Yesterday I got all excited to take a training walk. Raring to go - set foot out the door and realized I have NO IDEA where to walk in our new neighborhood. There are some sidewalks, but even these end abruptly in inopportune places. I can't just walk through subdivisions because they don't actually *connect* to each other here... unless you know the super-secret pass-through spots, you get stuck and have to walk all the way out to the main road in order to get to the next one.
Did I mention yet that it was 37 degrees and RAINING? And that, being an idiot, I didn't bring a *hat*? Or *GLOVES*?
I let my iPhone choose a route for me to get to the library, which was about 3 1/2 miles away. I never get to browse in the library because I am always toting two noisy little ones... seemed like a good plan.
The first mile was kind of not-very-nice, as I was walking along a busy road which happens to have about 47 churches along it. So basically the one road which was packed on a Sunday morning. Then I veered off onto a less traveled street, then along a golf course which was totally quiet but for blue jays and robins and the like. So it got better. But after another mile or so I started desperately missing Tyler and the kids, and regretting that I was giving up some of the few minutes I have with T. during the week. I made it to the library, which was NOT OPEN FOR ANOTHER 1/2 HOUR - classic. Stopped into Starbucks instead to try to thaw out for a minute, and then set out for home.
And then it got muddy. And then it got RAINIER. And then I realized that my iPhone had plotted me in the wrong spot to begin with - so the library was actually 4.5 miles away from our house - not 3.5 miles. if I kept my walk up, I would walk NINE MILES. And so I called Tyler to pick me up six miles in.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Weekend
Weekends are so lazy for me with regard to exercise. I am hoping that the coming spring will change that... as we are more able to get outside, and as Tyler is around more to hang out with the kiddos.
I can usually eke out a workout during the week while the kids are sleeping (as today - 45 min while reading a particularly mindless book - only had to run upstairs to soothe Noah once, as he woke up sans paci). But by the weekends... I just can't motivate. How does anyone else deal with that issue? And don't say you are just naturally a weekend warrior... :-)
I can usually eke out a workout during the week while the kids are sleeping (as today - 45 min while reading a particularly mindless book - only had to run upstairs to soothe Noah once, as he woke up sans paci). But by the weekends... I just can't motivate. How does anyone else deal with that issue? And don't say you are just naturally a weekend warrior... :-)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Training Plan
A weekly training plan was emailed to 3-day walkers today. Omg - I actually do need to *train* for this thing. I walked 5-6 miles a couple of times in SF before we moved and was actually fatigued afterwards... something tells me 20 miles won't just come naturally to me THREE DAYS IN A ROW.
Today I did the elliptical for 45 minutes - it was 3 miles in total. This fit with the training plan, but how I am going to actually get out for super-long walks with two squirmy children in tow - that is the question. I suppose the dead of winter is not the time to start freaking about it though.
During exercise, it's nice to reflect upon how far we have come in a year. Last year at this time I was pretty darned pregnant and recovering from a bad sinus infection... Tyler was working 80 hours a week (and commuting for almost 12) and Natalie was in daycare, sick for literally weeks in a row, in that crazy-rough 18 month developmental stage. My place of employment was going through heavy downsizing and my job was changing dramatically. We had just found out that my dad had pancreatic cancer. Things really seemed tough.
This year, even when I catch colds from the kids, it just isn't bad like it was when I was pregnant. Natalie and Noah don't have to go to daycare so we can all recover together at home, with nice naps for the kids and no further exposure to germs. Tyler is still working busy season hours but his commute is shortened to 2 hours a WEEK instead of 2 hours a day. He is making it home for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, no matter how late he has to work the rest of the week... this makes a *huge* difference with the kids. Two and a half isn't the *greatest* of all stages, but Natalie is freaking hilarious, so that makes up for it - today she decided that yet another stuffed animal was named "Mrs. Boots". Tyler said quietly to me "sounds like Mr. Boots is a polygamist" and Natalie piped up with "MR. BOOTS IS A POLYGAMIST." Tyler and I have never had to struggle so hard not to laugh before. I get to hang out with the cat all day (oh, and the kids too) - and Noah is in this time of his life where he just wants to crawl around, so if I sit on the floor near him, he is happy for at least 30 minutes - I can read a book if I want to, and he is thrilled just to crawl around me. I CAN READ A BOOK AT WORK, DID YOU HEAR THAT? :-) Granted, this isn't an option when Natalie is awake ("Mommy! Dress Polly! Mommy! Read this! Mommy! I want something! Mommy! I need you!" This is literally what my day sounds like...) but it's nice for that time when she is napping but he is awake.
