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!

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.

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.

1016.2 Miles

(2.5 treadmill)

This week starts a new phase of my journey. I will now be doing the cardio portion (treadmill and bike) five days a week and the weights three days a week. Yes, that means that there will be three days that I will have a double workout. I already know that there will be a bit more pain while my body adjusts, but it will be well worth it. You see, no matter what challenges I find along my road, no matter what pain I need to endure, and no matter what fears I find within, I know that I need to keep going. I need to reach my goals in such a way that I can look back, briefly, and celebrate the triumphs.

I want to thank those who are traveling with me and cheering me on. April with her patience and guidance, Brianna with her suggestions for more challenging exercises, Kevin with his reminders of my successes: I love you! To my Fiberly with the virtual cheering and encouragement, you are fabulous friends!

There are days when I am not so sure I would make it without you all.

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.

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.

Other Movements

Today was a no-treadmill kind of day. When I got back from the dentist my heart felt kind of wonky. Now, it very well could have been the simple fact that I'd been at the dentist. Or just because I didn't have enough water before I left. Or whatever. Regardless, it didn't feel like it was at a normal pace again until it was nearly time to pick the daycare kids up from school.

I still moved, though. I did my squats, weights, and stand-up crunches while they were drawing & eating snacks. Then I repeated the squats before my shower. Interestingly enough, my shins were sore today. I'll blame it on the sandals from Monday.

Tomorrow will be an awesome treadmill day! Let's see how far I can get.

882.6 Miles

(1.8 treadmill)

We passed through an open glad and are still blindfolded, even while sleeping.

I believe today is a personal record on the treadmill. I made it to 1.8 miles in 30 minutes. I know that might not seem like a whole lot of miles, but 4 of those minutes are only 2.5mph and 4 are 3.0mph. That's the way the program goes. There is more variation in between the warm-up and cool-down, so I certainly am not just plodding along.

Today I had my headphones on and a Pandora station with a great beat and I think that helped keep me moving at a better tempo. As time goes by I know my distance will increase, but I have to take this a bit at a time.

Yesterday was a bit of a bust as far as a workout, part of that had to do with the walk from where we parked to the Memorial Day ceremony. Normally that wouldn't have been anything at all, but I wore sandals. By the time we reached the "gazebo" my calves & shins were on fire. Why did I buy shoes that wouldn't stay on unless I kept my toes tightened? I have no idea. Truly. As soon as I can I'll be getting something that has a strap or a different construction or something (flip-flops are out of the question).

I'm a little worried about my goal. Forget that, I'm thrilled about my goal! I will succeed at that one and will be able to know that I can do it. That goal will help me reach toward the next one. Yeah!

Now, however, I'm literally dripping sweat. Seriously, it's dripping from my elbows to my pants (which are now being held up with a safety pin so they don't fall off while I'm on the treadmill.) No, I'm not going to buy more right now. Instead I'll add elastic to the waists of all my capris and get to the end of June before any clothing purchases.

Other movements

Today was a gentle stretching and belly dance kind of day. My hips are a bit sore. Why hips? Who knows. I'm sure the stretching helped a lot, though. The hard days seem to come in waves - sometimes I feel no pain, others I feel a lot. Yes, there is a variation on the things I do, but it still seems strange to me that after this much time I'm still sore. I guess those little changes make a pretty big difference.

Tomorrow I will feel good enough to get back on the treadmill so I'll have a better update then.

872.7 Miles

(2 walking outside)

Today the weather was just too nice to stay indoors for long. I finished up some stuff for ASC, then headed out. At one point I was sure it was time to sit down for a while and even made it a point to return along Washington so I could sit on one of the benches there. Instead I decided to keep going until I got back home. I was definitely ready for some cool water when I got in (yes, I know I should take it with me.) I like the Google "pedometer" but realized that I really should get a real one before long.

After cooling off a bit, I continued with the chains (strength training) and pushed myself a little there as well. I don't know if it's the warmer weather or just the longer days, but I am feeling a lot more energetic when it comes to getting healthier.

No pictures today, but if I walk outdoors again tomorrow, I will bring a camera to show you all the cool flowers out there.

870.7 Miles

(1.6 walking outdoors)

After running a few errands downtown I checked my mileage here and found that I'd walked a little more than I thought (that's what I get for having to go back twice). Still, I felt pretty good that I didn't feel totally winded by the end of it all.

