Well-trained bodies - August

[Jenny in Florida]

4 hours ago, Soror said:

What is the audio book that has you so enthralled? 

I'm listening to Siren Queen, by Nghi Vo. It has a sort of magical realism tone, which I haven't been reading/listening to a lot of lately. It's gorgeously written, however.

[Jenny in Florida]

@wintermom The water looks so beautiful! I'm envious of your access to that kind of environment. Glad you had a good day.

 

We did some shopping yesterday -- farmers' market until the rain hit, then a trip to the craft store -- plus some puttering around the house that clocked a good number of my remaining steps for the day. So, I ended up walking just another 2.5k to meet my goal once the sun went down and it was cool enough to be pleasant outside. 

I'm still trying to "train" for those 10k walks I signed up for (first one in November), and my schedule has me doing at least one longer walk every other week, with a maintenance walk in between. Last week was a 5k, so I made a point of doing that again today. Then I did a 30-minute yoga for runners video from the teacher whose class I take on Tuesday evenings to make up for skipping my regular strength and stretching on Thursday. 

More of the usual later. My plans for today involve mostly finishing up the big weekly laundry session and doing a couple of other projects in the house. Once things cool down later, I'll take another walk if the weather cooperates and/or ride the stationary bike to top off the day's step count.

 

Summer Splash Challenge: 529.4 of 600K
Walking Streak: 97 days

[wintermom]

6 minutes ago, Jenny in Florida said:

@wintermom The water looks so beautiful! I'm envious of your access to that kind of environment. Glad you had a good day.

I'm so lucky to have a wide variety of water to kayak on - and no alligators to worry about! Ontario is famous for rocks, trees and water. We have a huge abundance of all three. We also have some wicked black flies and mosquitoes, too. 😁

[Soror]

I was still wiped out yesterday. Being on my period often drains me, that with long hours and lots of work outside did me in. I did some cleaning, food prep, laundry, cooking, and a nap and lots of laying around.

Today--- I had a full nights sleep. Still don't feel super spunky but I think/hope I'll feel better than yesterday.

strength work--- legs 

[Jenny in Florida]

Yesterday ended on a downturn, emotionally. The projects I tried to accomplish for the house didn't turn out the way I had hoped/planned, and between that and feeling physically unwell for much of yesterday, I ended up feeling like I had just wasted a whole weekend. Work has been somewhat stressful for the last couple of weeks, in part because I have had so much trouble focusing that I have lost several days of productivity, which then puts me behind schedule, which then makes me feel worse about working  . . . and the cycle continues. So, having nothing "to show for" the weekend (even in the form of having had a good time) before I have to dive back in on Monday morning dials up the usual sense of dread even higher. 

I did get out for an evening walk to just barely clock my step count.

Same this morning -- I walked the usual 4k, but just that, then did strength and stretching on the mat out on the patio.

 

Summer Splash Challenge: 536.8 of 600K
Walking Streak: 98 days

[Harriet Vane]

Yesterday we spent much of the afternoon and evening helping our international student and his roommate get set up in their apartment. So much walking and moving and doing. My feet swelled by evening and I am exhausted. I am counting the work of yesterday as exercise, and today I am focusing on doing 3-4 sessions of lower back and hip work as I am really sore.

[Ali in OR]

The weekend was rough on me too. We had my disabled dd home and had one of those horrible cluster seizure events that happen once or twice a year. I just sit around and watch her have seizures, give emergency meds, watch her nap, hope and pray the seizures stop, try to figure out what to do next, try to figure out what I can do after I've done everything on the protocol and I'm not authorized to give more emergency med, give more anyway (it's that or ER and frankly we know more than the ER docs who aren't neurologists). Ugh. No seizures this morning (the bad days usually start with her already having seizures first thing). She's back at the foster home. I have called the neurologist to try to upgrade the protocol a bit.

I got my walk in yesterday (in 95° heat)--trying to get in more walks, particularly on days where I'm not already doing cardio and Sundays were a complete rest day for me before. 30 min on the treadmill this morning. Had my second PT visit today and did exercises there plus learned stuff. May invest in a couple of kettlebells. Have a crockpot of vegan black bean soup going--smells delicious. Trying to eat really well before Wednesday's BP check. Could have done without the high-stress weekend.

[Laura Corin]

@Jenny in Florida I'm sorry things are hard.

@Ali in OR that must be so frightening to witness.

I walked at lunchtime and then again after supper.  Now I just need to stay awake until 1am. I'm binge-watching a Swedish series called The Sandhamn Murders to keep myself awake.

So far the sleep retraining is working though - I'm only allowing myself 5 1/2 hours this week but it's solid sleep.  Onwards and upwards. I'm looking forward to a luxurious 6 hours next week. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by Laura Corin

[Jenny in Florida]

@Ali in OR That sounds terrifying and exhausting for you and your daughter. I'm so sorry. Glad to hear things are calming down for now.

