Well-Trained Bodies May

[wintermom]

I got in two dog walks in the woods today. One at sunrise (6 am) as I couldn't sleep and decided to get up and walk. Dh and I drove our ds 19 to his summer military training about 3 hrs away. He'll be there for 3 months. Gonna miss that guy! Dd moved out this week, too, so the house is getting an emply feeling. We still have two ds's, two dogs and a cat in the house to keep things busy. Thank goodness!

[Hilltopmom]

I cut the grass with a push mower.

[Laura Corin]

My just one form of movement today turned out to be a 13.5 mile solo hike along our local long-distance trail. Photo of  - I think - blackthorn blossom, plus gorse and a friendly wind turbine.

[wintermom]

Got in a nice littel bike ride with ds this morning, and a hike in the woods with dh and the dogs. I've also been doing more backyard work. 

I made my first flagstone mini-pathway / landing at the bottome of some stairs off the deck. It was a pilot test to try and determine whether I'm going to tackle a bigger flagstone project of "paving" under the pergola. I may need to purchase some sand, as the wet dirt getts squishy and there's more movement among the stones than I'd like. 

[Hilltopmom]

Biked 12 miles along the lake- gorgeous spring day!

Going to rejoin the 99 Walks app for spring-fall. The challenge really does help me meet my goals, I’ve realized.

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by Hilltopmom

[Harriet Vane]

Slowly sharing my trip. This is Dunnotar Castle, a glorious cliffside ruin. It’s a short walk from the car park, followed by lots of stairs, then a pleasant meander through the castle grounds before hitting the stairs again. The meander doesn’t really count as exercise but the stairs definitely do. We did some other walking there generally that day as well. 

[Harriet Vane]

Moor walks and beach walks in Scotland. I cannot share the hill climbs we did as those pictures include people who prefer me not to share their images.

 

[Harriet Vane]

Most of our trip was actually in France, though we visited dear friends in Scotland the last few days before returning home. So my exercise in France was in either walking up all the stairs of our cliff town to our lodgings or rambling through medieval old towns or museums. We also did some canoeing in the Gorge du Verdon, which was absolutely spectacular.

[wintermom]

2 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

Slowly sharing my trip. This is Dunnotar Castle, a glorious cliffside ruin. It’s a short walk from the car park, followed by lots of stairs, then a pleasant meander through the castle grounds before hitting the stairs again. The meander doesn’t really count as exercise but the stairs definitely do. We did some other walking there generally that day as well. 

Hell ya! I've seen video of this castle and this photo does do the staircases justice. You're a super star for tackling all the stairs!!! Could you walk the next day?

If you google "images of stairs at Dunnotar Castle" you can see them all. 

[LifeLovePassion]

I need to get moving. I am recovering from a pretty bad ankle sprain that happened a little over 2 weeks ago. I am moving slowly but need to increase my activity level for a probable upcoming surgery so I can be as strong as possible beforehand. Today I helped with basement remodeling and weeded the south side of the house. 

[skimomma]

I did meet my goals Friday and Saturday.  On Friday, all I had left was a Pliability session, which I did.  Saturday goal was Pliability and a long run.  "Long" at this point of the season was a target of 7.5-8 miles.  I had originally wanted to do hill work but the weather kept me off the hilly trails I normally frequent for hill runs as they were too muddy.  It was 35 degrees, windy, and raining, which is actually good running weather for me.  I ended up doing nearly 9 miles because I got lost on a new trail!  

I had planned to get in a shorter run on Sunday to meet my weekly goal that had been thwarted by a blizzard at the beginning of the week.  But that was not to be.  We ended up spending the day with friends instead.  We at least walked to and from their house, which is about 2 miles each way.  

All that to say, I did not quite meet my goals for last week.  The weather should not be an issue for this week's goals which are 5 Crossfit sessions, 5 runs of at least one hour, 6 Pliability sessions.  I went to CF early this morning so I can check one off already.

[skimomma]

On 5/6/2023 at 10:25 AM, Soror said:

 

@skimomma Have you read any of Dr. Stacy Sims work? She used to compete in endurance sports and then started studying women and training. Most of the info out there is not geared to women as we are not adequately studied. She specializes in looking at the effect of our physiology, hormones, etc on our training and performance. 

 

I have not!  Thanks for the tip!

