I made it down 21 flights of stairs…

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1/2 Marathon Training, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Awareness, Breast Cancer Survivor, Cancer, Cancer Awareness, Cancer Survivor, Fitness, Motivation, Training, Weight Loss

…when I left the office then walked up five flights to get to my car.  Something I have never done!  A workout indeed and glad I didn’t have on any makeup.  Here’s how Day 4 went:

I am the essential bag lady.  Around 5 pm I went and put bag, purse, planner and books, minus my laptop, in my car.  Around 6:50 I packed up and left the office.  As I entered that stairwell at Floor 21 all kind of thoughts came to mind:  “I should have called Jorge (security guard) and told him if he didn’t see me come out come get me.”  “I should pull up 911 on my phone just in case.”  “I should have left that laptop in the car.”  “What am I doing???”  There I went.  Not too bad.  Floor 17 I started feeling the pull in my thighs.  Floor 12 I started counting the stairs: one set, then a landing, then another set before the next floor, 20 steps total.  I’m feeling the burn but okay.  Floor 10: I notice there are no emergency buttons on these floors. What’s up with that?  Floor 7:  The concrete slabs are wobbly…or is it me?  Floor 4: I’m getting ‘sea-sick.’ I’m feeling real queasy, moving slow but know if I stop I’m going to take a tumble.  Oh, wait, finally, an emergency phone.  I pause an contemplate, no I can do this.  Floor 2: Yesssss, one more flight to go.  My calves are tighter than tight.  Ten stairs, 10 more to go…wait blank walls, “say what??” Ten more stairs, then ten more…oh I have been bamboozled.  Finally!!!!!!  Floor 1: a door, I can get out of and not soon enough!  Whew.

Now on to my car.  I pass by Jorge trying to pretend like a fresh dew in the morning sun.  “Goodnight.” I walk out that revolving door (why…I’m ready to vomit) leaning forward.  Just the slight wind shift to the north and man down.  As I approach the parking garage I’m staring at the stairwell door straight ahead.  “Oh h*ll to the naw” I thought but as I got to the elevator my will, not my legs, kept going and here I go up those stairs.  A guy was right behind me and immediately stepped aside and told him to go ahead, “I’m going to be extremely slow.”  Here we go, flight 1, flight 2, flight 3 (somebody help me), flight 4 (pause, deep breath, 3…2…1…), flight 5 I felt like I just climbed Mt. Everest.  Left knee pounding, thighs contracting and calves pulsing, I make my way to the car.  I thought I was no safe but no, driving around those curves to get to ground level made me even more queasy.  Ugh.  But…I did it!!

My intent was to go to the gym and walk up 21 flights on the stair master but ran late  doing ministry and school work.  Nonetheless, total stair count coming down: 230, total going up, hmm, I don’t know; I need to count those stairs when I go back to work on Monday.  Without going to the gym, here’s yesterday’s activity.  I’m working my way up to 10,000 (even though a friend told me a 6,000 step goal is great).

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Support the Cause!

 

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So I’m on this 30-Day Challenge…

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Breast Cancer Awareness, Breast Cancer Survivor, Cancer Survivor, Fitness, Motivation, Survivor, Training, Weight Loss, Workouts

…and as of October 4th, four days in, it’s a challenge for real.  What’s the challenge you ask?  It’s 30 days of exercise, at least 30 minutes every-single-day.  Seems easy right?  Yep, until all the excuses and reasons you had before seem to still be there. I have not been to the gym the past few days.  I just haven’t.  But, I have been adjusting my habits.

Sunday instead of driving the mile to the hospital to visit my mom I walked.  It’s not that far and was a way to get in exercise.  I also did some yoga poses for stretching.

Monday I did not set aside the 30 minutes but I did something else.  I took the stairs.  I park on the 5th floor of the garage and I forced myself to walk.  I was out of breath and ready to break the glass on the fire extinguisher just because it said “in an emergency.”  I also made the decision to watch what I eat.  I didn’t stuff myself with candy, snacks, cookies and cakes like I may do on any given day – most days to be honest.  For dinner I had a kale chopped salad and okra.  No meat!!  Didn’t want it and released the feeling that I needed it to make my meal complete.  Let me backtrack.  The okra was fried okra but it was fresh, crisp and homemade (at the restaurant) and was sooo good.  I guess that was my meat substitution.  And only one glass of wine.

Tuesday I took the stairs again (pats self on the back, looks for oxygen mask) and instead of getting in my car and driving the 1/2 mile to grab lunch, I walked.  It felt really good.  Last night while doing laundry I decided I needed to get 30 min of movement so I walked, yet again.  During each cycle I went outside and walked briskly.  I could not let myself stay stagnant.  Check out what Pacer said I did on my phone (see pic).

Today, Wednesday, as I sit and gaze at this beautiful day from the 21st floor of my office, I’m also psyching myself up to take the stairs down 21 flights when I leave for the day.  Don’t laugh, it’s harder than you think.  I was forced to for a fire drill and baby when I tell you my legs felt like melted jello…ooohweee.  That’s what I’m going to do.  No, I can’t take them up because of security measures I won’t be able to get on to my floor and I don’t want to be left for dead when around flight 6 I pass out; BUT, when I go to the gym tonight, I will hit 21 flights on the stair master and try, really hard, not to fall over that rail.  Note to Planet Fitness: please have paramedics on standby…please.

