Todays Walk.

I was suposed to go to work today but arranged for the daughter to go instead.  She is not an early morning person though so I decided to walk into her place and bang on her door to make sure she was *upanatem* on time.  Nearly there though and I decided that instead of the 30 minutes I'd get by going to her place then home again that I'd walk up the hill, around the block, then home again, getting in an hours walk.   I called her, she was up so I crossed the road and started.

Many, many! years ago when I lived in town I used to walk these streets most days.  Up the hill, the whole town block (small town not a big city type town) up a few more streets then back down to where I lived. It took a couple of hours and it was fun as I was doing it with a group of friends.   Things change and for various reasons the walks stopped.  Fast forward and I don't think I could walk the town block if I tried.   Apart from the town being a lot bigger now I am fatter, unfitter, sorer, older, no-one to walk it with...

But this morning was just going to be up the hill to the top street, around a bit then back down to my crossover and the 15 minute walk back home.  I planned on it taking an hour.    Well how unfit am I!   It was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I did get to the top of the hill in the time I thought I would but after that I started feeling it in my shins.  It was still OKish but I did need to go slower and coming back down I *forgot* what road I needed to take so an extra 10min was added on.  I also had the time wrong so went further than I needed to and by the time I was back down at my crossover I had been walking for more than an hour.  The 15min walk home took nearly 20 so all up I had been walking for more than an hour an a half.  And felt like I'd been walking all day!

Maybe it was too much after yesterdays walk.  Maybe it was the shoes, maybe I thought I was better than I am.  I have planned on doing my *goal walk* this Friday...and am now wondering how good of an idea that is.  I will still attempt it, I will have my phone and will call my personal taxi if I need to but I will be so cross with myself if I need to do that.

I wont walk tomorrow but should ride then and don't know yet if the woman I ride with will stop by this afternoon or not.  Need to wait and see.  I don't have her number and she has 2 big dogs so I don't like going into her yard if she is not around.  I missed her Monday and yesterday because of her or me working and don't know if she will be around today or not.  I will be ready in case she shown but if she doesn't I *could* go for a short on later...

I have mowing to do today but am not sure if I should...well, of course I should but I am really not feeling up to it so will wait and see how I feel later.

Now...I am going to rub some more Deep Heat on then get stuck into the days jobs.

Another Small Uphill Walk.

Daughter rang me yesterday to ask if I could pick her kid up from school.  I have done this a few times and unthinkingly just jump in the car and drive up.  Yesterday I thought I'd ride in to her joint and walk up the hill from there.  Because I then had to continue on back out to here I needed to take the stroller as it's much further for little legs. 
How was I going to get the stroller in there?  I could walk and carry it and that would add another 20min to the walk...and maybe make me think it was not fun.  I could try and carry the stroller while riding the bike...it is one of those fold up umbrella type things so maybe doable...
Anyway while I was outside Umming and ahhing the son rocks up...so yeah, I *cheated* and got a lift in to the daughters house.  Left the stroller there and headed on up the hill.  Saved myself a wobbly 10ish minute ride or an awkward 20ishmin walk 

Before leaving home I remembered that yesterday these shoes were rubbing and leaving a blister so this time I put a bandaid on and took some extras.  By the time I was up the hill I needed another bandaid.  I was also early again so walked around the block then back to the school.  Still early and my heel was sore so I sat down and put yet another bandaid on.  I think the trouble was that I was not getting them in the right spot and the shoe was still rubbing.  Halfway down the hill my heel was sore, I figured out why so sat down and removed the inserts that I had added the day before and all was right.
Grandaughter got into the stroller at her house and I pushed her back to mine.  I was so glad to get inside and sit down.  So glad! 

All up I was gone from here for more than an hour and a half but 10mins of that was standing waiting and a few minutes sitting down putting on bandaids. 

I was thinking all the time that there is NO WAY! that I could even get down the trail to the base of my hill as I am much more unfitter than I was 10 years ago.   However if I picked the kid up every Thursday this would be a weekly thing to do.  And there would be a purpose.  I could do it for a few weeks anyway and see how I go...Will think on it.

Two days, Two walks.

