Well-trained bodies - October

[Laura Corin]

All welcome - new and old, serious training or lifestyle wiggles, check in however often you like.

[Laura Corin]

Amazing walk on the wilder fringes of the Balmoral Estate. 8 miles, quite windy, sunshine and showers, around a big loch. 

The building is the retreat that Queen Victoria built after her husband Prince Albert died.

[wintermom]

@Laura Corin Lovely photos! Wonderful shot with the rainbow, too. Thanks for sharing. I love the Scottish highlands. I hope to visit one day. 

Dh and I are scheduled to play some doubles tennis this evening. It looks promising, as the rain seems to be holding off. 

[Harriet Vane]

@Laura Corin I adore your pictures. Thanks so much for sharing.

Took a walk earlier today while talking to a dear friend and hoping to do PT stuff tonight before I head to bed. I love talking to this particular friend, though I stop paying any attention to the exercise and tend to move a little more slowly.

[Ali in OR]

Hard day at work. But it's the weekend now. Did 30 min on the treadmill this morning. I think September goals were about finding the new rhythm which I guess I have. It just includes too much work.

[LucyStoner]

I've been going to pilates 2x a week and then the other 4-5 days riding my exercise bike.  I am scheduled for 2x a week pilates for October, planning to up that to 4x a week when the budget allows.  

Edited October 4, 2021 by LucyStoner

[Ali in OR]

Peaceful Warrior Yoga this morning.  That sounded like the persona I need to adopt for my 7th period class. I'll do a Target/Costco run this morning, then get the house in order and maybe take a nap.

[wintermom]

We played 2 hrs of fun tennis yesterday evening, but it's raining non-stop today. I'm hoping to walk with a friend, and we'd prefer to walk in no or light rain. 😉 

[SKL]

So far 4 miles per day (walking) this month.

Of course it's only day 2 but ....

Edited October 3, 2021 by SKL

[Jenny in Florida]

It's been a very, very busy week for me, both at work and at home. I honestly don't remember the last time I checked in here and don't want to bore you all with a blow-by-blow. Basically, I more or less kept up with walking (missed my step count one day, but far exceeded it the next, so on average . . . .) but missed doing my other exercise for a few days last week. I did spend a few hours yesterday moving boxes and such into storage, though. Does that count?

I walked a 5K with some folks from work on Thursday evening, which was very enjoyable. I didn't help our team win any awards, but I was content with my 9:37/K time. It's just barely enough to keep me from being cleared off the track in most races with timing restrictions.  (And, given the week I had been having and how exhausted I was and how warm it was that evening, I'm definitely counting it as a win.)

My husband and I walked a virtual 5K in the neighborhood this morning. Not sure whether it was because I'm just worn out or whether he slowed me down (he typically walks faster than I do, but doesn't do these distance things), but I was a little slower than in the in-person event on Thursday.

I looked back at my September goals, and I have to say I fell a bit short. I missed making my step count more often last month that I had in a while, and I reluctantly decided part-way through the month that exercising 6 days a week was not going to happen. 

On the plus side, on the mornings I did exercise, I frequently spent longer than the 20 minutes I had set as a goal. 

I have not yet acquired or started using the heavier weights. And my stab at logging food and trying to get serious about whittling down those 20 pounds lasted only a few days.

I am hopeful that, with the major milestone met for that big project at work and having dropped the one class that was making me miserable, I may have a little more time and energy to get myself back on track and stop feeling like I'm constantly trying to catch up.

That said, my official goals for October are:

• at least 14,000 steps per day
• strength and stretching for at least 25 minutes at least 5 days a week, alternating floor-based exercises with the standing routine
• stationary biking/swimming when it makes sense

I'm continuing to log walking through the seasonal challenges, currently working towards 500K for the Fall Frenzy. Once I catch my breath (maybe next weekend), I would like to start section walking that trail that's been sitting in my updates with 0 mileage for weeks.

