Trust the plan

For the last week or two I have actually been feeling very positive about where I am with my eating, where I am with my exercise and where I’m going with my weight loss journey. I’m feeling stronger, more empowered and honestly more capable of once again completing this task of losing weight. So it came as a complete shock to me during the last week to be paralyzed with fear.

Let me backtrack, the plan that I am currently working with for my weight-loss efforts involves a balancing act. I’m not giving up anything… I’m balancing. I know for me right now deprivation is not going to work. So I’ve devised a plan that actually is working for me. Slowly, but surely. Honestly it really is a fine line. I am still eating a sweet treat most nights. This could blow up in my face really really quickly and easily. I have tried to set up a check system so that I don’t eat the sweet treats when I shouldn’t, but it really is a crapshoot. Why am I willing to take this risk? I think the biggest reason is because for me it gives normalcy. Normal is what I’m striving for. I don’t want to live a life where I’m constantly stressed about my food choices.  And let’s face it, for the first time in a long time I am excited about this journey.

Enter the fear. It started last week, the one day that I did not earn my steps but still ate the sweet treat. I laid in bed that night wailing and gnashing my teeth in fear that I had gained weight from my little bobble. OK, maybe that was a little melodramatic… A lot melodramatic! But in all seriousness, I was worried. I was starting to see movement on the scales in the right direction and I didn’t want to upset that progress. It turned out OK though. (In fairness I didn’t totally go off track and I got right back on track the next day.)

On Monday I wrote about the weekend  I wrote about my hunger on Sunday that lingered into Monday causing my calorie counts to go a little bit higher than I wanted them to be. Enter the fear. I worried! I really worried.

On Tuesday morning I stepped on the scale for a little check of my weight. I looked down and saw the number and let out a sigh of disgust. On one hand, I was happy because it was a maintain from a week earlier. But on the other hand I was disgusted because it was a maintain for the week and a gain for the weekend.  What happened to all of my effort from the previous week. There was nothing I could do other than move forward. I had already figured out why I was so hungry those days and in doing so had pinpointed the problem, which means I know how to correct it for the future. There really was nothing else I could do but move forward.

I moved through my Tuesday with a smile on my face. And while I ate my sweet treat, I wasn’t worried about it because I had met the criteria that I had set aside a couple weeks back for eating a sweet treat at night. In the back of my mind I wondered if I wasn’t a bit dehydrated though, I drank  the same amount of liquid at work… But almost immediately I had to pee constantly. In my experience whenever I start drinking after being dehydrated I pee a lot to get rid of the water that I was retaining. I refused to think about it deeply and just kept moving forward.

Wednesday dawned and a new day, a new chance to step on the scale. I was so relieved to see the lower number on the scales this morning.. My effort from last week is back! Hallelujah! While I was in the shower one thought kept going through my head… Trust the plan.

Trust the plan? If you have a solid plan in place for weight loss, the wait is going to come off. A slight aberration in the plan is not going to derail you. Trust the plan.

On Monday night I set out running clothes and set my alarm for 30 minutes earlier. I must’ve been insane! But, when that alarm went off I rolled out of bed through all my clothes and headed outside for a run. I got out there and it was misting… Not a full rain thank heavens. I didn’t let that mist stop me. I ran anyway! I was wearing my glasses, and they fogged up something horrible. I push them up on my head and kept running. I did it!



About the glasses… Yes I’m pretty blind without them. I was able to see and stay on the sidewalk and when I had to cross the road I could see that there were no cars there for sure. So in that regard I was safe. However if there was some stalker or person out to do me harm hiding behind a tree… I wouldn’t have seen them. For example as I approached a street corner I saw what looked like a tree or somethingand then the tree moved. A quick flip down at my glasses revealed that it was a person walking their dog that had stopped to let the dog do their business. Yeah that’s how my run went. Never a dull moment. 

Luckily my work break walks were serene!!

It’s hump day today… And today, I’m just trusting my plan.

Magical

Memorial Day weekend is almost in the books....I’m just sitting here writing out my weekend post and then it will be fine for bed.  We returned to the ‘magic’.  And returning to the magic made me think about my weight loss journey.  