[wintermom]

Dh and I took a day trip to Montreal to see the National Bank Tennis tournament (formerly Rogers Cup). I saw Andy Murray (just finishing his warm up, but missed getting a photo), and several other players practicing or around the stadium areas. Unfortunately it was drizzling and the matches were delayed several hours, and we left. It was still a fun trip. Here's some eye candy for your viewing pleasure. 😉

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by wintermom

[Soror]

@Laura CorinThat is some dedication. Seems it is going well though.

@Ali in OR UGH, I'm sorry for the rough weekend.

@wintermom I bet you were geeking out over the tennis guys 🙂

@Jenny in Florida sorry for the unproductive weekend. It can be hard when you are just spinning your wheels.

@Harriet Vane that is definitely exercise-- how are the feet today?

[Soror]

I had what felt like a solid day yesterday. My days have been so very busy lots of running most days and doing things but not always so productive. Shopping doesn't feel productive to me or driving people around, even if I need to do it. It is amazing how much easier it is to get things done when I'm not gone half the day (or all of it). I still had to go to pick up dd I was only gone a bit over an hour.  (It will be so nice when I don't have to go somewhere every day)

I got in my am strength workout and I took a walk.

It rained in the afternoon and really cooled off. I thought I'll take a walk in the woods. Bad, bad idea. I got scratches all over me. And I had to take 2 showers to get off all the seed ticks. So, ya, no more woods walks by my house until things die off. At least, the road work should be finished in about a month and I can walk the road again.

Today: HIIT

They are playing pickleball today (finally after nearly 2 weeks)-- but they start at 10. I've got to pick up dd from tennis at 10, take ds his shot records (he stayed at a friend's house), and then drop dd off. Once I get home we've got school to do. If I went I'd be more than 30 minutes late. Sigh. Hopefully, they will play tomorrow we have to finish school early as the girls are going with MIL.

--- another good night's sleep--- this is the good hormone time for me--- makes life much easier

Edited August 9, 2022 by Soror

[Jenny in Florida]

Went out to a WDW cast member event with my husband last night that had us walking around the Disney Hollywood studios park for a few hours. I way exceeded my step goal for the day and also got to ride a couple of attractions I hadn't gotten to yet. (Gratuitous photo of the moon over Galaxy's Edge below.) We were very concerned earlier in the day that the weather was going to be gross, but we got through the whole evening without rain.

I had scheduled a day off from work today, knowing we would be out late last night. So, I slept late, then walked the usual morning 4k and did some strength and stretching (inside, because it was already too warm to exercise on the patio). I'm doing some house stuff this afternoon and will head out to yoga this evening, followed by enough walking to top off the day's step count.

Summer Splash Challenge: 541.0 of 600K
Walking Streak: 99 days

[wintermom]

It was a rest day for me, which was a good thing as it rained most of the day and I didn't sleep so great. I took the dogs for a few short walks. 

[Ali in OR]

Long day. Lots of transition stuff with dd. She did not sleep last night (foster care home). She did not nap today. This is not good for seizures (sounds like she had one at dinner from what they described, but none when I was there). I stayed tonight until it was pretty clear she was going off to sleep. Long day.

Did my bodyweight circuit x2 and a 10 min yoga this morning. My bonus cardio was a walk with dd around a couple of blocks--she liked that. It's suddenly kind of cool and windy here. I need to do my PT exercises here before bed.

Tomorrow is blood pressure check. I want it to be fine but can't imagine it's fine with all of this stress. Bleh.

[heartlikealion]

Monday I did HIIT and 35 min on the bike. I don’t know if I somehow pulled a muscle from the little bit of strength training I did but all day today my forearm would throb off/on. I applied ice but didn’t know what else to do. It appears to have stopped, thank goodness. 

Today I didn’t get around to exercising. I was very distracted by other things and simply lost desire. I cleaned out the car, baked off the rest of cookie dough I made this week (seriously should have biked off the cookie calories lol), assembles new TV stand so I can point tv at work area or stationary bike (yay), and started an art protect for dd’s new room. 

I need to do 2 more HIIT days to complete disc 1 of the 4-disc DVD set. 

Love the photos. 
 

@Ali in OR If I can bring my BP down I know you can. It just may require more time between checks if this visit doesn’t go as you hope. I cut back on my salt intake for several weeks before my check. I still don’t use it as often as I used to. 

[Soror]

@heartlikealion hope the arm isn't too bad-- could be something from the moving too

@Ali in OR good luck on the check today

@wintermom ya for rest days!

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

I *did* go play pickleball yesterday (2 hrs). Dh offered to pick up dd and take her to work (his schedule at work is flexible at times). Still felt like an idiot. But I scored a few points. 

They have pickleball again today but my morning schedule is already wonky enough with dd's tennis and counseling--and my shoulder is still a bit sore from climbing I think 2 days in a row might be a bit much.