This one is more of a wish list than a goal: I'd like to get the bike out of the garage and start taking it out for short hops around the neighborhood now that the weather is cooling down. There are grocery stores and other destinations that are close enough to bike to, but I need to make the bike ready and accessible enough that it's an attractive option.

 

Fall Frenzy Challenge Update: 163.2 of 500K
Daily Walking Streak: 218 Days
South Lake Trail ?: 0 of 13 miles

[Laura Corin]

Two days at castles, so a fair number of steps but nothing unusual.  Back home now, so hoping to run-walk tomorrow. 

[wintermom]

@Laura Corin If you want to share some castle photos, that would be great! 

It's been raining all day yesterday and today, so no tennis, paddling or biking. 😔 I managed to get in a long walk with a friend yesterday and a long dog walk today. I want to do more stretching and core strength work on my mat as well. 

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

@Laura Corin If you want to share some castle photos, that would be great! 

It's been raining all day yesterday and today, so no tennis, paddling or biking. 😔 I managed to get in a long walk with a friend yesterday and a long dog walk today. I want to do more stretching and core strength work on my mat as well. 

This is Dunottar Castle. It looks like an island but actually there's a natural rock bridge to the land. We also went to Crathes Castle but I didn't take ant photos. 

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Laura Corin

[lynn]

Didn't feel like working out today so I did my hardest work out of the week which us leg, beach body body beast bulk legs to be exact and finished with runners yoga.  

[Harriet Vane]

I have unfortunately been a slug this weekend. Saturday was a huge cleaning and cooking fest as we invited some folks from dh's work to come over. Really enjoyed connecting with them. The meal itself was as healthy as they come--pork tenderloin, roast asparagus, tiny potatoes with chive--but dessert was scrumptious and sugary apple-berry crisp with ice cream. Today I could have and should have gone for a walk or something, but alas, I did not. I did take a much-needed nap, though.

I changed my work set-up and I think it's helping ease some neck and shoulder pain because my posture is better. My goal this week is to regularize everything: healthy sleep, exercise first thing without delay, and then work. I've also slipped a bit in diet discipline as we have had some extra yummies in the house, so I'd like to balance that out with more attention to no sugar.

So tomorrow the plan is PT exercises followed by Zumba or aerobics. Eggs with a bit of bacon for flavor will start the day with high taste and almost no sugar (especially compared to my beloved oatmeal).

[Soror]

- Friday-- 25 min yoga, 25 min kickboxing, + 10 min core on Fridday

- Saturday--Rest Day 

-Sunday- Spartan Sprint Race

I did it!!! I almost chickened out. I really haven't been feeling very peppy and was not in the mood and certainly not feeling like a badass. But I did it anyway hoping it would be a good kickstart and motivator for me and it was.

It was harder than I thought it would be yet I did better than I thought I would.

Out of the 20 obstacles I only failed 2-- the spear throw- one shot throwing a spear to hit a target Sunday being my first time doing it- I expected I would fail that barring extreme good luck-- and the monkey bars -- Usually I'm pretty good on monkey bars but haven't been practicing so I didn't know how I'd do- my grip strength was pretty decent but the diameter was wider than I'm used to and I couldn't do it. 

But I did do the other 18 obstacles. the hay wall, 4ft wall, and 6 ft wall. Numerous other climbing walls and cargo nets. 

The swinging rings- first try- I was thrilled about that!

16 ft rope climb- got a wicked calf cramp half way up but just stood on it for a few seconds and finished it

crawling under the barbed wire

carring the supposedly 35 lb sandbags that were much heavier due to the rain up and down a hill, the 50-80lb 5 gallon bucket (no handle) up and down another shorter hill (kicked my ass), and 70 lb rock- easiest carry because it was the shortest but getting it up from the ground was hard. 

I submerged myself into the muddy water so thick you couldn't see a thing and went under the wall to the other side

I got right up the slip wall- have to have good technique here- the guy in front of me fell half way up and many others couldn't make it.

It was 3.5 miles. I hardly ran any of it. Most of the course was so muddy walking it was a challenge and I wanted to conserve my energy.

