I've signed up to participate in the 2010 American Heart Association Heart Walk. Like last year, I joined the team that has the sure-fire fundraising element (this year I had to find it - last year it found me). This way I can concentrate on the fitness component.
This year, I start 20 lbs lighter than what I weighed one year ago. I am equipped with an improved metabolism and my Kangoo Jumps. They are like trampolines on the bottom of my feet. They help me get a high impact work-out without the risk of injury incurred if I worked-out in regular exercise shoes. Last night I did my first, unsupervised Kangoo work-out. I actually ran and felt great! (If you know me, you know I don't run)
I'm starting with 15 minutes per "hop" (that's what I call a Kangoo work-out) and will build up my time from there.
So, I'm back. But my blogs will be less frequent here. My goal is to blog at least once per week. I will use Twitter to post my workouts between blogs. So, combining this blog and Twitter, I will be posting as frequently if not moreso.
Thanks to everyone for your patience and support, including those who have been anonymously reading my blog.
Do something beautiful for your heart today.
~Cheryl~
Showing posts with label American Heart Association. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Heart Association. Show all posts
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Friday, December 18, 2009
Day 75 (and following): Heart Walk Recap
After being sick and becoming a little inconsistent in the days before the big day, I rode the bus to the Heart Walk. It was a wet, muddy morning but I made it to the finish-line and beyond. The 2.9 mile walk was only a part of the distance I walked on foot. With lots of walking before and after the event back to public transportation and from the subway station to home, I think I walked more than 4 miles net that day.
I arrived to see CACI's CEO, Paul Cofoni, talking at the microphone as the walkers started out on their course. He later lapped me. I met strangers who were so friendly. A friend from a church we used to attend recognized me but I was confused because she was wearing a shirt from my employer. She happened to be a friend of another employee. The three in her group and I walked together for most of the walk.
The first lap was so much fun. I could not keep up with the super fast walkers but I wasn't the slowest either. One coworker wore this giant heart costume and his friend carried a boom box with the perfect playlist for the occaision. People kept coming up to take photos with him. My church friend started dance steps to popular songs as we walked and many others who were close enough to hear the boom box joined in. That was my favorite part of the walk.
The second lap was a surprise at first because I thought there was only one lap and that people were leaving. We moved ahead of the giant heart and the boom box so we could no longer hear the music. The sound system near the start/finish line played music loud enough that people could hear it on about a third of the course.
About a quarter mile or so before the finish line, just after I managed to catch up with my CEO and speak/walk with him for a minute, my ankle began to hurt and I struggled to walk normally for many weeks to come.
The training of biking 5 - 6 miles added to the 1.5 miles I had been walking at home a few days each week should have been enough to prepare me for 2.9 miles but I didn't factor the mud which made unforseen demands on my feet and legs. I thought I had done enough on the first lap on the mall and could have gone home but I felt good and believed that I would not have done justice to my hard work if I left at the halfway mark. Many others left after the first lap but I kept going. In retrospect, I've learned my lesson. Plenty others kept walking just like me but I could have sat down and/or gone home.
I stayed after crossing the finish line and visited the tents where free food was being prepared for the walkers. I sampled some healthy, hot greens and okra/tomatoes. I picked up a fresh apple and banana. They hit the spot! I almost forgot about my hurting ankle. I saw more people I knew from work and stopped to talk before we all departed from the mall.
After resting at home most of the remainder of that day, I walked with a cane in the days that followed. It occurred to me to make an appointment with my physical therapist, so I did. As I began writing this entry, my pain had diminished and I had begun to walk much better. On my first physical therapy visit after the walk, I hurt so badly that they put ice on my ankle foot and leg and sent me home without any exercises. I was still in bad pain when I had my second visit after the walk. They stopped my exercises early and sent me home.
Mr. Lee told me that I would improve and be back to normal much sooner than I thought. That's how badly it hurt. But, I did start walking for exercise again over the Christmas holiday and feel much better. Maybe two or more visits with Mr. Lee will be enough, if my Doctor approves them. I also need to get into the habit of doing the exercises independently and consistently.
The new year marks the beginning of my next phase of making paces.
Do something beautiful for your heart today.
