Bonus Blog: 100 miles in 2 months

I just logged my activity on www.startwalkingnow.org and my cumulative distance since Sept. 1st crossed the 100 mile marker! 


You can track any of dozens of exercise activities using their conversion program for free. I just discovered their nutrition tracker. Yes, I had seen it before. The time has come for me to start using it. If it's as cool as the activity tracker, I'll probably track my way to my next 100... pounds that is.


~ Cheryl ~

Days 61 & 62: Walker-cising and measurizing: unexpected lessons

Some unexpected new knowledge has come from starting this new season in my life. I have learned to measure parts of my neighborhood from counting steps. I cannot imagine ever anticipating I would need such knowledge at anytime as an adult.

I have also learned that music makes it way better. I think I was actually reminded because I knew this before (of course I did - with music being such an important part of my life). The goal was to get exercising, not to exercise with music.

So, on Saturday (day 61), I went out in the early afternoon while neighbors were enjoying a warmer than average autumn afternoon, getting ready for young children to come wearing costumes and masks to ask for candy.

A neighbor, two doors up and across the street, who cuts our  lawn, saw me and said "10 times and you'll be all set!" I think he meant from corner to corner. so I told him that I usually do about 12 which takes me 30 minutes. He may have seen me before when I was out after dark.

An older neighbor, two doors up, who sits on her porch most of the spring and summer watching the neighborhood, saw me walking, running and working my arms. She warned me to be careful "we don't want any heart attacks out here". 


I explained that I have been exercising regularly since Sept. 1st and that I have been out later at night when she can't see. I also assured her that I wouldn't be doing anything that was too much. I was able to talk to her and exercise without being out of breath even while pumping my arms. I usually don't talk when I'm working out because no one is around or close enough to talk to me.

Here's my gear: I always have my cell phone with me when I walk. I use the Timer/Stopwatch function when I exercise to track my time. I usually have my iPod on my person but I don't always listen while walking. I keep forgetting to wear the borrowed Polar Heart Rate monitor. If I write about it enough, I might remember to wear it at some point.

On Sunday (day 62), I went out in the early evening and decided to venture into a new un-walked part of my neighborhood. The little triangle park at one end of my block has grass and trees surrounded by a sidewalk and tree-boxes. Its bordered by a busy street with a bus stop, but things are pretty quiet on Sundays and most workday evenings.

One leg of the (right) triangle measures 100 steps, the other: 70 and the slant side (hypotenuse): 130. How beautifully these numbers add to 300.Ten laps adds to a clean and easy 3,000 plus the steps to and from the house bring my walking total to 3,275 for the day.

My block has a very slight incline. Any perception of going up or downhill in front of my house could be missed unless you're looking for it. At the triangle, the shortest side is the part that lines up with my block which is pretty flat (no hill) and the longer sides of the triangle meet down an incline. This can intensify my workout. When I run, I run downhill for more momentum. When I work my arms, I walk uphill. I ended up challenging myself to keep the arm work going all the way around the triangle.

Although I was planning to catch up on one of my talking podcasts from www.dailyaudiobible.com, some music I liked started playing during my search and I decided to listen. After the first song, I searched for another and let it play and another and another. Today, I walked to two songs by Michael W. Smith and especially enjoyed David Benoit's "Watermelon Man". Before I knew it, I had done 10 laps around the triangle and about a minute remained on my timer - just enough time to get home. 

The music helped me set and keep pace - something I haven't done during any of my previous walks. I selected songs after assessing how fast they were compared to how fast I felt I needed to go. And despite the much cooler weather today, I perspired a bit more than I did yesterday. Perspiration is my indicator of aerobic efficiency - not my attempt to give you too much information. 


NOTE to self: record beats per minute for my favorite workout songs so that I can plan the order that they play during my walker-cising sessions.


Do something beautiful for your heart today.


~ Cheryl ~

Day 60: Back on the bike plus final day of PT

Mr. Lee (my physical therapist) prescribed 8 visits and I told him after visit number 4 that I wanted to be graduated at the end of them. He took some extra time with me today to have me learn exercises I can do at home. Now, I can reclaim some time spent going to his office, working out and coming home (about 3 hours per session).


