Well-trained bodies - December

[wintermom]

This morning's 2 hr of tennis was pretty rough, but I made it through. It was all men except me, which means the balls are hit harder and I need to work harder to keep up. My shoulder felt fine, but my tennis elbow started hurting again. Oh well, some rest days coming up.

Dh and I got in a dog walk in the woods this afternoon (see snowy photo below). Our poodle is far beyond needing to be sheared. A man at the dog park asked if he was a "sheepadoodle." With all the crazy poodle mixes, it's entirely possible! 🤣

Instead of a nap afterwards the walk, I'm doing some Christmas decorating with ds 20!! Yay me! 

Edited December 18, 2022 by wintermom

[heartlikealion]

Brrr that looks cold! Beautiful photo @wintermom hope the tennis elbow clears up fast 

I played pickleball Sun for the first time in ages. They met in the afternoon for a couple hours. I still struggle with the rules/score keeping ugh. And I was playing with more advanced players. The beginner group is Mon nights but I think it’s too cold for me lol One of the players is a level 5 tennis player. I forgot my pedometer but I’m sure I got many steps! 

[Soror]

15 hours ago, knitgrl said:

Took my walk yesterday, but did not post because I needed to get ready for dd's classical guitar recital - 30min, 1.5mi.

Today, my goal was just to get out there. Also, I learned that I need to be better dressed when it's in the 20's and breezy. Because even when moving, dang, it is cold. A little less than 30min, 1.3mi.

BRRR. It's miserable when you get out and realize you are not dressed warmly enough. It's hard to get just right this time of year. 

14 hours ago, wintermom said:

This morning's 2 hr of tennis was pretty rough, but I made it through. It was all men except me, which means the balls are hit harder and I need to work harder to keep up. My shoulder felt fine, but my tennis elbow started hurting again. Oh well, some rest days coming up.

Dh and I got in a dog walk in the woods this afternoon (see snowy photo below). Our poodle is far beyond needing to be sheared. A man at the dog park asked if he was a "sheepadoodle." With all the crazy poodle mixes, it's entirely possible! 🤣

Instead of a nap afterwards the walk, I'm doing some Christmas decorating with ds 20!! Yay me! 

Aww, so much snow! I bet the dogs are loving it.

1 hour ago, heartlikealion said:

Brrr that looks cold! Beautiful photo @wintermom hope the tennis elbow clears up fast 

I played pickleball Sun for the first time in ages. They met in the afternoon for a couple hours. I still struggle with the rules/score keeping ugh. And I was playing with more advanced players. The beginner group is Mon nights but I think it’s too cold for me lol One of the players is a level 5 tennis player. I forgot my pedometer but I’m sure I got many steps! 

I'm glad you got to go again. It's hard mentally and physically playing with better players.

[Soror]

Another nice walk with dh again Sunday.

Today's plan-- Day 5 Empower- Power Yoga + outside walk

I'm sure it will be a shorter walk since it is a school day and I have an appointment to get my hair cut this afternoon. I think I'll try for lunch time but it depends on when the girls wake up.

[Ali in OR]

I'm back. I had a good visit with my siblings and aunt but sadly did not see my dad as he elected not to come to my brother's house since he was sick (a cold we think--doing better now). That was sad. But I picked up both CA daughters along the way and it was good for them to see family again--some they hadn't seen for maybe 10 years. Lots of driving. And I may be just a little bit bitter that my school district is making me work this week when everyone else is off.

Need to get back on track with diet and exercise. Christmas will have its splurges but I can't wait to return to healthier rhythm soon. I'm about to get going here on some workout video--lots of sitting in the car/plane this weekend.

[Jenny in Florida]

I got my steps both Saturday and Sunday, in part by spending about 20 minutes on the stationary bike last night. 

Today was another late-out-of-bed morning, meaning I had to trim my walk (not quite 4K). I was already planning on a slightly abbreviated strength and stretching session, and then the vet called to discuss the dog's biopsy results (not great, but not as bad as it could have been). So, yeah, not the best morning for exercise. 

I'll try to figure out some way to make up ground later.

 

Holiday Hustle 2022 Challenge: 447.5 of 550K
Walking Streak: 66

[Harriet Vane]

I went to the gym today and did a solid weights/core workout. No running this time as I neglected to bring in anything to keep myself entertained while running or biking, plus I'm swamped today and need to keep rolling through my list. The sun is shining, so I may try to take a walk on the lane a little later today.

