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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1044.4 Miles

(1.8 - Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve)

This has been a truly beautiful day. After having a shrimp & spinach omelet (which was quite tasty) for breakfast I was taken to Sheldon Marsh (check out the link above) for a brisk morning walk. It was pretty cold, but the sun was shining and there wasn't that much wind. The air was filled with various bird calls that made me smile with the sheer joy of it all. Early in the walk we spotted a Bald Eagle in flight and could even see (very far away) that it was eating something while it was perched on a branch.

The road through the Marsh is about one mile, but we didn't walk the whole thing, instead turning straight to the beach when we got to one of the side paths. This is why I only am counting 1.8 miles.

I got only one picture and I love how the snow and moss look together -

Looking back...

Looking back over these last posts... it looks like I haven't been doing that much. I'll admit that I slacked off with the miles (only a couple times on the treadmill, a couple times on the bike, and 3 outdoor walks), and only a little slacking on the weights (twice a week instead of four times). I probably reached the thousand-mile mark last month, but I didn't take pictures, or even really track the miles, so I am not going to guess at them.

I am looking forward to getting back into a set routine over the next few days. I think it helps a lot with various areas of my life.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderfully healthy year ahead.

965.9 Miles

(1.9 treadmill)

I learned an important lesson today. I decided to put both of my workouts together and went directly from the weights to the treadmill. Not such a great idea. The treadmill felt like torture. I didn't realize how much refreshment that hour or two in between really was. Now I know. Tomorrow? Treadmill first, then weights after lunch.

Also, I'm going to amp up the miles starting tomorrow. Even if that means more walking. I will reach 1,000 before the end of the year.

964 Miles

(2 outdoors)

Today was just too nice of a day to be inside so I headed outdoors. I think I actually went a little more than 2 miles, but that's what the Google Pedometer tells me.

Things have been a little odd lately in terms of my schedule, but I think I've got it back to where I need it to be. For now, I'm going to bed so I can get a great start on the 'morrow.

(December 5, 2012ce - edit to fix the miles in the title... I'm not going backward!)

938.1 Miles

(2.2 treadmill)

Today was one of those days when I just knew that getting on the treadmill was a great thing. Although I would have preferred running outside, I know that the treadmill is still a good thing. I can let my mind wander to other things, to other ideas, to other places, all with the knowledge that I'm not going to trip over a branch.

The few times I have run outdoors thought (not counting the 5ks I have been in) I made sure I was always aware of the things going on around me. I ran at Osborne park only once and the feeling of being out in nature was a heady experience. I'm looking forward to doing something like that again.

My calves were sore again today, but not quite as sore as they were last time, which made me smile. I like the fact that I'm not out of breath as quickly as I used to be. One day I will be posting about how I ran the entire 30 minutes.

935.9 Miles

(2.1 treadmill)

I read too far in the book and now need to get my miles back to where I am in the story. It won't take long.

Today I ran for 6.5 minutes before needing to walk and then it was because my calves were really burning, not because I was out of breath. So I walked for a little more than a minute then began running again. My total running time today was 18 minutes (out of 30). I know that might not seem like a lot to some, but it's a great accomplishment for me. And I feel really good about it. I look forward to tomorrow's activities.

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.