Once again, I've let some time go by, but I'm popping in to make sure I'm keeping myself accountable. My Saturday morning yoga teacher is still out, hoping to be back in September, but the last photo I saw still had her on crutches. So, we'll see. And my Tuesday evening teacher is on vacation for two weeks. I'm concerned for the first teacher and happy for the second, but I also miss my twice-weekly routine and have been looking for things with which to fill in. I've tried out the local yoga studio a couple of times, but I don't love their Friday evening classes and haven't managed to get myself out the door to try and of the others. I did, however, go to a free outdoor class yesterday morning taught by the studio owner that I liked quite a bit. They do them once a month, so I plan to return to those until my regular Saturday morning class gets going again. Other than that, nothing new, really. I'm still meeting my step goals and doing some kind of strength/stretching/extra cardio stuff five or six days a week. Still on the lookout for other fun activities. Oh, I did finally obtain a swimsuit that fits. Now I just need to wait until the pool is warm enough that I can stand to get in it. I'm looking forward to August and the beginning of the running season. I do enjoy the energy and novelty of running/walking with a large group of people on a route other than around my own neighborhood. Summer Splash 2023 Challenge: 92.3 of 550KActivity Streak: 115 Days

Well, I had a personal best by a good amount at yesterday's 5K, more than three minutes faster than I walked the same event last year. So, that was cool. In the afternoon, I walked around Disney Springs with a friend, which finished off the step count for the day. Took the dog to the dog park this morning, then came home the longer way, which added up to about 4.7K. That's it for today so far, though. I've spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon fantasizing about travel, doing laundry and prepping lunches for the upcoming week. At some point, I need to do some more walking and/or hit the stationary bike, but I'm feeling uninspired at the moment. Summer Splash 2023 Challenge: 27.5 of 550KActivity Streak: 108 Days

I'm not a gym person, so I can't help with the stretching query, but I wanted to say welcome to the thread!

[Well, you're all very kind not to mention that, when I posted earlier about making sure I connected with the thread for this month . . . I was posting in last month's thread. I'm moving it over here in order to accomplish my original purpose, with apologies for the duplication.] Checking in here to make sure I connect with the new thread for this month. (Also, I'm working from home today, meaning I have the freedom to pop onto my personal laptop on breaks.) I tried out the run/walk club last night. I'm not sure it's for me, but I'll go back another time or two just to see if I can hook in. Basically, a bunch of people meet up in front of a brewery/restaurant and either run 3 miles or walk 2 before reconvening at the restaurant to chat, drink and mingle. I had a very good walk, and it was pleasant to be somewhere other than my own neighborhood and chat briefly with folks before we started. However, I don't drink and my limited diet makes eating out challenging. Plus, I didn't know anybody and was distinctly older than most of the participants. So, quite possibly not my crowd, but, again, I'll try another time or two and see how it goes. They meet only once a month, so it's not a big commitment. Started this morning with the usual 4K around the neighborhood followed by about 25 minutes of good strength and stretching on the patio surrounded by dog and cats. I'll get in another walk this evening to finish off the step count, and that will be it. I've decided to skip the Friday night yoga class I've been trying, because they tend to work me harder than I'm accustomed to, and I don't want to be sore before the 5K tomorrow morning. I started the new seasonal challenge yesterday and decided to stick with a lower goal, since this season has fewer days in it than the spring one did (to make room for the Holiday Hustle at the end of the year). I can always bump it up like I did for spring if it turns out I am doing more than I anticipate. Summer Splash 2023 Challenge: 14.0 of 550KActivity Streak: 106 Days

Nothing "strange" in the stereotypical ice-cream-and-pickles way. However, I did really crave certain things with each kiddo, and interestingly each of them gravitated towards those foods as kids and still do even as adults. With my daughter, it was all Indian food all the time. Like I worked in lower Manhattan at the time and used to go to one of a couple of Indian restaurants for lunch more than a couple of times a week. And we lived across the street from two Indian restaurants who recognized our phone number when we call in an order. My daughter now lives in Brooklyn, and one of the criteria they rely on when renting an apartment is whether they are within the delivery zone for King of Tandoor. With my son, I craved (and I guess this was a little weird, given that I had been vegetarian/vegan for about a decade at that point) meatball sandwiches. Fortunately, I discovered that the pizza place down the street from us made a sandwich with sauteed bell peppers and onions, plus (and I know it sounds odd, but it hit the spot at the time) french fries smothered in marinara and plopped into a toasted sub roll. I ate more of them than I care to admit during that pregnancy. And, again, to this day my son's go-to meal is pasta with marinara served with garlic bread and a side of french fries. Oh, that pregnancy was also when I started making/drinking fruit smoothies spiked with protein powder. I simply lost interest in food during that one -- other than those sandwiches -- and needed some way to get some kind of nutrition into my body. The smoothies worked. And -- wouldn't you know it? -- my daughter won't have anything to do with them, but my son drank on nearly every morning of his life until he went to college. With both pregnancies, I found I had trouble eating at all if I had to cook the food or even smell it while it was cooking.