I had the grandaughter out here for a bit yesterday then her mother gets a phonecall and asks if she, the grandkid, can sleep.  Yeah OK says I but we need clothes.  The mother goes home to pack a bag and me and the grandkid walk in to pick it up.  Not very fast going in and slower coming back but happy we walked and didn't take the car like I first thought to.  The mother walks out here this morning to pick her up so I walk back in with them.  Took the stroller this time so a decent walk there and another one back, carrying the stroller.  So a lot quicker walk but same distance as yesterday, 

I think I need new shoes again.  They were dodgy yesterday so this morning I cut out more cardboard to put in them for support and they are better but I'll need to look around for something better to use 'cause it might be a while before I get newer ones.  

Ate cake yesterday.  The reason they came out was because J wanted to have a teaparty with Nana so they bought cakes and came for a visit.  'Twas nice.

She might be coming out again tonight.  And she might bring hot chips for tea...I will cook some eggs to go with some rooster so it wont be all bad.  I'll eat vegie soup throughout the day so as to feel better about it all. 

Tuesday, Told you I would...

I spent 45 min moving on the mat at 6 this morning and went for a 4km bikeride this afternoon. 
Happy with that.

Extra Moving.

I had a decent bikeride on Wednesday.
I was aiming for 6km but at 3 was close to a corner so figured I'd ride to that and that brought it up to nearly 4.  That got me thinking that if I rode 4.5km then turned around that would give me 9 and that would be good.  Then I thought if I could do 9 what's an extra k? so I rode on until the speedo hit 5km, turned around, realised how far away from home I was, how lots of black cloud had come over, how sore my legs were getting...Rode home and while I was glad to get there I was pretty chuffed that I had done the 10km and hadn't fallen off and didn't feel as bad as I thought I might.   Go team!!

I needed to give the van a run so had been planning on going up to Dwellingup all week but the forecast was wet and cold until Thursday so I decided to do a bushwalk up at Lane Poole Reserve.  It was a lovely day, I had the van so packed some lunch and off I went.  Walked an hour before lunch and 50min after.  The last half of that walk was BAD.  Sore legs, something wrong with my foot...I was so glad to get back and have a sitdown and a coffee before having to drive home again. 

 Pleased that I did it though and should do it more often as the scenery up there is so much nicer that the corner walk.   I do have to drive to get there but if I incorperate it into a run with the van then it could be done fortnightly.

Was Really Really Going For A Bikeride But...

I was all set to go for a long bikeride this morning, was putting on my shoes when the phone rings...It's daughter asking what car we were taking to the train station.  What?! Why?  Oh...*Apparently* we'd arranged to go to Perth to the zoo today.  Either we didn't or I forgot.  Anyway no ride today but there will be hours of walking.  Maybe a ride tomorrow.

I do have to quickly  find something to take for lunch...frozen steak probably and ???.   Better go feed the chooks then get ready, I have less than 40 minutes.

Sat, Sun, Mon...

Three days have already passed and I'm happy to say that I have done something for 2 of them.

Saturday - 5 loads of sand plus the 30min mowing.
Sunday -  Nothing.
Monday - 3 loads of sand plus 45min mowing.

I'm not home all day tomorrow, Thursday or Friday so not sure how I will go with the 5 from 7.

I'm inside at the moment, thinking about tea but there is so much mowing that needs doing again that I might go out later and do another 1/2 hour.  If I don't get, and keep, on top of it it will all get out of hand again and I'll be back having to start all over again and that is just too hard.  Another lot today will help keep it under control.  I'll let you know.

Did do another 25minutes.

Friday.

Not much achieved here today but I have done the 30minutes of mowing and I did 3 wheelbarrow loads of sand.

So I'm saying that yes, I did do something to get fitter 5 days from the 7.
There's less walking and bikeriding and more mowing but that's OK.

Thursday. Yes...Kinda, Maybe...

I have been out all day and I was going to count the 2 hours I spend wandering around the shopping centre but think that might be cheating.  While I was over there though I bought myself a few CD's.  So I put them on and got up and jumped around like a mad thing  danced to the beat.  Well my beat was a bit different to theirs but I managed to get puffed out and sweat so I'm counting that.

