All About the Steps

The weather has been absolutely amazing. Summer is coming, and the days have been warm and sunny and vibrant. It makes me want to be outdoors as much as possible.

This morning, I wanted to run. It's been awhile. I had been having trouble with my hip for almost a week. Apparently hiking is magic, and my hip feels great now. Running had to happen. I did my c25k run. It was 25 minutes without walking breaks. I could've gone longer. It felt great. 

I also took the Moon Dog for a walk. We did about 2 miles. He's so happy outside.

This was taken last night while we were chillin' in the backyard enjoying the sunset. Love him.

I'm all about the steps this summer. Now that I can run again, I need to rebuild my cardio and endurance. I've got some long term goals that will need some kind of base. Right now, I'm trying to make sure I get 10,000 steps/day, and on running and hiking days that goal is easy to hit. I'm really looking forward to an active summer. 

Consistency.

Right now, my biggest day-to-day fitness goal is consistency. It's a struggle. I've been doing okay. I really love lifting, and I've been following a good training plan. My biggest struggle with consistency right now is my parathyroid. It's been about two years, and I have some pretty painful days. I did just have some tests done, so hopefully things will move forward soon. 

Until then, I will do what I can. There are some days when walking is my only option. Some days even walking is too much. I've been identifying how my body reacts to different things. Running destroys me. It's such a bummer. I like running. I want to run. I have some big goals that require running. I just have to plan for some serious rest days afterward. Yoga is hit or miss, but it's relaxing. TKD depends on what we do. Jumping is rough. We did lots of jumping in class on Monday, and I can still feel it in my ankles. Walking and lifting are my best options. Lifting actually makes it feel better. I don't know why, but I'm just going to go with it. Walking is the best. I've been trying to get in my Moon Dog miles.

I've been consistent with workouts since Thanksgiving. Lots of lifting. TKD was awesome and totally worth the ankle pain. Post-Thanksgiving workout = cardio and so many push-ups. Loved it. Moon Dog and I have been on some cold winter walks. 

Yesterday I took a complete day off. I needed it. That's the silver lining of this whole thing. I am forced to listen to my body. I am forced to slow down. This is something I have probably needed for a long time. I tend to do too much (in all aspects of my life), and I never take days off. This makes me take full rest days. If I don't pay attention, I end up needing two.

Today, I got in 2 miles with the pooch and lifted. Other than my ankles, things are feeling pretty good! 

Stop And Smell The Wildflowers

This morning was absolutely gorgeous. Sunny, bright blue sky, and everything is green. Vermont in the summer is like living in a child's drawing. The colors are so vibrant.

The kids are at TKD camp all week, so I took the Moon Dog for a walk after dropping them off. It was already getting hot, and he overheats quickly in the sun, so we kept it short. I love walking with him because he really loves being outside. You can see how happy he is.

The walk was beautiful. There were so many wildflowers that you could smell them in the air. It was a wonderful walk.

Even Moon Dog stopped to sniff the flowers.

I have TKD tonight. I'm really looking forward to class. I learned the rest of my pattern last week and have been trying to practice. I haven't done as much as I would have liked. Last week was kind of a crazy blur. I barely had time to eat and sleep. This week I have more time, so I want to put in more work.

Yesterday, I got my workout by moving chairs and tables for 2 hours without a break. It was kind of nice. I listened to a book and just kept working. I wasn't sure how I would fit my workout into my schedule, so that was a perfect substitute. Of course daily pool circuits with the kids continue. We have so much fun, but it definitely feels like a workout, too.

Keeping busy and enjoying summer!