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).

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.

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.

1040.5 Miles

(10.4 bike)

I wanted to get done early today since I wanted to take some time for myself this morning. I've still not gotten the meditation to be a habit, but I will. Of that I am certain.

My calves are still pretty sore and I'm not sure if it's from yesterday's or Tuesday's run. No matter, it will pass before long and I will be stronger for it. My arms don't feel quite as sore from yesterday's weights, just a pleasant ache that reminds me that I'm getting stronger there, too.

There is still a part of me that hesitates losing more weight. I have been thinking about that this week. I've been trying to figure this out, trying to learn more about myself to gain a better understanding of my own thoughts & emotions. For now, I am ready to break past the 165 level that I have been on for a while.

Knitting! I've gotten better at keeping a steady gauge no matter how fast I pedal. I'm practicing on a simple scarf and I am happy to say that there is very little variance in the panels I did while sitting in waiting rooms and the ones I did on the bike.

1027.9 Miles

(11.9 bike)

We have left the trees behind and can see mountains and hills to the west. Last night we camped north of the Field of Celebrant and this morning we left early. There is a sense of urgency that seems to be affecting us all.

My calves were a little sore this morning so I decided to get on the bike early. I knew that my muscles would feel stiff if I waited too long. I was done by 10 this morning and got busy with the day's dyeing. My legs are still a bit sore, but I'm okay with that.I was able to get a little knitting in while I pedaled and just might finish another scarf by the end of this month.

1011.9 Miles

(11.3 bike)

My legs are still a little sore from Thursday's run so I decided on a bike ride. Even so, the soreness is still pretty strong. I'm glad for it, though, it only means my legs are getting stronger. I was even able to knit for a bit, but I have to focus on keeping my tension loose so I don't mess up the gauge. Granted, it's just garter stitch but it can look wonky after a little while.

997.2 Miles

(11.5 bike)

Still drifting along. The trees are starting to this and there are no enemies... yet.

I have new batteries for the bike! The old ones were barely strong enough to show shadows on the display. Now it's nice & clear.

Tomorrow I get the results from the blood-work done last week. I'm looking forward to that since I know there will be clear evidence of great changes.

Still traveling...

More than a year ago I started this journey. A lot has changed since then including the fact that I'm not just using the bike anymore. That has slowed my progress on miles, but I believe it has sped up my progress for physical health. The treadmill is a different kind of focus and one that makes me push a lot harder than the bike does.

I'm fasting tonight. Lots of water, of course, but no foods until I get home tomorrow. Just another round of blood-work to see where my numbers fall. Only, it's not just another round. It's very different. This time I'm going in with a sense of expectancy. There are still some things that aren't quite balanced, but I know that, overall, the numbers will be better. And whatever the numbers may be I know that I'm going to keep going. Why? Because, as I stated in my goals, I deserve this.

Today's workout was all about muscles and soreness. Tomorrow, after getting to eat, I will be back on the bike (I have new batteries!) and getting my heart going.

This is a great journey. Thank you to all who have been with me so far. One thousand miles is pretty close. Are you ready for the next thousand?

978.1 Miles

(10.3 bike)

The land is silent and it is dreary and cold. We are drifting. So far there are no enemies.

My legs are still sore from the other day, but I need to push myself further. The bicycle gives me a good chance to raise my heart rate significantly without making my legs hurt even more. Even so, it was a bit of a struggle to keep the pace at 20mph for the entire 30 minutes. I'm glad I did it since that feeling of accomplishment means a lot to me.

959.9 Miles

(10.2 bike)

I'll admit that I've not been listening to the book lately. I know that the traveling on the river doesn't take up a lot in the story, and I don't like to only listen for a couple minutes at a time. Soon, though, I will have to make a decision about which path to take. Will I stay with Frodo or will I go on with Strider?

Wednesday was a weights day again. I should be more specific since it's not just weight-training, but that's what I call the day. What it involves is various exercises that work the muscles of my body and I use 8-pound weights. Cardio isn't really a factor even though I do tend to get winded sometimes.