I only fell on my ass once- I'm usually a bit clumsy so I was thrilled with that.

My whole body hurts today. My upper body and core from all the carrying, hanging, and climbing. My hip from my fall. My calves from the bit of running I did do. I had planned to start kettlebells today (thinking I wouldn't do the race) but will be pushing that a day or two for recovery. Today will be a nice bath and yoga instead. Walking to work out some stiffness.

[Laura Corin]

Wow @Soror! Very impressive! 

[wintermom]

@Soror Congratulations!!! That is amazing. Great mental and physical strength to finish the course! I guess we'll have to start calling you "Muscles" now. 😉

I got in another long dog-walk yesterday, but passed on the stretching and mat work. The sun is finally out today, so I'll get out walking.

[Ali in OR]

The school district sent an email that basically said we can get a third shot due to exposure on the job (I've had I think 5 students get Covid so far this year), so on the spur of the moment I did that Saturday morning. Spent all day yesterday in a feverish horizontal daze. If it's like last time, today should be a lot better but I'll still be tired. I did Yoga for Flexibility instead of the treadmill this morning, thinking that would be a better fit for my physical condition right now.

[Harriet Vane]

You rock, @Soror!!! Way to go!

[Jenny in Florida]

@Soror I am impressed beyond words! Helping my husband move some of our bonus YA's stuff into a storage unit on Saturday and was enough to force me to realize my limitations.

[Jenny in Florida]

Remember how I mentioned yesterday that my husband and I walked a virtual 5K together? Well, guess who ended up taking her husband to the ER yesterday afternoon because his heart rate and blood pressure spiked and wouldn't come down?

For the record, they released him after a couple of hours and didn't seem terribly freaked out, sending him home with instructions to follow up with his GP. He actually had an appointment scheduled with a new GP for later this month, but he called this morning and they moved him up to this week. He's resting today and seems to be feeling better, but his heart rate still shoots up more than it should the minute he does anything even remotely active. 

It seems unlikely I will ever live down that he ended up in the ER because I "made him" walk a 5K. (Kidding . . . mostly.)

Anyway, that exciting episode certainly didn't contribute to making yesterday a restful day of recovery from the two walks and the exertion of moving things into storage. I hit this morning tired and ended up cutting both my walk (just over 3K) and my exercise (about 22 minutes) a bit short. 

I have class this evening, but--barring another unscheduled ER trip--I will figure out a way to at least make my step count.

 

Fall Frenzy Challenge Update: 168.1 of 500K
Daily Walking Streak: 219 Days
South Lake Trail ?: 0 of 13 miles

[wintermom]

@Jenny in Florida Hope your dh is feeling better soon. That is a scary way to end a 5k walk.

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Ds19 and I went for a paddle late this afternoon. It was so nice to be out on my favourite little river again! I did some solo canoe paddling and ds tried out the kayak for the first time. He loved it. I also got the dog out for 2 short walks and 1 long one. Even did a little stretching/yoga this morning. I should sleep well after all this activity. 😉

[Soror]

@Jenny in Florida I'm sorry to hear about your husband I hope he is on the mend and stays that way.

I did yoga, foam rolling, and a little walking yesterday. I was soooooo very sore. I couldn't manage much. Especially in my hip flexors and calves. Happy to see my upper body handled it all very well- I have some soreness but nothing like the lower body.

I decided to take another recover day. I did yoga and a longer walk this morning. Will aim for foam rolling later.

[Ali in OR]

Didn't sleep at all after 1:00, so I got up a little early to make sure I'll have time for a mocha this morning. I did my bodyweight circuit x2 and yoga for self care. I had a lot of arm soreness with this shot (and had flu shot at the same time in the other arm--no pain there). It was interesting to me that the weight-bearing push-ups don't hurt, but flinging my arm up over my head in a jumping jack does hurt. And the arm doesn't really hurt that much anymore--I just noticed it on the jumping jacks.