[Laura Corin]

Housework, and lots of raking and weeding in the garden. We are reseeding the bits of the lawn that were levelled using earth from the pond. One area I am planting with a mix of wild flowers and grass - we will let it grow long for most of the summer for the insects to enjoy.

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

Housework, and lots of raking and weeding in the garden. We are reseeding the bits of the lawn that were levelled using earth from the pond. One area I am planting with a mix of wild flowers and grass - we will let it grow long for most of the summer for the insects to enjoy.

How does your pond look this spring? Did any water plants survive the winter? Did you add water plants last year?

My pond/bog seems to have done really well over the winter, and there are new blossoms and shoots out already. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by wintermom

[wintermom]

Dh and I tried out a new routine this morning. We got in the dog walk before work and in this case, also before we both played tennis. I didn't get to eat breakfast until after the tennis, so I need to adjust the timing for next time we try this. I DID make my coffee before the dog walk, though. I ain't no dummy. 😅

[Laura Corin]

2 minutes ago, wintermom said:

How does your pond look this spring? Did any water plants survive the winter? Did you add water plants last year?

My pond/bog seems to have done really well over the winter, and there are new blossoms and shoots out already. 

We only added plants last month  - the suppliers only ship from April. So they are only just settling in.

We didn't set up a bog garden, but I might line a little transitional patch.

[wintermom]

8 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

We only added plants last month  - the suppliers only ship from April. So they are only just settling in.

We didn't set up a bog garden, but I might line a little transitional patch.

What did you order? 

My bog is pretty nice to have. It's easy to care for, and doesn't need circulation, pump, or anything like that. I didn't have to buy any plants, as my friends have a bog and they split some plants to give me. The plants that "like their feet wet" are very expensive compared to normal perennials or annuals around here, and only specialty garden stores carry them. 

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

What did you order? 

My bog is pretty nice to have. It's easy to care for, and doesn't need circulation, pump, or anything like that. I didn't have to buy any plants, as my friends have a bog and they split some plants to give me. The plants that "like their feet wet" are very expensive compared to normal perennials or annuals around here, and only specialty garden stores carry them. 

Some irises,  a lily, water hawthorn, miniature bullrushes, Marsh marigold, water forget-me-not,  another reed, and some deep water oxygenators. So a lot of native plants and a few additions. 

[wintermom]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Some irises,  a lily, water hawthorn, miniature bullrushes, Marsh marigold, water forget-me-not,  another reed, and some deep water oxygenators. So a lot of native plants and a few additions. 

Awesome! I have a lot of those plants in my bog. I just don't have any of the plants that float on top of the water. 

I can't wait to see some photos! 😀

[Ali in OR]

30 min on treadmill yesterday. Bodyweight circuit x2 this morning and I hope to get in a little walk with dd this afternoon.

[skimomma]

I met my goals for yesterday with CF and Pliability.  Today is CF, one hour run, and Pliability.  Tonight's CF is squat snatches which are very technically difficult for me.  My technique/balance limitations will kick in far before strength limitations, so it won't be much of a "workout."  Doubling up with a run won't be a problem.  To meet the week's goals, I need to double CF and runs today - Friday.  That should be fine unless one of the CFs is cardio heavy.  If that happens, I might have to adjust plans or plan to take it easy on both that day.

It is finally *almost* spring but I still have to dodge snow and slush.  My favorite trails are the last to thaw so it will be a few more weeks before the snow melts and I can really get into the woods.  Until then, running is mind-numbingly boring because I am stuck with roadside running.  So, the biggest threat to my goals over the next few weeks will be motivation.  The fall and spring shoulder seasons are always the most difficult to keep on track.  Once the snow finally melts and I can get on the trails, it will be far easier to motivate.  I was still skiing on this date last year, so it could be worse.

 

[wintermom]

On 5/7/2023 at 1:46 PM, Laura Corin said:

My just one form of movement today turned out to be a 13.5 mile solo hike along our local long-distance trail. Photo of  - I think - blackthorn blossom, plus gorse and a friendly wind turbine.

Lovely photo! I adore the look of gorse. I seem to think it grows on the Canadian prairies, as it seems very familiar to me. It doesn't grow in my region, sadly. We do have the wind turbines, though also not in my immediate region.