My upper legs are a little sore this evening, but I know that's just because I was refocusing yesterday on strength. And, I took a picture of me in my jeans. There is a 2.5" gap between my waistband and my waist. And, actually, it's closer to my hips since the pants won't stay around my waist anymore. I feel pretty fabulous about that. I still have a lot of work ahead of me, but I feel pretty motivated nonetheless.

867.4 Miles

(1.1 walking)

We are still traveling to Lothlorien. 

Boy, this seems so much slower with a treadmill! Yes, yes, I know I'm "only" walking instead of biking and walking is slower, but still. Anyway, I feel it differently when I walk and I really do think it's making a bigger impact physically.

Today I walked slower than usual. Mainly that's because I stubbed my pinky toe on a bathroom wall over the weekend (yes, I know that corner's been there for the last couple of years, but it jumped out at me, I swear!) I'm just happy it isn't broken.

I also did the chains today and I think I was sweating more from that than the walking. Oh well, it's all toward a great cause, right?

On the food subject... I was craving bread so very much yesterday and today. I know it's more the sugar (simple carbs) than anything, but I could almost taste the chunks of bread being dipped into a thick  au jus sauce. Kind of pathetic,  in a way. I do hope tomorrow is different.

I wonder if the picture would be better by turning the treadmill around.

Catching up

Sometimes, trying to keep up the blog is almost as much work as the workouts! Not really, but it's still something I need to figure into the schedule.

Wednesday and Thursday were both dedicated to weights. There was no soreness or any twinges in my arm at all and I lifted weights, did the chains and thought about how it will feel to move up the scale on the dumbbells. I've decided that it's time to increase the number of sets each day. I've been assured that it's nearly impossible for me to get "bulked" when it comes to weight-lifting unless I dedicated several hours a day to it. So... next week will be more.

Friday I did a lot of squats. You see, when the yarn is skeining I only need to stay close to catch any snags. Those rarely happen so I have a lot of time in between changing the yarn. This time I brought the weights into the shop room with me (I think I need a cool name for that room) and did a lot of overhead press squats along with various lifts. I kind of like doing them like this since I feel I can do more. There is a 1-2 minute break when I take the yarn off the winder and put more yarn on the swift so it gives my body a chance to be ready again.

Sometimes I can see a hint of a difference in the mirror. I'll catch my reflection as I pick something off the floor or wrap a shawl around me and I have to stop and really look. There is a slight definition in the muscles. It's still under a bit of fat, but it's there. I know that it won't be that long before that is what I see even more clearly.

866.3 Miles

(1.7 treadmill)
(5.1 biking)

Haldir led us through the woods and, as we left the Nimridil, we all felt a little sad at leaving behind the lovely sound of the water. When we came across the Silverlode again we crossed the river on elvish ropes. We were not able to go further until Gimli was blindfolded, which did not sit well with him. Aragorn made the choice that we should all be blindfolded and we continued with Haldir as our guide.

I decided to combine both modes of transport today. Not for any particular reason other than it felt the right thing to do. I was on the treadmill about half an hour and the bike only 15 minutes. I probably could have gone a little longer, but I think 45 minutes is good for now. I still am not lifting weights since my arm is still a tiny bit sore, but I'm certain it will be fine by morning. I'm looking forward to getting back into that routine. I feel like the week of the daycare break was a bit slacking, even though I spent most of the time with the strength training.

There are things I want my body to do and to be able to accomplish and right now I know that I'm just not there. I will keep pushing, though. I am determined.

I did knit a little bit on the bike, but I'm certain that I won't be able to knit on the treadmill.

858.7 Miles

(1.7 treadmill)

I'm still in the same place in the story since walking has severely curtailed my mileage gains. However, I think it's a good thing anyway since I can feel the muscles being worked differently. I'm pretty proud of the pace I kept today and am looking forward to continuing.

I did learn that I cannot walk faster than 3.8mph before I start to stumble. I guess that's good to know.

It's a bit difficult to get a clearer picture of this. I don't know if it's the angle of the light from the window or what, but I'll keep trying.

