Still Pushing

Yesterday was the first day I have walked since my last post. I thought about exercising but to be honest it’s been hot. The last couple of days temperatures have hovered up in the 90’s with a heat index that made it feel like 100. If I am not out by seven in the morning there is no way I can make myself do two miles at 80 degrees. So this morning There was no desire in my mind to get up and move anything. However the little voice inside my heart kept calling to me. I mean it was so strong that I was unable to ignore it and believe me I tried.
After getting myself together I made the decision to stay close to home. Sometimes I have great ideas and this turned out to be one of them. My routine like so many other worker bees always included hoping in the car never really observing more than the nice aesthetics of my street.
I had never noticed that the trees that lined the sidewalk actually interlocked and formed a nice canopy for walking. While I have been annoyed by various cranes and their loud mating calls, I hadn’t noticed the variety of song birds that live in the area as well. I sort of felt like I had rediscovered the reason I live in the area. The daily grind of life has a way of dulling our senses down to nothing as the push to get from point A to point B consumes us. As I walked along taking it all in I realized the setting was slowing me down. This was no leisure walk this was business. I’m out here to get back in shape and then become fit enough to finish a race I haven’t even picked yet. So off the sidewalk and into the street I went.
Knowing full well the street in the morning is the wrong place to be. Those same folks that used to include me are in their cars hurrying to work. Most aren’t really paying attention, perhaps preparing for the work day ahead and just trying to make it through the day at a job they hate. Some are late or have not had their morning java or nicotine fix, no surprise that group wanted me out the road. After all it’s Friday and that means everyone shows up for pay day so traffic today is a bit more active than the rest of the week. Now here is this woman (me) out walking between the white lines on the side of a very curvy road causing drivers to move a little more to the center of the lane. I’ve been there not understanding way the heck these idiots are in the street when there is a perfectly good sidewalk around. Well tar is way more comfortable than concrete to walk on and after just missing being blessed by a few of those birds the road seemed more appealing. I don’t have a death wish although thanks to transplanted Yankees mostly from New York, New Jersey and Boston, Florida was ranked fourth on the worst driver list this year. Since the hospital is not my idea of a getaway vacation I decided to face the traffic so I could see trouble coming if need be.
True confession, I liked the street, maybe it just seemed deviant to be there. I told myself it was race practice, isn’t that what they do in cities, block off streets for races. Wasn’t I just getting in game mode preparing for the big day. Okay it sounded good but the small sprint I made from the speed limit sign to the next industrial driveway told me that day was really in the distant future. Dreams become goals and then realities and as I pushed to the end of the road I call home I kept that in focus. Not even the guy in a black 80ish camero who leaned out and hollered something as he waited in line at the intersection could cause me to break concentration on the task at hand. Making the half circle turn behind his car I moved back in the direction I came from. My legs stiffened, I was slowing so I picked up pace and all was fine. The return trip was uneventful and one I will make again because mixing up where and when I workout keeps boredom from setting in.
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Lessons

Yesterday I delayed walking in the morning to ran some errands. I told a friend i would meet her to walk later in the day. Well, later in the day she told me she went out walking earlier and
it was to hot to go out at the time I called her. Lesson learned, not that I didn't know but always stick to a routine and don't let others throw you off. I know I prefer morning training, nothing better than starting the day with a Sharp mind well exercised body.So when she said lets try again this week I said sure but I needed to do it in the morning and at my location. I look forward to her joining me but we will have to work on meeting up. I'm close to running now,
well I can go in little spurts at least and I really want to progress. I also plan to hit the treadmill again to build that endurance as next week will include an extra mile for me.
By the way I did walk and I really felt the strongest I had ever felt on the course.Then it hit me I actually took the time to eat a balanced meal and rest. Today is a different story because I walked late then got up and walked my regular time. I didn't recover well but bet your last penny I will be out and about tomorrow regardless!