Moral of this story:  I hope I’m incorporating healthy habits in my life, every day, that will last a lifetime.  By the way, I’m intending to blog my challenge (a challenge in and of itself) every day.  Tune in tomorrow…

P.S.  It’s October and you know what that means…Pink Out.  It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I am a survivor and this is my continuous survival journey.

Hi ho, hi ho off to the gym…

Tags

1/2 Marathon Training, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Awareness, Breast Cancer Survivor, Cancer, Cancer Awareness, Cancer Survivor, Diabetes, Diabetic, Fitness, marathon training, Motivation, No Motivation, Spiritual Motivation, Survivor, Training, Weight Loss, Workouts

…I went!  Yeah I know that doesn’t rhyme but who cares, I FINALLY got back in the gym.  It’s been a while, a long while, over a year since I graced the floors of a gym.  It’s not that I didn’t want to go, I had other financial priorities and a gym membership wasn’t one of them.  Yes, I know that’s no excuse.  I could work out at home, outdoors (not in the summer in Arizona), etc. etc. etc.  I didn’t.  Should I have been, yep.  Was the intention there, yep.  Did I, nope.  Now that I got that out, here’s how it went.

First, let me admit that I signed up for another gym membership over a month ago with the idea that I was going to work out nearly every day during my free month, after all, I have a 30 year class reunion coming up, Go Pirates. That’s what my mouth said.  Didn’t happen.  😕Last night, after having worked, Bible study, and outreach I wanted to go sit and have some wings and drink.  Mind you, my plan that morning was to do all I mentioned except the food/drink, I planned to for the gym to be my final stop.  My bag was in the car and I was headed to go eat, drink and be merry.  I am thankful I got a PUSH I needed.  An encouragement to just go.  Don’t divert, “go workout.”  After stopping at three different stores I reluctantly went.

I’m back! Baby Workout. Photo snapped at Plant Fitness.

It was a long walk from the parking lot to the inside of the door. I sat and pushed myself to go. The parking lot was full and I thought, “ugh, too many people, I don’t feel like this.”  I kept pushing.  I sat in the car perusing through social media, mentally I kept pushing.  I walked really slow going in, I kept pushing.  I fumbled through my purse to find my member card, I kept pushing.  I momentarily stared at the bucket of Tootsie Rolls on the desk, sheesh – the struggle.  I resisted and kept pushing.  I made it to the locker room, changed and hit the treadmill.  I PUSHED MYSELF!

I did a solid 45 minutes of cardio (not incl cool downs).  I didn’t push too hard on the workout wanting to ease by body through the shock of it all.  I was panting on a 2.0 speed on the treadmill. LOL!  When I paused at 5 min to stretch…ohhhh…my ligaments were so tight, felt like pulling steel.  I gradually increased the speed and incline.  35 min done.  On to the elliptical.  Sweating.  Heart rate up and now I have my mojo back. 18 min done.  I was ready to keep gong but stopped.  I know my body.

Today, yes I said today because my bag is in the car, I will go further. Ab work.  By Monday, I’ll have a plan for an upper/lower body routine incorporating weights.  So now I can spit the rhymes…Hi ho, hi ho off to the gym I go!   #SurvivorTales

P.S. I did grab a couple of Tootsie Rolls on my way out.  One step at a time.😏

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If it’s not one thing…

Tags

1/2 Marathon Training, Breast Cancer Survivor, Cancer Survivor, marathon training, Training

…it’s sure to be something else.  Every time I start to train to run shiggedy happens.  First time I had to stop training due to reconstructive surgery.  The next time it was a meniscus tear (although not fully confirmed but that’s what the ER doctor suggested and I’m standing by it).  This time, I possibly have a slipped disc in my neck.  I say possibly because I’m sitting, as I type, waiting to get x-rayed. (You know these medical imaging offices take forever; I could write my life story right now)  This pain has been going on for over a month.  My entire right arm hurts and my fingers are numb.  I can’t feel the keyboard on my phone.  I have to move my entire upper body to glance over my shoulder.  The right shoulder is 3″ higher than the left having me look like Quasimodo.  My only semi-relief comes when I’m laying down.  This pain…ugh…I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy…even if some come very close to it. IJS 😏

Thus, once again, training is on hold.  What do you do to alleviate discouragement?  Each time I make up my mind to train for that 1/2 marathon something physically prevents it.  I don’t know if my angels are protecting me from passing out during a run or what? Now that I think about it…hmmm… 

This too shall pass, I guess.  In the words of the six million dollar man (yep, I’m dating myself) I will come back better, stronger, faster.  Ha! Let’s hope so.  I’m thinking, if it took six million dollars to build the bionic man in the 1970’s, I wonder what would today’s value be to rebuild me? [to my blockhead brother who will read this “HUSH!” Don’t answer that question – no comments from the peanut gallery]😄