Tag Archives: exercise

Walking by Chester

Posted on December 10, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Feeling rather dull and unmotivated this morning, I thought I would take a walk to try to pep myself up.  I have long felt that exercise is the magic elixir that can help make many things better.  Anyways, it got me off the couch and gave me a little material for a Pedestrian Post this morning.

The weather has warmed up a little, and rain seems to be getting rid of the snow.  I knew I was right not to bother shoveling my driveway!  Little did I know it was still raining when I set out.  No matter. As I like to say, I ain’t sugar; I won’t melt (wouldn’t THAT be a great weight lost plan!).  I used my phone to Map My Walk, mostly because I couldn’t find my Garmin, but also because I thought I might see some things to take pictures of.  The walk would pep me up, the pictures would pep up my post, a win-win situation!

Unfortunately, it seemed too gloomy for pictures.  Maybe I could walk by things I have pictures of in my Media Library, such as Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.  Since I was also mapping my walk, I wanted to turn at as many corners as possible, to make an interesting shape.  I post the shape on Facebook, and my Facebook friends say what it looks like.  It is most amusing.  So I turned town Prospect Street, then decided to walk around the closed bank, in defiance of the arrow painted on the driveway.  There was no “Do Not Enter” sign (regular readers know I love to enter where those are posted), but a sign warned of video surveillance.  They could take my picture; I didn’t care.

I changed my mind when I saw a few people behind the bank, talking about something.  I did not want to intrude so walked across the adjoining parking lot to come out near the 1834 Jail.  Yes, I could walk by Chester Gilette, as I have often done!  I soon saw that I would have to take another picture, though, because Chester was being almost crowded out of the window by a Christmas tree.

Even murderers celebrate Christmas, it seems.

I had no other photo ops but continued my walk for some 33 minutes.  I must say the pep did not last very long, but I suppose you’ll have that.  At least I walked, and at least I made a blog post.  Will I get anything else useful done today?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my Tuesday.

 

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I’m to Blame for the Blah

Posted on July 17, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

My rather blah weekend continues with a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post.  To anybody who is playing that miniature violin (So snarky! And you know who you are), I point out that I am well aware I have only myself to blame for the blah (ooh, that might make a good headline! So alliterative).  Really, if blah is the worst thing that happens to me, I am ahead of the game.

I ran again this morning.  That is two days in a row of 20-minute runs. Exercise is very important.  I must get more of it.  Later I went to breakfast at Farm House Restaurant in Ilion NY.  It was either do the dishes, cook eggs in a big frying pan, or go out to eat.  I feel I made the right decision.

A good place to eat.

Later in the day I fixed myself hot dogs and beans.  I had gotten them for the Fourth of July but then decided to avoid fatty foods so close to the Boilermaker 15K.  For the past week every night after work, I had nothing in the house to eat yet felt it was entirely too much trouble to heat up hot dogs and beans.

“It doesn’t take much,” my mother pointed out to me.  I call my parents almost every day.

“These days,”  I replied, “it doesn’t take much for me to say, ‘Oh that’s too much trouble!’ ”

Today I discovered that it was in fact very little trouble.  I was inordinately pleased with myself.  I think I made the right choice there.  I could have been disgusted with myself for not cooking the hot dogs and beans sooner.  Instead I felt pleased.

So this is my blog post of blah weekend with hot dogs and beans.  Maybe I should have mentioned the hot dogs and beans in the headline.  Any thoughts?

 

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Another Day, Another Walk, Another Post

Posted on April 5, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

At the risk of being redundant (oh, who am I kidding? I say the same things over and over again all the time!), I make another Pedestrian Post.  Today’s walk was longer with no libations involved.  I first went to the post office again, this time with business correspondence in hand (what business, you ask? Nun-O-Yo Bidness!) (I’ve never actually said that to anyone, but I have always wanted to).  It was not as warm as yesterday but still perfectly comfortable for walking.

I should do something like this with Frankentree!

On the way to the post office, I paused to snap a picture of an Easter Egg Tree I have been admiring.  Maybe next year I will find enough oomph to decorate for the holidays.