[Laura Corin]

4 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

I'm back. I had a good visit with my siblings and aunt but sadly did not see my dad as he elected not to come to my brother's house since he was sick (a cold we think--doing better now). That was sad. But I picked up both CA daughters along the way and it was good for them to see family again--some they hadn't seen for maybe 10 years. Lots of driving. And I may be just a little bit bitter that my school district is making me work this week when everyone else is off.

Need to get back on track with diet and exercise. Christmas will have its splurges but I can't wait to return to healthier rhythm soon. I'm about to get going here on some workout video--lots of sitting in the car/plane this weekend.

I'm glad you had a good visit. I'm due to work until Friday at 5, but I'm not busy this week so some hours may be a bit sketchy.

I had a good walkvwith a friend at lunchtime- almost five miles. Still a bit icy, but we coped.

Son is home for Christmas, so we are just relaxing this evening.  I'll try to do my sun salutations at bedtime and maybe hope for more yoga tomorrow  - my back is almost well.

[knitgrl]

Sigh. I am just starting to get worn down. I know I should be happy Wednesday is my last treatment and all that, but I am tired and I'm not bouncing back like I was a few months ago and I know I will be in worse shape this week in terms of fatigue and bone pain. I guess the good thing is it will be Christmas and I'll be distracted enough to maybe notice it less.

Anyhow, had some joint pain this afternoon, so I didn't try pushing it, but did almost 1.5mi in 30min. We live in a rural area, but on a main thoroughfare that is particularly unpleasant to walk along in winter, so my "trail" is a .2mi loop in our backyard. I was able to shift my focus from dwelling on my fatigue to what sort of little nature journal entry I could compose for Strava.

[Jenny in Florida]

7 minutes ago, knitgrl said:

Sigh. I am just starting to get worn down. I know I should be happy Wednesday is my last treatment and all that, but I am tired and I'm not bouncing back like I was a few months ago and I know I will be in worse shape this week in terms of fatigue and bone pain.

I had only radiation following my mastectomy, no chemo. However, I got truly exhausted trying to balance going back to work with going to the radiation center five days a week. For me, that was also when the emotional stuff set it, which took its own toll on my energy.

I went to see the social worker at the center and told her exactly what you did, that I wasn't "bouncing back" the way I usually do.

She looked at me very intently and asked, "Do you think you should be?"

My answer, of course, was yes, because I always bounce back. Resilience is pretty much my brand.

The social worker explained that:

• most people get tired, especially if they are juggling any major responsibilities along with treatment. 
• it's totally normal for the sadness and emotional exhaustion to set in during that phase of treatment, because you've already used up your energy on dealing with "the big stuff."

So, while I have no answers or solutions to offer, I can suggest, as one who has been on a similar path, that you try to offer yourself some grace and let your body tell you what it can and cannot do.

[wintermom]

It was a low-key day today, though I did get out for a quick woods walk with dh and the dogs, and another longer neighbourhood walk this evening with the puppy. I'm also thrilled that my arm and shoulder are feeling good after 4 consecutive days of tennis! 

[knitgrl]

3 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said:

So, while I have no answers or solutions to offer, I can suggest, as one who has been on a similar path, that you try to offer yourself some grace and let your body tell you what it can and cannot do.

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I appreciate your perspective - a lot. The most comforting thing anybody ever said to me after my diagnosis was, "I had that, too." I think I have been almost ridiculously positive so far, chugging along, doing the next thing that needs to be done. My energy levels have been taking a gradual decline, which I was told was to be expected. It's one thing to have knowledge; it's different having to live it out. Mostly it's just gotten to the point where I'm just tired of being tired. Fortunately, this, too, shall pass.

[heartlikealion]

@Laura Corin 5 miles with a friend - that's a good friend LOL. I don't know if I could hang that long.

Today was rainy so I skipped my walk. I thought of doing bike and HIIT tonight, but this evening noticed soreness from yesterday's pickleball so skipped the HIIT. I just don't think my body is quite ready for it. Did 35 min on the bike. But I ate some junk earlier, so I doubt I made a deficit ugh. 

[SKL]

Hi guys!  I haven't posted on this topic in a while.

I "ran" (jog-walked) 3 5Ks in the past month.  That's it for 2022.  Hoping to go for 4 in 2023.

I've been pretty good about walking the dog most days.  We can comfortably do 3+ miles if we have time, but sometimes I only have time for a half mile.  Either way, it's still a workout with the hills.  And I'm building arm/back muscles trying to train my dog to walk by my side vs. pull.  Apparently he is hardwired for pulling.  (I should get a dogsled.)

