Fixing problems in my weight loss journey

It is so hot!  Holy cow, it’s been hot!   I am trying my hardest to not let this heat wave affect my weight loss efforts, or more specifically to affect my efforts to get fit and stay active!   This past week we had a set back in our activity but I also experienced a victory when I took steps to correct a separate issue with my fitness options.

Bike ride issues

Over the weekend we planned to go out on a long bike ride!   We got dressed, checked the air pressure in our bike tires, and loaded the bikes into the car.  We were happy and looking forward to our ride as we drive the 30 minutes toward our destination.   All was well!   Until we went to take the bikes off the rack.   One of Jason’s tires was totally flat!   We already run tubeless...so it  wasn’t just a thing of changing the tube.  We pondered the options.  We could pump the tire up, but there was obviously a greater issue than just needing air, especially since the tire had been full of air only 30-40 minutes earlier.   We ultimately decided that heading out for a 3 hour ride was probably not wise.  So we reloaded the bikes and went home!

We didn’t let that stop us though!  We took the bikes back inside and we immediately headed out for a walk!   We had already taken a chunk of our day with the bikes so we headed for a local segment of the C&O Canal to take a nice walk.  The cancelled bike ride might have been catastrophic to our activity levels, but we didn’t let that stop us!  We had a nice walk. 

We were out for about 2 hours on our nice long walk.  We checked out a few of the side trails that led down to the river and enjoyed the architecture and buildings on the canal.  It was definitely a good time....even with the flat tire AND the heavy downpour of rain that occurred at the end of our walk!

Fixing a hiking problem

I have been very open about the fact that I have been having issues while hiking this year.  I seem to be falling....a lot!  Or maybe just a lot more than I feel is normal!   I fell in January on a hike on the Appalachian trail   I fell again in February on a really easy trail that we were walking and exploring abandoned buildings in attempt to protect my tender back!  I was actually filming video footage during that fall which you can see on my YouTube channel.  There have been a few more falls also!   It’s been quite concerning!

The concern and worry escalated recently when we were hiking a New River Gorge.  We were in a trail that I desperately wanted to hike!  But I felt that it was much too risky in light of my recent falls!   I wanted to find a solution...I needed to find a solution!   The solution...or at least the attempt to find a solution has come!   

I started researching trekking poles almost as soon as we got home from that hiking trip!  The more I read, the more I was sure that trekking poles were going to be the solution!   I researched and this past weekend I bite the bullet and purchased a pair!   I went with the brand LEKI   I like the warranty that they offer and I have heard that their customer service is top notch!   They were a bit pricy but I wanted poles that I could feel confident with while using!  LEKI has a range of options and I chose the middle of the road in terms of price. (Amazon link). We have gone out to an easy trail for me to use them.  It’s going to take time to get used to them!  I have read though that in time it will become second nature!!!  I hope to get out again this weekend on a trail so that I can use my trekking poles again!

Getting fit, losing weight and being healthy is a constant journey of navigating and overcoming challenges.    This past week was the perfect example of how these challenges hit us and how we can work to overcome them!   I will not let’s these things keep me from my goals!

Trail of Tears: Mountain biking and running

This past weekend was set to be another busy one for us, as all weekends tend to be for us.  It was a weekend that would help me progress my skills on the mountain bike, lose weight and work on getting fit.  However, we set our goals and priorities for the weekend and we were determined to get not only what we HAD to do done, but also the stuff that we wanted to do!   We didn't exactly have success...but the control was out of our hands!!!

This past weekend was a grocery shopping weekend. (We only grocery shop every two weeks....it saves SOO much time and surprisingly a fair amount of money.)   We knew that this was a non-negotiable task so we headed out early on Saturday to get this out of the way (and to beat the crowds in the stores).

Our plan was to shop in the morning and hit the trail of tears in the afternoon.  Our plan worked perfectly and by about 2:30 PM we were on the trail. (We got there later than we wanted, we got sidetracked by playing with a new purchase that we had stopped to get in the morning!)  I was honestly dreading the trail from the get-go.  I really do hate this trail....and no, the word hate is NOT too strong, it's honestly not strong enough!  Jason was not feeling the greatest but was determined to push through his headache to ride the trail. So off we went!


 I had been periodically asking Jason about his headache and he had made the remark that it was doing better than he expected.  But, at the three mile mark he announced that he just couldn't do it, that his head was hurting so bad that he was making stupid errors while riding (which can quickly cause an accident). I was worried about him for sure, but plumb tickled to turn around and head back to the car!  You see, I had started out strong!  But by the three mile marker I had totally ran out of gas!  Absolutely and completely out of energy!   I was done!

The Trail of Tears won again!!!!!!

We arrived home and set about showering ready to commence with relaxing for the evening.  Jason remarked that he felt feverish, but just assumed it was from the hot bike ride, cool temp car ride home followed by a hot shower.  Everything was ok and we talked about and were looking forward to our plans to ride again on Sunday.

Sunday rolled around and Jason woke up feeling awful!  He was hopeful that he would feel better as the day progressed.  However, I flat out said, "No ride today."    I sat back on the couch with a smile, because I was off the hook.....I had a VALID reason to not ride my bike!  However, I knew that his being sick was not valid for ME...especially since I have been thinking more about running again.    It didn't take me long to get my butt off the couch and get moving.

I went for a run instead!  No, I didn't burn as many calories as a bike ride would have netted me.  But it felt good to get out there, get sweaty and do something good for my body!   I was worried as I set out, because the last time I ran was at the end of May and it was.....well....really difficult, as in I couldn't even go more than 3 minutes without having to stop to walk!   It was actually pretty decent.  I ran 3/4 of a mile before I stopped to walk for a bit!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing.......and watching over my poor sick man.

He called off of work sick on Monday.  I knew that I would be absolutely worthless if I went to work due to one aspect of his illness. (He briefly passed out on Sunday....a couple factors contributed to it...and he is fine now....but I am still watching him like a hawk!) I knew that I would be worried that he was laying on the floor unconscious while I was working, and that I would be a wreck if I left him alone!  So I stayed home with him.  I deemed him ok for a few minutes while I went out for a quick run that day too!  I ran even an even longer time before I stopped to walk on this second day of running!

I was super proud of myself for not just sitting on the couch in peace those two days!  I was tempted....but the feeling of pride is amazing!    I am also pleased to see that my almost two months of misery on the trials riding has made a difference in my body, at least in terms of running (and I’m sure other places too)!

So now I am back to work and counting down to the weekend again!   I am pushing forward and ready to get this lose this weight and be fit once and for all!!