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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1049.5 Miles

(2.6 treadmill)

I'm not sure what happened with my other pictures, but I did spend some time on the treadmill and the bike last week. Oh well, that just means I have to go a few more miles on this journey.

Today I did something awesome. Seriously awesome. I ran for 10 minutes before I had to walk! Then I walked for 2 minutes and ran another 5 before walking again. I walked another 2 minutes and was able to run another 3 minutes before getting a stitch in my side. My warm up and cool down times were about 5 minutes each so I went over the 30 minute mark just a little, but I didn't care. I felt pretty euphoric that I was able to go for 10 whole minutes before walking.

1046.9 Miles

(2.5 treadmill)

My shin seems to be much better now which truly makes me a happy person. Yesterday's walk left me only slightly stiff today and I got on the treadmill with a smile. Since it had been a while, I chose to do a 1-minute-run/1-minute-walk session so that I knew I would finish with that same smile. At the end (around the 25 minute point) I decided to just run until I couldn't. It was my calves that finally prompted me to slow down since they were on fire. And that was after I'd run a solid 5 minutes. I wasn't smiling anymore, I was grinning! What will tomorrow bring? I'm predicting another smile.

Movements

It's been over a week since I've written, but it feels like only a couple days. Over the past week I've had sore muscles, bruises, a minor cough, and one pulled muscle. All in all, not a bad week considering how many people are dealing with the flu and other issues.

I added a new set of exercises to my routine and I think I'm starting to see a difference. These exercises focus on the lower abdominal region and I'm a little surprised at the soreness they created. It only adds a couple minutes to the strength-training portion of my workout, but added a significant amount of ache. That's a good thing, right?

I've also been hooping since that doesn't have any impact on my legs (but it does make my hips and stomach a bit sore). I figure any movement is good movement.

The bruise on my lower leg is finally starting to dissipate. This one has kept me off the treadmill and bike. Each time I'd run there was a jarring pain along the front of my shin. Each forward pedal there was a pulling pain in the same place. I took that to mean that using the machines wasn't a good idea for now. There isn't any extra pain while doing squats or lunges (makes no sense to me), so that is what I've focused on. Next week I will try the treadmill for walking for a day or two and see what happens.

For now, I'm doing what I can to make sure I heal quickly and without further injury. And I'm looking forward to spring.

1042.6 Miles

(2.1 treadmill)

What a wonderful weekend! I was able to spend some time out in the country and relax. There were a couple of stressed moments (like when I got a call from Anthony about something Brianna had done), but over all it was lovely. And it gave me the time away from work and everything else that I needed to come back even more determined to stay healthy. Part of it was simply the way my body reacted to the foods I ate (and the dessert-drinks) because I didn't get that rapid heartbeat that I sometimes would get. Instead, with the combination of a healthier body and the right foods, I was able to enjoy without fear.

Now if only I can get that perfected in the rest of the areas of my life! Determination...

Today I actually was in pain during the run. It wasn't serious and it wasn't enough to keep me from getting on the treadmill, but I did need arnica salve before and after. You see, the wind was a bit strong this morning when I was getting out of the Jeep and it caught me by surprise. There is a colorful bruise on my shin and it's going to be gone soon (my arnica salve really is awesome).

The weights... I still am struggling to do the back fly movement with the 8-pound weights. I am determined to use the 10s soon. As soon as I can do more than 15 with the 8s. I've thought about a barbell, too, but only for the squats since I don't have a bench or a spotter (the last thing I need is to drop the thing on my own face or something like that.) Perhaps one of these days, but I'm not sure yet. Right now I feel like I really need to focus first on the steps I'm taking and not jump a few miles down the road.

Tomorrow will be the bike!

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.

1030.1 Miles

(2.2 treadmill)

Even though I feel pretty shaky right now, I feel pretty good with the workouts I did today. This morning I was on the treadmill for my 30 minutes. I didn't get as far as I did on Tuesday, but I think it's simply because I've been working out each day. I know that it's good for me and I'll see results a lot faster. Today I walked a little less than half the distance due to the soreness in my calves. I'll be glad when that subsides a bit. I also had to go down to the 8-pound weights for the second round of strength exercises.

I don't see either of these as failure, though. I see them as a triumph because I still did them.

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.

1013.7 Miles

(1.8 treadmill)

Okay, doing the weights in the early part of the day, then getting onto the treadmill was quite and experience. What was I thinking? Well, I had some dental work done yesterday and didn't feel up to lifting weights, so i told myself that I'd do it today. I nearly didn't. My muscles are currently wishing that I hadn't. But my heart and pride are pretty darn happy that I did.

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.

1000.6 Miles

(3.4 treadmill)

YEAH!!!

I passed one thousand miles! And today was a personal record, too. I think the last pr was 3.3 miles. I feel fantastic! Wobbly still, but fantastic nonetheless. I can do this.

My dearest friend is such an inspiration to me. She has only been running for a year & a half and is already spending some of her weekends running 15-18 miles. How amazing is that? She really makes me want to push myself even more than I do.

My next goal is to run even more of this distance. I'm still walking about half of it (run some, walk some). When I get to the point of running the whole thing... well, I'll be pretty darn thrilled about it.

983.5 Miles

(2.1 treadmill)

The last two days have been interesting. Yesterday I couldn't do my strength-training with the 10-pound weights. My arms just wouldn't get past a few lifts. So, I dropped down to the 8s and finished the workout. I do NOT feel bad about that at all. In fact, considering that I really wanted to just give up, I feel pretty damn good.

Today I am still sore (calves mostly) from my running on Tuesday, but I got on the treadmill anyway. I know I could have gone on the bike and there would have been less pain, but I also knew that I needed to get my leg muscles loosened up more than the bike would do.

Now it's time for lunch and some more water.