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?

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.

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.

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!

923.4 Miles

(1.8 treadmill)

Today wasn't a "pushing" kind of day. I decided that I needed a longer run time and I knew that meant going a little slower. After my warm up I kept the treadmill at only 4mph since I can walk that fast and jog that slow without too much trouble. So, I jogged for as long as I could, then walked for no more than 1 minute at a time. I am going to stick with this routine for just a bit until the jogging time is significantly longer than the walking. Then I'm going to ramp up the speed.

916.4 Miles

(2.0 treadmill)

We have reached the north side of Caras Galadan. So very close!

It's been far too long since I've posted on here. Part of that was a dumb rebellion on my own part. I was letting my dislike for another person bring me down. It was pointed out to me that by doing that I was letting them win. I deserve to treat myself better than that. And so, today I was back at it, in full force.

Today I did two workouts. This morning was 30 minutes on the treadmill. This evening was 30 minutes with the weights. I think I'm going to sleep quite deeply tonight. I will write more of some of my goals tomorrow.

A step backward

In my Ravelry group there is a thread called Summer Era. In this thread we post goals for two weeks, then recap and revise the goals as needed. These aren't just fitness & health goals, but also goals for our overall well-being. Some of those goals can be clearing out old boxes and decluttering your home and these are good for our mental and spiritual health.

So, my goals for last Session (what we call the 2-week period) were to get running again. Which I did, but not nearly as much as I wanted to. My last time on the treadmill was on Saturday.  I know why and I know that I don't have the will or the energy to change it right now. I've had the daycare kids here for about 14 hours a day. By the time they leave and I get the house cleaned up and take a few minutes to myself, it's well after 8. This might not be a big deal if I wasn't going to bed by 9:30.

I have tried getting on the treadmill and bike after they leave but, by then I feel like lead. There is no joy in completing the miles, and it just feels like castor oil or something (you know, really icky). If I could legally leave the house while they were sleeping each morning I would walk/run around the block a few times or something, but I would get into serious trouble if anything happened while I was out.

So, as much as I wish otherwise, I'm going to lighten my goals for the next session and I'm going to post them here as well as in the Ravelry group.

Week 1 (nearly over already):
- get on the treadmill today if they leave before 5, walk
- get on the treadmill Saturday morning, walk, maybe run
- continue building up the chains, I've been doing half and I want to get all of them done (there are 55 total reps, and the complete round consists of 8 different movements)

Week 2:
- Sunday, get on treadmill again, even though it's Sunday (normally I'm busy until 6 or 7, which would seem a bad time to do this, but I feel relaxed and content with life and I do believe that makes all the difference), walk, maybe run
- continue working on the chains
- Friday & Saturday, get on treadmill walk, maybe run

Okay, the main reason this really upsets me is that I won't be able to reach my goal of running 3.1 miles by my birthday. This bothers me on so many levels I can't even describe it. I know it's not really that big of a deal since I'm still putting in effort, but I really wanted to start out my next year on a different track. Yes, I've looked back at my progress and am pretty happy with that, but I wanted more. So much more. Once these kids are back in school (August 27th) I will be able to shift my training into high gear. I know that, realistically, I won't be able to push myself (without injury) to run that distance in 3 weeks. Instead I will push myself to get as far along as possible. Until then, I will keep doing other physical activities that will help bring strength and endurance to my body.

Whoever reads this, please keep in mind that there are times when it's important to evaluate what really will be right to do. Listen to your body. Nudge it, push to the limit, but don't go so far over the edge that you feel like giving up completely.

-

Edit: Okay, my trainer told me some cool news -

Here’s the thing. You don’t need to go back to the C25K program. You need to get on the treadmill and warm up then RUN. Run for as long as you can and then hop off and catch your breath for a few seconds and then start running again. (This is because of the way your treadmill adjusts. I would have you walk otherwise.) Run at a slower pace than you usually do for your intervals. I’d try running at 5.0-5.4 and see how long you can run. The intervals you described to me are speed work. You need some easy runs in there too. The easy runs help you extend your distance. The speed work helps you improve your time. Right now you just want to run for 3 miles. You are not looking to break any speed records. I wish I were there with you. I’d have you run 3 miles today. I know you can do it!

So, provided the kids leave early enough, I will be trying this out. I'll use a stopwatch to keep my time and figure my distance that way... which means I won't get a picture, but I'll take a picture of the stopwatch instead.

Sometimes it just takes knowing that someone is cheering you on and has faith in you to keep your spirits up enough to push harder.

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.