And thanks to a series of houseguests + maid taking a hiatus, I've been getting more houseworkercise than usual.  Shoppercise too - 'tis the season.

My "yoga etc" routine has been on-again, off-again.  The past two weeks have been pretty bad.

We haven't been back to TKD since my October birthday.  My kid got a concussion and hasn't been allowed to go, and we've also been pretty busy with other things.  I'm hoping to start up again in January.

I have also fallen out of the daily fruit habit.  It shouldn't be that hard, but somehow it is.

Got my chiro adjustment in advance of our upcoming travel.  Will need it for the long flights.  Hoping to do some nice walks and hikes in our travel destinations.

Edited December 20, 2022 by SKL

[Ali in OR]

Getting ready for a little Christmas tree yoga and then my bodyweight circuit. But it's hard to get off the sofa and abandon my lab all snuggled up against me! Here we go...

[Jenny in Florida]

Got some steps in while shopping last night, then went out for another 4K-ish once I was home. Just. Barely. Met. My. Goal. (Like, with 22 steps to spare by the time I was in bed.)

The dog absolutely insisted on staying out with me this morning, rather than allowing me to drop her at home after the first kilometer or two. It was nice to have the company and she her happy, but it meant I was out for over an hour and walked only 3.7K. So, again, I'll need to find a way to make up steps at some point later.

I did a 25-minute seated upper body workout video also. 

 

Holiday Hustle 2022 Challenge: 455.1 of 550K
Walking Streak: 67

[SKL]

Working with my dog to walk and "run" with me will definitely be a goal for 2023.  Besides pulling too much while walking, he runs wayyyyy too fast.  I'll literally die if I try to run his way.  I hope I can train him to run my way when on leash.  Then I could take him along on some of the 5Ks we do in the fall.  😛

I will say he's a great hiker.  Loves it and has the right combination of agility, endurance, and patience.  (Not sure why he doesn't pull as much or listens better on trails vs. streets.)

[Soror]

Shorter walk in the woods yesterday.

I did not sleep as well (although not as bad as it has been). Was it due to less time outside less activity, something I ate, the alignment of the planets???

This am-- Day 6-- Empower Series- 30 min power yoga-- some balance poses and strength work today

Followed by 30 ish min of bodyweight strength workout

Afternoon plans-- 2 hrs of pickleball woot! (first time in 2 weeks as I was recovering from the cold on the only session last week)-- will probably do some walking track walking afterwards as dd has practice for another 30 minutes after pickleball finishes and I've already done my strength workout

Outside walk-- this will probably be shorter again due to limited sunlight and afternoon pickleball. Depends on how long school takes. The girls have most things done so I think it will be pretty quick so maybe I can get a decent walk.

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, SKL said:

Working with my dog to walk and "run" with me will definitely be a goal for 2023.  Besides pulling too much while walking, he runs wayyyyy too fast.  I'll literally die if I try to run his way.  I hope I can train him to run my way when on leash.  Then I could take him along on some of the 5Ks we do in the fall.  😛

I will say he's a great hiker.  Loves it and has the right combination of agility, endurance, and patience.  (Not sure why he doesn't pull as much or listens better on trails vs. streets.)

I wonder if on the trail there is enough stimulation that he doesn't feel the need to pull forward to find more?

7 minutes ago, Soror said:

 

I did not sleep as well (although not as bad as it has been). Was it due to less time outside

The endless second guessing - my brain automatically tries to analyse the reason for everything, but it's often fruitless and sends me in mistaken directions.  Bad brain!

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

Short walk at lunchtime, and I'm about to do some sun salutations before wrapping presents. 

Daughter has Covid - she will be able to travel on Saturday, but there's a train strike that day, so Husband and I are driving down to England on Friday to pick her up and bring her back the next day.  With road conditions, it will probably be 9 hours each day.  Oh well - she spent the Christmas of 2020 entirely alone due to the lockdown regulations at the time, and we can't put her through that again.  I'll try to get some good walking in on Wednesday and Thursday, because the next days will be all sitting, all the time.  I was awake in the night thinking about arrangements, but then slept late so didn't do too badly in the end.

[knitgrl]

My energy has been kind of low today. Dh asked for a suggestion for dinner (which he would cook) and even thinking about that was more energy than I could muster. But, once outside, where it wasn't too cold or windy, and dry, and I started feeling better. 30min, not quite 1.5mi. I'm thinking perhaps over the next week, it might be wise to split it up, doing a shorter walk in the morning and one in the afternoon, since dh has work off and we're not trying to do school for the next 2 weeks.

