Tag Archives: Garmin

Only 485 Miles To Go!

My well wishers will be pleased to hear I am walking again and attempting to do so on a regular basis. I keep meeting with setbacks, like having a cold or digestive upsets, and you know how these things are: you miss a day and it is so easy to miss two or three.  I have walked for the last six days in a row, so I will make bold to do a Pedestrian Post in lieu of my usual Monstrous Monday.

I had meant to do a Pedestrian Post with Pictures so took my phone with me, but I was soon so absorbed in walking that I was disinclined to stop and take pictures.  I do enjoy the act of walking, and when I can look around and enjoy the scenery and weather, it is even better.  I suppose it would make a better blog post if I could share the scenery with you, but we can’t have everything.  I will, however, explain my headline.

Earlier this summer, when I put aside my crutches, I started to think I could go back to walking.  As I pondered the idea, the song started playing in my head, “And I will walk 500 miles, and I will walk 500 more!”  Regular readers know my love of keeping journals.  I could keep a 500 mile walking journal!  Considering I would not even be able to walk a mile to begin with, this journal would no doubt last me a long time.  I found a large notebook I had not written anything in yet.

Oh dear, this does not seem to go with the preceding paragraphs, does it?

I started to get uncomfortable looking at all the prose with no pictures so threw in the one I did take on my walk.  I was walking with a bottle of water and in the direction of the spring, so when I finished the bottle I was all set to get a refill.  So I guess this is a Pedestrian Post with One Picture.

Regarding my grandiose dream of 500 miles, I hate to have to tell you when I started towards it, because the miles sure are adding up slowly.  In my defense, I point to the aforementioned setbacks.  Also, I do not count all my walking, for example when I walk to the post office or the Elks Lodge.  This is because I have a tendency to forget to turn off my Garmin on these walks, so they do not get counted correctly anyways.  The beauty part about that is, my body still benefits from the walk.

I petted one sweet dog on this morning’s walk.  I want to start taking my walks as soon as I get out of bed.  Maybe I will be watching the sun rise soon.  I wonder if I can get a good picture of the sunrise.

 

 

To Run on Tuesday

I tell myself:  It could have been worse; it could have been Two Minute Tuesday.

I have been meaning to up my running game (and all my other games too, quite frankly, but let us take one game at a time).  After my unfortunate experience at the Utica Boilermaker 15K,  I have not been having an easy time running, last Sunday’s unintended hour-long run notwithstanding (I mentioned that in a blog post, I am sure).  I keep thinking if I just persevere, I can get my mojo back.  So I made up my mind to run today.

I did not get right into sports bras and on the road today.  First I had to send a couple of texts to my sister Diane.  We went on the South Beach Diet together starting today.   It is a great motivator to have somebody to compare notes with.  Full disclosure:  I have to get my diet mojo back, too.

Of course I practiced my usual multi-task of putting in laundry while I ran.  For one reason, I am out of clean work pants.  However, if the diet mojo returns, perhaps I will be able to fit into some previously worn trousers.  In the meantime,  a little exercise never hurts.

Off I went, and I did feel a little off.  Or a lot.  So old and thunky!  When I see people they tend to smile at me.  I suppose they are thinking, “Isn’t that nice, that old lady is trying to run.”  I can use all the good will I can get.

I changed my mind several times about which way to run, where to turn, and which side of the street to run on.  One thing I did not worry about was my speed, or rather lack thereof.  I often say that what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term.  And what, I ask you, is wrong with a little generosity once in a while?

The run started to feel less thunky as I went.  I never stopped huffing and puffing, but I did not feel I was in distress.  The shadier spots definitely felt better than the sunny ones.  A couple of times I crossed in the middle of the street to take advantage of a tree’s shadow that reached across.

I ended up running for 20 minutes and felt pretty pleased with myself.  I do not know how far I ran, because I misplaced my Garmin. I say I don’t worry about how fast I run, but it is nice to know.  Additionally,  I remember my Two Mile Tuesdays before the Boilermaker.  I guess I didn’t have one of those today.

 

 

Walk, Check. Blog Post, Check.

OK, it may be late blog posts all week, because here I am Wednesday morning making my Tired Tuesday post.  For anybody who read Monday’s post (made on Tuesday morning, of course) and was wondering: I did feel better as the day went on.  I went to rehearsal for Love’s Labour’s Lost (just to plug my upcoming play again) and did not do too badly (or perhaps I flatter myself).

I thought this morning instead of making another post lamenting my inability to make good posts on time (just ignore the preceding paragraph), I would attempt a Pedestrian Post.   This was one motivation to get me out the door and walking when the devil on one shoulder said, “Don’t walk today. You have to make a blog post and fix your lunch.”  I still don’t know what I’m going to bring for my lunch, but I will worry about that later.

I thought of using Map My Run on my phone to track my walk, because I was worried my Garmin would not have enough charge, but Garmin at least had a couple of bars.  That was good, since I intended to do a short-ish trek that I have mapped before.  It looks like Popeye’s arm.  I know this, because I usually share Map My Run on Facebook, for the entertainment of my friends.  Some of them like to say what the shape looks like.  Sometimes I tell them what it means about them psychologically or predicts for their future, adding the caveat that it is for entertainment purposes only.  Not that anybody takes anything I say seriously, but you never know.

The Garmin always says Wait when I hit Walk, but I don’t always do it.  Today I did not.  It seems to track the walk or run the same either way.  I headed towards German Street and turned left.  I had a bottle of water.  My intention was to drink it as I walked and refill it at the spring on Lou Ambers Drive.  This is what I have been doing on most of my walks, although it cuts down on the variety of my paths.  However, since I seem to be in a dehydrated state most of the time these days, I continue to do it.

The birds were singing loudly.  I do like to hear that. I noted with gratitude every light in someone’s window.  I especially like the ones that look like flickering candles.  I also like to see the ones where it seems somebody is up and about, not just leaving a light on for security or other reasons (I don’t purport to know people’s reasons for doing things).  It is nice to think I am not the only one out of bed prior to 5 a.m.  Obviously I am not, as the occasional car drives by.

I turned up Maple Grove, so I could go up a little hill then across I think it’s Johnson and come down Lou Ambers to the spring.  As I turned down Lou Ambers, I saw a couple on the opposite side of the street walking a dog.  I thought to myself, “Left side, facing traffic!”  That is what I was taught in kindergarten, but it seems others were not or perhaps did not internalize the lesson.  Or maybe they are being rebels.  Again, I do not purport to know others’ reasons.  I did not catch up to them so could not ask to pet the dog.  That is all I would have asked them.  I think people might get defensive if I asked them why they were not walking the way I was taught to in kindergarten.

I ended up walking a mile and a third in about 27 minutes.  I thought vaguely as I turned up my driveway about continuing for another three minutes to make a half hour but was disinclined to do so.  For one reason, I had a blog post to make.  And I see I have made it to the tune of over 650 words.  Wow!  I haven’t blathered on that much for a long time!  If you have read till the end, I thank you.