After mailing my letter, I walked a long way home, going past Basloe Library.  When I left the house, I had had some notion of stopping there to work on my murder mystery (preview of coming attractions) but decided I would rather take a longer walk and work on it at home (full disclosure: I still have to do that).  Going through the parking lot, I decided to get a picture of the Do Not Enter sign I mentioned in my last Running Commentary Post (perhaps you read it) (I mean the post, not the sign, although you are welcome to read both).

Once again, I entered.

I walked past my street by two blocks, then up to German Street to get back home.  I was hoping to walk for a half hour, and I did.  For another seasonal picture, I got the cross in front of Trinity Lutheran Church.

Full disclosure: I may not go to church on Easter Sunday.

My walk was over a half hour and over a mile and a half.  I believe I mentioned how I have been seeking the mental health benefits of exercise.  I think this walk helped.  I hope to try another walk or run tomorrow, maybe even both.  But I might look for something else to blog about.  I hope you will stay tuned.

 

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Foggy Walk

Posted on January 6, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Thursday I took my walk a little later than usual, because that is my late day at work.  The sun was up, but you could barely tell due to the fog.  I took my phone with me, thinking I would try a couple of pictures for a Pedestrian Post.  I emphasize “try,” because how good can a picture look when it is of what you can’t see?

I guess I could see pretty far after all.

I have always loved fog.  It is so mysterious.  There was an infamous episode when my husband, Steve, and I got lost driving in the fog over Higby Road (yes, autocorrect, “Higby” is a word; I did not mean Hit by).  That was PB (pre blog).

Mysterious trees.

I walked along German Street to Valley Health, to walk up that hill.  I took the above picture along the way.  I had hoped for a good shot at the top of the hill but had no luck.  Perhaps if I would have walked up College Hill I could have gotten the shot, but I had neither the time nor the physical wherewithal for such exertions.  Hey, I just started walking again, remember?

Running water always makes a nice picture.

I carefully held my phone in one of the gaps in the chain link fence on the little bridge.  It was a pleasant walk.  I am happy to be getting some exercise again.  And I am hoping people do not mind that I made my Thursday blog post on Friday morning.

 

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Not Monsters, Mosey!

Posted on July 26, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Despite all the adventures alluded to yesterday, I content myself today with a mere Pedestrian Post.  For one reason, I took a few pictures when I walked on Sunday.  For another reason, I thought of that alliterative title as an answer to any readers expecting my usual Monstrous Monday Post.  In fact, I set a fairly brisk pace, since I was walking for exercise. But you know how I love alliteration.

I did not avail myself of the seat.

The first thing that caught my eye as I left the house was this comfy-looking couch, sadly abandoned.  Why can’t people donate these things?  Perhaps there was something wrong with it that I could not perceive.

Lots of bunnies around here.

This bunny hopped away while I was fumbling with my phone, but I managed to get a shot when he paused.  I like bunnies.

It feels steeper when you are on it.

This hill is short but fairly steep.  I do like to go up hills, although you can get too much of a good thing.  When I got to the end of the street, I impulsively turned right and went up to Herkimer College the back way. I felt pretty proud of myself for doing it.  It was not so easy to get a picture, since there are curves, but I tried.

I think this was more than halfway up.

Going down Lou Ambers Drive was a snap.  Ah, when gravity is my friend!  When I paused at the spring to refill my water bottle, I took a closer shot than the other one I shared.

I thought you might like to see the stones.

I did not take a walk this morning, due to a thunder storm.  Quite frankly, I enjoyed sleeping in.  Tomorrow, however, I hope to be back out on the sidewalks again.  Will I write another Pedestrian Post or cover one of last weekend’s adventures?   A little uncertainty adds interest to my day.  In either case, I hope you will tune in.

 

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Not Too Much Thunk

Posted on May 13, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went for a short run after work. I am having some personal problems which are not worth mentioning here except that I have made the determination to get more exercise, for the mood-improving effects. Exercise is a potent and often under-utilized anti-depressant (that was my little bit of health advice for the day).