ETA: It grows only in British Columbia, primarily on Vancouver Island. Apparently it's cousin, the Western or dwarf gorse grows on the prairies. That's where I've seen it! I'm not just imagining things. 😅

Edited May 9, 2023 by wintermom

[wintermom]

Dh and I took the dogs out for their woods romp early this morning again. The park was busy with other dog walkers, so lots of dogs available to run around with my border collie. He's a happy boy!

I'll also try to get in some work on my pergola project. I also have to plant the cedar trees I bought on the weekend. Lots to do! ☺️

[Laura Corin]

2 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Lovely photo! I adore the look of gorse. I seem to think it grows on the Canadian prairies, as it seems very familiar to me. It doesn't grow in my region, sadly. We do have the wind turbines, though also not in my immediate region.

Wind turbines are all over here, including the world's biggest offshore windfarm off Yorkshire.  Scotland's renewable electricity capacity is about 97% of usage, but we still use a lot of gas, etc., as direct heating in homes.

Today - walk at lunchtime

[wintermom]

7 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Wind turbines are all over here, including the world's biggest offshore windfarm off Yorkshire.  Scotland's renewable electricity capacity is about 97% of usage, but we still use a lot of gas, etc., as direct heating in homes.

Today - walk at lunchtime

I'm going to head down a wee bunny trail now. I appreciate Canada's renewable energy pursuits, but I don't understand why hydro electricity isn't used to its full capacity anymore. The Niagara Falls power generator is no where near capacity. Is hydro power facing decline in Scotland as well? I feel like politics and what green energy is "vogue" is playing far too big a role, rather than combining all our renewable resources to meet our needs.

Edited May 9, 2023 by wintermom

[Laura Corin]

6 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I'm going to head down a wee bunny trail now. I appreciate Canada's renewable energy pursuits, but I don't understand why hydro electricity isn't used to its full capacity anymore. The Niagara Falls power generator is no where near capacity. Is hydro power facing decline in Scotland as well? I feel like politics and what green energy is "vogue" is playing far too big a role, rather than combining all our renewable resources to meet our needs.

I'm not sure whether it is used to capacity or not.  Are there issues with water usage for power and conservation of the local ecosystems with you?  Just wondering what might be playing into usage. 

I know there is some hydropower investment planned - particularly this scheme for pumped hydropower, which is a very cool way to create and store energy:

https://www.sse.com/news-and-views/2023/03/britain-s-largest-pumped-hydro-scheme-in-40-years-gets-100m-investment-boost/

This historic pumped hydropower site is still going:

https://www.visitcruachan.co.uk/history/

 

[wintermom]

21 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

I'm not sure whether it is used to capacity or not.  Are there issues with water usage for power and conservation of the local ecosystems with you?  Just wondering what might be playing into usage. 

I know there is some hydropower investment planned - particularly this scheme for pumped hydropower, which is a very cool way to create and store energy:

https://www.sse.com/news-and-views/2023/03/britain-s-largest-pumped-hydro-scheme-in-40-years-gets-100m-investment-boost/

This historic pumped hydropower site is still going:

https://www.visitcruachan.co.uk/history/

 

No fresh water issues here. We have the Great Lakes, as well as hundreds of rivers and lakes in Ontario alone. We also have a ton of land space. It's very different in Scotland, I'm guessing, as you're limited in land space, and your population density is much different than Canada. 

Our issues are entirely political, it seems. Quebec has massive hydro capacity, which it chooses to sell at varying prices depending on the customer. I won't go into further details, as it just gets too political. 

Edited May 9, 2023 by wintermom

[skimomma]

I met my goals for yesterday.  CF was brutal.  The difficult lift was indeed difficult and I struggled with form well before load limitations kicked in.  it's kind of embarrassing to be the lightest lifter in a gym.

Today is the same list of goals.  CF, one hour run, and Pliability.  Wednesday is normally my yoga class (instead of Pliability) but our class is on break this week.  I went to CF already this morning.  It was cardio-heavy which is not a great pairing with a run.  I will still do my run, because I am out of wiggle room with this week's goals, but will be sure to do a slow and easy run to counter the short but intense cardio this morning.

[Ali in OR]

I did a Fitbymik cardio this morning, trying one that said "high intensity." I found that I needed to do the low impact version for lots of jumping stuff that tweaked my knee (or bladder!) but definitely got a good workout. I'll probably search out the low-impact ones next time.

