2.3 Miles Tuesday

Yes that is right folks. I made 2.3 miles today after taking a day off.  I measured it on maps, checked my pedometer, used my tracing watch to time it and I made it 2.3 miles. Silly me thought I was going only 2 but when I actually checked the road mileage it turned about to be longer. So I am stoked.

The last lap was harder so I just started singing, and I am sure everyone listening to me thought I was a nut But I am a nut so that makes it okay I guess.  I am all tooled up for my walks. I have a heart rate monitor, a pedometer, I carry a bottle of water, my cell phone, kleenex to blow my nose and wear a sun hat.  Plus I have my trusty super duper shoes.

So far I am just focused on making it down the street. Eventually I hope to have thoughts about other things other than making it another step.

So Just for fun, I am going to flash us back 20 years and put in a photo of me as I was.

And as always:
Please click here to donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

Monday Day Off

Yes, folks I took the day off today.  I needed a little R & R.  I spent a glorious afternoon napping.  And now I look forward to cooking washing clothes, cleaning the living room, all those tasks that make a house a home.

I used to think that the tasks were there to make my life irksome.  But I suppose I have mellowed over the years and now. I can see the importance in trying to have a serene home.

So, I wash clothes, go through the house and pick up stuff putting things away, clearing tables and chairs of excess stuff so when I look at a room, I feel peaceful.

Also need to consider what new afghan I am going to make.   My husband and I had gotten an anniversary present of a new purple couch and chair and the lovely kittens we have decided to sharpen their claws on them.  So I am making afghan throws to discourage them.

But, we get the additional advantage of making the kittens think we did this for their comfort since they seem to love nothing more than a fresh newly afghan I have made.

Like watching a train crash

NOT.   This is the ongoing saga of  55-year-old woman going where she hasn’t gone before.  A half marathon.  The motivation is to give something back to this world, in spite of being, unemployed and with more time on my hands than seems good, and having gained more weight than I am embarrassed to say.    But, I am persisting and its been over a month since I began this journey so I am pretty happy that I haven’t given up yet.

And as always:
Please click here to donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

Now Back to the train crash in process. NOT!!!

I went to Westfield Mall today and walked around the mall for 4950 steps and so I went 1.56 miles.  I was supposed to do 45 minutes easy.  And I figured wandering around the mall was as good as anything else so I did that.  But, I spent a wee bit more time than that I believe about an hour and 15 minutes.  The only things I bought was a bottle of water and a cover for my cell phone.  So, I didn’t put myself in debtors ville for going.

BUT….I had a bright idea I think.  I am going to ask the nearby outside mall Santana Row if I can stand outside and sing for the Team in Training and people can donate if they want and get credit for their donations. Seems almost like a good idea.  If anybody has any other good ideas I would like to hear them.

And….tada, I stayed abstinent another day so far,  no flour, no sugar, and I weighed my meals on my scale. So I feel good about this so far.  If I make it through to the Marathon then I will be a triumphant Fattie in Training.  Who knows maybe not even a Fattie any more.

Whooo Hooo, Whoo Hoo!!!

I walked 2 miles today.  And I didn’t kill myself doing it.  Yeah!!!  I made it 7998 steps according to my pedometer.  And my heart rate stayed stable the whole time.

Whooo hoooo!!! Whoo hoooo!!!

 

And as usual here is my plug for donations to  the fund I am raising for leukemia research.

Please click here donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

Fledgling Friday (continued)

So, after thought and consideration, I went to the medical doctor’s office and made an appointment to be checked out.  The last two times I have participated in TNT events I have experienced a feeling that feels like an adrenaline rush, similar to a panic attack toward the end of each walk.  And I want to be sure that it isn’t something potentially harmful to me.

My Psychiatrist thought that perhaps the higher heart rate is confusing my mind into thinking I am running for my life and thus a panic attack.

A kind of whoa baby we (the body and the brain) haven’t been doing this for a long time, and if you are doing it now it can’t be for any other reason than that you are in deadly peril.