~ Cheryl ~
I arrived to see CACI's CEO, Paul Cofoni, talking at the microphone as the walkers started out on their course. He later lapped me. I met strangers who were so friendly. A friend from a church we used to attend recognized me but I was confused because she was wearing a shirt from my employer. She happened to be a friend of another employee. The three in her group and I walked together for most of the walk.
The first lap was so much fun. I could not keep up with the super fast walkers but I wasn't the slowest either. One coworker wore this giant heart costume and his friend carried a boom box with the perfect playlist for the occaision. People kept coming up to take photos with him. My church friend started dance steps to popular songs as we walked and many others who were close enough to hear the boom box joined in. That was my favorite part of the walk.
The second lap was a surprise at first because I thought there was only one lap and that people were leaving. We moved ahead of the giant heart and the boom box so we could no longer hear the music. The sound system near the start/finish line played music loud enough that people could hear it on about a third of the course.
About a quarter mile or so before the finish line, just after I managed to catch up with my CEO and speak/walk with him for a minute, my ankle began to hurt and I struggled to walk normally for many weeks to come.
The training of biking 5 - 6 miles added to the 1.5 miles I had been walking at home a few days each week should have been enough to prepare me for 2.9 miles but I didn't factor the mud which made unforseen demands on my feet and legs. I thought I had done enough on the first lap on the mall and could have gone home but I felt good and believed that I would not have done justice to my hard work if I left at the halfway mark. Many others left after the first lap but I kept going. In retrospect, I've learned my lesson. Plenty others kept walking just like me but I could have sat down and/or gone home.
I stayed after crossing the finish line and visited the tents where free food was being prepared for the walkers. I sampled some healthy, hot greens and okra/tomatoes. I picked up a fresh apple and banana. They hit the spot! I almost forgot about my hurting ankle. I saw more people I knew from work and stopped to talk before we all departed from the mall.
After resting at home most of the remainder of that day, I walked with a cane in the days that followed. It occurred to me to make an appointment with my physical therapist, so I did. As I began writing this entry, my pain had diminished and I had begun to walk much better. On my first physical therapy visit after the walk, I hurt so badly that they put ice on my ankle foot and leg and sent me home without any exercises. I was still in bad pain when I had my second visit after the walk. They stopped my exercises early and sent me home.
Mr. Lee told me that I would improve and be back to normal much sooner than I thought. That's how badly it hurt. But, I did start walking for exercise again over the Christmas holiday and feel much better. Maybe two or more visits with Mr. Lee will be enough, if my Doctor approves them. I also need to get into the habit of doing the exercises independently and consistently.
The new year marks the beginning of my next phase of making paces.
Do something beautiful for your heart today.
~ Cheryl ~
Friday, October 16, 2009
Day 45: Votes of Confidence are so motivating!
Unexpectedly, I was out of the office for two days so I didn't connect with my trusted friend (the one who watches me weigh every Tuesday). Therefore, I do not have an official change in my weight to post this week.
I also did not exercise on those two days: Tuesday and Wednesday. There was no way I was going to miss Thursday especially since I returned to a stack of mail on my desk that included two votes of confidence! [small checks made out to the American Heart Association]
One was from very far: friends I do not see often who have participated with me in one of my artistic/creative endeavors; the other was from very close: a friend/coworker and her husband.
These were in response to apologies I sent to those I originally e-mailed about the Heart Walk explaining I wasn't aware when I sent my first e-mail that the single dollar votes of confidence I requested could not be donated on the AHA Heart Walk website. I wrote that they could, instead, mail a check payable to the Heart Association to me @ my office and I would forward it.
I am only asking for single dollars because my team has raised so much money. Our team's total fund-raising, as of today, exceeds $27K and is expected to continue going up by leaps and bounds for the next 24 hours. This is the last day for our special project that has kept the funds pouring in since August. We have one more project that is a bit smaller in scale.
My body might not have completely adjusted to my new routine. I came home from work and crashed. I slept for almost four hours.
I have to keep in mind that I was helping my special someone with some unusual issues on Tuesday and Wednesday that disrupted everything including my ability to be at the office. My need to rest early this evening cannot be totally attributed to the new work-out schedule. When someone you care about is facing discomfort or pain, you feel stress too, right?