We had a nice three day weekend and we used it as our first chance to get away since living together.  Let me back up...for the few years that we have dated  before we lived together, we went away for the weekends...a LOT.  Our living situations gave us virtually no time alone together unless we went away.  (Thus lots of hikes and bike rides too!). Yes, it was sometimes more costly, but I scoured the internet for deals and we chased them down...that is how we ended up in Atlantic City, NJ one long weekend in October...a hotel room for $20 a night?  (A hotel that goes for $300-400 a night in season!). Sign me up!  So we travelled a lot...and our weekends were magical!  When we first started talking about living together we made a vow that we would not totally give up the weekends away.  This weekend was our first post- living together weekend away.     We talked about how the adjustment to living together had been smooth and how we are both feeling comfortable and happy with how things have settled....and how we wouldn’t change it for anything and how we would DIE if we had to go back to the old way, but we both talked about the ‘magic’ of those weekends away as our love for each other really grew in leaps and bounds.  Lots of parallels to weight loss for sure!

How so?  I look at the days when I was first losing the weight as ‘magical’. I was losing weight, I was excited,  I was in love with the progress and process.    But then changes in my life happened.  I ‘grew’, my focuses changed, my beliefs and attitude toward weight loss changed (I decided that deprivation is not sustainable for me and that I instead needed to find a balance.). I’m ok with where I’m at...I’m determined to make it happen again...in this method, even if it is slower.  Yet, I look back and sometimes long for those magical days.  And you know what? Just like we travelled a bit this weekend and enjoyed the good old ‘magic’,  I can sometimes revisit those days.  I can have a day...week or however long of ‘deprivation’ but the new ‘me’ is always waiting in the wings, just like us happily coming home to our cozy apartment and friendly cat was there for us, welcoming us with open arms.  

Yes, mertz was on her too perch when we got home...she looks angry here...but she softened after we both took a second to pet her!!!  

We had a nice weekend.  I got a run in on Saturday!  

It was slow but I was out there.  

And we got two bike rides in!!!

I woke up on Sunday so hungry...and I was just hungry all day long!   I struggled to figure it out. Why was I wanting to eat everything in site? No I didn’t eat everything in site...I just wanted to!  But I definitely ate more than my norm!!!  It wasn’t until I finished putting my food into myfitnesspal that I realized what had happened.  

Here is my food for the week.

See how bad Sunday was?

But then when I added in my exercise the lightbulb went off!

I burned way more calories than I ate according to myfitnesspal!  Do I believe it was that big of a deficit? No...but even if it wasn’t a deficit, my intake was too low!!

We had a scare on the way home.  We stopped at a 7-eleven for gas and go get a snack (ok to get ice cream sandwiches for dessert!!).  We were just running into the store for a minute or two so we just planned on watching the bikes, which were not locked up!  We got back into the car and got home.  We started to take the bikes off and immediately I realized something was amiss.  My bike handle bars are are always nestled behind Jason’s. But they were in front...even though I KNOW his bike had gone on first!  The unloading of the bike was just awkward and not right in some other minor ways.   And then I realized that all four clips on the wheel thingies were open and the bars had been adjusted.  The wheel thingy is the bars that the front wheel set in..tightly!  These clips are what adjusts the height of the bars so that different size tires can sit in the roof bike rack. 

Now, I’ve had this roof rack for many years!  I have NEVER had these clips/locks come undone...not ONCE!  And to have all four open and then be adjusted on the one side?  There is NO other answer other than the fact that someone had meddled with our bikes when we were in 7-Eleven!  Probably trying to steal them, but they just didn’t know how to get the bike off the bike rack!

Yes we were freaked out!!! We dodged that bullet and I’m happy to say that the bikes are safe and sound in their bedroom (aka the den).

The only other news is that the dining room got some shelves along the walls for dollhouses and storage.   

The top of the shelf (the empty one) will very soon have the hermit crabs resting on it....we don’t like them in the bike bedroom.

And the road bike on the trainer has moved to the bike bedroom!

Yup...there are the crabs in the bike bedroom!

I have set my alarm for 30 minutes earlier tomorrow morning.  I’m going to attempt to go for a short run before my shower.  I am as prepared as possible...my clothes for my run and for work are laid out as are my running shoes, run buddy and headphones (on the window seat).