Today's plan:

glutes/ maybe an outside walk if it's not storming or too hot during dd's appt (it's close to the park)

I am not sleeping well tonight. I ran out of my reg b vitamins. I have some other but stopped them as they made my sleep wonky. I thought well I'll take half. Nope. Great energy during the day but I'm awake. My allergies are also flaring from the walk in the woods Monday. My eyes are so itchy and my nose running. 

Dd's tennis is going like my pickleball. She's frustrated that there are others that started when she did picking it up easier. (but I'm so proud she is keeping at it) I feel like it is a favor that I get to play. It is so embarrassing to be such an idiot. I need to practice hitting the ball against a wall so I'm not so bad at it but there are limited places to do that (and limited time). My serving is so hit or miss. I swear whatever genes give people athletic skill we do not have them. Hand eye coordination-- depth perception--I've got none of these! [I keep telling myself-- this is good for my brain and body and bonus I'm learning heaps and heaps of humility while I'm at it.]

[heartlikealion]

46 minutes ago, Soror said:

@heartlikealion hope the arm isn't too bad-- could be something from the moving too

@Ali in OR good luck on the check today

@wintermom ya for rest days!

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

I *did* go play pickleball yesterday (2 hrs). Dh offered to pick up dd and take her to work (his schedule at work is flexible at times). Still felt like an idiot. But I scored a few points. 

They have pickleball again today but my morning schedule is already wonky enough with dd's tennis and counseling--and my shoulder is still a bit sore from climbing I think 2 days in a row might be a bit much.

Today's plan:

glutes/ maybe an outside walk if it's not storming or too hot during dd's appt (it's close to the park)

I am not sleeping well tonight. I ran out of my reg b vitamins. I have some other but stopped them as they made my sleep wonky. I thought well I'll take half. Nope. Great energy during the day but I'm awake. My allergies are also flaring from the walk in the woods Monday. My eyes are so itchy and my nose running. 

Dd's tennis is going like my pickleball. She's frustrated that there are others that started when she did picking it up easier. (but I'm so proud she is keeping at it) I feel like it is a favor that I get to play. It is so embarrassing to be such an idiot. I need to practice hitting the ball against a wall so I'm not so bad at it but there are limited places to do that (and limited time). My serving is so hit or miss. I swear whatever genes give people athletic skill we do not have them. Hand eye coordination-- depth perception--I've got none of these! [I keep telling myself-- this is good for my brain and body and bonus I'm learning heaps and heaps of humility while I'm at it.]

There are 2 ways to serve in Pickleball. I prefer to drop the ball to the paddle. I think the alternative is bounce the ball and then your paddle can’t rise above your waistline?? I remember when my dad told me the waistline junk I got frustrated so he told me just serve it the other way. 

I haven’t had time to play Pickleball because they are so far and I can’t justify the gas. Then recently in the group chat they said to s of people are showing up and how do they handle it… designate more PB nights, play to 7 instead of 11 etc. They have to figure out what rules, if any, they can implement on a public court. 

[heartlikealion]

@Soror Excuse me, even with drop serve it has to bounce. I couldn’t remember. But I think drop serve is easier (less rules). Try it if you haven’t already. 

https://thepickler.com/blogs/pickleball-blog/pickleball-serving-rules

[wintermom]

3 hours ago, Soror said:

@heartlikealion hope the arm isn't too bad-- could be something from the moving too

@Ali in OR good luck on the check today

@wintermom ya for rest days!

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

I *did* go play pickleball yesterday (2 hrs). Dh offered to pick up dd and take her to work (his schedule at work is flexible at times). Still felt like an idiot. But I scored a few points. 

They have pickleball again today but my morning schedule is already wonky enough with dd's tennis and counseling--and my shoulder is still a bit sore from climbing I think 2 days in a row might be a bit much.

Today's plan:

glutes/ maybe an outside walk if it's not storming or too hot during dd's appt (it's close to the park)

I am not sleeping well tonight. I ran out of my reg b vitamins. I have some other but stopped them as they made my sleep wonky. I thought well I'll take half. Nope. Great energy during the day but I'm awake. My allergies are also flaring from the walk in the woods Monday. My eyes are so itchy and my nose running. 

Dd's tennis is going like my pickleball. She's frustrated that there are others that started when she did picking it up easier. (but I'm so proud she is keeping at it) I feel like it is a favor that I get to play. It is so embarrassing to be such an idiot. I need to practice hitting the ball against a wall so I'm not so bad at it but there are limited places to do that (and limited time). My serving is so hit or miss. I swear whatever genes give people athletic skill we do not have them. Hand eye coordination-- depth perception--I've got none of these! [I keep telling myself-- this is good for my brain and body and bonus I'm learning heaps and heaps of humility while I'm at it.]