[wintermom]

Dog walk completed! Loving the early morning walks! This evening is pup's first agility class with a group. Dd is going to come and help out, and learn all the commands, etc. I know I'm going to forget the correct hand signals and such. 

[Harriet Vane]

Yesterday I stopped in at the gym for weights and core, then later did gyrotonics. I don't usually combine them on the same day, but that's just how the schedule ended up working best to get it all taken care of. First gyro session since my big trip, and I am again floored at how much better I feel afterward.

My gyro instructor also hypothesized that my horrible knee pain on my trip was simply a response to walking a lot on uneven surfaces (cobblestones, rocky hills). I hadn't even considered that as a factor, and I'm hopeful now that my knee pain will fade and I will get back to "normal." I was flabbergasted by how painful my knees were on the trip and really afraid I may have to face knee replacement sooner rather than later.

Related to that--one of my dearest friends just had a hip replacement and is essentially refusing to exercise. She's my honorary mom, aged 80, and she says none of that stuff really works. It's killing me. The number one factor that success hinges on for any joint replacement is exercise. I'm really afraid my friend will be impaired for the rest of her life because of her refusal to engage on this.

[Wheres Toto]

Did better today.   Took a 30 minute walk this morning before work with light hand-weights.   Then another walk after work.   Forgot to time it but I know it was 5k.  

I did pick up the good dark chocolates and have been keeping to just a couple of those for a treat and eating well the rest of the time. 

[knitgrl]

I went to class at the cancer center yesterday. I was planning on stretches today, but I felt awful this morning and am just starting to recover. Started chemo pills this week, which can cause nausea. I am hoping that mostly I felt awful because I didn't take my multivitamin immediately after breakfast. I cannot tolerate them at all on an empty stomach.

[LifeLovePassion]

The ankle is still swollen at the end of the day and my foot is sore/has some arch pain because I had an unnatural gait with the walking boot. But I'm taking the stairs at work and trying to walk around some.

[Harriet Vane]

7 minutes ago, LifeLovePassion said:

The ankle is still swollen at the end of the day and my foot is sore/has some arch pain because I had an unnatural gait with the walking boot. But I'm taking the stairs at work and trying to walk around some.

Good for you—every tiny step forward brings you closer and closer. Keep trying and keep building strength.

[skimomma]

I finished up my goals for yesterday.  Same ones for today.  Already did CF before work this morning.  The weather is super nice today so I am looking forward to a sunny run during my lunch hour.

[wintermom]

The dog walk was slightly shorter this morning as it started to rain suddenly, and neither dh nor I had rain gear. Hopefully we can find time for another walk. Otherwise, I'm playing doubles tennis this evening. Should be fun!

[Ali in OR]

Fitbymik standing dumbbell workout this morning. And feeling my calves from yesterday's workout.

[Froste]

The weather is awesome now so hiking is my favorite way of physical activity. For me, it's the best option. I also want to lose some weight so I changed my diet a little. I need to buy some vitamins and supplements, any Melaleuca reviews? I found there plenty of products so share your reviews, please.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Froste

[Harriet Vane]

Yesterday I spent some time on the recumbent bike. Not a ton of time, but it counts. Also spent some time walking around IKEA, but that probably doesn’t count. 😅

I went to the gym today for weights and core, cha-ching.

Edited May 11, 2023 by Harriet Vane

[skimomma]

I have hit all of today's goals.  That super sunny run turned into a slog.  It's 75 degrees right now and my body is still used to working out in much colder temps.  And it is super weird to be running past snowbanks when it is that hot.  It was indeed pretty but I sweat.  A lot.  Lol!  

[knitgrl]

Did the dumbbell workout from cancer center. I have upped the weights to 8lbs for most, but not all of them.

[Soror]

 

12 hours ago, knitgrl said:

Did the dumbbell workout from cancer center. I have upped the weights to 8lbs for most, but not all of them.

Congrats on getting stronger. Best wishes that the pills don't cause too many side effects.

 

@Harriet Vane how is the knee doing?

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

I was very, very busy Tuesday and Wednesday and drove way too much and sat way too much. I was in a good amount of pain but by yesterday evening that was easing up some. Today should be pretty slow. I have a visit at 2 and then my niece's graduation tonight. Otherwise I'm going to hang at home, do some paperwork, and enjoy the quiet.