I probably will not have the chance to do a walk tomorrow, since treatment now is mostly an all day affair, what with dropping the kids off with grandparents, travel time, 5+ hours at the cancer center, and since we're in the city, we usually do a short grocery trip for items we can't get closer to home.

[Harriet Vane]

PT first thing this morning. There was only time to run for about five minutes before I had to switch over to all the regular PT stuff. Still, it was a good workout for about 25 minutes all told. 

I saw my orthopedic surgeon late last week and he feels the huge spinal fusion surgery is off the table for now. That said, I still have impingement on the nerve with all the lovely feelings that go with that. The plan going forward is to keep exercising on my own and double up on anti-inflammatory measures. If the area could be less swollen there would be less impingement. For me, that means icing every day. I think it will continue to be hit or miss until the holiday and wedding chaos is done, but I will try hard. 

[Soror]

11 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

PT first thing this morning. There was only time to run for about five minutes before I had to switch over to all the regular PT stuff. Still, it was a good workout for about 25 minutes all told. 

I saw my orthopedic surgeon late last week and he feels the huge spinal fusion surgery is off the table for now. That said, I still have impingement on the nerve with all the lovely feelings that go with that. The plan going forward is to keep exercising on my own and double up on anti-inflammatory measures. If the area could be less swollen there would be less impingement. For me, that means icing every day. I think it will continue to be hit or miss until the holiday and wedding chaos is done, but I will try hard. 

I'm glad you are dodging the bullet on surgery for now. It is good to have a plan going forward. Fingers crossed it is a helpful one.

 

16 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

The endless second guessing - my brain automatically tries to analyse the reason for everything, but it's often fruitless and sends me in mistaken directions.  Bad brain!

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

Short walk at lunchtime, and I'm about to do some sun salutations before wrapping presents. 

Daughter has Covid - she will be able to travel on Saturday, but there's a train strike that day, so Husband and I are driving down to England on Friday to pick her up and bring her back the next day.  With road conditions, it will probably be 9 hours each day.  Oh well - she spent the Christmas of 2020 entirely alone due to the lockdown regulations at the time, and we can't put her through that again.  I'll try to get some good walking in on Wednesday and Thursday, because the next days will be all sitting, all the time.  I was awake in the night thinking about arrangements, but then slept late so didn't do too badly in the end.

Yes, it does no good to wonder but it is hard not to. I meant to say the other day interesting info about sphinx pose. You are right it can be so random. I'm thinking there might be a connection to some exercises I'm doing. Now, I've done those exercises without issue for years but it seems there has been an increase in pain the time after I have strength sessions so I'm going to try skipping them awhile and see what happens. Maybe that combined with the regular yoga will get things back on track? I know last Thursday I had my first decent yoga session in forever and boy I could feel the tightness. Down dog was a struggle-- certainly not a restful pose. It feels smoother every day.

I'm sorry about your daughter- that just stinks. Those will be long days (at least you have beautiful countryside on the way but still a lot of driving). Will she be able to stay a good amount of time? Will you have to drive her back? 

19 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

Getting ready for a little Christmas tree yoga and then my bodyweight circuit. But it's hard to get off the sofa and abandon my lab all snuggled up against me! Here we go...

I meant to say I'm glad you had a nice visit. It is so hard to get going some days.

On 12/19/2022 at 9:50 PM, SKL said:

Hi guys!  I haven't posted on this topic in a while.

I "ran" (jog-walked) 3 5Ks in the past month.  That's it for 2022.  Hoping to go for 4 in 2023.

I've been pretty good about walking the dog most days.  We can comfortably do 3+ miles if we have time, but sometimes I only have time for a half mile.  Either way, it's still a workout with the hills.  And I'm building arm/back muscles trying to train my dog to walk by my side vs. pull.  Apparently he is hardwired for pulling.  (I should get a dogsled.)

And thanks to a series of houseguests + maid taking a hiatus, I've been getting more houseworkercise than usual.  Shoppercise too - 'tis the season.

My "yoga etc" routine has been on-again, off-again.  The past two weeks have been pretty bad.

We haven't been back to TKD since my October birthday.  My kid got a concussion and hasn't been allowed to go, and we've also been pretty busy with other things.  I'm hoping to start up again in January.

I have also fallen out of the daily fruit habit.  It shouldn't be that hard, but somehow it is.

Got my chiro adjustment in advance of our upcoming travel.  Will need it for the long flights.  Hoping to do some nice walks and hikes in our travel destinations.