[EmilyGF]

I am liking the 7min workout app. I am doing one every morning before I go downstairs, dressed in undies and an exercise bra. This "something is better than nothing" approach has helped me be consistent for ten days now. And, as someone who tends to do too much too quickly and get injured, this is helping me start out slowly.

Emily

 

[Jenny in Florida]

Thanks for the well wishes, all. My husband has been pretty good about taking it easy for the last couple of days and seems to be feeling better. He is seeing the primary care doctor on Thursday, so I am trying to keep him reasonably calm until then.

I managed a short walk after class last night before I had to go run an errand, then logged the remainder of the steps for the day pacing the living room while watching Netflix. 

This morning was better. I walked about 3.9K and did my floor-based exercises before work.

Not sure what the rest of the day holds, but I plan to at least make my step count, one way or another.

 

Fall Frenzy Challenge Update: 173.2 of 500K
Daily Walking Streak: 220 Days
South Lake Trail ?: 0 of 13 miles

[Harriet Vane]

Weights and core this morning, followed by a quick walk on the lane. I want to still follow up with some PT stuff today.

I am discouraged as my left elbow is flaring for no apparent reason. It started acting a little strange about two weeks ago, and it's now completely a mess. I don't remember injuring it, so I am assuming this is an overuse/EDS thing. It happens from time to time. It's just a pain--icing, resting, diclofenac cream. I know what to do and I just don't wanna. 

[Laura Corin]

Hmmmm... all the time I was away and walking a fair bit, my clicky-painful hip was fine. I came back and did one yoga session, and today it's sore again. I think I need to avoid my beloved pigeon poses for a while to see if I'm actually stressing my hip out. Sulk.

[wintermom]

@Harriet Vane Ouch! Hope the pain reduces quickly.

@Laura Corin I used to love doing pigeon pose, too, but it puts too much strain on my hip and knee. Oh well, they were fun to do for a while. 😉 Hope your hip feels better soon.

I went for a nice walk in the woods with a small group of friends yesterday - the old 'hockey moms' group. None of our dc were playing hockey, but we all walked during the hockey practice. 😂 The habit is so ingrained to walk during that time. It was nice to see them and the woods again. 

[Soror]

14 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Hmmmm... all the time I was away and walking a fair bit, my clicky-painful hip was fine. I came back and did one yoga session, and today it's sore again. I think I need to avoid my beloved pigeon poses for a while to see if I'm actually stressing my hip out. Sulk.

Ugh! I love pigeon pose but I can see how it could be a strain on the hips. 

11 minutes ago, wintermom said:

@Harriet Vane Ouch! Hope the pain reduces quickly.

@Laura Corin I used to love doing pigeon pose, too, but it puts too much strain on my hip and knee. Oh well, they were fun to do for a while. 😉 Hope your hip feels better soon.

I went for a nice walk in the woods with a small group of friends yesterday - the old 'hockey moms' group. None of our dc were playing hockey, but we all walked during the hockey practice. 😂 The habit is so ingrained to walk during that time. It was nice to see them and the woods again. 

I bet it was so lovely to see old friends again.

18 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

Weights and core this morning, followed by a quick walk on the lane. I want to still follow up with some PT stuff today.

I am discouraged as my left elbow is flaring for no apparent reason. It started acting a little strange about two weeks ago, and it's now completely a mess. I don't remember injuring it, so I am assuming this is an overuse/EDS thing. It happens from time to time. It's just a pain--icing, resting, diclofenac cream. I know what to do and I just don't wanna. 

That stinks. Injuries are no fun or fair at all. I hope it resolves soon.

[Soror]

Almost all my soreness has dissipated except for my right hip flexor. It is still very sore. I think I might have strained it (I rolled the atlas stone(70 lb) to that side and pushed from kneeling from the right- I should have squatted and picked it up that way- it was a lot of strain on my right hip and I could feel it)- I also fell on that side and had some soreness on the back side of my thigh from that but it is gone. It is improving so hopefully it will go away on its own.