Today, I was supposed to walk for 45 minutes and take it easy and do some stretches. So I did both. My pedometer says I went 7998 steps or 2.5 miles. I am very skeptical of this since 1 mile just about keels me over.  Tomorrow if I wake up early enough. There is a 7:30 am walk at a very nice park nearby.  And so I will go with pedometer zeroed at the beginning of that mile.

And  then find out how it reads my steps for that distance. I kind of think it will come down to that for every step I actually take, it registers 4 steps so I am taking much smaller steps than I figured before now.  I ate my food that I promised today.  So, I have 4 days as abstinent from flour and sugar.  Not sure why I am doing this now.  And so that means my addict is alive and well and attempting to fool me into eating something I’ll regret later.

Fledgling Friday

I made it through another Track session last night.  I thought I’d give you folks a picture of the trail.  My part didn’t look exactly like that but it was on the way for sure.

We did core training for about 15 minutes and then we were timed on how fast we did one mile.  Yours Truly again won the Last Place Slot. Am I good or what?  I did it in 27 minutes and 30 seconds.  Considering that was about 6 minutes faster than I’ve found myself doing it lately, I don’t think it was too shabby.

For those of your interested who don’t know what core training is.  Seems to pit your body against itself, in order to build up the basic muscular frame.  Lunges, balancing work, the ever wonderful plank, gotta love it.

I am going to take my camera next time so I can shoot a picture of how fast the other walkers leave me behind.  We started out together but within 5 minutes, I couldn’t even see the others ahead.  Fortunately, they had people at intervals along the trail to tell you how far you had gotten and point you the way to the next section.

They told me the point was to have fun and be relaxed.  I was relaxed right up to the point I had a panic attack.  But then I calmed down shortly thereafter and finished the mile.

I did not go into this completely unprepared, but  with the addition of a heart rate monitor.  I realized that I needed some other things like some way to carry stuff easily.  I guess I am going to get one of those packs around my waist.  And something to carry the Pilates mat in.

But the new shoes held up beautifully.  I can honestly say that my feet  were not a real issue this time.  But, I can also see that this is like going to army boot camp.  I have stepped into a world I’ve never been in before and these people are seriously hardcore.

Again, as I told the person who walked the final leg with me, if I can do this thing it is a miracle of God, and not due to my efforts.  Because I am clearly am the opposite of what a person would say is marathon material.

Food, how could I forget?  I stayed abstinent from flour and sugar and ate my three measured meals today.  It is a relief to know at least my food isn’t going to make me sick.  And I can look back and be absolutely happy with what I did eat.

And as usual here is my plug for donations to  the fund I am raising for leukemia research.

Please click here donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

Thankfully Thursday,Team in Training Meet Tonight

Please click here donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

So tonight we meet to exercise and train.  The manager called me yesterday and we discussed the fact that I am 20 years older and way fatter than everyone else. So, she wants me to bring  the health form they have, plus I need to get a note from my doctor.  For the doctor note, I will have to make an appointment I think. Perhaps even a specialist of some kind.

Then they want to meet with me to establish a plan of action for me to follow.  This is all fine with me.  Like everyone else, I don’t feel much different inside myself than when I was 20.  But there are things that never happened for me.  I haven’t had any children, which I think is a big factor.  Not by my choice, but my body said no emphatically.  Also, my first marriage was such that it was better that I didn’t have children. And today, with the true love of my life, I am too old.   I think I am probably too old to raise children effectively.  My husband still thinks we could have someone carry a baby for us, or we could adopt.  All I know it better happen soon, or  we will have to have a live in nanny to help us raise the kid.

How do I feel about all of this?  Well, the reason I am so focused on this, is I feel like doing this is a way for me not to be a leech on society and to give something back.  Plus, I have an immune disorder sarcoidosis and before that was diagnosed, I ran around for a whole summer, from doctor to doctor, to CAT scan, and CAT scan and finally to surgery to figure out what I had.  They though initially I had lymphoma or leukemia, but I did not.