Congrats on the 5k's, awesome job. 

Fwiw I do fruit with my breakfast- berries w/ yogurt, soy milk, and homemade muesli

It is the season of lots of busyness and movement is movement.

On 12/19/2022 at 9:21 PM, heartlikealion said:

@Laura Corin 5 miles with a friend - that's a good friend LOL. I don't know if I could hang that long.

Today was rainy so I skipped my walk. I thought of doing bike and HIIT tonight, but this evening noticed soreness from yesterday's pickleball so skipped the HIIT. I just don't think my body is quite ready for it. Did 35 min on the bike. But I ate some junk earlier, so I doubt I made a deficit ugh. 

It's so good to listen to your body.

On 12/19/2022 at 9:07 PM, knitgrl said:

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I appreciate your perspective - a lot. The most comforting thing anybody ever said to me after my diagnosis was, "I had that, too." I think I have been almost ridiculously positive so far, chugging along, doing the next thing that needs to be done. My energy levels have been taking a gradual decline, which I was told was to be expected. It's one thing to have knowledge; it's different having to live it out. Mostly it's just gotten to the point where I'm just tired of being tired. Fortunately, this, too, shall pass.

Best wishes for your treatment day. (gentle hugs)

[Soror]

Pickleball yesterday was fun. My play was good and bad as usual. We're playing again today and the timing is just right for me picking up dd from swim. This will be the first time I've got to play twice in a week in 2 months. They're working on getting another indoor location to play and if they do it will be regular play times. I hope that works out and works for my schedule.

After pickleball I had time to kill so I did a mile on the track and then a bit on the rower. Between the hour walk outside, 2 hours of pickleball and the indoor walking I got in more steps than I had in awhile I crashed at bedtime.

I tried not taking melatonin last night and am awake but I was awake the night before too. I got a solid 5.5 hours beforehand so if I can go back to sleep at some point I'll be doing ok.

today's plan:

Empower Day 7--- yin yoga back-- I've done this one before it's wonderful

shorter outside walk - pickleball is at 1 and I have shopping afterwards and probably won't make it home before dark-- since I'm up in the night I'm guessing I'll be slow getting everything done this morning but I hope to get at least 30 minutes outside

2+ hrs pickleball

[Laura Corin]

@Sorororiginally Daughter was due to go back on 29 December to celebrate New Year with friends.  She's now thinking that staying longer would be good, to recuperate and not be tempted to party.  I'm hoping she can go back by train - we'll have to check the train strike days.

[Carrie12345]

Checking in to thank everyone for yoga recommendations. I have dabbled with short sessions made for pre-workout, post work-out, before bed, and when waking up. I have confirmed that my poor body is practically cement, lol. But I’m looking forward to gradually changing that!

I’ve gotten a few full body strength sessions in, and I have another planned for this morning. I need to convince the puppies to wear booties so I can get back to walking. I prepared my own supplies for winter walking, but I’ve had an itsy bitsy non-walker for so long that I forgot about protection against road salt and grit for real dogs.

 I’m slacking on more intense cardio because weight plates call to me. I need to come up with a more well-rounded plan.

[Jenny in Florida]

21 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Daughter has Covid - she will be able to travel on Saturday, but there's a train strike that day, so Husband and I are driving down to England on Friday to pick her up and bring her back the next day.  With road conditions, it will probably be 9 hours each day.  

Best of luck with the trip! 

I'm due to fly to NYC on 12/26, pick up a rental car and then drive back to Florida with my daughter. They (preferred pronoun) texted me yesterday to warn me that there is a storm expected that will likely leave roads icy. It's been a while since I regularly drove in snow and ice, so this will definitely be an adventure.

Sending you vibes for a good, safe drive. 

[Ali in OR]

Cardio bootcamp boogie this morning. Two more days of school. Was hoping our coming cold icy weather might get tomorrow cancelled but I think it will come too late--Thursday night into Friday.

[Jenny in Florida]

I did not manage to break away and do any make-up walking for the short morning outing, so I ended up just staying out longer last night (5.7K). 

The dog was not into being outside at all this morning. I coaxed her out long enough to relieve herself, but then she was content to head inside for breakfast. While I missed her company, this did free me up to walk longer (4.6K) and more quickly than I can manage when she accompanies me in the morning. I disappointed the cats by staying inside to exercise and spent a little over 30 minutes on the mat doing strength and stretching stuff. 

So, a good start to the day, activity-wise.

