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. 

Walking.

This past week was super busy. There was limited time for exercise, so I did what I could and was happy with it. I mainly focused on hitting 10,000 steps every day. I got a Fitbit in February, and it has made a huge difference. I'm much more aware of how long I have been sitting, and I have been using it to make sure I get up every hour and move. I feel so much better.

I got in a few strength sessions during the week, too. Lifting is always my favorite. I love how I feel after a good workout. I haven't gotten to run very much, but I'm planning to run tomorrow. Today is TKD day, so my morning workout is usually practicing my pattern and stretching. Last week's class was tough, especially because I did a lot of exercise on Sunday. Yesterday, I did a lot of walking, but nothing too extreme. Hoping class goes better tonight.

This weekend was pretty great. I was a little bummed to miss the last TKD tournament of the season. With everything that has happened in the last few months, I was not able to compete at all this year, and I missed it. I mostly missed the people. Still, I had a great weekend. Celebrated my baby turning 10, which doesn't really seem possible. Then I had an awesome Mother's Day with my whole family. We did a lot of walking. I wanted to check out a place called Red Rocks in Burlington, and my mom, sister, and brother-in-law joined us. It was a beautiful walk and a gorgeous day.

Limited.

So, in my usual fashion, I completely overdid it on my first day post-surgery. I felt good, and the weather was beautiful. I couldn't help myself.
I paid for it. I spent the whole next day just trying to find a comfortable position. Guess what? There wasn't one.
Yesterday was better. My neck was still sore and swollen, but it improved as the day went on. I was able to go for a short walk with the family. That was nice. I don't enjoy taking it easy, and even though I'm limited, I wanted to be outside and moving. I made sure to do a lot less than I did the first day.
I do not like being so limited. I feel good (other than my neck), and all I want to do is go run or lift weights. But, for now, I cannot do much. I am not supposed to run or "lift heavy". Their definition of lifting heavy greatly differs from mine. I can't lift anything over 15 pounds. Of course because I can't do it, it's all I can think about. I can't wait until I can start being active again.
I am finally feeling more clear-headed. I have only had a few experiences with anesthesia, but I do not do well with it. I hate the way I feel, and it seems to take several days for it to get out of my system. I don't know if that's how it actually works, but it's how I feel every time. I'm glad to be feeling somewhat normal again.

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! 

Thankful and Healing

Things I'm thankful for today:

#1 I am not in any pain for the first time in a year. Honestly, I've gotten so used to being uncomfortable that it kind of freaked me out. 

#2 Physical Therapy. I love it. I've been going for the last few weeks to fix a problem with my shoulder. It was causing constant, painful headaches for about 6 months. Today, I have no headache. It's pretty amazing. My PT also told me that my ankle is strained tendons and nothing more serious. Very happy about that.

#3 Taking a long walk in the sunshine with my Moon Dog. It has been warm and sunny for two days now, and I am loving it. Went for a 3 mile walk with the pooch this morning, and it was pain free! Amazing. 

So, the last few weeks have been pretty rough. I was in a lot of pain and feeling pretty run down. My body felt like a 90 year old (or how I imagine it feels, anyway). I've been trying to exercise while also resting both my ankle and my shoulder. I'm trying to focus on letting my body repair. The final tournament of the season was last weekend, and I can finally relax a little and focus on feeling better. I have to admit, I have been pushing myself even though I should have been resting. 

I've been careful with my eating and with my movement. I have been doing everything I need to do to combat my medical issues and staying well hydrated. I feel better. Not 100%, but so much better than before. I already feel so much better.

I've also been trying to stay positive and calm. I've been meditating regularly. I usually follow my own plan, but it's seemed like too much work lately. I don't want to have to think about it, so I found a guided meditation app that looked like what I was looking for. I wanted something simple and something that would keep me consistent. It's called Headspace, and they offer 10 days of 10 minute meditations for free. I just completed day 10 (admittedly it took me more than 10 days - life doesn't always cooperate). It's great. It's simple and consistent, and I don't have to think about it (or anything else). The subscription fee is really low, and I plan on subscribing and getting even more meditation packs. The calm I feel is totally worth it. 

So, that's it. Nothing too exciting. It's been a week of healing. Exactly what I needed.

Walking and Accepting

Lots of walking this weekend. Yesterday, I felt pretty bad, but I had made a promise to the Artist that I would run with him. I want to keep supporting his new love of running, so I sucked it up and went. We walked a little. We did some longer sections of slower running as well as some shorter sprints. I felt awful after each one, but I didn't let on. He was thrilled and had so much fun. I love running with him.

Today, I went for a long walk with my awesome friend, Michelle. It was nice to have someone to talk to about what I mess I have been lately and laugh. We always have so much fun on our walks. Certain people make me happier just being around them, and she is definitely one of them.

We did about 5.5 miles. I was achy when I was done, but I still managed to do another mile with the Moon Dog when I got home. It may not feel great to exercise right now, but emotionally it is necessary. I can't stand not being active.

I'm really trying to slow down and accept that this is what I can do right now. It's frustrating, but I know it's necessary. I've been doing too much for too long. My body's finally making me slow down. I need to listen.

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!

A Simple Leg Workout

Today's workout: walking with friends and a "simple" leg workout.

I started the day with a nice 3.25 mile walk with two of the best people I know. No better way to start the day.

When I got home from work, I needed to do Week 1/Day 6 of my lifting program. It looked nice and simple. Two exercises. Five reps. Five sets. No problem.

The first exercise was squats. No problem. I love squats. Five sets done.

Exercise #2 was something I had never done before - High Bar Good Mornings

Wow. I just finished my fifth set, and I love this move. It was challenging. I could feel it working my back and hamstrings. Perfect balance for the squats. I really enjoyed this workout.

This will probably make tomorrow's run interesting, but it was awesome.