If my dad had beaten the odds and my friends were here, life would be pretty near perfect.
Today I did the elliptical for 45 minutes - it was 3 miles in total. This fit with the training plan, but how I am going to actually get out for super-long walks with two squirmy children in tow - that is the question. I suppose the dead of winter is not the time to start freaking about it though.
During exercise, it's nice to reflect upon how far we have come in a year. Last year at this time I was pretty darned pregnant and recovering from a bad sinus infection... Tyler was working 80 hours a week (and commuting for almost 12) and Natalie was in daycare, sick for literally weeks in a row, in that crazy-rough 18 month developmental stage. My place of employment was going through heavy downsizing and my job was changing dramatically. We had just found out that my dad had pancreatic cancer. Things really seemed tough.
This year, even when I catch colds from the kids, it just isn't bad like it was when I was pregnant. Natalie and Noah don't have to go to daycare so we can all recover together at home, with nice naps for the kids and no further exposure to germs. Tyler is still working busy season hours but his commute is shortened to 2 hours a WEEK instead of 2 hours a day. He is making it home for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, no matter how late he has to work the rest of the week... this makes a *huge* difference with the kids. Two and a half isn't the *greatest* of all stages, but Natalie is freaking hilarious, so that makes up for it - today she decided that yet another stuffed animal was named "Mrs. Boots". Tyler said quietly to me "sounds like Mr. Boots is a polygamist" and Natalie piped up with "MR. BOOTS IS A POLYGAMIST." Tyler and I have never had to struggle so hard not to laugh before. I get to hang out with the cat all day (oh, and the kids too) - and Noah is in this time of his life where he just wants to crawl around, so if I sit on the floor near him, he is happy for at least 30 minutes - I can read a book if I want to, and he is thrilled just to crawl around me. I CAN READ A BOOK AT WORK, DID YOU HEAR THAT? :-) Granted, this isn't an option when Natalie is awake ("Mommy! Dress Polly! Mommy! Read this! Mommy! I want something! Mommy! I need you!" This is literally what my day sounds like...) but it's nice for that time when she is napping but he is awake.
If my dad had beaten the odds and my friends were here, life would be pretty near perfect.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Snow
Does shoveling snow for 1 hr and 45 minutes count as training for the 3-day? I think so, as I just burned about 770 calories! Shoveling in our neighborhood is really fun, though - people actually walk over to say hello if they see me outside. This whole neighborhood is like "Cheers" - everybody knows everybody, and they live here specifically because they want to live in a family-friendly, social neighborhood. In other words, it's heaven on earth for me.
Thinking and thinking of fundraising ideas during every activity lately. $2300 is a lot of money to request from friends, family, and acquaintances. I keep thinking that I want people to *get* something from this (aside from the tax benefit of course, and the sense of accomplishment from helping raise money for an extremely worthwhile cause). I'm wondering if "Crafting for the Cure" might be an answer... Personalized note cards could be the start but I could even branch out to small framed embroidered items. Now I just have to find people who want these items. Therein lies the rub!
Coughing, hacking 10 month old. Must go.
Thinking and thinking of fundraising ideas during every activity lately. $2300 is a lot of money to request from friends, family, and acquaintances. I keep thinking that I want people to *get* something from this (aside from the tax benefit of course, and the sense of accomplishment from helping raise money for an extremely worthwhile cause). I'm wondering if "Crafting for the Cure" might be an answer... Personalized note cards could be the start but I could even branch out to small framed embroidered items. Now I just have to find people who want these items. Therein lies the rub!
Coughing, hacking 10 month old. Must go.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Park
Most of my walks lately have been through Golden Gate Park. Sunday was particularly fun - we took a late afternoon stroll (the whole family, minus the cat) to check out the remainder of Outside Lands. I'd say we walked about four miles, maybe? Now every time we stroll through the park Natalie asks to see the 'concert' - not quite understanding that the concert was a finite event.
