I'll bet you didn't know this about me

Kath at KERF had some photos of her in dance costumes as a child which got me to thinkin. I never took dance. I sang in a children's choir from age 7 to age 15. There were about 30 of us and we travelled all over the south - Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma. If was fun. We stayed in people's homes and sang mostly in churches. I wouldn't have missed the experience. Got to meet a lot of nice people and saw a lot of the country. The photo is of the Rachel Sims Memorial Mission in New Orleans. It's where we practiced. I spent a lot of time in this building. The lower floor has been boarded up since Katrina. I'm not sure when the picture was taken.

Today so far I've walked to work, done 20 bicep curl plie squats, 20 push ups off the bookshelves, stretched my upper body and done the stairs. I'll also walk home and no telling what I'll do after that. Have 3 long walks planned for the weekend.

Have a good holiday and keep it exercise filled.

Mother's Day revisited

Last night my daughter and I went to Chili's. She gave me a gift card for Mother's Day and we hadn't gotten around to using it yet. One of the reasons she chose Chili's is because they have a gluten-free menu. I ordered one of the new items on their menu - the Caribbean Chicken Salad. It's also offered with shrimp but the shrimp is not GF. The salad had slices of fresh pineapple, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries and the normal lettuce mix with a sliced chicken breast on top. It's served with a honey-lime dressing. The chicken was very tender and the fruit was very good. I ordered the large which is big enough for 4 people. I brought most of it home. I would order it again.

I started working on squats. I'd kinda forgotten about doing planks every day. Guess I'd better add those back in. Squats used to hurt my knees. Yesterday I watched several You Tube videos on beginner body weight squats and I think I've got the hang of it. I can't get my thighs parallel to the floor but I can still feel it in my quads so I hope with practice I'll get lower down. I walked to work again this morning. I love starting the day with a good walk. The whole day seems to go better.

The gift shop in the hospital has started carrying KIND bars. At last, a bar that's GF and healthy. They charge $2.00 for them but I don't really mind. I sent an email to the manager to tell her how much I appreciated the healthy choice. She also carries Blue Diamond almonds. The available package is about 1.5 oz and I tend to eat the whole thing before the day is out but again they're healthier than chips.

More later...

Boxing at Anne's

I've been following fANNEtastic Food for some time now. I have really enjoyed Anne's experiences at LA Boxing. I wish we had something like that around here because I'd definitely give it a shot. If you'd like to read her lastest post check it out here. I've included a photo from her blog. She makes exercise look like fun.

I walked to work today and have done my upper body stretching routine. I'm still off the stairs due to my ankle injury from Saturday. I'll give it a few more days and then I'm back to doing basement to 7th floor.

More later...

Blood Drive

Today was our blood drive at work. I donate every chance I get. In fact I take it as a personal failure if I am unable to donate. Today my hemoglobin was 14.3 which was high enough to donate two units of packed red blood cells but the phlebotomist blew my best vein and I had to donate whole blood instead. When I get home I have to put ice on my arm to keep the bruising and swelling down. I know some people are afraid of the stick but it really doesn't hurt but for a second and the whole process is over in about 20 minutes. You, too, can save a life.

I know it sounds cheesy but go for it if you can.

Bye Bye Pants

Just a quick report. Every hour or so I get up from my cubicle and do some stretching or a couple of yoga moves or something to get my blood flowing. A few minutes ago I was stretching with my arms over my head and my pants fell down around my ankles. Guess I'll have to retire this particular pair of pants or buy a belt.

Lucky turn

Saturday afternoon I was walking home from the Health Food Market with my arms full of groceries. I buy lots of produce there. I was walking through my neighborhood which is in an older part of town and was thinking that the trails are easier to walk on. I'd rather step over roots and rocks and have scenery than to step over cracked pavement and limbs which had blown down and trash in the street. As I was thinking this my right ankle turned. As I was losing my balance my left ankle turned. I did not fall all the way down. My first thought was will I be able to make it home. I still had4 or 5 blocks. I was happy because it didn't hurt too bad. I wondered if it would swell. I walked 3 miles on Sunday and it ached a little toward the end. It never swelled and it didn't bruise but when I got home Sunday I iced and elevated it. You know - the RICE thing. I drive a standard (when I drive) and I can't use the clutch and I can't go up or down stairs without some pain but I can walk on the flat just fine. I am lucky. The injury could have been much worse.