So, I feel kind of close to this reason for TNT.  We meet tonight at 6:15 pm.  Please everyone stop and give a thought for me, or a prayer, or whatever you do.

I love all of you my friends.

Whimsically Wednesday

Please click here donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

Got up this morning at  Oh Dark Thirty or 6:30 and did my alternative exercise for 30 minutes, which for me was the reclining stationary bicycle.  I rode  3.67 miles in 30 minutes which puts me at an 8 minute mile.  I used to run that fast in my running days.  However, I can be extremely proud I did not fall off the bike or give up. I kept going until the beeper came on.

I assume if you are reading my blog, it is for a fascination similar to watching some crash a car in slow motion.  You think you know that something reckless is going on but it is hard to see the action.   If and when I end up on crutches. I will put the doctor’s report and the photo of me on crutches with it.

Here is a funny thing, I don’t feel like eating after I exercise.  And yet I know that I should.  So I will. The plan for today is the following:

BREAKFASTKamut Puffs 1 ozPeaches &Banana 6 oz8 oz milk

LUNCHLunch out at Mimi’s RestaurantPork Chop 4 oz.12 oz mixed vegetablesCaesar dressing½ oz  (taking with me)6 oz mixed  fresh fruit

SUPPERChicken 4 oz12 oz mixed vegetables4 oz rice½ oz margarine

Trying Tuesday

So today, I went in the afternoon on the treadmill.  I walked for 37 minutes and went 1.11 miles.   The gym doesn’t have air conditioning and it felt like it was about 90 degrees in there. I was dripping sweat by the time I decided to stop.   Enough was enough and I was starting to get a blister in my new blister proof tennies. So I decided to give it a rest and go back home.

After all I think I actually went a little faster today.  I will have to check it out against my past scores and times.  Tomorrow, the plan is for me to do something else for just 30 minutes and I have no problem with that.  They have this walking training plan that I am attempting to follow.  Although seriously it looks like I a 20 years older than everyone else out there at the minimum.  And I am way too fat as well.  The way I figure this, if I get through this safely, it is a miracle of God.

By the way, I have made it this far through the day and have stayed on the food plan so I am still abstinent.  And after doing all that walking I don’t feel like eating, so there.

Tonight is the first closed meeting of the AWOL, called A Way of Life, though the 12 steps of OA.  We meet once each week for a little over a year working on each of the steps.

However, if I don’t stay abstinent I have to leave the meeting. So……….there is another miracle I am looking to God for.

Please click here donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

Monday, Monday

Don’t forget I am still at it. Not giving up.

Credit: Free photos from acobox.com
Please click here donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

Today, I went 1.23 miles this morning. I did not time it. Tomorrow I will. I bought new shoes and socks yesterday. I went to the store they recommended and they did a walk analysis on me and told me the right shoes for me. Turns out I’ve been wearing shoes that are way too small. I’ve been wearing 7s and I should be wearing 9 Narrow.  They told us at the Team in Training meeting (http://teamintraining.com) that many people found out they were wearing the wrong shoes. And today my back didn’t hurt the whole way which it normally does and my hips don’t feel funny either. Now this could be the placebo effect. So I reserve the right to change my mind about this one.

The cause is a good one, it is for leukemia research.  The half marathon I am planning on is the Big Sur Marathon November 20. To see photos of the route go to: http://www.bigsurhalfmarathon.org/photos_media/hmvirtualtour.

They say it could rain. And although they only count people who make it in 3 and a half hours. I spoke to people who have done it three times and they say it takes them 4 hours to make it.  I figure it will take me longer than that but I haven’t gotten that close to the day.

The most difficult part of this thing is going to be raising the money.   My husband says I have to raise most of the money in 6 weeks because after that we are on the hook for the rest of the money and I don’t give up because of that.  So anybody who has any fund raising ideas, please give me some help here.  I ask people to donate because it is a good cause and tax deductible and every little bit helps, even if its only a dollar or two.

Nothing other than a good cause would have got me out on the road and that is part of the motivation for me.  See ya tomorrow.