Mon/Wed/Fri- strength- full body- I'm doing the suggested warm-up for these and it is 11 min and full-body mobility- I can't do all of it yet but most of it. I need to do it every day or something similar but so far I'm only doing it on strength days.

Every day- walks of varying lengths.

Only one day of pickleball this week and I was out of town. They generally only schedule Mon- Thurs outside so it depends on the weather.

[skimomma]

Today's goals are the same as they have been all week.  I went to early morning CF so that is done already.  It's another "hot" day but is supposed to cool down in the afternoon, so I will probably delay my run until after work.  My whole body is pretty sore. I will be taking the run very easy no matter what because tomorrow is a long run.  I will probably hit some flat gravel trails.

I think I am going to have to scale down runs to 4 a week, rather than 5.  There is just not enough rest in there and my schedule is going to get more difficult with summer long-weekend camping trips coming up.  I *do* run on camping trips but obviously no CF and even Pliability will be difficult with no cell or WIFI.  This is the first summer that I am juggling CF with running so there is a learning curve.  I also have to miss my usual July half-marathon due to a family vacation.  I don't have a good replacement in mind.  So, without that training rudder, I need to be more intentional with my runs.  If I scale it back to 4, or even 3, runs a week, I can perhaps go longer and/or with a skill focus.  Not sure.  But I do know this week was/is just too much.  I really need one completely free rest day each week, I think.

[Laura Corin]

On 5/10/2023 at 3:10 PM, Harriet Vane said:

 

Related to that--one of my dearest friends just had a hip replacement and is essentially refusing to exercise. She's my honorary mom, aged 80, and she says none of that stuff really works. It's killing me. The number one factor that success hinges on for any joint replacement is exercise. I'm really afraid my friend will be impaired for the rest of her life because of her refusal to engage on this.

That's frightening - I'm sorry. My stepmother saw this playing out among the other attendees at her post-hip-replacement physio group.

[Jenny in Florida]

Hi all -- I have no clue when I last checked in. Despite the semester being over, I somehow feel like life has gotten more busy, rather than less. I suspect this has more to do with a recurrence/worsening of my depression and simply lacking the energy to do anything more than the minimum, but it means I often go days without even opening my laptop, let along reading the board, let alone posting anything. 

That said, I have mostly kept up with the usual routine: walk with and without dog each morning for a total of 4.5 - 5K, do 15-20 minutes of additional strength and stretching exercise (Monday-Friday and sometimes on weekends), walk again with and/or without dog after work (sometimes right after work and then again later in the evening) to reach my total 15,000-step goal, yoga class one or two evenings a week.  When weather or other considerations require, I substitute time on the stationary bike for walking outside. I did miss my step goal once this week, because I went out to a show with a friend and got home too late to do anything other than take the dog outside and try to get some sleep.

My adored yoga-at-the-lake teacher has announced she won't be returning until September, so I went in search of a second class to take until she returns. (I still have regular Tuesday evenings with the other teacher.) I discovered the yoga studio that is a mile from my house has a Friday evening class that fits into my schedule. I went last week to check it out and, although it was a little more challenging than I am used to, I enjoyed it. So, I've decided to add that to my calendar for a few weeks and see how it goes. 

 

Spring Start 2023 Challenge: 545.7 of 650K
Activity Streak: 85 Days

[Harriet Vane]

2 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

That's frightening - I'm sorry. My stepmother saw this playing out among the other attendees at her post-hip-replacement physio group.

Thanks. I’m honestly really floored that her doctor agrees with her? She said she went with this doctor specifically because he wouldn’t force her to do rehab. 

[Harriet Vane]

@Soror Thanks for asking. My knees are better but not great. Not actively throbbing all day but also nowhere near normal. I’m taking the improvement thus far as a sign that they will continue to improve.

[Harriet Vane]

Gyrotonics this morning. This was my second session this week—I usually do just one, but I will be skipping next week as I will be helping dd pack for her upcoming move. As usual, the session was so helpful. Lots of ab work, which is so challenging, but I am so appreciative of how the instructor works it in regularly.

[skimomma]

Today's goals have been met!  All I have for the weekend is my long run tomorrow and one Pliability session on either day.  Phew.  I'm going to adjust goals for next week and remove either one run or one CF.  This was too much, I think.