Today we walked to the Post Office, and then through the park on the way back. Natalie is liking getting out of her stroller, and I try to encourage her exercise (two isn't too early to start, eh?). The downside is that it takes absolutely forever to get anywhere - and with Noah starting to take longer naps in the early morning, we often can't get out until 9:30 or 9:45 - and need to be back by about 11:30 for Natalie's lunch. One would think that this should be ample time for meandering around, but it's not quite enough. I need to find the balance. In the meantime I'm just glad that Natalie is learning about exercise. She knows that she's helping Mommy get *her* exercise, and that's exciting for her.
Today we walked to the Post Office, and then through the park on the way back. Natalie is liking getting out of her stroller, and I try to encourage her exercise (two isn't too early to start, eh?). The downside is that it takes absolutely forever to get anywhere - and with Noah starting to take longer naps in the early morning, we often can't get out until 9:30 or 9:45 - and need to be back by about 11:30 for Natalie's lunch. One would think that this should be ample time for meandering around, but it's not quite enough. I need to find the balance. In the meantime I'm just glad that Natalie is learning about exercise. She knows that she's helping Mommy get *her* exercise, and that's exciting for her.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Laurel Heights
Another 5.25 miles today. That seems to be about the limit before I start to get either bored, sad, distracted, guilty, or anxious. Or all of the above. I can't decide if I don't want to walk more because now my "free" time is so precious to me that I don't want to spend it all doing the same thing day after day? Or maybe it's because I used to love window shopping or just shopping in general while I was walking, and now I am no longer allowed to spend money in such a fashion. Or maybe (probably) it's because I start to get even sadder about my dad's death... I don't want to do anything for very long these days, except tickle Natalie and nurse Noah (if while doing so I get to read books on my ipod). Or - strangely - sit in the car with Tyler driving from place to place. I have no idea why that is my activity of choice with him, but I've been driving him to work a lot lately just for the pleasure of sitting next to him in the car.
Anyway, back to the walk. I parked at the Presidio Golf Course and walked down Jackson Street to Fillmore. Then down Fillmore for a while, back up Fillmore to Sacramento, and then down Sacramento to my favorite string of shops in Laurel Village. Sad to see that a pretty embroidery shop and gardening store both closed down on Sacramento - but, alas, that's the recession as well as normal turnover, I guess... I never thought either would last, to be honest - both were in spaces too large for the area. Popped into one of my (formerly) favorite grocery stores when we lived on 6th and Lake, but it is no longer quite so fab-seeming. The produce was sparse and they were absolutely blaring some crazy punk music. Methinks the owners are putting all their time and excellent staff into their newer location in the Ferry Building - probably a smart financial decision. Nursed Noah and changed a blowout at Day One, and peeked at bibs at Citikids ($11 for 3 uninteresting bibs? The new Julie says NO THANK YOU).
I also walked by this house - a block from where we used to live two domiciles ago. Now it is an atrocious showhome, but the outside looks great! Check out the virtual tour for the latest in ugly home design. The place is enormous... it was temporarily used as a hotel for a while, but was empty when T and I lived down the block. T's car was actually smashed by a falling tree on New Year's Eve just a few steps away in 2004!
When I walk I can't help but think of my dad and his last moments, and his life in general. It still all seems like something I dreamt. This feeling is probably exacerbated by the fact that I dream about almost nothing *else* anymore, so it all seems bundled up into some weird nightmare I had. Oh well - it is what it is. This is one of those things Dad and I always used to say to each other, particularly about the pancreatic cancer, and when I think it now, I get sad and comforted and sad and comforted and it's all swirled up together. Walking is probably good for me since Tyler is worried that I am throwing myself into other things and avoiding the feeling. It just sucks so much - who wouldn't want to avoid it?
Anyway, last thought for today. What about "brownies for breast cancer"? Making brownies and charging people for them, and giving the proceeds to my 3-day fund?
