Sunday.

OK, I'm discouraged.  It's only been a week so that's too early to give up even for me but...This morning I really wanted to do it in 35min so pushed myself.  I ended up with a sore foot and a pain behind my left knee but I pushed through and with all that effort it took 36minutes.  So I don't know how I did it in 35 last week.  And what's the point of pushing yourslf and really trying and hurting when you still can't do it.  I might as well give up!  Or just go the way I have been which really hasn't been pushing myself but at least halfway enjoying it.

Three choices:
1. Push, hurt, maybe injure and need to give up.
2. Push, hurt, not enjoy it and maybe want to give up.
3. Do the walk in the time it takes for a couple more weeks and then try pushing it.

I choose number 3.

That way I am doing the moving every day, it must be doing me some good, it's a good habit to get into, I'm outside in the fresh air and sunshine, it is going to help me climb mountains and explore the country in a more enjoyable way...Yes, I think number 3 is the right choice for me.

Which one would you choose and why?

Saturday. Start of week 2.

I wasn't really into it this morning and the walk seemed slow but I was home in 38min so not too bad.
I think I was too intent on solving the problems of the world instead of concentrating on walking fast.

What do you think of when you are walking to get fit?  Do you need to keep your mind on the job all the time or are you able to walk fast and solve problems?  

It would be easier if I had someone to walk with as I think then we would keep each other going but I don't know anyone that is willing to come out here at 5am to walk.  So it's just me and myself.

I also reckon that walking to this corner every day will soon take it's toll in the interest keeping department.  I see cows and different birds, sometimes a car, a few rabbits.   Back in the day, when we used to ride around the block, we had the chance of dogs running out at us to keep it exciting.  I suppose music might work but as I don't have anything portable and the extension cord isn't that long I can't have that.

So, as Hubby says "suck it up, Baby"  I need to just do it and look forward to the future when I am fit enough to take on the biggest hill in the area.

And there I have a goal.  Maybe if I walk everyday, or most days even,  Hubby will take me camping to some rock or bushwalk area.  It will get us out camping more, give me more incentive to keep going,   I know, I could/should go by myself but where's the fun in that.  I could do that anyway (if I wasn't such a sookylala)  The reward would be in doing it with someone.

I will start a list!

December Goal.

I'd like the time for the walk to the corner and back, a distance of 3km, to be down to 35min, or less, by the end of the month and I'd like to be doing that at least 5 days a week.

Today showed that I can do it in this time so with a bit of effort it should be doable.

I need to work on my strength and flexibility as well but for this month I am going to mainly concentrate on  the walking and once that is being done regularly without too many misses and I become stonger in that area then I will add something new.

Results For Week One.

I must be fiitter than I was last Friday as I have walked more than I did last week but I need some way of measuring my fitness levels. Today I was 5min quicker than when I started on Saturday so I'm saying that Yes, I was fitter by Friday. 

Saturday 4th - 40min.  First day walking so I don't want it to take any longer than this.
Sunday - 
Monday - 40min. 
Tuesday - 36min.
Wednesday - 26min.  This is not right!!  Must have the time written down wrong.
Thursday  - 38min
Friday 10th  - 35min.

Thursday, Friday.

Walked again both days but this morning I wasn't really into it.  I had to keep reminding myself that there was a purpose to it and to move a tad faster than the leisurely stroll that it was becoming.

It doesn't look like what I think I am doing has much relation to what I actually am doing though.
Thursday, when I was in a hurry as I needed to get home and check the chickens before I left, it took 38min and today, when I thought I was just rambling, it was quicker at 35min.

Tuesday, Wednesday.

Well I didn't post yesterday so I bet you all thought that I'd given up already.
Don't ya all love how I presume that my fitness journey is so exciting that I have lots of readers. lol.  Or any readers for that matter.  Double lol!

Anyway...I didn't post yesterday because I had to leave here by 7am and by the time I was back from walking and had fed and watered the chickens and watered the gardens I didn't have enough time to spend a decent amount of time on here so figured that it wasn't worth turning on.

But I did do the walk.  Left later though and was coming back around 6am and there were quite a few cars on the road so I will try and get going earlier so I am back way before all the workers are out and about.

Today I was home by 5.30 and saw 1 car so wasn't too bad.  I wrote the time down before I left and again as soon as I got in the door but I think I mucked up as it says that it took 26min.  Maybe me maths is wrong...
No maths is good, I must have written down the wrong times as I don't think I can do that walk in under 1/2 an hour after only a few days.  Will double check times tomorrow.

