1211.4 Miles

We have reached the lowlands between downs and the Emyn Muil. I feel like we've been on this journey forever and that every time there is a little progress, something causes a delay. We began paddling this evening and the banks are becoming stony.

That is how I feel, actually. Between the lung issues, the worry about my heart, the heel pain, and the other things that seem to be happening around me, it does feel like there is a humongous amount of delaying for everything. Even so, I want to keep going. I started out with this in order to make my way through Middle Earth and that's what I still intend to do. One step at a time.

It was suggested to me that I get a pedometer and start keeping track of how much I walk throughout the day, but the reliable ones are more than I want to pay and the cheap ones aren't accurate. So I'll just keep going for walks when I can and go from there.

Over the last several months, I've gone for walks around the neighborhood, back & forth to the bus stops, and to the store. While I didn't log each and every one of the miles in here, I did keep them in a notebook. Since November I've logged 32.3 miles. That hardly seems like a drop in the bucket, but it is still something.

Onward, shall we?

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!

1143.3 Miles

(5.1 outdoors since Monday)

We have reached the Northern edge of eastern South Undeep.

 I'll admit that I've not been listening to the book lately. As soon as I get a few things done enough for me to skim through it, I will certainly catch up on more details of the journey.

In the meantime, I'll catch up on the journey of the road. This week I didn't get as many miles as I was supposed to. Part of that was my own fault for not following the maps a little better. I'd planned to attend a 5 mile hike yesterday but didn't turn when I was supposed to which had me drive quite a bit out of my way. Sadly, by the time I realized this, the group was already beginning the hike and I was more than 20 minutes away.

Still, I have to say that I'm really happy with how the run on Friday went. April and I went to Carrier Park (lots of runners, walkers, bikers, and roller-skaters go there, too). I knew that I needed to reach at least 3 miles that day (I have a goal to run 5k in less than 37 minutes by the first weekend in November) and that's not far from now. Well, April kept encouraging me to keep running (slow pace). And, as much as I really wanted to walk, I actually ran most of it. April says 99%, but I think it was onlu 90%. But that "only: that you see there? Don't let it fool you, I worked really hard to keep going. And I feel so proud of myself for finishing.

1138.2 Miles

(5.2 road, total since Monday)

Gollum has been spotted by Sam and Frodo and we have been on the river many hours each day.

Exercise has a strange consequence for me and perhaps it is the same for many others. Before I start, I can think of every argument not to do anything. While I am exercising I can think of every reason to stop. But after the exercise, I can think of all the reasons I am glad I finished.

I'm a little tired tonight so the images aren't edited to remove the ads at the bottoms or anything like that. I'll work on that for the next entry.

1133 Miles

This is a catching up since the last post.

(9.6 bike)
(11.1 walking/running: total since September 2)

I'm so pleased to be running and walking on a regular basis! Not only am I getting more miles in, I'm also gaining more strength. I was sick for a little bit so there was more time spent coughing than moving, but that's behind me now. I've been using the Nike application for my phone to help me keep track of my miles and I know that there have been a couple times when I forgot to turn the darn thing on, so I won't be counting those.

On September 27th I was in my second Asheville 5k (third total) and my time was 41:48 (last year was 44:11). I am really looking forward to seeing what the next 5k will be. Here is one of the pictures that Brianna was able to get just before I crossed the finish line -

Today was a bike ride (at The Fire, mostly keeping about 17mph, but there were several HIIT minutes in there) and tomorrow morning will be another run. I'm hoping to update this a lot more frequently from here on.

1112.3 Miles

(10.3 bike)

The river has turned southward and we are still surrounded by high hills.

I wasn't going to do anything today since my calves are still very sore, but decided that if I didn't do anything my goals would be even further away. So, after getting Brianna settled (she has a fever and pretty heavy congestion right now), I got on the bike. Only 30 minutes today, but I am glad that I did it.

Oh, and I did get a little knitting in, too. That little bit of black might become the OWL project for HPKCHC (on Ravelry).

1102 Miles

(3.6 outdoors)

I headed out the door this morning pretty early. There were a few minutes when I had to talk myself into it but then... I don't know exactly, but something shifted and I just went. The morning was quiet and cool and the mist was thick in the distance (not thick enough to diminish visibility for the cars I'd be sharing the roads with). I knew the approximate route I wanted to take, even though there were parts I'd never been on. I sprinted on the downhill portions and felt like I was trudging on some of the uphill portions. Just before the second mile I really did struggle, but I knew that I couldn't go back. There was a twinge of a cramp in the back of my thigh so I did stretch some before continuing.

When I got back home I was drenched in sweat and a little shaky, but I was happy, too.

1098.4 Miles

(12.4 outdoors, spread over a few walks/runs)
(11.2 bike)

The river is curving eastward and there are wolds on both shores. The sky remains overcast and moods are unsettled.

I'm still here! I bet you thought I'd given this up. After a very long time of going through lots of stuff, we are now settled in Asheville! And I feel even more determined to continue this journey. April (her studio's Facebook page is here) has already shown me some amazing places and I have discovered already that I like to run outdoors. Of course, since it's been so long since I've actually run (or much of anything else), I feel almost as if I'm starting over again. My "running" consists mostly of a fast-paced walk with bursts of sprinting. I don't know the time of those sprints, but I know that they will get longer and longer.