Anyway, back to the walk. I parked at the Presidio Golf Course and walked down Jackson Street to Fillmore. Then down Fillmore for a while, back up Fillmore to Sacramento, and then down Sacramento to my favorite string of shops in Laurel Village. Sad to see that a pretty embroidery shop and gardening store both closed down on Sacramento - but, alas, that's the recession as well as normal turnover, I guess... I never thought either would last, to be honest - both were in spaces too large for the area. Popped into one of my (formerly) favorite grocery stores when we lived on 6th and Lake, but it is no longer quite so fab-seeming. The produce was sparse and they were absolutely blaring some crazy punk music. Methinks the owners are putting all their time and excellent staff into their newer location in the Ferry Building - probably a smart financial decision. Nursed Noah and changed a blowout at Day One, and peeked at bibs at Citikids ($11 for 3 uninteresting bibs? The new Julie says NO THANK YOU).
I also walked by this house - a block from where we used to live two domiciles ago. Now it is an atrocious showhome, but the outside looks great! Check out the virtual tour for the latest in ugly home design. The place is enormous... it was temporarily used as a hotel for a while, but was empty when T and I lived down the block. T's car was actually smashed by a falling tree on New Year's Eve just a few steps away in 2004!
When I walk I can't help but think of my dad and his last moments, and his life in general. It still all seems like something I dreamt. This feeling is probably exacerbated by the fact that I dream about almost nothing *else* anymore, so it all seems bundled up into some weird nightmare I had. Oh well - it is what it is. This is one of those things Dad and I always used to say to each other, particularly about the pancreatic cancer, and when I think it now, I get sad and comforted and sad and comforted and it's all swirled up together. Walking is probably good for me since Tyler is worried that I am throwing myself into other things and avoiding the feeling. It just sucks so much - who wouldn't want to avoid it?
Anyway, last thought for today. What about "brownies for breast cancer"? Making brownies and charging people for them, and giving the proceeds to my 3-day fund?
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Walk #1
In just under a year, I will walk 60 miles in southeastern Michigan to raise money to fight breast cancer. The walk is 8/13-8/15. I am a little nervous! I feel it's quite ambitious. During the next year I will need to raise $2300 and take lots of walks to get ready - oh, and also raise my two tiny children - #1, Natalie, is two, and #2, Noah, is almost 4 months - and (hopefully) move across the country.
Today my little guy Noah and I took our first training walk. Momentously, Noah sat in our jogging stroller all by himself, without the car seat attachment! What a sweetie - he didn't make a peep the whole way - just chewed on his special hippo and napped. We walked 5.25 miles, which is, sadly, the furthest I've walked in a very long time.
We walked up the Great Highway, by the Cliff House, and then around Land's End. We also bought food staples for the week at Safeway on our walk back. :-)
Cliff House, 8/23/2009
What a horrible day weather-wise. I took the pic with my extremely old, trashed camera phone so the quality is atrocious - but it is in the low 60's and foggy here. Bleah.
It was good to get out for some exercise. I've been so fixated on everything with my father's health and untimely demise lately that I haven't done anything healthy or good for myself. Before all that started in July, I avoided walking because it seemed to make Noah sick when he was a tiny little guy... and before that, I bowed to the desires of a squirmy toddler who didn't want to spend lots of time in the stroller. But now I *must* get out for walks. Yay.
More another day on exactly why I am taking this challenge on.
Today my little guy Noah and I took our first training walk. Momentously, Noah sat in our jogging stroller all by himself, without the car seat attachment! What a sweetie - he didn't make a peep the whole way - just chewed on his special hippo and napped. We walked 5.25 miles, which is, sadly, the furthest I've walked in a very long time.
We walked up the Great Highway, by the Cliff House, and then around Land's End. We also bought food staples for the week at Safeway on our walk back. :-)
Cliff House, 8/23/2009What a horrible day weather-wise. I took the pic with my extremely old, trashed camera phone so the quality is atrocious - but it is in the low 60's and foggy here. Bleah.
It was good to get out for some exercise. I've been so fixated on everything with my father's health and untimely demise lately that I haven't done anything healthy or good for myself. Before all that started in July, I avoided walking because it seemed to make Noah sick when he was a tiny little guy... and before that, I bowed to the desires of a squirmy toddler who didn't want to spend lots of time in the stroller. But now I *must* get out for walks. Yay.
More another day on exactly why I am taking this challenge on.
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