This am I did a short upper body session- 20 min chest and triceps- plan to go back later for a 15 min bicep workout and maybe a 10 min core. I could have done upper body yesterday as I wasn't all that sore but figured it better to err on the side of caution with previous injuries.

I had planned to do kettlebells this week but it is too much full body work. I'm going to try and do hamstring work tomorrow but if it is still pretty sore I'll just do low impact cardio. 

Walk yesterday and today. 

[Harriet Vane]

Today I'd like to take a good walk and do my PT stuff.

I'm full steam ahead on lowering my sugar consumption as well. Yesterday and today I stuck with a couple squares of dark chocolate (85%--soooo dark I think it qualifies as a health food.😆) and I have been in the habit for quite some time of sweetening my coffee with a dollop of maple syrup rather than sugar. I've grown to love the caramel taste it gives coffee, and it's a lower-fructose sweetener. That's it for sugar yesterday and that's also my plan for today. I think it's a bad idea to dispense with chocolate altogether while I am in intense mode on work projects until mid-November. Fortunately, though, I am getting so much more regular sleep nowadays (as opposed to the last decade of chronically low sleep) that I find food cravings are much more manageable, so just a few squares of super-dark chocolate seems to scratch the itch without drawing me into more sugar consumption.

 

@Laura Corin Bummer about your beloved pigeon pose. Hopefully a bit of rest will settle it all down and you'll be back in the saddle soon. I am similarly easing up on arm weights for a week or two to let my finicky elbow heal. 

 

[wintermom]

I went for a short walk with the dog at noon, and then a 1.5 hr walk with a friend this evening. It was a gorgeous day with sun and fall coloured leaves. 

[Soror]

Hip continues to improve and is hardly noticeable this morning.

Did get in my other short upper body workout yesterday (15 min).

So far today 25 min hamstrings and glutes- will do 10-15 min weighted core after teaching.

I didn't wake early enough for a walk. Will try to get one later. 

Food was not good yesterday. Sigh. I really need a reset. You know sometimes you get in a groove of bad habits. That is where I'm at. Mostly good meals but too much snacking and still not near the amount of fruit and veg I would like to eat (and feel best at).

[Jenny in Florida]

I walked but did not other other exercise yesterday. I needed to go into my office for an in-person meeting and got too rushed getting out the door in the morning to do anything else. (Out of practice actually leaving the house.)

Waking up and getting out of bed this morning sounded like a terrible idea, so I got a slow start. I did walked , though, just over 3K, and did about 20 minutes of exercise.

Honestly, I feel like I am in a serious rut with movement/exercise and would like to find something new to work into the routine, but I've also been extremely sore and tired and having trouble just doing the household stuff I need to do sometimes. So, I feel pretty stuck.

 

Fall Frenzy Challenge Update: 184.6 of 500K
Daily Walking Streak: 222 Days
South Lake Trail ?: 0 of 13 miles

[wintermom]

I'll do a dog walk today, and the I'm going paddling with my friends late this afternoon. Should be lots of fun!

[Laura Corin]

Just dog walks this week. Busy all day today so walked at 9pm.

[Soror]

And now my right knee is a little swollen. I don't know if I inadvertently did something to it yesterday or it is from my race. It has been a little sore but it seems to have gotten worse. So, I'll be taking it easy on it today. No walking.

- 1 short core workout done(10m) and 1 more(10 m) planned; Will try to do a bicep workout (15 min) and maybe some light stretching

[Jenny in Florida]

The rain started to come down just after I headed out for my second walk yesterday, so I ended up walking with a couple of Leslie Sansone videos. 

Walked 3.2K this morning, including stumbling across a path I hadn't found before. Back home, I did almost 30 minutes of floor-based strength and stretching. Unfortunately, I seem to have overworked my right shoulder, because it now hurts quite a bit. I'm trying to work with the heating pad draped over the area, which is only kind of working on both counts.