Wish me luck...I am afraid I’ll say ‘what the heck, and go back to sleep!”   (The normal alarm is  still set to go off!)

Bad luck or no luck

Moving along chronologically....(weekly weigh results at the end of the post)....

If I didn't have bad luck....I'd have no luck at all!!!   After a large chunk of change spent on my car in December and January...and one or two other financial blows in January I struggled to pull myself out of the financial mess!  Last weekend  I made the comment that this paycheck SHOULD put me back on track...no savings left but no outstanding bills/debt!!!  Which meant let the savings begin!!!

On Monday night I was driving down the interstate and kabaam, loudest I've ever heard a rock hit....and of course my windshield now has not one...not two...not three...but four spots of damage!!  Yes I have comprehensive coverage but still...a deductible is still hard to cover when you make what I make (Peanuts would be an increase of pay. Let me just say...I live with my parents because I can't afford an apartment on my own!).  Grrrrr!

Then Tuesday morning I went to use my Aftershokz headphones (mine are not pink...I have plain black ones)

 

And they won't snyc with my phone.   Really?????   The last time I used them I noticed that one of the sides was floppy..that the plastic casing was cracked but they still worked.  In the interim of noticing that and Tuesday morning, I reset my phone back to factory settings and wiped everything clean.   After the reset, my Fitbit connected via Bluetooth just fine...but my headphones no longer will sync!    Grrrr. I don't have the money for new headphones!!!    I will research and see if there is anything else I can do (I've already done the basic things that they recommend!) but I fear with the crack/floppy arm that they have reached the end of their life.

So then.....

I woke up at 5am and I so didn't want to run.  (I wouldn't have gone out until 7 anyway) So I went back to sleep and woke up at 7.   I still didn't want to go but knew I needed to!   So I tried to find an excuse in the weather.  Because I was NOT running if the weather was miserable.  I even told myself I wouldn't run if it was under 40°.  And I even chuckled because I just knew it wouldn't be over 40°.   Boy was I wrong!  So I went out!   It wasn't a fast run....my head started hurting shortly into the run.....my foot ached...but I did it!!

So yes...I did run on Tuesday morning...with wired ear buds.   (Yuck...running with wires again after a few years of freedom....yuck!   And earbuds...those darn things never stay in my ears!!!! Yuck!)

So the foot ache?   My planters fasciitis has been kicking a bit lately....and also the tarsal nerve.   The plantar hurt while I ran...the tarsal nerve started when I got home.  

See...no luck at all!!

Course that's not true....I lucked out when I met Jason!  

On Tuesday night Jason and I walked outside after work. The weather was delightful...a sweatshirt was all we needed and even that seemed warm while we were out walking.

Wednesday morning?   Back to cold.  What's up with this weather!!!!!

I weighed in for my weekly official date with the scales.  238.0.   Grrrr. That's up 1.2 from last week but down .8 from two weeks ago. 

The monthly ick is hanging out this week so that could have affected my weigh in....but let's be honest....my eating hasn't been stellar or late!!!  So let's just say it wasn't a good weigh in...but yet I was relieved at my weight!

So onward and upward. Or rather downward on the scales!!!!!

Hello Old Friend

Hello old friend...it's been a long time!!!  What old friend do I speak of??  Why my hiking boots of course!!

Yes Jason and I planned to hike this weekend!   We woke up to fog and mist on Saturday morning.  We didn't let it stop us....we hopped on the Appalachian Trail at Keys Gap which is a bit south of Charles Town,WV.    It was pretty much not raining when we started out...but it was foggy!!!  Really foggy!!   The fog was almost mimicking rain though.  All in all it was a delightful first hike of the year...and first hike in a few months!!!

We were so happy to be back outside!!

Our legs actually handled the hike pretty well.   We even had it in us to go swimming st the hotel that night!!!

On Sunday we headed to the Shenandoah National Park...the skyline drive.   It was foggy again...really foggy on the skyline drive!!!  It wasn't raining though!   We crossed our fingers because they were calling for rain!!!!