Great job getting out to pickleball! The hand-eye coordination is definitely challenging, but not just for you - for everyone. And repetition will certinaly help, but it doesn't have to always be the exact same motions and equipment as on a pickleball court. Footwork is all really key in tennis and pickleball

You and your dd can do some practice at home with whatever racquets or balls you have. Just go onto youtube and search for tennis and/or pickleball drills/coordination drills. Here's a neat one for pickleball, but you can find hundreds of neat ideas to have some fun and build your skills.

The hardest part about improving any new skill is patience with yourself. You are not going to master any skill immediately. It just takes time and intentional effort and you will gradually improve. 

 

[wintermom]

It's another rest day from tennis, but I'm going to go kayaking after work as well a more dog walks. I may even start adding in more intentional conditioning for core strength (sit-ups, plank, etc.). I've let these exercises drop from my schedule, and it would probably be helpful to resume them.

 

[Jenny in Florida]

Had another kind of gross day emotionally yesterday. Made the mistake of attempting another project for the house that didn't go well, in part due to my physical limitations. I'm also struggling really, really hard with the feeling that many things about my life are just . . . wrong . . . and specifically questioning whether my job is working for me and, if not, whether I should be investing the time and money in the master's degree program I'm about to dive into to support this career path. 

All of that combined with the heat and humidity and hanging around my also unhappy husband is making it very hard to stay motivated to keep up with the exercise and wellness routine. I just feel like I'm trudging through most of my walks, and I even had trouble working up the enthusiasm to get myself in the car and go to yoga (which is normally one of the high points of my week). 

And, yes, I am well aware that I am still extremely privileged and that I should quit being so whiny. But, well, there it is.

That said, I did go to yoga last night, which was good. She pushed us a little more than usual and introduced some new poses and more advanced variations, some of which I opted out of even trying. It was a good class, though.

I took the dog out when I got home and logged the remaining steps for the day.

Had trouble forcing myself out of bed this morning and so ran late getting out for a walk. This means (a) I had less time and (b) it was hotter than it would have been if I had gone out on schedule. We walked just short of the planned 4k, so I'll have to make up those steps later. 

I finished up the morning with a 20-minute seated upper body workout video. 

 

Summer Splash Challenge: 548.2 of 600K
Walking Streak: 100 days

Edited August 11, 2022 by Jenny in Florida

[Ali in OR]

Just 20 min on the treadmill--I need to supplement that with walk at some point.

BP was about the same as last time. I am now the proud owner of a home BP monitor. I will track for awhile and if it remains high then we'll be talking meds. Sigh. My eating wasn't really too off even before the July test, so diet and exercise may not be enough. I want to get a month or two of numbers and then make a decision on meds. I'll continue DASH diet and make sure I'm hitting exercise goals. I also got my first shingles vaccine, so we'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow.

[wintermom]

Dd and I took the puppy to the agility course and ran him around. It was really fun. Then I went for a solo kayak on the small river. I caught this shot at sunset (which is coming way too early now!)

 

[heartlikealion]

@Jenny in Florida I'm sorry you're having a down time. You're totally entitled to your feelings no matter if you're privileged or not. Everything is on a continuum, anyway so I think it's fine to say "this is tough for me" regardless of where others land on that continuum. I don't think I'd really want to dive into a program where I felt so much hesitation in the beginning because then I'd worry when will I throw in the towel? One semester from now? two? Three? or think I've reached the point of no return simply because I've invested X number of days or $. Maybe you can make a pro/con list? 

@Ali in OR how many weeks have you been dieting/exercising between visits? Sounds like just one month? I suspect that either it wasn't enough time or wasn't strict enough and those things both take time. I don't know how the pills work... I suspect you could wean yourself off of them later if need be?? But I don't know how they would determine that. For me I think part of my numbers were based on water intake and losing weight. If you changed diet, but didn't lose weight, it may not make as much impact. In order to lose weight I had to be more strict to create a calorie deficit. I hate being hungry so I've had to seek out more things that I can eat without worry about measuring so much. There are several forms of exercise, but some are more helpful for burning calories fast vs others. That's why I rely so heavily on my exercise bike. In 30 min time I can burn so much more doing that than walking for 30 min. So maybe you can try out different exercises. I really don't know how many calories my HIIT burns, but supposedly it keeps burning calories after the workout is over.

@wintermom beautiful photo. 

I napped today and was so confused when I woke up lol. I thought it was the next morning. I've ordered a couple more curtain panels for my living room for privacy. I don't trust the blinds haha. My make shift curtain on one side of the windows fell down today. I'm just self conscious because my landlord made a comment once that I must drive to the office late or work weird hours because he saw the lights on when he was walking their dog. I asked if the lights bothered him and he said no. But I know once I get my curtains fully up they should block out any light in my living room and I won't be so self conscious if I'm up late working, watching tv, working out, etc. So stupid I even care about this stuff... but I do. I don't even know what time he was walking the dog, but I do keep weird hours. I wish I could just stay up all day and be productive but I tend to need naps and then do stuff at night. 