Looking forward to a good walk tomorrow. It's supposed to be stormy again this week so I guess I'll be spending time on the treadmill.

I'd like to congratulate Caitlin from Health Tipping Point on her completion of the Echelon Gran Fondo on Sunday. She completed the 100 mile ride in 9 hours and 30 minutes. Also congrats go to Jenna of Eat, Live, Run who completed it as well.

More later...

TGIF one more time

It's Friday (yay) and I get off an hour early because I had to come in at 7AM this morning. Tonight is the school of nursing pinning ceremony and it's kinda expected that we attend. It's not bad. The graduates get a pin which represents the school they attend and it's actually more important to them than the graduation ceremony on Sunday. There's good music, healthy food, and a lot of speeches and awards. Oh well, it's only twice a year. The photo is one of our nursing students from several years ago.

The sun was out last time I peeked and I plan to take a walk around the campus before tonight's event. Tomorrow I'm going to walk on the Shunga trail - outward for 45 minutes and back for 45 minutes for a 90 minute total. I haven't decided what I'll be doing on Sunday yet. Looking forward to reading the magazines I checked out of the public library - Outside, Runner's World, Backpacking, and Bicycling.

Have a exercise filled weekend...

Bricks are hard

I did the brick! I guess I did it backwards. From what I read today it should have been bike first but since it's just fitness and not training I don't think it matters. I did two different types of aerobic exercise back-to-back. My legs were like jello.

Today I'm having some minor GI problems. I probably got glutenized without knowing it. I'm very careful but sometimes I forget to read labels and I used a different brand of yogurt on my granola this morning. Read the label, read the label, read the label.

My co-worker's adult daughter was thrown from a horse this morning and then stepped on. She has a broken back and they are waiting to see if she'll need surgery. Send good thoughts their way. Thanks.

More later...

Sunshine at last

Monday afternoon I went home, changed into my old shoes and walked the loop around the campus. It was dreary but there were a lot more people out in the late afternoon than there are on weekends. Guys zipping down the street on motorcycles at 40 mph without helmets. They need to spend time observing trauma cases in the ED. I stopped at one point to stretch out my lower back before starting up walking again. The achiness disappeared so stretching was a good decision. It took me a couple of minutes longer to make it home this go around. Then after I got home I had an episode of low blood sugar complete with chills. After eating some simple carbohydrates I got in the shower for 20 minutes with the water on hot. I finally warmed up. I haven't had to deal with low blood sugar since my doc took me off the glyburide. Guess I should let him know.



Today I walked to work in heavy fog. By lunch the sun had come out and the day is turning out pretty nice. After lunch I did about 15 minutes of yoga. I love warm muscles. I'm going to walk home then do 20 min on my bike. After reading Ashley's race recap over at Healthy Ashley on finishing her half-ironman last weekend I'm inspired to do a brick. At least I think that's what they call it.

More later...

Please shine sun

We had a dark, cold, rainy weekend. I bought new shoes from Payless, browsed at Barnes & Noble, walked up and down Wanamaker (THE shopping street in Topeka) in the mist. I was glad I schlepped an umbrella around because when I got off the bus to walk back to my house it started pouring. I fixed a fresh fruit salad with lots of citrus to brighten the day and then hit the stationary bike for 20 min. I'm working on adding to the time I spend on the bike. I tried to pedal as fast as I could to work up a sweat. I've never been on a spinning bike so I don't have a feel for the cadence.