I'm scheduled to volunteer this evening, which I suspect will mean being on my feet quite a bit for a few hours. When I get home, I'll walk or stationary bike (weather is a bit chilly and damp) to finish off steps as necessary. 

 

Holiday Hustle 2022 Challenge: 465.4 of 550K
Walking Streak: 68

[wintermom]

Safe travels for @Laura Corin and @Jenny in Florida. Hope the road conditions aren't too bad. 

@Harriet Vane That's great news about not needing surgery! I hope you aren't having too much on-going pain.

@knitgrl Big hugs to you. Splitting up your walks sounds like a great idea. 

 

I went for a really nice dogs walk in the woods in the afternoon, then a long walk with the pup in the evening in the neighbourhood. I've been keeping up with my strength and stretch exercises. 

[Laura Corin]

23 minutes ago, Jenny in Florida said:

Best of luck with the trip! 

I'm due to fly to NYC on 12/26, pick up a rental car and then drive back to Florida with my daughter. They (preferred pronoun) texted me yesterday to warn me that there is a storm expected that will likely leave roads icy. It's been a while since I regularly drove in snow and ice, so this will definitely be an adventure.

Sending you vibes for a good, safe drive. 

I hope your trip goes well - that's a long drive in any weather, so I hope the weather cooperates.

[Jenny in Florida]

Well, volunteering last night ended up being mostly sitting and wrapping gifts. It was pleasant, but did not result in logging a lot of steps. I went out for a walk (about 3K) when I got home, then puttered around the house doing some small crafty things.

The dog was 100% uninterested in a walk in the slightly chilling and damp weather this morning. I walked a solo 4.25K at a good pace. Back home, I had time for only a 20-minute seater upper body video before I had to check in for work. 

I'm scheduled for dinner with a friend tonight, and the weather has been unpredictable, so I have no clue how the rest of my steps will happen today. I'll figure out something.

It occurred to me this morning while I was exercising that I have no plan for exercise while I'm doing the road trip brining my daughter home after Christmas. We're scheduled to be on the road for two or three days, and I know I will feel gross if I don't find ways to get some movement in around the driving. I'm flying up there so can't take things like weights with me. And the weather is likely to be cold and snowy/icy for the first day or two, which will limit outside walking. (Even if I had the clothing for it, I'm not to be trusted on slippery surfaces.) 

Ideally, we would stay at hotels with fitness centers so I can use a treadmill or something before we hit the road, but we're not planning ahead for stops and may need to take what we can find.

Sigh. If worse comes to worst, I will have my laptop with me and could do a Leslie Sansome and/or yoga video in the motel room, I suppose.

 

Holiday Hustle 2022 Challenge: 472.3 of 550K
Walking Streak: 69

Edited December 22, 2022 by Jenny in Florida

[heartlikealion]

Tues I didn’t get anything done. I was fighting a migraine off/on, felt good enough for trivia night, ordered food at the restaurant but never worked it off… got home late after grocery shopping and baked off more cookies to use up the cream cheese that would go bad. 

Wed I was struggling a little with headache, dehydration, fatigue, but eventually felt better. Last night I did a half @ss HIIT. They are asking me to do too many things I haven’t mastered. Like a burpee — I feel like I need a trainer to guide me on my push up form. So I just muddle my way through those parts or modify. Then I tested out some exercises with my new bands. My gf recommended these resistance bands but I really wish they were cloth. They bunch up too easily. And I couldn’t find a high rated cloth version. I did walking/dancing for steps and in the spirit of “something is better than nothing” rode the bike for like 20 min. I normally do a minimum of 30 min but I needed to shower and it was already late. 

Today’s loose plan is pick up an order at Kohls and visit the YMCA in that town. Almost none of my pants fit. And the newest jeans are beginning to get loose so I ordered one size smaller (which might not fit today when I go pick them up). 

Technically I’m off work now and return Jan 3 but I’m catching up on a few things and I plan to spend a little time with my Udemy course. I have a couple crafts that may or not get completed. 

[Jenny in Florida]

50 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I did walking/dancing for steps and in the spirit of “something is better than nothing” rode the bike for like 20 min.

This is my mantra these days for many aspects of my life.

[Soror]

I got a shortish walk yesterday, yoga, and pickleball.

Today I had to take dd to swim practice early and have been busy since then. I got in a walk outside but have yet to do yoga or strength training. My walk was fairly short I was dressed for the cold and not for the rain that started after I went out and I didn't expect yet. The weather is going to be icky today. Blech. 