My bike has a whole bunch of cool settings I haven't tried. I usually set it at "MANUAL" and choose a level. This is pretty boring to most of you, I guess but predictable and easily controlled for me.
Today, I used one of the variable settings called "PLATEAU" and though I chose level 5, the variation took me as high as level 7.
I was simultaneously trying to figure out the Polar I borrowed (heart rate monitor). I was able to get better acquainted with it. I changed some settings and explored some menus but I failed to make my heart rate display during my ride. I had done it successfully before.
It has been raining outside for a couple of days so I am less inclined to do a walk outside.
My results for day 45 are:
Time: 25 min.
Average Speed 15.0
Distance 6.0
Calories 169
Average Heart Rate 123
Watts: 74
Level: 5
OK! We have one month left before the walk and I am training well but not losing weight according to my goal. The exercise has kept me from gaining weight when I fail to eat appropriately.
As with my studies (between 2005 and 2008), cramming was not an option because the courses were already accelerated and spread over 5 weeks. With 4 weeks to the walk, an adjustment might still get me to where I want to be.
I know that my body feels good. My ankles don't swell at all (regardless of my sodium intake) and I can tell I am stronger. This makes me know that an infrastructure for future success is being established. These things can't be measured on a scale.
Is anybody reading this? Please let me know. Send an e-mail to: CherylsMakingPaces@gmail.com. I invite you to add your name as a follower of this blog.
Do something beautiful for your heart today.
~ Cheryl ~
I also did not exercise on those two days: Tuesday and Wednesday. There was no way I was going to miss Thursday especially since I returned to a stack of mail on my desk that included two votes of confidence! [small checks made out to the American Heart Association]
One was from very far: friends I do not see often who have participated with me in one of my artistic/creative endeavors; the other was from very close: a friend/coworker and her husband.
These were in response to apologies I sent to those I originally e-mailed about the Heart Walk explaining I wasn't aware when I sent my first e-mail that the single dollar votes of confidence I requested could not be donated on the AHA Heart Walk website. I wrote that they could, instead, mail a check payable to the Heart Association to me @ my office and I would forward it.
I am only asking for single dollars because my team has raised so much money. Our team's total fund-raising, as of today, exceeds $27K and is expected to continue going up by leaps and bounds for the next 24 hours. This is the last day for our special project that has kept the funds pouring in since August. We have one more project that is a bit smaller in scale.
My body might not have completely adjusted to my new routine. I came home from work and crashed. I slept for almost four hours.
I have to keep in mind that I was helping my special someone with some unusual issues on Tuesday and Wednesday that disrupted everything including my ability to be at the office. My need to rest early this evening cannot be totally attributed to the new work-out schedule. When someone you care about is facing discomfort or pain, you feel stress too, right?
My bike has a whole bunch of cool settings I haven't tried. I usually set it at "MANUAL" and choose a level. This is pretty boring to most of you, I guess but predictable and easily controlled for me.
Today, I used one of the variable settings called "PLATEAU" and though I chose level 5, the variation took me as high as level 7.
I was simultaneously trying to figure out the Polar I borrowed (heart rate monitor). I was able to get better acquainted with it. I changed some settings and explored some menus but I failed to make my heart rate display during my ride. I had done it successfully before.
It has been raining outside for a couple of days so I am less inclined to do a walk outside.
My results for day 45 are:
Time: 25 min.
Average Speed 15.0
Distance 6.0
Calories 169
Average Heart Rate 123
Watts: 74
Level: 5
OK! We have one month left before the walk and I am training well but not losing weight according to my goal. The exercise has kept me from gaining weight when I fail to eat appropriately.
As with my studies (between 2005 and 2008), cramming was not an option because the courses were already accelerated and spread over 5 weeks. With 4 weeks to the walk, an adjustment might still get me to where I want to be.
I know that my body feels good. My ankles don't swell at all (regardless of my sodium intake) and I can tell I am stronger. This makes me know that an infrastructure for future success is being established. These things can't be measured on a scale.
Is anybody reading this? Please let me know. Send an e-mail to: CherylsMakingPaces@gmail.com. I invite you to add your name as a follower of this blog.
Do something beautiful for your heart today.
~ Cheryl ~
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