I've been keeping my phone with me and using the Nike+ application to help me with my miles. Here is what I've done so far this month. Keep in mind that we didn't even get to North Carolina until the 11th and that was very late at night. Since then I've been on several walks and a few running walks. I've even had a kettlebell workout!

I was extremely sore last week and I know that the pain will subside once I get more into the routine of being active again. I need to get my yoga back into the routine, too. I know that will help with the soreness.

I didn't get a picture of the bike miles since I misplaced my charger for the camera. I'm happy to report that I have unpacked a couple more boxes and found it.

1074.8 miles

(3.78 walking)

Nope, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Honest. Things have been... less than stellar lately. This weekend was a combination of watching movies, soul searching, bitter tears, angst, and lots more. Today, Kevin and I went for a walk. This was really needed for me. More than I thought (probably more than Kevin thought). And, even though I have a huge blister on my heel, I'm so glad I went. I got to try out the Nike app for the phone and really like it. See that little blip on the lower line? That's where we went into an old cemetery. I'll write about that later.

I'm still a little dehydrated (and sunburned) and will be getting another glass of water before laying down. But I feel very good about this day. Event he heart-wrenching parts.

1071.1 Miles

(2.4 treadmill)

Today I ran in my new shoes. I'd been saving up for them since my birthday and they are now happily on my feet. I wanted a second pair so that they could air out for longer in between wearing. Now I can wash them once a week and things will be great.

Today's run was a little slower since my calves are still a little sore. I feel almost as if I'm starting over, even though that's not the case. Still, I know that I'll get right back into the swing of things very quickly.

1068.7 Miles

Well, it's time for my journey to continue. After a nail in the foot, a sunburn that prevented me from wearing a sport bra, and a cold that caused me to sleep an entire day and still have the sniffles for a few days more, I am traveling again.

Today was slow, but I was able to jog for most of my time on the treadmill. I didn't keep track of the running vs. walking parts, but I focused on the music and the power in my own muscles. They didn't like being woken up this way and complained a bit, but I ignored the whining. Don't get me wrong, there have been a lot of days of strength-training this past few weeks, but that uses my muscles in a very different manner.

1066.2 Miles

(10.1 bike)

We have reached North Updeep where there are stony beaches on the eastern shore. Many shoals are keeping us cautious as we go.

Last week pretty much bombed in terms of cardio. At the beginning of the week it was simply because the schools were out on spring break and I had the daycare kids here. Their mother let me know that they would be spending the night at their cousin's house and wouldn't be here on Thursday. I was pretty happy that I'd be able to get on the treadmill that day.

Instead I stepped on a roofing nail in the back yard and punctured my foot deeply enough to soak a quarter-sized section of my sock with blood before I got it off of my foot. Luckily, my last tetanus shot was in 2010. But it meant that I'd not be running that day.

Even though the skin has sealed up and there is no sign of anything major, today there is still pain when I step down. So I got on the bike and realized I pedal more with the ball of my foot than I thought. Still, it felt good to get a little sweaty. And I got a little cardio-knitting done, too.

1056.1 Miles

(2.4 treadmill)

I sometimes wonder how long it will take for it to sink into my head that working out makes me feel better. I've had a stressful week and didn't work out as many times as I'd have liked. I'm happy that today's workload was light enough that I had no excuse whatsoever.

Google Reader

Guys, Google is eliminating their reader later this year. If you still want to follow this blog, please click below:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

1053.7 Miles

(2.1 treadmill)

Today seemed like a normal day and when I got on the treadmill I was hopeful. I didn't run 10 minutes, but I did run for 7 before I had to walk a minute. I'm okay with that. Especially when I think about how far I've grown. I know that I still have a long way to go before I will feel happy with my level of health, but I know it will happen. Why? Because I'm not giving up.

The strength-training is beginning to show again. There has been a period of time when it seemed as if there was no outward change at all, but I am noticing differences when I look in the mirror. That makes me pretty happy.

1051.6 Miles

(2.1 treadmill)

It continues to be overcast. Everyone is on edge.

Today was a bit of a challenge to get myself onto the treadmill. My calves were still sore from the run on Wednesday which I expected. What I wasn't expecting was how much time it took for them to feel looser (walking) and how little time it took for them to hurt (running). So today was a much shorter run time. Even so, I feel good that I'm getting stronger.

There are days when I do want to quit. I've never considered myself an athlete, never thought of myself as super-fit, or anything like that. I also refuse to give up homemade cheesecake, Brianna's Brownies, or old-fashioned roast. In my mind, none of these fit into the "healthy lifestyle" that seems typical. Please understand, I'm not bashing anyone who has given up all of that, I just don't see myself that way. I enjoy sensual things and the taste, aroma, texture and visual appeal of food pleases me. Granted, I have let go of a lot of foods such as Oreos, white sugar, and myriad others, but it hasn't been arduous. Especially since I've learned about the attractiveness of so many other foods... or relearned in some cases (like fresh blackberries).

So, if you are reading this and you think you feel like giving up. Just push yourself for one more day. And do it again tomorrow. And the next. You can do this, too.