[Jenny in Florida]

9 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

@Jenny in Florida I'm sorry you're having a down time. You're totally entitled to your feelings no matter if you're privileged or not. Everything is on a continuum, anyway so I think it's fine to say "this is tough for me" regardless of where others land on that continuum. I don't think I'd really want to dive into a program where I felt so much hesitation in the beginning because then I'd worry when will I throw in the towel? One semester from now? two? Three? or think I've reached the point of no return simply because I've invested X number of days or $. Maybe you can make a pro/con list? 

@Ali in OR how many weeks have you been dieting/exercising between visits? Sounds like just one month? I suspect that either it wasn't enough time or wasn't strict enough and those things both take time. I don't know how the pills work... I suspect you could wean yourself off of them later if need be?? But I don't know how they would determine that. For me I think part of my numbers were based on water intake and losing weight. If you changed diet, but didn't lose weight, it may not make as much impact. In order to lose weight I had to be more strict to create a calorie deficit. I hate being hungry so I've had to seek out more things that I can eat without worry about measuring so much. There are several forms of exercise, but some are more helpful for burning calories fast vs others. That's why I rely so heavily on my exercise bike. In 30 min time I can burn so much more doing that than walking for 30 min. So maybe you can try out different exercises. I really don't know how many calories my HIIT burns, but supposedly it keeps burning calories after the workout is over.

@wintermom beautiful photo. 

I napped today and was so confused when I woke up lol. I thought it was the next morning. I've ordered a couple more curtain panels for my living room for privacy. I don't trust the blinds haha. My make shift curtain on one side of the windows fell down today. I'm just self conscious because my landlord made a comment once that I must drive to the office late or work weird hours because he saw the lights on when he was walking their dog. I asked if the lights bothered him and he said no. But I know once I get my curtains fully up they should block out any light in my living room and I won't be so self conscious if I'm up late working, watching tv, working out, etc. So stupid I even care about this stuff... but I do. I don't even know what time he was walking the dog, but I do keep weird hours. I wish I could just stay up all day and be productive but I tend to need naps and then do stuff at night. 

@wintermom That sunset photo is lovely!

@heartlikealion One of the many reasons I dislike napping is that I often feel so disoriented when I wake up, so I relate. Also, I once had a landlord that would comment on my schedule/hours or habits, and it made me so self-conscious. Now I realize he was likely just being friendly or making conversation, but at the time it did feel weird. I hope the new curtains make you feel more comfortable.

As for the master's program: Because I completed a graduate certificate in a related subject and most of those credits will transfer in and fulfill the "specialization" requirement, I'm actually almost half-way done with the MA already. I had always planned on getting a master's degree,  and since I'm in my mid-late 50s, I'm kind of feeling like it doesn't make sense to stall any longer. I like being in school, and taking these classes will at least lead to "something" that will likely be meaningful to me, career-wise. I also find the subject matter interesting. And, because it's a state university, the tuition is as reasonable as graduate tuition ever is. If I'm ever going to go back to school for a graduate degree in anything, this seems like the best time and the most logical program. 

And, perhaps more fundamentally, although I don't like my job (even though there are approximately 1,000 reasons why I "should"), the fact is that I have never had a job (other than parenting/homeschooling) I didn't hate and dread, so there's no good reason to think that anything would be different if I changed careers. I have another decade or so before retirement. I might as well do what I can to make it tolerable to hang in there.

[Jenny in Florida]

I worked late again last night, then ran out and did some shopping (which I always think will net me more steps than it does). The weather held for most of the evening, so I took the dog for a walk (another 4k+) to top off the day's step goal.

Walked a little longer than usual this morning, about 4.5k, then did some strength and stretching (inside, to avoid the heat) and finished up with the stair step for my knees. 

 

Summer Splash Challenge: 556.4 of 600K
Walking Streak: 101 days

Edited August 11, 2022 by Jenny in Florida

[heartlikealion]

@Jenny in Florida Oh I’m sorry to hear you haven’t liked any of your jobs. I did like some of my jobs, at least for periods of time. Then they kinda went sour (like more work or conflict in the dept). I would like to think it’s possible for you to find a job you don’t dread! Maybe read the What Color is Your Parachute book or take a quiz? 

[wintermom]

@Jenny in Florida It sounds like completing your Masters degree is a great idea! All the best! Hope it leads to some exciting career prospects. 

@heartlikealion Afternoon naps can be life-savers for me at times, and other times it's even harder to get going on the rest of the activities I need/want to do. 

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

I took both dogs to the off-leash trails, and did a small loop as the older dog can't go as far as hyper-puppy. This afternoon I'm playing singles tennis with a girl friend with the goal of working on my forehand shots. Wish me luck! Some days I can't even hit a forehand that goes over the net and stays in the court. 🤪

[Ali in OR]

Dumbbell workout this morning.