Monday 6th.

I woke this morning and didn't want to get up at all but did 'cause I know I need the walk.  I really didn't want to do that but dressed, put on the ToneWalker shoes and walked out the back door at 25 mins to 6.  Walked in the front door with the clock showing 15 min past..  So forty minutes which I'm happy with as the walk was slow and painful.  I was expecting it to take a lot longer.

I woke with an achy back and put Deep Heat on that before I left but everything else was aching too.  After yesterday when I felt so good it was a bit of a letdown.

I haven't ridden the pushbike since we've been back from GreenHead so must get on that sometime this week.  I looked at a *speedo* for it on Thursday when I was over in Mandurah but I was too tight to spend $22 on something that I didn't need.  Maybe next time I will be more inclined but I will check out the old bikes in the shed in town and see if any of those have one first.  It is on the shopping list though so I may end up with a new one.  Sometimes we gotta buy new even if we don't like to.  This is a thinkabout item though as I don't need it.  I will put the idea out there and see what the Universe brings.

I was hoping to walk in the morning and then ride in the late afternoon but I have been trying to get the yard cleaned up again and mowing is more important.  Hopefully I can get that done this week and stat the riding next weekend.

Sunday, 5th.

I was up and out the door at 5am today.  I wore the other shoes, the normal jogger ones.  I don't think they felt as good as the ToneWalker ones so the TW will be what I wear when I go for my morning walk.  I will keep these ones for work, shops, going anywhere.

Went to the corner and back again today, stopped a few times to pull up some cotton bush that was growing along the side of the road so that added a few seconds onto the walk.  lol.  I wasted more time yesterday stopping and trying *fingers, knuckles, palms*

I was so sore and tired yesterday that I was in bed by 7.45pm last night.  It was still light outside but I had to go and did wonder if I'd be OK to walk this morning but I was awake and up before 5am and looking forward to it.

It wasn't the walk that buggered ne up though it was all the mowing and grass pulling that I did throughout the day.  I have more of the same to do today so it's a good thing that I am getting the walk done in the morning.  If I was wanting to walk in the evening it wouldn't be happening.  Mornings is good.

Sat 4th December, 2010.

Well I have finally started.  I had my first *proper* walk this morning. 

As it's been a while since I walked for exercise I was only going to walk for 10min then turn around and come home again but I could see the corner and it didn't look that far away so I decided to walk there then back.  40min later and I get back inside here at home so not too bad.

So I suppose that that is my benchmark and I need to be able to do that easier by Friday.  Today being Saturday it gives me 5 days to improve.  I remember being able to do this walk in 35 minutes so 40 today isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I will go for a drive sometime and see how far this walk is and also the around the block walk.  And I will recheck the distance into town next time I am going in as I sometimes walk in there.
I may see how far a km is and time myself doing that again and that will give me something to try and better.

With the riding I think I will start off by just going around the block and do that a few times this week then go further next week.  We rode miles and for hours when we were up in GreenHead a few weeks ago but that was fun and I always find it harder and less fun when I do it as an exercise thing.  I need to get the daughter to come out with her bike so we can ride together.  I will get onto her about that next time I see her.

It looks like I have a basic plan.  I will see how I go and reassess each week.

I Bought Shoes.

It's the 3rd now and I haven't started yet.  Reason?  I cannot walk without decent shoes and cannot ride with achy arms.

I have the shoes now though, I bought 2 pair on Thursday so hopefully one of them will be good enough for me to do a decent walk in.

One pair are those funny looking rock and roll shoes that a lot of people are raving about.  Mine are *ToneWalker*  It says they tone your glutes, thighs, calves.  That will be a bonus if they work and at under $50 I thought they were worth a try.  These feel funny when I am just standing, it's hard to keep my balance but that could help with muscle strengthening too I suppose.
The other pair were around the same price and the label says they have arch support, heal support, they seem comfortable and will be my everyday shoe.

Looking at the labels it seems that they are both a Mitre brand.  I've not heard of them before but both pairs feel alright on my feet and are not too expensive to replace every 6 months if needed.  But hopefully I get a year out of them both.  So now  I have no excuse to not walk and will try and do that most mornings.  I will ride when I can, every day would be good but I will see how I go.

I have the bad habit of being all gung-ho then overdoing things and then ending up in bed for days.  I need to take things easy while still doing enough to be fitter by Friday.