We hiked the Overrun Falls Trail.   Like most waterfalls...one way is down and one way is up.   This trail was down first. (Boo cuz I prefer to climb first!)  I took a fall within the first mile!   Ouch!  It always amuses me how you can get a brush burn and open cuts inside your pants...but the pants remain intact with no tears!   I could feel the sting of the brush burn in my knee but knew that intrinsically I was ok to go onward....so we kept heading down!  (My elbow and sides were ok because I was wearing a teeshirt, a sweatshirt and a jacket!).     The fog began to lift a bit!!

And finally 3-4 miles DOWN...we came to the falls!

My coat had been stripped by that point!!!  Exertion does that!!

There was a small path down the side to the bottom of the falls but considering it was wet (fog and at that point light rain) we decided not worth it!  

We headed back up...3 miles and some change straight up!!  Ok there were some switchbacks here and there...and some straight up places!!!  I was whipped!   By the time we got to the car my legs were jello!!!

We got in to drive home.   The fog at the top had only intensified as the evening approached!   It was so bad that at places I couldn't see more than 20 feet ahead of the car...yes I drove slow!!!

Here is an overlook....taken a year ago.....

And an overlook taken yesterday!

So while I was out hiking this weekend I drew my line in the sand.  Last week I aimed for two runs...and I accomplished them.  This week I wanted to complete three runs!   My work schedule kind of dictates my running schedule...and to easily get in three runs I needed to run Monday, Wednesday and Friday.   I shared my plans and challenge with jason!   It was out there, no turning back now!!!

Monday morning....

Ethel (my cat....she has been crying loudly in the middle of the night recently awakening me)  woke me up at 4AM...I struggled to get back to sleep...eventually I did...but then overslept.  I woke up at 7:44....and I have to leave for work at 9ish. That's 1 hour and 15 minutes...to run, shower eat breakfast and get ready for work.   

No hesitation.   I jumped out of bed and threw on running clothes and I was out the door by 8AM!!

**It was raining!

**My knees ached ...especially the one I fell upon!

**It wasn't an awesome run.   

**It was slow!!!

**I did it!!!!!

**I ache!!!!

**I arrived at work with wet hair slapped into a braid!!!

**One down...three to go!!

2017 in 2017.

I am still moving and trying to get as many steps in as possible!  I didn't hit my weekly goal/necessary miles last week.  I was about 3-5 miles off what I needed!   But that's better than the first two weeks!!!  

At the end of Saturday I should have had 116.55 miles...I only had 84.52 miles.   That is a deficit of 32.03 miles.   Yup...I need two or three decent bike rides to catch up!!!

And as of right now I have 10.9 for this week .....I'm dead on target for this week!  Yeah yeah yeah, weekdays are sooo hard to get my necessary miles!!!  But no worries...biking and hiking and 3-4 runs a week will catch me up and keep me caught up!!!  

Food intake is important, but for me exercise is king!   Exercise allows me to coexist with this addiction ..this food addiction that is buried inside me!  It covers me when I indulge...but conversely when I'm really active I tend to eat healthier!!!

Today a customer brought in some pastries.  I looked at them and took a half of a cheese danish.  Yes, a half!  That in itself is a victory!!!  I got back to my desk and took a bite.  I won't lie.  It was good, but I kept thinking about the hikes...and the run.   And suddenly the danish kind of lost its pull.   I contemplated throwing it away.  I struggled with that thought for a while...but finally settled on eating half of what I had taken.....a quarter of the danish. I threw the rest away. (Yeah I ate the cheese part..what of it???). 

What swayed my decision to go ahead and indulge with the quarter of the danish?   I knew my lunch was ultra healthy!!!!

And do you know what?  I feel proud of myself!!!

Eleven Miles and that's my Final Word

I am happy to announce that I made it through the end of the day on Tuesday and I didn't have any complaints about stinking after the deodorant debacle!!!!!   Whew!  I am also pleased to announce that I have remembered to wear deodorant every day since then!!!  (although I couldn't remember putting it on this morning so I had to employ the subtle lift my arm and sniff technique a few seconds ago to be able to honestly say that I remembered every day since then!)

I dropped 2 pounds this week.....down from last week's weigh in but still up from my sickly low weight!   