I hated my stress level yesterday. Dd was having little seizures when I went over for evening meds, so we had to give her an emergency med. She had some weird little blip in consciousness in the morning too that was probably some little seizure, and they were asking me if the jerking leg they saw during dinner Tuesday was a seizure. Yes. So I called her doctor's office today to try to up one of her maintenance meds to give her a little more cushion for seizure control. I so want to drop the stress of her care, but we need to get her stable before that will happen. School stress is nothing compared to this. And BP stress doesn't help either! I was testing out my new home monitoring device yesterday afternoon and was pretty much in the 140's over 90, but first thing this morning I was 118 over 80--I like that one. And it inspired me to keep trying with diet and exercise (and hopefully some reduced stress).

[wintermom]

@Ali in OR Big hugs to you. That must be so tough! I hope your dd's situation stablizes soon. 

[Jenny in Florida]

Oh, @Ali in OR. That does sound stressful. I'm so sorry the transition is difficult. I hope you can find the right balance for your daughter soon.

[Laura Corin]

@Ali in OR that's so hard. I hope you find a balance soon.

--------

Sorry I'm a bit absent at present.  The sleep retraining is brutal and I don't want to be complaining all the time about self-imposed pain. It's working so far and I move up to a six-hour sleep window tomorrow. I'm covered in insect bites - luckily I don't react badly  - from late-evening walks that I take to stay awake.  Fitbit keeps congratulating me on my step count and meanwhile I feel unpleasantly drunk much of the time.

By the time the time the new semester  starts, I hope I'll be on a 7 1/2-hour sleep window.

[Soror]

5 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

@Ali in OR that's so hard. I hope you find a balance soon.

--------

Sorry I'm a bit absent at present.  The sleep retraining is brutal and I don't want to be complaining all the time about self-imposed pain. It's working so far and I move up to a six-hour sleep window tomorrow. I'm covered in insect bites - luckily I don't react badly  - from late-evening walks that I take to stay awake.  Fitbit keeps congratulating me on my step count and meanwhile I feel unpleasantly drunk much of the time.

By the time the time the new semester  starts, I hope I'll be on a 7 1/2-hour sleep window.

You are a trooper making it through this. Not getting enough sleep is terrible.

@Ali in OR (hugs) and prayers for you-- I'm certain a large part of your bp issues are stress right now.

[Soror]

Yesterday was a rest day. I did some easy yoga/stretching. I only got in a short walk as the walking track was closed and I forgot my sunscreen.

My body has been aching this week-- my hips from too much sitting (driving on Friday, tired on the weekend, and lots of school planning this week) and 2 hard workouts. And my shoulder is still sore from climbing last Friday. I must have pulled something. I'm hoping it is the kind of thing that just goes away with rest. It does seem to be improving. 

today: full body (lighter weights on account of all that)--- taking the girls swimming

 

[wintermom]

6 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Sorry I'm a bit absent at present.  The sleep retraining is brutal and I don't want to be complaining all the time about self-imposed pain. It's working so far and I move up to a six-hour sleep window tomorrow. I'm covered in insect bites - luckily I don't react badly  - from late-evening walks that I take to stay awake.  Fitbit keeps congratulating me on my step count and meanwhile I feel unpleasantly drunk much of the time.

By the time the time the new semester  starts, I hope I'll be on a 7 1/2-hour sleep window.

That must be really tough. Hopefully your sleep will be fully restored very soon! Are there a lot of mosquitoes in Scotland? There were hardly any in Norway, which was REALLY nice compared to Canada. 

1 hour ago, Soror said:

Yesterday was a rest day. I did some easy yoga/stretching. I only got in a short walk as the walking track was closed and I forgot my sunscreen.

My body has been aching this week-- my hips from too much sitting (driving on Friday, tired on the weekend, and lots of school planning this week) and 2 hard workouts. And my shoulder is still sore from climbing last Friday. I must have pulled something. I'm hoping it is the kind of thing that just goes away with rest. It does seem to be improving. 

today: full body (lighter weights on account of all that)--- taking the girls swimming

 

Good for you for lightening your work-outs while your body recovers. Hope the aching goes away very soon. I didn't think I'd ever stop aching after my waterfall project, but the body can do amazing things!

[wintermom]

I'm playing mixed doubles tennis this evening. I'm hoping that my forehand shot is improved after yesterday's practice session. But who knows? It's really hard to have the time and mental capacity to remember technique during games. 😉 

I'm doing a little diet re-boot, which was prompted by my purchasing a 2-piece swimsuit. I've been indulging in too many hard ciders and salty snacks, and certain areas of my body need to be reigned in. Why did I think 2-piece swimsuit was a good thing to buy? 🤪 The only reason I bought it was for easier potty breaks when paddling and swimming, as I'll wear a t-shirt over it.

[Laura Corin]

12 minutes ago, wintermom said:

That must be really tough. Hopefully your sleep will be fully restored very soon! Are there a lot of mosquitoes in Scotland? There were hardly any in Norway, which was REALLY nice compared to Canada. 

 

Very few mosquitos. It's likely to be midges.