[heartlikealion]

The pants pick up order left me with the version with a leg slit. I didn’t want that and all the black bootcut ones came that way. I tried on others in other colors and ended up going down 2 sizes from the ones I owned prior to this order, which were bought in Oct. I was pretty excited about that. 

Went to the YMCA. Had the heated therapy pool to myself and did laps and some weight lifting with the foam dumbbells that use water as resistance. I ate fast food before the Y since I got hungry so don’t know if I made a deficit or not. But felt like I got a good workout. 

[wintermom]

I played ladies tennis for 2hrs last evening, and got in a dog walk earlier. Neither was too strenuous, but both were fun. 

It's freezing rain and very windy here today, so I'll be doing mostly indoor exericse. The dogs will be so disappointed to miss their daily romp in the woods.

[Soror]

I got another short walk yesterday evening. It was not very pleasant as the snow kept spitting in my eyeballs. I told dh I guess this is why people have snow goggles. I had on my baklava but obviously had to keep my eyes uncovered. I got another mile in-- so 2 miles total for the day both in icky conditions so I consider that a big win.

Today I've done my yoga so far and plan for a walk.

The precipitation has stopped and it is not quite as windy (still 17-18mph) but it is very cold  (10f/-12c with windchill at -7f/-21c the expected high)for us. My gear doesn't do great in those temps as they are very rare for here. Usually we might just have a 2-3 days a year with it that cold. So, I'll layer up the best I can and see what I can tolerate.

[Ali in OR]

I did nothing yesterday. Slept until my alarm which hasn't happened in a long time but is much needed. They did a 2-hour early release at school so everyone could get home before the freezing rain started. There was a bit as I was leaving--it would freeze on my windshield until I figured out to turn on the defroster--but it didn't really hit until 9pm. We now have an ice rink out there--it's supposed to melt off today as a warm rain system comes in. But for now it's an ice rink and if we were even tempted to try to drive, seeing the car across the street that tried to come out of a driveway and is now stuck on the sidewalk where it swerved off would deter us. And I know our cold is quite minor compared to most of the rest of the country--temps have been in the 20's and will rise to low 40's today.

30 minutes on the treadmill. Planning a low-key day of mixed chores and relaxation.

[heartlikealion]

Sone of my pipes are frozen so want to make sure they are functioning before I do any exercise and get all sweaty and need to shower. Landlord put a couple space heaters near them in the outdoor laundry room where we think the issue may be. 

[Jenny in Florida]

Went to dinner with a friend last night, and by the time I got home I was too blah (good hanging out with the friend, but a lot of talking in a very crowded and loud restaurant was tiring for this introvert) to consider heading out for a walk. I rode the stationary bike, instead, to get the rest of my "steps" and also boost my lagging mileage for the seasonal challenge.

Walking this morning involved dragging the dog home after she dragged me in a meandering kind of way about two blocks from home and then slowed down even more. I then went back out on my own. I logged a total, with and without dog, of about 4.4K. That was it for the morning, because I was scheduled to meet a friend for lunch and still had to bake the treats I intended to take as our holiday gift.

The dog decided another short walk (1.6K) sounded good when I got home from lunch, so I'm over 10,000 steps for the day so far.

I'll walk/stationary bike later to finish off the step goal.

 

Holiday Hustle 2022 Challenge: 489.4 of 550K
Walking Streak: 70

[knitgrl]

With this set of treatments, I feel great the day after, so yesterday I did not exercise, but did a lot of housework because I knew it was going to be the last time I felt good enough to do that sort of thing before Christmas.

The National Weather Service says we are experiencing a blizzard, and looking out my window, I tend to agree with them. Fortunately, there is not much snow accumulation, but with 30mph winds pretty much all day, and stronger gusts, I opted to use the treadmill today. 30min, 1.3mi. I am very grateful we still have power. It went out for half a minute early this morning and has flickered a bit occasionally since then.

[KungFuPanda]

I need to jump in on this thread.  I've put on some pandemic weight and it needs to go.  I just got back to teaching in person classes again.  In the last few days I've done some classes and some Grow with Jo videos

3 mile fast walk

dance class

dance class

2 mile walk with weights

Sunday morning workout playlist

Monday morning workout playlist

class

class

gentle positivity playlist

I HAVE a home studio.  I put better lighting down there.  I need to use if for more than just twice weekly dance classes. I have a performance in March and a costume I do not want to remake.

 

[heartlikealion]

I’ve attempted to the best of my inexperienced ability to defrost pipes to no avail. Well I got one outdoor spigot dripping and the other is tightly attached to a hose that is frozen. I even pointed a space heater at the hose and used a hair dryer but finally gave up. Will try to deal with during the day. 