Sunday it was supposed to rain all day so I had my mind set on the bike again and maybe a yoga DVD but around noon the sidewalks were dry so I walked to and around the Washburn campus and got in a good hour. It felt good. I was dripping even though the temp was only in the 50's. Why don't I feel like I get as good a workout on the bike? I added romaine lettuce and baby spinach to what was left of the fruit salad. At least the food was springy.



I've started investigating a walking/hiking tour in Vermont for the fall of 2011. I found a company in the back of Outside magazine called Backroads that offers walking, hiking, biking, and multisport vacations all over the world. I sent for one of their catalogs and have been dreaming ever since. As soon as they publish the dates for 2011 I'm going to make a reservation and look forward to doing this. Working toward having the fitness to walk 5-7 miles a day for several days consecutively should keep me motivated. They have trips for all fitness levels. I chose a lower one for my first adventure. (BTW the photo is from their catalog)

More later...

Happy Weekending

I'll be back on Monday with news of my fitness exploits and healthy food choices. Today I managed 20 min on the treadmill at 3.0 mph, a 30 min yoga DVD during lunch and upper and lower body stretches. I've also done the stairs up to the 2nd floor but haven't made it up to 7 yet. I have planned an excursion on the bus to buy a new pair of walking shoes. Mine are definitely past their prime. The left one has a hole by the big toe.

Have a great weekend...

A moments respite

I won't bore you with the details but I'm having some family problems. They've been ongoing for several months. What's strange is that I am sleeping better the last few nights than I have in months. I think it's because I have decided what to do about the problem - nothing. I've done everything I can to help. I've thrown all the money at it that I can without selling all my belongings and moving into the local rescue mission. So, I'm going to let them sink or swim on their own without any more help from me. They are adults. It was a difficult decision but I have to take care of myself. There is no one else who will take care of me. Exercise helps with the frustration and eating cleanly helps with energy. I will continue to take my life one day at a time.

It was hard to admit that there is nothing I can do. I'm used to fixing everything for everyone. Thanks for listening...

Out of the way

I nearly got flattened on my way up the stairs today. One of our cardiologists was actually running up the stairs. I jumped out of the way when I heard him round the corner where I was trudging up. It must be good aerobically if a cardiologist was doing it.

I also did 40 min on the treadmill at .5 elevation and 3.0 mph. I'm getting a little faster each time.

For breakfast I had 1/2 cup gluten-free granola with organic vanilla yogurt and 1/2 c frozen blueberries. The granola had raisins in it that were like rocks. I ended up picking them out. For lunch I had a slice of ham with cooked zucchini, a baked sweet potato and a banana. As a snack this afternoon I had a rather large apple and I'm going to eat my container of yogurt after I finish this post.

Good day so far. Kansas had quite a few storms last night including 3 tornadoes down south. While I was in my kitchen cooking I heard water dripping and it sounded like it was coming from my ceiling. There was no wet spot this morning so maybe it was my imagination. I hope so anyway. I hate leaks.

More later...

Shunga Trail

Saturday afternoon was beautiful. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the wind was light and cool. I did 43 minutes around the neighborhood. At first my legs felt very heavy and I didn't think I'd make it very far but after I'd warmed up a bit the heaviness left and I enjoyed the rest of the time. In the morning I took the bus to Hy-Vee to stock up on things I can't find anywhere else in town, e.g. Fage yogurt. I absolutely love their honey one and the good news was it was on sale for $1.49 instead of the $2.49 I paid last time. They also have two aisles of gluten-free products which I enjoyed looking over.

Sunday I walked part of the Shunga Trail. It's paved but it runs along Shunga Creek and is very pretty (see photo of an unpaved section). The trail runs pretty much from one side of Topeka to the other. I did a good 50 minutes and the time passed very quickly. I was surprised I'd been gone for that long. I'll have to walk that way again. I also did some yoga and stretches in the afternoon before my daughter came by for Mother's Day. We both missed Grandma. This was our second mother's day without her.