[Jenny in Florida]

My husband had his weekly gaming group here last night, which was a nice incentive for me to get out and take a long walk. (They're nice dudes, just loud.) 

The rain we've been having seems to have cleared a teeny bit of humidity out of the air and the temp was slightly lower when I stepped out the door, which made this morning's usual 4k walk a little more pleasant.

Finished up the morning with a 20-minute seated upper body tabata video. 

Not sure what the evening holds, movement-wise. I'm scheduled to go out with a friend to see one of my bonus young people do her first public performance of some music she's written and produced. That will keep my busy -- but not active -- for much of my after-work time. I may try to get out for a walk or something this afternoon if I can squeeze in a lunch break.

 

Summer Splash Challenge: 56407 of 600K
Walking Streak: 102 days

[heartlikealion]

I'm still not on track with exercise, but I'll eventually get there. Late last night I did a 5 min YouTube warm up video, then my HIIT video, then a 5 min cool down video... though the cool down seemed to be a little bit of a work out compared to what I expected lol. Not hard, but just felt like I was getting my heart rate up again rather than down.

I'm still trying to find the best warm up/cool down videos for me. They are kind of a blow to the ego because so many do these stretches that I cannot do (yet). I hope to one day be more flexible. I know that my calves are tighter than they should be, hence the plantar fasciitis (which has stayed at bay mostly) but I don't know how long it should take to reverse that so that I could actually stretch properly. Super annoying. I mean months of wearing night splints, off/on stretching on the foot board... and I feel as inflexible as I was before. Yoga stuff just makes me mad (frustrated) so I try to find warm up/cool down videos that don't look like yoga. I haven't studied it but my dad used to say do not roll your neck. And so so so many people do that in their stretching videos! Then I question their credibility with anything else they tell me to do. 

I was planning on doing 30 min on the bike last night (yeah I know that makes no sense after a cool down maybe... ) but then dd got out of bed and I gave up. 

@Laura Corin I know you explained it somewhere, but I can't remember... why are you on a restricted sleep pattern? Is it like fasting? 

The mosquitos are bad here. I spoke to my neighbor outside and got eaten alive last night. At least I had on pants so it was just my arms. 

@Ali in OR oh my gosh that sounds insanely stressful. And that's amazing your BP made such a leap between recent tests. Do you think you have a little "white coat syndrome" at the doctor's office? 

@Soror I hope you feel better soon. At least the swimming is low impact. 

@wintermom we are our worst critics. As for swim wear, I wear swim shorts and a rash guard (I wear my padded sports bra under but to each their own). I bought them both on Amazon. I was getting a little chubby for the rash guard so I went up a size and then this summer wore it and realized duh since it didn't cling to me as much it wanted to float up in the pool!! I was like yeesh I guess I'll just stick with the one that will stay put LOL 

[heartlikealion]

@Jenny in Florida I may try that chair video! Glad it wasn't as humid for your morning walk. 

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

Very few mosquitos. It's likely to be midges.

Right. I've heard about the Scottish midges. Nasty little things. 😨

[wintermom]

7 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

@Laura Corin I know you explained it somewhere, but I can't remember... why are you on a restricted sleep pattern? Is it like fasting? 

The mosquitos are bad here. I spoke to my neighbor outside and got eaten alive last night. At least I had on pants so it was just my arms.

@wintermom we are our worst critics. As for swim wear, I wear swim shorts and a rash guard (I wear my padded sports bra under but to each their own). I bought them both on Amazon. I was getting a little chubby for the rash guard so I went up a size and then this summer wore it and realized duh since it didn't cling to me as much it wanted to float up in the pool!! I was like yeesh I guess I'll just stick with the one that will stay put LOL 

We have similar mosquitos here, where long pants and sleeves protect you from bites. In Manitoba the mosquitoes bite through everything except buckskin. They are the ironman version of mosquitoes, I guess. 😅 I'm happy with our less-powerful version here.

I was trying to find a swimsuit that was basically a sports bra made for water use, and I somewhat succeeded. However, getting out of wet sports bras can sometimes cause shoulder strains with the contortions required. I went with one that has thinner straps. 😉 

[Laura Corin]

26 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

 

@Laura Corin I know you explained it somewhere, but I can't remember... why are you on a restricted sleep pattern? 

My body has got into a biphasic pattern, so I sleep for a bit, am awake for an hour, then sleep for a bit if I'm lucky. By restricting sleep time then slowly increasing you can retrain your pattern.

22 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Right. I've heard about the Scottish midges. Nasty little things. 😨

Not usually too bad here in eastern Scotland, but dusk is always going to bring them out.

I am hoping to do yoga on the lawn after work, then take my usual late evening stroll.

[Jenny in Florida]

1 hour ago, heartlikealion said:

@Jenny in Florida I may try that chair video! Glad it wasn't as humid for your morning walk. 

I hope you like it. I have done a bunch of her videos. Some are beyond me, still, but she has a nice range of workouts available.