So 10min, rest, 5min, rest, 3min, rest, 10min...And they are still playing so I will be getting up and down for the next half hour or so.

Dancing is something that I would really love to be able to do.  It is fun and I like watching others dance, any sort but love the Jive and bootscooting..  We went to lessons for these once but never used the knowlenge again and now most of it is lost.  So the only *dancing* I do is behind closed doors with the music turned up loud, where nobody can see.  It's still fun. 

Do you dance like nobody is watching when they really are?  I wish I had the confidence to do that!!

Wednesday. Yes!

I am back from a bikeride.  Kinda happy with the 25ish minutes it took but it felt like it would have been more...I am getting better but still have a long way to go to get back to where I was last year.

Still have the mowing to do, one lot of 30minutes will be done after I have breakfast.  The second...*should* get done sometime later...

I will report back in when I have finished them.

It is half past three and I have just finished the first 30min mowing.  I am hot and bothered and wanting to go buy some grass killer or order in a truck of cement!

We have not long ago had the 2 stroke mower in for a service and to fix the not starting problem.  It is not any better.  It starts but revs too high and is using far too much petrol.  I used to be able to do most of the grass around the house on 1 and a bit tanks but now, I have already gone through 2 and nowhere near finished.  It's making me cranky!

And done!

25 minutes  Bikeride.
35minutes mowing.
40minutes mowing.

Tuesday. Yes.

I was away from home all day today and as I have too much to do with the animals when I get home I was worried about not getting anything in. 
Before leaving this morning I thought I'd make the effort so put my Tone Walker shoes in the car and before having lunch I set off on a walk.  I had a destination in mind but it wasn't as far as I thought it would be so it was only a 23 minute walk but better than nothing.

Four days gone already but only 2 with anything done.  I need to do something for the next 3 days so no slacking off allowed for the rest of the week.

I'm hoping to get in an hours mowing tomorrow, as always there is so much mowing to do.  A ride would be nice too but we'll see how I feel.

One out of 3, Not Good.

Saturday.  Nothing.
Sunday.  Nothing!!
Monday.  OK it took all day but finally I got out there and mowed for 40minutes.  And then...and then...I rode to the corner and a bit further.  And back again.  That only took 14 minutes but it was something that I wasn't going to do but did.  How good am I!


I'm hoping to get 5 days of something in again this week so now need to do something each day.
I really need to plan something for Saturdays.  Missing that seems to puts me in the wrong frame of mind.

Friday.

No riding or walking but lots and lots of digging.
And 45-50minutes of  mowing.

I am so sore, the digging was hard but had to be done but in the end Hubby sent me away because he said I was making too much noise with my moaning and huffing and puffing.  So that idea worked!
Not really, I was willing to do it but he takes pity on me and sends me away to do easier things and he then makes short work of the job I was having trouble with.

If I'm counting the mowing, and I am, then I've reached the 5 days for the week.
Will go for the same next week but probably should start pushing things a bit soon.

11th and 12 October.

Tuesday.
A quick 12min ride.
There was also a bit more than 30min of mowing.  This was hard work as the grass was thick and long.
Then another 10min or so but after a bit of a break

Wednesday.
No bike ride, hands were too sore for the handlebars so I did an hours mowing instead.  Not as hard as yesterday but happy with that.

There has been lots of whippersnippering, weeding, raking, mulching...I seem to be outside all day but it's all slow and in spits and spurts.

I know I wasn't going to count mowing and yard work as *exercise* but I need to or I feel like I haven't done anything and get down about it.  I'm thinking an hours mowing beats a 15minute ride though.


I'm counting 4 days done.
Just think, if I had of done something last Saturday instead of being a S.A. I'd be done now.

Oct 4th.

Day 4 and no bikeride. 
That's because my car is in the garage for a service so after dropping it off this morning I walked home.  Can't remember how far it is and don't know how long it took...more than 20min, more than 2km...I will time the walk in this afternoon and if I remember I will see how many km it is too.

Four of the *five days a week* goal done.

I did walk back into town to pick up the car but wore the expensive, fitted and sized for me shoes from Athletes Foot.  I am sitting here now with sore shins and an achey knee.  I hate these shoes but always *forget* that they are useless until it is too late and I have them on and nowhere near home to change them.  They are OK for everyday wearing but are awful for proper walking.