On these days I set my timer (an app on the iPad, but I can't remember what it's called right now) to intervals of 1 minute with a 10 second "break", repeated 12 times. During the 1 minute I will do an exercise for 30 seconds, then switch sides for the remaining 30 seconds. For example, if I am doing lunges, I'm doing the right leg for the full 30 seconds, then the left. The 10-second break gives me enough time to get into position for the next exercise. When an exercise works both sides at the same time (squats, for example) I will do them for the full minute. There are 12 different exercises that I do during these intervals so the session lasts 14 minutes. At this point I will take a short water break then start all over again. After that, I will do stretches and a few Sun Salutations.

So, when I say it's a "weights day" you now know what I mean.

Today's ride involved reading on my iPad. I've tried to knit while I'm pedaling, but when you're trying to maintain a speed of 20mph, your gauge just gets wonky.

949.7 Miles

(11.6 bike)

Monday was a weights kind of day, even though I'd split some wood over the weekend. It really wasn't a lot of wood, though. Mostly my hands hurt from the impact of the maul to the wood.

Today was a bike day. Because I was also still dealing with some emotional junk, too. Perhaps the running would have done some good, but I just felt drained and empty, so the bike seemed the better choice. Sometimes I really don't like this time of the year.

933.8 Miles

(10.4 bike)

We have left the beautiful land of Lothlorien and are now traveling on the river in boats light enough to carry. Our hearts are a bit heavy with the parting from the forest, even though we must continue onward.

I'm back into the routine of trading off days of bike & treadmill. April reminded me that the bike will help strengthen my heart so that the running is easier. I read one of the books on the iPad as I pedaled and didn't pay attention to my speed or anything else like that. When the 30 minute timer went off I was pleasantly surprised to see how far I'd gone.

794.9 Miles

(2 walking)
(7.5 biking)

We reached the Sirannon and started eastward. The going is rough and I sometimes wish we were back at Rivendell.

I walked the kids to school again today and enjoyed the weather. I know it will be cooling off a little bit next week, but still not cold, which means more time outside. The biking was only 30 minutes and I kept my pace slow. Sometimes that's harder for me to do.

I really like this pattern and how it's turning out as a scarf! The colors of the yarn paired with the design remind me of an opal dragon or something.

787.4 Miles

(2 walking)
(6.25 biking)

We've been traveling a barren country, and the Fellowship is weary of the cold. The Sirannon is dry and we push on. Gandalf gave everyone another mouthful of miruvor.

This morning I walked the daycare kids to school (about a mile round-trip since I walk a couple blocks past the school after dropping them off). When I got home I realized one of them had left their book bag, so I headed back out. It was a nice morning for walking and I enjoyed being out that early.

Afterward I decided to ride the bike anyway, then did the lower body chains. I might be sore tomorrow, but that's alright with me. I know that it's just a sign that my muscles are getting a good workout.

I'm doing my best not to feel disheartened by the lack of change on the scale. I can feel a difference in my body, and sometimes I can see it, too. But the scale remains at 175. I'm hoping that will change soon.

I worked on a scarf while pedaling. This scarf was adapted from the Dragon Scale pattern that will be in an awesome book (not yet published) and I think it's going to turn out lovely.

708.9 Miles

(17.3)

It's a full moon and the going is not that bad. Very cold, of course.  Just before dawn Gandalf & Frodo were pretty sure there was something flying over us, but it was too dark to see clearly.

I made it to 10%! Yes, that makes me smile. I was only going to go for 45 minutes today since that was my goal, but, even with the strength training, it just feels more right to go for the full hour. i am also much happier doing my workout in the earlier part of the day. To me that just works so much better.

The chain workout (strength training) hurts. I couldn't do them all because my arms were trembling so much. I'm going to stick with the even numbers this week, then I'll try again. I know that "failure" in this sense is a good thing, but when I fail to lift a simple 8-pound weight... well, it feels kind of crappy. I refuse to go down to a 5-pound weight, though.

Knitting was good and I'm working on a pattern called Baktus with my new yarn base. It's so soft!

691.6 Miles

(12.4)

As Sam was keeping watch with Strider, a cloud of something took shape in the distance. Before long a flock of crebain flew overhead and we knew the danger was even greater.  With the full moon overhead we continued onward.

Today I wasn't able to get on the bike until after 7:30. Why? Well, there was a snow day, which meant there were kids in the house most of the day. I will say that I do not like exercising in the evening and nearly didn't do it. The thought crossed my mind that "one more day" wouldn't make that much of a difference. But it would. Perhaps not to my body, but it would have made a difference in my head and in my heart. So, I finished my 45 minutes of biking, and my 6 songs of hooping. I haven't done the chains today. There really isn't time since I will be in bed shortly. So that will have to be done tomorrow.