I know you said yoga frustrates you, but I also have to put in a plug for Dana's chair yoga videos:

She's lovely and encouraging, and usual provides lots of options. 

[Ali in OR]

Just 20 minutes on the treadmill this morning--hoping to supplement that with a walk with the dog. As I was lying in bed this morning I realized that my arm didn't hurt. It's weird that it's fine standing or sitting, but lying down puts it in a different plane that requires a bit more range of motion than I have had. So I hope the not hurting means that the PT is helping. It's not 100% but even just being able to sleep without pain will be a huge improvement.

1 hour ago, heartlikealion said:

@Ali in OR oh my gosh that sounds insanely stressful. And that's amazing your BP made such a leap between recent tests. Do you think you have a little "white coat syndrome" at the doctor's office? 

My BP has always been normal or low until this year. I looked back in my online chart to see how it tracked:

3/2019: 116/80
3/2021: 125/72
3/2022: 142/74
4/2022 blood drive: 120/80 then 108/70 after I passed out
7/2022: 142/92
8/2022: 152/90

I've been reading enough to know that most people develop high blood pressure as they age. Maybe not the vegans! I don't think I get white coat syndrome (certainly didn't used to), but I am wondering about stress levels. I could feel physical manifestations of stress from my dd's situation on Wednesday when I had my BP recheck--a feeling like anxiety. There's no talking yourself down or turning it off--it's just there. When I bought my home monitor and measured it that afternoon it was still 140's over 90ish. I've had better readings since (in the 120's over 80) but I've only measured first thing in the morning and just before bed. And now I'm not feeling that physical manifestation of stress as dd has become more stable. I'll keep monitoring and collecting the data and maybe recheck at the doctor's office in a couple of months (and she said she can check my monitor to see how it calibrates). I think it will be hard for me to lose weight (I'm right on the border of normal and overweight), but I'm now wondering if I could drop 5 pounds or so (drop below 140). I know that seems like nothing but it's a weight I haven't seen for years, and not sure it's even possible at my age. My eating isn't too bad, so there's no easy target like just drop soda or dessert because I already don't have those much.

[heartlikealion]

When you do your checks, do you ever drink a glass of water beforehand? I think that's supposed to help and I'd do it right before the dr visits, too. Yes, that's definitely a level of stress you can't just turn off! I know I was a lot less stressed at my recent BP reading than probably the prior one since my divorce had been finalized and I'd gotten away from my awful landlord. 

[heartlikealion]

Today 8000 steps mostly from just misc walking around the house and stop at the store. Approx 1 hr on bike (450 calories according to bike) & short Get Fit with Rick video which consisted of 1600 of the steps. I forgot to try out the video in this thread. 

I don’t know what I get in steps on the bike (my pedometer doesn’t fit around my ankle but for fun I could tie to my shoelaces one day). 

[Laura Corin]

I moved up to a six-hour sleep window last night and have some energy today. I did an easy 15 minutes on the rowing machine then a 30-minute Boosted Walk video. 

I intend to spend the afternoon reading in the hammock plus doing some housework, before taking my usual late-night stroll.

Tomorrow we will go to two short concerts in the Edinburgh Festival, so I'll just manage some city walking.

[heartlikealion]

21 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

I think it will be hard for me to lose weight (I'm right on the border of normal and overweight), but I'm now wondering if I could drop 5 pounds or so (drop below 140). I know that seems like nothing but it's a weight I haven't seen for years, and not sure it's even possible at my age. My eating isn't too bad, so there's no easy target like just drop soda or dessert because I already don't have those much.

When you look at a chart to base the range, are you looking at a chart that includes body frame size? I notice that some charts include those and some do not. When I go by a frame size chart I am allowed to be a lower weight for normal. If I go by another chart it will have my target weight higher than I think is good for me. I have a small frame and feel best when I'm in a lower weight (example: for my height a chart with frame size suggests 117-130 lbs. A medium frame suggestion is 127-141. Quite a difference if you ask me). My current goal is 125 lbs but it will take time and once I get closer to that goal I might change my mind. I am in the high 160s now (started in low 180s several weeks ago). Based on your BP readings I don't think weight is necessarily a contributing factor. You had some decent readings at your current weight. 

If you decide to alter your eating at all there might be some minor things. Like I switched breads. I don't eat bread all the time but when I do, I try to stick to the Food for Life brand (Ezekiel mostly. I've been eating that as toast w/ unsweentened apple sauce sometimes. I have also bought their English muffins). These are no sugar breads, complex carbs, lower calorie compared to their counterparts. 

I don't know your age, but my thinking is losing weight in general can be difficult (especially for women) but if you want to, easier now than later? 

My weight has stayed the same the last couple days. I haven't eaten great though. So I guess if I want to get the weight down I gotta be more intentional. I ate rice this week because the kids were here and it's a good meal stretcher. I normally avoid rice.