 

Fall Frenzy Challenge Update: 188.4 of 500K
Daily Walking Streak: 223 Days
South Lake Trail ?: 0 of 13 miles

 

[wintermom]

Paddling was gorgeous yesterday! The river was so calm and the fall colours were beautiful. We had some snacks and soaked in our friend's hot tub afterwards to finish off the evening. Very fun. 

Dh and I are scheduled to play doubles tennis with friends. The weather is looking wonderful, so I'll try to get in a couple of walks as well.

[Harriet Vane]

PT and a walk today. 
 

@Soror It is soooo easy to slip with food. I feel like it is constantly 2 steps forward 1 step back. One thing that helps me is to indulge in a high-flavor healthy food. For some reason the more my taste buds are assaulted with intense flavor, the less I crave unhealthy foods.

@Jenny in Florida You are such an example to me for sheer daily discipline getting those steps in. I am with you re wishing for something new and zesty. I did martial arts for a couple years and LOVED IT. But my back is too twitchy w disc compression so I gave it up. I have not yet found anything so fun or so motivating since.

[Laura Corin]

@SororI picked up a recommendation on another thread for an app called Ate. It just allows you to photograph what you eat through the day to make a timeline.  It's more of a mindfulness app rather than a diet app. I'm finding it helpful.

[Soror]

16 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

@SororI picked up a recommendation on another thread for an app called Ate. It just allows you to photograph what you eat through the day to make a timeline.  It's more of a mindfulness app rather than a diet app. I'm finding it helpful.

Hmmm. Interesting I'll check it out.

------------

Knee seems pretty good today. Just a little tender. Sleep had been better the last week as I was off of VIPKID for the holiday and got to sleep in. The last 2 days I've had to get up at 4 again. Ugh. Yesterday wasn't too bad but dh accidently woke me at 1:30 today and I didn't fall back asleep until maybe 15 min before my alarm. I'm def. taking a nap today.

-low impact cardio done- 20 min

Will try to do a short weights session too.

[Laura Corin]

It's chucking it down with rain this morning,  so I'll spend some time on ordering shrubs. This afternoon I'll take a long walk if the rain eases.  I've walked less than two miles a day on average this week, and my sleep is suffering.

I haven't run or yoga'd this week - waiting for my hip to make a decision.  I have a doctor appointment  booked for another reason in ten days, so I can discuss my hip then if my suspicion about yoga seems unproven.

[Ali in OR]

I've missed several days of logging in, but I'm still getting in some exercise every morning. Some days it's been a little on the short side, but I always get enough activity at school to close all the rings on my watch (exercise, movement, standing), so I think it's enough. There's always too much to do for work--not sure when or if that will settle down. I'll be writing goals, grading tests, and planning this weekend, in addition to the usual weekend chores. Did Yoga For When You Feel Dead Inside this morning, not because I feel dead inside, but it seemed to fit an October-spooky kind of vibe and it was the right length at just under half an hour. Still need to work on eating healthier--more fruits and veggies, more fully-conceived dinners instead of whatever I can throw together in 15 minutes.

[Jenny in Florida]

@Harriet Vane I had a similar experience with Zumba. I used to love aerobics back when that was a thing, so I tried Zumba a few years ago. I enjoyed it so much -- I remember telling my husband the only problem was that I was going to want to be at the exercise studio all the time -- but then I hurt my knee during a class (torn meniscus), and after that healed everything else went downhill for me physically. Now the arthritis means anything that potentially twists or stresses my knees is out of the question. So, I'm back down to walking, swimming and gentle rides on the stationary bike.

I got in a nice, long walk with the dog last night and a decent 3.5K this morning. I had hoped to do some exercise today to make up for skipping Wednesday morning, but my shoulder is still really sore and weak, so I skipped it. 

We did wander the farmers' market with friends this afternoon, which means I have fewer steps left to finish off the count for today.