Apparently, I never checked in during May. I'm still on my quest to read my age (58 books) this year, but running a little behind. We'll see how it goes. I'll be content as long as I log more than 50. Also still enjoying books that have to do with walking/running/hiking/dance, although I'm having trouble finding enough good ones to keep me going. I'm especially drawn to books on these topics written by women, which makes the pool shallower. That said, my list since I last checked in: The King's Grave: The Discovery of Richard III's Lost Burial Place and the Clues it Holds, Philippa Langley and Michael Jones (Was inspired to finally get around to this one after watching The Lost King. The book alternates between chapters about Richard's life and ones about the project/dig. The film is highly fictionalized for dramatic effect, but I enjoyed it a lot. ) The London Séance Society, Sarah Penner American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang (Wanted to read this one before trying out the new series on Disney+) Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela Choosing to Run: A Memoir, Bonnie D. Ford and Des Linden Stalking Shakespeare: A Memoir of Madness, Murder, and My Search for the Poet Beneath the Paint, Lee Durkee I have been trying to make my way through The Sun Is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds, by Caroline Van Hemert, which seems like it should be my kind of thing. However, I just keep stalling out and making excuses to switch to other things. Next up, in some order: Horse Barbie, Geena Rocero Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices, Swapna Krishna, Jenn Northington (This one is a buddy read suggested by my daughter.) The Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run, Martinus Evans (Due to be released next week)

Checking in here to make sure I connect with the new thread for this month. (Also, I'm working from home today, meaning I have the freedom to pop onto my personal laptop on breaks.) I tried out the run/walk club last night. I'm not sure it's for me, but I'll go back another time or two just to see if I can hook in. Basically, a bunch of people meet up in front of a brewery/restaurant and either run 3 miles or walk 2 before reconvening at the restaurant to chat, drink and mingle. I had a very good walk, and it was pleasant to be somewhere other than my own neighborhood and chat briefly with folks before we started. However, I don't drink and my limited diet makes eating out challenging. Plus, I didn't know anybody and was distinctly older than most of the participants. So, quite possibly not my crowd, but, again, I'll try another time or two and see how it goes. They meet only once a month, so it's not a big commitment. Started this morning with the usual 4K around the neighborhood followed by about 25 minutes of good strength and stretching on the patio surrounded by dog and cats. I'll get in another walk this evening to finish off the step count, and that will be it. I've decided to skip the Friday night yoga class I've been trying, because they tend to work me harder than I'm accustomed to, and I don't want to be sore before the 5K tomorrow morning. I started the new seasonal challenge yesterday and decided to stick with a lower goal, since this season has fewer days in it than the spring one did (to make room for the Holiday Hustle at the end of the year). I can always bump it up like I did for spring if it turns out I am doing more than I anticipate. Summer Splash 2023 Challenge: 140.0 of 550KActivity Streak: 106 Days

Just a quick check-in, since I have time and energy tonight. I've managed to meet my step goal every day so far this week and to do at least a little something in terms of additional exercise. Today is the final day of this season's walking challenge, and I met that goal this morning. I found a couple of free yoga events happening in my area in the next few weeks and signed up for those, which is nice since my regular teacher is out of town for the next two weeks. Tomorrow evening, I may try out a running/walking group that meets one evening a month. Otherwise, nothing new here. Spring Start 2023 Challenge: 706.. of 700KActivity Streak: 104 Days

Once again a long gap between updates from me. I'm not sure why I have fallen out of the habit of checking in, or even reading the boards as much. I miss you all, but I just am struggling to find the mental and emotional energy to do more than the bare daily minimum. Anyway, it's been a rocky couple of weeks, exercise-wise, around here. My work schedule has been uneven, and I spent last weekend driving a car-load of my daughter's stuff up to NYC. I made a point of booking hotels for that trip that had fitness centers so I could at least start and end each day with some treadmill time, but I didn't make my step goals or do any additional exercise for the days I was on the road. Even with that short disruption, it took me a few days after I was back home to get back into my routine. As of Wednesday, I was pretty much back in the groove, although I'm still not doing as much strength and stretching each morning as I was before going back to the office. The Friday night yoga class I'm trying out is . . . fine. It's the class where they try out and train new instructors, so it's a little uneven. And the attitude of the studio is a little pushier than I am used to with my other teachers. I'll continue to go, because I haven't found a viable alternative, but will probably drop it if/when my Saturday morning class resumes in the fall. As of this morning, I reached my boosted seasonal distance goal. I did the math and realized that, with 3+ days to go, I could bump it to the nice round number of 700K. I have the annual CommUNITY Rainbow Run next weekend in remembrance of the Pulse nightclub victims. And I am participating in a local event for Global Running Day on June 7 (walking both events, of course), but those are the last organized events I have on my calendar until the series I registered for kicks off in August. In June, I do need to start "training" in earnest for the half marathon coming up in November, which should keep me active. So, TLDR: Still here. Still walking. Still yoga-ing. Still exercising. Still on the search for more and different things to try. Spring Start 2023 Challenge: 676.3 of 700KActivity Streak: 101 Days