Running.....well I didn't run this morning.  I as just sore and a bit achy this morning.   Ok, not really muscle achy, but my feet were achy.  Yes.....much to my shame I need to admit that I COULD have run had I pushed myself.

I'm not sure why I'm achy.  Well, I know why.  I just don't know why I ended up achy this week and not after other hikes.  (Namely the hike from a week and a half ago at Colonel Denning State Park.)

Yesterday was my typical half day of work.  I had a dentist appointment right after work.  Luck was with us and Jason was able to be free shortly after my dentist appointment was over so we headed out for a hike.     We stayed somewhat local and went to the Thurston Griggs Trail....which is a feeder trail for the Appalachian Trail.  The Thurston Griggs Trail is a bit.....well it's all uphill.  This picture doesn't do the 'uphill' justice...but oh well!

We arrived at the top of the Thurston Griggs Trail and found ourselves on the Appalachian Trail.  It dumps us right at the site of one of the primitive campsites...the Pogo Campground.   We wanted to explore this area because we had read that it was the site of an old Hotel built in the 1800's for people to 'get away from the heat and humidity'.  Yes, on the side of the mountain just below the ridge line.   We wanted to see if we could find any signs of the foundations or ruins.  However, when we arrived at the Pogo campsite there was a lone woman hiker (70 years old....easy!)  with her dog heading to the spring we had just passed to grab some water.  She talked for a few minutes and then headed to the spring.   Jason's observation was that she was out hiking for a longer distance and not just a day hiker.   My observation was that she was OBVIOUSLY alone because she threw out a few times that her husband this and her husband that.  We started to explore but stopped when we saw her packs sitting off in a secluded area.  We figured it was best to move on and explore on the way back through.    Sadly enough, on the way back through we could see her walking around on a ledge a ways up the hill...but when we approached, she quietly lowered herself down out of sight for the whole time that we sat on a log to take a breather.  Oh well....it's local to where we live...just takes a nice strenuous hike up the side of a mountain to get there!   I'm sure we will be back. 

I snapped a selfie (of course)

We left the Pogo campsite and headed up further to the ridgeline.....and black rock

It was only a mile or two  further to Annapolis Rock so we headed onward.  (and lets also just note that between Black Rock and Annapolis Rock the trail is mostly flat).  The view from Annapolis Rock is the best of the two overlooks in my humble opinion.

I talked Jason into a picture of us together.   

We turned around at Annapolis Rock and made our way back down off the mountain....arriving back at the car at dusk.   We were tired but happy.

A quick stop for dinner and then home to shower and do a little research on the Black Rock Hotel.  The pictures of the old hotel are really neat.  Let me tell you....I would stay in a hotel in that spot if there was one!  (Heck, I will probably at some point end up camping at that spot some night!)

My step tracker on my phone registered the hike and my walking at WAY high.  Typically my mileage is dead on.....I know how far I run and my mileage on my phone matches my miles run.  I am therefore a little perplexed as to how I managed to end up my day with 11.11 miles for yesterday.  The hike in all the trail guides should have been roughly 6-7 miles.  Hmmm....yes, there were a few steps at work...and going into the dentist and into dinner.   See my why I'm perplexed??   The only thing I can think of?  The trail was rocky...so we weaved back and forth a bit...and we did explore some at a few different locations.  But 4 miles difference?   I have NO clue!

As I was looking at the steps, I switched it over to the year view and it is quite interesting to see.  I can trace where I was by my mileage.

You can see that in June and Julie I was high.....I was training for the half marathon.   October was low as I recovered.  November was higher not from running or hiking but because of vacation where I was consistently knocking out 7-10 miles of walking each and every day!  December I started to pick up with the hiking.....January was COLD...and I've been hiking more and more each week since then.  Just a neat history.....all with one line.  :-)

So I haven't run a step......that may be a fail this week!   But will it really be a fail when I hiked eleven miles (half uphill?)   Hey, my phone says 11...phones don't lie!!!!  Ok ok ok...I'll back it down to 10 since some of that was me walking into a food establishment and into the dentist office!  

Up next????  A walk with Sherry after work tonight!  (Hmmm...I better confirm that here shortly!)

Ups and downs

My bodies current happy weight is NOT making me happy.   Yes, I'm right back to where I was before I got sick.  Really?   