 

Fall Frenzy Challenge Update: 196.2 of 500K
Daily Walking Streak: 224 Days
South Lake Trail ?: 0 of 13 miles 

[Harriet Vane]

27 minutes ago, Jenny in Florida said:

@Harriet Vane I had a similar experience with Zumba. I used to love aerobics back when that was a thing, so I tried Zumba a few years ago. I enjoyed it so much -- I remember telling my husband the only problem was that I was going to want to be at the exercise studio all the time -- but then I hurt my knee during a class (torn meniscus), and after that healed everything else went downhill for me physically. Now the arthritis means anything that potentially twists or stresses my knees is out of the question. So, I'm back down to walking, swimming and gentle rides on the stationary bike.

I got in a nice, long walk with the dog last night and a decent 3.5K this morning. I had hoped to do some exercise today to make up for skipping Wednesday morning, but my shoulder is still really sore and weak, so I skipped it. 

We did wander the farmers' market with friends this afternoon, which means I have fewer steps left to finish off the count for today.

 

Fall Frenzy Challenge Update: 196.2 of 500K
Daily Walking Streak: 224 Days
South Lake Trail ?: 0 of 13 miles 

I am so sorry for your knee! And grateful to know someone out there gets it. I try to jazz up the walking by chatting with friends on the phone, and I try to jazz up time on the bike or elliptical by watching Netflix. But it's not nearly as fun or as empowering as martial arts. 

I have not yet exercised today but I keep telling myself determinedly that I will do my PT stuff and take a walk. The weather is gorgeous today and the trees have finally committed to real color change, so a walk will be pleasant. I also adore the leaf scent we get up here this time of year.

[wintermom]

Tennis last night was really fun. We played for just over 2 hrs, but I was completely wrecked for the last 15 min. My whole body hurt. I'm so thrilled today that I have absolutely no pain! I think the new mattress we bought is really helping. It cushions my body so much nicer than the old mattress we've had for 25 yrs. 😉

Dd and I went for a bike ride this afternoon, which was really nice. The leaves are looking so pretty this time of year. 

@Harriet Vane I miss martial arts, too. I trained for 13 years, then gave it up as it was just too stressful on my body. I loved those years of training hard, though. It's such a good physical and mental work-out. It's definitely tough to find an activity with as much variety with both mental and physical intensity, along with a social aspect. For me, tennis is probably the closest thing. 

[Harriet Vane]

26 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Tennis last night was really fun. We played for just over 2 hrs, but I was completely wrecked for the last 15 min. My whole body hurt. I'm so thrilled today that I have absolutely no pain! I think the new mattress we bought is really helping. It cushions my body so much nicer than the old mattress we've had for 25 yrs. 😉

Dd and I went for a bike ride this afternoon, which was really nice. The leaves are looking so pretty this time of year. 

@Harriet Vane I miss martial arts, too. I trained for 13 years, then gave it up as it was just too stressful on my body. I loved those years of training hard, though. It's such a good physical and mental work-out. It's definitely tough to find an activity with as much variety with both mental and physical intensity, along with a social aspect. For me, tennis is probably the closest thing. 

Yes, exactly. 

I did martial arts in my college years and loved it. I meant to go back to it for many years but didn't. Then, when I thought all hope was gone, it came into my life again strangely and fortuitously. My daughter had had a series of lessons with a local self-defense guy before traveling abroad. He was incredible and we were grateful. Years later, someone connected to a foster care case confronted me in a parking lot. This was after I'd had a life-threatening illness with sepsis--some combination of the illness and the drugs that saved my life caused weight gain as well as deconditioning and a lack of balance and coordination. It spiraled together with my existing chronic condition to exacerbate that as well. It was awful. There in the parking lot I felt horribly vulnerable personally and also horribly aware of my utter inability to protect the child with me if anything escalated. Nothing happened in the confrontation--the situation dissipated--but it scared me badly. I had just started a process of major physical therapy, and I contacted the self-defense guy thinking he would give me some pointers about using pepper spray or something like that. Nope. He wanted to teach me martial arts and he was willing to be creative with my physical issues. It was a renewal I never expected to have and absolutely the most empowering thing I've done as an adult. I miss it terribly.