Big Challenge Details.

We had a daughter visiting  here last week and I'm not sure how it came about but it seems I have agreed to get fit and climb a mountain.  Not any old mountain, this mountain just about did me in 10 years ago when I was on the way down.  Have any of you tried coming down a mountain with no knees?  Yep, no  knees coming down a mountain.  Too fat and unfit then too but I remember the feeling standing on top of that mountain and looking out and seeing...not much at all beacause of the low cloud fog type air.  But that feeling of pure joy...I remember that so well.

We said we'll do it for my birthday again.  That gives us 8 months to train, to get fit, to look forward to, to talk about, to gather other family members who want to do the same thing...but mostly, to have a point.  A point to getting off of this thing and walking more.  A point to going out the beach and walking up sandhills.  A point to catching the train to Perth and walking up some steps called Jacob's Ladder, a point to getting (and staying?) fit.

I need to sort out some plans and goals now so if anyone has any ideas then please let me know.   I think I will start off with regularly walking 5 or 6 km then add in a walk up to the wier.  Maybe I could walk to the dam.   If I go out to the beach each week and walk around Myalup that should help with it all.  Quite a hilly place is Myalup.  I think it will be  a long time before I attempt Jacobs Ladder but maybe I could give it a try sometime during October or November and see how I go with it.
This all sounds good but I need to actually do this not just write down some words then sit here and do nothing about it.

I'm going to write down some monthly goals and get husband to make me stick with them.  come along with me on some of them.

Bluff Knoll  is the name of this hill we will climb.  It's only a 5km walk to the top and back and hey! what's 5km right.  A walk in the park, right?   I can walk 5km.   Could I walk 5km up the side of a ruddy great mountain?  Not yet!  But come the end of March...I'll see you at the top!

Heart Monitor.

A few weeks ago I tried out a heart monitor.  I used it for all of 15min, maybe.  It was fun.  So much fun that I decided to order myself one as soon as I got back home.  Like I said, that was a few weeks back but no I didn't come home and order one. 

Daughter L was here last Friday, it was hers that I had tried.  She got online as soon as she heard that I hadn't done it yet and ordered me one.  Said it should be here Wed or Thursday.

It is Friday and it is here.  Pretty quick delivery, I think.  I picked it up this morning before lunch but haven't had a proper look at it yet.    I need to work out how to use it and then in the morning I will put it on and ride around the block.  Daughter might be here later and if so then I will get her to do it for me.  At least that way it will get done and there can be no excuses.

I will let you know how I go.

Bakery Lunch But Walked Home.

Grandaughter wanted me to have lunch at the bakery with her today as it is her birthday so they picked me up around lunchtime, in their car.  I had an alright spinach and ricotta roll.  Was going to have a chocolate elclair too but remembered the last one I had wasn't that good and as I will be eating a fair bit of party stuff over the weekend it's probably best not to have.  I also didn't buy myself a packet of chips, for the same reason.

I had to get something from the shop so walked up the street to that then back to daughters then home here so more than 30 minutes walking.

Am I fitter today than last week?  Probably.

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.

The Point Is...?

I'm not long back from a small uphill walk.  Grandaughter had an assembly at school, parents invited...So I rode into daughters place then we walked up to the school.  It took only 6 minutes to ride in and 20min to walk up the hill but it wasn't fast.  We were early so walked around the block, still early so walked halfway down the hill then back up to the school.   Then walked down the hill to daughters where I got on me bike and whizzed home.   'Twas hardish.  But good.

Many many many years ago when I lived where the daughter is now I used to walk this hill 2 or 3 times a day, 5 days a week.  Walk the kids to school, walk home.  Walk up to pick them up after school, walk home.  It wasn't hard and we were all  the better for it.   Eventually they got big enough to not need me then bigger and didn't want me...so my walking up the hill twice a day 5 days a week stopped.  Sometimes I walked up for some reason or another... To make up for this I met with a group of friends in the evenings a few times a week and we would walk the block of the town.  It was hard.  But fun.  Friends move on, things change, it wasn't fun doing it alone, we moved out of town, I got sick, got unfit...and things have never been the same.  I have never regained the fitness that I had way back then.  Now, I don't even know if it is possible.

What I do know is that for me it needs to be a regular thing but there needs to be a purpose.  I can't see the  point in walking to the corner and back.  Or around the block that just brings me back here.  Or driving for half an hour to do a beach or bush walk.  I know the *point* should be that I will get fitter and so then be able to do more but I cannot get that into my head enough to actually do it.

If I had a reason to go into town every day I would ride or walk but there is no reason so I don't.   If I had another dog I would have to take it for a walk every day and would but there is not much chance of me getting another dog.  If I had friends to walk with it would be a fun thing to do but I have no friends... 

I'm hoping that this challenge we have set will become the point.    I'm hoping I will drive to the bush or beach and walk at least a few times a month.  I'm hoping I will start moving every day again.  I'm hoping I will not stay too lazy and cancel the challenge.  That would be sad.  That would be bad!

Details of the challenge will come before the end of the month.  It is a big one for me.  Why don't you all give it some thought and set yourself a challenge too.  If you do, please come and tell me all about it.

August Goals.

As you can see we are too near to the middle of the month already and no goals or plans have been set.  Maybe this is why I stay fat and unfit...Hmmm never thought of that!! haha.

I've been reading Linda's journey and like that she posts so often.  I need to start doing that again I think.
I WILL start doing that again.  It gets and keeps me motivated and because of  *The Challenge* I have agreed to I will really need to seriously! work on getting fit.  Details will come as they are sorted but suffice to say...it is a big one!

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. 

July Goal. Failed!!

Well I failed the July goal bigtime so is there really much point to posting an August one?  Probably not but I'm gunna anyway.  Here goes...  Hmmm, might help if I had some.

I will give it some thought and come back.