Ok, I totally fell off the horse yesterday with my eating.   It started with lunch.  I had packed my lunch but when they suggested going out to lunch, I totally caved.  I usually do really god with saying no.  Yesterday I just ...well......I fell apart!  I looked at my calories and knew that I still had room for a decent dinner.  No worries!    But then dinner....I ordered a turkey wrap and ate the homemade potato chips that came with it.  Not too bad.   But somehow I managed to eat the leftover mac-n-cheese when I got home.  I didn't need it!   Furthermore, I felt miserable and bloated after eating it!   So 1800 calories for the day.   

The only redeeming factor about yesterday?   Jason and I met up and walked on the canal.  6 miles of walking.  It was on the canal so it was an easy walk.  But I still put the miles on my legs!   With the earned calories I was still under my goal.  HOWEVER, I have never been one to lose weight when I eat my earned calories.   Yes, this makes me so sad! 

Where did we walk?   ON the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Williamsport, MD ...

I had to giggle though.  I got home last night and my legs were SORE after our walk.  Yes, my legs were sore after our walk on the FLAT canal.  More sore than they were last Saturday on the hike from hell. (Ok it couldn't have been too hellish since we are planning to do it again!)  

I went to bed last night...determined to run my first four mile run of the week in the morning.   I typically wake up at around 6 so I knew I would have plenty of time to make it out the door by 7 for my run...which would give me plenty of time to come home, eat breakfast, shower and leave for work.    I woke up at 7:19.  Uhhh, yeah, that's a bit late in the grand scheme of having the time to get my stuff done.  

I am proud to say that I didn't hesitate.  I bounded out of bed and threw on running clothes quick as a wink.  And I was out the door right around 7:30.  I was very proud of myself!  Not only did I get out there....I didn't allow myself to be talked out of 4 miles.   Not only did I complete the 4 miles but when I got home I was only at 3.83...so I ran down the block to finish out the COMPLETE 4 miles!

Why yes....I did get faster!!!!!

There are a few problems though.

I like that hour in the morning before heading out to run for a few reasons.  

***My arthritis and my kinks and aches need a little bit of time to work their way out!  I didn't have that luxury today!

***My body works on a schedule....I need that time in the morning to let my body complete it's normal morning routine/tasks.   That didn't happen today.  Thus at around mile 3 my stomach was HURTING!

Either way...today was a victory!   

Queen of the Mountain

Well another weekend is done.  BOOO!   Moving onward!   

My weekend was fun!  However, aren't they all?

On Saturday Jason and I headed to Colonal Denning State Park in Pennyslvania. Jason suggested the park and we both did a little research before hand.   Separately we both stumbled upon information for a specific trail leading to Flat Rock Vista/Overlook.   Jason found it because an online trail guide talked about the beauty.  I found it based on a geocache that is hidden near the overlook.  Combine an amazing view with the promise of a geocache and that was the trail we decided to do.   We talked before heading for the park that the trail was listed as more difficult....ok it's listed as Strenuous.  But seriously.....'we are tough'  we can handle it!  So off we went!

We quickly found the park and the parking lot at the trail head for the ascent to Flat Rock.  Of course the sign denoting the difficulty of the trail was posted (showing strenuous/difficult of course).  Jason pointed to the sign and jokingly remarked that the sign should just say 'welcome to hell'.  We chuckled and off we went!

Uhhh yeah we hadn't gone long when the comment was made "yes, it's hell"!!   It was steep.  It was rocky steep.....navigating the trail was a puzzle as we constantly searched to find the best footing  among the large boulders, the smaller rocks, the loose rocks/stones and the piles of leaves.   There were no switchbacks to make the ascent easier.  It was pretty much up.....at some areas were the ascent was a  bit too steep to navigate safely, they made steep steps....but otherwise it was just up (well steps are up too....and just as difficult because they were not a low rise step ha ha ha).    We laughed about the mountain to the left of us being where we would end up.  We were wrong.   We did climb that mountain.....but when we  reached the crest of that mountain and then descended a bit before heading back up to another ridge ...then back down a ways to where the overlook was located.   Was it worth it????   YES.......  ABSOLUTELY!

