1179.1 Miles

I've not been eaten by wargs, I just have been steadily moving along the best I could. I totaled up the walks that Brianna & I have been taking and we are currently at 17.4 since my last check in. I know that there are times in there that I didn't keep track of, so the total is actually a little more, but that's alright.

Right now we are entering the cold weather, just like the rest of the country, so outdoor walks are about to become very rare. As much as I despise this, I can't risk my health further. I'm now working pretty hard on increasing my lung capacity again and strengthening my body. I don't know how that would translate into miles (I know I could estimate the calories and all that stuff, but it doesn't really feel right).

I do have enough time before I head out on the road to be stronger, though, and I plan to use it to my advantage.

I hope you are all staying warm and safe out there.

Another recovery...

So... I got pneumonia again at the end of July and I'll admit that it pissed me off. Quite a bit. Brianna & I had been doing well with walking, I'd been doing just fine with at-home workouts, and things seemed to be improving a lot. Then I got sick again. Was it simply that I was overworking myself with work and other things? It is possible.

Now I've been slowly building back up to the walks again and I'm hoping to get a 5k in this weekend. Brianna's schedule is making it more difficult for us to do them together, but we have two medals to earn and she said she wanted to do them with me.

I am now doing all that I can to increase my lungs' health and will keep up with the workouts at home (which, technically, I could figure out calories burned & translate that into miles for this site, but it doesn't really seem the right thing to do) until I feel like I used to.

Thank you for reading!

1161.7 Miles

We camped during the day and left at dusk. So far things are quiet, but we are cautious. Sam noticed the rind moon and I was struck with the thought of how many nights I've watched the moon.

Well, June started out with the flu so I have not been walking a mile each day. I'll admit that I was a little pissed about getting sick when things are starting to improve, but I am choosing to let it go. I still have plenty of time to work on my health.

Brianna & I joined up with a group called the Hogwarts Running Club which hosts virtual runs. Yes, they trust that you will complete the miles needed. Not a problem for us.Our first 5k was on Saturday evening. The group prompted for us to walk/run at night (it was inspired by Lupin, so the moonlight was important), but Brianna & I walked in the late evening. I had a bit of a hard time with the distance and the hills, but I still completed it and that was what counted.

Of course, I felt extremely stiff and sore the following day and Monday, but I didn't feel as if I was exhausted, just tired. And so, after most of the soreness wore off, we decided to take another walk. This time my calves & shins were screaming at me during the first mile, so it was slow going -

We will be walking this distance every few days so that my muscles have time to recover and I still get to get my miles in. The next Hogwarts run is the Hedwig Memorial 5k on July 27 and I'm really looking forward to completing that one. Since I still have over a month, I know that I'll be ready to walk that one without any issues.

1154 Miles

Reach steep north face of south downs, inner ridge – hidden in the dark.

It's been a while, hasn't it? I have slowly begun to feel a lot better. I fouled that up on the weekend that we moved, but I have been taking good care of myself since then. I am now ready to start again. I know that I lost a lot of momentum over the last several months and that it will take me a while to get back to where I was before I got sick, but I also know that I can do it. I have a new determination to become as healthy as I can. I refuse to sit around and wait for the doctors to tell me that it's time for surgery. Instead, I would like very much to show them that I won't be needing it after all.

And so...  here is the progress I've made since I last posted my miles. Granted, this isn't all that I've done, but it is all I have record of so we'll just go from there.

My goal for June is to walk about a mile each day. It doesn't sound like much, but right now it's a really good start. That won't be the only activity I do, but I'm only keeping the miles here.

Also, for honesty's sake, I should say that I regained all the weight I'd lost when I moved here. Yes, I'm 190 pounds again. So be it, it won't be here very long.

Recovery progress...

As some of you know, I had a nasty bout with bacterial pneumonia at the end of October (2013) and was really hit hard with it. I can't recall the last time I went to the ER for myself, but this time I did. I am very lucky that it wasn't worse and so very grateful for the help I had during that time.

And now...

my journey is not ended, but it is on hold for a while longer. You see, I pretty much wiped out all my stores of energy and for a very long time (okay, it seems like a really long time, even though I just realized that I was at the ER 3 months ago) I could barely move around the house without feeling as if I'd been digging in the yard all day. Even now, after all this time, I feel completely drained after simple things. Last weekend I repotted most of my houseplants and by the time I was finished I felt like I'd been doing manual labor for several hours.

What this means is simply that I'm not going on long (or even short) treks through the neighborhood, around the block, up the mountain, etc., until I can get past this completely. What it also means is that when I begin again, I will be really looking forward tot he progress I'll be making.

Love and great healthy to you all!