Other Movements

I got in 20 minutes of hooping before the kids arrived then, after they went back to sleep, I started on the strength training. Upper & lower chains, and 50 squats. I don't know what variation they are, but they are similar to a braced squat, only when I stand up, I pull in the muscles of my stomach inward (pelvic thrust?) and pull the barbells toward my body. After that I decided that it wouldn't quite be enough, so I repeated the squats. By the time the kids were gone, I was pretty much done for the day. I know that might sound lazy, but I do stay busy with them (crafts, cooking, etc.).

Let's talk about food for a little bit. I know I don't really get enough protein and I"m still on the hunt for a decent, non-sweetened powder that is affordable. I have found a whey powder that is mostly smooth, but it's a lot more expensive than the rice protein. The rice has a pleasant taste, but is very gritty. I'll keep trying.

One thing I miss is a cookie. Yes, that sounds silly, but it's true. With the elimination of nearly all grains, cookies went first. However, I have been trying out a couple recipes for raw cookies that are made with almond flour (no wheat). These are simple and pretty good and I'll be playing with the recipe a bit until I'm happy with it. I'd also like to try out some shortbread cookies without flour. We'll see how that goes.

When all is said and done, when my blood sugar is under complete control, when the weight has been shed, I want to be able to maintain it all without missing out on the things I like most (like ginger snaps on a winter night). Many things I've found awesome replacements for (hot cocoa with stevia instead of sugar), and many things I'm still trying out (I have come to the conclusion that I don't like turkey bacon).

I am choosing to have a strong and healthy body for the rest of my years.

Other movements

Today was strength training only. And about 12 hours of yarn work. By the time the last skein was done I didn't even want to shower (I did anyway). I'm mostly fine with that, especially since the scale this morning showed 171.2! I guess the balance has begun to shift now.

Having the daycare kids here is a little more challenging than I first thought, but I will keep my focus on what is important to me.

857 Miles

(1.6 walking)

Yes, only 1.6 miles in 30 minutes. I got a new treadmill yesterday and am getting used to it. I will say now that walking on a treadmill is very different than walking on the ground. I don't know why, but it makes my legs ache in a completely unique way. Still, I know it's for the good. My hope is that the muscles will continue to grow stronger in a balanced manner.

I also did my chains and weights today. And moved furniture. On this screen that doesn't really seem like very much, but my body is now tired and ready for sleep.

The picture was taken with my phone since I'd forgotten my camera.

Movements & thoughts

There was no biking today. Or even walking. Why? Because I listened to my body and lifted weights instead. And belly danced.

I started this blog as a way to share with you the journey that I had intended to travel. To catalog the miles I pedaled and attach them to one of my favorite stories. I've been doing that, I think. But there are days...

I was starting to feel guilty about not getting on the bike even though I'd done so much more during the day. After all, how do I show you that I'm lifting 8-pound weights more than 50 times in various positions (above head, behind head, leaning over & "pulling the lawnmower cord", etc.). How do I show you that I'm sweating quite a bit while I'm belly dancing? How do I describe the stretching involved in the yoga that I'm doing? The only thing I can really show is the screen on the bike after I've ridden for the allotted time.

As my body changes and grows in strength I hear different messages. It's an interesting thing, listening to my body. It has been telling me things like, "Be stronger," and "Push harder." And so, even though I know I should get on the bike because you might be watching for the miles, I need to listen to my body.

Part of that will include even more walking. I am not so sure about walking out in this neighborhood in the wee hours, but I am willing to walk in the afternoons. Also, I'll be looking at some treadmills. They are used, they aren't top of the line, but they are in my budget range. We'll see what I find.

855.4 Miles

(9.7 biking)

After traveling onward, Frodo and Sam began to fall behind. They were both injured while we were in Moria and Aragorn tended them both before we moved on. This is when we discovered Frodo's mithril corselette. After going on for another few hours we reached the edge of the woods of Lothlorien.

I felt pretty good today, even though my sleep is still broken each night. I'm hoping that will change very soon. Even so, I didn't want to ride today. I feel better emotionally, but I am still physically tired. And yet, I felt a lot better about myself when I'd finished the 30 minutes.

I also continued with the strength training. That seems easier to do lately. Not in terms of the physical challenge (since my muscles still tremble after a few sets), but in terms of motivation. I feel more motivated to lift the weights than to get on the bike. Weird, huh?