We searched for that stinkin' geocache and could not find it!   GRRRR  After a long search in the woods....we headed back down the mountain.    Somehow in the search for the geocache I dropped my top layer/sweatshirt that had been tied around my waist.   Luckily I figured it out maybe only 500 feet back the trail (which is bad enough) so back up I went.  I found the sweatshirt and we headed back down.   Going down was just as difficult.  It was easier in terms of cardio...but it was still pretty tough.  

Will I do this trail again?   Well.....as we were going up we made the comment, "Who in their right mind would do this more than once?"  On the way back down however, we were talking about consistency with hiking....and how if we continue to hike at least weekly that we would probably zoom up the mountain like it was nothing.  SOOOO, before we got back to the car we have decided to do the hike again....this fall.  Furthermore, it has somehow turned into a challenge....first to the overlook wins. (I don't know what the winner gets...we didn't get that far!   So a race up and a leisurely walk down together!)   Besides I still have to find that geocache since I didn't have any luck!  (I forgot to take my lucky pen!  Lately, if I don't have my lucky purple pen it seems as if I don't find the cache!  But if the pen is with me, I find the cache!)   

Sunday was sadly rainy and icky.  We had a nice laid back kind of day.  We did some geocaching.  We took a longdrive.  We hit up a few stores.   And we stopped by the James Buchanan Birthplace State Park   I always wanted to go in.  It's just a tiny little park...but a really neat and pretty area.  I wasn't overly impressed with the monument but oh well.   

So how did my legs fare after the hike on Saturday?   On Saturday night I was standing somewhere and I could feel the muscles in my legs quivering a bit. Not really hurting, I could just feel them.   But that passed and Sunday I had NO ill effects!   

I  didn't weigh myself this morning.  Tomorrow hopefully!!

Last week on Monday I set some goals in my blog post.    They were relatively simple...

1.  RUN  on Tuesday and Thursday

2.  TRACK (my food)!    And Stay within Budget

3.  HIKE 

4.  WATER ---chug a lug!

I am happy to announce that I ran on Tuesday and Thursday!  Both days were over three miles.   They were slow but I did it!

      

I tracked every bite of my food...so that continues to be a victory!   However, I was over budget a bit on a few days.

This is the total calories

This is net when you add in my exercise/activity!

SO not exactly a victory but really in the grand scheme of things not too bad!!!!

Hike.... Check and check....one easy on Wednesday and the  killer on Saturday

Water......I struggled at the beginning of the week but by the end of the week I was chugging over 120 ounces of water daily!

I'm going to call it a victory with last weeks goals.

This week?   Pretty much more of the same.

1.  Water

2.  Run at least 2 times (preferably 3!)

3.  Track and stay within my caloric  budget (not eating too many of my earned calories!)

4.  Hike and walk.

5.  Use the stair stepper at least ONCE!  Right now my cat is the one that uses it....ok, maybe not 'use' but she sits on it!

So this weeks goals are nothing too fancy and exciting...just living a good healthy lifestyle.

   

Pain free run????? Holy cow!

Before I get into the nitty gritty of today's post I need to report my weight.  I was nervous about this weight.  Last Friday I weighed in and then I had a gluttonous weekend and on Monday when life returned to normal I took a sneak peak at the scales and I was up 3 pounds.  EEEEK!   SO today's weigh in made me nervous. Low and behold...2 pounds down from last Fridays weight (5 pounds down from Monday's weight!)  WOOO HOOO!    I will take that and run with it!!!!!  

And now on to the scheduled programming for today.  (

I suffer from a few ailments:

            * I was diagnosed with arthritis when I was about 29 years. I played around with a lot of different remedies and fixes.  I don’t like medicine so I looked at copper bracelets, braces, garlic and other natural arthritis busting foods.  

            * Last year I was felled by a case of plantars fasciitis and tarsal tunnel.  I have tried various remedies and fixes for these ailments also.  I have done the rest, lotions and potions.  I know that the biggest relief I have gotten is when I tape my foot up tight, so I do that, but then lament at the continual cost of the tape.