The actual water heater is in the laundry room and those pipes don’t appear to be frozen. I also peeked in the crawl space but didn’t see pipes. 

I’m more concerned that I can’t do dishes or laundry than shower. I wanted to bake and cook but really want a working sink first! 

Guess I’ll wash my lettuce in the bathtub. The cold water works there. Nothing is working at the kitchen sink. 

Return to exercise on ??? lol 

@Jenny in Florida you’re doing great! 

@knitgrl very smart to use your energy for chores when you needed. 

@KungFuPanda way to go! And I hope the costume will fit. 

[Laura Corin]

Welcome @KungFuPanda!

Yesterday we were on the road - we managed a walk to the pub in the evening and I did my sun salutations last night and this morning.  if we get in in time, I'll walk around the village.

I'm off work until 4th January.  I need to get a grip - more exercise and back to my normal diet. So that's my goal, starting the day after Boxing Day.

[Harriet Vane]

Gyrotonics on Thursday. So good as it always is. We were supposed to drive yesterday—kept checking conditions and delaying half the day before we gave up. Then it didn’t occur to me to exercise. 😂 

[Jenny in Florida]

Yesterday afternoon, I baked some treats for my "step grand-dog" (son's girlfriend's dog), which Lulu has taste tested and approved, Then I finally got around to wrapping some gifts last night while watching a holiday movie.

I went out for a walk (a little over 3K) to finish off the day's steps before planting myself on the couch with the dog and one of the cats for the remainder of the evening.

It was cold here (for Florida) this morning, only in the low 30s when I went outside. The dog lasted about 15 minutes, but I went back out after dropping her home to do the 2K timed "Christmas Chase" badge for my seasonal challenge. I'm currently #9 of over 100 walkers on the leaderboard, but I suspect I will drop in the rankings as more people log their times. 

I kept walking after completing the 2K to meet my 4K+ morning goal, for a total of almost 5K. It's a good start for the day and a good thing, since I have plans for this evening that will make it a squeeze to get in any longer walk later.

No yoga classes this week, so I did a 30-minute video by one of my local teachers. 

For those who are celebrating, I wish you a lovely Christmas eve.

 

Holiday Hustle 2022 Challenge: 497.3 of 550K
Walking Streak: 71

[Carrie12345]

@Soror What’s the best way to learn pickle ball? Our community has a court, and Dh and I want to learn, but I can’t seem to wrap my head around it! (We don’t play any racket or paddle sports for reference.)

I did rowing and full body strength today. I made the attempt yesterday, but my body and mind were just like “no thanks”, so I gave up. Works out well, since I plan to just veg on Christmas!

[Ali in OR]

Did a morning yoga by the Christmas tree. Sipping mocha now. Took a 2-hour nap yesterday--that was lovely. And so nice to wake up and not worry about getting school stuff done. I even closed out of my school email. Today will be another mix of chores/food prep and relaxation. Our temps have only made it to the mid-30's--slower to warm up than they predicted. Ice is mostly gone but you still have to be careful out there. So glad we're not trying to travel anywhere right now.

[Soror]

2 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

@Soror What’s the best way to learn pickle ball? Our community has a court, and Dh and I want to learn, but I can’t seem to wrap my head around it! (We don’t play any racket or paddle sports for reference.)

I did rowing and full body strength today. I made the attempt yesterday, but my body and mind were just like “no thanks”, so I gave up. Works out well, since I plan to just veg on Christmas!

I started with NO experience in any sports. I caught the local group playing and talked with them and verified they were open to beginners. I stressed to them how bad I was - no hand eye coordination etc. Then I just started showing up. I didn't have a paddle at first but they had extra paddles for new people. I played several times and liked it so I bought a cheap paddle at the local sports store. I played with that for a few months and just upgraded to a slighter better paddle a couple of months ago.  I'm still the worst player there pretty much every time I go but I keep getting better. If you have a good group and are patient with yourself it's lots of fun. Look for a beginner group or one open to beginners. 

[Soror]

I hope all those that celebrate had a wonderful Christmas.

I did half of my yin yoga practice yesterday and that was it for activity. 

Today I finished the other half of the yin practice (day 11) and did the day 12 power yoga class. I also plan to get in a walk.

Despite telling myself otherwise I still ate too much rich food. I did not do as badly as Thanksgiving but enough that I feel yucky today. Stupid gall bladder. I told dh to expect lighter fair for the foreseeable future.

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by Soror