Praise the Lord

My daily routine these days has been to get my miles done, write a bit and then go home and get ready for the rest of the day. Well that all went as planned until in the middle of writing i heard some music and happened to look over my shoulder. This old guy was sitting on the edge of his opened trunk playing the guitar. I listened for awhile as it became good writing music kind of a jazzy James Taylor vibe.
Well i walked over and we started talking and he was really into religion. I found out he had gone to my church but stop because he really wanted to get his musical message out and he wasn't so pleased with our Church's direction. Anyway he was quite a character who ending giving me his CD of songs and a DVD of bible passages. Okay i took them to be nice but sometimes my southern talk to strangers charm can be a trip at times. So i guess at some point i will listen to his music and i wish his endeavor well. Now as I sit here thinking about today's events I know the God in me isn't how much I pray or talk to the lord worshiping,wishing,and praising it truly is about the daily grind ,what I as a person do in this world to glorify my higher power. Today I listened and tomorrow i will start a new journey. Oh yes i will also get out of bed earlier it's summer and nearly eigthy and not even 8 am.

The Struggle

One of the great things about living in Florida is that the climate allows for many welcomed and not so welcomed wildlife adventures while working out. Today I did not feel like walking but as I exited the car Petey the peacock was out strutting his stuff and I thought i needed to shake mine as well, so on to the ugly details.I need to say the first half of my run should take no more than sixteen minutes at a mile and a quarter. That's awful time but where I'm at when I push it. Lately this is what is happening.
Today I had to find motivation were i could and usually pacing myself at various check points works. For instance, I know when i pass the dog park at about ten minutes into the walk that
I'm five minutes off pace. This is the point where I hit the jog/trot do whatever i can mode to reach check point two, which most often will be fifteen minutes away. By then I know I 'm ten minutes off pace and have about eight minutes left in the first lap. Turns out it took me thirty one minutes give or take the pit stop i made at the dog park. I break for fur kids, it's bad i know and at some point i resolve to be stronger.There was no kick in me at that particular moment is my explanation for stopping.
When i finally did finish I went looking for the peacock again. Petey was hanging out with a few mallards. It was kind of sad to see him following the ducks trying to make friends. He must be young and can't find a mate yet. I noticed the neighborhood cat watching it all including "mama" the raccoon who scampered off a roof and forged in the bushes. For the record I did not name them the locals did. As i walked back to my car I noticed swimmers doing laps in the lake, immediately i snapped back to refocus on the goal. I will be putting myself in a competition frame of mind as these relaxing strolls are not doing it for me. Weekdays are hard because I don't have other power walkers pulling me. I have to find that place inside that i can call up for the lonely morning workout.
I'm thinking an energy boost is in order too. As a vegetarian you'd think I pay more attention to
my diet. Today was a wake up call, regardless of what I used to do a thirty minute mile and a quarter sucks big time! Just glad to finish before it got to hot and the rains came. I will have to add the other three Fourths a mile in sometime this week. It's hurricane season and we are the lighting capital of the world. One more reason to get it over and done with early. I will be stopping at the store before i get home to make sure I don't hit the wall tomorrow for lack of energy.

Memories get in the way

There is a line in an old Gladys Knight song that says " memories get in my way", so true for me too.I used to knock off five miles in the morning before going to work and stand all day,then I would do another five miles when I got home on the treadmill at high elevation. If it was my day off I'd throw in some weight training and spinning.
Now I'm sixty pounds over the weight I was just seven years ago. Which means I struggle with the 1.5 to 2 miles I walk each day. This is not from a physical set back but a mental one. I know
I can't run yet but I try even if it nearly kills me. It's so hard for me to forget the things I used to be able to do and pace myself at the level I have fallen to now.
However I have learned to go with the flow and am incorporating other exercises in the set plan I've made for myself. Although I still day dream about the glory days of old,i now use the memories to motivate myself to keep on pushing on. As a vegetarian I have to be more careful to maintain good nutrition making out my fitness plans too.This was something I did not do years ago. So far so good and today I finally said farewell goodbye to the frustration that comes with the fact i let myself go in the first place. I have moved on for the betterment of my health!

The Begining

We all should hold ourselves accountable for living a healthy life. So the purpose of this blog is to simply allow people to become inspired and to get up, get out, and exercise their way to a good life. Every chance I get to talk to women about what they do to stay active I will.
I will also put myself out here and admit I have a goal of completing a mini triathlon. Stating that one loud so I can be held accountable to meet that goal! Join me in my search it should become a real adventure.