That's the way the program goes. There is more variation in between the warm-up and cool-down, so I certainly am not just plodding along.

Today I had my headphones on and a Pandora station with a great beat and I think that helped keep me moving at a better tempo. As time goes by I know my distance will increase, but I have to take this a bit at a time.

Yesterday was a bit of a bust as far as a workout, part of that had to do with the walk from where we parked to the Memorial Day ceremony. Normally that wouldn't have been anything at all, but I wore sandals. By the time we reached the "gazebo" my calves & shins were on fire. Why did I buy shoes that wouldn't stay on unless I kept my toes tightened? I have no idea. Truly. As soon as I can I'll be getting something that has a strap or a different construction or something (flip-flops are out of the question).

I'm a little worried about my goal. Forget that, I'm thrilled about my goal! I will succeed at that one and will be able to know that I can do it. That goal will help me reach toward the next one. Yeah!

Now, however, I'm literally dripping sweat. Seriously, it's dripping from my elbows to my pants (which are now being held up with a safety pin so they don't fall off while I'm on the treadmill.) No, I'm not going to buy more right now. Instead I'll add elastic to the waists of all my capris and get to the end of June before any clothing purchases.

880.8 Miles

(1.6 treadmill)

We are getting closer to an open glade, but the blindfolds are still in place.

I forgot to post this yesterday, but I was back on the treadmill! I only did a little yoga in the morning as a gentle way to stretch out the muscles & joints and it helped a lot. The treadmill has 4 programs on it and I've figured out 3 of them so far. I still am not able to finish them as they're set (one goes up to 6.5mph), but I can still change the speed, which is nice. I think the coolest thing for me is that it forces me to cool down at the end. The speed slows to 3.5 for a minute then 3.0 for 2 minutes and 2.5 for another 2 minutes. By the time I've finished that part I know that I can eat some lunch without any problems.

I think I'll be using the treadmill and bike in the mornings before the kids arrive (for summer break). That way I get it done in the early part of the day and I can do other things in my room (like belly dancing) while they are sleeping.

(I think I'd get better pictures if I turned the treadmill around, but then my back would be to the window.)

Other movements

Today was a gentle stretching and belly dance kind of day. My hips are a bit sore. Why hips? Who knows. I'm sure the stretching helped a lot, though. The hard days seem to come in waves - sometimes I feel no pain, others I feel a lot. Yes, there is a variation on the things I do, but it still seems strange to me that after this much time I'm still sore. I guess those little changes make a pretty big difference.

Tomorrow I will feel good enough to get back on the treadmill so I'll have a better update then.

879.2 Miles

(1.7 treadmill)

Since I'd gotten on the treadmill Tuesday evening and I knew I'd be sore by the next evening, I decided to get on the treadmill again early in the day. Lo and behold, I made it through the whole 30 minutes without keeling over. Okay, that's a little dramatic, but there have been days when it felt like that.

I'm thinking that the fact that I got on the treadmill before the weary muscles set in may prevent me from feeling it too much tonight. I have a school function to go to this evening and I don't want to be limping in. We'll see.

I also did about 20 minutes of hooping, which helped relax my lower back a little. I think the belly dancing would have been even better for that, but I really didn't have the 45 minutes to devote to the short version (the long version is about 2 hours and the full version is nearly 4.)

I'm still trying to work out how I'll be working out while the daycare kids are here. (yeah, funny pun wasn't intended.) I really don't like getting on the treadmill at the end of the day, but it just might be necessary for the summer (the kids are generally here until after 6pm). Regardless, I am determined.

877.5 Miles

(1.2 treadmill)


Still trudging to Lothlorien.

Yes, I got on the treadmill today! No fever, no achiness, no ickiness. I did have to stop a couple times for a tissue, but I felt pretty good afterward. I will probably be hurting tomorrow, but it will be a good hurt.

I still have 43 miles to go before I reach Lothlorien and I'm determined to get there very soon. I still haven't decided what I will reward myself with, but I want it to be extra special.

For now? shower time.

Final Day

Today I woke feeling still a bit icky, but as the day progressed I felt better and better. I only needed a few tissues and I didn't feel like I was going to fall asleep all day. Through this time, I took good care of myself. I rested, ate only the foods I felt like eating, drank a lot of fluids, and relaxed. I didn't beat myself up over the fact that I didn't exercise this week, either.

I learned something about myself; I used to push and push until there was nothing left to sustain me. This time, I listened to what my body was telling me. Whatever "this" was, it wasn't simple allergies (not with a high fever on Monday and into Tuesday, achy muscles until this morning, and fatigue so strong that I took several naps over the last few days). Whatever it was, it's passed now. And that is all that really matters.