It was a beautiful afternoon, warm and sunny. I did not even leave a sweatshirt on the front porch for my cool-down walk. I did not plan a long run. Fifteen minutes would be acceptable, I told myself. Sometimes I treat myself gently.

Right away, my body did not feel happy. Thunk, thunk, thunk, down the sidewalk I went. Fifteen minutes, just fifteen minutes, I kept repeating in my head,

I encountered a number of pedestrians. I would move out into the road before I reached them, because I was not wearing a mask and I was huffing and puffing. We usually greeted each other in a friendly fashion. I love those small human connections. I try to have a smile for everyone.

My body felt better about thing as I went. That usually happens at some point in the run. Sometimes I don’t notice the exact moment when it happens; I just suddenly realize I feel OK. I did not exactly reach the I Can Rock This Stage, but I did not spend the whole run wondering what the hell I was thinking.

I ran for 20 minutes and felt fairly pleased with myself. My cool-down walk felt good, and my chocolate milk recovery beverage when I got back home was delicious.

There is a 5K in Little Falls in June I am thinking I will register for. That will give me another goal to work for. It will probably get me a couple more blog posts as well. I’ll keep you posted.

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Surprise! It’s Running Commentary!

Posted on June 4, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Running Commentary Post in lieu of my usual Wuss-out Wednesday.  I surprised myself by actually running.  Let’s see if I can further surprise myself by writing a decent blog post about it.

Full disclosure:  it was running only by the most generous definition of the act.  Of course this is always the case with me, but today was an especially egregious example.

I did not get out as soon as I got home.  First I talked myself out of it, which is what I did yesterday (Monday I counted mowing the lawn with the non-power mower as my exercise, so did not need an excuse).  I sat and checked my email, looked at Facebook, got hungry, wondered what to eat.  Then I changed into running clothes, put a load of laundry in the washer, and off I went.

Like the proverbial herd of turtles.

Oh, I thunked.  I clunked.  I huffed and puffed.  But I kept going.  I had a deal with myself that I only had to run for 20 minutes.  That, with my ten minute cool-down walk, would bring me home just about when the washer finished.  Surely I could rock 20 minutes (I’ll call you Shirley if I feel like it)!  I was running more up to 45 minutes on the weekend.  Come on, me!

I did not rock anything.  However, I kept going.  I looked at the grass, I looked at the trees.  I ran in or across the street when I saw other pedestrians, because, you know, social distance.  I called a greeting or waved to many of them.  I saw other people’s irises which had already bloomed (mine are still buds, as pictured in yesterday’s post).

I’m thinking this is a short, and I am afraid rather dull Running Commentary Post.  So I did not surprise myself twice.  I must say that does not surprise me.  Does that mean if I had surprised myself with a terrific blog post, I would have been surprised three times today?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

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A Little Walk, a Little Post

Posted on June 5, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went for a walk with my Tablet and the specific intention of making a Pedestrian Post.  The other reason was that I had not gone running this morning and thought exercise would be a good idea.

When I ran yesterday, I was struck by some overgrown bushes with overgrown grass opposite.   It was not a problem to run through,  but there would not have been room for two abreast.  I reflected that when I was a kid, I would have pretended it was a tunnel.

I had a vivid imagination as a child. I guess I still do.

I turned onto Church Street and walked towards my beloved Herkimer Historic Four Corners.   First, however, I passed Temple Beth Joseph Synagogue and admired their rhododendron bush.

At least as good as mine if not better.

Next I noticed one of those garden balls I have always liked, in front of a nearby house.  I read a great thriller in which one was figured prominently.

One day I’ll have one in my garden. When I have a garden.

I turned down Main Street at the Four Corners and walked to Basloe Library.  Some major construction is going on there, so I took a couple of  pictures.

I made sure to get the sign in one.

 

I made a mental note of days the library will be closed.

When the construction is completed, I will have to do a whole post about it.  I was at Basloe yesterday (I should have made a post about that!), and it looks like great changes are in store.

My walk was not that long, but I enjoyed it.  Tomorrow I hope to go for a run.  A woman my age needs to keep up on her exercise!  And her blog posts.

 

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Who, Me? Exercise?