These conditions are ongoing, something I've had to learn to deal with through various products and practices.  So when I heard about TommieCopper, I was really interested.   Tommie Cooper is a company that makes compression garments and sleeves (elbow and knee sleeves ….or what I would sometimes call a brace).  What makes Tommie Cooper unique?   “Activated copper is at the core of every Tommie Copper garment……it is permanently and densely infused into all performance yarns”   That interested me from the get go as I had long ago looked at wearing a copper bracelet for it’s benefit on my aching joints.   Secondly?  I’ve heard really good things about compression garments…..so to combine copper and compression into some exercise gear sounded like a REALLY good idea.  I nosed around on their website.  I liked what I saw, except for the price.  But I vowed to get some socks whenever I had a bit of extra money.  I pushed the thought aside.  And then I was contacted by the company to do a review on some of their products.  I was over the moon happy!

My box arrived this past Tuesday.  I opened it up and looked at my new goodies.  I had received a pair of ankle socks, a pair or black calf socks and a pair of Capri pants.  I refrained from digging right in and instead vowed to wait until my next scheduled run…which was for Thursday morning. 

Thursday morning rolled around and I was up and ready to try on my new items.  The Capri pants were the first thing to go on.  They felt comfortable and fit me like a glove.  I looked in the mirror and was like “ok” not bad.  I moved around in a few weird gyrations to make sure that they would be fine for a morning run and noticed no problems.  I was ready to roll.

My socks and shoes were the last thing to go on.  I chose the ankle socks for my run.  I slipped the sock onto my foot and I immediately let out a long sigh.  Ohhh heavens, they felt GOOD.  The tight band that wrapped around my foot and supported my arch was AWESOME. (Can you hear the angels singing that word….because I can?)  You see, when my plantar is really bothering me, the quickest relief is when I tape it up nice and tight.  This pair of socks did that without the tape.  Ahhhh….. did I say heaven?   

Yes, the blur behind my foot is my cat Desi, he is such a camera hog, he sees a camera and he comes running!  

I was quickly out the door and ready to roll.  I drove to Hagerstown to meet up with Paula, my friend for our fun.  She snapped the pictures of me showing off the pants.

 

 We started at the Fairgrounds and meandered down to Pangborn Park and back.  (Shhh don’t tell my family, but I actually ran right by their houses…and we didn’t stop…I did wave at my parent's cat who watched my run by from his perch inside the storm door.) 

  3.44 miles completed….in our normal crazy fashion

(yes, we actually stopped to smell the roses…or rather daffodils)

 As Paula and I stood talking by our cars after our run was complete. All of a sudden I started to jump up and down and move around.  She looked at me like I was nuts….which I probably am…..but I was quick to realize that my plantars fasciitis was not bothering me at all!   YAY!  That is awesome!  And I wasn’t taped, I went running with just socks and shoes.

After my shower, I got dressed for work   I decided to wear the calf socks to work…..

Of course, maybe wearing them with these shoes may be counter productive.  Ha ha ha

And the verdict on Tommie Cooper……

   The pants…nothing rubbed wrong, it actually felt as if I wasn't wearing any pants (which would be a whole different issue were that the case).   My knee felt great under the compression…maybe it was the copper, who knows.  I liked running in the pants.  I will definitely be using them as frequently as possible in the normal rotation of my workout pants.  Very comfortable!  When I am next looking for exercise pants (when my size goes down) from what I experienced today, I will be quite favorable to buying another pair of Tommie Copper pants. (Plus, Paula told me that they made me look slimmer…..and that my derriere looked fantastic in them…..heck, that just made these pants even better in my book!)

The socks are what I am in love with.  IN. LOVE. WITH. THE. SOCKS.    I have long suffered from foot problems and my feet actually felt great after running.   My feet felt wonderful in the black socks while I was at work wearing my pink boots.  I was actually sad about taking off my socks to get into the hot tub that evening, and seriously contemplated putting back on a pair of dirty socks so that I could experience them longer!.  I have quickly been converted to become a huge fan of these socks!!!!!    The only thing that will keep me from running out and buying a drawer full of Tommie Copper socks is the price.  In fact, I’m petrified that these pairs of socks will be one of the ones that mysteriously lose their match in the wash.   Ehhh....Cost aside, owning a couple pairs pairs of these bad boys are well worth it!!!!!!!!