Cautiously optimisitc

I have 3 weeks of working behind me and so far so good. I have only been able to go hiking twice because it is too early and dark and no time to get ready for work, or too hot or too much to get done when I get home.  But I have been able to continue doing my yoga in the mornings before work and my 10 minute Dance it Off cd.  I also make sure to wear my pedometer to work. My goal is to take more than 10,000 steps each day. I read that that is the point at which your body starts losing weight. Whether that is true or not is beside the point for me, the more steps I take the better, right?

So I found out the other day that if I walk every single hall and take at least 3 of the staircases at work, one round is almost enough steps to make a mile.  I found that out by accident when I had to deliver something to every single teacher and had only 20 minutes to do it. That was the first day I did almost 10,000 steps at work. 

Each day I try to do more than I did the day before. It gets me up and moving, it gets me out in the halls between classes and sometimes during class so I see and meet more of the students and that is a good thing.  Then every other day I try to walk on the treadmill doing one of the pre-programmed workouts. 

So far I have done great, so I am cautiously optimistic that I will be able to maintain this level of activity and wellness and continue with weight loss and healing and getting well.  Today my daughter has a soccer match, so I will be walking on the track during half-time. Maybe. I have homework I am taking with me, so maybe it will be the treadmill after the game.

Saturday I did 5 miles on the treadmill- 2 preprogrammed workouts in 1 hour.  I was only going to do one, but when it was done, I barely had accelerated breathing and felt I could do more. So I went upstairs and re-filled my water bottle then went back downstairs and did the next harder workout. It was almost easy as well.  That was exciting to me- 5 miles that was almost easy, barely breathing hard and able to carry on a conversation with my son that was watching a movie with me while I walked. 4 months ago I could barely do no incline and speeds 3-4 for 15 minutes and here I was doing incline 6 speed 6-7 for 60 minutes and barely feeling it!

And did you know it takes 12,200 steps to equal 5 miles?

Am Not!!

I am not a wimp or a baby.

I had my surgery a month ago. The dr. told me I could start walking on the treadmill 2 weeks ago and running on it last week. But there were days that I could barely walk. In fact, some days I would look at my kids and say, "I feel like someone beat the bottom of my foot with a baseball bat."

This week my ankle and tendon up my shin hurt so bad I wanted to cry. In fact yesterday it hurt so bad I said that if I didn't have a follow up scheduled for today, I would make one.

And I still hadn't gotten on the treadmill. And I felt like a baby and a wimp. Or just lazy.

I saw the doctor today and told him about the beating with a bat feeling. He just said, "Hmmm." Then he looked at my foot and said "What's this? Is this tender?" Oh ya, it was tender.

"Well, you have a stitch trying to come out here. It is one from inside, it should have dissolved, but didn't and now it has abscessed. I'm going to have to pull it out, but you will feel better after." Then he gets out the tweezers.

Insert a sharp hissing intake of breath sound here. Or two or three.

Then he tells me that my tendons should not be so sore still. But since he had to split them to get to the screw, it could just be taking them longer to heal. He'll see me in two weeks and if they aren't better he'll do an x-ray.

But the good news today is this, I came home and walked 1 mile on the treadmill.

It took me 20 minutes at about 3.4 mph and my foot feels like fire now, but I did it.

It's No Accident

The fact that I haven't checked in for a while is no accident. I've purposely been avoiding this place because I'm ashamed at how badly I'm doing. I get a workout in here and a workout there, but I just can't get going on it. And to let you know how far off my diet I've gotten, I just eat ice cream straight out of the carton these days, even though I had gotten so good at just dishing up a little bowl when I did have some before. I was in shock a couple nights ago when I woke up out of my daze and realized just how much ice cream I had consumed in one sitting. :o(

There is a bright side, though, and I don't want to neglect it. I went to a Power Pump class last week, and another one yesterday. Even when I was in way better shape 6 months ago, those Power Pump workouts were KILLER, but I decided to go anyway instead of going to a less intense class because I want to kick myself in the butt. It was embarrassing to see myself in a mirror every direction I turned, and it was embarrassing to have to put the weights down and get a lighter set when the very slim, muscular woman next to me was putting her weights down to get a heavier one, but I dug deep and did it anyway.

I've also been on a couple bike rides with my husband in the last month, but it's been hard to find even an hour here and there when he's not working AND the sun is out at the same time.

But the treadmill and I still aren't on speaking terms. I'm going to rectify that right now, though. I'm off to jog on the treadmill, because if I say I'm going to run, I'll get scared and back out. ;o)

I'll be back soon with a more positive report. :-P

The Treadmill

My treadmill and I eyed each other suspiciously several times yesterday, but neither of us made the first move.

I almost just went swimming, but my allergies kicked in so bad yesterday! I can't imagine getting in the water with my sinuses plugged up like this. :o(

Guess I should just take Melissa's advice and walk for a bit. I almost did a couple times, but it's hard if I don't get it in first thing in the morning. Part of it is that BFL has me thinking I have to do all these things perfectly. I have to run in a fasted state, and I have to do HIIT (high intensity interval training) etc. etc. But in reality, wouldn't a nice brisk walk on the treadmill be better than nothing?

So, I'm going to do it today. For Reals. ;o)