Six Months!

Today marks the official 6 months mark! I have walked or exercised every day but Sunday for the last six months!

It's kind of hard with the move and all, so this week we've yet to go more than a mile, but we are determined to keep in the habit and stay flexible and moving our bodies as well as our stuff.  And soon we will be walking in Iowa!

It's Getting Easier!

2-mile workouts are getting fairly easy, so after we move we plan to order a 4.  Give ourselves a new challenge. Right now it's about all I can do physically to get ready for the move.

Near Miss

Yesterday I had a really busy day, incredibly so,  with too much to do and a short, poor, night's sleep to go on.  I did pretty well, until about 6 p.m., when a massive headache hit. I went to bed and got up about 10 when Dallen got in from work. At that point I dragged myself out of bed, had a snack, and went to work on my writing assignments. By the time I finished, it was about 2 a.m. and I still hadn't walked.

Solution: do a 20 minute yoga session. I found a little relief for the headache, and by 3 I was going to bed. I slept better but I still have the headache.

Any suggestions?

I am considering going to a neurologist to see if there is some underlying cause. I think it's time to keep a food journal and see if there is a correlation. The fact that I'm always congested might have some bearing on it too. Maybe I have a sinus infection. I don't know.

200 Mile Pictures

As promised, here are my 200 mile pictures.  I have since gotten my hair cut, which is cuter and I like it better.

Looking better but I still have a way to go!

Sidewise I look like a brick.

My best view. My rear is shrinking.

It's not as big and saggy as it used to be.

Hey, at least from this view I have a waistline again!

I did it

I guess I just wanted to whine a while yesterday. After I got done posting I got up and walked my 2 miles. Of course I felt better afterward.  Today I walked a 3 before lunch! Hurray for walking!

Unmotivated

That's me, and not just today either. I've struggled all week to get going.  I'm just feeling tired and run down.

Today, even a sticker is not motivating me. Nor the idea of missing a day, though if I can finish up June I will have exercised 6 days a week for 6 straight months. I've got a goal to walk at least 10 miles a week. My online partner walked 16 miles last week. I would like to catch up with her.  And even that is not motivating me. Nor is being skinny or healthy. I'm just blah. Apathetic. Uncaring. Lethargic.

I wonder how many similar words I can find if I use a thesaurus. I guess I better get off and go walk 2 miles whether I'm motivated or not. Just grit my teeth and work up a little "have-to" and do it. Ack.

A hot bath is so-o-o-o tempting right now.

Blood Pressure

G

    O

        I

           N

               G

                          D

                               O

                                    W

                                         N

Yesterday when I stopped for my prescription, I did a blood pressure check. 146/90. Not bad considering I was about 2 miles into my walk. I sat still and took about 12 deep, slow breaths, and then did it again and it was 128/84.   That's the best it's been in a long time!

I also noticed the blood pressure cuff didn't hurt like usual. It squeezes so tightly it really pinches my arm. Only it wasn't as bad this time -- perhaps because I'm a teeny bit smaller now! 

Half-Marathon

Congratulations to my brother-in-law and his two daughters for completing the half-marathon on Saturday! They finished in the time they hoped, under 3 hours.  They are inspiring! (probably per-spiring too, at least after the race.)

Errands on Foot

I walked to the library and grocery store--took the long way there and the round trip was 3.7 miles. By the time I did dishes and made dinner, I had walked over four miles! I am pretty sure I have a blister in the curve of my big toe but I don't even care. I'll survive.

I added a bit to the workout by pulling a wheeled backpack full of books both ways--and some luscious raspberries I picked up at the grocery along with my prescription. Yummy! I ate the whole package while I watched Numbers later.

Strolling Along

Yesterday we had grandkids all day, and it was a busy day. The girls went home about 5, and then two little boys showed up at about 5:30. We hadn't walked yet, so we planned a route that we thought would be about 2 miles, popped the boys in the stroller, grabbed some water bottles, and off we went.

We forgot to take our pedometers, so we didn't get exact mileage, but I found a website where you can easily map and adjust a route, and according to it, we went 2.65 miles and burned about 357 calories. That's not accounting for pushing a big double stroller, though. It was a really good workout.

If we do it again, I will do one thing differently: oil the wheels of the stroller first. It's an old one, and it does squeak and squeal and even whistle as it goes along. The two-year-old kept leaning over and studying it, as though he was trying to figure out where all the noise was coming from.

Small Breakthrough!

I finally dropped below 190! It has been a hard battle so far, but the news that I hit 188 was so encouraging that I enthusiastically walked a 3-miler yesterday! Hurray for me. I mean, I usually cheerfully do the workout, but I went at it with gusto, knowing that it really is making a difference!

Back to Walking

Playtime's over for a little while. Yesterday we did a 3-mile workout. It felt so good! I was glad I had done other activities to keep moving over the weekend.

Swimming

For Memorial Day I had a change of pace! We went swimming for about 45 minutes. Not just lazing in the water but actively playing with the kids, and believe me I was tired by the end, wobbly legs, etc. I just have to post some pictures of how cute these little guys are!

N. loved the water when he got used to it, especially if we were playing with him! 

J's a natural little waterbug!

 T. blowing kisses to his mom.

At first T was scared to try the ring...
Grammy forced him, controlling lady that I am! 

Here's T., after he discovered he really was safe, he had a bunch of fun.

R and his daddy, Dominic!

When I first came out in my swimsuit, T. patted my tummy and said, "Grammy, you're getting big for your suit!"  That kid will keep me motivated if he keeps this up!

A little later we realized he was wearing the swimsuit his brother needed, and I went to pull his off and realized he had nothing underneath. Duh! Anyway, I sent him off to change. When he came out he pulled up the bottom of my swimsuit a little and said, "Yep, you don't have anything under there either!"