I'm glad I got on the bike, especially since it helped work off some of the irritation I'd felt most of the day. I'm hoping it will help my sleep be more restful.

I finished a slouchy hat while I was biking and I'll be turning it in for one of the HPKCHC classes some time tomorrow. Then it will go into a basket of gifts that will be sent out as soon as I have another one done. You see, I put out word that I would hand-craft 5 gifts for people as long as they passed it along to 5 more people. One of the coolest "chain letters" there are, don't you think?

643.2 Miles

(6.1)

At this point, I'm further in the book than I am on the bike. So, I have set the book aside until I can get caught up. Today was a very short ride, only 23 minutes. My knee is still in pain, but it is diminishing. Until it's completely better I will keep things mild. Some might think I'm being overly cautious, but the funds for doctor visits is empty right now and if I cause more damage, there really won't be much I can do about it. So, I take things slow.

One awesome thing about today is that I started a new strength training routine. My trainer (who seems to think I am ready for anything) started me on an upper body "chain" routine. I'm using 8lb weights and the starting number is 10. I do 10 reps of each of the 6 movements, then start over again with 8 reps. Each repeat of the routine is the next even number lower. After next week, though I will be moving to a full session with 10, 9, 8, etc.

I honestly wasn't sure I was going to make the complete set once I got to 4. Seriously. And the weights no longer felt like they were only 8lbs, maybe closer to 80 or something. Yes, that's slightly exaggerated but... We'll see how my arms feel tomorrow.

I also did a bit of hooping today and it didn't seem to stress my knee at all. That is good since I like hooping to the music.

For the knitting I only finished 3 rows, but that's okay. After I see how my knee is affected by today's ride, I will decide about pedaling even longer. At least, that is what I'm sending out to the Universe.

553.6 Miles

(17.6)

We camped in a thicket of thorn bushes, then headed southwest for a while. Just a few miles back there was a steep drop-off and we had to follow the cliff-top for a while.

I didn't ride this week. For two days I was arguing with my body over something I had eaten... or some bug. Yesterday I was feeling a lot better, but I didn't want to push too hard and end up feeling under the weather again. Today when I got on the bike it was wonderful! I could feel my muscles relaxing after the first couple of miles and my heart warming up again. During my mid-point water break, I felt like I should rush through the glass of water so I could get back on the bike. What a wonderful feeling. I guess this really has become a habit now.

I finished up Kevin's socks yesterday and started a new pair for myself. Oh, how I love this color! It reminds me of the deep parts of the forests I loved so much as a child. With the tiny purple flowers and the dark shadows, the bright glimpses of water through the trees and the rich earth beneath my feet. I am looking forward to wearing these soon.

536 Miles

(20.1)

We followed the small stream westward for a while and now there aren't many paths. The ones we do find are very winding, which seems to be adding more to our journey.

Today's biking actually took 66 minutes, but I was determined to complete 20 miles. I think this will be a hard schedule to get used to, but it will help prevent that plateau that so often happens. When I feel like I'm about to hit another one, I'll make changes to prevent it.

The pushups were harder this morning and I know why. The first one I did was a regular one. And I almost wasn't able to straighten my arms! The remaining 12 were modified (also known as "girl pushups") and they were a little difficult, too. When I completed everything today I will admit that there was a quite sense of accomplishment growing inside. I can do this. I can continue getting stronger and healthier. And the best part? That smile it brings to my face when I realize how well I did.

On the knitting front: I've finished the gusset for the socks and will turn the heel at some point this weekend. The rest of today will be focusing on the blanket. Once that's done I can focus more on the socks.

As you can see, I added some marks to the screen. The display cycles between mph, time, distance and calories (I don't trust those readings). When I glance up to make sure I'm keeping the pace I want, I have to wait until it cycles around. With the marks I can clearly see where the bars are so I know if I am going too slow (when I'm pedaling there are incremental bars to show the speed).

This one? This is my shirt right before I got cleaned up. Yes, that's a lot of sweat. The bottom of that wetness is where the waistband of my pants sits. This is nearly a daily occurrence which is why I always drink another full glass of water about halfway through.