The walk into town was around 25minutes so 2 lots of that today.

Day 3.

The ride is getting quicker and I did the block in 15min this morning so really need to start thinking of doing extra.  Might try the big block next week and see how I go but I think that even just getting back into the habit of doing something each day will help me.

Three out of the 5 days done.

October 2.

Yep, another ride done, another day off the total.  This is easy!

OK, I know that the rides are short, under 5km, they will be for a week or two then I will start adding another or going further.  We went out yesterday and though we both thought we were better after our bout of illness the late night and cold air seems to have brought it back.  Sore throat again, coughing heaps...So a week or two before I start pushing things might be in order. 

I plan on doing a short bushwalk in a few weeks time so will need to add some walking in over the next couple of weeks but the bushwalk I have planned will only be a couple of hours so shouldn't be a problem.

100% on target.  Only three more days needed for this week.  I will be Fitter by Friday.

1st October.

Well so far I am 100% up with my October goal.

A ride around the block.  It surprises me at hard it is but seeing as I have been unwell for nearly a fortnight and lazy for 6 months or more I know I shouldn't be.  I got up to riding 20km and now 3 or 4 has me panting and sore. 
So sad, my bad, will be fixed.
One day down so only need 4 more for the week.  How hard can that be.

September Ends. October Goals.

Last day of the month and by 5.30pm I still hadn't done any walking or biking...Just could not be fagged...

But I thought I should then thought some more, donned some shoes, got the bike out and decided to go for a quick one, maybe towards town to the railway crossover.  Started that but had forgotten that the road into town goes upward a bit and my legs were so sore so didn't go to the railway line like I planned but turned round and headed for home.  That was a lot easier so I buzzed passed the driveway and continued up the road.  To the corner.  It was bleedin' hard getting home again though because that road too goes slightly up.
More than 4km but probably not 5...I don't know as I can't get the speedo thing on the bike to work properly.  I will have to get Hubby to show me how to set it.  Again.

I am sitting here and thinking that I am feeling much better than a week ago, the cold is all but gone and the iron is maybe starting to kick in again.  There is no reason for me to not continue with the riding or some walking every day. 

October starts tomorrow, three months until next year.   I will set the goal of doing something at least 5 days a week for October.  Anyone want to join me?

Last Week of September.

Saturday 24th.
Bikeride to corner and back so 3km.  I am still unwell though on the mend but this was a hard ride that seemed to take forever.  I think the tyres might be a bit flat as well though I did check them before I started.   The slow and awkward ride suggests that they need a bit of air so I will recheck them tomorrow.

Sunday 25th.
I did intend going for another bikeride, pumped the tyres up and everything but...I know, excuses already and it's only day 2.  Did go for a walk with the GD so slow, a bit over 1+1/2km but something.  Hubby reckons we were gone for an hour so I could say I had an hours walk!  The bikeride didn't happen as I mowed a bit of grass and did some weeding instead.

Monday 26th.
The bikeride is done.  Corner and back, 3km and I'm not saying it was raining and cold because I am still unwell and that might get me in trouble but I had a rain jacket on and I came back and had a hot lemon and honey drink so it all good.

Tuesday.
Nothing at all.   I could blame the wet and stormy day but really, there were times when I could have gone for a walk, I just didn't.

Wednesday.
Ride to corner and back.  Not too fast, I am still not 100% well and struggling to keep this up but glad that it is over and done with.
5PM.  Walked the daughter and grandaughter 3/4 way home.  Took 22minutes but wasn't real fast as GD was on her bike and kept mucking around.  Walked home alone so 15-17minutes there, seemed a decent pace.  I wont feel too bad if I don't do anything tomorrow now. 

Thursday.
Been out all day but home just after five, set the fire up ready to light, chopped more chips, moved the bike out of the way...went inside and had a think then came back out and went for a ride.  Around the block, not fast so it took around 18minutes.  How good am I!!

I so hope I keep it up.  Nice weather, swimming, walking, camping weather so I need to be fitter.
I WILL keep it up.  Come and join me.  It will be fun.