Posted on February 20, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Pedestrian Post instead of my usual Tired Tuesday?  For one reason, I went for a walk this afternoon.  It was not much of a walk, so I’m afraid this will not be much of a post, but one does what one can.

I have been determined to exercise more regularly.  Mostly this has resulted in me feeling guilty when I do not exercise.  If only guilt burned calories!  So I thought all day about what I would do to exercise.  My first plan had been to go to the YMCA.  Unfortunately, although I remembered work-out clothes, I did not bring a pair of work-out glasses.  YES, that is a spurious reason not to exercise.  In my defense, my new glasses are REALLY nice, and my face sweats a lot when I get on the elliptical.

So I started to think about how to exercise at home.  I would have to excavate the mini-tramp in order to run in place.  You see, in an house like mine, any flat surface that doesn’t move soon becomes covered with stuff.  Don’t judge me.  As I considered this fact, I thought, maybe I could incorporate exercise into cleaning.  I could march or lunge-walk around as I put things away.  I could do squats as I folded laundry.  I could write a blog post about it!  Maybe even a whole exercise book!  Sometimes I get a little extravagant when my mind wanders.

By the time I got home, I felt tired and discouraged.  All I wanted to do was sit on the couch.  However, I had noted that it was not freezingly cold out (what?  Isn’t “freezingly” a word?  I feel it should be).  I could, in fact, go running.  I was a bit concerned about the ice, though. Or was that just an excuse?  Then I thought: a walk.  A nice walk.  I could just about manage a walk.

So I went for a walk for nearly a half hour.  It was only uncomfortably cold when the wind picked up and was against me.  Yikes!  The ice was a problem at times.  If I had been trying to run, I’m sure I would have wiped out at least once.  Snow was also an obstacle, but plowing through snow burns more calories.  It also gets sneakers wet.  Note to self:  invest in a pair of winter boots.

Well, I am approaching 400 words, and for a Pedestrian Post, I have not said a whole lot about the walk.  However, as I observed in the first paragraph, one does what one can. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

 

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Wuss-Out Run

Posted on January 24, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I did not promise that today would not be a Wuss-out Wednesday post, did I?  I’m too tired to go back and check, but I think I said I would TRY for something better.  Indeed, I thought about a better post;  I just did not think up a better post, if you see what I mean.

I would have liked to do a Running Commentary post, but running outside just seemed like a bad idea today (I know, some dedicated individuals no doubt did, and here we come to the ugly truth about me).  It was freezing rain onto icy roads.  We all walked from work to our cars slowly and carefully, then spent some good time scraping ice off our vehicles.  My sense of humor came to my rescue as it often does in these cases, and I found myself laughing as I chopped away.  My car’s defrost was even more helpful, and I was soon on my way.

My earlier plan had been to go to the Mohawk YMCA.  I even had my work-out clothes in my car.  However, I did not want to scrape my car off again, so I went home.  Additionally, I wanted to do a load of laundry, to be sure I have clean handkerchiefs.  I did not feel like doing any sort of exercise but talked myself into running in place on the mini-tramp.  Steven was watching Judge Judy.  I said I did not mind watching the rest of that, but he would have to help me find something else to run to when it was over.

As soon as I started running in place, my body was not happy.  Then one toe started to feel like it had a blister on the bottom.  Ouch!  I had said to begin with I was not going to worry about running as long as I had on the weekend.  Twenty minutes would be plenty.  Then I thought maybe 15.  Didn’t I read somewhere that exercise could be done in bouts of 10 minutes?

Judge Judy was almost over when I started.  Steven was out of the room when I finished.  I stepped off the mini-tramp and marched energetically over to the love seat where the remote was.  Climbing back on the tramp, I went back to running in place while I looked for a good show to run to.  It is not easy to click a remote accurately while running in place on the mini-tramp.  Luckily, I was motivated to persevere.

I had my reward when I discovered:  World’s Dumbest!!!  I love World’s Dumbest!  That silly show helped me keep moving for 21 minutes.  I know, it was not the greatest of workouts, but, hey, it is Wuss-out Wednesday.

 

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