So, I am going to do these exercises, save some copays and have Mr. Lee check my progress after about a month. I have tremendous respect for Mr. Lee and the professionals on his team at P.T.S.A.C. I enjoy going for my physical therapy appointments and they do things for me that I cannot do at home but it isn't supposed to be forever. My insurance company might remind me if I forget. The copays are enough of a reminder anyway.


In addition to getting restorative care while there, I (the patient) need to learn about how to take care of myself so I don't have to keep coming back. I think I've done that but if I haven't, I'll resume the sessions. These blogs should be evidence enough that I am making an effort to take better care of myself so I am motivated. Writing about it helps solidify my resolve.


I found the same machines I use in his office were available to me for free and they're located less than 100 steps away from my desk at work:


- Leg Curl
- Leg Press
- Treadmill
- Stationary Bike


I also love the elliptical machine because I have found it so efficient aerobically. Now I need to get used to exercising around people who work with me (not that they care). I find it easier to work out around complete strangers.


My results for day 60 are:

Time: 25 min. 
Average Speed 13.4
Distance 5.2
Calories 141
Average Heart Rate 116
Watts: 56
Level: 6 (Program: Manual)

Do something beautiful for your heart today.

~ Cheryl ~

Day 59: Almost a carbon copy of yesterday

Another early walk for just over 30 minutes for another 3,000 steps and I feel good. I also stretched my mini-run in addition to doing my arm routine. The cool thing about my block is that the walkways are spaced evenly and far enough apart that I can set and measure small goals easily and adjust them incrementally using the visual cues. 


What's fortunate for me (in my mind) is that I live at one of the houses served by the center walkway. I feel centered when I go out for my walk because my starting point is right there. Yesterday, I only ran between one of the walk ways and the next one. Today, I ran past one to the second one - double the distance of yesterday. Although my running is small and 5 - 10 % of each lap, its more than I've done in most previous years.


A couple of neighbors were coming home or walking through the block. One asked to join me during my walks. I thought she meant she wanted to be in the Heart Walk. Oh well, either way it will be good.


Do something beautiful for your heart today.


~ Cheryl ~

Day 58: (the real one) Nice weather, decent hour, fun productive walk

Depression could have set in when I discovered that Game I of the World Series preempted Glee, the show I like to watch on Wednesday nights while I ride my bike. Depression didn't have a chance. I put in a load of laundry, exchanged my blouse for my favorite T-shirt and hit the sidewalk for thirty minutes.


The evening was comfortable and the hour was early enough that some people were still out on their porches, running late errands or walking through our block. 


During my first outdoor walk, I measured the distance up and  down my block. I placed the start and finish-line at the walkway up to my door. A trip from one end of the block to the other is 235 steps. A round trip is 470. In thirty minutes I did approximately 6 and a half round trips for 3,000 steps. Unfortunately, I forgot to wear the heart rate monitor.


I've tried walking up and down my block crossing the street at each end to create a loop. But, tonight I just stayed on the side of the street in front of the house and I boosted my walk with a mini-run the last 10 yards or so approaching the finish line. It was too cool to sweat but I did feel well worked-out at the end of my walk.


I have new shoes!  I went to Pacers in Arlington, VA at the suggestion of my podiatrist and with the blessing of my physical therapist. They looked at my feet and watched me walk. I left with some excellent shoes that are right for my feet. My physical therapist saw them and he was pleased. I feel so good after my walk, I need to remember this feeling the next time I try to buy super-cheap exercise shoes.


Although I haven't lost as much weight as I thought I might from exercise alone, I am happy because my feet almost never swell these days. The new eating plan is coming soon - late - but soon.

Day 57 - What happened?

I knew it had been a while since I blogged but I am shocked that it has been this long! I have found it really challenging to do physical therapy and my workout on the same day.


I am exercising twice per week there but at a much lower intensity. So, this morning (yes, for the first time) I got up and hopped on the bike. I tried a new setting and set the level lower than what I know I can handle but I am back on task.


The Heart Walk is less than 3 weeks away and while the physical therapy is helping me stay in the best possible condition to continue exercising, I have put my PT sessions above my regular workouts until now. I think I am almost done - the Physical Therapist will tell me on my next visit.


My results for day 57 are:

Time: 20 min. 
Average Speed 9.6
Distance 3.1
Calories 75
Average Heart Rate 93
Watts: 37
Level: 4 (Program: Ride in Park - higher level next time)


Do something beautiful for your heart today.


~ Cheryl ~

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 ~