I have gained no weight, and my muscles still feel strong under the surface. I am sure that I lost none of ground I've covered. I'm also sure that I am happier with the ability to stop and take good care of myself when I need to. I do believe that I can now go forward with more enthusiasm and determination than I could have mustered this whole week.

I love Me!

Pressure...

Today was... well, not the best day for exercise. There is no more fever, which is awesome, but there is still a bit of sinus pressure. When I started the sun salutations this morning I realized that anything that would aggravate that was just not a great idea.

Why is this a big deal? Because I want to work out. This is an odd and great place for me. I want to move physically and get my heart pumping. I want to smile at the sweaty shirt I always end up with. I want to log the mile or miles I've traveled. But, this body is in need of healing first.

So. I am learning patience.

I am determined to wake tomorrow feeling a lot better.

Fever?

There was no workout today, other than dyeing the club yarn. Even with that I took it easy and went slow. You see, I ended up with a fever today. Crazy, huh? I actually took a nap after hanging the yarns up, and have been drinking a lot of water. Now... time for more sleep.

Oh, my muscles are a little sore from helping Kevin with the lawn yesterday. Nothing big, just the upper arms from starting the mower.

Recovery

Okay, I pushed myself yesterday morning with the thought that I would not feel so bad today since I'd already gone through this last week. Hah! I can barely move this morning. After I get the morning errands done (grocery store, etc.) I will spend a good deal of time stretching with yoga and drinking a few gallons of water.

On the very bright side, I can feel the muscles getting even stronger all the time. I don't know what will have been achieved by the Solstice, but I know that there has been a great deal of progress so far.

Edit: 9:13a - Morning stuff is done, 3 glasses of water finished off, 1 cup of coffee, arnica has been applied, and sun salutations have been completed. The muscles aren't quite as stiff as they were earlier, but they are still pretty sore. Once the recovery process is complete, I will be happy for this, right?

876.3 Miles

(3.6 outdoors)

It seems to be taking forever to get through the forest, but I know it's just because I've been walking instead of biking.

I realized that I'd not posted since last Thursday and I feel as if I'm letting myself down with this. I know there are far more important things to worry about right now, and too many things have been slipping my mind lately, but I really want to stay focused with this.

Today I walked to the post office. I didn't need to, I could have had the carrier pick the stuff up. But the morning was cool and the rain had ended. I may be feeling a few twinges by tomorrow, but it will be worth it. Most of the walk was pleasant. Columbus Avenue has some nice houses to look at and it was nice being able to see the yards and such at a more leisurely pace (driving doesn't allow for that).

I didn't do my chains today, mostly because by the time I got home I was fairly wobbly. I took just over an hour for the whole trip and, even when I wanted to slow, I made myself keep a steady speed.

Recovery

Today was all about stretching and taking it easy. The pushing I did over the last few days caught up and made it difficult to carry on normally. Yoga this morning was very slow and the stretches throughout the day were very gentle.The arnica salve was definitely my friend, even with the humidity and warm temperatures. (I think I should learn to make a butter or something so that I can make a product that absorbs much faster.)

I've been drinking enough water to float a small watercraft, but it's still not releasing the tension from the muscles. No worries, since I'm sure I'll feel a lot better by morning.

Today I also made a gazpacho. I made some in December and liked the way it tasted, but that was definitely the wrong time of the year to appreciate a cold veggie soup. It was much more suited to this time of the year.

For now, I will keep stretching gently until it's time for bed. Tomorrow, I look forward to getting back on track.

872.7 Miles

(2 walking outside)

Today the weather was just too nice to stay indoors for long. I finished up some stuff for ASC, then headed out. At one point I was sure it was time to sit down for a while and even made it a point to return along Washington so I could sit on one of the benches there. Instead I decided to keep going until I got back home. I was definitely ready for some cool water when I got in (yes, I know I should take it with me.) I like the Google "pedometer" but realized that I really should get a real one before long.

After cooling off a bit, I continued with the chains (strength training) and pushed myself a little there as well. I don't know if it's the warmer weather or just the longer days, but I am feeling a lot more energetic when it comes to getting healthier.

No pictures today, but if I walk outdoors again tomorrow, I will bring a camera to show you all the cool flowers out there.

870.7 Miles

(1.6 walking outdoors)

After running a few errands downtown I checked my mileage here and found that I'd walked a little more than I thought (that's what I get for having to go back twice). Still, I felt pretty good that I didn't feel totally winded by the end of it all.

My upper legs are a little sore this evening, but I know that's just because I was refocusing yesterday on strength. And, I took a picture of me in my jeans. There is a 2.5" gap between my waistband and my waist. And, actually, it's closer to my hips since the pants won't stay around my waist anymore. I feel pretty fabulous about that. I still have a lot of work ahead of me, but I feel pretty motivated nonetheless.