Hi all -- I have no clue when I last checked in. Despite the semester being over, I somehow feel like life has gotten more busy, rather than less. I suspect this has more to do with a recurrence/worsening of my depression and simply lacking the energy to do anything more than the minimum, but it means I often go days without even opening my laptop, let along reading the board, let alone posting anything. That said, I have mostly kept up with the usual routine: walk with and without dog each morning for a total of 4.5 - 5K, do 15-20 minutes of additional strength and stretching exercise (Monday-Friday and sometimes on weekends), walk again with and/or without dog after work (sometimes right after work and then again later in the evening) to reach my total 15,000-step goal, yoga class one or two evenings a week. When weather or other considerations require, I substitute time on the stationary bike for walking outside. I did miss my step goal once this week, because I went out to a show with a friend and got home too late to do anything other than take the dog outside and try to get some sleep. My adored yoga-at-the-lake teacher has announced she won't be returning until September, so I went in search of a second class to take until she returns. (I still have regular Tuesday evenings with the other teacher.) I discovered the yoga studio that is a mile from my house has a Friday evening class that fits into my schedule. I went last week to check it out and, although it was a little more challenging than I am used to, I enjoyed it. So, I've decided to add that to my calendar for a few weeks and see how it goes. Spring Start 2023 Challenge: 545.7 of 650KActivity Streak: 85 Days

Took the dog to the fundraising walk/event yesterday morning. It's a very short walk, not even 5K (probably about 2), but I took a quick walk before we left, then we had to walk from and to the parking area, plus wander around the vendor area, which, all told, added up to a decent amount of mileage/steps for the morning. I then wandered some more around Disney Springs with my husband after we went to a movie. There have been storms on and off all weekend, so I ended up pacing the living room last night to finish off my 15,000. I had grand plans of doing a solid strength and stretching session today, but ended up sleeping a little late, taking the dog to the park, finally getting around to potting the plants I bought last weekend, doing laundry and then working on cooking/prepping lunches for the week. So, here we are at nearly 4:00PM. I have a decent number of steps done, but no other exercise. At the moment, we have some high winds, but no precipitation. If the dry weather holds, I'll probably go another walk later to finish off my steps. Otherwise, it'll be the stationary bike and/or pacing the living room. Spring Start 2023 Challenge: 435.1 of 600KActivity Streak: 73

So, I guess this one isn't actually a memoir: The Slow AF Run Club. Running in Silence looks like it would be up my alley, too. Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere except Amazon. I just remembered that Des Linden has a book out, Choosing to Run. That one may be up next for me.

On the topic of abandoning books, I don't do it often, but I've DNF'd two so far this year: The Great Circle and Reluctant Immortals. I had acquired both in order to check off boxes on my reading challenges, but I felt like I was just slogging through content that was making me feel more depressed. So, I gave up. (I loved Lessons in Chemistry, though.)

I've been on a kick for books about athletes this month, mostly runners, although I also finished one about a man who goes on a long walk, one about a ballet dancer and one novel about a tennis player. Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost-Memoir of a Boy in Ballet, James Whiteside The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team, Kara Goucher A Beautiful Work in Progress, Mirna Valerio American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal, Neil King Carrie Soto Is Back, Taylor Jenkins Reid Good for a Girl, Lauren Fleshman I'm anxiously waiting for another running memoir to be released, but it's not coming until June. So, if anyone has suggestions for other books in the same vein, I'd appreciate recommendations! This brings my total to 17 books for the year so far, which is a little behind where I wanted to be. I'm aiming for 58, to match my age.

Kind of a fly-by, but I wanted to make sure I check in for accountability. After a good run of about two weeks, I missed my step count yesterday. I went to a movie with a friend and had intended to get in some walking before and/or after, but the weather was not cooperative. Otherwise, it's been a good several days in terms of exercise. I'm taking the dog with me to a fundraising walk tomorrow morning. This is not a strenuous one, but it's a chance to be somewhere and walk somewhere different. I'm also in the process of figuring out the logistics of selling off one or more of the bicycles we have lingering in the garage in order to defray the cost of and make room for an adult trike. I really want to be able to get outside and pedal, explore in a way other than walking, but I have had to admit that my inconsistent balance issues make traveling on two wheels a bad idea. We'll see how it goes. Spring Start 2023 Challenge: 424.3 of 600K*Activity Streak: 71 * For those who might notice the change: I increased my goal for the season because I was getting too close to the original 500 too quickly.