Dang, that was quick

Note to self: whine more often. Lost 1-1/2 pounds yesterday. After two full weeks without a shift up or down. Nobody ever mentioned that whining burns calories!

Exercise du jour: 30 minutes yoga (still think coffee leaves me more energized, but maybe the yoga is just being more subtle). 30 minutes sweaty aerobics, then 20 minutes evening yoga.

Calories in: 1636
Calories out: 404

Hansel & Gretel never had it this bad...

It was a hot day, so for the lunchtime walk I set my feet in the direction of the nearest woods.

Nice, shady winding trails. Only one problem. No map at the entrance where I went in. "Oh, who can get lost in there," I thought. "It's just one really big block and it's not all that big."

Thing is, I was misled by the map that I had originally looked at back at work. The woods seem small because, while there are a number of intersecting trails, none of the distances between the intersections is greater than 1/2 mile.

Actually the woods are over 200 acres in size. And, it turned out, some of the intersecting trails were blocked due to renovation or something. So I kept going on, hoping for a branch that would take me back. Turning around and retracing my steps seemed really lame. It's not just a walk, it's an adventure... right?

Following this philosophy took me to an exit on the opposite side of the 'big block.' I ended up looking at a narrow road with busy cars, with an edge for walking that was narrower than a bigot's mind. So I retraced my steps and -- oh, the naivety of the innocent -- took a 'shortcut' that looked like it would take me to my exit sooner.

Good thing I wasn't on the Donner party; they'd have ended up in Patagonia.

On the plus side, that detour earned me 90 minutes of walking, which on top of the 15 minutes of yoga in the morning (I've decided to count that as exercise, because it generates more calories than doing the dishes... barely) nets me a total of 105 minutes exercise.

For Wednesday.

Which was yesterday, but I only did 30 minutes aerobics today. It's too damn hot, and I worked from home today, and I don't have air conditioning, and ... sorry about all the whining. Normal service shall be resumed shortly. Probably.

Tough Hair

I guess it's because I did a grand total of almost 200 push ups over 3 days, but even so. Enough already, body. It's been three days now without one single measly push up, and the arm/shoulder muscles are still not happy campers. I've been hitting the vitamin I bottle, and the muscles are better so long as I don't do anything extreme... like comb my hair. Then they complain. (Honest, it wasn't that tangled!)

So I've been restricting the exercise to below the waist -- whoa, that's a nasty cough you got there. Did you want some water? And you're turning bright red too. Sit down for a sec, catch your breath.

Anyway, exercise du jour:
40 minutes armless aerobics and 110 minutes walking (morning, noon, and night)

Even the best laid plans can't always get laid

Some days, even the best laid plans suffer from Exercise Dysfunction. Yesterday was one of those days.

Woke up late, scratched early morning ride.
"It's okay, I still have the hour-long walk at lunch."

So, of course, co-worker canceled the lunch walk. Hmph.
"Well, I'll take an extra-long bike ride home."

Then, naturally, found out that I had to be at the other end of town by 6:30, which meant taking the light rail instead of riding the bicycle.
"Um... maybe I'll fit in some aerobics in the evening?"

You guessed it. My mother called and really needed to talk to me for an hour or so about her garden, the weather, and other important topics.

People come before exercise, but even so... aaaaargh!

Exercise du jour: Taking the day off work, which means more time for exercise!
50 minutes aerobics




the push ups and sit ups from yesterday




20 minutes cycling




and as much gardening as I can take before the sun broils me to a lobster.

Only about 15 minutes after sunset... why do I always have to do the unshaded front lawn on really hot days? Damn those weeds anyway.




see more dog and puppy pictures

Blog with a Hugh

see more Lol Celebs

Quote du jour: There’s so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy in the streets?
—Dick Cavett

Maybe this veggie-lovin’ diet is starting to change my taste buds. This afternoon I went to a meeting where people gave me cookies and sodas. I automatically nibbled on the cookie, realized how extremely sweet it was, and didn’t even bother to try opening the soda. Even though the cookie made me thirsty, I couldn’t face the sugar overload in that soda; I was already over-sugared.

That’s progress, right? Or maybe I’m just picking up crumbs of encouragement.

Exercise du jour: God and my alarm clock willing, the goal for Friday is to get up early, do 40 minutes with a DVD, then cycle in to work.
Done! Took the long way home, did two hours' worth of exercise today.

Underworking or Overworrying?

You don't know how far you can go... until you go too far.

I'm wondering -- should I be pushing myself more? I started this couch to 5k program with the fervent hope that I could make it through to the other side without both my legs in pain. So far, fingers crossed and knees happy. But am I underworking? Or overworrying?

Update: Maybe I was speaking too soon. Last run took it out of me, for some reason. Muscles aren't sore; I just feel blah. Negative and blah.