Today I've done the stairs from the basement to the 7th floor twice. I saw a story on a race up the Hancock building in Chicago and it's 96 floors. Whew. Something to shoot for. When I was 18 a group of girls went on a trip to New York City and walked up the Empire State Building. I don't remember how many floors it was but about 18 of us did most of the way up. I was younger then.

Enjoyed catching up on your posts this morning. Happy Monday...

Salad Day

Friday must be salad day at our cafeteria. Everything on the hot food line was breaded or battered. I mixed spinach, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, a couple of cubes of swiss cheese and I added a small can of tuna from my stash. I also ate a banana. I imagine there will be a container of yogurt this afternoon and an apple which won't survive til Monday.

I walked on the treadmill this morning for 30 min at 2.8 mph and 1.0 elevation. It wasn't long enough but I didn't want to clock-in late. I parked as far away from the building as I could and I did the stairs from the basement to the 7th floor. I'm going to do some stretching this afternoon and this weekend I'm going to curl up with a green monster and two issues of Outside that I borrowed from the library.

Yum.

Have an exercise filled weekend...

Adventure at every turn

The exercise workshop was fun. About half-way through the first aerobic segment I asked myself why I was doing this and my answer was that I want to try new fitness things. Being in a group setting brought out my competitive spirit. I was probably the youngest one there and I wasn't going to let those seniors do better than me. I was determined to finish each set. I loved the water part. I haven't been in the pool in years. I even swam a few laps after the second water segment. It felt so good. I love the water. One of the things on my life-list is to learn to swim using alternate side breathing and do those turns like "real" swimmers do. Anything to keep moving. I find inspiration all around me and it seems that the more I do the more I want to do. Is that true for you, too?

More later...

Healthwise 55

Tomorrow I am going to a 4 hour exercise workshop. There will be two hours of water movement and 2 hours of aerobic movement. It's being held at the YMCA. They have a heated pool although it may not be necessary this time of year. I am looking forward to the experience. In fact, I am taking the day off from work. Hopefully I'll learn some new moves and meet some like minded folks. Wish me luck and stamina. I'll let you know how it went on Thursday.

More later...

Race Against Breast Cancer

I signed up for the Topeka area Race Against Breast Cancer. It's a 5K Run/Walk and will be held in September. The money raised from the entry fees is used to provide free mammograms for women who can't afford them. I am lucky in that my company's insurance provides an annual mammogram at no charge to us. I'm looking forward to participating this year.

More later...

It's a new day

Exercise-wise - excellent weekend

Food-wise - ugh

Saturday I joined the NAMI group walking around the campus. I kinda held back and let them go ahead so that I could walk at my own pace. It was warm and sunny. I used sunscreen which ran into my eyes. I see sportscreen in my future. I didn't time myself but I know I kept up about a 2.8 mph pace for most of the walk. My eating wasn't good. I had two peanut butter sandwiches and about a half bag of white corn chips. No fruit or veggies except for a couple of overripe bananas. Corn chex for breakfast with organic nonfat milk.

Sunday I stopped at the KwikShop just before I got to the campus and got a bottle of water with a pop top. I know, I know - bad plastic bottles. I needed the water thought and until I can get a green container to carry on my walks I'll reuse the plastic one. Time 1:01:59. That's counting the trip into the store so I imagine that took a couple of minutes. Eating not good again. I ate a whole bag of caramel rice cakes.

My weekend inspiration came from the May issue of Outside. I used to read this magazine all the time but let my subscription lapse when I quit taking care of myself. I picked it up at Barnes & Noble which is my favorite bookstore. I used to work there as a second job and I made good use of the 30% discount. This month there was an article on the Moab Utah bike race. It sounds like fun and I started making a list of things around Topeka that I could take part in. It was nice to make plans related to getting fit and healthy. In June there's the annual Tinman Triathlon. No, I'm not going to participate in the race itself but I'm going to volunteer to be a part of the event. I'm looking forward to watching the competition.

Today it's 1:20PM and so far I've eaten 6-7 servings of fresh fruit and veggies. I've got to keep them stocked at home because I know that by now if I have them available that's what I'll choose.

More later...