Giveaway du jour: I'm getting tired. I think giving away something once or twice a week wouldn't seem like quite so much work. Still, I'm sure I can find another book to give to a good home if I try.
Another book hits the box. I've now got a respectable stack of Goodwill boxes piled up by the door.
Exercise du jour: Rania's Personal Trainer DVD, arms and abs. Got a big run tomorrow, don't want to overdo it today.
Yeah, whatever. Did arms, did abs, still don't feel like I've got much energy.


Oops courtesy of Flickr.

Nekkid Portland Cyclists

Quote du jour: Cycling naked has become a "well-established tradition" in Portland.

Fact du jour: I'm not planning to go 'traditional' -- certainly not in November.
(Hey, there's a thought. If I get laid off, I could make money another way. People could pay me not to take my clothes off in public ;)

Update: I don't know if I last weighed myself last Sunday or the one before that. Today the scale, a good doctor's scale, says I've lost six pounds since our last encounter.

Clearly, I should've being weighing myself on Saturdays instead.



Giveaway du jour: There's no escape. There are still storage boxes out there in the garage e'en yet undiscovered, filled to the brim with things that I could and should give away. And maybe I'll find some mysterious treasure while I'm at it. Probably next to Judge Crater and Jimmy Hoffa.
Sigh... didn't find anyone or anything exciting. Another book bites the dust.

Exercise du jour: Decided to switch my running days.
Week 5 of the couch to 5k. (Can't believe I'm into the 5th week!)

Photo du jour: Flickr

Life's a beach, or so I'm told

Cannon Beach, Haystack rock

Poem du jour:

maggie and millie and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and

millie befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea.

- ee cummings


Giveaway du jour: Time for another challenge. I'm going to find a book that I can give away. I can do this.
I'm being flexible with this giveaway stuff. Gave away a vase. Wasn't using it, didn't have a place for it any longer, let it find a home where it will be loved and appreciated. Or at least used.

Exercise du jour: Rania's Personal Trainer DVD, arms and abs.
It's almost 11 pm and I've just finished writing up a post for Cranky Fitness. In other words, short kettlebell arm exercises sounded really good tonight.
Next day update: good idea to use the heavier kettlebell, Dickens, for the arm exercises. Definitely felt slightly sore the next day, so at least the quickie had some effect.

Halfway through another week

Photo: ny156uk

Quote du jour:
Better to hunt in fields, for health unbought,
Than fee the doctor for a nauseous draught,
The wise, for cure, on exercise depend;
God never made his work for man to mend.
~John Dryden

Giveaway du jour: Today I'm going to give up another child book. I can do it.
Methinks BCB cursed me -- this was hard to do. Finally found that I had two reference books on the same application, so one of them is now toast.

Exercise du jour: Rania's Personal Trainer DVD, arms and abs.
Four hours of sleep, twelve hours of work. There is no way I'm going to do a full workout. I'd like to find a way to blame BCB for this, but I'm too tired to work up a good rationalization.

Anyway, I did ten minutes' worth of kettlebell arms stuff. Thingies. Exercises. Yeah, that's the word. Knew it would come back to me.

Benefit of the doubt

Photo: Kevin Eddy

Quote du jour:

Live out of your imagination, not your history.

- Stephen Covey

Giveaway du jour: Monday's are short days. I'm going to give something intangible. Today I'm going to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Probably a politician, but maybe someone who cuts me off in traffic, or even that dweeb at work who invariably takes the last cup of coffee and doesn't make another pot.
I'm going to give that project manager the benefit of the doubt. He's stuck with the near-impossible task of trying, like Sisyphus, to get his project up to the top of the hill. I give him the benefit of thinking that he wasn't trying to make my day harder just because his is near-impossible; he's trying to get the job done. No malice intended.

Exercise du jour: Getting a little bored with balance ball, kettlebell. Need to find new, different videos. Switching to Rania's Personal Trainer DVD, arms and abs.
Done. Not with a whole lot of enthusiasm... too much caffeine-fueled work... but done.

Taken for granted

Chief Kno-tah, Shute Park Hillsboro Oregon

Fact du jour: travel broadens the mind. Even if you're not the one doing the traveling.

When the Librarian came out in October, she asked what Native American tribes were in the area. That question startled me, because I'd never thought about it before. In Oregon, as in California, Native Americans are usually either integrated into the general population or else they live on small, isolated reservations far from any major city. And their tribes are not very large. It's not like the Southwest, with huge tribes like the Navajo. Casinos are run by Indians, but I don't think those are representative of the native culture. Apparently in Minnesota things are very different.

Giveaway du jour: another opportunity to go through storage boxes and donate things to Goodwill.
Gave away a couple of paperbacks. Hard to work up much enthusiasm over this. Need to get creative or heartfelt or schmaltzy re thinking up things to give.

Exercise du jour: raking, weeding, general gardeningYeah, if it ever stops pouring down the rain in sheets. On the plus side, no need to water the shrubs today. Might try getting out the brush and soap and washing the car. Free rinse.
30 minutes flexibility and abs with Rania's Personal Trainer DVD.
20 minutes raking sodden leaves.